Everything about motorcycle airbags: approval, performance, protection ...

Wired, radio-controlled, autonomous

0,1% of bikers would be equipped. So what are you waiting for?

To say that the first airbags date back to the early 90s! And the first motorcycle airbags appeared in 1995. Nearly thirty years later, if a standard exists, the technical differences will not be obvious to everyone, and there are as many differences between the two airbags as there are between them. electronics. And although most cars are equipped with an airbag, it is 99% part of a biker's outfit. The first airbags have changed a lot, both in terms of quality and comfort, protection and deployment speed.

Protection criteria: neck, coccyx, back, chest, abdomen ...

When we talk about airbags, we mean protection. But not everyone protects equally. Some airbags only protect the back, others protect the back and chest, and still others from the neck to the tailbone, as well as the chest, abdomen or even ribs.

The amount of air in the pillows is an additional indicator, along with the pressure, everything from single to triple.

And knowing that the total fill time needs to be as short as possible, actually less than 80ms to be most effective, not all provide the same or fast protection. In fact, it takes more than 30 liters to inflate 13 liters. And you should measure the final pressure in the airbag in question, knowing that everything will also depend on the capacity of the gas cartridges. Because it is the latter pressure that will determine the ability to truly protect. It will also affect the duration of the defense after hitting.

To simplify the overall complexity, front and rear airbags often materialize as separate front and rear airbags; This means that front and rear performance differs both in terms of inflation time and protection or certification.

Then there is the comfort offered on a day to day basis to make it a piece of equipment that we enjoy wearing. We're talking about the ease of putting it on, but also the comfort it feels when wearing it. Because the space occupied by some airbags (in particular the electronic part) causes discomfort on a daily basis, especially when compared to a standard jacket. Not forgetting about ease of use, that is, about the fact of switching on and off, not forgetting about the battery life of the system before recharging (electronics requires power).

Finally, price is an element to consider knowing that prices have dropped from € 370 and that some are offering the price as a monthly subscription. It's about the base price. Because some models need to be checked at regular intervals; usually every two years (cost: € 119 for a Hi Airbag). And even more so, when the airbag played a role in the fall, overhauls, rearmament, repair or replacement do not have the same price from one brand to another. For example, Alpinestars charges € 499.

Detailed market overview of this special motorcycle airbag file in which we only mention systems intended for on-road use. Step out of leather suits like the Dainese D-Air Racing. Yet it is on MotoGP that the most tests are carried out, the riders are equipped, regularly testing them in emergency conditions.

Airbag usefulness

So, let's take an inventory of 5 points. The first question we can legitimately ask is this: Is a motorcycle airbag good for anything?

Apart from demos and videos filmed by manufacturers, which usually show a biker (or a scooter on the steering wheel of an old Taiwanese used car that ends up in an accident) is about to get into the car and which, after a pleasant (?) Roll and roll, comes out unscathed, some answers can be found in a study carried out by IFSTTAR (French Institute of Science and Technology for Transport, Planning and Networks) on “Improving the protection of motorcyclists with an airbag vest”.

1. You can't fall on a motorcycle (but you can't!)

What does this IFSTTAR report say? By studying accident configurations and types of injuries in both real life situations and in digital simulations, IFSTTAR has already made it possible to distinguish between the most common injuries and the most serious injuries. Falling on a motorcycle is more likely to injure your legs and lower limbs (63%), as well as your arms and upper limbs (45%), but fortunately, the injury will not have a lasting impact. Nice plaster autographed by your friends and it disappeared like 40 (well, that expression). Unfortunately, nothing can be done about such falls, except, perhaps, driving a BMW C1 and, in the case of cardboard, stay grouped on the steering wheel.

The medical world has its own injury scoring table: AIS (Abbreviated Injury Scale). On a scale of 1 (minor injury) to 6 (maximum injury).

IFSTTAR were interested in AIS level 4 and higher injuries, which are called least "Severe": in 50% of cases they occur in the chest, then in the head (44%), then in the abdominal cavity (11%). and, finally, on the spine (10%). Knowing that in the event of a collision with an obstacle on speed of 60 km / h, the torso is subjected to a shock equivalent to falling from the third floor, the moral of this story is simple: it is necessary to protect the head and body. bust in priority ... Remember that in the event of an impact, the whiplash effect and its consequences on the cervical vertebrae are exacerbated by the weight of the helmet.

IFSTTAR also showed that 71% of the injuries suffered by bikers are from another vehicle. In these situations and in more than 80% of the cases, the motorcycle hits from the front, and in the event of an accident in front of the car, the impact point is more than 37% at the level of the vehicle's optics. .. Car, at the junction of the hood and fender. Thus, the unfortunate person has every chance of bouncing off the windshield. Second kiss Cool effect: and bam, in the teeth! (moral: I prefer a full helmet to a jet one).

Another determining factor: in the event of a collision with a vehicle at a speed of over 40 km / h, the first impact occurs within 90 milliseconds. It is twofold: a head with a vehicle, and a basin with solid parts of a motorcycle ... At this stage of reading you can get into a deep depression and the temptation to put your motorcycle for sale in order to devote yourself completely to macrame, your new passion. So stay, the rest might interest you ...

2. Airbag certification: CE, EN 1621-4 standard and SRA 3 *** stars.

Let's put the idea aside already: the CE marking that must be present on safety equipment does not predict its level of performance: CE marked products guarantee compliance with specifications and therefore a minimum level of protection. Essentially, this is not enough to differentiate between products and the different levels of protection they have to offer.

CE certification simply allows you to state that the equipment in question complies with directive 89/686 / EEC, which lists YOU (individual protection means); this is an administrative and technical certificate. This CE certificate can be issued by various notified laboratories. Basically, the CE mark confirms that your equipment has been approved for placing on the market as protective equipment.

In France, the only body authorized to approve motorcycle airbags is CRITT, based in Chatellerault (86), the certification body for sports and entertainment equipment. CRITT takes into account two criteria: the speed at which the system becomes available (detection, activation and inflation, which should be less than 200 milliseconds) and the achievement of the minimum level of air pressure in the system, the airbag vest. CRITT believes that the measuring point should be located opposite the device (gas cylinder and hammer) of the system.

After CRITT approval, the SRA intervenes by marking the airbags, mainly according to their rate of deployment. Therefore, we will not be surprised to see that radio-controlled mechanisms receive the highest ratings.

Please note that the European standard defines the certification of airbags: this is the EN 1621-4 standard. It was finally adopted on June 20, 2018. This does not prevent various experts from questioning his methodology, which is to ensure the level of pressure achieved with a single trigger experiment, captured by the camera. However, the pressure inside the airbag is also important, not just the visual aspect of the final inflation. The same pressure should be the same everywhere in order to avoid the fact that when pressed in one place the pillow inflates more in another place and contracts too much at the point of impact. This is what Dainese claims with its internal filament system, which ensures uniform inflation and pressure at all points,

mark	Model	Trigger	DEF	inflation tps	Емкость	Pressure	SRA	Price *
AllShot	Airv1	wired	Neck, back and chest	0,1 with	1 star	€ 380
Allshot	Airv2	wired	Neck, back and chest	0,1 with	1 star	€ 380
Allshot	ShieldB	wired	Neck, back and chest	100 ms	2 stars	€ 570
AllShot	Bumper	wired	Neck, back and chest	80 ms	3 stars	650 €
Alpinestars	Tech'Air Race / Street	electronic	Neck, back and chest	25 ms	1149 €
Bering	Protect’Air	electronic	Neck, back and chest	3 stars
Bering	C-Protect’Air	wired	Neck, back, tailbone and chest	0,1 with	2 stars	€ 370
Dainese	D-Air Street	electronic	Neck, back and chest	45 ms	3 stars
helite	Turtle2	wired	Back, neck, chest, ribs, pelvis and abdomen	100 ms	2 stars	€ 560
Hello airbag	Unite	electronic	Neck, back, tailbone, hips, sides	80 ms	2 stars	750 euro
Ikson	IX-Airbag U03	electronic	Neck, back, chest, abdomen, collarbone	55 ms	5 stars	Vest 399 € + box 399 €
Motorcycle	MAB V2	wired	Neck, back, chest, abdomen, tailbone	80 ms	3 stars	699 euro

Prices are indicative and are based on average prices found online.

3. Various types of motorcycle airbags: wired, radio-controlled and autonomous.

There are currently 3 motorcycle airbag technologies: wired, radio-controlled and autonomous. Each of these systems must solve the same equation: minimize the time to reach maximum protection. This moment is associated with the sum of three parameters: the time of the accident detection + the time of the system activation + the time of inflation of the specified airbag. And the faster it works, the more effective it is. And after a while it becomes practically useless. In fact, no more than 80 ms should elapse between the detection time and the full fill time. This is very short, not to mention that not everyone thinks the same.

3-1. Wired airbags

The principle is simple: the airbag must be wired to a part of the motorcycle (manufacturers recommend that this be a frame loop on the front of the saddle). Any impact causes a sudden break in the wire connection with the airbag (a force of more than 30 kg must be applied: this does not allow distracted people to get out of the motorcycle without looking up from taking the airbag in the face), which causes instantaneous deployment. system activation. The striker releases the gas contained in the cartridge and the airbag inflates.

The problem, which is at the same time one of the keys to successful protection, is, first of all, the detection time. The looser and longer the thread, the higher it will be. At the same time, an airbag attached to a motorcycle must nevertheless leave enough freedom for the driver to perform multiple movements both while driving and in certain situations such as U-turns and paying passengers. And we dare not think of trailers that, in certain situations, drive on the footpegs. It is for these reasons that some argue that wired airbags are better suited for sliding falls than head-on impacts. In fact, detection times are particularly difficult to measure in the case of a wired airbag.

Japanese company Hit Air pioneered motorcycle airbags, with a wired product patented in 1995 and marketed in 1998. Today, companies such as AllShot and Helite also offer wired airbags. Allshot sells a vest that is technically very close to the Hit Air system, while Helite distributes a wider range, including a trail jacket or a leather jacket. Spidi also offers a vest with a wire that inflates in 200ms. MotoAirbag manufacturer offers a motorcycle vest with two airbags, one in the front and one in the back, where the two triggers are activated by the same cable. This is an evolution of their airbag to provide increased protection, their first airbag in 2010 originally offered protection only at the back. So they have EN1621 / 4 certified airbags from 2013 and SRA 3 *** from 2017. This is the same MotoAirbag technology that Clover still uses in its wired airbags (one as an outer vest, the other fits on the outside of the brand's jacket). MotoAirbag requires a response time of 80ms. The latest addition to this segment, Bering also offers a cable model with a response time of 100ms.

3-2. Radio controlled airbags

This system is closest to car airbags, as it is a device attached to a motorcycle that detects an impact and sends a signal to deploy the airbag, with the difference that this signal is radio controlled. There are two players in this market: Bering and Dainese.

In Beringge, air protection consists of two sensors (one detects shocks, the other falls) and an electronic unit mounted on a motorcycle. Installation must be carried out by a specialized technician. The box displays a light signal when the pilot is wearing the Protect Air vest (which must be powered by two batteries). The system detects an accident within 30 milliseconds, and the airbag is deployed less than 0,8ms after the impact. The Bering vest has back protection, so it is not recommended to wear it with a jacket. Bering has published a list of compatible motorcycles; those that are not installed due to lack of space to accommodate the sensors or "vibrational behavior that can disrupt the operation of the sensors." While the vast majority of the fleet can be equipped, the Suzuki GS 500 or Ducati 1100 Monster are excluded from the system. The Bering airbag has a volume of 18 liters .

At Dainese, the D-Air system usually works according to the same logic as at Bering. There are three sensors: one under the drop seat and one on each bump fork tube. An LCD screen attached to the steering wheel controls the operation of the entire system. Inflation is activated by an electronic signal that sends 12 liters through two gas cylinders. The response time is only 45 milliseconds, making this system the fastest on the market ... On the other hand, it should be noted that all D-Air equipment is installed at the back, above the coccyx. Unlike Bering, which only offers a vest, Dainese also offers a jacket. The Dainese airbag has a volume of 12 liters .

Radio-controlled systems also have limitations: they require you to verify that the BC is powered by batteries in good working order. And this quite logically creates problems in the event of a motorcycle being sold and protection in the event of the inaccessibility of his personal car (breakdown, overhaul, etc.). Finally, the possible reliability of electronics may still be of concern to some users.

However, it is interesting to note that mainstream motorcycle players are beginning to take an interest in the airbag issue. For example, the 1300 Yamaha FJR2016 was pre-equipped for the Dainese D-Air, following a similar initiative from Peugeot with its 400 Metropolis.

3-3. Autonomous airbags

As the names suggest, autonomous airbags are not connected or linked by sensors on the motorcycle. They combine the entire device in their design: accelerometer and gyroscope, drummer, gas cylinder.

Hi-Airbag Connect claimed to have invented the first airbag vest without sensors or cables. There is nothing wrong with that as long as you define the words used correctly, because Alpinestars is ahead of them; not with the outer vest itself, but rather with the inner vest called Tech-Air. It can be worn with two types of clothing from transalpine manufacturers: the Valparaiso, the Trail & Touring jacket, and the Road & Roadster style Viper jacket. Tech-Air is installed in the back protector; its sensors detect an accident in 30-60 milliseconds and pump up the system in 25 milliseconds. The system has 25 hours of battery life; one hour of charging gives 4 hours of battery life, and the indicator lights on the left sleeve allow

According to the creators of Hi-Airbag Connect, the detection time is breaking new records: only 20 milliseconds. On the other hand, the filling time is long, since 100 ms is required, which provides an optimal level of protection between 120 and 140 ms. The autonomy of the vest is 50 hours, and its sensors are charged from the USB connector. All kinematics are fixed at the bottom of the spine.

With the Milan 1000, Dainese entered the autonomous airbag market in 2015, but this time in the form of a rather distinctive racing jacket. Dinez did not report on the rate at which the trigger was detected and fired, but clarified that his jacket's algorithm calculates the dynamics of the biker 800 times per second. Ixon Inmotion announces calculation 1000 times per second.

Thereafter, the calculation of speed will not be the same for all airbags and will in any case be insufficient to estimate the airbag. An airbag with less power inflates faster but provides less protection because it provides less protection. You should also see the areas of the body that the airbag protects.

4. Insurance

Obviously, insurance plays an important role in maintaining a motorcycle's airbag. For now, the role of some companies is limited to reimbursing the cost of a system in the event of a disaster without obsolescence or depreciation over time. Some companies will reimburse 10 to 20% of the purchase price (and box installation in the case of a radio controlled system).

Currently, no company is offering premium reductions to airbag bikers. But some insurers sometimes carry out special operations for a particular brand.

It is now up to you to decide what to do with your insurer when the change of company has been facilitated by consumption laws.

5. To the airbag community? To an ideal system?

Everyone involved with airbags is certainly right in talking to us about the same thing: users must be aware of the need for protection. After that, it becomes obvious that everyone is in favor of their own chapel and their own technologies. Jean-Claude Allali and Alain Benguigi of Airbag Connect argue that the limitation is a brake on the introduction of new technology that favors a self-contained airbag, while Jean-Marc Ferré of Allshot swears customers are reassured by their attachment to the thread.

For his part, Helite's Stefan Nisol offers his own interpretation of the problem. Current standards lag behind technology, he said, as they estimate the speed to produce a certain airbag pressure at the back, while according to IFSTTAR, serious bumps logically occur on the front side of the hull. This is why Helite has developed Turtle technology, consisting of back protection that automatically protects the back, while the airbag system's priority action is to protect the chest and neck first. Unfortunately, this system is less well classified by CRITT and SRA, whereas according to the manufacturer, it would be more effective in terms of protection against accidents.

Therefore, all manufacturers must be seated at the table in order to succeed in creating a kind of trade union chamber that would agree on the final - and indisputable - form of certification, which seems unlikely to us at the moment, since the current players advocate different proposals. when they didn't go through the same companies before developing their own projects ... Feud? But no…

If an airbag is undoubtedly a plus in terms of active safety, it is clear that the ideal system does not yet exist. Depending on your use and the amount of city traffic (and assuming a small town rider is less likely to have a head-on collision?), You have all the elements to make your choice. Not everyone is created equal; the same goes for refueling or refurbishment prices, which range from less than € 20 to over € 500, while some ask for € 200 to be revised every two years, like at Alpinestars.

However, the total deployment time of the airbag, its ability to protect (neck, back, chest, tailbone, abdomen, etc.) and block the neck, and pay attention to the location must be considered. devices. For the same reason, we did not use the Spidi Neck DPS, which in our opinion provides too partial protection, because it is located only in the center of the back, even if it is better to have partial protection than no protection. And the neck protection is well shown off-road, like the Alpinestars BNS Pro.

The world of motorcycle airbags is evolving rapidly. Manufacturers do not want to give numbers, but some hope to sell 1500 units a year, while others estimate the share of equipped bikers at 0,1%. All agree on one thing: it's impossible to make it mandatory. “Some bikers are already having a hard time getting them to understand that they need to ride with gloves,” says the manufacturer. "We are at the beginning of history, we must show pedagogy."

Conclusion

The democratization of the airbag will come at the expense of affordable price, comfort (less weight, ease of donning, forgetting about what someone will wear) and ease of daily use (in particular, starting and extinguishing).

Wired airbags

Hit Air Range

• Children's vest KM: 355 €
• Reflective vest: 485 €
• High visibility vest: 522 €
• Covering vest: 445 € *
• Jacket: 660 €
• Summer jacket: 528 €

Allshot range

• Vest with zip AIRV1: from 399 €
• Vest AIRV2 with buckles: from 419 €
• Shield: from 549 €

Helite assortment

• Airnest vest: from 449 €
• Turtle and Turtle 2 Vest (from February 2019): from 549 €
• City jacket: 679 €
• Touring Jacket: 699 € *
• Leather jacket: 799 €

Fast range

• Neck vest DPS: from 429,90 €
• Venture Neck DPS jacket: from € 699,90

MotoAirbag range

• Front and back vest: 799 euros.

Clover range

• Complete vest (inner): 428 euros
• Vest set (external): 428 €
• GTS Airbag Jacket: 370 €

Bering range

• C-Protect Air: 399,90 €
• CO2 cartridge: 29,90 €

Radio controlled airbags

Bering radio-controlled training ground

• Protect Air: 899 € with box installed

Dainese radio-controlled shooting range

• D-Air Street vest: 1298 € with hinged case
• D-Air Street jacket: 2098 € with carry case

Autonomous airbags

Hi-Airbag range

• Hi-Airbag Connect: 859 €

Alpinestars range

• Tech-Air Vest (Road and Race versions): € 1199
• Jacket Viper: 349,95 €
• Valparaison jacket: 649.95 €

Dainese range

• Leather jacket Milano 1000: 1499 €
• D-Air jacket (available in ladies' version)

Ixon / Inemotion range

• Ixon IX-UO3 airbag