[Stu Pedaso]

OK, so we have this new client that developed a moto vest that has co2 cartridges in it. I have not seen how it actually connects to the bike, or what causes it to deploy yet. But as soon as you go airborne, the vest inflates. Its a pretty nice looking piece of gear, and I was wondering what your thoughts were on something like that.....

 

[Guest]

Yeah, I think I saw something on the discovery channel... something about inventions, or some sh!t like that. It won't help your cranium... :-/

 

[jiro]

I was lucky enough to see a demo first hand.

The inflatable vest is literary a vest and has no sleeves. The demonstrator wore it on top of a long sleeve shirt and blew it up a few times. The vest is supposed to fully inflate within like 0.3 seconds, but a couple times the demo vest took about 0.5 seconds or longer to inflate. Is it reliable?

The CO2 is released when a cable (hooked to the bike) yanks the trigger valve on the capsule - just like how a grenade goes off. You have to hook yourself to the cable when you get on the bike and unhook yourself when you get off (otherwise "KABOOM").

Now, I was thinking, this thing inflates quite a bit. The cushion looked like about 3 inches. I don't know if it has enough space to inflate inside my riding jacket that already has quite a bit of protective armor. Then again, I'm not that skinny... Wearing the vest on top of a jacket is possible, but you know, a vest on top of a jacket just doesn't look good.

 

[Guest]

I have heard about this balloon vest. I think it hooks up like a kill switch on a Jet Ski; only instead of killing the engine it blows up the jacket.

 

[Devil_Omega]

Its the egg parka, think they call it hit air jacket now -->

http://www.hit-air.com/english/main.html

 

[OHRaider]

I can barely remember to take off my disk locks! I'd be poppin this vest every time I got off the bike.

 

[T-BOOGIE]

I can barely remember to take off my disk locks!

 

[AlexB]

I Dainese was working on something like this weren't they? except that it was supposed to have some sort of logic (computer doo-dads..) to intelligently assess when a rider is in danger, and not just an attach-cord

 

[Stu Pedaso]

pretty soon there will be a big bubble that you ride inside- kinda like the bubble boy. That way you can ride in the rain, and riding naked wont be a problem on those hot summer days.
I will look on Monday to see what the name of the company is and the website. I am feeling too lazy to google.

Thanks Don for moving my poorly placed topic. Small mistakes like that is how I ended up at the donkey show instead of the *****-orgy :-[

 

[Guest]

Face it, Loki. You like donkeys.

 

[hogkrazy]

a few years back there was a picture in one of the mags that had anew safety cycle. basically a welded steel tube that went from the botom of the frame over the top of the bike to the other side and down to the opposite side of the frame. Jeez talk about the original sliders. At some point inflateable full body condoms , er .. i mean suits will probably be mandated ;D

 

[hogkrazy]

oops almost forgot, loki what time is the ***** -orgy, don't want to be late

 

[Guest]

Dianese had something on their website a while ago, showed a video and all, no cord for theirs it was computer controlled somehow. The thing didn't look bulky...plus it had a nice design. Just a vest, Probably thinking "A broken arm you can get over....collapsed lungs, broken ribs, severed spine...not so much." Leathers aren't gonna do much if you catch a stop sign or tree doing 40mph....cept keep the mess in one nice package. Can't remember if it was coming out soon or what...and I can just imagine the cost

 

[mitt]

...althought it would suck to have it go off accidentally...crusing by some girls and poof....your the michellin man.,,,**** :-[

Or while your are riding 2 up, and it goes off and ejects your passenger onto the pavement?

mitt

 

[ducatania]

I read somewhere that it wasn't going to be avail.

in the US any time soon. Too many liability issues.

Can't remember if it was coming out soon or what...and I can just imagine the cost

 

[ewolnosaj]

Hey it would be great if you were riding near water..... I think the deployment options is the issue, would you want an air bag that would deploy if you forgot to shut it off before getting out of the car?

Also, would 0.3s be fast enough? What does a car airbag do for speed, anyone know? My math may be wrong but at 100mph wuouldn't I have already traveled 44ft before it was deployed (0.3s)!?

 

[AlexB]

here's a link to an article about the Dainese vest.. the article is pretty old and the videos don't seem to work...

http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mcbeware/inflate.html

(actually, I just got the second video to work... it's hit or miss for me.)

 

[Stu Pedaso]

here is the link to the company that we are doing the display for: http://www.airvest.net/

 

[rottentemp]

Similar idea from Spidi in a full jacket. Interesting concept. Since we do live in a world sterilized for our own protection, stuff like this could be become mandatory.


[ftp]http://www.spidi.com/spidi-jsp/index.jsp?lang=en[/ftp]

Click on "safety lab" in the drop down menu.

 

[Guest]

Dianese vest says it inflates in 3 milliseconds ...I think thats 4.3 feet if your going 100 mph (if 3 milliseconds is .03, or is it .003?? I suck at math). I dunno about those other vests. I wouldn't buy one with a cord, and they just sound like someone is trying to put the product out there before its been researched enough. I looked at Dianese go to http://www.dainese.com and click on D-tec. It's got a radio link to a computer on the bike which tells it when it needs to inflate, and safeguards too. I am sure this is gonna be a huge leap in saftey once they get the kinks worked out....oh but this quote from AIRVEST

"But we don't stop there. We'll put any returned AirVests through an exhaustive battery of tests, looking for ways to refine our designs. We call it our 'Constant Improvement Commitment.' "

Just sounds too much like I would be a free crash test dummy for them .....screw that.