Air Bag Vest

[menzies3032]

Hi All

You might not be aware but it seems that the airbag vest is catching on and is taking the world by storm. With out any shadow of a doubt our own lovely Shammy has lead the way and has tested the product for us. But now others are taking the plunge. I have now bought mine, you will also see Shooey has now got one and I think i might have even sold the dream to our own Mr Billinom8s......

They are not cheap but ask yourself whats the value of your life if things start going wrong when at the track.

Check out this video where i offer my review of the vest.

https://youtu.be/oA6-2RmWZKU

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[billinom8s]

it's funny how attitudes change.

When we first mentioned airvests and riding on road/track with them about 5 years ago, couldn't get any one to take it seriously, even approached TD companies with a view to renting them out to riders but they thought that the insurance side of things would have been too complicated with such a new product and that people would be pulling the discharge cord at the end of the day just for fun.

fast forward and now look, they'll sell one to anyone!

[shammy666]

How can you really do a review of what an airbag vest does until you’ve tested it properly firsthand

I’d like to see more wearing these on track as I know the benefits first hand. They are not overly expensive to have serviced and repaired either.

These are worth spending on folks

[Dan_RR]

How can you really do a review of what an airbag vest does until you’ve tested it properly firsthand

I’d like to see more wearing these on track as I know the benefits first hand. They are not overly expensive to have serviced and repaired either.

These are worth spending on folks

So have you had one go off in a crash? What was it like? I know when I had a car airbag go off I S*** myself and thought it was on fire from all dust that was falling all over me lol, I know it's not the same but what I mean is until you experience it you might surprise yourself when it goes off.

Will watch Rob's video, if it's as good as you say might invest next year if I get into the track days seriously.

[shammy666]

How can you really do a review of what an airbag vest does until you’ve tested it properly firsthand

I’d like to see more wearing these on track as I know the benefits first hand. They are not overly expensive to have serviced and repaired either.

These are worth spending on folks

So have you had one go off in a crash? What was it like? I know when I had a car airbag go off I S*** myself and thought it was on fire from all dust that was falling all over me lol, I know it's not the same but what I mean is until you experience it you might surprise yourself when it goes off.

Will watch Rob's video, if it's as good as you say might invest next year if I get into the track days seriously.

Have tested this twice Dan_RR

1 - highside out of Lodge at Oulton in the wet - didn’t feel it go off TBH, felt like I was on inflatable furniture sliding on my back over the tarmac to the grass. Got up and walked away. No aches to speak off just few bruises, convinced from damage to lid I’d have done something nasty if I wasn’t wearing this, no neck ache either as the vest comes up at the side to reduce lateral movement. Reset vest and went back out for race 2. No damage to vest other than small tear near to the trigger mechanism.

2 - highside at Croft coming out of the chicane, again in the wet. This time face planted the tarmac and slid starfish stylee. Again didn’t feel it go off, too busy going #@%# my bike Scuffed the leather where the canister was and bigger tear to the leather round the trigger bit. Again got up and walked away, again no real injuries other than bruises.

Can be a bit weird getting up as they deflate quite slowly so probably look a bit like a weeble

Had it serviced and repaired for less than £100 and wouldn’t ride without one now.

[menzies3032]

This is the reason we bought one as Shammy was our official SWB tester

[menzies3032]

Just wanted to add to this post as I see that the You Tube Creator "Fortnine" has just made a great video about Airbag vests for the road that is really worth a watch.

https://youtu.be/N2jZryt607U

His review is about the road versions, my review is about the track version either way if your thinking of getting one I have a £50 off code that you can use to help you get one a bit cheaper.

Personally I will now no longer go on track without one and I knw Shammy still uses hers but also in the other camp I know Shooey used to have a Helite vest but was unhappy with its low side protection so has gone for an under suit electronic trigger version with sholder protection as well.

Either way as we now head into 2021 riding season these are great videos to watch and maybe you might want to get your self a bit of protection.

Enjoy.

[Kata]

I've just had my collar bone plate removed (apart from a couple of screws) and some surgery on my shoulder to make room for my tendons. Surgeon found about a penny size section of cartilage missing which he thinks was caused by my crash 6 years ago. Definitely thinking of an airbag now.

Seen FortNines video and it does seem a teathered one is good but I'd definitely want shoulder protection.

Interesting point about low siding. Dunno about that.

[menzies3032]

Kata just to start..... Ouch.... that sounds seriously painful and not nice

if your going shopping then dont forget the discount code as will get you £50 off.

[Kata]

The helite bags don't seem to protect shoulders. Apparently Alpine Stars have a t-shirt type insert for their kit. Be good if it was cheaper.

[menzies3032]

Dont think its cheaper its a lot more expensive and an electric trigger but if your interested might want to have a chat with Shooey as I bought one last year.

[banjo]

Never really considerd an air bag vest till now,always thought of them as being more for high speed crashes (and expensive ) but whilst in the Alps a couple of weeks ago one of our group had a fairly low speed crash and was airlifted off with a broken back and severed spine resulting in life changing injuries. Obviously we will never know if an air bag vest would have prevented the severity of the injury but there is a good chance it would have. Time maybe to consider one. I gues the trouble is if you have one and don't wear it all the time when you need it will be the time you've left it at home. I saw one in action on the off road trails we did when the person in front of me stopped missed his footing and fell off he didn't like not being able to breathe fora few seconds

[menzies3032]

Banjo you now have better option available to you than when i bought mine.
My GP Air is a great airbag vest and great for high side protection on track but i cant use it for the road as it is designed for a race position and digs in the back of my neck if it sit upright.

I am seriously considering either a textile airbag jacket from Helite for the road or going for one of their road airbag vests as i always concerned about trying to keep myself safe incase the worst should happen.

The other option you now also have are the full one piece leathers with the airbag built in that are also electronically controlled. I have seen first hand how good these are when i was following "black and gold" when he came off at Brands Hatch. walked away without a single bruise after a nasty high side. the bit that's great about the built in airbag protection is that you get shoulder and side protection for low sides the vests are very focused on front and back.

If you are shopping for a vest my discount code is still valid and will get you £50 off.
http://lovelifeandride.refr.cc/robertmenzies

Hope this helps

[Robbo87]

Never really considerd an air bag vest till now,always thought of them as being more for high speed crashes (and expensive ) but whilst in the Alps a couple of weeks ago one of our group had a fairly low speed crash and was airlifted off with a broken back and severed spine resulting in life changing injuries. Obviously we will never know if an air bag vest would have prevented the severity of the injury but there is a good chance it would have. Time maybe to consider one. I gues the trouble is if you have one and don't wear it all the time when you need it will be the time you've left it at home. I saw one in action on the off road trails we did when the person in front of me stopped missed his footing and fell off he didn't like not being able to breathe fora few seconds

Sad to hear about your riding buddy in the Alps banjo, I hope he/she makes the best recovery possible.
I very nearly suffered the same injury(s) many moons ago while racing sidecars; I almost certainly would have done if I hadn't been wearing a back protector. They were a pretty new thing at the time and the one I had on was very basic (it was 1980) and it wasn't the 'full body' style available nowadays, but it was probably what saved me from a wheelchair, or worse. I've religiously worn one ever since, either racing or, when I gave that up, on the road - you won't see me without one. I'm talking about the separate back protectors, not the integral to the jacket sort. In my opinion, a full CE-2 back protector is the very least a road rider should have in the way of body armour.