As motorcyclists in an ever-changing world of both style and technology, the time has come to ask ourselves: Are airbags or air vests essential safety gear?
Do they work? Are they affordable? Are they reusable?
MotoGP, the top tier of motorcycle racing, requires racers to wear a specific helmet, leathers, pads, boots, gloves — and yes, airbags. In fact, airbags have been required in MotoGP since 2018.
The MotoGP racer airbags are state-of-the-art technological wonders. The airbags are triggered by combination of a gyroscopes, GPS and accelerometers working together to detect a crash and prevent an accidental deployment. It only takes watching a handful of MotoGP crashes to have a full appreciation of why airbags are required at that level of racing. MotoGP race bikes cost in the millions, so a few hundred spent on an airbag is just background noise. For most of us, the cost and inconvenience of airbags are real factors.
Most of us will never be pro racers, at least not outside of our dreams, but we will likely challenge the speed limit at some point and face potentially dangerous situations. All of us will have a car pull out in front of us or an animal cross the road in front of us.
We have all heard it: “all the gear all the time.” ATGATT clearly means something different to each of us and now airbags are being offered as an additional level of protection. Should they now be considered a minimum level of basic gear?
What is an airbag or air vest?
Wearable airbags can be found as a standalone vest worn over top of your riding gear much like a life jacket. They can also be found built into riding jackets or riding leathers or designed to be worn under a jacket. The extent of protection varies by manufacturer hence the common breakout of airbags versus air vest. Air vests are the most prominent and provide protection just as the name states in the areas of your body covered when wearing a vest.
Airbags are more extensive with protection ranging from the MotoGP full upper body with a neck brace to a few odd-looking examples that resemble a full body burrito. Most devices are designed to protect the torso, the upper body and the organs.
The airbag works by inflating after a crash and prior to any body impact and then cushioning and spreading the force of the impact over a larger area, in turn reducing the impact to your body. The airbag, depending on brand, can also provide bracing for your neck.
Do airbags work?
Clearly airbags work and make a dramatic difference, just look at MotoGP crashes where a potentially fatal crash now results in airbag-equipped riders walking away. Maybe not without a limp, but still walking away. YouTube features several crash videos showing street riders avoiding more serious injuries thanks to wearing airbags and air vests. Wearing one provides just another level of protection.
Are airbags/air vest readily available?
Air vests are sitting on the shelves of your local motorcycle accessory dealers and are also readily available online. Airbags come in many colors. Initially most air vest were only available in Hi-Vis yellow, a turn off for some riders. Now several color selections are available. For those who want the protection but prefer the incognito look, jackets with built in airbags are the solution. Some vendors also make vest designed to be worn under your jacket. The motorcycle accessory industry has clearly paid attention to any negative feedback and has and is working hard to eliminate excuses.
Are they affordable?
Given the expense of buying a motorcycle, helmet, jacket and pants, many riders find there is little money left for an air vest. At least one air vest even requires a monthly subscription service to work. The real answer is yes, they are affordable. One major online retailer sells air vest for just over $100. Like anything else, quality and features tend to go hand in hand with cost. Many options are available for under a $1,000.
How do they work?
Wearable airbags primarily deploy in one of two fashions, through use of a tether or via electronic crash detection. Regardless of deployment type most airbags use a compressed gas like CO2 to inflate in less than a second, in fact in milliseconds.
Tethers have proved to be reliable and are still in use on many brands. There are two potential flaws with the tether. First, accidental deployment when you get off your bike and forget to unhook the tether. Thankfully the force required to deploy the airbag via the tether is substantial, so this isn’t very likely but is possible and does happen on occasion.
The second potential flaw is failure to deploy when the accident does not result in the rider being ejected from the bike or far enough from the bike to pull the tether. Think of a side impact into a car where the rider may not be ejected from the bike or is ejected after the crash.
Tethered air bags are more cost effective and tend to be a one-and-done purchase. Electronic crash detection is not without its flaws. Some vests require a monthly subscription service or large up-front payment to activate and continue to operate. All vests with electronic crash detection have batteries and need to be charged and require battery maintenance, meaning on-going cost.
Are they reusable?
Most of the tethered air vests are self-serviceable. Some airbags require returning to the manufacture to recharge. At least one manufacturer has indicated their air bag can be deployed three times before it needs to be returned for servicing. Post-crash inspections are probably best performed by the manufacturer.
Are airbags required in any state?
No. Airbags are not required for street riding, but several racing entities do require airbags. Often, safety advances seen in racing can make their way into legislation — such as manufacturers being required to build new bikes with anti-lock brakes. Airbags, much like helmet usage, could possibly become a requirement in some states and would face just as much public and political controversy as wearing a helmet.
What do the riders say?
Steve Coffman of Asheville, North Carolina, is a Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructor and retired fire fighter. He rides a 2016 Yamaha FJR 1300 and is a frequent track-day participant.
“An air vest protects the upper body better than any other protective equipment but should be used in conjunction with good protective gear,” said Coffman, who wears a Helite Turtle 2 in black.
He said he’s had one deployment in his four years of wearing an air bag, which occurred due to poor footing causing him to drop the bike. When inflated, he said it was surprisingly immobilizing and stabilized the neck.
As a first responder, Steve said he witnessed lots of motorcycle accidents result in internal injuries like a punctured lung or lacerated liver. One of Steve’s biggest concerns when riding the local mountain roads is the time to notify EMS, especially if there is no cell phone signal, and the length of their response time.
“How much is your body worth to you. It one thing to say it is never going to happen to you until it happens to you,” Coffman said.
Kim Long, a retired IT specialist and graduate of the Yamaha Champions School, also wears a Helite Turtle in 2, but in Hi-Vis yellow. She’s worn it for three years with no deployments.
A rider since she was a teenager, Long has become a strong supporter of wearing an air back after riding with several friends who wear air and have avoided serious injuries during a shunt.
“I would not get on a bike without an air vest. It is like buckling a seat belt,” Long said.
