Turning ABS off on a Voge: procedure by model

On gravel or sand a locked rear wheel serves a purpose: it allows the motorcycle to pivot and it digs in to shorten the stop. ABS prevents this. Every Voge with a switchable system places the function behind a deliberately awkward sequence, and the manuals set that sequence out only briefly.

650DSX: the three second press

The button is located behind the left mirror. The motorcycle must be stationary with the engine running.

1. Hold the button for 3 seconds. The ABS warning light begins to flash rapidly.
2. Release within 2 seconds of the rapid flashing beginning.
3. The light then flashes slowly, indicating that ABS is disabled.

Re-enabling follows the identical sequence without switching the engine off.

The two second release window accounts for most unsuccessful attempts. Continuing to hold the button after the rapid flashing has begun produces no change, and the sequence must be started again.

DS625X and DS525X: a long press

These models carry a dedicated ABS switch on the handlebar, and holding it enables and disables the system. The manuals give neither a duration nor a flashing sequence for these models, so the dashboard indicator is the confirmation.

The same switch cluster carries a TCS button operating in the same manner: a long press enables and disables traction control.

The system re-arms at every ignition cycle

This applies to all of the models above: switching the ignition off restores ABS automatically. The setting cannot be made permanent.

A long unsurfaced route with a fuel stop therefore requires the system to be disabled again after the stop. Confirming the state from the warning light is more reliable than assuming it.

Reading the ABS warning light

• Lit at ignition, extinguishing by 10 km/h. Normal. The self test requires wheel speed to complete.
• Lit above 10 km/h. A fault. The ABS unit is not operating. Braking continues to function entirely normally without anti-lock, and the motorcycle should be presented to a dealer.
• Flashing slowly. The system has been disabled deliberately. In daylight a slow flash and a steady light are easily confused, and they indicate opposite conditions.

The 300 Rally

Its manual describes the system as disconnectable ABS on the rear channel, listed alongside a 220 mm rear disc. On a motorcycle with a 21 inch front wheel this is the useful arrangement: the front retains anti-lock while the rear can be locked deliberately.

Before disabling the system

The 650DSX manual states that disabling ABS is not recommended other than for very specific use, and adds a point that is easily overlooked: with ABS active, braking should be carried out exactly as on a motorcycle without it, using both brakes together and modulating normally. ABS defines a limit rather than a technique.

On tarmac the system should remain active. No road situation places a rider at an advantage without it.

Related pages

The remaining dashboard indications are covered in dashboard warning lights and their meaning, and mode selection, which is separate from ABS on these models, in Voge riding modes. Brake specifications by model are in brake disc diameters and caliper types.