Is traction control worth having for street use?

cojomo2

still on my never ending search for an r1...I had decided to go with the 2012 model as it has tc, however just wonderisng is it worth it? i.e is it likely to save my ass some day?

I know it's main use is for on the tack, and more for better lap time than safety..so considering I'll only be using it on the road, is it going to be of any benefit to me? Or is it something that can realistically prevent an accident/possible save your life some day? Thanks

Wonda-Boy

It will save your ass if it kicks in, because if it does kick in something is not right. I would rather have TC then ABS, just my 2 cents.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Unlike Wonda I'd rather ABS than TC.. Having had ABS save the day for me more than once I think its worth every penny.

TC, tbh I've never had it on a bike and have had plenty kick out on me and not lost control.

If it was included on the bike I'd be fine with it but I certainly would pay extra for it.

Wonda-Boy

Sarah Sharp Magenta wrote: »

Unlike Wonda I'd rather ABS than TC.. Having had ABS save the day for me more than once I think its worth every penny.

TC, tbh I've never had it on a bike and have had plenty kick out on me and not lost control.

If it was included on the bike I'd be fine with it but I certainly would pay extra for it.

Fair point, I must add the that not all ABS/CBS are good. It really depends on how intrusive it is. I have talked to some lads with the ABS/CBS or whatever and they dont like it. Most recent was the medic on a zzr1400 at Tandragee Road Races. He has 3 bikes and hates the CBS/ABS on the ZZR. I have rode a few bikes with ABS and the last one (Blackbird) I was not mad on the way the CBS kicks in.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Fair point, I must add the that not all ABS/CBS are good. It really depends on how intrusive it is. I have talked to some lads with the ABS/CBS or whatever and they dont like it. Most recent was the medic on a zzr1400 at Tandragee Road Races. He has 3 bikes and hates the CBS/ABS on the ZZR. I have rode a few bikes with ABS and the last one (Blackbird) I was not mad on the way the CBS kicks in.

My present bike has ABS (BMW R1100S) and it wasn't even a consideration when I was buying the bike, having used it in anger I would certainly be a consideration for my next bike but not the deciding factor.

Whenever I've had a bike kick out on me has almost always been my fault, either giving the bike too much welly or a wet road or trying to wheelie on a slippery surface ~ last week I tried to wheelie in the lane at the rear of The Gypsy Rose but I didn't know a drain had over flowed (I thought I was just on a wet surface) and the back kicked out big time - on SH*TE

OP are you being charged extra for the TC?.

Del2005

cojomo2 wrote: »

still on my never ending search for an r1...I had decided to go with the 2012 model as it has tc, however just wonderisng is it worth it? i.e is it likely to save my ass some day?

I know it's main use is for on the tack, and more for better lap time than safety..so considering I'll only be using it on the road, is it going to be of any benefit to me? Or is it something that can realistically prevent an accident/possible save your life some day? Thanks

Most people turn the TC on road bikes off when they go on track as it's too intrusive for racing. The TC used for racing is nowhere near as simple as road TC

TC on the road will save you if you give it too much juice on white lines or over banding etc.

I think most people agree it's only useful when the roads aren't dry.

cojomo2

Sarah Sharp Magenta wrote: »

OP are you being charged extra for the TC?.

yep- I'm after a 2010 on r1, traction control is only on the 2012+ models, so if I decided tc was a must I'd be paying more for sure. I'm still a novice rider, only been riding big bikes a little under 2 yrs so though it may be something woth having when moving up to a litre bike.

Theres a 2011 on done deal now (no tc) and I'm gettimg impatient waiting for a new bike so was thinking about it. However I've done a bit of research on it and see it was owned buy a guy on biker.ie who had it up for sale 3 months after buying it at which point a dealer bought it and sold it to a polish lad who has also only had it 3 months and now hes selling...starting to wonder if theres something wrong with it!..

arybvtcw0eolkf

cojomo2 wrote: »

yep- I'm after a 2010 on r1, traction control is only on the 2012+ models, so if I decided tc was a must I'd be paying more for sure. I'm still a novice rider, only been riding big bikes a little under 2 yrs so though it may be something woth having when moving up to a litre bike.

Theres a 2011 on done deal now (no tc) and I'm gettimg impatient waiting for a new bike so was thinking about it. However I've done a bit of research on it and see it was owned buy a guy on biker.ie who had it up for sale 3 months after buying it at which point a dealer bought it and sold it to a polish lad who has also only had it 3 months and now hes selling...starting to wonder if theres something wrong with it!..

You could try it for 3 months, then sell it

Cienciano

I'm with wonda, I'd rather traction control than abs. Having said that, I've never rode a bike with traction control! But my last 2 had ABS. The bmw r1150gs it was terrible, kicked in way to easy, big improvement on the 1200.
But I pretty much never needed it. I'd like the idea of traction control, especially in the wet. But I think I'd like it so you can switch it on or off as you drive, not sure if that's an option, and I wouldn't pay for it (or abs).

corkgsxr

Get the older and fit bazzaz traction control. Much better than the stuff that comes std.

id prefer traction control to abs

Cuddlesworth

Traction control stops the rear wheel slipping. Abs stops the front wheel slipping. TC will kick in when your being a plonker. ABS will kick in when somebody else is being a plonker.

I'd like both please.

arybvtcw0eolkf

If I was thinking of getting either due to safety concerns I'd go with the one most likely to save my life, ABS.

That said, and I've said it earlier neither would be a decoding factor for me when buying a road bike.

Stainless_Steel

Both try to overcome a lack of rider ability, which is really tested in an emergency situation. I'm not Marquez so I'd take both if I could afford it.

Del2005

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Traction control stops the rear wheel slipping. Abs stops the front wheel slipping. TC will kick in when your being a plonker. ABS will kick in when somebody else is being a plonker.

I'd like both please.

Even with TC you can still have a crash, just look at the racers with top class TC. While ABS will in the majority of cases reduce the chances of a crash or reduce the impact speed.

Personally I'd have both. Have ABS now and most likely won't go back, as ABS braking is different to non-ABS when the sphincter clinches.