[Ducati 950S818]

So, I am seriously considering an airbag vest and of course it seems there's no perfect option. What I'm looking for is something that works both on the road and on track and that gives the maximum possible protection (particularly around the neck) and is a stand alone vest that I can use with my existing riding gear. I don't want it to be a tethered solution. It seems the ones below are the most common, but If there are other better suited for my purposes, I'm all ears. They all seem to have similar running time (25-30 hours before recharge). Price is also quite similar.

-Dainese Smart Jack D-Air (actually a vest): quite slim but seems to have the poorest airbag volume of the bunch, especially around the shoulders/collarbone. No neck support whatsoever. Needs to be sent back to the manufacturer for reloading. Works on track and on the road (I think) Dainese Smart Jacket - Motorbike Airbag System

-Alpinestars Tech Air 5: Good protection, including the shoulders which no other vest seem to have. Has an included traditional back protector but this also makes it quite bulky uninflated. No real neck suport. Needs to be sent back to the manufacturer for reloading.Works on track and on the road. Alpinestars Tech-Air® 5 System

-Klim A1: Good protection, including a traditional back protectotor (looks less bulky than the Tech Air 5). No real neck support it. Can be reloaded by the uses up to three times. Works on track and on the road. Ai-1 Airbag Vest

-Helite eTurtle: by far the best protection with the biggest airbag volume on the market according to Helite, including neck protection similar to a neck brace (although no shoulder .protection). Needs to be worn on top of one's existing riding gear. Can be reloaded up to three times by the user. Says it's mainly for the road, not sure how suitable it is for lighter track use (('ve contacted Helite, will update when/if I get a response). Airbag vest E-Turtle

-Helite eGP: Helite's track version, not sure if it is approved also for road usage? Good protection, but since this too is designed to be worn on top of the leathes, has a big gap for the hump that's typically featured on track oriented leathers. Seems it would leave a big gap in protection if used with a conventional suit, not sure? Can be reloaed up to three times b the user. Airbag vest E-GP Air

Now, I'm leaning mainly towards the Klim or the eTurtle, mainly because of good protection and user serviceability. The Klim doesn't have neck protection but can fit under my existing jackets. The eTurtle has better protection and is a bit cheaper too but looks a bit bulkier and unsure if it works on track. To be fair, if the eTurtle worked for moderate track use, that's probably the one I'd go with.

I know that there are a few people on here with Tech Air 5s, curious to hear your thoughts on foregoing neck support, since that seems like a rather critcal feature. Any other input very much appreciated

Hey Dino,

So the Klim vest is subscription based, I believe. You have to pay a monthly subscription to keep the system active.

-I just bought the Dianese Misano 2 D-Air Race suit. However, that only has track mode. Meaning that the system only engages when you are exceeding 35mph. You mentioned that you want something for road and track. I would recommend the Dianese Misano 3 D-Air Suit. It connect to an app on your phone where you can switch back and forth between road and track modes. Road mode engages when it senses vibrations of cars around you. The it has track mode when it engages the same as the Misano2, going faster than 35mph

I hope some of that helps.
P.S. I love the suit I got. It was a little tight when I first got it, a couple weeks ago. Its loosened up and fits great. Its not meant to be standing in, its meant to be in riding position on the bike, so feels tight in the groin area and shoulders when standing. Riding position everything fits great.

 

[MegaForce]

Great post, thank you! So why is it that you absolutely don't want a vest that goes on the outside of gear? Personally I'm not so sure I could fit a vest under all my current gear.

How was the Helite whilst track riding? It is the heavier of the options available it seems (3 kg/6.5 lbs).

That’s a good question… I’m tempted to say it’s simply vanity, but there IS something to looking and feeling how you want to feel to inspire confidence.

 

[MegaForce]

The Helite wasn’t especially bulky either. (This photo was taken wearing borrowed gear minutes before crashing out of a huge lead at the Ridge during my novice season. Let’s just say lessons were learned

 

[Dino de Laurentiis]

The Helite wasn’t especially bulky either. (This photo was taken wearing borrowed gear minutes before crashing out of a huge lead at the Ridge during my novice season. Let’s just say lessons were learned

View attachment 50353

Ah, that’s the GP air vest, is it? The one with a split portion at the back to accommodate the suit hump?

It does look considerably less bulky than the Turtle vest.

 

[Khaosprince]

I'm also on the fence for buying a vest. But I can't find the one for every Purpose. I'm wearing either an Alpine Stars Leather Suit, that is my favourite for nice weather between 20 and 30°C. For hot days or longer Tours with unsteady forecasts I have a Held Goretex Jacket that can be vented very well, especially via a mesh Insert for the Zipper.

So for the Leather I probably could buy the Alpinestars, but the Jacket fits like a second skin, especially around the shoulders. I'm not sure if there will be enough space around the shoulders to fully deploy the airbag.
So in comes Helite. There I'll need the race Version to accommodate the Hump of the leather.
But with the closed chest protector the ventilation of my Touring Jacket wouldn't be any effective anymore. Therefore I'd have to buy the other Helite also.
There is also the Held vest, mentioned above, that can be integrated to the Goretex jacket. But with subscription plus, what to do with the Dainese?

What would you do?

 

[MegaForce]

I'm also on the fence for buying a vest. But I can't find the one for every Purpose. I'm wearing either an Alpine Stars Leather Suit, that is my favourite for nice weather between 20 and 30°C. For hot days or longer Tours with unsteady forecasts I have a Held Goretex Jacket that can be vented very well, especially via a mesh Insert for the Zipper.

So for the Leather I probably could buy the Alpinestars, but the Jacket fits like a second skin, especially around the shoulders. I'm not sure if there will be enough space around the shoulders to fully deploy the airbag.
So in comes Helite. There I'll need the race Version to accommodate the Hump of the leather.
But with the closed chest protector the ventilation of my Touring Jacket wouldn't be any effective anymore. Therefore I'd have to buy the other Helite also.
There is also the Held vest, mentioned above, that can be integrated to the Goretex jacket. But with subscription plus, what to do with the Dainese?

What would you do?

You’re describing the exact dilemma of buying an airbag vest: choosing one after already owning a suit/jacket forces one to work around those parameters. Once you own a non-airbag-compatible suit, you either have to get an external vest or buy another suit.

when I was shopping for a vest I wasn’t sure if I’d be committing to club racing so I wanted the option to use it on the street as well. If just using it for track/racing I would have gone with the Alpinestars Race vest (which has two deployments before needing to be sent in). However, that vest was substantially more expensive-which was another reason I started with the Tech 5 vest.

Unfortunately I think the best way to frame this scenario is to ask yourself what your preferred set up would be and shop from that prospective. Even if that means replacing your current gear. The worst thing would be to compromise, only to be dissatisfied and have to buy again.

My needs/priorities as a club racer are different than someone using a vest for street riding with occasional track days. Ultimately you have to assign value to the variables: (price, ability to repack, ventilation, inside/outside) and go from there. It’s a tricky problem to solve, especially with no one company giving us what we want, IMO.

 

[Dino de Laurentiis]

I'm also on the fence for buying a vest. But I can't find the one for every Purpose. I'm wearing either an Alpine Stars Leather Suit, that is my favourite for nice weather between 20 and 30°C. For hot days or longer Tours with unsteady forecasts I have a Held Goretex Jacket that can be vented very well, especially via a mesh Insert for the Zipper.

So for the Leather I probably could buy the Alpinestars, but the Jacket fits like a second skin, especially around the shoulders. I'm not sure if there will be enough space around the shoulders to fully deploy the airbag.
So in comes Helite. There I'll need the race Version to accommodate the Hump of the leather.
But with the closed chest protector the ventilation of my Touring Jacket wouldn't be any effective anymore. Therefore I'd have to buy the other Helite also.
There is also the Held vest, mentioned above, that can be integrated to the Goretex jacket. But with subscription plus, what to do with the Dainese?

What would you do?

Yeah, it’s tricky isn’t it? I’m also a bit concerned about the Helite GP vest if worn with a suit/jacket that has no hump. Then it leaves a critical part of your spine completely unprotected, no?

As for ventilation, it really doesn’t matter much if the vest is on the inside or the outside, does it? Either way airflow won’t reach your torso as the vest is completely enclosing it.

I’m leaning towards the eTurtle myself since it seems to have the best protection but if there was a version of the eGP without the cutout for the hump, that would’ve been my choice.

 

[Grossi.BP]

I remember my disappointment with Dainese - in my case it was punching me in my back with the air containers. Alpine* was quite ok, you really can feel safe but again - be sure you have to buy new leather. I don't belive it would fit under your present one. Helite cost 800, Held (InMotion) 400 and I wonder where the two "lines" meet to get break even. InMotion with 4 years guarantee and paying per month, is not so terrible cost.

 

[Khaosprince]

Yeah, it’s tricky isn’t it? I’m also a bit concerned about the Helite GP vest if worn with a suit/jacket that has no hump. Then it leaves a critical part of your spine completely unprotected, no?

As for ventilation, it really doesn’t matter much if the vest is on the inside or the outside, does it? Either way airflow won’t reach your torso as the vest is completely enclosing it.

I’m leaning towards the eTurtle myself since it seems to have the best protection but if there was a version of the eGP without the cutout for the hump, that would’ve been my choice.

Question is: how good is the Hump in your Jacket protecting you at all? Out of curiosity I've grabbed my A-Stars Motegi Jacket an took apart the (small) Hump. In my case, it's just a molded piece of some kind of hard foam without markings regarding a protective rating. Just looks an some aero probably designed expecting a classic turtle under it.
So I'd rather take that thing out and wear a Turtle 2 also over the leather with "flattened" hump than the GP Air blocking my ventilations in the other Jacket. On the other hand does the front plate off the GP is an additional Chest Protector.

I think I'll give Helite a call on Tuesday when the holidays are over. Probably they know best what to use in my case. My usecase will be 95% street and mostly riding training a year.

 

[Triplesapper]

Question is: how good is the Hump in your Jacket protecting you at all? Out of curiosity I've grabbed my A-Stars Motegi Jacket an took apart the (small) Hump. In my case, it's just a molded piece of some kind of hard foam without markings regarding a protective rating. Just looks an some aero probably designed expecting a classic turtle under it.
So I'd rather take that thing out and wear a Turtle 2 also over the leather with "flattened" hump than the GP Air blocking my ventilations in the other Jacket. On the other hand does the front plate off the GP is an additional Chest Protector.

I think I'll give Helite a call on Tuesday when the holidays are over. Probably they know best what to use in my case. My usecase will be 95% street and mostly riding training a year.

The hump is not designed to give you any protection. It is purely for aerodynamics and can accomodate a water pouch with drinking tube . Lets face it, for us road riders it's a gimmick - when are we going to need aerodynamics that the hump provides, over our helmet and back on the public road?

Leather manufacturers put them on leathers so as we can emulate the look of our favourite MotoGP or WSBK rider - racers be they club or professional excepted

I remember reading an article from the Flying Doctor at the IOM TT (now deceased) who said that in some cases when a rider crashes and is lying on their back, the large hump on their race suits can make their neck injuries worse and can prevent trearment as the head falls back because the hump prevents the ground from supporting the helmet - see below.

And yes, my Dainese 2 piece leathers have a half hump (it's tiny) and is that small its still allows me to lye on my back with my head supported (I tried it after reading the below article) but I bought them because I liked the colour scheme, not because they had a hump 😅

Have a read of the below and the the link in the article which takes you to report, “Trauma and motorcyclists; born to be wild, bound to be injured? John D. Hinds, Gareth Allen, Craig G. Morris.”

The Hump

While wandering around the internet, Facebook to be exact, we came across a question on the Moto Riders Universe group page, (a group that has nearly 150,000 members), which was, “What is the hump …

motorcycleminds.org

 

[Dino de Laurentiis]

Question is: how good is the Hump in your Jacket protecting you at all? Out of curiosity I've grabbed my A-Stars Motegi Jacket an took apart the (small) Hump. In my case, it's just a molded piece of some kind of hard foam without markings regarding a protective rating. Just looks an some aero probably designed expecting a classic turtle under it.
So I'd rather take that thing out and wear a Turtle 2 also over the leather with "flattened" hump than the GP Air blocking my ventilations in the other Jacket. On the other hand does the front plate off the GP is an additional Chest Protector.

I think I'll give Helite a call on Tuesday when the holidays are over. Probably they know best what to use in my case. My usecase will be 95% street and mostly riding training a year.

Yeah, no, i didnt mean to imply that the hump offers much protection, more that GP Air seems like it’s less protective than it should be because of the split design.

Would you mind reporting back what Helite tells you? My use case is very similar to yours.

 

[Teabowman]

I low sided and took an initial impact on my right shoulder. the impact shatter my collar bone in 4 pieces. I looked at multiple air vest afterward and the only solid option was the A* airtech 5 with street and track option. It’s a bit bulky and air doesn’t flow air as well but I got used to it very quickly. Just remove your original back protector as the A* tech 5 comes with one and ensure your jacket has enough room for deployment. I don’t ride without my air vest. Stay safe out there and I’m glad you are contemplating getting an air vest.

 

[Triplesapper]

Whether it's an airbag or back protector and chest protector combo - make sure you ride with some form of protection.
Trust me on this, I speak from experience.

 

[Dino de Laurentiis]

So I did get to try on a helite turtle 2 this weekend, and while it is quite big in the back, it wasn’t in any way getting in the way when sitting on the bike. Now, I wasn’t allowed to take it for a test ride, but I don’t think I would notice it while one the bike. As a reference, I’m 1,85 m/85 kg (6’ 1”/185 lbs) and the medium was a good fit for me. This was the tethered version but I assume the eTurtle has very similar dimensions. What did bother me a bit though is that it was held together in the front with some very flimsy plastic clips, feels like those could quite easily be ripped apart when in a crash (as this is going on the outside of your gear). I must admit that it did feel a bit dorky having it on the outside though, it made me feel like a BMW rider 😅

So, imagine my curiosity when then I read about the Held eVest pro which is soon to be released. It’s much like the Tech Air 5 in that it also covers the shoulders but on the other hand, it can be refilled by the user up three times unlike the tech air which needs to be sent back to Alpinestars for checking and refilling. Only issue with the held and also the Klim ai-1 which is my other main option is that it might not find under my current gear. I DO need new leathers but I rather would not have to replace my Klim Apex jacket which was the holy grail of a tight fitting laminated gore tex jacket suitable for sports touring but which is no longer offered by Klim.

eVest Pro Electronically activated airbag system | keine Variante | black-grey | XXL | 092470-00/003-0-XXL

New with shoulder airbag and optimised ventilationScope of delivery1x eVest Pro 1x In&box control module 1x inflatorIMPORTANT NOTE:( In&box is active for 48 hours after initial activation and must then be registered and activated separately via I…

shop.held.de

 

[Dino de Laurentiis]

Whether it's an airbag or back protector and chest protector combo - make sure you ride with some form of protection.
Trust me on this, I speak from experience.

For real. I have a friend who’s works as a surgeon at the emergency ward and which refuses to ride a motorcycle ever because of all the destroyed riders she’s seen brought in there. Like, they open up the leathers and just go “nope, nothing we can do, call the morgue”.

 

[Khaosprince]

I just had my first videocall with Helite today, regarding which vest I should take in which size. He recommended the Turtle 2 for my use case, and therefor to take out the foam insert in the hump of my leatherjacket. He expressed that the GP model is build with a total focus on track use. Put it on, do your turn and get rid of it do to no real ventilation. It is also not so easy to get in and and out.
Im not so concerned about the plastic buckles. When the bag is deployed, the whole vest will stiffen up and hold its form around your upper body until you hit the ground and/or first obstacle.

On the topic tethered or electronic he recommended the tethered version for everyone with less affinity to tech. The pro of the tethered one is in my eyes you don't have to hassle with charging (takes 3h) and it will popp even when you get ejected from your bike at a red light. But you have to get away fast and far enough to rip out the tether. And you have to remember after everey stop to tether in.

The eTurtle needs at least 18kph/11mph to get active. But other electronic vests don't behave different, only the minimal speed differs. For protection at lower speeds you can buy the fork sensor for 119€. It's an additional crash sensor for detecting impacts on the bike. The sensor is also not recommended for Track/Offroad use One question I did not ask is, what happens when the bike tips over while the sensor while you are standing next to it. Could add a further layer of embarrassment at the Café. 😆 It's not available at the moment anyways.
For potential offroad use he recommends the tethered anyways. No problem for me, I don't have a dirtbike.

Regarding fitment he was as puzzled as I am if I'll need a L or XL. I'm 1,91m, breast 110cm, waist 105cm, hips 104cm, back length 63cm. So he offered to send me two vests for a video fitment session. I think I'll take this option, even if I could get the vests 70€ cheaper at some online resellers.

I looked for the Held eVest Pro as you mentioned it. in Germany it seems to be avaiable, and i probably could integrate it in my Held Jacket. But the total price is not cheap. Louis calls 479€ PLUS the fees for the license (399€ "regular" or 120€/year 12€/month). And I still wouldn't have a Vest for my leather. So I'd rather take the more versatile Option over the jacket.

So I just have to decide If I want the electronic or tethered version. Both have their pros an cons... 😮

 

[Dino de Laurentiis]

I just had my first videocall with Helite today, regarding which vest I should take in which size. He recommended the Turtle 2 for my use case, and therefor to take out the foam insert in the hump of my leatherjacket. He expressed that the GP model is build with a total focus on track use. Put it on, do your turn and get rid of it do to no real ventilation. It is also not so easy to get in and and out.
Im not so concerned about the plastic buckles. When the bag is deployed, the whole vest will stiffen up and hold its form around your upper body until you hit the ground and/or first obstacle.

On the topic tethered or electronic he recommended the tethered version for everyone with less affinity to tech. The pro of the tethered one is in my eyes you don't have to hassle with charging (takes 3h) and it will popp even when you get ejected from your bike at a red light. But you have to get away fast and far enough to rip out the tether. And you have to remember after everey stop to tether in.

The eTurtle needs at least 18kph/11mph to get active. But other electronic vests don't behave different, only the minimal speed differs. For protection at lower speeds you can buy the fork sensor for 119€. It's an additional crash sensor for detecting impacts on the bike. The sensor is also not recommended for Track/Offroad use One question I did not ask is, what happens when the bike tips over while the sensor while you are standing next to it. Could add a further layer of embarrassment at the Café. 😆 It's not available at the moment anyways.
For potential offroad use he recommends the tethered anyways. No problem for me, I don't have a dirtbike.

Regarding fitment he was as puzzled as I am if I'll need a L or XL. I'm 1,91m, breast 110cm, waist 105cm, hips 104cm, back length 63cm. So he offered to send me two vests for a video fitment session. I think I'll take this option, even if I could get the vests 70€ cheaper at some online resellers.

I looked for the Held eVest Pro as you mentioned it. in Germany it seems to be avaiable, and i probably could integrate it in my Held Jacket. But the total price is not cheap. Louis calls 479€ PLUS the fees for the license (399€ "regular" or 120€/year 12€/month). And I still wouldn't have a Vest for my leather. So I'd rather take the more versatile Option over the jacket.

So I just have to decide If I want the electronic or tethered version. Both have their pros an cons... 😮

Wow, great input, thanks! Did you ask about using the turtle on track? Also, what’s the issue with the held vest and leathers? Not enough space underneath?

 

[Khaosprince]

My Leather ist pretty tight around the shoulders and has no extra stretch zones to accommodate an inflated airbag. That's mandatory to safely use an airbag with a leather. Additionally I hope that the external vest spares a little bit more of the ventilation the Jacket offers than an vest worn underneath, more or less direkt to the baselayer. But that's a hope don't know if this is right.

Track use depends. Some cornering trainings behind an Instruktor on a racetrack, somewhere in the realm of spirited road riding, is no problem with the turtle. But I think they recommend the GPair for free practice with higher speeds and the attempt to get the last tenth of a second dew to the upped protection an stability and some diffrently tuned algorithms. The GPair has a track mode the Turtle lacks.
The other point regarding track use is the fork sensor. They absolutely don't recommend this for situations when the front wheel leaves the tarmac und plunges back down. So If you like to do power wheelies or little jumps while normal riding, you are better of with the tether or without the sensor.

 

[MegaForce]

Stop the press!

Tech-Air® 7X System

Buy Tech-Air® 7X System on Alpinestars United States. High quality, protection and style for your passion. Returns in United States within 30 days.

www.alpinestars.com

 

[MegaForce]

Stop the press!

Tech-Air® 7X System

Buy Tech-Air® 7X System on Alpinestars United States. High quality, protection and style for your passion. Returns in United States within 30 days.

www.alpinestars.com

Two deployments, repackable by user... Street and track modes... THIS is what we have been asking for.