Motorcyclists Air-Bag Introduced

Deployed: Alpinestars Tech-Air Street airbag
vest

The system is designed to improve a rider's
torso protection in a crash. (Alpinestars)

Though some motorcyclists wear little more
than swimsuits, most try to temper their
desire for two-wheeled exhilaration with a
dose of self-regard.

Alpinestars, the cycle-sports outerwear
company, seems to have scored one for the
safety-minded. The company – with offices in
northern Italy, Los Angeles and Tokyo – has
developed an airbag system that cushions
riders’ torsos in case of a crash.



Related: Meet the inflatable bicycle helmet.

Housed in a vest that fits into select jackets
from the brand, the system adds minimal bulk
while maximising a rider’s defense
mechanisms.

Adjustments in a rider’s position or style are
not required. When the Tech-Air Street airbag
system’s sensors determine a crash is
underway – a conclusion that is reached
within 30 and 60 milliseconds – compressed
air is released from a pair of cylinders,
instantaneously inflating strategically
positioned air bladders.

The system is stitched inside a vest that in
turn zips within the company’s Valparaiso and
Viper jacket models. The Airbag Control Unit
and air canisters fit into a rigid section –
modelled on a conventional back protector –
along the rider’s spine. The entire device is
activated when the wearer zips the Tech-Air-
equipped jacket closed.

Airbags are positioned front and rear,
providing coverage of the back, shoulders,
kidney area and chest in the event of a crash.
Riders would be hard pressed to detect a vest
under a wearer’s jacket, though when the
airbags inflate, a rider so-dressed appears to
be wearing three sweaters.

Tech-Air systems require no connection to the
motorcycle, so wearers can hop from one bike
to the next without compromising operation.
Users must, however, remember to charge the
vest’s battery pack, which is good for about
25 hours of riding when fully topped up. An
unobtrusive strip of LEDs runs along the
rider’s forearm, indicating level of charge.

The Tech-Air Street system is the result of a
decade of research on the road, at
temperatures between -10C (14F) and 50C
(122F), Alpinestars says. The equipment has
also been tested on competitive circuits,
where racing versions have protected MotoGP
aces Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani
Pedrosa from crash injuries. Indeed, a full
racing suit for recreational sportbike riders
and club racers would not be surprising down
the road.

The system even is intended to protect
stationary riders, in the event of a rear-end
collision when waiting at a traffic light, for
example. Other tested contingencies include a
rider who wears a backpack over the jacket
system, as well as a rider and rear passenger
who suffer simultaneous accidental
deployments, to ensure stability is maintained.

Alpinestars notes that the Tech-Air Street’s
CE certification clears the system for ship, rail
and air transport, meaning holidaymakers can
take their protective equipment aboard. (The
picture is less clear for those travelling in the
US, considering authorities’ antipathy towards
CO2 tire-inflation cartridges used by
bicyclists. The Transportation Security
Administration website does, however, note
the admission of “small compressed gas
cartridges” when used in “life vests,” which
the Tech-Air could be considered, even
though the rule is aimed at floatation vests.)

The Tech-Air will be available in select
European markets in spring 2015, with US
sales to come later in the year. Initial pricing
for the vest is 1,200 euros ($1,440), which
mates to either the Valparaiso (650 euros) or
Viper (350 euros) jacket. Pricing for the US
market will be announced closer to the
system's availability date.

leave your comments if your happy for the arrival of the safety measures.

Source: BBC auto