Harley-Davidson is continuously engineering new technology to make motorcycling more intuitive than ever. With the new Reflex Defensive Rider Systems, enhance riding confidence during unexpected situations or poor road conditions.
ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS)
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) is designed to prevent the wheels from locking under braking and helps the rider maintain control when braking in a straight-line, urgent situation. ABS is standard on MY20 LiveWire™, CVO™, Touring, Police, Trike and select Softail® models; and optional on all MY20 Street™, Sportster® and remaining Softail® models. ABS assists the rider in maintaining control when braking in a straight-line urgent situation. ABS operates independently on front and rear brakes to keep the wheels rolling and prevent uncontrolled wheel lock.
CORNERING ENHANCED ABS (C-ABS)
Cornering Enhanced ABS optimizes brake pressure based on lean angle to deliver the best possible braking performance. When braking on a curve, the system calculates how much traction is available and adjusts the maximum brake pressure to preserve lateral grip. This helps the rider maintain course through the apex of a curve and keep the motorcycle on the intended path. C-ABS is standard on MY20 LiveWire™, CVO™, Police and Trike models and optional on all MY20 Touring models in the U.S. (except FLHT). C-ABS is a variant of ABS that tailors brake pressure to longitudinal slip based on motorcycle lean angle or trike lateral acceleration. The system is intended to preserve lateral grip at the tire contact patch while under combined cornering and braking loads.
ELECTRONIC LINKED BRAKING (ELB)
Electronic Linked Braking (ELB) applies braking effort to both wheels when the rider uses either the hand lever (front) or foot pedal (rear) brake control, which can help riders achieve better braking performance. ELB is standard on all MY20 Touring and Trike models. The Electronically Linked Braking (ELB) system allows for more balanced front and rear braking under a wide variety of brake applications. The system provides more linking when the rider is applying heavier braking and reduces or eliminates linking for light braking and low speeds. When linked, applying the front brake lever alone will cause the system to also dynamically apply an amount of braking to the rear. Applying the rear brake pedal alone will cause the system to also apply an amount of braking to the left front caliper.
CORNERING ENHANCED ELECTRONIC LINKED BRAKING (C-ELB)
Cornering Enhanced Electronic Linked Braking (C-ELB) takes into account the motorcycle lean angle or Trike lateral acceleration. C-ELB will alter the proportioning of brake pressure between the front and rear brakes when braking while cornering in an attempt to improve the ability of the motorcycle to maintain the rider’s intended path. C-ELB is standard on all MY20 CVO™, Police and Trike models and optional on all MY20 Touring models in the U.S. (except FLHT). C-ABS is a variant of ABS that tailors brake pressure to longitudinal slip based on motorcycle lean angle or trike lateral acceleration. The system is intended to preserve lateral grip at the tire contact patch while under combined cornering and braking loads.
CORNERING ENHANCED TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (C-TCS)
The Cornering Enhanced Traction Control System is designed to keep the rear wheel from spinning out when the motorcycle is accelerating while cornering. Taking lean angle into account, the system balances side slip and engine torque to deliver controlled power to the rear wheel, ensuring optimal transfer to the road. This can enhance rider confidence when traction is compromised by wet weather, a sudden unanticipated change in the surface, or when riding on an unpaved road. C-TCS is standard on all MY20 LiveWire™, CVO™, Police and Trike models and optional on all MY20 Touring models in the U.S. (except FLHT).
DRAG-TORQUE SLIP CONTROL SYSTEM (DSCS)
Drag-Torque Slip Control (DSCS) is designed to reduce excessive rear-wheel slip under deceleration, which typically occurs when the rider makes an abrupt down-shift gear change or decelerates on wet or slippery road surfaces. DSCS is standard on all MY20 CVO™, Police and Trike models and optional on all MY20 Touring models in the U.S. (except FLHT). When DSCS detects excessive rear wheel slip under deceleration it will adjust engine torque delivery to better match rear-wheel speed to road speed.
CORNERING ENHANCED DRAG-TORQUE SLIP CONTROL SYSTEM (C-DSCS)
On models equipped with C-DSCS the action of DSCS may be tailored when cornering, based on detected lean angle.. Cornering Enhanced Drag-Torque Slip Control (C-DSCS) is designed to reduce excessive rear-wheel slip under deceleration, which typically occurs when the rider makes an abrupt down-shift gear change or decelerates on wet or slippery road surfaces. When C-DSCS detects excessive rear wheel slip under deceleration it will adjust engine torque delivery to better match rear-wheel speed to road speed. The action of C-DSCS is also enhanced when cornering based on lean angle.
VEHICLE HOLD CONTROL (VHC)
Taking off with a heavy motorcycle on a slope can make it difficult to coordinate the brake, throttle and clutch. Activated by a firm application of the front or rear brake after the motorcycle has stopped, Vehicle Hold Control applies and holds rear brake pressure after the rider has released the brakes. This prevents the motorcycle from rolling unintentionally, letting the rider focus on balance and control operation to ride away smoothly.
VHC is not intended as a substitute for a parking brake in any situation. This feature is standard on all two-wheeled MY20 CVO™ and Police models and optional on all two-wheeled MY20 Touring models in the U.S. (except FLHT).
The Vehicle Hold Control (VHC) applies and holds brake pressure when activated by the rider and prevents the motorcycle from rolling after the rider has released the brake controls. The primary function of VHC is to prevent the motorcycle from rolling when it is stopped – for example at a stop sign on a hill, in stop-and-go traffic on a slope, or on a steep decline out of a parking structure. VHC is designed to make it easier to ride away with confidence by minimizing the number of coordinated controls needed to pull away smoothly. The system applies brake pressure until the rider actuates the throttle and clutch to pull away. VHC may also be engaged when the motorcycle is stopped on a flat surface if the rider wants to maintain position without applying pressure to a brake control.
The rider activates VHC by momentarily applying extra pressure to either the front-brake hand lever or the rear-brake foot control after the motorcycle has come to a complete stop. If rider brakes very hard to a stop, and holds the brake pressure after stopped, VHC may also set without any added pressure. The VHC indicator light will illuminate to confirm that the rider has activated VHC, and the ABS system will hold brake pressure after the rider releases the brake control. VHC is disengaged automatically as the rider begins to pull away from a stop, or if the rider applies and releases either brake control.
VHC is not to be used as a parking brake. It will also disengage if the rider lowers the side stand (on models with a side-stand sensor, not a feature in all markets) or shifts into neutral on models without a side-stand sensor, or if the engine is turned off. In most situations after five minutes the indicator light will flash and the VHC will release if there is no rider action.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS)
TPMS alerts the rider to low tire air pressure. Maintaining proper tire air pressure is important both for vehicle performance and tire life. This feature is standard on MY20 CVO™ and Police models and optional on all two-wheeled MY20 Touring models in the U.S. (except FLHT). The TPMS displays current front and rear tire pressure on the Boom!™ Box GTS screen (or on the odometer on Road King® models) and displays an indicator to alert the rider when tire pressure is low, and the pressure should be checked. TPMS is a feature of RDRS and is also available as a stand-alone accessory through P&A for MY20 Touring models (except Japan) equipped with Original Equipment or Accessory wheels that accept a TPMS sensor.