eTECHNICAL
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Honda STllOO AlIS· res
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By Nate Rauba
f a nti-lock braking systems are the
across-the-boa rd motorcycle safety
feature o f th e fut ure; H onda is
a lready o ne step a hea d of the ga me.
Although th ey're not th e first to
introduce a nt i-lock braking systems
(ABS) o n a mot or cycle - BMW has
offered ABS-equipped bik es since 1988,
and Yamah a's 1992 F]1 200 has an ABS
o ption - H onda 's soo n-to-be released
ST I I00 ABS/TCS is th e fir st to offer
both ABS and a Tract ion Co nt ro l
System , wh ich prevents rear whe elsp in
wh en accelerating o n slip pery surfaces.
H onda ha s been wo rk i n g with
motorcycle ABS systems si nce the lat e
'70s, a nd scra pped two ot her systems
before com ing up with th e unit found
o n the ST I IO As early as 1980, H on da
O.
had d eve loped a system usin g a n
a na log co m p ut er, but deem ed it too
slow a n d h ea vy to utilize o n a
motor cycle.
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A com p letely mech anical system was
produced in 1988, bu t Ho nda aga in felt
th at it was too cr ud e a nd too heavy
for motorcycle use.
Work bega n on a th ird system - th e
system th ey a re no w introd ucing, o ne
that H onda resear chers feel per forms
sa tisfac torily. Develo p men ts in co mp u ter techn ol og y a lso a ide d th e ir
p rog ress so th a t th e A BS/TCS co u ld
be fitted to a n STII O .
O
H on da feels that th e STI100 is th e
most appropriat e mod el to int roduce
th eir A BS/TCS system , tho ug h th e
span -to ur ing ma chin e car ries a relativel y high $9299 price to begi n with.
An exac t a mo unt has yet to be determi ned, bu t the ABSITCS optio n wi ll
add a p proxima tely $2000 to that pr ice.
In co m pa riso n , wh en BMW introd uced th eir ABS system on th e KIOORS
in '89, th e bike's p rice increased 2395
fro m th e previous year's model.
ASS indIcator light
Tes indlCCllor lighl
TCS " ott" !;ght
"active" lighl
res
s
