Y'all crack me up. ABS is NOT NEW on MOTORCYCLES.
Depending on the system type, you'll either "feel it" working, or you'll know it after you've stopped and wondered why. A certain motorcycle manufacturer has had ABS on some (and now almost all) of its bikes since 1988.
The generation of ABS on my 1993 K75S (ABS I) is crude, sometimes ineffective (under the right combination of slow speed, marginal road surface conditions and ham-fisted operation of the front master cylinder), but can, has, and will continue to keep me from true brake lockup harm.
RE: Turning ABS Off - Yes, on the GS models with ABS, there's a handlebar switch.
I can't speak to the usefulness of ABS in track situations, nor can I tell you that linked brakes are or are not "better" in any given situation. For a street bike, especially used as a commuter vehicle, I wouldn't want to be without it (ABS).
