Airbag equipped gear

[maximNikenGT]

Was talking a fellow Niken forum member when conversation stumbled across the Helite airbag vest and how this device had saved his bacon on a few occasions. 

Very interesting safety technology. And I then stumbled on this article- airbag equipped pants: 

These Airbag Jeans Could Fashionably Protect Motorcyclists

---

Strapping on a leather suit can protect you from a nasty case of...

vest makes sense since a higher percentage of accidents involve some form of back impact/slide according to Fortnine of Canada. 

Legs also make sense but not sure how easy it is to have the necessary strength in the airbag deploy and not accidentally injure your legs in the process e.g, from riding knee position to fully extended and encased leg upon deployment. 

[Salish900]

I'm a happy owner of a Helite vest, and have one for my wife. I don't go out without it. It goes low enough to protect backs and hips. They are comfortable. And the workmanship and stitching is absolutely top notch. They are expensive, but cheaper than titanium rods in your neck. The neck stabilization is the biggest single benefit. 

[Switchglide12]

I have Helite Mesh Jacket  and Hit Air Vest love both of them. Use to have the Helite Vest hit a deer on Blue ridge parkway total my HD and I walked away scratch free. It is simply the best investment for any rider. If this airbag jeans every becomes production I will buy one regardless of its price. 

[knyte]

Interesting observations.  I've seen them, maybe not these brands, but they looked like they might be bulky or otherwise restrictive.  Not so much?

[2and3cylinders]

Hitting a deer is one thing but if the Niken forum member has needed it multiple times I'm glad he's still riding but he may want to consider something else

Coincidentally I've been evaluating all the offerings including from Dainese and Alpinestars and then there's another outfit that leases them on a plan

I've only seen a couple of the pants

But the vest makes a lot of sense as you can wear with anything

I've only got one bod and I haven't treated it very well so for what I've got left I think it's going to be my next investment rather than one of my bikes

 

 

 

[Salish900]

1 hour ago, 2and3cylinders said:

Hitting a deer is one thing but if the Niken forum member has needed it multiple times I'm glad he's still riding but he may want to consider something else

Coincidentally I've been evaluating all the offerings including from Dania Z and alpinestars and then there's another outfit that leases them on a plan

I've only seen a couple of the pants

But the vest makes a lot of sense as you can wear with anything

I've only got one bod and I haven't treated it very well so for what I've got left I think it's going to be my next investment rather than one of my bikes

 

 

 

This is  my way of thinking too. This vest gives me a much higher chance of either walking away, or at least surviving with minimal injuries, in most versions of accidents. If we get T-boned or low siding or high siding or flying off a corner we took too fast, this vest more or less prevents major injuries to the neck, abdomen and back. You'd just have to be damn unlucky, like a soldier in war, to die if you are wearing a Helite. I like the pants idea too, but it's harder to make those comfortable. 

I have a good friend who high sided and broke multiple ribs, punctured lungs, broken vertebrae. Weeks in intensive care. Lucky to live. He would have flat out walked into work that day if he had on an airbag vest. 

[daboo]

I picked up a Hit-Air vest several years ago.  Things may have changed in model offerings, but I liked what the Hit-Air did verses the Helite at the time.  So my thoughts are to check the pictures for each when blown up to see what they protect.

Hit-Air at the time was also about $150 less than the Helite.  If you watch for sales, Helite seems to discount their airbag vests to get the price pretty much equal.

I won't ride without mine.  Well, I have, but only after I've used it.  🤫

The first time I had mine go off was when I went to make a right turn at a busy intersection.  I looked right and saw that the light had just changed.  I looked left and the traffic hadn't started moving, and I gave it gas to move out...and a teenager with a skate board walked out into the crosswalk.

I admit I did a stupid thing and shouldn't have gone without checking more thoroughly.  I hit the front brake...and found myself looking up at the sky.  My bike was over on its side.  I was laying up against the edge of the curb...and then realized I felt no pain.    What happened?  Why doesn't this hurt?  Oh...the airbag vest went off.

I should've had a couple broken ribs because the edge of that curb was against the rib cage.  But the vest had deployed before I landed.

 

Here's my take on getting an airbag vest.

• Get a vest, not a "jacket".  I can wear my vest with any jacket.
• Stick with the lanyard style, not the sensors.  With the Helite or Hit-Air vests that connect to the bike with a lanyard, if the vest goes off, all you have to do is tuck the airbag back where it normally is and connect a new CO2 cannister.  Cost of the cannister is about $22.  The whole process takes about 15 minutes.  With the airbags that use sensors, if it deploys, you have to send it in to the factory to be repacked and inspected.  Here's what it says about the $700 Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 airbag vest if it deploys like mine did.

Quote

The Tech-Air 5 is equipped with one charge only. If you’ve taken a tumble and your airbag has deployed, you will need send the vest back to Alpinestars to be repacked with new compressed-air canisters and a fresh airbag membrane at a cost of $300.

Chris

[maximNikenGT]

4 hours ago, daboo said:

I picked up a Hit-Air vest several years ago.  Things may have changed in model offerings, but I liked what the Hit-Air did verses the Helite at the time.  So my thoughts are to check the pictures for each when blown up to see what they protect.

Hit-Air at the time was also about $150 less than the Helite.  If you watch for sales, Helite seems to discount their airbag vests to get the price pretty much equal.

I won't ride without mine.  Well, I have, but only after I've used it.  🤫

The first time I had mine go off was when I went to make a right turn at a busy intersection.  I looked right and saw that the light had just changed.  I looked left and the traffic hadn't started moving, and I gave it gas to move out...and a teenager with a skate board walked out into the crosswalk.

I admit I did a stupid thing and shouldn't have gone without checking more thoroughly.  I hit the front brake...and found myself looking up at the sky.  My bike was over on its side.  I was laying up against the edge of the curb...and then realized I felt no pain.    What happened?  Why doesn't this hurt?  Oh...the airbag vest went off.

I should've had a couple broken ribs because the edge of that curb was against the rib cage.  But the vest had deployed before I landed.

 

Here's my take on getting an airbag vest.

• Get a vest, not a "jacket".  I can wear my vest with any jacket.
• Stick with the lanyard style, not the sensors.  With the Helite or Hit-Air vests that connect to the bike with a lanyard, if the vest goes off, all you have to do is tuck the airbag back where it normally is and connect a new CO2 cannister.  Cost of the cannister is about $22.  The whole process takes about 15 minutes.  With the airbags that use sensors, if it deploys, you have to send it in to the factory to be repacked and inspected.  Here's what it says about the $700 Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 airbag vest if it deploys like mine did.

Chris

I read on Amazon that one of the reviewers mentioned that Hit-Air vests requires some kind of paid subscription. Is that true? 

[daboo]

2 hours ago, maximNikenGT said:

I read on Amazon that one of the reviewers mentioned that Hit-Air vests requires some kind of paid subscription. Is that true? 

It must be one of the newer models that I'm not familiar with.  I have the Hit-Air MLV-P model.  It connects with a lanyard to the bike.  And since you're probably wondering, it takes more force than I have when forgetting to unclip it and I try to walk away.  It'll jerk you up short.

 

Chris

[betoney]

10 hours ago, daboo said:

And since you're probably wondering, it takes more force than I have when forgetting to unclip it and I try to walk away.  It'll jerk you up short.

Chris

Thanks for that bit of info Chris, I have been researching these lately and that is one thing that has had me a bit apprehensive about a tethered-style vest.  I sure don't want my absent-mindedness to activate the vest when getting off the bike, that happens often enough with my heat controller... 🙄

[daboo]

If you could activate the airbag by walking away...I would've done so several times already. 

[maximNikenGT]

Not familiar with Hit-Air but am checking them out. Sound like they've got strong partnerships with various motorcycling police organizations internationally after initially  establishing themselves by supplying to Japanese motorcycle police. 

Airbag Jacket / Vest | motorcycle | - hit-air - Werable Airbag | Mugen Denko Co., Ltd.

---

In a fall or crash, the shock-buffering protection system will be activated...

 

US wholesale distributor is actually located in Irmo, South Carolina, not too far from Charlotte, NC. 

https://hitairmoto.com/

 

 

[betoney]

7 minutes ago, maximNikenGT said:

Not familiar with Hit-Air but am checking them out.

Same here.  It seems like there are a lot of different options available now, some features I like and some I don't, the Hit-Air has me really interested though.

[maximNikenGT]

Just placed my order today for a Large Hit Air MLV-YC thanks to you all making a very strong case for this safety gear. Thank you. 

https://hitairmoto.com/shop/ols/products/mlv-yc

Rebecca at Hit-air Moto of South Carolina indicated that although their website shows as backordered for the Large (I'm 6 foot, 200 pounds and this is the size that Rebecca recommended for me) it's only a few days delay because the shipment is in Transit currently within the continental US.

At less than $500 USD, this is relatively cheap safety gear that could end up saving you way more in the event of a serious crash. <$500 USD for the Hit-air is easier to swallow vs the $659 USD of the Helite vest. 

Will do  a full review when I receive it. 

 

[Clem Fandango]

I wear the In&Motion vest (Klim version). I can picture several scenarios where my body hits something hard without the tether style system deploying, and I like the idea of regular software updates my vest gets from In&Motion. I haven't had to test it out yet so I guess it's working 😉