2013 Traction Control - Used it yet?

[littlefish]

I think it saved me a high-side the other night. It was dark and I was cruising through a well known set of asphalt paved streets and intentionally making exaggerated L and R turns. Just trying to get a feel for the bike and scrubbing the edges of the tires on some grabby pavement. I went through a left-hander and didn't see a fine layer of ground asphalt and sand in puddle depressions on the road. I believe I was accelerating as I hit the junk and I felt the bike do something. I didn't even have time to think "uh-oh" and the bike caught itself. The sequence was lean over, then a very, very, very slight rev of the motor and then through the turn. I was asking myself what the heck was that! I checked the surface on my way back home and sure enough, there was enough loose stuff to cause major problems for a 660lb bike leaned over and getting on the throttle.

Any other experiences with TC activating? I'd be interested to hear what you felt and heard!

 

[Fred W]

Well, that traction control won't save you from driving off a pier at the marina. I could post a video of it, but I think someone may have beat me to it.

OTOH, what it probably will do is keep you from dumping the bike the first time you ride it after a tire change.

You know, like this guy:

https://youtu.be/Q9zNUPDmnz4

 

[littlefish]

FWIW, I believe the general population of this asylum knows all about new tires, cold tires and armor-all'd tires being slick tires. I still don't see why folks put that slime on their rides. I would like to hear how TC has worked for you on painted stripes and and other surfaces!

 

[Fairlaner]

I have felt mine kick in on the freeway in the rain.....by the time i realized what was going on it was all over.

R

 

[El Toro]

I don't have a 2013 FJR, but I have had traction control on four BMWs since late 2009.

I suspect that they are similar. Both systems base their decisions on differences between the front and rear wheel speeds.

As some others have pointed out, traction control won't save your butt all the time, but if you get into something unexpectedly slippery, or if you get too excited with your right wrist, traction control may give you a second chance to do right. It is definitely subtle. Maybe the Yamaha system has several settings? I haven't checked. On some of the BMW bikes, like the K1600, you get your choice on how aggressive it will be, all the way from totally damped wimp mode, to nearly no control at all. On others, there's just an on or off setting. My 2010 K1300S had an on off type control, and I thought it sucked the life out of the bike, so I left it off. My 2012 K1300S has an upgraded version which is a much better compromise. Yamaha's will probably evolve over the model years too.

It is a nice feature to have, even if it does add technical complexity. I never miss traction control on bikes that don't have it, but then I tend not to ride at the absolute limits of the rubber and the road.

 

[mingo]

The Gen 3 FJR's traction control has 2 settings: On or off. You want rear wheel spin? turn it off. You don't want any rear wheel spin when you're coming out of a curve and you're a little too hot on the throttle or the pavement is damp, turn it on. Leave it to BMW to complicate things by having multiple settings on a road bike. Why would I want rear wheel spin while riding on pavement? I certainly don't. (I had a K1600, so I'm very familiar with all its whiz bang features).

My Yamaha SuperTenere has 3 traction control setting: No wheel spin, some wheel spin and off. Mode 1 is used on pavement, mode 2 off pavement, and off. In my experience, Yamaha delivers the bike fully developed and tested. BMW on the other hand, uses their customers as their beta testers, and then makes incremental corrections, changes or improvements.

In my experience, traction control is a must on a bike with factory cruise control, here's why: I was riding on the interstate on a previous bike (Goldwing), cruising at 70 mph, as I approached a small hill, the pavement on that stretch of road was damp, so the cruise control kicks in the throttle to maintain the set speed while going up hill, and suddenly, the rear wheel begins to lose traction. It was instantenous, I reflexively tapped the clutch lever to disengage the cruise control and saved the bike from fish tailing and maybe highsiding.. I needed a change of underwear after that! And never again would I use cruise control on that bike if there was any moisture on the road.

I was waiting for Yamaha to update the FJR to equal or surpass some of the features of the Concours14. For such high powered bikes, traction control can sometimes save you from yourself!

 

[littlefish]

For such high powered bikes, traction control can sometimes save you from yourself!

Indeed. I think it already has!

 

[Richouse]

I'm just curious. if the traction control monitors the speed difference between the front and rear wheel and kicks in when it sees the rear spinning faster than the front, will the bike wheelie with TC on? I would think not...

 

[bikemiser]

who cares if it will wheelie

 

[mingo]

I'm just curious. if the traction control monitors the speed difference between the front and rear wheel and kicks in when it sees the rear spinning faster than the front, will the bike wheelie with TC on? I would think not...

As soon as the front wheel begins to lift, power will be reduced and it will not rise any further. The beauty of traction control is it's purely software driven, with no added hardware (and extra weight), it just uses the ABS speed sensors in reverse.

So if you want to wheelie, turn off TCS, and they make it really simple, there's a button just left of the tach, no need to scroll thru menus on the LCD screen.

 

[Fred W]

I'm just curious. if the traction control monitors the speed difference between the front and rear wheel and kicks in when it sees the rear spinning faster than the front, will the bike wheelie with TC on? I would think not...

You are correct.

who cares if it will wheelie

Hooligans and racers (for different reasons)

The beauty of traction control is it's purely software driven, with no added hardware (and extra weight), it just uses the ABS speed sensors in reverse.

Well, actually you also need the "fly by wire" hardware for a decent traction control system. Some early TC implementations would cut the spark and/or fuel injection when wheel slip was sensed, but that makes for a very jerky traction control.

And technically, it still uses the ABS speed sensors in "forward". It's the same wheel speed signals, but when the brakes are on the ABS modulates the brakes, when the throttle is on the TC modulates the throttle. If you were both on the brakes and on the throttle it would be possible to have both circuits active simultaneously.

 

[MCRIDER007]

Well, actually you also need the "fly by wire" hardware for a decent traction control system. Some early TC implementations would cut the spark and/or fuel injection when wheel slip was sensed, but that makes for a very jerky traction control.

I don't think that is true based my experience with my C14. It is not a fly by wire and it certainly does not a jerky traction control, its every bit as smooth as the S10, and the only way to tell that traction control is engaged is the readout on the dash. The traction control has only kicked in one time and that was on a steep incline in dirt and I couldn't feel it at all. I was giving 3/4 throttle and trying to figure out why I was only going 5 mph, then I looked at the the dash display which was telling me the TC was engaged and to slow down.

 

[networkguy]

Per the owners manual, page 4-26:

The traction control system will be disabled in the following conditions:

*The rear wheel is rotated with the centerstand down and the key in the "on" position.

*Either the front wheel or rear wheel comes off the ground while riding.

*Excessive rear wheel spinning.

Conclusion? You dont have to turn traction control off to burn out or pop wheelies. It will disengage itself.

 

[Abercrombie FJR]

Per the owners manual, page 4-26:

The traction control system will be disabled in the following conditions:

*The rear wheel is rotated with the centerstand down and the key in the "on" position.

*Either the front wheel or rear wheel comes off the ground while riding.

*Excessive rear wheel spinning.

Conclusion? You dont have to turn traction control off to burn out or pop wheelies. It will disengage itself.

Whoo hoo! Great news! I wouldn't want to disengage the system every time I'm feeling a little frisky and want to loft the front coming out of a great low speed corner.

 

[SeattleTy]

I was riding in a heavy down pour the other day and wished at the time I had traction control. The large puddles of waters was a big concern for me in hydroplaning, traction control I believe, would have been a great help in a hydroplaning event.

I feel traction control is very nice to have, it gives you the ability to push the bike a little harder in extreme conditions with a larger amount of margin for error; therefore, the rider can spend more time enjoying the ride, rather than gathering inputs continuously from the bike and making adjustments

 

[Fly Bye]

I was riding in a heavy down pour the other day and wished at the time I had traction control. The large puddles of waters was a big concern for me in hydroplaning, traction control I believe, would have been a great help in a hydroplaning event.

I feel traction control is very nice to have, it gives you the ability to push the bike a little harder in extreme conditions with a larger amount of margin for error; therefore, the rider can spend more time enjoying the ride, rather than gathering inputs continuously from the bike and making adjustments

I agree that traction control is a good thing to have, it could save you from yourself when one is feeling a little too frisky or if road conditions are not what the rider thinks they are, such as wet spot or a sandy spot that is not expected.

I do not think I would want to push the bike harder in these conditions and depend on the TC to bail my ass out of a poor judgement call on my part.

It might be prudent to ride with caution just as you would if your motorcycle did not have TC. There is no guarantee that TC will save you, so why push it?

 

[littlefish]

I agree that traction control is a good thing to have, it could save you from yourself when one is feeling a little too frisky or if road conditions are not what the rider thinks they are, such as wet spot or a sandy spot that is not expected.

I do not think I would want to push the bike harder in these conditions and depend on the TC to bail my ass out of a poor judgement call on my part.

It might be prudent to ride with caution just as you would if your motorcycle did not have TC. There is no guarantee that TC will save you, so why push it?

Part 1 - You're right, I totally agree with you. I drove by the intersection I rode through in the dark the other night. The UNEXPECTED sand/gravel mix is the same color as the roadway and would be bad news, day or night!

Part 2 - I push it every so often when I feel conditions permit. Safety features don't make me more wreckless and IMHO, calculated risks are a major part of every ride! I was very fortunate to have ABS on my Triumph after I got into a turn a little hotter than I wanted. I know I did lots wrong to get to that point, but I thought I knew the turn and was OK. Turns out I had to straighten it up and run off into the grass. I grabbed a handful of front brake and should have gone down. ABS saved my behind and my bike's bodywork.

 

[Steel_Gin]

Reading everyone's post on how traction control has helped them so far is making me wish for a 2013.

 

[odot]

I agree but I am waiting for the cruise control fix so I can go 82mph.