Last night an eagerly awaited video from Bennetts BikeSocial appeared. That's right,
the Best motorcycle airbag HONEST [I fricking hate this word on youtube videos] review.I know the
article itself was published a while back, and I did read it and then forget it, but I always enjoy John's presentation style so was looking forward to seeing the full episode.
I had a few thoughts, primarily:
1. Well done France for muddying the waters over regulatory standards. Although perhaps it's useful as I've discounted all the ones on 'the left' of the screen that are 'CRITT' whist not necessarily EN1621-4.
2. I really wanted to find a clever-computer airbag, but after about 15 or 20 minutes in I was/am finding it harder and harder to look past the MotoAirBag V4 or M1. These two are mechanically-triggered, requiring attachment to a - variety of optional and one basic - supplied tether.
3. Of the digital ones, there always seems to be a drawback, be it lack of guaranteed waterproof (oh hi Sena) or slightly iffy battery capacity. The one I like the look of most here is the Alpinestars Tech-Air 3, which can be used in the rain.
Comparing the two (or 3, as M1 and V4 are I believe identical underneath) as best I can without more coffee:
Coverage:
Winner MotoAirBag - The MotoAirBag has these very well thought-out pop-up/down airbag compartments at the top and bottom, to give a lot more support to the neck and bum-spine areas respectively. After the clips from his chats with clever people, I am really keen to avoid that hyperextension or whatever it's called. The clip he showed of the - I am sure very well prepared for - company's own rear-ending test was very impressive. It was as if the two were on stretchers made of air.
- The Tech-Air 3 is without any explicit neck support, which reads on the article like a conscious decision by Alpinestars. Obviously there's some protection as it expands, so perhaps it's not quite as bad as it sounds.
MotoAirBag wins as more coverage is better in my opinion/for my requirements
Living with the Trigger: Winner Tech-Air - Note my get-out-of-jail title for this section. I'm in no way positioned to judge the efficacy of the trigger, but I can suggest how well I might get on with it.
- The MotoAirBag has a tether, and what appears to be a pretty impressive 'fast lock' mechanism that can determine acceleration of the non-elastic tether and trigger it very quickly. This seems to my little brain much better than the elastic tethers that just rely on reaching the full extension of the tether. As those who ride with me know, I like to stand up, sit down, move about, write a novel and do all sorts of strange manoeuvres whilst riding, and this would be fine with that. Off-road stuff too, obviously. The only downside is habit-forming as we get older gets more difficult! One must remember to clip in and clip out. I managed this with climbing because the outcomes were more immediate. Hopefully I'd manage it with this.
- The Tech-Air 3 uses accelerometers and suchlike, plus an app - a fricking app, they know my weaknesses! - and a battery, and no tether. It just works out if you're (it's) accelerating more than possible without outside intervention, and triggers as necessary. The downside I see from this is similar to the downside of every single piece of modern tech we have; the next OTA update could accidentally stop it working correctly because a test-coverage issue, a syntax error, an outsourcing deal to a definitely-both-cheap-and-high-quality-and-quick 3rd party dev supplier, or any number of potential dev lifecycle issues that many of us are familiar with from all different sides. When comparing to the above MotoAirBag then, there's no tether to remember, but there is charging it to remember. Now, I'm pretty good at remembering to charge my Sena comms every night on a trip, though if I forget, I can generally make it through another day of riding. The Tech-Air claims up to 40 hours on a charge, so for this suit I should be ok. NB: I think one of the Dianese ones has a 12 hour battery, and that would be troublesome. Oh, and it looks like it turns itself on and off based on a mag switch on the zip.
Tech-Air 3 wins because the title is 'living with' and having fewer things to remember makes life easier.
Wearing Over/Under:
DrawGiven I spent so much on that idiot textile outfit I have, and it's actually been taken in to fit me properly, whatever I get has to go on the outside.
- MotoAirBag weighs 2.76Kg. John rode in 36c with it and seemed happy enough. Whilst losing whatever jacket pockets are underneath, this one has at least one front pocket that he got his passport, keys, and a fricking insta360 camera in. Also the material is all mesh type stuff and marketed as breathable. I like this given my aforementioned textile stuff is all breathable by default.
- In a future where I get a made-to-measure leather suit, this loses as it's designed to be worn over.
- Tech-Air 3 weights 1.82Kg. The only potential issue John mentioned was the placement of the inflator - lower left back - can bang against a raised pillion seat. So trying it out on the bike would be useful. Though he had this on the 1250GS and that does have a huge rear seat wall/step at the back of the rider seat, and he did have it set forward. I think I'd be ok on the KTM. It isn't specifically breathable, Pockets aren't mentioned as being present. So us keyless lot might struggle/faff more.
- This can be worn over or under, so my imaginary suit - provided it was made with this in mind - would be fine to wear over the top.
Price:
Winner Tech-Air - MotoAirBag V4 (with the mesh jacket thing as well): £625
- MotoAirBag V4 (just the airbag gilet): £550 (the one i'd go for. I have enough arms)
- Alpinestars Tech-Air 3: £520
Living Costs:
Winner: MotoAirBag - MotoAirBag V4:
- Service every 4 years: £102 (so about £126 in 4 years time, taking inflation into account)
- No subscription
- Cost of a non-contact deployment (ie if it isn't sliding down't road requiring repair): £50 - two cylinders and some key to replace them
- Cost of a contact deployment: £100-300 for a repaid/re-build.
- Tech-Air 3:
- Service every 2 years: £60
- No subscription
- Cost of a non-contact deployment: £150-200
- Cost of a contact deployment: £150+
Well. That was fun. I was hoping in typing this out I'd come to a decision. @black-k1, could you remind me what you use please? I did a bit of PH'ing and read Helite, but was that a while back or is it still the case? Anybody else regularly using one yet?
I like tech, I like data, and the Tech-Air has that fancy app. I also need to read more about the Tech-Air 5 (£670). And, you know, try some on.
