Airbag Vest: Tech-Air 5

[rdprdp01]

In hopes of riding for another 40 years, I am in the process of upgrading all my motorcycle gear to take advantage of technology advances. I have purchased an airbag vest, riding jeans, boots, gloves, and helmet.

Tonight, I am sharing what I have learned about my new airbag vest. There are some who claim it can be as impactful as wearing a DOT certified helmet. I am inclined to agree.

I picked the Alpinestars Air-Tech 5 Airbag System because it protects my shoulders, chest, ribs and back. I have always worn a great jacket with AA rated body armor, but the airbag vest offers far superior coverage. In some instances, 18 times more protection.



I also picked the Alpinestars Air-Tech 5 because I can pair it with my existing motorcycle jackets. I find most motorcycle jackets to be either too loud stylistically or ill fitting. I already have a sizeable investment in abrasion protection and jackets. I wanted to augment that with state-of-the-art airbag capability.

I put the vest on first:



Then my jacket:



Alpinestars has been developing the technology and deployment algorithms for over 20 years. Here is a product link:

https://www.alpinestars.com/products/tec...z3PdUYyjcw

I took advantage of the Black Friday sale to purchase my Air-Tech 5 for $650.

Here are a few pictures out of the box:





The Air-Tech 5 uses 3 gyroscopes and 3 accelerometers to monitor my position relative to the motorcycle and the road. A crash algorithm leverages that data and some AI to accurately monitor when to deploy the airbag when a crash begins. It deploys the airbag in 20 milliseconds. Scenarios include being rear-ended by a car, sliding on the motorcycle, striking something while riding, being struck by a car at an intersection, lane change mishaps, etc. In essence, if my position changes in a bad way on the motorcycle or I separate from the motorcycle, the airbag will deploy. I can set the algorithm to Street or Race:



Firmware can also be updated using the App and the Internet Connectivity from your cell phone:



I charge the unit using a micro-USB cable. Once fully charged, I have 30 hours of riding time:





The vest is activated when I (1) put it on and (2) zip it up. The vest will not activate unless it is fully zipped and charged. Display lights on the vest illuminate when it is booting up and when it is ready for me to ride.



I can also use my phone to connect to the vest via Bluetooth and monitor status and disarm the vest:



When I unzip my vest, the vest is disarmed.



Today, I went for an 18-mile ride and wore the vest for the first time. I took the armor out of my favorite jacket except for the elbow armor.



The vest is light, and the combination of the vest and my jacket are similar in weight to my jacket with good armor. It felt “different” because the back plate is more substantial, but it was not uncomfortable. Just different. I suspect I will become accustomed to it in time.

On my ride, I tested the following real-world scenarios to see if I could cause the vest to “misfire:”

* Quick acceleration onto an on-ramp
* Quick acceleration on the highway
* Quick stop on the side of the road
* Abrupt stop on a city street
* Twisty turn with significant lean
* Urban motorcycle driving basics (modest acceleration, stop light, etc.)

I am pleased to report that at no time did the airbag deploy and turn me into the Michelin man.

I hope my first experience with an airbag vest held your interest and may lead you to consider possibilities.

I wish you all the very best and hope we can all find ways to stay safe on our CB1100s without losing the joy of riding a motorcycle. Take care, David

[peterbaron]

David, thank you for your detailed and professional report.
I also assume riding for... an additonal 39 y...

"The impact absorption while wearing the airbag results in a decrease of the impact force by up to 95% compared to a passive protector. The Tech-Air 5 Airbag System offers the same protection as that provided by 18 back protectors(2)."

[rdprdp01]

Here is a brief video of the airbag deploying:

https://youtube.com/shorts/Vi9ZYjOMRRI?s...cklADI9WGK

There are other videos on YouTube with more details.

Enjoy your week and best of luck to those facing blizzard conditions!

[the Ferret]

Great write up and report David

[pdedse]

Very cool and nicely done with the info. I hope it never has to deploy.

[The Gecko_imp]

Okay ... have ignored it until now, but with this gentle reminder I will study it

[rdprdp01]

Okay ... have ignored it until now, but with this gentle reminder I will study it

Wonderful. It would truly be awful if something were to happen to “The only girl on the forum.”

I hope all of the members of the Forum will consider the possibilities and do whatever is right for them.

So far, my experiences with the vest have all been very positive. I rode tonight, and I did not “notice” the vest while riding. However, while I was prepping for the ride, I thought a lot about the vest. I was recently injured, and I take a lot of comfort in the additional protection the vest offers. The vest is also holding a charge very well. I have not encountered any of the problems reported previously regarding the phone application. I suspect the most recent firmware update helped make that possible.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday. David

[Whoops]

Okay ... have ignored it until now, but with this gentle reminder I will study it

Wonderful. It would truly be awful if something were to happen to “The only girl on the forum.”

I hope all of the members of the Forum will consider the possibilities and do whatever is right for them.

So far, my experiences with the vest have all been very positive. I rode tonight, and I did not “notice” the vest while riding. However, while I was prepping for the ride, I thought a lot about the vest. I was recently injured, and I take a lot of comfort in the additional protection the vest offers. The vest is also holding a charge very well. I have not encountered any of the problems reported previously regarding the phone application. I suspect the most recent firmware update helped make that possible.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday. David

Wonderful. It would truly be awful if something were to happen to “The only girl on the forum.”

I hope all of the members of the Forum will consider the possibilities and do whatever is right for them.

So far, my experiences with the vest have all been very positive. I rode tonight, and I did not “notice” the vest while riding. However, while I was prepping for the ride, I thought a lot about the vest. I was recently injured, and I take a lot of comfort in the additional protection the vest offers. The vest is also holding a charge very well. I have not encountered any of the problems reported previously regarding the phone application. I suspect the most recent firmware update helped make that possible.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday. David
Any guestimation on how much it might restrict airflow under, say, a mesh vest in the summer heat?

[rdprdp01]

Okay ... have ignored it until now, but with this gentle reminder I will study it

Wonderful. It would truly be awful if something were to happen to “The only girl on the forum.”

I hope all of the members of the Forum will consider the possibilities and do whatever is right for them.

So far, my experiences with the vest have all been very positive. I rode tonight, and I did not “notice” the vest while riding. However, while I was prepping for the ride, I thought a lot about the vest. I was recently injured, and I take a lot of comfort in the additional protection the vest offers. The vest is also holding a charge very well. I have not encountered any of the problems reported previously regarding the phone application. I suspect the most recent firmware update helped make that possible.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday. David

Wonderful. It would truly be awful if something were to happen to “The only girl on the forum.”

I hope all of the members of the Forum will consider the possibilities and do whatever is right for them.

So far, my experiences with the vest have all been very positive. I rode tonight, and I did not “notice” the vest while riding. However, while I was prepping for the ride, I thought a lot about the vest. I was recently injured, and I take a lot of comfort in the additional protection the vest offers. The vest is also holding a charge very well. I have not encountered any of the problems reported previously regarding the phone application. I suspect the most recent firmware update helped make that possible.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday. David
Any guestimation on how much it might restrict airflow under, say, a mesh vest in the summer heat?

Wonderful. It would truly be awful if something were to happen to “The only girl on the forum.”

I hope all of the members of the Forum will consider the possibilities and do whatever is right for them.

So far, my experiences with the vest have all been very positive. I rode tonight, and I did not “notice” the vest while riding. However, while I was prepping for the ride, I thought a lot about the vest. I was recently injured, and I take a lot of comfort in the additional protection the vest offers. The vest is also holding a charge very well. I have not encountered any of the problems reported previously regarding the phone application. I suspect the most recent firmware update helped make that possible.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday. David
Any guestimation on how much it might restrict airflow under, say, a mesh vest in the summer heat?
Great question! I believe the best answer I can share with the Forum is that heat ultimately depends on the jacket with which the Tech-Air 5 is paired.

I ride year round with a Sedici Adventure Jacket with removable inner layers. It has tight a tight weave for abrasion protection:





Compared to a mesh jacket, airflow is more restricted at the outer layer. But I love the style, fit, pockets, materials, and the ventilation design which enables me to manipulate zippers to increase or decrease airflow going across my torso and back.

In the picture I posted, I closed all of the ventilation zippers on my jacket to help me stay warm on a day when the temperature was around 55 degrees F. I was comfortable on the ride.

As is often the case in Northern California, weather changes occurred the following week and the temperature rose to 85 degrees F. I opened the chest, arm, and back zippers, increased air flow “through” the jacket, and I was equally comfortable in the much warmer temperature.

The engineers who designed the vest clearly considered heat and comfort. The vest is essentially a wind breaker with inflatable bags and a back plate. However, the cut of the vest and the ventilated sides help prevent the heat from being trapped between my skin and the vest. The ventilation from my jacket and the draft it creates is what dissipates the heat.

Bottom Line: My best guess is that wearing the Tech-Air 5 on a warm to hot day could raise the temperature on your skin by 3-5 degrees F if the jacket worn on top has no ventilation. With good ventilation and a good base layer, my experience has been that the ventilation negates any rider discomfort.

If I have sparked anyone’s interest as I praised my Sedici jacket, see link below:

https://www.cyclegear.com/gear/sedici-av...oof-jacket

Have a wonderful weekend and be safe on the road. David