Motorcycles

Motorcycle safety features

ABS, traction control and stability control systems help you retain control of your motorcycle during adverse riding conditions.

Look out for key motorcycle safety features when buying a motorcycle. You don’t need prior riding experience or any additional training to ride a motorcycle fitted with these features.  

You can see what safety features are fitted to a motorcycle you are considering to buy, or what features are fitted on your existing bike by visiting the VicRoads safe bikes website

It's possible to buy aftermarket safety features and have them installed on your motorcycle. However, we recommend buying a motorcycle where the manufacturer has already fitted these safety features.

Anti-lock braking systems (ABS)

An ABS:

  • constantly measures wheel speed
  • intervenes when it detects a wheel is about to lock
  • intervenes by adjusting brake pressure  
  • helps the rider maintain motorcycle stability (so the motorcycle stays upright).  

Aftermarket ABS

You can install an aftermarket ABS if your motorcycle doesn’t already have ABS fitted. However, we recommend buying a motorcycle with built-in ABS, because it has been properly tested by the manufacturer.  

Off-road motorcycles

ABS may not be appropriate for off-road riding conditions. If you are planning to use your motorcycle off-road, you can switch the ABS feature off. ABS can be switched on again when you are doing on-road riding.  

Motorcycle stability control (MSC)

An electronic MSC system helps the rider brake and accelerate more safely. It stops the wheels from:

  • locking under heavy braking
  • spinning when accelerating  
  • lifting (depending on manufacturer settings).  

These features help the rider  maintain traction on the road.

The system does this by monitoring data including:  

  • wheel speed
  • lean angle  
  • pitch angle  
  • acceleration  
  • braking pressure.

Linked braking system (LBS)

A LBS, also known as a combined braking system (CBS), links the front and rear braking systems in a motorcycle. When this feature is fitted and brakes are depressed, a lever-like mechanism applies the rear and front brakes, spreading the braking force more evenly across your motorcycle.  

In more modern motorcycles, this feature sits within the anti-lock braking system. 

Traction control

Traction control uses sensors to:

  • monitors how fast a motorcycle’s wheels are spinning.
  • makes adjustments to engine power and/or brakes to ensure the motorcycle doesn’t lose traction with the road.

Useful resources

View research on the effectiveness of motorcycle safety features: