The relationship between Husqvarna and BMW has lead to the worlds first off-road motorcycle (TE 449) with ABS. The ABS unit on the TE 449 is a “dual-channel” ABS, with components supplied from both BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna. A similar setup is being used on the BMW S1000RR. The dual channel ABS system consists of “two wheel sensors and the associated pulse wheels for detecting the rotational speeds of the front and rear wheels, an ABS pressure modulator, a hydraulic system and an electronic control unit. Due to the particular dynamic requirements of off-road racing, ABS regulation occurs solely at the front wheel. The rear wheel brake is not regulated, so the rider can deliberately lock the rear wheel.
The advantage of Husqvarna’s off-road ABS primarily lies in its extremely low weight of just about 1.5 kg and the fact that it still allows the rear wheels to lock under heavy braking. Another bike that can perform the same is the BMW S1000RR which can also lock the rear wheel under hard braking, in one of its ride modes. The ABS on the off-road Husky’s will not bring a greater degree of safety and better bike control, but will also enable the use of the maximum braking force in different situations.
