Q. Why ABS is important

Simply it allows less skidding of bike. Abs adds safety to it in emergency situations. You wont know until you face it so if budget is not an issue go for abs always.You can check with and without abs bike results on YouTube.

ABS is for life safety, the mechanism is such that the breaking is fast and gripping. It won't skid when you put the break and stops where you want it to. For touring, have ABS, its a good option.

It will prevent you from accident, as it wont let your tires to jam under heavy braking.