My $0.02...ABS is for retirees on goldwings.

 

If you want the choice, just pull the abs fuse - or better - fit a switch.

Rob

 

I want the choice to not pay the extra $1000+ for something I dont need, which is the choice they are trying to take away. The choice to disable it is always there.

 

Folks, remember who THEY actually are. It's not the government instigating, it is the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and I emphasize that in this fashion because, in spite of their claiming it is a non-profit independent group, it is wholly funded by a very much for profit Insurance industry. Realize it isn't that "government" spectre as if those governing gave a crap about us, it is the insurance lobby money working that "government" spectre. Yes, all either care about is the bottom line. Legislators want that campaign contribution and whatever legal or illegal freebies they can get away with and the insurance industry wants maximum profits. Neither care whether you live or die as long as they get their long green!

 

Actually, apart from the arguments for and against, you're getting your knickers in a twist over nothing.

This is a lobby group with no power to significantly influence legislation. If every motorcycle model had an ABS option and 90% of all bikes sold had ABS, then the next time Capitol Hill looks at bike related legislation a group like this might just have enough influence to mandate the other 10%.

As it is, they're pissing in the wind. You can't say it'll never happen, but not until after you've got a tiered licensing system and compulsory training - and that's a long way off.

Rob

 

You are in the UK, not the U.S. Look at the past year and a half here.

If the insurance industry here wants it, it WILL happen. The health insurance industry has proven its power with the money spent in the past against health insurance changes and in their ability to pretty much pump up charges on premiums at will. The thing is there isn't enough money in the motorcycle insurance industry to force the issue by the claims paid pocketbook to dish out the massive payoffs in campaign funds to do the job... yet. This is more of a "slow cooker" low dollar effect, trying to stir the legislation by numbers that are manipulated. This has happened before...

You obviously hadn't heard of or don't remember the very real threat against the "bullet bikes" here in the U.S. with legislation sponsored by Senator John Danforth and the IIHS along with the NHTSA back in the late 80s. Seemed they wanted to outlaw the big 1000cc sportbikes. They fabricated a bunch of stats, but when the smoke and mirrors were cleared away it seemed the riders of the big sport bikes were both safer riders and had less crashes. Another insurance sponsored lie killed off. I was selling Hondas at the time and it was a very real threat. It had less to do with life and death and more to do with claims payout. Thank God for the AMA, the manufacturers organization, and others. It was stopped cold when the real truth came from the statistics.

The tiered licensing is something I like, it is definitely a good aid in making good riders, but it isn't insurance driven. Not enough money to be made or saved. This is the U.S. where money drives government through lobbies and contributions I'm sorry to say, not by sensibility and useful laws. Heck, we're still the ONLY industrialized nation without socialized health insurance, giving away jobs due to the cost of health insurance benefits workers need. All to line the pockets of the health insurance industry where the bottom line is profit, not saving health or life. One industry that is still making record profits in a major economic recession.

Panties in a bunch, when it comes to any insurance group you bet!

Cheers.

 

In this respect the US and the UK are not so different. We also have lobby groups from road safety and insurance industries floating similar ideas at regular intervals - electronically limiting all motorcycles to 70 mph was one recent kite - and we came closer than you did to having a 100 bhp limit imposed by the European Comission - that's an actual government initiative.

Currently the latest change to the licence test is being altered after it was discovered that one mandatory maneouver - an emergency stop and swerve avoidance maneouver - was actually causing accidents during the test.

Paranoia can be helpful at times, but until most bikes are fitted with ABS, or at least have an ABS option, you really don't have anything to worry about. Just be ready in case a small campaign is needed to knock the idea on the head.

Rob