Air Vests By FortNine

[akbeemer]

Thought those considering a vest would find this useful.

Annie and I bought vests at the SLC rally in 2017 and wear them just about all the time. We have ditched them. a few times when riding the Urals on Forest Service roads and when putzing around a rally. We do not find them uncomfortable to wear but they do add to the misery when in high temperatures. I wore one for a demo deployment at a rally and had one deploy during a parking lot tip over. It is startling when it goes off.

[kbasa]

A buddy has had a HeLite for a few years, but it's a pain in the butt if you have multiple bikes and need multiple tethers.

I'm probably going to wind up with a Dainese system that doesn't require a tether, but does require charging.

[brownie0486]

I have the Helite vest, excellent protection, a bit heavy.

Buying a second tether for bike 2 isn't all that much cost or effort to throw on the second bike.

Down to one, but I've got the second tether as I'm also looking at RT as a second motor for the long hauls.

[dravnx]

I have a HiTAir vest and it was pretty darn simple to install a tether on each of my bikes.

My vest scored a save 2 days ago.

I was 3 blocks from my house after a spirited 150 mi romp on my Vstrom. My buddy peeled off to take a side street without telling me. I was looking for him in my mirror when I looked up and there was a car stopped in traffic in front of me. I grabbed a handful of brake and dived to the right. My left engine guard caught the right rear quarter panel. I was doing 25-30 mph. I was pitched off the bike and landed on my right side. The vest inflated. I had some significant pain in my back and because it was a motorcycle, they brought me to a Lvl 2 trauma center. Xrays, CT scan. Nothing broken. Soft tissue damage under/near my scapula, tweaked my knee and received a significant hematoma on my hip. They were more concerned with the hematoma than anything else.

The trauma team were impressed with the small number of injuries due to my vest. There were quite a few discussions about this, and I had to describe the vest and how it operated to many of the trauma team care givers. Unless you're a rider, most people have never heard of an air vest for riders.

[akbeemer]

A buddy has had a HeLite for a few years, but it's a pain in the butt if you have multiple bikes and need multiple tethers.

I'm probably going to wind up with a Dainese system that doesn't require a tether, but does require charging.

The Dainese’s level of protection is much less than the Helite, but better than nothing. I’ve got tethers on six bikes; not overly expensive or difficult to do.

[crna59]

Been using a TechAir for a few years. Started using one after a hit n' run cager got me. By viewing the traffic cam, a tethered system would not have worked.
Wouldn't ride without one now.

[WrongWayRound]

What makes the tethered system not work? Inquiring minds want to know.

[mlytle]

Been using helite for 5+ years. Zero issues. They don't go off in parking lots by themselves...:-)

If it does deploy. It only takes a few minutes to repack and put a new co2 cartridge in.

Adding tethers to other bikes is simple, I have them on all my bikes... And I even put a tether on a friend's bike for when we swap.

No issues with heat either. I wear a mesh jacket under it in the summer.

I will not ride without the helite.

[kbasa]

What makes the tethered system not work? Inquiring minds want to know.

If it goes anything like my electric vest experience, I'll forget to connect them or I'll forget to disconnect them. I'm fine with a airbag brain that can discern between getting high sided and falling over when I lose my footing like the D-Air.

My experience may not be anyone else's, so don't think I'm attempting to convince anyone. I've been wearing Dainese for a decade now and really like their stuff.

[WrongWayRound]

Fair enough. I get human error and factors that make more automatic options a better choice for some.

Thanks

[dravnx]

Fair enough. I get human error and factors that make more automatic options a better choice for some.

Thanks

It took me a while to get the tether into my routine. Like remembering to put my earplugs in before my helmet, the tether has now become automatic.

[ExGMan]

It took me a while to get the tether into my routine. Like remembering to put my earplugs in before my helmet, the tether has now become automatic.

My simple answer to attaching the tether each ride is something I learned from "Riding in the Zone's" Ken Condon: a simple label right above the speedo which says: "Buckle Up!" My Hit-Air gets connected every ride.

[Paul_F]

A simple label right above the speedo which says: "Buckle Up!" My Hit-Air gets connected every ride.

👍 Same here. 😊

[akbeemer]

My simple answer to attaching the tether each ride is something I learned from "Riding in the Zone's" Ken Condon: a simple label right above the speedo which says: "Buckle Up!" My Hit-Air gets connected every ride.

The label on my bikes says, “VEST?”

[craydds]

Just purchased the Dainese Smart Jacket: https://www.dainese.com/us/en/motorb...vD_BwE&start=1 .
Sorry, don't know how to do the "link" thing. Anyway, the vest is still in the box; have yet to try it out. By "try it out" I don't mean a test crash.