There are many very good riders who would rather not have ABS. If you learn how to use regular brakes properly it becomes debatable how much safety they add. For most riders, IMO, they do help in those times of panic stopping when it's hard to think about braking the "right" way. This is the first bike I've had with ABS and really haven't needed them to come on yet. Though I did scrape a peg today on my ride taking a corner a bit faster than I anticipated and felt the chatter on my foot on the peg... just add a little more gas and slide my butt to the inside on the seat a bit to pull it up. No big deal. It's an automatic reaction to me.... After about a week I began to feel I made a mistake in not getting the ABS. I guess it is not a problem money can't fix ... That is if ABS on a motorcycle is a valuable safety feature.
Completely agreeable points. It would have been awesome if Honda had designed an alternative dash treatment though. But that would have been expensive to implement, and if you ever upgraded in the future, it would leave you with a huge plastic paperweight and you would be out more money for the replacement dash.I did not get the Deluxe because I don't like the idea of a machine that thinks it can drive better than me or thinks it knows what I want to do more than I do. In my experience, with the exception of ABS, all this electronic crap at some point does something I do not want it to do, which I find more intrusive than helpful. In the case of the CTX, that applies mainly to TC and self-cancelling turn signals -- things I could not see paying extra for that would most likely detract from my riding experience. As for the sound system, two thoughts come into play here -- 1, I do not want/need the added distraction of fumbling around with tunes on the bike; they're enough of a distraction in the car as it is. And 2, the road and the wind when on the bike are all the music I need. OK, three thoughts -- music playing loud enough to hear on the bike is most likely going to be loud enough to be annoying to somebody else. I know that's the case many times when I hear a bike go by with the stereo blaring, and I don't want to be one of those people.
I actually originally had a deposit down in a blue Deluxe, then changed my mind after giving it more thought. And now with one riding season pretty much in the books, I do not regret that decision one bit.
I totally agree about the speaker grilles. That would have driven me absolutely crazy. And I also prefer the blacked-out elements. That said, I haven't felt like I needed any of the other Deluxe features in my 2500 or so miles of riding so far. I just have learned to enjoy the speakers occasionally cause they're there.It sounds silly, I know, but... One of the reasons I went with the Deluxe was because I couldn't stand the idea of looking at those speaker grills and buttons and knowing that they didn't really do anything. I have not had occasion to use the ABS, but the Traction Control has saved me from one wet-ramp disaster at least. Yes, I know: I could have avoided the need for the TC with a little foresight and some extra care, but you know what? My bike didn't slide off the ramp so I'm happy.
Given that the extras are not that expensive, around $1500, I think it makes sense to get the Deluxe. I also like the look of the blacked out components, so that was a positive too. Like all things, it boils down to your own preference, and no one here is going to sneer at you no matter which you choose.
Oh, I read your account of that story before and had forgotten about it. When you said "ramp" earlier I was thinking highway on-ramp versus a ramp into a shed!Replying on my phone, sorry if this is too brief. Basically, I was putting my bike back in my shed and there is a ramp at the door. The ramp was wet, and halfway up the rear tire started to slip and it skidded eight just a few inches when I saw the TC light come on the dash and the skid stopped. If it had gone off the edge, the rear tire would have dropped about a foot and dumped the bike with me on it in the doorway. The tire just stopped sliding, it didn't pull the bike backward and I was able to easily drive up into the shed.![]()
I think you're mixing TCS and ABS together(...)
I think the only time ABS is a good alternative is if the brakes on the bike are very powerful. and can over power traction in a dry situation, then it would be a must have.
I dont mind having the TC, for panic situations,(...)