Motorcycle "airbag" - inflatable vests

[Past-my-Prime]

https://www.alpinestars.com/products/tech-air-5-system?variant=31639360012346

Aside from marketing hype and race track use, any thoughts on the Tech-Air 5 system? I have a wife who wants to keep me alive for some reason, and an upcoming opportunity to get me something nice.  I've got decent protective gear, wear it always, good boots, Arai helmet, etc. and this seems to be the next thing.

I've posted it here because I'm hoping to hear some considerations, pros and con.

Thanks


BTW my new splines are great! :)

[Chaos]

I've heard good things about some airbag vests, but for me there comes a point where if safety is such a concern might as well drive a car. 

[The Mighty Gryphon]

+1 on Chaos' remark.  I watch MotoGP and have yet to see a rider have an inflating vest in a get-off, and some of those guys are going down north of 100mph. 

Personally I would put my money into a heavy touring style jacket with body armor along with similar pants and boots.  I have been rear ended at 75mph and walked away with some sprains thanks to my First Gear Kilimanjaro jacket.  Not only did it protect me, but it is still usable, albeit with a couple minor open seams in the right elbow.  Yeah, it weighs a ton, but the feeling of security it gives me is kinda nice.  I've been wearing it so long I feel very vulnerable without it.

[Laitch]

If you aren't sensitive to body heat developing from reduced ventilation, I think it would be a valuable investment in your relationship and be viewed as a sign of respect for her judgement if you graciously accepted such a gift—that one especially. It doesn't need a tether. Maybe your partnership doesn't need that kind of nurturing—some don't—and there's always the chance that acceptance would open a floodgate of other recommended personal improvements. Regardless, I'd go find one to try on first though, just to satisfy curiosity. Should the opportunity befall me, I wouldn't mind bouncing and skidding along pavement wrapped in a gift like that, maybe.

I wonder why I haven't received one already. 

[riots100]

Informative:

[caveman]

I watched a guy go off the side of the road and up an embankment on the tail of the dragon. He was wearing inflatable gear that deployed, looked like the Michelin man scrambling along the road. He couldn't bend over to pick up his bike and didn't know how to deflate it, I helped pick the bike up for him; It was rather comical. He was a green horn with a new sport bike and all new gear the kind of guy you watch out for. That was a few years ago and I think they have made improvement on them.

[K1300S]

I have been wearing a helite vest for years.  I don't ride without it.  No issues with heat/ventilation.

It's also hi-vis, like my helmet.

And I wear full armor jacket and pants, minus the back pad as there is one already in the helite.

Airbags and armor gear is not an either/or choice.  It is a both deal.

[herseyb]

I have a vest.  I like it.  Doesn't really affect the ventilation as it isn't 100% coverage. It is loose when uninflated, and has a big gap down the middle near the clips.  Actually improves ventilation for me, because I leave it clipped up, but unzip the center of my aerostich in hot weather so I get a better breeze, since the vest will hold everything on should I crash.  Doesn't cover up any vents in the roadcrafter, so win win.

Nothing doing with deflating it, you just wait 10 minutes.... or take it off.   But I guess not everyone reads the manual?

I do unclip it on offroad sections where I need to stand, but nothing is perfect.  Didn't want to have the subscription models with the auto crash sensors, just wanted to own it. 

I've never tested it...  As far as "might as well be in a car" you don't notice it on the road, and I guess I am more concerned with feeling stupid when I knew I could have had an air vest if something goes wrong, and less concerned with needing to reinforce a deficient sense of personal machismo. 

[Past-my-Prime]

I ordered mine yesterday!

My wife "induced" me to buy a Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 Airbag Weste (from FCMoto in Germany; I've bought other stuff from them, best prices I could find despite shipping from the Vaterland).

It will be my Father's Day present since, even though our kids are grown up, apparently they still want a dad around!

 

[beemuker]

+1 on Chaos' remark.  I watch MotoGP and have yet to see a rider have an inflating vest in a get-off, and some of those guys are going down north of 100mph. 

Personally I would put my money into a heavy touring style jacket with body armor along with similar pants and boots.  I have been rear ended at 75mph and walked away with some sprains thanks to my First Gear Kilimanjaro jacket.  Not only did it protect me, but it is still usable, albeit with a couple minor open seams in the right elbow.  Yeah, it weighs a ton, but the feeling of security it gives me is kinda nice.  I've been wearing it so long I feel very vulnerable without it.

Even in the humid south I almost always wear my Revit Mesh ,my Shoei 1200 , and boots. I need to find cooler pants as the Joe rocket I bought used on fleavay is only good for cold weather, which we hardly ever have. We think 50F is freezing here.

[Chaos]

Plenty of people think I'm nuts just for riding a MC.  Harley dudes think I'm nuts for wearing a helmet. They're all probably right.

[Past-my-Prime]

Plenty of people think I'm nuts just for riding a MC.  Harley dudes think I'm nuts for wearing a helmet. They're all probably right.

Hey, we're all nuts.  I figured, I wear a lifejacket on the sailboat if the wind is up and I'm at risk of falling overboard. (I try to avoid falling overboard.)

If a vest is comfortable, or at least not uncomfortable, I'll wear it. A helmet is basic needs for me (I do value my head) and I also wear a helmet when skiing.

There are risks, and then there are unnecessary risks. I'm happy I get to choose where I accept my risk level.

[Laitch]

I watch MotoGP and have yet to see a rider have an inflating vest in a get-off, and some of those guys are going down north of 100mph.

MotoGP riders have been required to wear inflatable suits since 2018. It's difficult to detect the inflation beneath the suit during the chaos of a crash. Also, in the case of Alpinestars suits and probably the others, the suit deflates 20–30 seconds after the crash.

[frankenduck]

I looked at these a couple of years ago. The leash/tether deployment mechanism seemed like extra hassle and something you could forget. I just looked at the latest Dainese and Alipinestars and both now are triggered by integrated gyroscopes.

[frankenduck]

I looked at these a couple of years ago. The leash/tether deployment mechanism seemed like extra hassle and something you could forget. I just looked at the latest Dainese and Alipinestars and both now are triggered by integrated gyroscopes with no need for a tether.

[K1300S]

I looked at these a couple of years ago. The leash/tether deployment mechanism seemed like extra hassle and something you could forget. I just looked at the latest Dainese and Alipinestars and both now are triggered by integrated gyroscopes with no need for a tether.

Tether is actually not a hassle at all.  Unobstrusive clip that quickly become part of the routine.  Just not an issue.   I have a bike side tether installed on all the bikes I ride.

[Laitch]

Unobstrusive clip that quickly become part of the routine. 

Just like the kissing of your Saint Columban medallion, frankenduck. 

[Past-my-Prime]

I will give a review of what it's like to wear, once it arrives and my broken leg heals enough for me to ride (not biking, skiing -- long story).

I hope not to ever have to give a review of what it's like to wear if my bike and i part company suddenly and unexpectedly.

Unless of course my bike and I DO part company suddenly and unexpectedly, in which case I hope to give a report on that.

[Rcgreaves]

I will give a review of what it's like to wear, once it arrives and my broken leg heals enough for me to ride (not biking, skiing -- long story).

I hope not to ever have to give a review of what it's like to wear if my bike and i part company suddenly and unexpectedly.

Unless of course my bike and I DO part company suddenly and unexpectedly, in which case I hope to give a report on that.

Great post, funded one for a son, son #2 next, then mine.  makes sense.

[rbm]

Here's a great idea (not) for a motorcycle airbag vest, the Klim Ai-1 Airbag Vest.  Subscription based safety!

From the article:

Why do you need an account and all of this for a wearable airbag? Because of how Klim is selling this: $399 for the basic vest, then if you want it to actually, you know, work, you have to pay a $12/month subscription fee, or you can pay $120 per year for the privilege of having the thing you bought do the thing you bought it for.

[herseyb]

Yup, that's why I went with the Helite with a tether.  Took me half a season to consistently remember it, but this season it is habit.  I had a real long driveway though so I would usually remember by the time I got to the mail box at least.   

[Past-my-Prime]

Here's a great idea (not) for a motorcycle airbag vest, the Klim Ai-1 Airbag Vest.  Subscription based safety!

From the article:

That's an important thing to consider, and at $120/yr, it is 4 years to get to the initial price of the Alpinestars and after that you're losing ground. I intend to still be alive in 5 years, so that was my deciding factor. The reason I chose this one over a tethered version is not because I'm worried about the hassle, or because I look forward to have something ELSE that needs to be kept on a charger, but the opportunity to have it inflate for example if I'm rear-ended, before I part ways with Rocinante. I'm sure either way is better than just lots of leather and elbow/knee/back pads which is what I've relied upon for the last 30 + years.