Motorcycle airbag jacket

I recently bought the HIT air MLV and decided to return it. With most tethered systems you have to get separated from the bike for it to engage. That means no low sides, high sides, or rear-enders until you detach from the bike, which I would try not to do. Next I was looking hard at the Klim Ai-1 airbag vest system and almost pulled the trigger, but guess what... no low sides, high sides, or rear enders and you have to be going at least above 15mph, 30 in some cases- what? I nearly broke my clavicle on a my very steep downhill driveway after I forgot to pump the rear brakes following a tire change on a different bike (that will never happen again). Anyway, I was going less than 15mph and hit the pavement HARD before I even knew what was happening. All the "smart" Ai models that aren't physically tethered will require you to remember to keep it charged and turned on. I have a signal minder system on my bike, which may explain why that might be a concern for me, plus I ride nearly every day- charging would not be something I that I'd only have to remember to do every once in a while.

The Klim states that it will work best when it is picking up a GPS signal, and then it employs in 75 to 80% of crashes, which translates to it will probably work. Imagine an expensive helmet manufacturer claiming that in 75% or the cases, even though you put it on, the helmet will be there to protect you....

So, after a lot of Googling and finding that every choice had a significant downside, I stumbled on this European solution, the Motoairbag MAB v3, which is not available in the states. Perhaps those of you overseas will jump in on this with some comments. It is a tethered system, however, you only need to move 3 cm in a crash to activate it. Low sides, high sides, rear enders all covered. And, it's mechanical, which I actually see as a plus. It basically works like a shoulder harness seat belt (check out their website to understand)- the design is tried and true. I plan to order in the next couple of days from Italy or Switzerland... The Airbag for motorcyclists| MOTOAIRBAG

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Interesting... Over here (first motorcycles market in Europe), I believe that the Motoairbag is barely known and there are apparently very few distributors.
Most known brands are the two Italian Alpinestars and Dainese brands and the other two French Helite (1st selling brand with tethered system) and In&Motion brands.

Given that the the electronic autonomous models are pretty recent, it is still too early to tell who will be the first seller but the battle will probably be tough between these 4 brands.
The choice for the electronic models (non tethered) will be between the e-Helite (launched mid-2020), the Dainese Smart Jacket (launched end 2019), the Alpinestar Tech-Air 5 (launched early 2020) and the In&Motion launched early 2019.

In&Motion is a French and small company created in 2014 (located in the French Alps, their first airbag was developed for skiers) and sold under different equipment names/partners such as Ixon, Furygan, Held, Klim or RST, others ? (Triumph was planning to sell it too but I have not seen yet any final confirmation ?).

I believe that each rider will find pros and cons. (all are valid reasons) :

- those who'd go for the electronic ones given their faster deployment (crucial ?) vs those with tethered system. The SRA independent organization testing airbags gives 5 stars only to the good electronic airbags for this reason (tethered system airbags get a max of 3 stars) : Classement des gilets airbag | SRA

The e-Helite, Smart Jacket and Tech Air 5 have not been tested yet by this SRA organization but this will depend on these brands to decide or not to get it tested by SRA given that all the airbags manufacturers seem not to agree on the test criteria and since the EEC has not apparently succeeded to decide which specific and new standards would be applicable to the motorcycles airbags...(but this may change ref. the future standards on helmets*).

- those who'd go for the tethered system given the risk of electronic bugs for the others

- those who want to wear it over the jacket (then the Alpinestar is out),

- those who want the airbag jacket to include also a back protector (then out the Dainese),

- those who want the best protection (then the Tech Air would be the winner before the Helite),

- those who want it lighter and not so warm (then probably the Smartjacket),

- those who do not want to pay a subscription (then the In&Motion is out) and so on...

* new EEC standards 22.06 (current one is 22.05) for helmets and effective 2023, will force the helmets manufacturers to change their models; it will be an improvement since the new helmets should protect better the brain by a system which will limit the "brain rotation". The new standard will include also the approval of integrate/added accessories such as intercom. Question is how much more it'll cost and what about the impact on the weight ?
There is the equivalent of the SRA organization but for helmets and this future standard : What is the certimoov project? | Certimoov
 
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From In&Motion

Hi Blake,
Thank you for your email. We appreciate that you are considering Klim and In&motion for your next airbag vest.
In&motion technology remains the benchmark for autonomous airbags. Today we are the largest team dedicated to the airbag, and working on this technology is our unique activity, which allows us to devote significant resources to it.
You can find information about the detection system in the user manual available on our website (User Manual In&box). Also I have attached the manuel with this email. On page 42, you can see more details, "the In&motion fall detection system called In&box can detect a fall when a powered two-wheeler hits a vehicle or stalled object at a speed higher than 15 mph, with an angle between 45° and 135° at the time of the impact. It will inflate also in case of low-side and high-side."

Not sure about low-side/high-side if this is just in track mode, or you have to be traveling faster than 15mph and have sizeable impact.


That being said, the user manual has not been up dated as fast as the In&box' improvements over time. Based on data collected over 6 million miles covered by more than 8,000 motorcyclists, more than 500 real crash situations have been analyzed. The software installed on products manufactured from February 2020 offers a coverage rate of more than 80% for crashes or collisions at speed above 30mph, with an average coverage rate above 75% for all types of crashes. Software updates are regularly released by In&motion to all users to further improve this coverage rate.

The Klim Ai-1 airbag vest has already inflated in cases of collision from the rear, however, each accident is different which explains different inflation strategies. The vest will inflate with a low sides, a high side, and a rear shock. The vest will also inflate at a speed inferior to 30mph for the same reasons which is not mentioned in the user manuel yet.

Hmmmm....

Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you for your interest.

Volkan Aktas
U.S. Customer Care In&motion
____________________________________________________________
tel : +1 (917) 403 - 3163
mail : customer@inemotion.com
web : www.inemotion.com


--------------- Original Message ---------------

Sent: 9/13/2020 6:14 AM
To: customer@inemotion.com
Subject: US-EN "Triggering Conditions - requirements"

De : Blake D Madden / <tushonka13@gmail.com>
Objet : Triggering Conditions - requirements
Téléphone : 8284190321
Country: United States of America

Corps du message :
I'm ready to purchase a Klim Ai-1 jacket, but have questions about what conditions will trigger the system. I've searched and I am unable to find these answers on your website. Will it work in a low-side, high-side, and/or at a stop (when rear ended, for example)? Below 15mph? 30 mph? According to this website, those conditions will not be cause for the device to deploy- if that is incorrect please let me know. Exploding the myths: Everything you need to know about motorbike airbag vests
>Triggered by these crashes: Collision with an object with an angle between 45° and 135° at the time of impact (Street mode). Highside, lowside with tumbling (Track mode)<
If you have detailed information on this online, please share, or email me. Many thanks- Blake Madden

--
 
Blaine are you leaning towards looking at klim ai-1 instead of the moto one, i started looking at the klim vest myself. the 1000 vest were hard to justify to be honest but maybe when i become a professional drag racer :cool::ninja: haha i know
 
Blaine are you leaning towards looking at klim ai-1 instead of the moto one, i started looking at the klim vest myself. the 1000 vest were hard to justify to be honest but maybe when i become a professional drag racer :cool::ninja: haha i know

The Klim was my top pick- it uses the In&Motion brain, but looks like too many ifs, ands, and buts about deployment for me. 75% is nothing to brag about. You can recharge the system yourself, which is a plus over some of the other Ai brands.

I just ordered the motoairbag MAB v3 with the fast lock. This lockup system makes a lot of sense to me. It's the same basic principle as the seat belt in your car.
I got it for $550 US from a dealer in Switzerland

The other tethered systems require you to leave enough slack so that you can stand up on the pegs. So, until you exceed that distance from the bike you are on your own. If you low-side you're often still on or not far from the bike when you hit the pavement. That's why I decided to return the HitAit.

The Fast Lock allows you to move, but like your seat belt it locks, mechanically, when there is a sudden change in direction . Then, just 3 cm of travel and the system engages in less than 5ms. According to their claims, which makes sense once you consider how it's designed, it works in "100% of accident scenarios."

The Ai systems work great for racing, but I've read the engineers of some brands state that the variables in street riding make it much more difficult to design. Whatever you choose there are trade offs and it will be better, in terms of your overall odds, than nothing.

I'll let you know what I think of the Motoairbag MAB v3 when it gets here.
 

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The Klim was my top pick- it uses the In&Motion brain, but looks like too many ifs, ands, and buts about deployment for me. 75% is nothing to brag about. You can recharge the system yourself, which is a plus over some of the other Ai brands.

I just ordered the motoairbag MAB v3 with the fast lock. This lockup system makes a lot of sense to me. It's the same basic principle as the seat belt in your car.
I got it for $550 US from a dealer in Switzerland

The other tethered systems require you to leave enough slack so that you can stand up on the pegs. So, until you exceed that distance from the bike you are on your own. If you low-side you're often still on or not far from the bike when you hit the pavement. That's why I decided to return the HitAit.

The Fast Lock allows you to move, but like your seat belt it locks, mechanically, when there is a sudden change in direction . Then, just 3 cm of travel and the system engages in less than 5ms. According to their claims, which makes sense once you consider how it's designed, it works in "100% of accident scenarios."

The Ai systems work great for racing, but I've read the engineers of some brands state that the variables in street riding make it much more difficult to design. Whatever you choose there are trade offs and it will be better, in terms of your overall odds, than nothing.

I'll let you know what I think of the Motoairbag MAB v3 when it gets here.

Really looking forward hearing from your experience of the Motoairbag V3 since over here it seems that it is basically nonexistent as far as I know (same with the HitAir) unlike the Helite Turtle (for airbags with tethered system) or the Dainese and Alpinestars eletronic ones (and probably soon the e-Turtle from Helite).

The fastening system of the V3 is one thing but what about the deployment ? The 3 cms they are referring to makes me wonder whether it'd be too short e.g. when leaning to the side when taking a curve ?

And what about the quality of their jacket and airbag ? I guess it should be good given the EEC certification and the 3 stars from SRA tests.
Another info. from their site which seems a good thing is that apparently they participate to a European study on motorcycles airbags together with Daine, Alpinestars and Bosch.

But then if it is really a good choice, I can't explain why it is apparently basically unknown over here ?...
 
Really looking forward hearing from your experience of the Motoairbag V3 since over here it seems that it is basically nonexistent as far as I know (same with the HitAir) unlike the Helite Turtle (for airbags with tethered system) or the Dainese and Alpinestars eletronic ones (and probably soon the e-Turtle from Helite).

The fastening system of the V3 is one thing but what about the deployment ? The 3 cms they are referring to makes me wonder whether it'd be too short e.g. when leaning to the side when taking a curve ?

And what about the quality of their jacket and airbag ? I guess it should be good given the EEC certification and the 3 stars from SRA tests.
Another info. from their site which seems a good thing is that apparently they participate to a European study on motorcycles airbags together with Daine, Alpinestars and Bosch.

But then if it is really a good choice, I can't explain why it is apparently basically unknown over here ?...

I agree about the company being less well known, and it concerns me a little. Maybe some of our Italian riders will chime in. I have a feeling that it will not lock up when leaning out in a turn, but I've also wondered about that. If it did that is less than ideal, but I think it would take a pretty hard tug to actually deploy the bag.

With the Ai systems you are free to move, but then will it deploy that remaining 25% of the time? The other issue with Ai systems that I haven't mentioned is that you can't get them wet. I get soaked pretty regularly (yesterday), being too lazy to stop and put on rain gear. So, is it charged, did I turn it on, is it dry, will it engage?

All good questions and concerns. I'll update when it comes in and I've had a chance to use it a bit.
 
Thank you for this further thought. 👍 I am trying to collect further info. on MOTOAIRBAG.
It is this previous V2 model which has got 3 stars from the SRA professional organization. (the All shot Bumper got also 3 stars) :

I am surprised that you write that the electronic airbags can't get wet. Not what Helite told me (or what others such as In&Motion claim). Any specific info. you have about it ?
You can see on this video how the electronics are/look well protected :
 
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....I am surprised that you write that the electronic airbags can't get wet. Not what Helite told me (or what others such as In&Motion claim). Any specific info. you have about it ?.....

I didn't look at the video, but maybe Helite's design protects better than Kilm, where the brain clicks in on the back. On page 17 of the user manual from In&Motion it says... "
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