Alpinestars Tech-Air street airbag system: first look

Alpinestars Tech-Air street airbag system: first look
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Highlights

Alpinestars unveiled its new Tech-Air Street Airbag System Vest, the latest generation of protection based upon the company’s Tech Air Race Airbag System used in its MotoGP/World Superbike/various national series sponsored riders’ racing leathers

Groundbreaking self-contained electronic airbag system that protects the back, kidney areas, chest and shoulders; can be used anywhere, on any bike

Alpinestars unveiled its new Tech-Air Street Airbag System Vest, the latest generation of protection based upon the company’s Tech Air Race Airbag System used in its MotoGP/World Superbike/various national series sponsored riders’ racing leathers—but now designed to be used for the everyday rider, in both on- and off-road environments.

The culmination of 13 years of R&D, more than 180,000 miles of road testing, and a multitude of computer simulations and full-scale crash tests, the Tech-Air Street Airbag System is the first self-contained motorcycle rider airbag system that functions independently without the need for any sort of tether (wireless or otherwise) to the bike. This critical design advantage means that you have the freedom to ride any bike on any surface with the Alpinestars system and have comprehensive torso protection in a crash.

The system’s sensors and control unit typically are able to detect an impending crash in 30-60 milliseconds, with the airbag fully deploying in 25 milliseconds (for comparison, the average eye blink is 300-400 milliseconds).

While some other airbag protection systems must use sensors attached to a motorcycle in order to detect an impending rider impact, the Alpinestars Tech-Air Street system employs sensors inside the vest’s shoulder areas close to the rider’s body that work in conjunction with the main control unit and sensor inside a water-resistant casing built into the vest’s back protector

Alpinestars made sure that the Tech-Air Street Airbag System is simple, convenient, and easy to use. For example, because the system is built into the vest that attaches to the compatible jacket, activating the system is done by simply zipping up the jacket; no fumbling with switches or buttons with gloved hands. Like the Tech-Air Race system, riders can check that the system is activated by the LED display located on the left sleeve.

The system’s lithium ion battery pack offers 25 hours of continuous use with an approximate six-hour charge, and a convenient micro USB charger allows four hours of riding time with a one-hour charge.

The Tech-Air Street Airbag Vest system is set to debut in Europe in the spring of 2015, with its US introduction scheduled for a later date. No price was available at post time.

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