My bike is a 2010 non-ABS. So far, I have not had the need for ABS or traction control. I will not claim to be a very skilled rider, just a very defensive one. However, I am contemplating it is better to have traction control and ABS just as an insurance. Does it justify the cost to upgrade to a newer bike with those amenities? Any thoughts?
An, thanks!  :

I would say no.

Personally, after owning a C14 with ABS and now an Indian Roadmaster with ABS, I would not buy a bike without ABS.   Can't say anything about traction control as I've never experienced it.

My bike is a 2010 non-ABS. So far, I have not had the need for ABS or traction control. I will not claim to be a very skilled rider, just a very defensive one. However, I am contemplating it is better to have traction control and ABS just as an insurance.

I would not buy a bike without ABS and TC.  They both work very well on the Concours and are actual, useful safety features, regardless of skill level.  Yes, it is always better to have them.  Without question. 

Does it justify the cost to upgrade to a newer bike with those amenities?

We can't tell you if anything is "worth" upgrading to you.  Besides, you didn't even mention any parameters.  Did you buy the 2010 new?  Are you just looking for some rationalization for upgrading?  What do you want to upgrade to?  Why?  When?  Something used?  Something new?  What about insurance cost?  Annual taxes?  Even with all that information, we don't know the value of money to you.  So I would say your last question is not really valid.

I once took my c14 to the ghost of Bodie in CA. The last three or so miles are a wretched windey gravel road. This makes the rear wheel want to wash out . I passed a HD rider who has legs splayed out to act like outriggers, as his rear wheel wagged back and forth.
My tc was in full force. The traction light ( I think it a light) constantly flashed, but the rear tire felt solid, it was like driving on a street ( just real bumpy!). Having tc really took out a lot of drama.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHRWg91hv-M

If I did not feel I was a very skilled rider I would invest the money in track days and track schools like the upcoming Sport Touring track school sponsored by COG.

I have been riding for 50 years. In that time I have gone down twice. Once was a low-speed slick corner that put on my butt. In the other I came around a corner and didn't see until too later that there had be a large diesel spill just after the apex of the turn. Went down hard on that one. I believe I would have gotten through both incidents if I had had traction control. I have never had a braking related incident.

I will never again ride a bike without  traction control and ABS again. I currently own a 2012 Connie and a 2018 Goldwing.

I own a Honda without ABS, and my C14 has ABS.
My Honda holds a special place in my heart, and I'll never sell her...  But I'll also never buy another bike without ABS.

I always liked the idea of ABS, but after taking the IRT course I learned first-hand how awesome ABS is on a motorcycle.  The instructor had us practice panic-stops and those of us with ABS were able to simply clamp down on the brake lever as hard as we could and we all stopped quickly, and with confidence.  The people without ABS took longer to stop, without exception, because they had to be progressive when pulling the lever.  You could tell there was a lack of confidence, and a "puckered-butt" look on those riders, as well.

The fact that the ABS bikes stopped shorter (counter-intuitive compared to cars, I believe) is reason enough to demand ABS.
The fact that the riders of the ABS bikes didn't have to "think" or "guess" how much braking force they could get away with really seals the deal, for me.  It the wrong situation, you don't want to have to "think" or "guess" if you can avoid it.

I'm not sure that I'd say it was worth trading a bike just to get the same model with ABS...  But if you ever do buy a new motorcycle, I'd encourage you to get one with ABS.

Don't believe antilock brakes have ever helped me... ever.

Traction Control  has just pissed me off when the front tire comes up cutting the engine out, I shut it off

often.   

Then again I don't drive on loose stones and drive carefully in the rain.   

If I did not feel I was a very skilled rider I would invest the money in track days and track schools like the upcoming Sport Touring track school sponsored by COG.

I'll be there again February 8TH 

Riding home tonight a cager pulled a left turn in front of me. I have a little over 2k miles of experience on the bike. Grabbed all I could on the front brake in reaction. I'm sure the ABS  kept me upright & not in a wreck. I wish I could say I have the ability and talent to modulated the brakes in a "panic" situation, but I don't.
I was & still am extremely happy I have ABS on the bike.

Whether it's worth buying a different bike to gain ABS is definitely a personal decision as it's all in the perceived value for you.

Leo

Reading this thread with all the abs fan's post, I admit a shadow of a doubt crept in, maybe I ca.t really outbreak a computer. Today on a 400 mile ride home from Paris, TX I  put that shadow to rest. Breaking hard for a yellow light from 65 mph(I have a habit of practicing threshold braking at yellow lights) the damn abs kicked in for the first time ever on my 08. The damn brakes let go right when I was ready to nail the white line and I ended up 2 feet past. What a clunky, clumbsy mechanism! Now I am convinced I can outbreak ABS by 2 feet. BTW the ABS on my Ducati is not any better except that I can turn it off.

Reading this thread with all the abs fan's post, I admit a shadow of a doubt crept in, maybe I ca.t really outbreak a computer. Today on a 400 mile ride home from Paris, TX I  put that shadow to rest. Breaking hard for a yellow light from 65 mph(I have a habit of practicing threshold braking at yellow lights) the damn abs kicked in for the first time ever on my 08. The damn brakes let go right when I was ready to nail the white line and I ended up 2 feet past. What a clunky, clumbsy mechanism! Now I am convinced I can outbreak ABS by 2 feet.

I believe the ABS in the Gen2 is better/newer design (than what you have in the Gen1).  Also, if it has never kicked in before, that means you have never before braked to the limit of grip   Perhaps you never needed to, though.  It is exceeding rare I have experienced ABS kicking in on my 2011.... I think only twice ever.  In neither case I really needed it, since I was almost stopped and still had enough space.

But, it really depends on condition.  I have no doubt that SOME people can manually out-brake SOME ABS systems SOME times in SOME conditions.   Fewer still can out-brake it much of the time in many conditions.  But, overall, very few people can do better most of the time in all conditions.  So the vast majority of people will benefit greatly from a modern ABS system.

I believe the ABS in the Gen2 is better/newer design (than what you have in the Gen1).  Also, if it has never kicked in before, that means you have never before braked to the limit of grip   Perhaps you never needed to, though.  It is exceeding rare I have experienced ABS kicking in on my 2011.... I think only twice ever.  In neither case I really needed it, since I was almost stopped and still had enough space.

But, it really depends on condition.  I have no doubt that SOME people can manually out-brake SOME ABS systems SOME times in SOME conditions.   Fewer still can out-brake it much of the time in many conditions.  But, overall, very few people can do better most of the time in all conditions.  So the vast majority of people will benefit greatly from a modern ABS system.

I have non abs ZX14 forks on my ABS 08 Concours. After I went to the effort to get the sensor installed on the ZX fork I tried many times to get the  abs to kick in to test the installation. I never could get it to kick in because I have trained myself to threshold brake so well. I just could not make myself brake past the point where I KNEW it was going to slide if I pulled any harder. You cannot ride the track without trail braking and If you want to turn good times you have to threshold trail brake in most corners. After 40 track days over the last 12 years I think I am pretty good at it. Won't argue with your vast majority comment. 

owning an '08, and having my first "epiphany" of ABS happen within the first 2k miles, in the rain, on brand new tires... I can say without a doubt now (after having it 'kick in' when it did) that it was a true azz saver.
It sits benign, waiting for it's need, and when it is called upon, it does deliver the results..
the biggest problem, is because when it happens, the first time; panic sets in, and all trust disappears.... and the result is "trying to manually modulate"... which defeats the whole thing. IMHO, holding steadfast, and firm on the brake, and letting it do it's pulse thing... and NOT releasing the brakes, provides the desired outcome, and safe stop... it's really easy to release pressure when it kicks in, and very commonly we all will do the same thing, but holding on, and placing trust in it, has saved me a lot of times.
as I don't have linked brakes, nor the desire for them, the ABS allowed me to modulate my REAR brake also, which Kaw took away from you when they did the "link thing"..

as  far as traction control... I have no need...

When BMW came out with their first ABS system they did a road show where they had a non-ABS bike with outriggers and an ABS-equipped bike. They would soak a parking lot with a fire hose. Both bikes would then accelerate hard to about 30 MPH and then stomp on the brakes, hard. The non-ABS bike immediately  when "down" and the ABS bike just stopped -- quickly.

It was quite a ride for the non-ABS rider -- putting whole lot of trust in the outriggers.

It convinced me. My next bike had ABS.

I got my C14 when we did a ride to the southeast late in the year for the Barber Vintage Festival (which I can't recommend enough), I was on my C10.  Mostly great weather, if cool. But the one day we rode the Blue Ridge Parkway, it rained all day.  Downhill decreasing radius wet corners covered with wet leaves was petrifying.  The C10 went up for sale when I got home and I found a 2012 C14 leftover in January 2013.  Haven't looked back yet.

Very few can outbrake ABS and then they have to do it perfectly.  Make a mistake and you're down.  Motorcyclist Online has a video on it.  The systems get better all time.

I've had TC kick in a few times, mostly in my driveway or wet grass.

I view ABS the same as fire extinguishers and firearms -- you don't need it until you need it, and then you're glad you have it.

Haven't really needed it to activate on the bike yet, but I've had it on cars since 1996 and been glad I had it a few times.

Don't believe antilock brakes have ever helped me... ever.

Traction Control  has just pissed me off when the front tire comes up cutting the engine out, I shut it off

often.   

Then again I don't drive on loose stones and drive carefully in the rain.   

me too