Are Motorcycle Airbags Vests Worth The Hype?

[@spitescorner]

Are you interested in riding with an airbag system? If so which one? Check out the full range of Tech-Air: imp.i104546.net/xkYKvy

[@BUGBYTE_]

I heard you mention you wear it in layers. Does that affect the inflation at all or do you wear a looser jacket?

[@spitescorner]

@BUGBYTE_ I wear loose jackets from the get go. When I wear this under them I take all the other padding out and rely on the stuff built into the tech air

[@Mottmcfly]

I purchased the off-road version yesterday. Reading the manual and all the disclaimers, one can develop a little paranoia about the reliability of deployment when it counts. I guess time will tell as real world data isn’t really there for the consumer application of these devices.

[@itsturbotime2994]

@@atticushexcel9567 So because they don't have 3XL sizes that probably encompass less than 10% of the market they are shitheads?

[@chadbrodersen3875]

Tech air 3 for me. Full time street and affordable

[@MrPhins]

They should manufacture airbag flip flops for the gsxr riders.

[@fullmetalcorgi1350]

They're called Crocs

[@salt7825]

I have the regular tech-air 5. Had someone side smash me and threw me off the bike at 30mph. Landed on my back. Felt nothing. I walked off with just a small scratch on my arm. I felt like i landed on a pillow. Can't recommend the system enough.

[@spitescorner]

Damn, that's some high praise! Glad you're all right

[@shockadellick]

The air-bag jacket industry still doesn't report how many died while using. Why?...because it gives the full picture of its effectiveness.

[@salt7825]

@@shockadellick brother if u died with an airbag on, you would have died without it. The biggest thing an airbag does is limit the amount of g forces that transfer to your body(internal organs etc). If you are going 60mph and you crash and get thrown from your bike the force you hit the pavement with will make your internals go mush. How many people die with a helmet? Less than those that aren't wearing them. The same goes for airbags. I will do anything in my power to mitigate the damage my body will suffer in case of a crash. Sometimes shit happens.

[@nathanvanveckhoven1488]

@@shockadellickmy brother in Christ, you still have time to delete this comment

[@philipparana9225]

Tech air influencer budget was big this year

[@Antonio_zx6r]

Yea, I’d only buy a Helite

[@migael92]

Hit-air if you prefer tethers vs a algorithm is in my opinion the way to go. Worldwide market leader been around for ages and worn by police in some countries. Japanese brand.

[@oni-one574]

Seems so. Personally, I prefer the E-Helite with the fork stem. Protection from 0mph (rear ending at stop lights).

[@ms542]

​@@oni-one574 Tech air also has this built in for stop light rear ending situations. It will work when stopped in street mode in any of the tech air models. Not a recommendation just adding in case you were not aware.

[@oni-one574]

@@ms542 Good to know actually. I thought AS were a little out of touch with their last model so I'm glad to see they improved their ab offering. I am already invested however at this point :) heh.

[@jasonr428]

I'd say as long as you have an airvest you're on the right track. I just recently bought the Helite tethered and I've had an electronic vest for the last 3 years. I'm from Colorado and took a trip to California. Once I got to California my electronic aivest malfunctioned and stopped working. So, I had to ride the remainder of the time in California, and all the way back to Colorado with no airvest. I learned the electronic unit, "the brain" of the system completely died. When I got back I sent the electronic unit in for repair and it was replaced under warranty, and then about 8 months later it died again. I completly lost confidence at that point. So, those issues inspired me to go with a tethered system this time. Electronic vests are quicker, but all it takes is one simple electronic issue to malfunction and not work, and render an expensive vest completely useless. Good video man!

[@brianking1709]

I see a lot of people talking about the price. I was almost killed by a drunk driver a few years back. It took me years to be able to get on a bike again, but I love riding. I mainly ride off road now. I got the Alpinestars Off Road last month. It is a lot of $$, but worth every penny. Priceless.

[@camacdav000]

Exactly people will bitch about anything now days. & you are buying it for yourself to be & feel a lot safer! We all spend more money on other dumb stuff.

[@johnsaporta4633]

A tether is handy to kill the engine when ice racing. I agree with your criticism of f9 and Klim. And I truly admire you have the freedom to remove canisters when honking on a 125 over the dirt. Smart options!

[@MrMike8792]

I survived a crash with a Helite leather vest. Airbags systems are the way to go! I will NEVER ride without an airbag system again 👍

[@davidwagner3053]

I have a Tech Air 3. Won’t ride without it. I can wear over and under my riding jackets. I have had 1 deployment atI low speed because i over braked with the front while mid turn. My apple watch also detected the crash as well. I firmly believe the vest is worth every penny and Alpine Star service and support is awesome.

[@dontbanwarren]

I don't ride Street or otherwise without an airbag vest. I used to live in Austin, Texas and took a T-bone with a vest and I walked away with just a bruised rib. Based on my anecdotal experience Hitair, Helite, and Alpinestars options are all valid and quality.

[@derrickw5214]

A commercial I actually appreciate... been in the market for a vest for a year but never really took to anything once I tried on IRL. Local bike shop tried to sell me on the Alpinestars but I brushed it off completely. Now I see it's worth checking out.

[@EvMc305]

Street rider here. Tech 5 just went to my main riding apparel rotation. Feels great for the trade off of having 90% (yes, 90%) impact improvement over CE approved armor. We're discounting it just to get our riders into them!

[@rupertsuzuki3376]

I’ve watched a bunch of videos on this system and yours is the first I’ve seen of someone actually putting it on (at least partially). Might seem trivial but to a guy on the fence thinking he might not wear it due to the PITA taking on and off this is actually kinda huge. Good job.

[@mdoehrman]

I ride with Helite. I am glad you are putting this out there, maybe save a life or two, good job.

[@martinfoster5163]

I believe in airbags. They are the best safety innovation since helmets. However, they are definitely too expensive for tethered systems and really high for electronic systems. I own a Helite Turtle and I dissected it. The components cost about $20 - I know because I made a clone myself. It's a very mechanically simple mechanism and the rest is basic, commodity fabrics. The good part about the tethered systems is they use generic C02 canisters which cost about $3 in quantity. I buy them from China (my next door neighbour). I'd love an Alpinestars rally airbag since I ride almost exclusively off-road but you can't buy them from online retailers like Revzilla and ship them internationally due to restrictions on pressurized canisters flying around the world. Also, there's no Alpinestars dealers for servicing where I live (Mongolia) so good luck getting service. Shipping to Italy isn't cheap. I look forward to when these systems are $100-200.

[@Waldo1122]

Good luck with your $3 C02 canisters when they fail to inflate the airbag in the advertised time or simply don't inflate at all. People from East Asia love claiming that they can make a cheaper copy with the same quality/reliability and always fall flat on their face.

[@Waldo1122]

@@atticushexcel9567 You said $3 not $30. A $3 canister I KNOW will not perform to the advertised inflation time.

[@martinfoster5163]

@@Waldo1122 You are wrong. I tested unbranded CO2 canisters and they inflate just as reliably as the branded ones. Where do you think Helite buys their canisters? Same as me, from China. Then they just stick a label on them. I even weighed the gas weight, cut the canister open (Helite and generic). No difference. Helite etc, need to make money on accessories which is fair. Not sure if it should be 1000% profit but that's capitalism.

[@goughhomer3918]

I got an open box KLIM Ai-1 airbag vest for $USD 305.99. I live somewhere where there is inclement weather half the year so I pay $12.00 per month for 6 to 7 months of the year. You can cancel/omit while not using. Included in the subscription are updates from the learning of any type of accident for a wearer utilizing an INEMOTION In&box. The Alpinestars Tech-Air 3 will run you $599.95. From what I’ve seen open boxes are infrequent. Also, you will have to supply your own back protector. Firm updates are available, but they are not compatible from an independent party such as ION.

[@karlbishop7481]

Spite, I disagree with some of your comments. I have a tethered Helite Turtle. I just don't trust the technology in untethered types and don't want to worry if the battery is still charged on a long ride. I have enough other things that need to be charged on long moto camping trips. I attach the tether to the handle bars. When I first got the vest I attached the tether lower on the frame and finally figured I would be halfway to the obstacle before the vest deployed. So I moved it up as high as I could and I keep the lanyard pretty darn tight. Also being right at the ignition switch I don't forget to attach it. The Helite Turtles also have a lot of hard protection. I have a friend who has a Turtle and may not be here today if he hadn't been wearing it. He hit a deer at 70 mph, he not the deer, and walked away with only a couple of broken ribs. I only ride on the street so I can't say what may be the best off road. I did quite a bit of research and decided the tethered type was best for me. And I also wear a very heavy duty, as in thick leather Vanson jacket, the best there is. Unfortunately I don't wear my armored jeans as much as I should.

[@spitescorner]

Well for me a battery that lasts thirty hours is almost a full week of riding, and it charges in four hours on my travel battery. I also never said the helite is bad, I'm glad your buddy is doing well.

[@aniyn]

Helite say explicitly NOT to attach the lanyard to the handlebars. If you hit something your body will travel double the length of the lanyard before you start to put any tension on it and that's going to delay the deployment.

[@karlbishop7481]

@@aniyn I have rethought it and have attached the lanyard to the frame at the front of the seat. No matter which way I go off the bike the vest will deploy with the least amount of distance traveled. Hopefully not happening.

[@John_Ridley]

I went with the Helite electronic backpack system. I'm 100% street and it's convenient to throw on over the top, and my main concern is immobilizing my helmet when going down at speed, and it totally does that. It is a concern that it won't go off when stopped at a light, but I always stop where I will get propelled between cars if hit, and I watch behind me until I get guarded by a couple of cars anyway so it's not actually that much of a concern to me. I really like the zip on backpack. It's all I need for storage a lot of the time, like going to meetings and such, and I can go with just the back protector if I like. Also I was able to take the back protector out of my jackets so they look a lot nicer when I'm off the bike.

[@ADingoTookMyDasco]

It would have been nice to have something like this when I was rear ended at traffic lights over Easter. I was fully kitted out but still walked away with severe bruising around my kidney region from where my torso hit the gutter. After reviewing dash cam footage of the crash a tethered air bag might have deployed, but it just as easily might have dragged my little Duke 200 with me & landed on top of me without the airbag deploying. The price though? At $1,600 over here in Australia that's more expensive than the cost of my winter jacket, summer jacket, 2 riding shirts, 2 pairs of riding jeans, 3 pairs of riding boots, 7 pairs of gloves & 3 helmets combined. Admittedly, most were bought at a discount price, but it's all quality name brand gear & includes a carbon/kevlar/fiberglass helmet in the mix. Hell, I even have 2 running motorcycles that combined cost me less than the Alpinestars Tech Air Off Road. I'd love to have one for piece of mind, but I'll have to wait until it becomes more mainstream & options become available at a more reasonable price.

[@thegreenman2030]

Unless your duke weighs less than 60 lbs while in motion which it doesn’t and neither do you it absolutely would have deployed.

[@ADingoTookMyDasco]

@@thegreenman2030 I guess you watched a different dashcam video to the one I did. In the one I saw my bike was stationary with the rear brake applied, rolled forward no more than 2m after it was hit & had a small wobble before it finally fell in the opposite direction to me. A tether could have easily encouraged my bike to fall with me without applying the force to deploy the airbag.

[@aao331]

I have the Helite airbag backpack and its even better on hot weather.

[@John_Ridley]

That's what I went with too and I think I'd do exactly the same choice again (I've had my Helite for about 4 months). I'm still not sure if the electronic or the tether is the best. I bought electronic, but if doing it over I *might* go with the tether.

[@aao331]

@@John_Ridley I went with the tether. Because the electronic version is not rated for offroad but onroad the e version its better. But I also hate to charge the battery.

[@John_Ridley]

@@aao331 The battery lasts a heck of a long time. Over a week easily, probably more like 2 or 3. And I drop my gear right next to where my charger is, so if I come in and turn it off and it beeps at me, I plug it in. Takes about 10 seconds to plug it in, and that happens maybe every 2 weeks. I don't do any off-road. Well, a little but for like 2 hours one week a year, just to get to a campsite.

[@MalfunctioningAndroid]

The greatest sin Klim ever done is to create an affordable option for riders from piss poor country like my own. Shit, it's gonna take me quite a while to shell out a grand for AS. But it's way more convenient to get a vest for 320euros and pay a sub when I use it and eventually buy it out.

[@stephenbaron5681]

Just got my tech-air 5 and on the first ride I hit a deep rut in the pavement and was thrown 10 feet and bounced off the pavement the vest was deployed and took the impact. My ribs hurt but that was all.

[@thomasmcintosh2472]

I have one now for about a month and I love it. I got used to the weight and wearing within the first couple hours. I use offroad and my adv bike.

[@fixit9844]

as someone who usually wears a backpack anyways, i'm much more interested in something like the H-Moov Backpack than a vest like this. But if you dont like wearing a backpack, which I get, then this is definitely a good option IMO.

[@haijj]

My backpack (Oakley kitchen sink) absolutely saved my entire back when I got hit and ejected from my bike last October. Skipped twice in pavement, like a rock on water . Granted, it was pretty full of spare clothes and groceries, I cannot recommend a good backpack enough for riding.

[@dhc8guru]

Dainese just had a sale on the D-Air smart vest. $507. I bought two. Awesome vest! Very well vented for the summer. I am just wearing it and skipping the full armor jacket. Too hot right now in south Texas. The D-air jackets go 26 hours on a charge.

[@wasawasablingbling]

Lol you did Ryan wrong with that photo.

[@HarryNoze]

I’ve been riding with the tech air 5 98% of the time since it came out. The other 2% is the rare occasion I forget.

[@dasko3]

So I wear a tethered vest I picked up second-hand. You made a lot of great points paired with some very funny dialogue and great visuals. You are in top form Spite!

[@thegreenman2030]

I wear the Helite backpack with the tether as well. For my style of riding it’s more than adequate, and I don’t have a fear of it not deploying when I need it to, which hopefully I never do.

[@alexmoreno8156]

I wear a Klim Ai-1 Rally. For me it was the best option for the following reasons: 1) It has a road and adv mode; 2) The battery last all day; 3) I can stand on my Tuareg riding off road and not worry about a tether; 4) The price entry point plus a free year of In motion service was a good deal; 5) airbags prevent injuries, I had coworker who’s son was involved in a motorcycle accident. He suffered an injury to his abdomen. He’s now on his 10th surgery. An airbag could have prevented that. Ride safe! Cheers.

[@chublez]

Why cant we have the battery and tether? So we have a backup if it dies or we can use it if we forget to charge it. Also a solid backup for the computer not needing to detect anything if we've reached the end of our rope. Just saying.

[@whiteskyflyer]

I had my pitch fork out, I guess I will put it back up…caught myself getting excited for a minute.

[@thegreenman2030]

After a long lay off I got back into riding. I have an off road bike and a on road cruiser. In an agreement with my wife an airbag was a much. I went with the Helite backpack version with the tether. For my style of riding on road it does everything I need it to and often remove the backpack part. When hitting the trails on my 2nd bike I disconnect the feather and ride in normal off road armor and ADV gear. I don’t ever worry about the feather not deploying and no it won’t drag the bike while you’re attached to it like I have read in the comments here. Is there better now, probably but I don’t ride like Slite does on or off road, I’m just to old for that now. If I did push myself hard then I would probably have both. I guess what I’m trying to say is there is value in both systems and brands, you just need to choose the one for your riding style.

[@sharrison56]

I bought a Klim air vest several years ago, because AS required you to send the vest back every time it went off. The AS was also more expensive. I have set my Klim vest off twice and it has performed perfectly. I’m not a fan of subscription services, but it worked out for me compared to the available AS options. If I were buying one today I might still end up with the Klim, but the new AS vests have a lot of great new features that would definitely change the value calculation.

[@solidsnake2665]

Excellent! Next gear upgrade will be an airbag. Wish the battery life was better but that'll come with time.

[@spitescorner]

It's 30 hours of ride time. That's pretty long.

[@dirtroadie5747]

Summer heat is the catch-22 of peak riding season and PPE. My Dianese summer jacket is only bearable while in motion, and if I stop, it has to come off pretty fast. I'm interested in airbags, but I'm a little skeptical of how much extra protection they really add. The tricky question of when and how they should deploy seems to have too many answers. Right now airbags seem like a good idea, but it looks like manufacturers are still fishing for the correct implementation.

[@joezimm21]

Great, just investing in a new Klim summer smesh jacket... i guess i need to rethink my system. This looks awesome!

[@Raydiate-bw6pb]

How do you distinguish a dry popcorn fart from any other fart?

[@neonsamurai1348]

I generally prefer the ones from Helite, as they are easily and cheaply refillable, and can be reused several times. They come in either tethered or GPS + fork sensor. They also have a backpack version which is also good for those that don't really want an airbag vest. Most of the other ones require expensive subscriptions and have to be sent back to the factory if deployed once, or are only good for 3 deployments and have to be serviced for hundreds of dollars. I will say at least the Tech Air Off-road is refillable, but you still have to service it after 3 deployments or something. Also FYI, a lot of the other airbags will not always activate on a lowside either, or other types of odd crashes, some also do not arm if you are not going at least 25mph, which is not much help if you get rear ended at a stop light.

[@spitescorner]

The tech air arms right away, deploys in a low side (which is not an odd crash at all), needs to be serviced after 4 deployments and the refills are the exact same price on Revzilla.

[@victorp5491]

No rib protection after the bag deploys if you keep riding??? Help me to learn about rib protection on this..

[@lance3529]

It has two canisters, after the first deployment it waits 30 seconds then you have another deployment ready. After that you need to replace both canisters

[@sandgroper1970]

It may be pricey / slash expensive, but what price do you put on your life, or maybe not having serious injuries which would require extended time off work to recover, plus those medical bills.

[@movingnaturefilms]

They're worth the hype, but not affordable.

[@spitescorner]

They have options that start around $500 which is the price of a good helmet.

[@markchalloner5883]

Still way cheaper than a ride in the amberlamps, not to mention the cost of all the doctors and a hospital stay.

[@leonarose6738]

Dont Americans have to pay for hospital and surgery?

[@obeii1805]

Yea they’re more affordable than those hospital bills 😂😂😂😂😂..trust me

[@unnf9971]

@@spitescorner options? You mean the tech air 5?

[@BUGBYTE_]

This is a nice setup but it is expensive. I have a Alpinestars airflow jacket that works pretty good with as hot as it does get here in Texas.

[@spitescorner]

They do have options starting around $500

[@BUGBYTE_]

​@@spitescorner500 is a lot more doable. I usually catch jackets when they go on sale when a company changes designs or when seasons change.(I'm a cheapskate) The prices of everything has gone up over the years I just have to suck it up and get adjusted.

[@burddog0792]

Klim Armored Shirt is basically just a padded base layer, it's not rated for crash protection.

[@Ephem13]

The street versions are cheaper. The Tech-Air 3 is $500-600 bucks. That's the price of most high tier street helmets and only slightly more than most AAA rated jackets.

[@Atrip111]

Hmm thought they were all like 1000. Gives a lot more consideration. Better value but I still don't have $500 and probably should buy a $500 helmet before the best

[@Ephem13]

@Atrip111 trust me, I get it. $500-600 is still a chunk to drop on gear. Especially considering you can get a pretty good set of full gear for $800-1000 US. The fact that a brand like Alpinestars is offering it at this price point already just means it will be very affordable tech sooner than later.

[@leagueofotters2774]

Spite, where is the guitar channel??

[@sattvicvelo3506]

I never ride without an air bag - NEVER. Have several versions depending on the bike I'm on. On the Scrambler "upright" I have a vest with the canister up front, which fits nicely over any gear.On the Speed Triple RS the traditional vest with a canister up front get's in the way of leaning over, and I have a "race vest" for that bike, where the tether is in the back, as is the canister. Always wear layered protection - inner armor layer, middle layer if cold, and outer layer for wind/rain. The race vest fits nicely over a one piece race suite as well. I prefer these to the inner air bag systems, as it works with any gear, and more importantly the deployment locks your neck in place like a neck brace. Hit-Air is a Japanese manufacturer (that could probably do better on the marketing and social media front) of air bags, that happen to be the first ones to do so as well. Worn by the Japanese motorcycle cops. They are very affordable compared to the larger brands, and servicing / changing canisters is easy. No electronics or algorithms though. I can see the appeal, but the tether does the job and makes me feel "safer" when out riding. As always awesome content Spite.

[@johnmacias01]

I just came across your yt content. Very informative & provides good bike safety info. I also live in South Texas & will be subscribing to your channel. Please post some riding areas in Texas too! Thanks!

[@davidvincent5701]

Watching him talk silhouetted against the sky, those square shoulders. Looking ready to rumble in the line of rugby or football.

[@Wileylikethehawk]

I’m surprised how many people are complaining about the price. Your safety is worth any cost isn’t it? I used the Helite system for my first year but it was so uncomfortable for me. I now use the Klim which is way more wearable. …But I keep hearing that they are tearing internally and failing so now I’m nervous and thinking of switching to the tech air.

[@seethruhead7119]

Helite also has an E-version that can detect a crash

[@dhc8guru]

There is an issue with CO2 canister type airbag vests. Cold weather and CO2 don’t play well. Greatly effecting deployment time and if it’s cold enough, it may not deploy fast enough to protect you in an accident. Helite products are antiquated in comparison to other products on the market now. Most of the airbags from Klim, Dainese and Alpinestars are using gas generators or Argon that provide consistent deployment times regardless of temperature. Most deployment times are down around 26ms whereas helite is around 100ms. Also Helite is charging $679 for a corded CO2 vest. Absolutely ridiculous.

[@danreich4320]

I have the tech air 3. Had a crash. Deployed. Worth every penny.

[@omgitsabloodyandroid5161]

Spite - How about a video about why there are so few new YOUNG riders, and getting less each year. Try adding up all the COSTS of the “must have” equipment. Riding is now a niche market.

[@Gofr5]

Interesting product. I appreciate that it doesn't have the stupid subscription tied to it, so I'll give it credit there. However, Helite doesn't have any requirements to send their airbag in after X deployments, so I would stick with them still, whether it be their tethered solution or battery solution.

[@amarzano]

Since you mentioned the Fortnine Helite review, the one significant advantage that I see with Helite is the inflation at the shoulders, which isolates the helmet and neck. This doesn't seem to be as much with either the Alpinestars or Dainese. I also appreciate that some of these might be worn under a jacket, the reality is that most of our jackets are already pretty snug, and to make this work we probably would need to go UP a size - ie buy a new jacket. I am very bullish on the tech, just trying to zero in on the right vest. I suspect electronic is the way to go, as the algorithms continue to advance.

[@spitescorner]

There is neck isolation with the offroad.

[@hughmac7423]

Cool, this would have save be getting broken ribs and a busted lung, it we had it 30 years ago. Hopefully the 2XL is actually a large vest, seeing you wear it makes me optimistic, because I can't find body armor large enough to fit me, I'm a 48" chest. I'm interested in it, as long as it is large enough.

[@bhouse92101]

I see you have the same issue with the Insta360 camera as I do. That front facing camera always gets hazy when the sun is out. It doesn't happen with the back camera. ONLY with the front facing camera. It may sound crazy, but try flipping the camera around so the touch screen is facing forward. let me know how it goes. See if you notice a difference. I did!

[@spitescorner]

It has more to do with dust on the road, but yes it has uneven exposure. That's inevitable with two lenses

[@jimstenlund6017]

Good review. Work’s been slow or I’d buy one.

[@kuladeeluxe]

I have a Helite Vest. I like , but boy I suffer in the heat.

[@SlowBikeFast]

Thanks for another great video! Regarding the tech-air, does it provide the same neck/helmet stabilization that the Helite does? I saw on revzilla that "Neck protection is provided by the airbag inflating around the neck in compliance with the FIM regulations", but I can't tell if "protection" is the same thing as stabilization (i.e. prevents cervical spine fractures). For me, this has always been Helites biggest selling point.

[@spitescorner]

Based on the demos I've seen it deploys the same way the helite does, and it's incompatible with a neck brace so I believe it is.

[@diazsce]

I've been looking for air bag support while riding. It is expensive but if it makes the difference between getting back up and walking away in one piece it seems worth it!

[@spitescorner]

That's exactly how I see it.

[@LiviuXSA]

it doesnt lock your helmet in a fixed position when it goes off and you can still snap your spinal cord, which is bad. plus its twice as much as a helite turtle. seems like a no go

[@spitescorner]

It does lock your helmet in place. That's why it's not compatible with neck braces

[@navedmerchant]

I think you glossed over the charging problem. The chief advantage of a helite airbag is: there are no batteries. If you forget to charge your vest, you will just have to compromise and take the risk of riding. Also what if the battery dies during a ride? Battery powered airbags are not a good idea.

[@danb6497]

I wonder if anyone's had experience crashing with one of these things. Would be nice to hear what they have to say

[@OilyNinja]

Dammit! I have a tech air 5 and a helite e-turtle 2, but now I need this!

[@Khar_Toba]

Integrated water bladder is a pretty good selling point

[@spitescorner]

Yeah, though I will say, buy a sleeve for the bladder. The water will stay cooler longer and it'll avoid punctures.

[@alexthomas8749]

I have seen two issues with the Alpinestars. First is, the regular non off-road vests are single inflation, no user replaceable cartridges. It is good to see that with the off-road they are moving to user replaceable cartridges, but until they update the tech air 3 / tech air 5, then that is a problem. Second, which I would love to be corrected on, is from all the video / stills that I have seen + plus friend with the Helite jacket, is that the Helite airbag design does a better job of neck protection / interfacing with bottom of helmet. As I get into motorcycling (newbie, just go license, currently trolling fb marketplace / craigslist for bike) I am hoping that Helite releases an e-turtle in their mesh jacket format.

[@spitescorner]

The tech air off road is designed to immobilize your helmet like a normal neck brace.

[@lukefish7562]

Been thinking about it and think I’m finally sold. I hate summer for the reason of wearing hot protective pants and jacket so anything that helps in that manner isn’t bad. Most importantly of course I want to live to ride another day. So if it’s that much better than I’m in as I know I spend a lot more money on crap that won’t possibly save my life. And if I had a wife and kids or liked my job (jk😁) it’d be a no brainer for sure. Thanks for the informative and very entertaining video. 🏍️💨

[@smalltowntexian6239]

Damn....maybe I need to get one. Especially considering they're calling for record temps here in Texas this summer. ERCOT is already saying there's going to be rolling brown-outs in August. Guess it's time to start putting money back so I can pick one up the first of next month

[@spitescorner]

I'm never wearing a normal jacket in the summer again if I can help it.

[@harleycross4170]

Pretty sure others detect rear collisions, like my dianese

[@Johnny-701]

I got myself the tethered Helite a couple months back. At least for street riding, I feel like complex sensors and algorithms are very much an over-engineered way of solving a simple problem of detecting when the bike and rider separate. I do get the point of the low side. However, as long as you keep your passive armor (unlike Ryan), a low side is not a particularly dangerous crash. Except if you hit a solid object while sliding, in which case the bike sliding in front of you is very likely to hit it first and you separate again. If the Alpinestars does not use GPS to determine your speed, how can it distinguish a low speed drop from a high speed crash or simply from dropping from a coat hanger when you forgot to turn it off?

[@leonarose6738]

Because its smarter than you.

[@Johnny-701]

@@leonarose6738 touchée

[@spitescorner]

A series of tri-axial sensors built into the vest.

[@horrovac]

Got myself a TechAir 5 recently. Bloody expensive, but cheaper than my set of leathers. I have considered a tethered system as a cheaper option, but ultimately decided against it, because of one reason: you need to attach the tether. I don't want to bet the deployment of the airbag on me remembering to attach it. It would be maddening if I crashed and hurt myself wearing one of those sweaty things which didn't deploy because I'm a moron. Sure, you can screw up an autonomous system as well, but not that easy. When you zip it up it arms almost automatically, because the activating magnetic flap falls in place by itself. In fact it's not that easy to keep the damn thing from snapping on and arming when I don't want to activate it on purpose, to prevent accidental deployments (which is being reported quite often). If it does deploy, you're around 300€ poorer, and you might have to wait for 6 weeks for it to be serviced in Italy. While researching and trying to decide among the Dainese and AlpineStars system, I often read that the TechAir is barely noticeable, thin and quite airy. Bollocks. I was sceptical right away, and it turns out I was right. After all, you're riding around wrapped in a set of inflatable bags. To be inflatable, they must be impermeable to air, so no wind gets through them. They did do quite a lot to make it as cool as possible, but the physics is a bastard. I'm thoroughly soaked every time. It isn't thin either. The vest and the airbag inside is thin, but the passive back protector and the control module are anything but. Particularly the control unit containing the electronics and the pyrotechnic inflators, sitting between and above your shoulder blades, is even thicker than the back protector. That means that my - rather loose fitting - set of 2-piece leathers compresses my body additionally to the compression by the vest itself, the jacket is more difficult to zip to the trousers and front zip is more difficult to close. Caveat: I'm having a health issue in the moment which causes me to be rather fatter than usually. Also, my leathers are from Dainese, and AlpineStars sells some which are specifically TechAir compatible. Of course, I can't tell if AlpineStars leathers would fit better, but the Dainese ones do have the padded aerodynamic hump on the back sitting right above the control unit, and it is tight. So if you want to get one (which I still would recommend, the level of protection promised is far above anything else you can wear on your upper body), make sure you have room in your leathers for it. If you're buying them new, go two sizes bigger. Normally, when I'm not fat, I'd wear EU size 52 rather comfortably. In my current state, I wanted size 54, but (luckily) that wasn't in stock, so I got 56, and the fat me and the TechAir just about fit in there. Further caveat: You feel this primarily when putting your gear on and walking around. When I'm riding (a fully faired supersport bike, albeit one with a rather comfortable position), it isn't troubling, restricting or distracting me in any way. I'd prefer having more room in there, but the tight fit and the compression do feel nice too - you feel strapped in, armoured and well protected. I decided for TechAir and against Dainese even though Dainese was cheaper (to buy and to service as well), and my preferred brand, because TechAir just had way more features. It protected the shoulders as well, the bags over your shoulders were far more substantial and much more likely to stabilise the helmet and protect your neck than the thin Dainese ones, and the passive back protector is nice to have, should you crash and the west failed to deploy for some reason. Belt and braces is the approach I like when protecting my spine.

[@blueoceanride]

0:16 I’m watching beginning again because I wanted to comment 😅 anyway, I’m with you. Not a fan of riding with a backpack. I like the utility of the this. It is expensive but it’s new tech so I imagine it’ll be more affordable in the future

[@justcommenting4981]

Donut did a shitty ad for...Dainese I think, airbags a while ago. It used a dumby and showed in a rearend collision you can stay on the bike for the initial impact until the car makes contact with your body, you can also stay with the bike in a front end collision as you impact the hood or window initially. Electronic deploy is definitely better IF it actually deploys on initial impact of the bike.

[@luddite6239]

I never thought we'd see airbags for off-road use - I thought the forces from the rough terrain and jumps would confuse it. They must have done a lot of work on those algorithms! 👍

[@spitescorner]

A ton. I was talking with HRC Dakar rider Skylar Howes and they've been working on it forever.

[@luddite6239]

@@spitescorner And all credit to them. The testing, especially for safety equipment like this, must take up a huge amount of the development time not to mention budget.

[@lohoffssonloffman9668]

How is the new 690 enduro compared to a drz400s when it comes to vibrations and smoothness?

[@illestsavage1596]

Thank you so much I was a day away from buying the heli pro air. 😅

[@raymadani270]

Thanks Spite

[@RonnieM]

I think it's great, albeit pricey. I bet my shoulder wouldn't have snapped going down in the dirt/snow if I had one of those. I wonder if it would deploy by accident in exuberant jumping situations? I would also be tempted to use the off-road model even on the street.

[@spitescorner]

It's designed to handle the Dakar rally so I reckon it would handle jumps in the rally mode. Probably also in Enduro.

[@travishimself1973]

I find it hard to have an opinion as an enduro and adv rider. I want to see these reviewers receiving free vests actually test it. An afternoon ride usually sees 3 or 4 drops but who knows what it takes to set this off. Are they designed to ever deploy off-road?

[@paralysisbyanalysis]

Isn’t the airbag vest you’re on in the video supposed to only be worn off the tarmac or under a jacket. It doesn’t have any abrasion resistance.

[@sudevnath489]

Helite also has electronic systems don't they?

[@aniyn]

Helite still gets my vote. The far higher costs to recharge the other systems is a real turn-off, and i refuse to pay a predatory subscription for safety gear. That being said, i wish I'd bought an electronic vest instead of a tethered unit. As an ADV rider i want to be able to stand up on my pegs, and a tether has to be really long to accommodate that. I'm forced to trade higher activation times for proper riding position. Plus I've forgotten to connect the tether a couple times.

[@entropy5125]

I see you on the crf250f. Thats a really good bike to start on. Its a tractor

[@aucklandsadventures]

I’d wear the Alpinestars leather airbag vest. It’s the best looking vest out there. I dont have the money for a $300 helmet so a $800 vest is a long ways away. Worth the money if you can buy one.

[@Waldo1122]

But you have money for hospital bills...

[@aucklandsadventures]

@@Waldo1122 I’m not going to stop riding because I don’t have the newest tech. I’m also getting an early 60’s car without airbags. What shall I ever do…

[@Waldo1122]

@@aucklandsadventures When you're looking at 10 different surgeries you'll wise up.

[@aucklandsadventures]

@@Waldo1122 How has Your airbag vest held up for the past 10 Years?

[@Waldo1122]

@@aucklandsadventures 3 years so far and it has been doing the same exact thing that it has when I got it off the shelf.

[@shawnperry5991]

What about the Helite un-tethered version?

[@RollModel724]

I got the Dianese airbag and it does almost everything this does (minus the self reset) as an airbag.. I love it .. air bags are worth it… maybe not $1000

[@SummitCoyote]

I definitely agree that a tethered system is pretty much useless for a lot of cases because by the time that you need the airbag to deploy you've already made contact with something. and while it's really cool I just can't justify putting $1,000 down on a single piece of gear

[@spitescorner]

The price is still high because it's new tech. This is also their Apex predator offroad system. As airbags become more common they'll get cheaper.

[@ctrlaltowned5223]

They already have cheaper options, but they are more geared toward street use.

[@SummitCoyote]

@@ctrlaltowned5223 if I'm spending that kind of money i want one that does it all

[@oni-one574]

Interesting, I read this as, "I can't afford $500-$1,000 on a piece of gear that can stop my neck from breaking in a crash." What bro?

[@SummitCoyote]

@@oni-one574 every single piece of gear that I have all together was under $1000 lol. that would be like spending the same amount of money as I spent on my helmet jacket pants boots and gloves, and raingear on a single piece of equipment that gets in the way of my backpack and is yet another layer to deal with at work and needs constant maintenance.

[@KeViNMCMXXCIX]

Nice insight in the Tech Air stuff. Would I buy it? Nah. Will I if it get's more affordable, meh idk maybe?

[@Samuel10463]

Because Alpine Star is worn under jacket, it was designed not to blow bubble under helmet, resulting in failure to immobilize your neck, but that avoiding jacket pushing your neck and chocking you... The HeLite on the other hand blows a massive neck support because there is no obstruction to it like jacket's neck buckles and such. This makes HeLite much safer as far as neck immobilization goes. But the reviewer didn't mention that.

[@spitescorner]

This is an incorrect statement. Because the Tech Air Offroad is meant to be ridden in off-road environments as wells a street duty it is designed to immobilize the helmet. It has specific airbag channels whose sole purpose is head immobilization.

[@timlubbers2884]

6:51 so your protection needs protection? Riding down here in Florida, in summer, with an undershirt, the protection and another jacket? You’ll never finish your trip without 3 shimmies and 6 gallons of water . I’m already sweating just thinking about putting it all on!

[@BobRogers-zy7lg]

This is off-topic, but I would like your reaction. **SOUND TRACKS FOR ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLES** Since we all like how motorcycles sound. And electric bikes are almost silent, this gives the opportunity to record and play any soundtrack we choose for these bikes. Picture a harley sound for a scooter. Or the William Tell Overture (aka Lone Ranger), etc. Would appreciate your thoughts.

[@rodlappin6147]

How would that work under a full Aero Stich suit? What do you wear under it typically? I'm a person who prefers to ride at freezing temperatures more than anything above 85 degrees.

[@spitescorner]

I wouldn't wear the tech air offroad under a suit but the 3 or 5 would work fine.

[@robertholland7558]

So when we toss it on the chair, like we do with our jackets, will it set of the airbag?

[@spitescorner]

No. It won't.

[@robotdowning963]

I love that these are getting more popular but we really need better budget options. Even 500 for an airbag vest is pricey enough to make the average joe go without

[@WideLoad405]

Unrelated to this topic but did Solar ever get that controller out to you for the E Clipse?

[@spitescorner]

I actually rewired it and now it's working again. Gonna have some videos coming out when I get a chance.

[@WideLoad405]

@@spitescorner I should come to Austin and give you a lesson on how to ride an EUC. I have 2 of them. Talk about a different experience.

[@ettcha]

2:13 👀 In all seriousness though, if you can get it, why not. Saw the aftermath of a collision and the rider was out of it for a while. No way a messenger can afford these here but you can bet he'd have preferred to have this in the crash.

[@andrewschultz2504]

I opted for the hit air air vest five years ago. I disagree about the electronic airbags being superior for the average rider lanyard is attached properly. It will deploy before you hit the ground. I find the the mechanical more reliable. I personally know several people who had their he lite or their hit air vest saved.

[@myronhorvathsk]

I understand your logic about the tethered system. I too thought the same but my thinking has changed somewhat also on this. This spring before I had an airbag of any kind, one frozen morning when I was leaving for work I believe I got cross rutted on a bad section of road and essentially low sided at somewhere near 40mph. When I stopped sliding, yes I was far enough away from my bike a tethered system would have been deployed, however I’m having doubts that it would have deployed before I was slammed into the ground. Results were, fractured thumb and index finger and one vertebra and bruised ribs. After that I bought a Helite Turtle tethered vest but before the next riding season starts here I’m going to get a Techair off-road system to replace it with. Also with the current vest you need to wear it over your jacket, well I spend a large amount of time on gravel road which is very dusty and you can’t throw this thing in the wash to clean it, only wipe it down so it’ll never be clean actually again.

[@jasongardner1910]

What helmet are you wearing? The field of view looks larger than most

[@spitescorner]

Bell MX9 Mips

[@markstratman5628]

I’m 72 and last rode a bike 20 years ago. Considering I’ve had my new bike for only 4 weeks and dropped it 3 times at slow speeds, under 15kpm , what you’re describing is what I want.

[@ChadWinters]

I think you might need a 3rd wheel…

[@jimstenlund6017]

Dude, I thought you were going to jump off your bike to really test that thing lol.