Riding apparel has undergone huge changes since the days when a simple leather jacket was the pinnacle of rider protection, to the point where there is literally no climate on the planet that can’t be beaten with modern materials and construction.
Also vastly improved is the built-in impact protection; modern CE-approved ‘armour’ does an incredible job of reducing injuries. If there was a problem with such armour, then it was how bulky it makes jackets and pants, despite its effectiveness.
Technology and development don’t stand still, however, and, today, there are some pieces of rider protection technology that not only did we not see coming, but we also had no way of imagining. The rider airbag is one such piece of technology and is a huge leap forward in rider safety and injury reduction.
Alpinestars, represented in South Africa by Langston Motorsport and widely available throughout South Africa, has been at the forefront of developing this technology and now has airbag systems suitable for any type of riding, from professional road and off-road racers to the average everyday rider.
There are four distinct systems:
Tech-Air Off-Road is integrated with an Alpinestars Off-Road Protection Jacket that is equipped with a Level 1 passive full back and limb protection, integrated protection on the arms and a CE Level 2 passive full chest protector to offering riders enhanced roost protection against rocks, debris, and other obstacles they may come into contact with on the trail.
Tech-Air® 5 is the latest addition to the Alpinestars Tech-Air® family, which includes the Tech-Air® Race and Tech-Air® Street Systems. Alpinestars continues to lead the way in active air-bag technology for riders and their passengers and Tech-Air® 5 is a powerful demonstration of Alpinestars’ commitment to making the technology more freely available as the best possible choice of ‘active’ airbag protection in the market.
Tech-Air® 5 is a slim, self-contained wearable airbag vest that can be worn under any proper fitting textile jacket, Tech-Air® compatible jacket, or any leather jacket with 4 cm of space around the circumference of the rider’s chest. Tech-Air® 5 offers unrivalled upper body protection keeping motorcycle riders safe by uniquely covering the rider’s shoulders, chest, ribs and full back. Shoulder protection is critical in a road impact, and riders’ shoulders are uniquely protected by Tech-Air®, effectively and efficiently minimizing the risk of the rider sustaining shoulder and collarbone injuries. Alpinestars Tech- Air® 5 provides the most comprehensive coverage of any airbag currently available.
Finally, Alpinestars’ lightest autonomous Airbag System, Tech-Air® 3 is designed to be worn over or under the motorcycle jacket, as the effective and practical choice for touring riders, urban city commuters and light off-road adventure riders.
Alpinestars’ crash detection triggering algorithm has been developed and refined with millions of kilometres of riding data and thousands of crashes, allowing the System to accurately assess when to deploy the airbag ahead of an impact or other dangerous situation like a low-side or high-side crash. In the event that Tech-Air® 3 detects the start of a crash, the System will inflate the protective airbag in 50 milliseconds. In the event of a direct impact of the motorcycle with another vehicle or obstacle, the Tech-Air® 3 System, is effective for the “first impact,” which means that the System inflates before hitting the vehicle or obstacle against which the motorcycle will have the direct impact. The “first impact” test was performed in accordance with the Dolomiticert Protocol where the airbag was tested within a speed range of 25 to 63 km/h.
Critics of the rider airbag will point out how expensive it is to reset after it has been deployed but isn’t that the same for any piece of apparel, from gloves to helmets, once it has done its job? At least the rider airbag only needs recharging with a compressed air cylinder and not replacing it completely.
The fact that no rider in professional international motorcycle sport is allowed on track without an airbag system is a testament to how important this technology has become in a very short time. That it has reduced injury in the event of some incredibly violent on-track accidents in MotoGP and WSBK means the technology has shown its worth and it can only be a matter of time before the price of air-bag systems comes down and can be incorporated into an ever-widening range of jackets from more and more manufacturers, not just Alpinestars.
For now, however, Alpinestars remains the industry leader in air-bag tech and, if you are serious about protection, no matter what or where you ride, then there are few arguments against adopting it.
Prices are as follows:
Tech-Air Off-Road; R26,000
Tech-Air 5 – R21,800
Tech-Air 3 – R16,900
For more information, head to Langston Motorsports
