brownie0486
Well-known member
ackme, as I suspected, tsa doesn't want CO2 cartridges on common carrier airlines. I think their reasoning should be fairly obvious.
-
Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password. If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?
-
Beginning April 1st, and running through April 30th, there is a new 2024 BMW MOA Election discussion area within The Club section of the forum. Within this forum area is also a sticky post that provides the ground rules for participating in the Election forum area. Also, the candidates statements are provided. Please read before joining the conversation, because the rules are very specific to maintain civility.
The Election forum is here: Election Forum
Helite Electronic Vest
- Thread starter Back2Maiden
- Start date
brownie0486
Well-known member
It's the last thing I'll think about in the same situation with the exception I can replace the cartridge at the scene and be ready to ride in less than 5 minutes.
Why be without the airbag able to deploy again? If it deploys while riding the Tetons area, it's nearly 800 miles from home which is 2 days without it. Not in the cards for me [ I could be on the road another week moving through Montana, Colorado etc. If I'm wearing it, I want it ready to deploy, not stuffing it into the dry bag till I get home.
Starstruck
New member
Having been in this position, for me the exact opposite was true. My Helite airbag deployed on a slow speed get off in a Mexican construction site. I was unharmed and the bike had no significant damage. However, in the aftermath of going down and experiencing the protection that the Helite really does provide, the very last thing I wanted to do was continue to ride without a working airbag. Even though, as you say, another get off was indeed "highly improbable", setting and recharging the airbag was foremost in my mind since, if anything, I had a heightened appreciation of the value of the airbag!
The ability to immediately re-set the Helite and enjoy the protection of an airbag without having to send it off to be serviced is huge advantage, particularly if you are on any kind of trip. What I did discover was that sourcing additional CO2 cartridges can be a challenge, particularly if you are outside of the US. To its credit, Helite's customer service people offered to ship me a replacement cartridge wherever I was in the world. Now, I always travel with two replacement cartridges (which fortunately, I have never needed) just for the peace of mind.
I'm with brownie0486 on this one.
YMMV
crna59
Member
guess we have to differ on this one! The Airbag (self-contained) I use does not deploy on slow speed maneuvers. I teach the Police Course and it would be going off every hour!!
brownie0486
Well-known member
So was the first get off, but there you are having had it deploy. Now, 2 more weeks on tour without the vest simply due to not being able to recharge it yourself? I won't be a buyer of that vest even if it was nearly free.
Plenty of examples of 30-45mph get offs where the vest did it's job, those speeds are "crash hard enough" numbers. And lets not forget, a get off even at 30mph is 20+ more mph than police slow cone courses are experiencing.
I suppose the only question left in my mind is what you consider crashing hard enough. People die at a stop light having been hit from behind by a cager., or at 20mph in an intersection where the cager turned in front of them. No, I want the vest activated if I'm going to wear it. If it's not going to activate, why would I wear it another two weeks and take the risks? I don't wear mine for high speed crashes, I wear it for the potential of being broadsided at 25mph through a school zone, hit from behind at a red light, etc.
Plenty of slow speed examples of get offs where the person suffered major damage. Presently looking at the Klim a1 vest [ non tethered ] as it weighs just under 3# and the Helite weighs 4#'s. Here in the desert southwest, that weight difference difference is substantial when it's 100+ for over 100 days and over 110+ for nearly half of those.
When you're instructing leo's on motors, it's not on a public way where you can get jacked up from behind by a cager, aren't worrying about a broadside as a cager makes a left or right into your lane in front of you. As I'm sure you're well aware of, a closed track/parking lot is nowhere near the same as the potential to be in a slow speed or no speed crash.
Last edited:
kbasa
Well-known member
I"m with you. 50 years on two wheels and less than a handful of get offs. The likelihood of me crashing twice on one trip seems absurdly low.
Alpinestars TechAir 5 owner here.
collingsbob
Active member
At the 56 yr point of riding I had an off that changed my life and then, caused me to buy a HeLite vest. Almost 2 yrs later it still hurts to take a deep breath. CE level 1 impact protection didn’t protect me enough.
brownie0486
Well-known member
Extremely low, hmm, that's sounds suspiciously like wishful thinking. You nor I nor anyone on a motor on public ways has any indication when some cager will rear end you at a light, turn into you making a turn at an intersection.
Now, if I could be guaranteed no cagers would be distracted and not hit me at a light, or run out in front of me making a turn, or could be guaranteed I'd never have a flat at 70mph, or a blowout in a twistie with the bike leaned over. Your chances may seem extremely low, yet that's just an opinion based on your experience as a rider, and can't possibly take into account some cager ruining your day at any time, anywhere which is ever present.
If I'm going to spend the money for one, going to wear one, I won't buy something that leaves me vulnerable simply because I can't replace a co2 cartridge myself but have to wait weeks to get it mailed and how many more weeks to get it back. What would be suggested while waiting? Ride without it, stop riding till it's returned? I didn't buy one to ride without one simply because some company can't design theirs to be recharged by the rider.
Presently waiting on Klim to get their a1 cartridges back in stock before I order the a1. Talked to them this morning, cartridges are supposed to be in in a few days but could be another month according the lady that checked for me. When the cartridges are available [ they aren't cheap ] I'll get 2 of them, then order the vest. I have 2 cartridges spare cartridges for the Helite, also purchased when I bought their vest. I take one spare on trips that can be 2-4 weeks and 1000-2000 miles from home.
If I didn't suspect I could at any time be in another get off, my fault, cagers fault or no ones fault, I wouldn't have spent the money. I wear one for what reason? The unexpected get off, they can happen anytime, anywhere for any reason. I've never had a flat on a motor in 52 years, but I carry a tire plug kit and compressor. To me the chances of getting a flat based on my decades of riding is extremely low, but there we are with supplies to fix a problem that's never happened.
Forethought has always served me well. Fortunately we have choices in companies making vests..
Last edited:
Starstruck
New member
It didn't "deploy on [a] slow speed maneuver" - I was thrown from the bike having been forced into deep sand and gravel by a couple of truckers racing to pass by from the opposite direction. Fortunately, I started decelerating as I saw them coming towards me, hence I wasn't traveling at high speed when thrown. The airbag operated precisely as it was supposed to.
crna59
Member
The very reason I didn't purchase a tethered Airbag was because of a major hit 'n run that fortunately I survived 8yr. ago. Looking at the traffic cam, the truck hit me on the side and pushed me/bike about 6-8' before I actually left the bike. The tethered would have offered me zero protection. Airbags were not available for the street back then, but with all the thoracic damage I had, I'm sure it would have at least helped. I purchased the 1st Gen Alpinestars jacket that attaches to the jacket and later purchased the Tech5. I would not ride without one. I've already ordered the Tech-Air Off-Road for when I go trail riding.
I suspect in 10-20 years, people will look back on the lack of airbags as "standard" riding gear the same way we view people not wearing helmets today. It's clearly a better technology, just some kinks and early days pains to work out.
I wonder how far they can take this technology. Imagine a bag that deploys and puts you inside of the sphere, surrounding your entire body in the bag. I think they have something like this for skiing today (avalanches), but I have to believe that's where we're heading, you come off the bike, and a bag deploys that completely surrounds you, turning you into a 10ft round circle of air. Kind of funny to think about.
Into the bouncy ball you go!
It's amazing how much safer motorcycles (and cars) have become. I remember as a kid, wearing no seat belt, or, at best, just a lap belt. In a car with no crumple zones and a hard plastic dashboard, maybe with some metal bits for good measure. No airbags, bias ply tires, no ABS.. Goodness, amazing we survived!
Motorcycles themselves have gotten so good in the last 10-20 years that I'd honestly be a little afraid to jump on a 1990's era 150HP superbike with no TC, no 6 axis IMU, maybe not even ABS?!! I've gotten so used to the safety controls (nannies) that I honestly feel like I've maybe forgotten, at least a little, about how to modulate throttle to not dump a high powered bike in a corner anymore. It's got lean angle TC, just dump the throttle, it'll do a better job that you can getting you through quickly and safely. Not true if you go back a few decades, you dump the throttle, the bike dumps you!
I wonder how far they can take this technology. Imagine a bag that deploys and puts you inside of the sphere, surrounding your entire body in the bag. I think they have something like this for skiing today (avalanches), but I have to believe that's where we're heading, you come off the bike, and a bag deploys that completely surrounds you, turning you into a 10ft round circle of air. Kind of funny to think about.
Into the bouncy ball you go!It's amazing how much safer motorcycles (and cars) have become. I remember as a kid, wearing no seat belt, or, at best, just a lap belt. In a car with no crumple zones and a hard plastic dashboard, maybe with some metal bits for good measure. No airbags, bias ply tires, no ABS.. Goodness, amazing we survived!
Motorcycles themselves have gotten so good in the last 10-20 years that I'd honestly be a little afraid to jump on a 1990's era 150HP superbike with no TC, no 6 axis IMU, maybe not even ABS?!! I've gotten so used to the safety controls (nannies) that I honestly feel like I've maybe forgotten, at least a little, about how to modulate throttle to not dump a high powered bike in a corner anymore. It's got lean angle TC, just dump the throttle, it'll do a better job that you can getting you through quickly and safely. Not true if you go back a few decades, you dump the throttle, the bike dumps you!
kbasa
Well-known member
I see this technology being very, very helpful for elderly folks with potential for falls.I suspect in 10-20 years, people will look back on the lack of airbags as "standard" riding gear the same way we view people not wearing helmets today. It's clearly a better technology, just some kinks and early days pains to work out.
I wonder how far they can take this technology. Imagine a bag that deploys and puts you inside of the sphere, surrounding your entire body in the bag. I think they have something like this for skiing today (avalanches), but I have to believe that's where we're heading, you come off the bike, and a bag deploys that completely surrounds you, turning you into a 10ft round circle of air. Kind of funny to think about.
It's amazing how much safer motorcycles (and cars) have become. I remember as a kid, wearing no seat belt, or, at best, just a lap belt. In a car with no crumple zones and a hard plastic dashboard, maybe with some metal bits for good measure. No airbags, bias ply tires, no ABS.. Goodness, amazing we survived!
Motorcycles themselves have gotten so good in the last 10-20 years that I'd honestly be a little afraid to jump on a 1990's era 150HP superbike with no TC, no 6 axis IMU, maybe not even ABS?!! I've gotten so used to the safety controls (nannies) that I honestly feel like I've maybe forgotten, at least a little, about how to modulate throttle to not dump a high powered bike in a corner anymore. It's got lean angle TC, just dump the throttle, it'll do a better job that you can getting you through quickly and safely. Not true if you go back a few decades, you dump the throttle, the bike dumps you!
pglaves
#13338
I think the result might be more akin to looking like the Michelin Man rather than a big ball rolling and bouncing down the road. But what do I know? Just envisioning. Maybe a big ball is the more practical result.
Don't know, but I can think of a few possibilities that both make me laugh but would also be at least somewhat effective at preventing injury. But the humor part for me, since the tech doesn't exist, is the selling point. Come off the bike, the "ball" inflates around you, you roll off the side of a cliff, the bounce for 1/2 a mile to a stop. Uninjured, but, man, what a ride.
Hope you don't get motion sick!
