The fact that ABS is a must have safety equipment is pretty well known by now. The government also took steps to raise the safety standards of the Indian automotive industry and made ABS a compulsory feature for all bike at or above 125 cc engine capacity. The ABS system on bikes comes in mainly two guises, a single channel system or a double channel system. A major question that many people ask us regarding ABS is about its effectiveness in wet conditions. This article will answer all your questions and doubts regarding the effectiveness of ABS in rain. Before we move onto the details, take a look at this video by Suraj Verma in which the rider brake tests a Bajaj Pulsar RS200 in wet conditions.
As seen in the video, the bike does not slip or slide under heavy braking even in wet conditions. This is because of the ABS system acting on the front wheel of the bike. As the Bajaj Pulsar RS200 comes equipped with only a single channel ABS, only the front wheel is benefited by it unlike in double channel ABS systems where both the wheels are monitored for tire slip. In the second and third attempt, we can see the rear tire getting out of the line a bit which is because it is not equipped with ABS. However, the front end is where the major danger lies and that is kept steady by ABS.
What ABS does here is to avoid the slipping and locking of the front wheel, which is a pretty natural case in wet conditions. Whenever the ABS system detects a wheel lockup, it instantly releases the break for a moment and reapplies it again, preventing wheel lock and wheel slip. The braking distance gets increased a bit when compared to non-ABS counterparts but the difference is not much and when compared to the life-saving potential of ABS, the extra stopping distance can be overlooked. Hence, we can now say that ABS works effectively even in rainy and wet conditions.
However, we recommend avoiding slamming heavily on brakes while on a wet surface as it can turn out to be dangerous. In rainy weather and wet conditions, rider at a slower speed than usual to avoid any emergency braking. Visibility is also affected by rains and hence it is wise to ride slower. The condition of your bike’s tire matter a lot when riding on a wet surface and if the tires are in subpar condition, heavy braking may be fatal even if your bike is ABS equipped.
Talking about the bike, the Bajaj Pulsar RS200 is powered by a 199.5 cc engine that churns out 24.5 Bhp of power along with 18.6 Nm of torque. The liquid cooled engine gets a six-speed gearbox and the bike comes with an optional single channel ABS system. In its price range, the Pulsar RS200 is among the best performance bikes out there. However, it tips the scales at 165 kg, which affects its low-speed manoeuvrability.
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