Anyone ride their V7III with Traction Control off..?

[Godfrey]

Like with most automation systems, TC is great when it works to your an advantage, and an annoyance when it doesn't work and it should, or when it just gets in the way. That's why they provide the option to turn it off when it's not going to do the right thing (same as the TC system in my car...).

Again, I live in a very urban area with all the same problems. The TC on level 2 was kicking in whenever I headed across the steel expansion plate at the rail overpass a half mile from my door. Switch to level 1 and it doesn't do that ... and I can't find anything that it's annoying me with such that I'd turn it off, so I leave it on level 1. Like ABS, it should just work when needed and be invisible otherwise.

Off-road use is where you sometimes have to turn TC off on a bike, because you're expecting the rear wheel to spin and counting on it as part of your methodology for handling with a motorcycle on a loose surface.

 

[GTM®]

For me the first time I hit my favorite dip/launch at the bottom of my street, on the throttle like I always do on every other bike I own (including the Stelvio), I nearly ended up sitting on the tank because of it. The final straw was that it won’t take any throttle on my steep-ish dirt and gravel driveway with it on. You nearly have to idle it up. Infuriating. I do it on my Stelvio 30+ mph on average.
Top that with a handful of my rentals ping me minutes after leaving saying something is wrong with the bike. My response is always “try it with the TC off like I mentioned when you left.” Never hear back after that. My bikes are far from stock though, FWIW.

 

[Bill Hagan]

****

Off-road use is where you sometimes have to turn TC off on a bike, because you're expecting the rear wheel to spin and counting on it as part of your methodology for handling with a motorcycle on a loose surface.

I try not to tilt doctrinal windmills, as that usually means several splintered lancers and a headache or worse.

Now, with that disclaimer (of sorts) out of the way, a few comments on the above.

First, I tend to forget about TC as it's simply not been an issue, much less an intrusive one, for me.

Second, had I thought about it, I think I would have turned it off when I left the pavement on that day I mentioned.

[As a relevant aside, neither I nor the Stornello, and, especially, I ON the Stornello, are off-roaders, at least intentionally. Off pavement, yup, and with gusto on dirt and gravel, but off road, nope, not if I can help it. I am no mototrekkin, who, as I mentioned in another post, is in Chile just now, headed south to the tip at Terra del Fuego, all on his virtually stock Stornello, after starting from southern California. See https://www.facebook.com/johnston.julao. Or, if you are like me and don't like FB, see this pic, taken just a day or so ago, along the Carratera Austral in Chile. Hmmmmm. Wonder if he turned off his TC? ]

So, back to my more boring riding tales. As most reading this know, and it sure seems odd when thinking about a scrambler's intended role, one cannot just turn the ABS off. I have thought a bit about taking out the ABS fuse -- and I haven't even looked it up to see what else is on that circuit! Doh. -- before more serious longer jaunts on unpaved roads. But the reality of that is I don't do too many extended gravel run. Still, the thought of descending a long, steep gravel stretch with ABS engaged does tend to tighten one's sphincter.

TC, again, mebbe, but, again, the pretty tame "off-pavement" I have been doing, coupled with that one experience I related, does not have me feeling that TC is especially worrisome. Yet, as I said above, "had I thought about it, I think I would have turned it off when I left the pavement. "

As with all such things, YMMV, and I promise to tell if I fall down because of it!

Best,

Bill

 

[kiwi dave]

I have thought a bit about taking out the ABS fuse -- and I haven't even looked it up to see what else is on that circuit! Doh. -- before more serious longer jaunts on unpaved roads.

Not sure about your V7-II Stornello Bill, but on the V7-III Stone I have the ABS fuse is separate and only feeds the ABS system. It's the 20A one that is physically higher than the others, nothing else on this circuit.

Personally, never felt the need to disable ABS on any of my bikes that possess it. That day may come eventually.

I can certainly see the need to disable traction control occasionally.

 

[Godfrey]

All good testimonial to say, "TC: Turn it off when it doesn't do what you want."

For me, so far, it's working just fine on the level 1 setting; I never think about it.
I'll turn it off if it gets in the way some time...

 

[Dinsdale Piranha]

I've never had TC on any vehicle before, and most surely can't see any point in it at all on a V7. Maybe on a bike with 150hp, but not on an old man's tourer. If I could turn if off permanently I would. Baaah humbug!!

 

[Godfrey]

I've never had TC on any vehicle before, and most surely can't see any point in it at all on a V7. Maybe on a bike with 150hp, but not on an old man's tourer. If I could turn if off permanently I would. Baaah humbug!!

LOL! Both my last two cars have had TC ... some owners complain bitterly about it because it makes it very hard to do burnouts and slide the tail around with the power. I don't see the point: I go faster with it—measured by my lap tracker on the clock—when I do a track day, so what the heck? And my car is not one of the super powerful models... Those guys in the fast cars don't go as fast around the corners usually, although they sure blast past me on the straights.

I don't really see Racer as "an old man's tourer..."

 

[egschade]

Boy I don't know, maybe I am imagining it, but as someone who basically has never ridden for any length of time before on a bike that had traction control, I feel like it's kicking in in minor ways quite a bit. I do almost all city riding, with lots of potholes, pavement grooves, metal construction sheets, etc, and seems like it gives annoying little blips on those sorts of things quite a bit. (I've had it set on 1 since buying it, per the dealer's recommendation.)

I noticed my TC at #1 kicked in a little when I first started riding the bike. That was in January, in NJ w/ lots of salt and some slick spots, and with brand new tires. The last couple weeks, with things warmed a bit and the tires are scrubbed in, I only noticed it once when accelerating over a manhole cover.

 

[Bill Hagan]

Rode the Stornello yesterday. A mix of good pavement, gravel, dirt roads and a a bit of oh shix unroads.



Do not think ABS or TC engaged. Thought about stopping once at top of hill before lengthy descent on gravel (with a mud hazard at bottom) but decided to give it a try. Survived that without mishap, but it was dicier than I wanted it to be.

Today promises even higher temps -- 62F -- so I may disable both in an unscientific experiment.

Best,

Bill