Honda Cbr 600
In June 2008 Honda announced that it had developed and implemented the “world’s first electronically controlled braking system for supersport motorcycles.” At the time, we could only wonder what it might be like to haul the CBR600RR, consecutive five-time AMA Formula Xtreme and consecutive six-time World Supersport champ, in from speed with the aid of combined braking and ABS.
Wondering about the optional system has now been supplanted by experiencing. We’ve been to the Mountaintop of Braking and seen that it is good aboard the 2009 CBR600RR C-ABS!
Had Big Red simply pared down just enough of the Combined (linked) ABS system as currently found on the Gold Wing, ST1300 and VFR in order to fit the CBR 600 and 1000? The system is in fact all new.
2009 Honda CBR600RR C-ABS
Judging by the sound of crickets when I asked American Honda’s Millar Farewell, Assistant Manager of Technical Training, if this CBR system will soon be found on the aforementioned touring and sport-touring models, the reasonable assumption is indeed it will. Likely it won’t be identical, as the CBR system is optimized for sportbikes. However, in short, this newest C-ABS is simplified, smarter, faster and lighter in contrast to the existing system, so it’s likely Honda will apply a variant across other models.
ABS 101
Optional C-ABS on the CBR600RR will only be available in model colors Metallic Black or Red/Black. ABS models will also have bronze colored calipers. Standard model calipers will be black.
Imagine a traditional brake system. When you apply the brake, fluid travels directly from the brake lever/master cylinder through brake lines to the caliper; essentially a straight shot. Hopefully you’ll come to a safe stop in the amount of time or distance you want based upon the amount of pressure you apply to the lever or pedal.
The most basic components of the typical ABS are: wheel-speed sensors, pressure control valve(s), and an electronic controller (ABS brain). With ABS, instead of fluid traveling straight from the lever/pedal to the caliper, it now first passes through a control valve, then out to the respective calipers. Under normal circumstances fluid moves uninhibited from the lever through the control valve and out to the caliper; just like a standard system but with the extra path through the control valve.
The electronic controller unit comes into the picture by monitoring wheel speed via sensors on each wheel, constantly looking for unusually rapid deceleration. The ABS brain knows, based upon parameters programmed into it, at some point in that rapid deceleration the wheel will “lock-up.”
Before this can happen, the ECU will close valves in the control valve unit, allowing pressure in the brake to drop enough in order for the wheel’s speed not to stop. At that point the brain will re-open the control valve for pressure to build again, in essence allowing another attempt at stopping.
The basic premise of ABS is that the brain plays gate-keeper between the pressure control valve unit and the brake caliper, taking its cues from wheel speed, opening and closing valves in order to decrease and increase fluid pressure. It usually does this faster than a wheel can change speed significantly, cycling at some where around 15 times per second. Often, anti-lock systems also employ a pump to assist in rebuilding pressure in the brake line(s) as well as a few other components.
source:motorcycle.com
