Bosch Motorsport M5 ABS Kit for Honda S2000
This is a Bosch Motorsport M5 ABS kit for the Honda S2000, built around a wheel speed sensor package developed for three different knuckle and axle combinations.
At the heart of the system is the Bosch Motorsport M5 ABS, a professional-level motorsport unit used in racing worldwide. The M5 provides ultra-fast processing, highly accurate wheel slip control, and configurable ABS strategies for track use. Eleven selectable calibrations on a 12-position map switch allow the ABS behaviour to be tuned for tyres, surface conditions, and driving style.
The S2000 is a circuit car by temperament, and the cars that end up on this page are rarely standard underneath: WiseFab knuckles and upgraded axles are common. Wheel speed sensing is where a motorsport ABS conversion succeeds or quietly fails on this platform, so the sensing has been developed front and rear across the combinations these cars actually run rather than for one idealised build.
The problem with factory ABS in competition: what track drivers call “ice mode”
ABS works by holding each tyre near a target slip ratio, the difference between wheel speed and vehicle speed, where 0% is a freely rolling tyre and 100% is a locked one. Peak braking force sits somewhere between the two, and exactly where depends on the tyre and the surface. The cycling you feel through the pedal is the system chasing its target, and while it’s in slip control, pressing harder adds nothing; extra pedal force won’t be sent to a tyre the system already considers at its limit.
Road-car calibrations have to be built conservatively: one calibration must stay safe on every surface a road car can meet, down to the very worst. Under genuine circuit braking (real speed, semis or slicks, kerbs and bumps working the tyre) that conservative logic can settle on a slip target far below the grip actually available. The result is what drivers call ice mode: the system refuses to build brake pressure no matter how hard you stand on the pedal, and the only way out is to come almost completely off the brake, let the wheels match the car’s speed, and reapply. If you braked at the limit for the corner, that margin doesn’t exist.
It isn’t a fault, and pads, fluid or bigger discs won’t touch it. It’s a road calibration operating outside the envelope it was designed for.
Motorsport ABS approaches the problem from the other direction: the driver selects the calibration for the tyre and conditions actually in use, and the system controls to a slip target appropriate for genuine circuit grip. Eleven selectable calibrations on the 12-position map switch cover the range from wet circuit to slicks, chosen before the braking zone, not discovered during it.
What’s Included
- Bosch Motorsport M5 ABS control unit
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Front and rear wheel speed sensors and machined sensor mounts, developed to suit your combination:
- Stock knuckles with stock axles
- WiseFab knuckles with stock axles
- WiseFab knuckles with Driveshaft Shop axles
- Stainless mounting hardware for the supplied components
Brake lines from the master cylinder to the hydraulic unit are made to suit the vehicle at install: 909 specifications call for Goodridge or Speedflow hardware.
Choosing your configuration
The sensor mounting differs between a stock knuckle and a WiseFab one, so the kit is specified to match what is actually on the car. The mounts are handed (left and right are separate parts) and on a stock-knuckle car the same mount serves front and rear on each side. A WiseFab car uses those same mounts at the front, with dedicated rear mounts to suit the WiseFab knuckle.
Axles matter as well, which is why WiseFab cars are covered on both stock and Driveshaft Shop axles rather than one or the other.
If you’re not certain what your car is running, send us photos of the front and rear knuckles and axles before ordering and we’ll confirm the right configuration.
Hydraulic unit mounting
One thing to know up front: there is no 909 hydraulic unit mounting solution for the S2000. Customer circuit cars have mounted the hydraulic unit in locations chosen to suit their own builds, and given the variety of cage, seat and plumbing arrangements these cars carry, that has been the sensible way to do it.
So the hydraulic unit mounting is designed at install, alongside the brake lines, with 909 guidance drawn from cars we have already been through.
Key Benefits
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Three knuckle and axle combinations covered: stock throughout, WiseFab knuckles on stock axles, or WiseFab knuckles on Driveshaft Shop axles
- Sensing developed front and rear for each combination rather than fabricated per car, the part of an ABS conversion most likely to cause trouble later
- Honest scope: hydraulic unit mounting is chosen at install, with 909 guidance
- Eleven selectable ABS calibrations for slicks, semi-slicks and wet circuit work
- Proven Bosch Motorsport reliability
Technical Specifications: Bosch Motorsport M5 ABS
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Control Strategy: High-speed multi-channel wheel slip control
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Maps: Eleven selectable calibrations on a 12-position map switch
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Inputs: 4x wheel speed sensors
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Outputs: Hydraulic modulation via Bosch Motorsport valve block
Bosch Motorsport M5 vs Factory ABS
|
Factory S2000 ABS |
Bosch Motorsport M5 ABS Kit |
| Technology |
Road-car ABS module |
Modern, high-speed multi-channel motorsport ABS |
| Processing Speed |
Limited, slower ECU response |
Ultra-fast ECU with real-time wheel slip control |
| ABS Maps |
Single, fixed road calibration |
Eleven selectable calibrations for different tyres and conditions |
| Wheel Speed Sensing |
Factory sensors and tone rings, tuned for stock knuckles and axles |
Motorsport sensors and machined mounts developed front and rear for stock or WiseFab knuckles, on stock or Driveshaft Shop axles |
| Driver Control |
None |
Driver-selectable map switch, adjustable between sessions |
| Installation |
Factory fit |
Sensing package supplied; hydraulic unit mounting and lines are installer scope with 909 guidance |
| Performance |
Adequate for road use; limited under hard braking/track |
Motorsport-level braking performance for the track |
| Adjustability |
None |
Adjustable for tyres, surface conditions, and driver preference |
FAQs
Q: Which cars does this kit suit?
A: The Honda S2000, in three configurations, stock knuckles with stock axles, WiseFab knuckles with stock axles, or WiseFab knuckles with Driveshaft Shop axles.
Q: How do I know which configuration I need?
A: It comes down to what’s on the car: stock or WiseFab knuckles, and stock or Driveshaft Shop axles. The mounting differs between stock and WiseFab knuckles, so it does need to match. If you’re unsure, send us photos of the front and rear knuckles and axles and we’ll confirm before you order.
Q: Does the kit include hydraulic unit mounting?
A: No, and we’d rather say so plainly. Everything else is here, the M5 and the developed front and rear sensing for your configuration, but the hydraulic unit location is chosen and made at install, with our guidance. See the section above.
Q: My factory ABS has never caused a problem. Why replace it?
A: Because the problem shows up at circuit pace under maximum braking, which is precisely when you can’t afford it. A road calibration has to stay safe on every surface a road car might meet, so at real speed on semis or slicks it can settle on a slip target well below the grip you actually have, and refuse to build pressure no matter how hard you push the pedal.
Q: My car is on a different hub or axle combination. Can you help?
A: Get in touch and tell us exactly what’s fitted. The three combinations above are what we have developed and tested; anything else is a conversation, not a guess.
Q: Do I need special tools or skills to install the kit?
A: Yes, more so than our full integration kits, because the hydraulic unit mounting is designed at install alongside the brake lines. Professional installation is strongly recommended. We can install and commission the system in our Newcastle workshop, or supply the kit with our guidance behind your own builder. We cover the whole job, brackets to commissioning, in what a Bosch Motorsport ABS M5 install actually involves.
Q: Can you ship this kit overseas?
A: Yes. These are 909 vehicle-specific kits and we ship them worldwide. Contact us for freight to your country.
Q: Is the system validated for road use?
A: No, Bosch Motorsport ABS is for track usage only.
Q: Can I adjust the ABS behaviour?
A: Yes. The kit includes a driver-selectable map switch with eleven selectable calibrations, allowing ABS response to be tuned for dry, wet or low-grip conditions.
Q: Will this kit suit a LHD car?
A: We have not had access to a LHD vehicle for testing. For the right pilot customer we would be willing to work together on testing, please get in touch via the contact page.
Q: What's the difference between the Clubsport, Kit 1 and Kit 2 core options?
A: Every option includes the same M5 system and the same 909 platform hardware. The Clubsport core uses Bosch's universal harness, the right choice for most club and time-attack builds. Kit 1 moves to a vehicle-specific loom and supports the M5's advanced control functions for cars with real aero or braking beyond about −2 g, and Kit 2 adds Autosport-specification connectors at the wheel-speed sensor leads for endurance-style service schedules. Our kit comparison guide covers the choice in detail.
