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Wearable airbags?

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Helite wearable motorcycle airbags?
These people seem to make them in many different styles. Interesting.
Have these been around long?

https://www.helitemoto.com/shop/

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I watched one of the videos on riding the dragon where they were making one last pass through on the ride back home, and one of them right in front of the rider with the camera blows a corner bad on the hill side and hits the wall good.

he hops right up looking puffier, he was wearing a air bag jacket.
 
I saw one a couple of years ago at the AIME show in Orlando. They let a volunteer put on a vest and set it off while we watched. I went back and found the video I took with my phone from that trip. Here it is.


[ame="https://youtu.be/CSIddT_lsCk"]Vest Air Bag - YouTube[/ame]
 
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Ghostrider1964 has a demonstrator jacket that he has, um, demonstrated, (hence "demonstrator jacket") at various get togethers.

Given my history, I should prolly invest in one...
 
Y'all ever wonder how they test jacket durability? This popped up tonight on my front page.

View attachment 54296

:tab Having slid at 70 mph on pavement that looked just like that, face up and face down, I can tell you that good gear MATTERS!! Fortunately, I had on good gear and was literally able to walk away after a LOT sliding and some mild tumbling. The heat generated in a fast slide is crazy! I got a blister on one foot even through several layers of leather and thick thermal socks.

I recently saw some jackets that were more like what the MotoGP riders use, where the bag is built into the jackets instead of being a vest like the one in your video. I think they use sensors rather than a pull chord to determine when to inflate. I think they also could reset and trigger two more times (3 triggers total). I recall them being very pricey! They look like they would be great for immobilizing the neck and protecting ribs, but they still don't do much for collar bones.
 
I have a Hit Air air bag vest. Won’t ride without it. Went over once on a DS ride and it inflated. I fell on a very rocky road and didn’t feel any of the rocks. It did feel like I was being squeezed by a python for a moment. When I got back to camp I removed the spent air cartridge and put in a new one. Between Hit Air and Helite I think the Hit Air offers a little more protection around the neck and lower back, it’s also a bit less expensive than the Helite.
 
These guys had it figured out years ago....
 

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These are cheaper than a quality helmet. Lightweight, you don’t even know it’s on. A no brainer to wear one imo. Only thing I worry about is forgetting to disconnect the lanyard when getting off for such things as gas, but there is sufficient tension before inflation to remind you.
 
Do you think this bladder is what's inside their coats or anyone's coats for that matter? Meaning, you are not getting more airbag, it is just covered by a coat.

vhr_bk_bb_Copy__78462.1442911810.190.250.jpg
 
Do you think this bladder is what's inside their coats or anyone's coats for that matter? Meaning, you are not getting more airbag, it is just covered by a coat.

vhr_bk_bb_Copy__78462.1442911810.190.250.jpg

I don't know if one gives more coverage than the other. It is the idea that if it is built into the jacket, it won't get left at home. It's kind of like heated grips versus heated gloves. You never worry about forgetting the grips.
 
I wear my vest, a high viz yellow over my riding jacket. That way I have full jacket amor plus airbag over it. I would suspect they design the airbag jackets trying to protect the same areas as the vest. I think the vest over an armored jacket is about as good as it gets. Unless you spend 4 digits for motogp, one deploy suits. I keep my vest on my jacket so there’s no way I could ever forget it.
 
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I wear my vest, a high viz yellow over my riding jacket. That way I have full jacket amor plus airbag over it. I would suspect they design the airbag jackets trying to protect the same areas as the vest. I think the vest over an armored jacket is about as good as it gets. Unless you spend 4 digits for motogp, one deploy suits. I keep my vest on my jacket so there’s no way I could ever forget it.

:tab I wonder how abrasion resistant the vest is? I would think if it were inside the jacket, the jacket could protect it from abrasion, allowing for the vest to be made thinner and lighter.

:tab There is one thing some folks might not realize. These are not air bags like you see in vehicles, which rapidly inflate and then just as rapidly deflate to absorb the momentum of your body. They are essentially inflatable armor designed to immobilize the next primarily and then surround the rib cage for impact protection. I believe you actually have to trigger some kind of release to remove the pressure from them?
 
:tab I wonder how abrasion resistant the vest is? I would think if it were inside the jacket, the jacket could protect it from abrasion, allowing for the vest to be made thinner and lighter.

:tab There is one thing some folks might not realize. These are not air bags like you see in vehicles, which rapidly inflate and then just as rapidly deflate to absorb the momentum of your body. They are essentially inflatable armor designed to immobilize the next primarily and then surround the rib cage for impact protection. I believe you actually have to trigger some kind of release to remove the pressure from them?


Correct - at least that is what I see the video of it getting inflated.
 
The vests are suppose to be pretty abrasion resistant, but if it just protected my core, neck and lower back once I think it would be worth it. I’ve read some reviews where people have hit the pavement pretty hard and vest had minimum damage. The Hit Air started as equestrian protection and now advertise to motorcycle riders. Same vest, a little longer lanyard. And you’re right, they don’t deflate until you release the pressure. But once you unhook the buckles it’s not hard to take off. Of course when mine went off I had to crawl out from under the bike on a rocky steep slope, gas pouring out of tank vent cause it was pointed downhill. After picking it up in 100 degree temps, getting my helmet off, then vest and jacket I felt lucky not to have a heart attack. Anyway, once back to camp you remove the spent cartridge, roll the remaining air out of all parts of the vest, re snap the neck and lower back protection and put in a new cartridge.
 
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I wear my vest, a high viz yellow over my riding jacket. That way I have full jacket amor plus airbag over it. I would suspect they design the airbag jackets trying to protect the same areas as the vest. I think the vest over an armored jacket is about as good as it gets. Unless you spend 4 digits for motogp, one deploy suits. I keep my vest on my jacket so there’s no way I could ever forget it.

What company manufactured your vest?
 
I've got an Alpinestars TechAir Street Vest. I like that you're not tethered but there's some pros and cons. Biggest con is price, but I do feel a better when I'm wearing it.
 
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