Airbag vests and jackets. | GTAMotorcycle.com

Airbag vests and jackets.

jc100

Well-known member
Hit Air and Helite are the main brands for the tether based systems. The other systems are too expensive for me to consider. I've been looking at these for a while now as survivability and range of injuries seems vastly increased with certain types of crashes. The big issue is that the CDN exchange rate has made an already expensive piece of tech more expensive. I've decided on which one I potentially want and got a promise of a reasonable discount on one from a supplier (I'm not affiliated with the supplier and I'm not advertising so PM for details if you're interested). I'd be interested if anyone has one here and what they think of the vest or jacket. Did you think it was worth the money (subjective I know, especially if you haven't crash tested one). Do you wear it regularly? Does it flow air, is it comfortable?
 
I'm glad I didn't settle for the tether system. It would have done nothing for me until after I hit the ground because I was still on the bike. They're better than nothing though.
 
I'm glad I didn't settle for the tether system. It would have done nothing for me until after I hit the ground because I was still on the bike. They're better than nothing though.

I'm working on the "better than nothing" principle and also within my budget. Those other systems are pushing over $1000 CDN I think.
 
Had a hit air vest and loved it for that extra piece of crash protection.

Watched a guy crash in one at Jennings GP a few years ago, and he swore it saved him from serious injury.

Look around and you will find retailers selling them up here now.
 
Had a hit air vest and loved it for that extra piece of crash protection.

Watched a guy crash in one at Jennings GP a few years ago, and he swore it saved him from serious injury.

Look around and you will find retailers selling them up here now.

I'm looking at the Hit Air harness system vest. Looks like it will flow a bit more air than the traditional full coverage vest type.
 
Speedworx sells them iirc

Would've saved me from a broke clavicle when I got ejected. Some of them go over your gear so you won't feel it.

dricked is probably an exception...he's too fast lol
 
油井緋色;2499983 said:
Speedworx sells them iirc

Would've saved me from a broke clavicle when I got ejected. Some of them go over your gear so you won't feel it.

dricked is probably an exception...he's too fast lol

The racing ones are a tiny bit different. The tether is at the rear of the rider and the harness is designed to fit over the aerodynamic hump in the suit, the street oriented ones are tethered at the front of the rider and are a little larger with slightly more coverage from the airbag. The Hit Air ones are pretty minimalist and I'm trying to decide whether to get the fluoro hi viz one or a different colour right now. I've read reports where riders walked away from crashes and impacts with deer with little more than cuts and bruises while wearing these things.
 
I use one at the track only, but never had it deploy, once its properly adjusted its very comfortable and I cant feel it on

seems like a bit of a PITA for the street but could potentially save a broken collar bone etc
 
I used a HIT Air for the first time this season. Friday practice at Shanny, went down in turn 2 pro track. 4 broken ribs and a fractured shoulder blade. I guess it could have been worse, maybe it wasn't tethered in the right spot on the bike. All I know, is that it didn't deployed right away.

I purchased the street version because it looked like it gave more protection. Like Dricked and others have said, if you crash and stay with the bike, its not a perfect solution.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
I used a HIT Air for the first time this season. Friday practice at Shanny, went down in turn 2 pro track. 4 broken ribs and a fractured shoulder blade. I guess it could have been worse, maybe it wasn't tethered in the right spot on the bike. All I know, is that it didn't deployed right away.

I purchased the street version because it looked like it gave more protection. Like Dricked and others have said, if you crash and stay with the bike, its not a perfect solution.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

Interesting,...... how much later did it deploy?

I have the track version of the HIT Air, and I think it doesnt offer any rib protection, mainly neck, but i've never had it deploy

GWS man
 
Interesting,...... how much later did it deploy?

I have the track version of the HIT Air, and I think it doesnt offer any rib protection, mainly neck, but i've never had it deploy

GWS man
Not too sure how long after. Hard to tell.



Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
were you still sliding / tumbling when it deployed?
I think the problem was that I tried to hang on to the bike after I felt the front let go.

Its a good 50 feet from the inside of that corner to the grass where I ended up. I felt it deploy when I hit the grass.

I was kind of hoping that someone saw what happened, but I asked around and no one I know did.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
Some updated models deploy faster now. Pretty sure the ones I'm looking at do. Again, if anyone is interested pm me and I can pass across the info I have.
 
It's not necessarily the time it takes to deploy but when/how. If you need a new jacket soon the price of an integrated airbag system really isn't that much more. ~$500 on the jacket ~$500 for an airbag system is about the same as an all in one.

I was thinking the vest would be good on the street because you're more likely to have an impact and be launched from the bike but then I thought, what if you hit something before you've fully left the seat??

The only downside to the real deal is cost. I bought my suit thinking that 6 weeks off work with a broken collarbone would be a bigger financial loss than a $3000 suit. Then I broke my collarbone in the first crash with it but I'm sure my shoulder would've needed reconstructing without the airbag and could've left me with a lifelong injury.
 
The vest is costing $650 all in delivered with taxes. That was a hard amount to swallow (still less then anywhere else I found) but I rationalised it this way:

1. It's reusable
2. It's more effective impact protection for the spine and also covers the ribs and tailbone
3. It stabilises the helmet a little like a Leatt brace and that's good for neck/head impacts
4. It looks to be lightweight and hopefully I won't notice it once it's on.
5. It's Hi Viz (my one is anyway) and got two thumbs up from the wife
 
Quick update for anyone interested. My vest arrived this morning, a HitAir MLV-YC Hi Viz vest. Quality piece of kit, very well made (Japanese) with rugged attachments, tethers and buckles. The vest comes in 2 sizes, M and L and I ordered the L which is supposed to cover up to size XXL American. I'm usually a size L in all clothes and this appears to fit well. There's masses of adjustability in the vest though through a Velcro adjustable waist belt and I wouldn't be surprised if the size M had some overlap with the L. The differences would appear to be the chest area covered by a separate non adjustable buckle. The vest is lighter than I thought it would be but you can only feel the weight on the side where the CO2 canister is. This shouldn't be a problem wearing it over my jacket and I'm sure it's just a matter of developing the habit of attaching the tether before a ride. The tether should be attached to a frame area of the bike and needs adjusting so that it is slightly taught when standing on the pegs. The vest looks a lot less dorky in real life than in the pics for the Hi Viz by the way...I don't think I'll be auditioning for the Village People as the construction worker.
 
Buddy used to wear a jacket but gave up on it due to extra heat retention ( in Cairns in the tropics ) ....that would be my concern on days like today that hit 35 in the shade....can you get enough air flow.

Also pricey bit of kit.
 
Buddy used to wear a jacket but gave up on it due to extra heat retention ( in Cairns in the tropics ) ....that would be my concern on days like today that hit 35 in the shade....can you get enough air flow.

Also pricey bit of kit.

Very pricey but this one was the cheapest I had found. The harness type is quite minimalist. Lots of space for air to flow, it should be good over a jacket. I need to fix the tether and give it a big trial though.
 

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