KTM 990 - Manual (Page 32)

or slippery surfaces without running a risk of
having the wheels lock.
– The ABS cannot prevent one or both
wheels from losing the road grip if the
motorcycle is banked during the braking
procedure. Although the wheel will not
lock, the centrifugal force will cause the
wheel to lose traction and cause the
motorcycle to crash despite the ABS.
– The ABS cannot prevent one or both
wheels from losing traction if braking the
motorcycle on laterally sloping surfaces.
Although the wheel will not lock, the lat-
eral force will cause the wheel to lose trac-
tion and cause the motorcycle to crash
despite the ABS.
– The ABS cannot prevent the rear wheel
from locking on slippery surfaces due to
the engine's braking effect.
– The ABS cannot generally guarantee a
shorter stopping distance in every
situation.
– Do not try to offset the added safety
afforded by the ABS against a risky driv-
ing style!
When braking, shift to a lower gear in accor-
dance with the speed. Pull the clutch dur-
ing emergency braking or braking on slippery
surfaces. Always finish braking before you
enter a curve. When driving downhill, use the
braking effect of the engine. Change down
one or two gears but do not overspeed the
engine. In this way, you will not need to brake
so much and the brakes will not overheat.
Switching off the ABS
The ABS can be switched off when driving
off-road with a special driving technique
when you want the wheels to lock up.
To switch off the ABS, stop the motorcycle
and press the ABS button for at least 3 sec-
onds with the engine running. Let go of the
ABS button as soon as the ABS warning lamp
starts blinking fast. The ABS warning lamp
will blink slowly to indicate that the ABS is
switched off.
To switch the ABS on again, stop and switch
off the ignition. The ABS will be active again
when you switch on the ignition.
Do not try to switch the ABS on or off while
driving. Your attention will be distracted from
the traffic and it may cause you to lose con-
trol of the motorcycle.
Applies to all models with and without ABS:
– In the rain, or after the motorcycle has
been washed, braking action may be
delayed due to wet brake discs. First, the
brakes must be braked dry.
– On salt-sprayed or dirty roads brake action
may be delayed as well. First, the brakes
must be braked clean.
– Remember that the stopping distance
will be longer if you are carrying a pas-
senger or baggage.
– When you brake, the brake discs, brake
pads, brake caliper and brake fluid heat
up. The hotter these parts get, the weaker
the braking effect. In extreme cases, the
entire braking system can fail.
– If the resistance in the hand brake lever
or foot brake pedal feels „spongy“ (too
much play), this is an indication that
something is wrong with the brake sys-
tem. Don’t ride your motorcycle anymore
without first having the brake system
looked over by a KTM dealer.
DRIVING INSTRUCTIONS
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