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Inflatable Jackets / Vests in 2020

Good to hear about the way the vest works, and also that you're doing OK. With the present hot weather, I see the majority of riders around Boston in t-shirts and jeans, and some with shorts on. Thinking about your injuries, we call can imagine the damage without ATGATT.

Now-a-days, every time I see someone in T-shirt and shorts I think about what I would have suffered without my gear. I was fortunate & now quite the advocate for ATGATT with a great story to back it up.
I also just ordered a couple buckle up decals from Amazon for 5 bucks that will go on my 2 bikes.
 
I bought a Helite at the Lebanon rally and wear it virtually every time I ride. It feels heavy as you put it on but don't notice it once on and buckled. I like the idea of a "buckle up" reminder as I've forgotten a few times. I always put the lanyard across the seat when I take it off to prevent it from dangling if I forget to clip in.
A few weeks a ago I low sided at about 40 mph around a sharp right hander due to a heavy patch of gravel (brain fade and lesson learned). I separated from the bike and the vest deployed. Luckily, I was wearing full gear and only got a dime size road rash on my knee through my padded kevlar jeans. The protective knuckle guards were worn almost through my gloves and my Aerostitch jacket was only scuffed up a bit. My full face helmet suffered a good size scuff mark on the chin.
I quickly stood up and noticed the vest had deployed. I had no problems moving around and it fairly quickly began to soften back up. I wasn't even sore the next day! I'm sold on them and AGATT as well.
One thing to note is that replacement canisters are very hard to find. Everyone was out of stock and I had to supply proof of purchase in order to get 2 from Helite. They are on allocation. So I would recommend you purchase a couple spare canisters wherever you can find them.

Never good to crash but very good to learn that the ATGATT precaution paid off.

Regarding the Helite, I owned one for a year or two and then sold it. In my opinion the added weight, constriction, and tether management all combined to make it just not quite worth the perceived benefit. Wearing it wasn't really very inconvenient, but I was not imagining crashes where it would actually be very helpful.

And in your crash account above, it doesn't seem obvious that the Helite added any benefit beyond what your other ATGATT gear provided. Perhaps you could comment, as I'm still trying to justify no longer wearing a Helite-type jacket.

(Furthermore, I thought padded kevlar jeans were supposed to prevent road rash on your knee - what's up with that?).
 
Never good to crash but very good to learn that the ATGATT precaution paid off.

Regarding the Helite, I owned one for a year or two and then sold it. In my opinion the added weight, constriction, and tether management all combined to make it just not quite worth the perceived benefit. Wearing it wasn't really very inconvenient, but I was not imagining crashes where it would actually be very helpful.

And in your crash account above, it doesn't seem obvious that the Helite added any benefit beyond what your other ATGATT gear provided. Perhaps you could comment, as I'm still trying to justify no longer wearing a Helite-type jacket.

(Furthermore, I thought padded kevlar jeans were supposed to prevent road rash on your knee - what's up with that?).

It kept his neck stabilized in the get off. It may not seem obvious what the vest did for him, but just protecting the neck from damage would be worth it.

I was not imagining crashes where it would actually be very helpful.

One can never be assured of what type of crash they will be in. No different than people training for gun fights, and only envisioning their needing to fire defensively at 20 yrds with time to line up the sights etc. Too many variables to make the mistake of envisioning a limited number of ways ine will crash.

One old timer was rear ended at a stop light that destroyed the bike and put him in the hospital for some time. He absolutes believes that his vest saved his life even as he suffered severe injuries. Just something to consider when envisioning get offs. Had the technology been available and I'd been wearing my vest back in 84 when I was hit on the highway at 65mph and took a 147 foot slide I'd have not broken my scapula, 3 ribs, nor torn the rotator cuff to shreds. For the price of the vest, just saving that 8 months of therapy to get the shoulder back to working [ which involved more pain than tha crash itself ] would have been worth twice the price of the vest. YMMV, having been in two major get offs, I wear the vest. That highway crash was when I was 33. Closing in on 70 I always think how much worse it would be to recover from those injuries fully. Myguess, I'd never recover fully. Forethought goes a long way to surviving unknowns.
 
Helite & ATGATT

Good to hear about the way the vest works, and also that you're doing OK. With the present hot weather, I see the majority of riders around Boston in t-shirts and jeans, and some with shorts on. Thinking about your injuries, we all can imagine the damage without ATGATT.
Dress for the slide......not for the ride ‼️:dance
 
Hit-Air

Been using a Hit-Air vest now for almost two years. Never had to field test it, so I can only hope it works if ever I need it. I'm used to plugging in, and it is not a chore to wear. It does block some airflow to my mesh jacket, so I will sometimes leave it home when temperature is going to be over 100. My disappointment is appearance. I purchased neon yellow, which faded to a washed out yellow within six months, and shows all sorts of road grime that I haven't been able to get off. If you like patina, this is gear for you. I don't mind the fading, but the grime looks pretty tacky.
 
There seems to be a current trend, with the emphasis on the electronic/sensor/ firing mechanism. In some ways, I like it, and hope that trend continues to be fleshed out, and developed. Even Helite has gotten into the Electronic Sensor game.
But sophistication isn't always the best answer, in my most humble opinion. What I would like to see, is the advancement of the electronic/computer/sensor approach, but always include the fail safe tether. A hybrid approach, if you will. You can add the wizardry, accelerometers, chips and such all you want, but don't take my tether away!
 
(Furthermore, I thought padded kevlar jeans were supposed to prevent road rash on your knee - what's up with that?).

Here's the damage my jeans (Klim Fifty 2)sustained on the get off. I probably slid on the asphalt for about 25 or 30 feet before coming to a stop. You can see the outer denim layer took the most damage & only 2 small holes on the Kevlar inner layer. There is an armor knee pad below the tear. I got a dime size abrasion on my knee which I think was caused from a friction burn from the armor. The second photo is the tear on the back pocket where I had my wallet. All in all, I think they did a great job. I can't imagine the damage I would have suffered had I worn standard jeans or even worse with shorts.

smallknee.jpg

smalljeans.jpg
 
I just ordered a pair of Klim Fifty 1 jeans.

I have been researching riding jeans, and am finding varying levels of protection. Going with the top rated ones, I believe Draggin from Australia, they offer a 7 second slide rating on some, but those are all in "skinny" cut. For those of us who buy "relaxed fit", there are none with top level protection.
 
D-air vest

Have been using the Dainese D-air vest for 3 full summer months now commuting 90+ miles a day and can attest to the extra warmth and added security. No deployment yet. It does add another layer of heat / moisture trapping gear, and my shirt is quite wet when I get home in the hotter afternoons even with all vents open.

Summer - Under Aerostich roadcrafter light one piece sz 40 with back pad removed and top shoulder pads trimmed back to allow more room for top of the bladder to inflate properly. When mornings are cool or rain, wear a wind-stopper jersey under vest. When in the 50's, wear a thin fleece jacket under vest.

Wish it had a set of sleeves that could be zipped or hook & looped on. Maybe I can get some help from my wife and her sewing machine? Yes, I know, don't puncture the bladder.

Winter - Under Aerostich RC one piece classic sz 42. Room for extra layers of fleece or electric jacket liner should fit well also.

Battery life has been ok, lasting less then 2 weeks for me. It does buzz you quite frequently when battery is low and is a bit annoying, but I guess that is the point. (Could save some battery life if it would do a bit less buzzing.) Have been getting in the habit of plugging it in every Friday evening.

Does fit well in the saddle bag on the 2012 R1200RT, leaving lots of room for other "stuff".
 
This is my first post so forgive me if I do something wrong.

I have probably set off more airbag vests than anyone here, first with a HitAir, and then with an Alpinestars Tech 5. So here is my experience.

I've had a HitAir for about a year. Nice vest, allows for lots of ventilation compared to the Tech 5. Two things that concerned me: remembering to buckle in, and the speed of deployment in certain accidents. I ride in the mountains on some technical roads and I have set this vest off twice (bike drops). I had spare cartridges and it took all of 5 minutes and $30 to re-set it. Of course you feel like an idiot when your foot slips and you end up sitting on the ground with an inflated vest.

I had one the first Tech 5's in the country. I love the fact that you just zip up and you are taken care of, no forgetting to buckle up. I really like the shoulder protection, something that the HitAir does not have. The vest is not supposed to go off below 10 mph, but I had another slip and ended up sitting on the ground with an inflated vest. I sent it back, and Alpinestars agreed it should not have gone off, reset it for free and updated the software. I love this vest, but it is hot. No way around it.

Below is a recent video showing an accident that one of Motorcyclist Magazine's reviewers had while wearing the Tech5. It is impressive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3JLYYQ-LmY

Rickdm
R1250GS
790 Duke
 
Airvest

I have a Helite airvest and other than the fact that I forget to fasten or unfasten the tether only when I get on the bike or off the bike I like the extra level of safety. ( my wife also very happy when I wear vest and we all know The happy wife thing )
One added safety feature, I usually wear a mesh air type riding jacket and both that I own have hi-viz material on sleeves and shoulders but the rest of the jacket is dark colored the hi-viz turtle fills in those dark areas giving increased visibility.
 
Another +1 for the Helite

Wear it ALL the time, and have 98% of the time remembered to attach the lanyard!

I've set mine off twice, once as a test and once during one of those nearly-at-a-standstill-and-super-embarrassing step-offs. I ended up on the ground, very red faced, but with absolutely not the slightest hint of a bruise or scrape.

Having a non-built-in vest means you can switch between jackets for winter, summer & spring, but you also have the added fiddle of attaching the lanyard. I understand some of the newer air bags, although super expensive, give better coverage than the Helite.

If there's ever an aftermarket version of the Wing bike-mounted air bag, sign me up immediately!

As I get older, I don't bend and fold like I used to...
 
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