Review: Hit-Air Airbag Motorcycle Vest (with photos)

[rjk555_imp]

Review posted in honor of the forum's 1-Year anniversary:

Summary:
There are several airbag vests on the market for motorcycle riders. This review is for the Hit-Air [url=http://www.safermoto.com/air-bag-vests/mlv-py/]MLV-PY. It's manufactured by Hit-Air in Japan and distributed in the US by [url=http://www.safermoto.com]www.SaferMoto.com. As discussed further below, I find it a useful piece of safety gear that adds high visibility and an additional layer of impact protection should I fall off my bike.

Cost:
I believe my vest was shy of $400, purchased at a motorcycle convention from Safer Moto two years ago. A replacement air canister cost perhaps $18. I don't have current prices, as the Safer Moto website requires prospective customers to register before revealing prices. Perhaps this registration requirement is meant to be competitive? Not very user friendly, though.

Description:
Hit-Air makes several airbag vests and jackets. I picked the MLV-PY model for several reasons. First, its color and light-reflective strips increase your visibility. The light strips, in particular, reflect light something fierce. Next, I picked the vest design, as opposed to a jacket design, to work in hot and cold weather alike, and with my jacket of choice. In hot weather, the vest flows air like it didn't exist.

Protection:
The biggest benefit is protection. The rider installs a small tether on the bike (see below), which in turn connects to an air canister located on the vest. The theory is that, in a fall, the tether disconnects from the vest as the rider moves away from the bike. That inflates tubes located within the jacket. Once inflated, the vest protects parts of the neck, chest, ribs, back and sacrum. There is also a small inflatable pillow located behind the canister. The vest may be reused by replacing the spent canister.

Using a tether-based airbag is very divisive in the motorcycle forums. In the hope of being useful, here is a summary of those arguments: using an airbag vest (1) creates a false sense of security and encourages reckless behavior; (2) the vest is an inadequate replacement for a jacket and back protector; (3) the vest doesn't protect the rider from all crashes. Having used the vest for two years, my responses are follows:

(1) Sense of Security
Using an airbag vest doesn't create a false sense of security, any more than using a helmet or riding gloves would.

(2) Replacement of Other Gear
The vest is meant to work in tandem with a jacket and back protector, and not to replace them. For example, the vest has minimal coverage, and thus you would want a strong abrasion-resistant jacket protecting you from road rash.

(3) Scope of Protection
I imagine that some incidents, like a low side slide that keep you close to the bike, may keep the vest from inflating. On the other hand, there are potentially a great many incidents that could eject you from the bike, where the rider would want a cushion of air to absorb impact. I also like the fact that an inflated vest partially immobilizes your neck, which may protect against some types of whiplash.

Kindly note that my observations are based on theory, as I've never crashed. Everyone has a personal risk profile, however, and it's up to each of us to decide how much protection we want while riding, and how much we are willing or able to pay for such protection. In my case, the peace of mind that the airbag vest, and increase in visibility, provides is worth the price tag.

UPDATE - Enclosed is a [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoGDwBiTYdU&feature=related]link to a television news piece about a rider who credits his life to a similar tether-based airbag jacket.

Other Information:
In an earlier airbag vest thread, one user wondered if the vest would inflate if the rider dismounted the bike without first detaching the tether. The answer is no. The tether doesn't disconnect easily; there needs to be real force before that occurs. This is based on personal experience. Also, click [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBfVCLxv4ZU]HERE for a video showing the force needed to disconnect the tether, and the speed of vest inflation. My tether is just long enough to let me stand on the pegs, but no more.

Enclosed are photos of the vest.

Front. The little black clip at the bottom left of the vest is where you connect the tether from the bike.
[url=http://s835.photobucket.com/user/RobertKangLaw/media/Personal%20Album/Motorcycle/Vest1_zps894dd231.jpg.html]

Back. The large gaps flow air like a sieve.
[url=http://s835.photobucket.com/user/RobertKangLaw/media/Personal%20Album/Motorcycle/Vest2_zps4ed7b224.jpg.html]

Here is the vest reflecting the light from my camera's flash.
[url=http://s835.photobucket.com/user/RobertKangLaw/media/Personal%20Album/Motorcycle/Vest3_zps0bf34c19.jpg.html]

This is the tether, which is connected to a bolt under the seat.
[url=http://s835.photobucket.com/user/RobertKangLaw/media/Personal%20Album/Motorcycle/Vest4_zps164bed65.jpg.html]

I hope this review proves useful. Let's all enjoy riding safely.

[Pauley]

Great information, rjk! Thanks!

[rjk555_imp]

Great information, rjk! Thanks!

Glad to be of service. It was your [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=2569&highlight=hit-air]initial thread, which prompted this review.

[flynrider]

Review posted in honor of the forum's 1-Year anniversary:

Summary:
There are several airbag vests on the market for motorcycle riders. This review is for the Hit-Air [url=http://www.safermoto.com/air-bag-vests/mlv-py/]MLV-PY. It's manufactured by Hit-Air in Japan and distributed in the US by [url=http://www.safermoto.com]www.SaferMoto.com. As discussed further below, I find it a useful piece of safety gear that adds high visibility and an additional layer of impact protection should I fall off my bike.

Cost:
I believe my vest was shy of $400, purchased at a motorcycle convention from Safer Moto two years ago. A replacement air canister cost perhaps $18. I don't have current prices, as the Safer Moto website requires prospective customers to register before revealing prices. Perhaps this registration requirement is meant to be competitive? Not very user friendly, though.

Description:
Hit-Air makes several airbag vests and jackets. I picked the MLV-PY model for several reasons. First, its color and light-reflective strips increase your visibility. The light strips, in particular, reflect light something fierce. Next, I picked the vest design, as opposed to a jacket design, to work in hot and cold weather alike, and with my jacket of choice. In hot weather, the vest flows air like it didn't exist.

Protection:
The biggest benefit is protection. The rider installs a small tether on the bike (see below), which in turn connects to an air canister located on the vest. The theory is that, in a fall, the tether disconnects from the vest as the rider moves away from the bike. That inflates tubes located within the jacket. Once inflated, the vest protects parts of the neck, chest, ribs, back and sacrum. There is also a small inflatable pillow located behind the canister. The vest may be reused by replacing the spent canister.

Using a tether-based airbag is very divisive in the motorcycle forums. In the hope of being useful, here is a summary of those arguments: using an airbag vest (1) creates a false sense of security and encourages reckless behavior; (2) the vest is an inadequate replacement for a jacket and back protector; (3) the vest doesn't protect the rider from all crashes. Having used the vest for two years, my responses are follows:

(1) Sense of Security
Using an airbag vest doesn't create a false sense of security, any more than using a helmet or riding gloves would.

(2) Replacement of Other Gear
The vest is meant to work in tandem with a jacket and back protector, and not to replace them. For example, the vest has minimal coverage, and thus you would want a strong abrasion-resistant jacket protecting you from road rash.

(3) Scope of Protection
I imagine that some incidents, like a low side slide that keep you close to the bike, may keep the vest from inflating. On the other hand, there are potentially a great many incidents that could eject you from the bike, where the rider would want a cushion of air to absorb impact. I also like the fact that an inflated vest partially immobilizes your neck, which may protect against some types of whiplash.

Kindly note that my observations are based on theory, as I've never crashed. Everyone has a personal risk profile, however, and it's up to each of us to decide how much protection we want while riding, and how much we are willing or able to pay for such protection. In my case, the peace of mind that the airbag vest, and increase in visibility, provides is worth the price tag.

UPDATE - Enclosed is a [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoGDwBiTYdU&feature=related]link to a television news piece about a rider who credits his life to a similar tether-based airbag jacket.

Other Information:
In an earlier airbag vest thread, one user wondered if the vest would inflate if the rider dismounted the bike without first detaching the tether. The answer is no. The tether doesn't disconnect easily; there needs to be real force before that occurs. This is based on personal experience. Also, click [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBfVCLxv4ZU]HERE for a video showing the force needed to disconnect the tether, and the speed of vest inflation. My tether is just long enough to let me stand on the pegs, but no more.

Enclosed are photos of the vest.

Front. The little black clip at the bottom left of the vest is where you connect the tether from the bike.
[url=http://s835.photobucket.com/user/RobertKangLaw/media/Personal%20Album/Motorcycle/Vest1_zps894dd231.jpg.html]

Back. The large gaps flow air like a sieve.
[url=http://s835.photobucket.com/user/RobertKangLaw/media/Personal%20Album/Motorcycle/Vest2_zps4ed7b224.jpg.html]

Here is the vest reflecting the light from my camera's flash.
[url=http://s835.photobucket.com/user/RobertKangLaw/media/Personal%20Album/Motorcycle/Vest3_zps0bf34c19.jpg.html]

This is the tether, which is connected to a bolt under the seat.
[url=http://s835.photobucket.com/user/RobertKangLaw/media/Personal%20Album/Motorcycle/Vest4_zps164bed65.jpg.html]

I hope this review proves useful. Let's all enjoy riding safely.

That was me. Thanks for clearing that up. The video shows that you really need a good yank on the cord to deploy it. Not something you'd likely do by accident.

Having had a few "fly off the bike" accidents in my younger days, I can see how something like that could cushion the inevitable landing.

Thanks for the review!

[Cormanus]

Thanks rjk555. Pretty interesting. The video lead me to this gem,





I wonder if it's been a big seller?

[Lord Popgun]

I think Hollywood bought some for one of those Spy Kids movies

[rjk555_imp]

Thanks rjk555. Pretty interesting. The video lead me to this gem,





I wonder if it's been a big seller?

Interesting concept. Though having done a bit of research, it looks like that it remains a concept. Don't see any indication that the the Safety Sphere is in production.

The next evolution in airbag motorcycle vests seems to be electronic airbag vests that, instead of a tether, use sensors and accelerometers located throughout the bike to activate. Dainese and Alpinestars have developed such things but I've heard of no plans to bring them to the US soon.


Dainese D-Air: http://motorcycles.about.com/b/2012/01/2...l-bill.htm

Alpinestars: http://motorcycles.about.com/b/2010/05/0...airbag.htm

Review posted in honor of the forum's 1-Year anniversary:

Summary:
There are several airbag vests on the market for motorcycle riders. This review is for the Hit-Air [url=http://www.safermoto.com/air-bag-vests/mlv-py/]MLV-PY. It's manufactured by Hit-Air in Japan and distributed in the US by [url=http://www.safermoto.com]www.SaferMoto.com. As discussed further below, I find it a useful piece of safety gear that adds high visibility and an additional layer of impact protection should I fall off my bike.

Cost:
I believe my vest was shy of $400, purchased at a motorcycle convention from Safer Moto two years ago. A replacement air canister cost perhaps $18. I don't have current prices, as the Safer Moto website requires prospective customers to register before revealing prices. Perhaps this registration requirement is meant to be competitive? Not very user friendly, though.

Description:
Hit-Air makes several airbag vests and jackets. I picked the MLV-PY model for several reasons. First, its color and light-reflective strips increase your visibility. The light strips, in particular, reflect light something fierce. Next, I picked the vest design, as opposed to a jacket design, to work in hot and cold weather alike, and with my jacket of choice. In hot weather, the vest flows air like it didn't exist.

Protection:
The biggest benefit is protection. The rider installs a small tether on the bike (see below), which in turn connects to an air canister located on the vest. The theory is that, in a fall, the tether disconnects from the vest as the rider moves away from the bike. That inflates tubes located within the jacket. Once inflated, the vest protects parts of the neck, chest, ribs, back and sacrum. There is also a small inflatable pillow located behind the canister. The vest may be reused by replacing the spent canister.

Using a tether-based airbag is very divisive in the motorcycle forums. In the hope of being useful, here is a summary of those arguments: using an airbag vest (1) creates a false sense of security and encourages reckless behavior; (2) the vest is an inadequate replacement for a jacket and back protector; (3) the vest doesn't protect the rider from all crashes. Having used the vest for two years, my responses are follows:

(1) Sense of Security
Using an airbag vest doesn't create a false sense of security, any more than using a helmet or riding gloves would.

(2) Replacement of Other Gear
The vest is meant to work in tandem with a jacket and back protector, and not to replace them. For example, the vest has minimal coverage, and thus you would want a strong abrasion-resistant jacket protecting you from road rash.

(3) Scope of Protection
I imagine that some incidents, like a low side slide that keep you close to the bike, may keep the vest from inflating. On the other hand, there are potentially a great many incidents that could eject you from the bike, where the rider would want a cushion of air to absorb impact. I also like the fact that an inflated vest partially immobilizes your neck, which may protect against some types of whiplash.

Kindly note that my observations are based on theory, as I've never crashed. Everyone has a personal risk profile, however, and it's up to each of us to decide how much protection we want while riding, and how much we are willing or able to pay for such protection. In my case, the peace of mind that the airbag vest, and increase in visibility, provides is worth the price tag.

UPDATE - Enclosed is a [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoGDwBiTYdU&feature=related]link to a television news piece about a rider who credits his life to a similar tether-based airbag jacket.

Other Information:
In an earlier airbag vest thread, one user wondered if the vest would inflate if the rider dismounted the bike without first detaching the tether. The answer is no. The tether doesn't disconnect easily; there needs to be real force before that occurs. This is based on personal experience. Also, click [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBfVCLxv4ZU]HERE for a video showing the force needed to disconnect the tether, and the speed of vest inflation. My tether is just long enough to let me stand on the pegs, but no more.

Enclosed are photos of the vest.

Front. The little black clip at the bottom left of the vest is where you connect the tether from the bike.
[url=http://s835.photobucket.com/user/RobertKangLaw/media/Personal%20Album/Motorcycle/Vest1_zps894dd231.jpg.html]

Back. The large gaps flow air like a sieve.
[url=http://s835.photobucket.com/user/RobertKangLaw/media/Personal%20Album/Motorcycle/Vest2_zps4ed7b224.jpg.html]

Here is the vest reflecting the light from my camera's flash.
[url=http://s835.photobucket.com/user/RobertKangLaw/media/Personal%20Album/Motorcycle/Vest3_zps0bf34c19.jpg.html]

This is the tether, which is connected to a bolt under the seat.
[url=http://s835.photobucket.com/user/RobertKangLaw/media/Personal%20Album/Motorcycle/Vest4_zps164bed65.jpg.html]

I hope this review proves useful. Let's all enjoy riding safely.

That was me. Thanks for clearing that up. The video shows that you really need a good yank on the cord to deploy it. Not something you'd likely do by accident.

Having had a few "fly off the bike" accidents in my younger days, I can see how something like that could cushion the inevitable landing.

Thanks for the review!

That was me. Thanks for clearing that up. The video shows that you really need a good yank on the cord to deploy it. Not something you'd likely do by accident.

Having had a few "fly off the bike" accidents in my younger days, I can see how something like that could cushion the inevitable landing.

Thanks for the review!
My pleasure, FlynnRider. As an FYI, I just found a television news piece relating to your "fly off the bike" observation. The rider in that news piece credits a similar tether-based airbag jacket for saving his life in an incident. The link to the [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoGDwBiTYdU&feature=related]television news piece is here.

[The Spaceman_imp]

This inflatable suit stuff is crap. The REAL solution is the Spaceman Motorcycle Ejection Seat (SMES). I've been working on it in my garage for about a year now.

Using parts cannibalized from decommissioned jet-fighter aircraft, SMES uses both passive (activated by impact etc.) and rider-activated triggers to fire ejection rockets mounted under the motorcycle seat. The rider is propelled to a minimum of 1,500' altitude, where a Joint Precision Airdrop parachute is opened. The rider then steers his SMES to a safe landing zone up to 4,000 feet from the point of impact (better distances are possible depending on prevailing winds).

Options for the SMES under consideration include launch-activated GoPro cameras to document the accident and ejection, standard FAA-approved lighting in case the ejection occurs at night, and beverage holders with chemically-cooled beers to assist the ejectee in avoiding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after the rigors of a high-speed, high-altitude ejection.

I'm accepting capital funding and stock ownership proposals if anyone is interested in getting in on the "ground floor" of this exciting technology.

[Tortuga_imp]

This inflatable suit stuff is crap. The REAL solution is the Spaceman Motorcycle Ejection Seat (SMES). I've been working on it in my garage for about a year now.

Using parts cannibalized from decommissioned jet-fighter aircraft, SMES uses both passive (activated by impact etc.) and rider-activated triggers to fire ejection rockets mounted under the motorcycle seat. The rider is propelled to a minimum of 1,500' altitude, where a Joint Precision Airdrop parachute is opened. The rider then steers his SMES to a safe landing zone up to 4,000 feet from the point of impact (better distances are possible depending on prevailing winds).

Options for the SMES under consideration include launch-activated GoPro cameras to document the accident and ejection, standard FAA-approved lighting in case the ejection occurs at night, and beverage holders with chemically-cooled beers to assist the ejectee in avoiding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after the rigors of a high-speed, high-altitude ejection.

I'm accepting capital funding and stock ownership proposals if anyone is interested in getting in on the "ground floor" of this exciting technology.

Ok Maverick, good luck with that. I'm investing my money in Iceman's anti-G underpants idea. Even Goose's widow is in...

[Elipten_imp]

Nothin new there, James Bond had it in his car 50 years ago.


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