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Rant: A guy at the gas station in Kelowna said he'd never ride a bike with ABS
I was filling up my bike yesterday and overheard a rider telling his buddy that ABS makes you a lazy rider who never learns real braking skills. He said he's been riding for 20 years without it and it's just extra weight and cost. But my Kawasaki with ABS saved me from a low-side last fall when a car pulled out in Vancouver. I think it's a crucial safety net, especially for newer riders. What's the general feeling here, is ABS making us worse riders or is it a must-have now?
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davis.gavin2mo ago
My uncle had that same mindset... refused to buy a car with airbags for years. Called them a crutch. Then he got t-boned by a guy who ran a red light in Kamloops. The paramedic told him the airbag is probably what kept him from a serious head injury. He doesn't brag about his "pure" driving skills anymore.
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kaib181mo ago
Yeah I don't know man, "serious head injury" is a pretty big leap. I mean yeah airbags help in a bad enough crash but they also kill people sometimes, especially shorter folks or kids sitting too close. My buddy's cousin got a broken nose and a scratched up cornea from one that deployed in a fender bender. Not saying they're useless or anything but acting like you're dead without one feels a little dramatic. Plenty of old timers drove around without them and did just fine, its not like every accident is instant death. Sometimes people just get lucky or unlucky and we try to find a reason why.
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singh.jessica2mo ago
That's a tough lesson to learn the hard way, @davis.gavin. Reminds me of my neighbor who swore by manual windows until his arm got pinned in a rollover.
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