Suzuki´s ABS is on all the time, no off-switch included. In theory taking the ABS fuse should return brake system to normal, but ive never tried that on my 650.

In my opinion, you need to go for some very serious offroad to really need it switched off. I rode this bike, with normal tyres, in pure winter conditions in snow and ice earlier this year, even dropped it slightly a few times, but I was quite happy to have ABS then. Even experimented a little and tried to brake hard on partly dry, partly very slippery (icy) road, and it did its job very smoothly, never felt like i had no brakes - in fact I dont think I wouldve had the guts to brake that hard on that surface without it.

The term "ABS" is not one specifically defined subject so that they´d all work exactly the same way. The configuration of the system also means a lot, and fortunately Suzuki´s system is working really well. People are judging ABS because they did a terrible job on some bikes in the past, thats not always the case anymore.

The only thing that comes to mind, when you´d really wish you didnt have it, is when you want to ´dig´ the backwheel into the ground to make the bike stop. But that kind of situation is normally out of DL´s territory anyway, there are better (lighter) bikes for such places. Its mostly a roadbike, and ABS is good to have on long tours, when theres a chance youre not on high alert the moment you´d need to be.

Correct me if im wrong, but havent heard theres a DL1000 with abs available anywhere? Maybe 2008?