Alpinestars Tech-Air 7x - IN-DEPTH Review

Alpinestars latest airbag, the Tech-Air 7x, supersedes the Tech-Air Race system - the company's first mass-produced airbag - while also introducing new features like a slimmer profile, more perforation, and cartridges you can replace yourself - just to name a few. Road Test Editor Troy Siahaan, who swears by airbags after getting hit by a car while wearing one, takes you on an in-depth look at the Tech-Air 7x.
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[@Drjfever]

I own the tech air 5, 10 and now the 7x. Had the 7 for two months, and ridden in it for approximately 1000 km on a Ducati V4 street fighter. I like how the 7 provides more lower back protection than the 5. The 7 is a lot quicker to put on than the 10. I ride with a Dainese one piece race suit on the road and the 7 is highly comfortable and lower profile than the 5 or 10. The 7 is the same sizing as the 5 and 10; if you’re a medium in the 5 or the 10, you are a medium in the 7. It is FIM homologated and phenomenal protection for the money. The best protection you could buy to strap on your body when I started riding over 30 years ago was a level 1 back protector. The 7’s level of protection (transmitted force to the body) is equivalent to something like wearing nineteen level 1 back protectors. That is some progress with safety.

[@mfennell70]

I picked up a 7x last week from a trackside vendor (shout out to Justin at Trackside Parts!) and like everything about it better than the 5. Much easier to put the suit on, better ventilation, user serviceable.

[@rao_v]

It looks much bigger than the Tech Air 5. Does it really fit into a Dianese suit better?

[@mfennell70]

@@rao_v It does for me and I've heard others say the same. Side-by-side, the only major dimension where the 7X is bigger is length in back. The sleeves/shoulders are notably thinner and the longer sleeves fit more tightly. I find it easy to put on, then put the suit on, which is a massive hassle with the 5.

[@rao_v]

@@mfennell70 Very helpful thanks!

[@Drjfever]

⁠100% agree

[@techrideradventures]

Great info man, very detailed!

[@TroySiahaan]

Thanks for watching.

[@twr41cox]

Great review. Thanks!

[@TroySiahaan]

Thanks for watching!

[@4940markhutchins]

I wear a Klim A1Rally. When I bought it almost 2 years ago, it was the most comfortable and cool to wear (I took out the chest protectors because I no longer ride off-road), I could replace the cannister myself and it was among the best for neck protection. If I were to buy an airbag today, I think it would be this 7X. As it is, I’ll keep wearing my current airbag for a few more years, then see what the latest and greatest is and replace it.

[@tainis1996]

Great detail video! life saving gear

[@TroySiahaan]

Thanks for watching.

[@pelanth]

Great informative video. I did notice that the velcro for the back pad is very similar to the horrible velcro in my A* jacket that let's armor slip out over time. Disappointing for something so expensive.

[@lopsided1]

The two side chest zippers tend to creep up I've noticed, and +1 on a kill switch, that would have been really nice

[@danbutler2934]

Outstanding review! I'm curious what level of impact triggers these to inflate? I wish there was one specifically for off road that could inflate more than one time on a ride.😅 Thank you.

[@skunkwurk2503]

It would have been nice if he turned around and showed how far the TA7 sticks out below the jacket.

[@TroySiahaan]

You're not wrong. But just imagine it going to about your tailbone. If you ride a cruiser, for example, and the seating position means you'd potentially be sitting on the lower portion of the airbag, you can simply fold it out of the way.

[@skunkwurk2503]

@@TroySiahaan Thanks for the reply. I ride a touring/adv bike, so definitely seated upright. I have been conflicted between the TA5 vs TA7, as it seems the TA7 is a little thinner under your jacket. But leaning toward TA5 due to how low the 7 extends.

[@TheCvac]

​@@skunkwurk2503i have a TA5 on my Multistrada 1200. It fits great under all my touring,mesh jackets etc. i think this 7x would stick out a fair bit in every one of my jackets. This is more for those cafe posers with their panigale v4's or actual track guys. But honestly if I rode track i would buy the full 10x. Don't really see the point of this on the street,who wears a suit on the street??

[@johnm6683]

Thanks for the review Troy. Are you absolutely sure the hard parts on the back are lower profile than the 5? It looks bulkier where the canisters are. It’s the one thing I dislike about the 5. I like how the back protection extends down to the tailbone in the 7. I find it astonishing how many manufacturers have a back protector and pocket for it that stops 3/4 of the way down.

[@TroySiahaan]

Granted, I didn't measure the profile difference, but simply with the naked eye the 7 looked slimmer than the 5.

[@twistychaser8973]

Great review, Did the lower back protector give you any uncomfortability on your naked bike. Seems so low that it would cause some issues while riding.

[@fabiena1787]

I'd like to buy one. But the available sizes make it impossible. I'm not huge, but 2XL seems like it won't fit judging from A* charts.

[@adamaguirre8409]

I hope there's a v2 for the tech air 5. I want the multiple deployments and self arming features.

[@ImTheBoss914]

This is essentially a v2 of it since it can be wore standalone. It has the same protection (with slightly more coverage on the tail bone), has the benefit of 4 deployments self service total instead of one and done like the tech-air 5. Don’t see how many ways an iteration of the tech air 5 would separate itself enough from the 7x. Only thing I can think of is if they try to compete in the ‘over the jacket’ airbag market aka its abrasion resistant.

[@Pheil]

​@@ImTheBoss914 This is not really a comparable product in terms of form factor. This cannot be worn standalone with a jacket, and must be used with a suit due to the extended tail section.

[@ImTheBoss914]

@@Pheil I hear ya, although it is longer protection in your tailbone area, I watched another YT Shorts person mention how they rode it on an upright bike and it wasn’t notice able at all. If you search shorts you should find a video talking about him tracking with it. However aesthetically yea it would stick out the jacket however you can simply tuck the extra portion in your pants if it’s really that long. Aside from that, that’s really the only main difference between the two, if they were to make a new tech air 5x, and if I’m wearing an airbag I’d rather protect my whole spine.

[@keithkeller6509]

I’ve read that one of the new Tech Air air bag vests has removable components so the chassis can be laundered. Does the 7x have that function?

[@RumblestripDotNet]

BlipShift shirt @Trizzle? I like that one.

[@David-bf6pl]

What's Trizzle my Nizzle??😊

[@TroySiahaan]

Bingo. I'm a car guy, too, and I like this shirt because it has my first car - a Datsun 510.

[@edgybikercop]

I hope the next version is better designed, with a lithium battery that lasts much longer and I dont like the idea that if a little magnet in plastic shield dislodges your vest does not deploy.

[@ZONE3965]

Any protection on the front?

[@TroySiahaan]

Yes, the airbag covers the shoulders, collarbones, and ribs.

[@hamode_]

حلووو ورائع ❤

[@TYR6rides]

These will be great for the track day guys. The tech air 5 will still be the better option for street only riders.

[@sudevnath489]

That’s true if they’d only bring out a tech air 5 with self replaceable cannisters

[@TheBli7krieg]

What’s the jacket model?

[@TroySiahaan]

I'm wearing a Cortech jacket here.

[@bobbybob3447]

TROY! (I'm still not using my real name but I knew you when you were a young-punk writer at SR!). So: do you wear a chest protector with this, too? That seems to be what all the Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP guys do.

[@TroySiahaan]

I do. Mainly to give myself as much protection as I can in the event the tip of a handlebar tries to impale me. And now I'm wondering who you are!

[@bobbybob3447]

@@TroySiahaan Hah! I'm not saying! But I did start wearing an Alpinestars Nucleon chest protector this year. It's lightweight and breathable and I don't notice it all when riding. I definitely want an airbag vest and I'm sure I'll get one in the future but it'd mean I'd have to get different gear to accommodate it if I'm in an accident and it inflates. I've noticed this year how much extra room there is in MotoGP rider's race suits for this.

[@MrWhitelightning73]

Air bag ? Some states don’t even require helmets 😂😂

[@Inline3speedy]

You gonna be relying on the state to save your life? really?

[@MrWhitelightning73]

@@Inline3speedy Apparently some people have skulls made of Kevlar 🤣

[@waynerobertson511]

@@MrWhitelightning73 .. or contents not worth protecting.

[@MrWhitelightning73]

@@waynerobertson511 I couldn’t imagine riding without a helmet. But In nearby Pennsylvania, you see it all the time 🥹

[@dttyson1078]

Colorado and Wyoming too. Everything I need to know about a motorcyclist is told by their bucket...or lack thereof.

[@morbid1.]

it's cool but I'm too fat 🤣 only option for me if they made motorcycle jackets with airbags already in them or make really big size to wear on top of the jacket

[@henryslager9406]

Alpinestars isn’t making their line-up very clear with all the different models, some with a number and some without.

[@EvMc305]

Tech 5 7x 10v2 what don't you get😅

[@henryslager9406]

@@EvMc305 3, 5, 7x, 10v2, street, race, offroad. All are still for sale if I look at stores near me. It seems to me that the street and race are discontinued, but that isn’t very clear, and most reviews of newer airbag systems don’t mention that they are a successor to the street/race. With the street/race discontinued it seemed to me that the named products are the old ones and the new ones are the numbered products. But they just released the offroad as well. And then there is the 3 (which unlike the street/race is still visible on Alpinestars website). I thought that was an older model but the 3 is actually newer than the 5.

[@henryslager9406]

@@EvMc305 3, 5, 7x, 10v2, Offroad, Street, Race.

[@Waldo1122]

@@henryslager9406 Offroad, street, race is modes not models... If you're spending almost $1000 you should do some damn research.

[@henryslager9406]

@@Waldo1122 lol do the research yourself. These are actual Tech Air products.

[@3rduncle]

The big issue with airbag tech is the cost. You can't just buy the airbag system; you need to buy a new jacket. You need to size up. Many people have "lifetime" jackets. If you bought a top quality jacket years ago, and have taken care of the leather (and haven't crashed), it will still be perfect. Also, people don't tend to get slimmer as they age so it's probably a little tighter than it was when you bought it. So, it's a serious investment of both the bag and a new jacket. Companies like A* would be well served by offering a discount on any jacket bought alongside the airbag. They'd see a lot more uptake.

[@Waldo1122]

Cost? The hospital bills will be well into 5 digits...

[@3rduncle]

@@Waldo1122 Maybe if your government just funnels all your tax money to arms dealers. MY taxes pay for my healthcare. If there is a clear fault from another vehicle, their insurance pays for it.

[@blackdeatroi]

​@@3rduncle As somebody who experienced fracturing a femur in a crash, i can assure you i will take an airbag system over any insurance payout...

[@StressKind]

Look at the helite turtle. It's a vest that goes over any jacket

[@01Daboo]

I'm not a fan of airbag vests that rely on electronic sensors. My Hit-Air MLV-P works with a tether...and no, you won't deploy it by simply walking away from the bike. It slips over any jacket I wear. and it covers more of the body than this Tech Air bag does. Plus, when it deploys, like on a Stop And Drop, I can put a new canister in for $30 and I'm on my way. I don't need to send it to anybody for inspection. It's the KISS principle.

[@_Bryant.R]

Alpinestars has absolutely the worst customer service.

[@mfennell70]

100%. I was a big fan until I tried to contact someone - anyone - with questions. The airbag is the only Alpinestars equipment I'll buy now.

[@1takewonder33]

Interesting.. I’ve reached out to them multiple times recently and have been able to speak with specialists. Every interaction was above and beyond. I only called to speak with the Tech Air team, so I can’t speak about their other depts.

[@janstahr6588]

Had also a lot of bad expierences. (only relates to the EU Support). Reaching anyone is Impossible. For refueling my tech Air race I was waiting once 11 Month, and the 2nd time 3 Month.

[@ossojonesify]

They only make these for guys the size of 12 year olds. When do real sized men get to wear safety gear? Airbags and pants are impossible to find in big sizes.

[@morbid1.]

true

[@markbd9775]

real sized? lol