I don't know how many of you ride bikes with ABS. I had an FJ1200 with ABS. I think it saved me from embarassment a few times, but I am not sure it saved an accident. The first thing you need to do with any ABS vehicle is test the ABS, deliberately induce the activation. Not fun the first time, but it really helps you to know that when you need it you have to go harder on the brakes to get the best from ABS, not back out. You need to know it won't help much if you are carrying lean angle! So the window of effective use is quite narrow.
You also need to know it is working, and should check function regularly. The Yamaha system worked with separate circuits for front and rear. Checking the rear was working took less courage than testing the front!
At that time, late '90s, a replacement pump was over £1500, a refurbed one about £800, and the total extra weight of the bike with ABS was around 10KG of pump, fluid, sensors, valves and electrical stuff. To retrofit a system on any bike you are going to need to invest a considerable amount of money and the machining of wheels and forks etc. for sensors, mounting brackets, that pump can be as big as a good sized battery. And because the pumpp is electrical you willl need to make sure you have adequate electrical power, a good alternator and a big battery. No point having it if you cannot rely on it cutting in when needed! And I would not fancy having to do a government safety check with a home brewed ABS!
But really, what is the point of it on a bike you have individual wheel brake control and you are generally very aware of conditions, and most 40 year old bikes are not being used year round!
My next heavy tourer was a year 2000 Pan European (ST1100) without any of the fancy stuff, no ABS, no traction control, no combined brakes. I was much happier!
Apart from the one time I ended up on the floor, in a snowstorm, when the driver in front of me panicked and put his car sideways across the road! He thought I was going to belt him when I knocked on his window.....it took him a while to realise I was just trying to get him to help me pick up the 300kg of motorcycle he had caused me to lower onto the road!
Would ABS have saved the tumble, actually I don't think so, but who knows. Bike damage? The sacrificial plastic cover that Honda put over the built in crash bars! Now that was good design!
