ABS light that stays on until you ride off
On a motorbike the ABS light is normally on every time you switch on, and goes out only after the bike has moved off and passed a few km/h, because the ABS cannot check its wheel-speed sensors until the wheels turn. Lit at start-up is normal; still lit after that speed, or coming on while riding, means an ABS fault.
Check your bike's manual — makers differ.
How urgent is it? What each maker says
- On from switch-on, out once moving: Fine to ride. Yamaha (MT-09, 2021): “In normal operation, the ABS warning light comes on when the vehicle is turned on, and goes off after traveling at a speed of 5 km/h (3 mi/h) or higher.”
- Flashing from switch-on until 10 km/h: Fine to ride. Triumph (Tiger 1200): “When the ignition switch is turned to the ON position, it is normal that the ABS warning light will flash on and off. The light will continue to flash after engine start-up until the motorcycle first reaches a speed exceeding 6 mph (10 km/h) when it will go off.”
- Still on after 5 km/h, or comes on while riding: Have it checked soon. Yamaha (MT-09, 2021): “Use extra caution to avoid possible wheel lock during emergency braking. Have a Yamaha dealer check the vehicle as soon as possible.”
- On continuously above 5 km/h: Stop now. Royal Enfield (Hunter 350): “Do not run the motorcycle incase of ABS indicator lamp is ‘ON’ continuousely above 5 kmph / 3.1 mph.”
- Lit while riding: Have it checked soon. Triumph (Tiger 1200): “Do not continue to ride for longer than is necessary with the warning light illuminated. In the event of a fault, contact an authorized Triumph dealer as soon as possible to have the fault checked and rectified.”
- Lit yellow with “ABS failure!”: Have it checked soon. BMW Motorrad (R 1250 GS Adventure): “Onward journey possible. Ride carefully to next specialist workshop.” The manual says the ABS function is not available but it remains possible to continue riding.
What it is for
Watch for it to go out as you ride off. The switch-off speed is in each manual: 5 km/h (3 mph) for Royal Enfield (Hunter 350, Himalayan 450), Yamaha (MT-09), Bajaj (Dominar 250) and BMW (R 1250 GS Adventure, where the light flashes until the self-diagnosis is done); 10 km/h (6 mph) for Triumph (Tiger 1200).
These pages report what each maker’s owner’s manual says, and quote it wherever safety is involved. They are not a diagnosis and add no riding advice of our own; your own bike’s manual is the authority for your model.
- What it looks like
- The letters ABS, usually in a circle between two curved brackets, lit or flashing from the moment you switch on.
- Colour
- Yellow on the Bajaj Dominar 250 (“ABS Indicator (Yellow)”); BMW’s manual says the ABS fault symbol “lights up yellow”. The Yamaha, Royal Enfield and Triumph manuals read do not state its colour.
- Names makers use
- ABS warning light (Yamaha, Triumph); ABS MIL / ABS indicator lamp (Royal Enfield); ABS indicator (Bajaj); ABS self-diagnosis not completed; ABS fault; ABS failure (BMW Motorrad)
Where makes differ
This is the big difference from a car, whose ABS lamp goes out a few seconds after the engine starts. Flashing versus steady differs by maker: BMW flashes it while the self-diagnosis is incomplete and lights it steadily for a fault; Triumph flashes it until 10 km/h, lights it steadily when the rider has switched ABS off and flashes it slowly in its off-road ABS setting (see the ABS off page); Royal Enfield, Yamaha and Bajaj describe a steady light that goes out.
What it does not mean
Lit at switch-on, it does not mean there is a fault. It does not mean the brakes have failed either: the Yamaha, Triumph and BMW manuals say the brakes keep working as ordinary brakes without ABS when ABS is unavailable.
Related
Other symbols with the same shapes
Sources
No standard we could read defines these motorcycle lamps — UN Regulation No. 60 and ISO 2575 cover motorcycle tell-tales, but neither could be read when we checked, so this meaning is taken from 5 makers’ own manuals and support pages, each fetched and read on the date shown:
- Royal Enfield: Hunter 350 Owner’s Manual, dual-channel ABS (India, March 2022, PDF) — ABS indicator lamp, page 42: the ABS sign glows at switch-on and remains on “till the motorcycle attains a speed of 5 kmph / 3.1 mph”; caution against running with it on above that speed. Checked 2026-09-29.
- Royal Enfield: Himalayan (450) Owner’s Manual, UK English (Part No. RAM00819/B, November 2025, PDF) — ABS indicator lamp, page 61: on at switch-on until 5 km/h (3.1 mph), then lights again for an ABS malfunction; “Do not run motorcycle in case the ABS indicator lamp is “ON” continuously above 5 km/h”. Checked 2026-09-29.
- Yamaha: MTN890 (MT-09) Owner’s Manual, B7N-28199-E0 (Europe, 2021, PDF) — ABS warning light, page 4-7: on at switch-on, off above 5 km/h (3 mi/h); warning to use extra caution and have a Yamaha dealer check the vehicle if it stays on or comes on while riding. Checked 2026-09-29.
- Triumph: Owner’s Handbook: Tiger 1200 XR, Tiger XC, Tiger 1200 Alpine and Tiger 1200 Desert (November 2019, PDF) — Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) Warning Light, page 64: flashes from switch-on until 10 km/h (6 mph); steady if ABS is disabled by the rider, slow flash when set to Off-Road; fault advice. Checked 2026-09-29.
- BMW Motorrad: R 1250 GS Adventure Rider’s Manual (US model, 2nd edition, March 2021, PDF) — Overview of warning indicators, pages 45-46: “ABS self-diagnosis not completed — flashes … Ride off slowly”, “ABS fault” and “ABS failure” with “Onward journey possible. Ride carefully to next specialist workshop.” Checked 2026-09-29.
- Bajaj: Dominar 250 BS VI Owner’s Manual (Doc. No. 71120143, Rev. 03, March 2021, PDF) — Speedometer item 5: “ABS Indicator (Yellow): With Ignition switch ON the ABS indicator glows. When vehicle speed is more than 5 Km/h the ABS indicator goes OFF, if this indicator glows while vehicle is running, it means there is problem in ABS.” Checked 2026-09-29.
Written in our own words; quotations are the makers’ wording.