The tally for 2009 Japanese supersports real-world wet weights according to Honda is: • CBR600RR non-C-ABS – 412 lbs; C-ABS equipped – 434 lbs • Kaw

Beyond wheel-speed sensors and pulser rings necessary to all anti-lock systems, the Combined-ABS on both the CBR 600 and 1000 consists of one power (modulator) unit and one valve unit per wheel, and of course the ABS brain, or more officially, electronic control module (ECM).                      Forgetting ABS for a minute, let’s take a simple look at how this new system functions.

When you put the squeeze on the front brake lever or rear brake pedal, fluid from the respective lever/pedal master cylinder travels to the valve unit in which pressure sensors relay info to the ECM about how much pressure you’ve applied. The ECM then signals to the power unit. This power unit is a motorized gear-driven ball screw that operates a piston (think of it like the piston in the master cylinder) to apply brake fluid pressure. Fluid then travels out of the power unit, back through the valve unit and out to the caliper(s).

New C-ABS for Dummies: brake lever to valve unit; valve unit signals ECM; ECM signals power unit; power unit applies pressure back through valve unit and out to caliper. You stop.

If you’re starting to think about this system and realizing that your squeezing on the lever isn’t really applying pressure to the caliper, you might be wondering how, or if, you get the same feel at the lever as you would on a traditional system. Inside the valve unit is what’s called a stroke simulator. The simulator is a pair of “rubber cushions of differing density that returns increasing amounts of resistance [to the lever or pedal] as brake lever/pedal pressure is applied.” Think of it like a flight simulator for the brake lever.

So how did Honda put the sensation of traditional brake feel into two tiny pieces of rubber? Only the staff in Japan knows precisely how, but helping assess the feel required to mimic regular brakes was partially the work of Honda development riders and former racers, Jeff Tigert and Doug Toland. Both gents have countless hours of development time in Honda street motorcycles, and as Farewell said, “When you ride a CBR C-ABS, a little bit of Doug and Jeff is riding with you.” That’s quite reassuring, especially if you’ve witnessed how quickly those two racer-types can lay down lap times.