FreeRyde
The Curmudgeon
An airbag vest? Like one of those fancy things Moto-GP riders are wearing now? Or are they just for stuffy BMW riders? Well, in fact, all of the above and more!
From the Helite website: “Protecting as many people as possible from serious injuries” is their primary mission. Helite has been around since 2001, but is rather new here to the United States. Having spent a few years living and working in Europe I got accustomed to seeing airbag vests around, from scooter riders to track riders. Granted, the motorcycle culture is much more safety oriented across the pond. But this begs the question, why aren’t we (riders in the U.S.)?
After surviving a near death accident this past January out in Texas, I became a far more safety conscious rider. Granted, I have always worn gear head to toe but there is always room for improvement. In steps the Helite Airbag Vest, since I already own a fancy hi-viz Aerostich with no desire to replace it with anything else, the vest could be the perfect addition to my gear closet. Chatting with Nichole (Helite Rep) after a demonstration she gave, I presented her with an idea of loaning me a vest for a week or so as I was participating in a 24 hour Mini Moto race with a few friends. She talked it over with her boss and a few days later I had a loaner vest to destroy! (unpaid review folks, nor did I get to keep the vest) I tried to give them fair warning that in a mini moto race the chances of a lowside or three are pretty high… and the vest would probably be returned with holes. For whatever reason, they didn’t have an issue with this.
Once I got my hands on the vest I instantly attached the tether to my trusty SV650 commute rat bike. A nice hook and loop design which you fasten under your saddle, simple 5 minute install on any motorcycle. The tether clips into the vest and off you go. As many of you are wondering, yes, I hopped off the bike the first time and forgot to unclip the vest. No, it didn’t explode and send me flying across the street. The mechanism requires 60lbs of force to trigger the large CO2 cartridge. That’s quite a pull, so don’t worry about forgetting to unclip.
The vest itself is made of a cordura like material on the outside (think sturdy material like an Aerostich) and the inside is thick padded mesh to aid in ventilation. There are three buckles securing the vest, which are large and easy to snap even with thick fingered gloves. The icing on the cake for me is the built in Knox spine guard, protect those vertebra!
Flash forward a week or so and we are at the races. The vest fits nicely over any piece of gear, as it is easily adjustable via six velcro tabs. It had to be marginally snugged up over my leathers, compared to the frumpy frump of the Roadcrafter. It was a pleasant 103 degrees at Willow Springs International Raceway the day of our race, with the vest over my leathers I expected it to inhibit some of the airflow. I am very happy to report that it did none of the above, since the vest fits a bit loose (to allow for inflation room) the air circulates and allows your gear underneath to breath!
On my third stint out, I had a tasty lowside while diving into a corner chasing a Honda Grom. It was so quick I couldn’t react, thankfully the vest did. Leaning over on a mini moto, you are practically on the ground as is. The vest inflates within 100ms of the tether being pulled, so before I hit the ground I was protected. After coming to a complete stop, the bike and I had slid for probably 20 or so feet. The entire way I slid on my back, legs up like an awkward little turtle. I tried to jump up, but the vest was still fully inflated. My feet could not get good footing and my arms were raised off the ground. After floundering about for a few seconds I rolled over and crawled for off the track. Hopped back on the bike and rode into the pits for a tech inspection and rider change. Soon after arriving in the pits another racer and photographer came up and asked “Are you alright? That looked like it hurt!” Folks had been crashing all day and night, as this was a mini moto race. But rarely does someone come up and ask if you are ok, that must have been a good one! “This crash surely left some marks on the vest” I said to myself, but alas no visible signs of impact. Even my leathers were all scuffed up! Swapped out the used cartridge for a new one, which takes about 3 whole minutes to do with a hex key, and the vest was ready for another stint. If this isn’t a quality garment, I’m not sure what is.
I’ve been asked a few times, “Would you recommend it to a friend?” Absolutely, yes. As someone who has rather recently rolled down a desolate interstate 470 feet, I am confident that this vest would have lessened the pain and injuries I received, and the face plant in the mini
moto race could have ended badly as well.
Now the $600 dollar price tag could seem a bit steep in some people’s minds, understandably so. But this vest is completely reusable and requires no repacking of material, just a simple CO2 cartridge swap. Also, this vest is not simply for a racer/track rider, in my mind this is the perfect piece of gear for a commuter, maybe the most important piece of gear (besides helmet) as it protects and cushions your vital organs and spine. No jacket or one piece suit can provide the level of protection that this vest does, in my opinion.
Check them out! Helite Airbag Vests and Jackets
From the Helite website: “Protecting as many people as possible from serious injuries” is their primary mission. Helite has been around since 2001, but is rather new here to the United States. Having spent a few years living and working in Europe I got accustomed to seeing airbag vests around, from scooter riders to track riders. Granted, the motorcycle culture is much more safety oriented across the pond. But this begs the question, why aren’t we (riders in the U.S.)?
After surviving a near death accident this past January out in Texas, I became a far more safety conscious rider. Granted, I have always worn gear head to toe but there is always room for improvement. In steps the Helite Airbag Vest, since I already own a fancy hi-viz Aerostich with no desire to replace it with anything else, the vest could be the perfect addition to my gear closet. Chatting with Nichole (Helite Rep) after a demonstration she gave, I presented her with an idea of loaning me a vest for a week or so as I was participating in a 24 hour Mini Moto race with a few friends. She talked it over with her boss and a few days later I had a loaner vest to destroy! (unpaid review folks, nor did I get to keep the vest) I tried to give them fair warning that in a mini moto race the chances of a lowside or three are pretty high… and the vest would probably be returned with holes. For whatever reason, they didn’t have an issue with this.
Once I got my hands on the vest I instantly attached the tether to my trusty SV650 commute rat bike. A nice hook and loop design which you fasten under your saddle, simple 5 minute install on any motorcycle. The tether clips into the vest and off you go. As many of you are wondering, yes, I hopped off the bike the first time and forgot to unclip the vest. No, it didn’t explode and send me flying across the street. The mechanism requires 60lbs of force to trigger the large CO2 cartridge. That’s quite a pull, so don’t worry about forgetting to unclip.
The vest itself is made of a cordura like material on the outside (think sturdy material like an Aerostich) and the inside is thick padded mesh to aid in ventilation. There are three buckles securing the vest, which are large and easy to snap even with thick fingered gloves. The icing on the cake for me is the built in Knox spine guard, protect those vertebra!
Flash forward a week or so and we are at the races. The vest fits nicely over any piece of gear, as it is easily adjustable via six velcro tabs. It had to be marginally snugged up over my leathers, compared to the frumpy frump of the Roadcrafter. It was a pleasant 103 degrees at Willow Springs International Raceway the day of our race, with the vest over my leathers I expected it to inhibit some of the airflow. I am very happy to report that it did none of the above, since the vest fits a bit loose (to allow for inflation room) the air circulates and allows your gear underneath to breath!
On my third stint out, I had a tasty lowside while diving into a corner chasing a Honda Grom. It was so quick I couldn’t react, thankfully the vest did. Leaning over on a mini moto, you are practically on the ground as is. The vest inflates within 100ms of the tether being pulled, so before I hit the ground I was protected. After coming to a complete stop, the bike and I had slid for probably 20 or so feet. The entire way I slid on my back, legs up like an awkward little turtle. I tried to jump up, but the vest was still fully inflated. My feet could not get good footing and my arms were raised off the ground. After floundering about for a few seconds I rolled over and crawled for off the track. Hopped back on the bike and rode into the pits for a tech inspection and rider change. Soon after arriving in the pits another racer and photographer came up and asked “Are you alright? That looked like it hurt!” Folks had been crashing all day and night, as this was a mini moto race. But rarely does someone come up and ask if you are ok, that must have been a good one! “This crash surely left some marks on the vest” I said to myself, but alas no visible signs of impact. Even my leathers were all scuffed up! Swapped out the used cartridge for a new one, which takes about 3 whole minutes to do with a hex key, and the vest was ready for another stint. If this isn’t a quality garment, I’m not sure what is.
I’ve been asked a few times, “Would you recommend it to a friend?” Absolutely, yes. As someone who has rather recently rolled down a desolate interstate 470 feet, I am confident that this vest would have lessened the pain and injuries I received, and the face plant in the mini
moto race could have ended badly as well.
Now the $600 dollar price tag could seem a bit steep in some people’s minds, understandably so. But this vest is completely reusable and requires no repacking of material, just a simple CO2 cartridge swap. Also, this vest is not simply for a racer/track rider, in my mind this is the perfect piece of gear for a commuter, maybe the most important piece of gear (besides helmet) as it protects and cushions your vital organs and spine. No jacket or one piece suit can provide the level of protection that this vest does, in my opinion.
Check them out! Helite Airbag Vests and Jackets
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