Wearable airbags - anyone tried one yet?

[Mailman]

You know the funny thing here is, I always pay attention to motorcycle accidents in the news, and while there are some bad wrecks involving cars, most of the fatalities are guys riding home after the bars close and losing control of their bike while not wearing a helmet. They are simply drunk and smack their gourd in the pavement. That’ll do it every time.

 

[Wulfbyte]

But here is a good question! How many members have been in an impact accident that threw you impacted the concrete to a dead stop! No sliding,no chance of counter steering,no rolling your body,where it put you down for a couple of months,not fun at all! You can plan on how your going to react but that not usually the outcome! If you have been in one you do think about safety equipment a lil more seriously, doesn’t mean we’ll wear it but it’ll be a thought! My riding buddy used to joke riders who wear hi-vis vests until a car hit him, driver said didn’t see him, so now he doesn’t ride without it! I still ride with just the basics, my riding instincts are honed but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen again! He always ask me if I’m going to get one ,around here I think I should ,you’ll be surprised on how many Harley riders wear them!

 

[gggGary]

Safe riding may require a change of mind set. There is no "it was their fault" accident. The rider is ALWAYS the loser. Ride like everyone else on the road is out to kill you 'cause some of them will given the chance.
I sometimes ride with a guy that is "assertive about his right of way". He's been in crashes. I've hit the brakes and applied avoidance, in several situations he bulled through. I was screaming at him inside my helmet. It's not fool proof, shit happens, but the odds can be greatly improved......
Good call reviving the countersteer thread 2m and paul!

 

[Wulfbyte]

You know the funny thing here is, I always pay attention to motorcycle accidents in the news, and while there are some bad wrecks involving cars, most of the fatalities are guys riding home after the bars close and losing control of their bike while not wearing a helmet. They are simply drunk and smack their gourd in the pavement. That’ll do it every time.

Yep alcohol a major player here too! Virginia Beach ,Norfolk, Portsmouth full of bars! Usually the driver of the car that hit the bike is the one intoxicated! The rocketeers usually are drunk racing and hit something, racing from the beach back to base! And they usually loose it and go off road and hit signs ,buildings, or each other!

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

How about this one:

You're not gonna believe this, but my first thought was,

*That* would be great for motorcycle camping.

Climb off the bike, pull the ripcord, flop down,

-zzzzzzzz-zzzzzzz-zzzzzzz....

 

[xjwmx]

When I learnt to ride years ago I never heard of counter steering. After watching the video in the link in TM's post it made me remember years ago trying not to hit something (dead animal on the road) and no matter how much I tried to steer away I hit it. Then later on I read about counter steering so went out on my bike to try. I half expected to crash because it seemed so wrong. But hell, it works well, in fact really well. Amazing the sharp turns it allows you to make. Worth practising regularly for those fire truck moments.

Thank you to gggGary for uploading the video back in 2015.

When I started to ride I read everything and countersteering seemed especially mystifying. Actually it's what you do whether you realize it or not if you're going faster than low double digits mph (would have to refer to safety nazi to get exact figure). I took a safety course to automatically get my license and the teacher demoed it by holding your bike at the front, with the bike still, and when you push on the right bar (or pull on the left) the bike leans to the right... Only at almost walking speed does the bike go the direction you turn the bars.

A good immediate action drill to practice is consciously push on the bar in the direction you want to go -- it can quickly get you back in the lane if you go wide into the patch of an oncoming car! It seems like most of the crashes I read about are somebody going wide into a car. Totally unnecessary.

 

[MaxPete]

The airbag vest requires a bit of travel and a jerk on the trigger to deploy.
What would it do in this scenario?
And, would it help at all?

http://www.xs650.com/threads/you-might-want-to-watch-this-but-youve-been-warned.43039/

Would the Honda airbag be better here?
What becomes of the rider after deployment?

Well..guys....we can all dream up a scenario where a given technology would not work, would not help, or might even make things worse.

The whole point about emergencies is that you don’t get to choose when they happen, how they happen or to whom they happen (unless you are either monumentally unlucky or stupid in which case an emergency will almost certainly happen to you, and it will be soon).

Obviously, we can all make our own choices here and my entire point in raising this was to have a chat and see if anyone had any experience with these devices, and what that experience was. I just think that they could be a worthwhile way of lowering the odds a bit.

 

[xjwmx]

Thoughts.

45 years ago, a statistical analysis was done down here that found that the accident rate was much lower for helmetless riders, than for riders wearing helmets. They reasoned it was because of the "protected womb" effect. Riders with helmets would do things that the others wouldn't.

Same potential with airbag suits?

I was just now reading at the safety site I mentioned and the first strory was about a guy wearing a super hi-vis vest who wrecked because he wasn't seen. He was doing things he wouldn't have done if he wasn't counting on the vest.

 

[xjwmx]

Of course the answer is use the device to increase the safety you already have, not use it then take extra risks so you end up with a net zero. Doesn't imply safety equipment itself is bad.

 

[MaxPete]

ZACKLEY!!!!

Using safety gear as a “permit” for increased levels of riding idiocy is simply ridiculous.

No matter how much safety gear you use - if you try hard enough, you WILL injure or kill yourself or facilitate someone else doing it.

 

[xjwmx]

Doesn't actually require gear. I was taught to look over my shoulder before changing lanes. That has saved me several times. I will notice other riders doing things I was taught to do -- it's like a secret language

 

[MaxPete]

Howdy!

A small update on the airbag story (at least in my locale in Windsor, ON (adjacent to Detroit MI). I went to my local M/C accessories dealer - The Leather King and enquires about airbags. He is listed as a dealer for Helite products which are very nice. He told me that he had stocked some of the vests and sold them for $788 CAD - which is actually a heck of a good price (particularly for Americans a time the present rate of exchange - $0.75) somthe price to an American would be $788 + 13% HST = $890 => $ 667 USD). I think that is less than they cost on the web. .

I am leaning toward the Hit Air vest because they are lighter and cooler and somewhat less expensive but still highly rated. He is investigating the supply chain and will get back to me with a price in due course.

I am fine with that as it is much too cold to ride right now anyway. I will keep you posted.

Pete

 

[mrtwowheel]

Wouldn't these be triggered after the first impact, ln most cases? That is unless you just fell off for some reason. Sliding situation, I bet they'd instantly be abraded and deflated.

Scott

 

[Paul Sutton]

The Hit Air Vest in the UK is approximately £450. It is also marketed for horse riding so may be cheaper bought from an Equestrian supply shop??? If you wear it under your clothes you can do the Incredible Hulk trick at parties.

 

[member28833]

A Hit Air vest is an interesting idea. I am wondering if this safety technology is tested or will be used soon by road racers or even more curious bike drag racers ?
That seems like a great test environment to compare to more traditional safety gear.
? RT

 

[member28833]

Did some price checking and bike budget balancing at lunch.
Seems the only one in reach right now is this one ..

 

[MaxPete]

Wouldn't these be triggered after the first impact, ln most cases? That is unless you just fell off for some reason. Sliding situation, I bet they'd instantly be abraded and deflated.

Scott

Apparently, they’re made of stuff that can survive a substantial slide. There are no reports I’ve found that suggest that abrasion is a significant concern in terms of the airbag vest deflating.

You can repack the vest beside the road, install a new propellant cartridge (about $60-80) and you’re good to go. If the vest is damaged, you can return it to the mfr. and have it repaired.

Of course, if it had just saved your life, or prevented a life-changing injury, who would care.

Pete

 

[MaxPete]

A Hit Air vest is an interesting idea. I am wondering if this safety technology is tested or will be used soon by road racers or even more curious bike drag racers ?
That seems like a great test environment to compare to more traditional safety gear.
? RT

The literature says the most professional racers (maybe all?) wear airbag vests/jackets as do many police forces globally. The articles I attached above describe this.

 

[fredintoon]

The literature says the most professional racers (maybe all?) wear airbag vests/jackets as do many police forces globally. The articles I attached above describe this.

Hi Pete,
I must have owned at least 50 solo bikes since I started riding back in 1956 and have fallen off of each one of them at least once.
l always wore a helmet and as my body shape is similar to an astronaut's landing capsule, which also lands fat end first, I always landed on my arse.
As your body shape may have better aerodynamics than mine so that an airbag vest will work for you, if you buy one please advise on it's wearability
but hopefully, not get into a situation where it needs to deploy.

 

[MaxPete]

Hi Pete,
I must have owned at least 50 solo bikes since I started riding back in 1956 and have fallen off of each one of them at least once.
l always wore a helmet and as my body shape is similar to an astronaut's landing capsule, which also lands fat end first, I always landed on my arse.
As your body shape may have better aerodynamics than mine so that an airbag vest will work for you, if you buy one please advise on it's wearability
but hopefully, not get into a situation where it needs to deploy.

Will do Fred. As I mentioned, I am also on the ST Owners web forum and there’s is a lively chat going on over there, largely along the lines of this one.

There are, however, several people on STOwners.com who do have either a Hit Air vest or jacket, or one of the slightly more expensive offerings from Helite. Those folks are saying that they did a lot of research and that in buying the device, and wearing it, they feel safer and that wearing one of these things doesn’t not markedly change their motorcycling experience (ie. the device is comfortable and not overly hot, heavy or burdensome to put on or take off).

Nobody has complained of premature....ignition shall we say.

I will keep you all posted.

Pete