Motorcycle airbag jacket

I note the story is still there from 2008, but the company impactjackets.com is not.

Where did you get yours ?
I looked many brands of airbag jacket having "in&motion" system onboard: Klim, Held, Bering, RST, Furygan, Ixon....
I rejected Dainese and Alpinestars: very expensive in case of changing the gas cartridge and you have to send back to manufacturer after any issue (several weeks, months ?)
I like the In&motion electronic box system where the algorithm is updated taking into account all the boxes from all riders equipped. It costs 11 USD per month including an automatic "call for help" service. I took Ixon airbag jacket, as it is well known as sold from several years and I have the opportunity to try it at Honda dealership 😀 as it was not available at my Triumph dealership (Triumph riders never fall 😎). And the good point is : you wear it under your usual jacket.
BUT, I know that airbag will be activated only if my speed is above 16 mph... However, it is like helmet, you expect to never use it 🤞🏻
 
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That guy is obnoxious, but I agree with his conclusion.
He forgot to mention that the electronic systems are not supposed to get wet- I do.
 
Pictures speak for themselves...

2020 crash test with the electronic e-Helite airbag :


2012 crash test with the tethered Helite airbag :
 
There is a big difference between in&motion and e-Helite electronic boxes.
in&motion box is frequently updated and takes into account impact of the bike against cars for example. E-Helite is not updated at all.
For example now you can get an road, track or off-road application with the same in&motion box.
This is why I choose an airbag with in&motion in comparison with tethered or electronic Helite system.

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No matter how much I read and read again the comparative test of the electronic airbag vests from the unmatched French site on riders security (PassionMotoSecurite)...
("The tests were carried out over several months and several thousand kilometers between mid-May and the end of October 2020, during my road and motorway trips throughout France for my motorcycle training activities. The journeys took place in varied climatic conditions, both in terms of temperature and precipitation.")
...but also after reading a maximum of opinions and tests from different sources (internet users and written press), I conclude that I am still not ready (unfortunately ?) to trust the electronics of the airbag vests.

Indeed, I can hardly imagine driving my motorcycle, with the concentration that this implies, without being able to prevent myself from stressing at the idea of an untimely triggering, which could cause a serious accident depending on the situation ...inadmissible! (or without being 100% sure of the desired trigger).

I may change my mind when there is more recoil, a common CE standard specific to electronic airbags and, ideally, maximum scores awarded e.g. by the German ADAC and French SRA independent security labs.

In any case, my choice today would be limited to 2 vests (the e-Turtle and the Smart Jacket) because only vests that can be worn over the jacket are suitable for me.

The e-Turtle appealed to me more for its protective surface, level 2 back protector, fork sensor, comfort and practicality.
As for the Dainese (I thought of acquiring it at one point), it seems inconceivable to me that it does not protect the abdomen (ref. among others the conclusion on this subject in the French motorcycle magazine MotoMag of April).
I will therefore prefer the wired Turtle 2 but which, unfortunately, still seems relatively expensive ("only" 130 € less than its electronic version - price noted this week in a Parisian store).

I therefore join those who "are connected to security" but who nevertheless trust only wired airbag vests or the already quoted "influencer" (youtube.com/fortnine) and (especially ?) without forgetting this manufacturer who wrote to me:
"a mechanical vest will always be more reliable than an electronic vest already because we realize that many users forget to recharge their vest battery and then because there are normal movements of the pilot which exceed the movements of certain falls. " !

I specify that since 2016 I have the wired Turtle (not the 2, the Turtle 2 allows better air flow with the mesh, comes with a softer neck and a pocket at the front) and that the use of the lanyard does not bother me at all because I got used to it similarly to the seat belt in the car.

In short, nothing new concerning the electronics of the current airbag vests compared with the test comparison referenced above from the best specialized French site on riders security and I am thinking in particular of the following comments from that site :

"Today it is technically possible, but the technology is not yet mature."

"At present, no system can guarantee 0% nuisance trips and 100% relevant trips. (from an airbag vest manufacturer engineer)."

"Not only do the current prices make the electronic airbag vest the most expensive piece of equipment in the catalog (with the exception of some very high-end helmets), but this substantial investment is based on a technical promise that is not guaranteed."


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Summary from the French motorcycles magazine referenced above on these electronic airbag vests (in French then) :

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I've got a Hit-Air jacket. Been wearing it for about 5 years now. It was a compromise I made with my wife when our first kid was born and I don't regret it. As a mesh jacket it's no different than what I was wearing before, pretty comfy and not too ugly (I didn't get a high-vis color) and so far I haven't accidentally deployed it. I have stood up without unhooking it on many occasions but it takes a pretty healthy tug and I've managed to catch myself before I get too far. I have also been successful thus far at watching for any of my "buddies" who might wanna set it off at a gas stop.

I opted for a tethered model for a lot of reasons, but mostly that 5 years ago the electronic versions were really expensive and had even more drawbacks than they do now. Most of the electronic ones I looked at back then were really only for the track, full leather suits by Alpinstars and such. In another year or two I'll probably look for another jacket as this one is getting a bit worn and grungy, and I hope that I never have to rely on the next one either...
 
New news :

there is a new airbag vest by Tucano Urbano including the In&Motion technology and which can be worn above and under a jacket (this is the first one with this technology allowing to wear it also above the jacket). Available in Europe from September.

It can also be converted as a complete jacket with CE D3O protections (sleeves are optional and are offered currently with pre-orders, worth €100).

(I think that they sell also a tethered one).


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