Tech feature: Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade (e-CABS) and CBR600RR (e-CABS)

OVERVIEW
Anti-lock Braking Systems, commonly known as ABS, aren't anything new. This automotive safety feature has in fact been around in the car world for over 70 years, although it didn't filter through to bikes until 1988, with BMW's K100. Today ABS is a common feature on the motorcycle landscape, and is found across a wide variety of machines - a wide variety, that is, apart from sportsbikes.

There are several reasons why ABS has been left out of the sportsbike equation. On the technical front, ABS systems have traditionally added considerable weight. Additional weight is one thing you don't want when it comes to sportsbikes - a niche where manufacturers shout from the rooftops if they've managed to shave 2g from a clutch lever.

Sensitivity is another factor. Up to now ABS systems haven't been refined enough for sporting applications, where - in particular in a track situation - rider control is of paramount importance. On top of that, when the ABS system comes into play on the track, it needs to be refined enough to avoid upsetting the bike's general composure, as it struggles against a wide variety of forces attempting to pull it in all sorts of directions.

The last major factor is more psychological, than technical. Sportsbike owners are often the last to admit they could potentially benefit from any safety feature perceived to take control away from the rider. It's the 'I know how to handle a bike better than any computer' mentality - and that's a hard thing to shift.

These are the predominant reasons why ABS hasn't been seen on a sportsbike before, but now Honda is blazing a trail by offering e-CABS (electronically-controlled Combined Anti-lock Braking System) as an option on not only its sporting flagship, the CBR1000RR Fireblade, but also its middleweight supersport scalpel, the CBR600RR.

THE FACTS
It must be stressed here that e-CABS is an option, and that the standard, non-ABS versions of each model will still be available. The e-CABS system adds an extra $1000 to each model's standard price tag, bringing the e-CABS Fireblade up to $20,490 plus ORC and the e-CABS CBR600RR up to $16,990 plus ORC.

Honda's e-CABS system blends the benefits of ABS and CBS (Combined Braking System), and Big Red says that in exhaustive testing, the system out-performs a rider's ability to brake on most occasions. According to Honda: "An average (non-expert) rider using a conventional braking system needs several braking attempts to attain braking performance approaching that of Combined ABS. An expert rider using a conventional system will need fewer attempts to reach a similar level. Only in a racetrack situation where an expert rider repeatedly brakes into the same corner, was it found that the tester could outperform the Combined ABS."

The system itself consists of four basic components. An Electronic Control Unit (ECU) is the microprocessor-controlled 'brains' behind the e-CABS operation - it slides into a slim space underneath the pillion pad on the Fireblade, or behind the left-hand main fairing panel on the CBR600RR. Both the front and the rear calipers also have motor drive units, which control brake piston pressure. These are found under the seat for the rear brake, and for the front brake either behind the right-hand main fairing panel (Fireblade), or behind the left-hand main fairing panel (CBR600RR). Wheel sensors detect when either wheel is about to break traction and 'lock' - these are located near the brake calipers, their grooved tracks located inside the brake rotors. Finally, there are also valve units, one for the front brake and one for the rear, which allow the 'combined' part of the 'Combined ABS' to distribute braking pressure as required. This part of the equation only comes into play at speeds of above 6km/h, meaning you can, for example, drag a rear brake through a U-turn without activating the front. Above this speed the 'combined brakes' aspect comes to the party.

The e-CABS adds an additional 11kg to the Fireblade and an additional 10kg to the CBR600RR. That's a not insignificant amount of weight, but given both these model's extreme power-to-weight ratios, this will be - or should be - of negligible importance for an appreciable slice of sportsbike riders. Incidentally, there are no external decals on the models to signify they're fitted with e-CABS - the small grooved track inside the brake rotors is the only obvious giveaway.

THE BOTTOM LINE
Honda has always been gung-ho when it comes to motorcycle safety initiatives. From motorcycle training simulators to Combined Braking Systems, ABS to air bags - it's always been at the forefront of some pretty avant-garde safety technology. That's a good thing. There will always be an element of danger to riding - indeed that element, for many, is part and parcel of motorcycling's appeal - but anything that prevents serious injury or death, while maintaining the exhilaration of the riding experience, gets the thumbs up in my books.

The benefits of ABS on road are clear. It doesn't matter how good a rider you are, or how good your reflexes are - it's that split second when a dog runs out in front of you, a pedestrian sprints across the road in the rain, or a car pulls an unexpected U-turn, that an ABS system can spell the difference between a scary moment and a life-threatening spill.

Within the controlled environment of a racetrack, however, those emergency moments are less likely to crop up, and rider control needs to be at a maximum - so I was looking forward with great interest to see how Honda's e-CABS rockets stacked up during a test session at Victoria's Phillip Island circuit.

Right, no mucking about. Hurtling down Gardner Straight towards Doohan Corner, I took a deep breath, and with the Fireblade's digi speedo indicating a smidge over 270km/h, I grabbed a handful of front brake - sharply enough to have provoked an otherwise nasty front wheel lock. On a standard model I would have rapidly found myself sliding across the infield towards a date with Bass Strait, my bike disintegrating beside me - but not on this e-CABS machine.

The fork compressed in a rapid but controlled manner, and then the bike busied itself with braking as hard as possible, all the while maintaining wheel rotation and rider control. I felt an almost imperceptible 'blip' as the e-CABS kicked in, and then the bike wriggled just a little, but certainly not in any alarming way. Particularly impressive was how the rear end displayed impeccable manners, remaining planted and tracking straight and true, while another aspect that stood out was the complete lack of pulsating at the brake lever - amazing stuff.

It still has to be said, however, that e-CABS definitely doesn't give you free reign to grab a handful without engaging your brain. An aggressive pump of the front brake lever while cranked right over through a turn will still send your world sideways, with dire results. Honda's e-CABS, like ABS in general, should be used in conjunction with your common sense - it's not there to replace it.

I came away from 20 or so laps of Phillip Island on both models thoroughly impressed, although to be fair it's when you're on the road, not the track, that e-CABS will pay dividends. If you're an advanced rider considering a Fireblade or a CBR600RR as a track day machine, you'll have little need for an e-CABS model. Similarly, if you own a number of bikes and you swap machines regularly, I can see it might be possible to forget whether you're backed up by ABS or not. However, if you stick to the one bike, and you spend any significant proportion of your time on the road, all the usual benefits of ABS apply.

It only takes one emergency situation to destroy both your bike and your body - and it's those moments where the extra grand you spent on e-CABS could pay for itself in ways no rider ever likes to consider. Even on sportsbikes, ABS as an optional extra can only be a good thing.