Helite Air Vests- what do you owner's think of the products?

Annie and I started wearing Helite vests when we bought them at the SLC rally in 2017. We have not had an accident to test their effectiveness other than each having a low speed tip over. In Annie's case I think she may have been injured had she not had the vest on. She was parking her F800GS and maneuvering to get it with the rear wheel towards the curb. The camber of the road was steep and when she fell she landed with the curb in the middle of her back; shoulders on the sidewalk and butt on the road. I caught it out of the corner of eye and expected to find her injured. In fact she was giggling as she struggled to get up; when the vest deploys the wearer is momentarily like a beadle on its back. People came out of the store we were in front of to help because when the vest deploys it sounds like a pistol shot.

After wearing the vests for five years we now both feel incomplete without them. The only time I've ridden without the vest on was when on my Ural riding around the Great Falls rally grounds or in high heat while riding on forrest service roads. I would not recommend the air bag jacket over the vest. The vest offers far more flexibility in its use. It can be worn over heavy winter gear or a mesh jacket on a hot summer day. It also is easier to adjust for fluctuations in the girth of the user. I do not find the vest uncomfortable to wear, although on very hot days it does add a bit to the misery. Crossing Idaho last summer we rode in temperatures above 100f. most of the ten hour day and saw 106 for a few hours. It sucked but it would have sucked no matter what we wore.

There is one thing good to say about those smart air vests, they're convenient. As long as it is armed, it should deploy in a get off.
A friend of mine had his vest deploy accidentally when it fell off his bike in his garage. The manufacturer was nice enough to reload it at no charge as that is not supposed to happen. All that convenience is relying on software scripts and experience learning. Hopefully yours won't ever need to deploy but if it does happen, the device should react correctly and prevent serious injuries.

Regarding subscription plans, my understanding is that some manufacturers have one time fees instead of subscriptions. And not all smart vests have to be reloaded at the factory.

My own experience is with a tethered Hit-Air. Other than sometimes forgetting to attach it, I've never had it deploy. It is heavy but not uncomfortable even in very hot days. I believe that vest has better neck and lower back protection than some of the smart vests. In any case, any vest, any protective clothing, is still better than no protection at all.

patm said:

There is one thing good to say about those smart air vests, they're convenient. As long as it is armed, it should deploy in a get off.
A friend of mine had his vest deploy accidentally when it fell off his bike in his garage. The manufacturer was nice enough to reload it at no charge as that is not supposed to happen. All that convenience is relying on software scripts and experience learning. Hopefully yours won't ever need to deploy but if it does happen, the device should react correctly and prevent serious injuries.

Regarding subscription plans, my understanding is that some manufacturers have one time fees instead of subscriptions. And not all smart vests have to be reloaded at the factory.

My own experience is with a tethered Hit-Air. Other than sometimes forgetting to attach it, I've never had it deploy. It is heavy but not uncomfortable even in very hot days. I believe that vest has better neck and lower back protection than some of the smart vests. In any case, any vest, any protective clothing, is still better than no protection at all.

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Some have one time fees instead of or as an option. I know that on those onetime fees though you can loose some functionality. For instance I think on the Klim if you want the adventure mode active you have to do the annual subscription. Otherwise that mode is not available. Wait until car manufactures figure this out and say if you want airbags above 55mph you have to pay an extra fee. Personally is is a bunch of crap to charge the fee for the vest then force a subscription at the rates they cahrge.

This is another view from Ryan at FortNine..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2jZryt607U

RIDERR1150GSADV said:

The tethered vests are the way to go IMHO as I won't pay a penny for a subscription in order to use a $800 piece of equipment I paid for. What if you forgot to pay?

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That's why I've bought into AlpineStars... no subscription! No tether!

crna59 said:

That's why I've bought into AlpineStars... no subscription! No tether!

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But it is $300 bucks to have it repacked and charged in the event it deploys in a minor fall over. I can redo my Hit-Air in 5 minutes and have it fully functional. Never deployed mine but my wife had a drop at a stop sign and hers went off. After I got done laughing I was able to repack it.

tsconver said:

But it is $300 bucks to have it repacked and charged in the event it deploys in a minor fall over.

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It does not deploy in a minor fall over.

craydds said:

It does not deploy in a minor fall over.

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It should not deploy in a minor fall over.

See post #22

Kevin’s comment that the Helite sounds like a pistol shot reminded me of the Helite seminar at SLC. Tulliver, my service dog who was also a great bird dog, was asleep at my feet till the presenter deployed one as part of his demo. Tulliver immediately leapt to his feet looking for the duck!

I bought a tethered version after reading about Reece vs Bambi. I drape the tether over my tank as a visual reminder to hook up pre-flight.

I've had my Helite vest for 3 plus years now. I don't wear it all that often, I should but don't.

akbeemer said:

It should not deploy in a minor fall over.

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I was given the Helite vest for Christmas last year and I have yet to wear the thing one time. I did install the tether on my bike. Every time I think about wearing it it just seems like it’s going to be a pain in the a$$ to deal with it. I am sure it would provide a margin of safety but I just can’t get use to the idea of strapping myself in and out all the time. Must be a psychological problem I have.


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I bought my Turtle at the SLC rally (10%off and an extra CO2 cartridge). Since then, I've ridden exactly one time without it. I've considered leaving it at home at times, but then think about how totally stupid I would feel while healing from an injury the vest could have prevented. But then, I always wear a helmet and I always buckle my seat belt when driving, too. I guess if I knew when I would be having an accident I could leave the gear at home the rest of the time.

Yes, it's a bit heavy to put on and off, and one more thing to deal with at a stop, but that has just become part of the routine. It goes in a pannier or top box when I park, or is cable-locked with my helmet and jacket when the luggage is full. I'm never aware of the vest while riding, and it does not seem to reduce air flow while in motion. It might be a bit warmer at a stop - it's hard to tell.

It's gone off once, when I let my speed drop to zero while making a U-turn and dropped the bike. I was not aware that it had inflated until I noticed it was a little hard to breathe while lifting the bike back up. It all happened pretty quick, but I think I rolled away from the bike when it went down, pulling the tether. I popped my mirror back on, installed the spare cartridge, went on my way. $45 bought two new cartridges.

I picked the Turtle because it is well-made, effective, and requires little maintenance. It does not require expensive visits to Europe for renewal or re-charging. The vest is more practical for me because I have different jackets for different weather and I can wear the vest with them all.

54571 said:

I was given the Helite vest for Christmas last year and I have yet to wear the thing one time. I did install the tether on my bike. Every time I think about wearing it it just seems like it’s going to be a pain in the a$$ to deal with it. I am sure it would provide a margin of safety but I just can’t get use to the idea of strapping myself in and out all the time. Must be a psychological problem I have.


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I've been contemplating a Warm and Safe heated liner to wear under my Kilimanjaro jacket. Seems like a great idea. I am resistant to being plugged-in (tethered) to the bike. I can foresee potential disasters. Must be a psychological problem I have.

Yes!

I have used the Hit Air for 10+ years. These devices are extra insurance against injuries in a crash - should you ever draw the joker card. Just like other things to make sure you're safe(er), extra lights, hi-vis helmet, ATGATT, ABS, traction control etc etc. Why not? What have you to lose.

craydds said:

I've been contemplating a Gerbring or Warm and Safe heated liner to wear under my Kilimanjaro jacket. Seems like a great idea. I am resistant to being plugged-in (tethered) to the bike. I can foresee potential disasters. Must be a psychological problem I have.

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Modern heated gear uses coax connectors that pull apart quite easily and would not bind you to the bike in the event of something unexpected. On my GS, I have to remind myself to leave sufficient slack so I can stand on the pegs without unplugging the electrics, and on those occasions I’ve forgotten to unplug before heading off to a restroom there’s only an almost unnoticeable tug as the cable disconnects.

Best,
DeVern

I have a hellite jacket, purchased a year ago, worn on every ride till zipper gave out. Sent back to service center in Reno. Took a month but when it came back they had installed a very heavy duty zipper instead of the el cheapo that came on jacket
I consider it a good investment
Jim

I started with the first Street AlpineStars TechAir that zips into the jacket. I purchased a Spring/Summer jacket and a Fall/Winter one. The only downside is that it is a little heavy. I had numerous other jackets hanging in the garage and purchased the stand-alone TechAir 5 that can be used under any jacket. It's much lighter than the older model, but the downside is that I can't just look at my wrist to see if it is armed. I can pull out my phone, but that's a PITA. Wouldn't ride without one now.

GTRider said:

Modern heated gear uses coax connectors that pull apart quite easily and would not bind you to the bike in the event of something unexpected. On my GS, I have to remind myself to leave sufficient slack so I can stand on the pegs without unplugging the electrics, and on those occasions I’ve forgotten to unplug before heading off to a restroom there’s only an almost unnoticeable tug as the cable disconnects.

Best,
DeVern

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Good to know. Thanks, DeVern!