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Air bags?

Oldbear

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Anybody out there tried one of the air bag vests or jackets? I‘ve always ran the best gear I could afford and have been in an Aerostich Darien now for years, but I’m getting old and a bit more safety gear seems like a good idea. I’m looking at one of the Helite Turtle 2 vests (yeah, I know they’re not “cool” but I stopped worrying about cool 3 or 4 decades ago). Anybody have any experience with one or a similar product?
 
I love the idea of the airbag vests but 50% of my riding is high humidity summer riding and I sweat in premium mesh gear.

Spent about a month studying the airbag vests before deciding not to buy one because I honestly figured I would not wear it in the hot weather but probably would wear it spring & fall. That aside, if I bought one it would be one of the computer controlled units. The Helite inflates as you are physically flying off the bike. In a forward over your handlebars you will impact the windshield before that bag goes off. In a side impact if you get hit and go over with the bike the airbag will not inflate until you are separated from your bike, which might actually happen after you impact the ground (depending upon what hit you). The computer units seem to be triggered to inflate much sooner.
 
I've been looking at Helite Turtle Airbag vests and almost bought a Turtle 2 but I happened to notice recently that Helite is supposed to market a "E-Turtle" Vest, an airbag vest that works with electronic sensors and not the mechanical tether strap. I checked with Helite USA about actual dates - didn't find out any additional information - however you can ask to be put on a list for further information. From what I can find E-turtles are already sold in Europe but have found conflicting information about whether an individual can legally purchase it in the US.
 
I've wanted one, specifically the Helite Turtle 2, but the issue isn't cost, it's stock. Ever since Fortnine on Youtube raved about them, they've been consistently out of stock.

As an aside, Ryan at Fortnine is one of the few reviewers on Youtube I actually trust.
 
I've been looking at Helite Turtle Airbag vests and almost bought a Turtle 2 but I happened to notice recently that Helite is supposed to market a "E-Turtle" Vest, an airbag vest that works with electronic sensors and not the mechanical tether strap. I checked with Helite USA about actual dates - didn't find out any additional information - however you can ask to be put on a list for further information. From what I can find E-turtles are already sold in Europe but have found conflicting information about whether an individual can legally purchase it in the US.
I've followed the debate on electronic versus mechanical triggering, and I'm coming down on team mechanical. When it comes to something that's keeping you from death, simple and reliable wins.

I'm a personal injury attorney, and I deal with accidents every day. If I told you how many times I've seen car airbags fail to deploy in horrific crashes, even run of the mill head on crashes, you'd be shocked.
 
I've followed the debate on electronic versus mechanical triggering, and I'm coming down on team mechanical. When it comes to something that's keeping you from death, simple and reliable wins.
Mechanical doesn't seem to help in some types of collisions as the bags deploy too late.
 
I see pro’s and cons to both. I’d love a unit that work work under my existing jacket, also I love the back protector and neck stabilization on the Turtle 2. Mechanical simplicity is a plus, but the high tech solutions “may” be the way to go. A bit concerned over reports of accidental activation on some of the electronic units, as well as reports of failure to deploy on low side incidents. Then there are the issues of the mechanical units not deploying or deploying too late. I’m also a bit concerned over lack of air flow on all of them (summer’s here are hot and sticky. I’ve been ATGATT for almost 20 years, but really don’t need more heat in hot weather. I really like the concept, not sure they’re ready for prime time quite yet. That’s why it’s god to get info from actual owners/users.
 
I've had a Helite for maybe 5 or 6 years. I dont leave home without it, even running short errands. Wear it in rain, snow, death valley heat etc. Sure, not the most comfortable but neither is a body cast. I have deployed it once. Took a fall off-road on wet snot clay trail at about 20 mph. Saved me some bruised or broken ribs for sure. My riding buddy hit a car that turned in front of him. He said all he saw was sky, asphalt, sky asphalt etc. The emergency room doctor was pretty impressed at his lack of injuries and actually googled the vest from the emergency room to see what it was all about.

Here is a two hour podcast that really gets into the differences between electronic and manual systems plus a lot of other good info.

 
After listening to the podcast I'm more sold on the computerized systems.

I certainly see the benefits of both.

To my mind, either is far better than none.

The real question is, during hot weather, which is 50% of my riding, will I wear a non-breathable rubber vest??? I understand that parts of the vest are mesh, but the bag itself is non-breathable and that is covering a large portion of my chest & back.
 
I bought the Helite jacket about 5 years ago. One feature that sold me was the chest protection. Broken ribs can seriously do a number on your lungs or heart & is more common than you would think. Even at city speeds you need fast inflation times (less than a 0.1 second) to have it inflate in time for rider hitting car accidents.
 
In my recent search to find additional information on purchasing the Helite E-Turtle in the US I found a number of European vendors who advertise the item for sale with shipping to the US.
Before further consideration I contacted Helite US to determine whether (if necessary) the vest could be serviced by the US Company. Among their comments was the following:

Important: the e-Turtle products are already available in Europe BUT we highly recommend NOT to purchase from overseas for various reasons:
  • The e-Turtle Vest sold in Europe does NOT have FCC approval for the US market.
  • HELITE Moto will not be able to service HELITE products purchased from European vendors.
  • HELITE Moto will not be able to warrant HELITE products purchased from European vendors.
  • HELITE Moto will not be able to provide replacement parts for HELITE products purchased from European vendors.
I understand that the E-Turtle is supposed to come to market in the US before the end of the year so I am cautiously optimistic and will continue to wait.
 
I have both the turtle and a hit air jacket. The attachment system on the Helite is better.
I set the turtle off on my DRZ 400 making a u turn on gravel. It worked, though I am not sure it had gone off when I hit the ground.
Also set it off once at a club meeting to show how it works.
You will not set it off just getting off the bike.

pros:
simple and reliable
no battery
comes in high viz so you can wear it over a cool black leather jacket and take it off when you go inside
room for a back protector if you want the protector out of your jacket for comfort
easy to put a new gas cylinder in and ride on

cons:
price
have to deal with it every time you get on or off
geeky
pretty much only works on a high side
 
Bubble Football Funny GIF - Bubble Football Funny Sports GIFs
 
I have the Turtle 2. I weighed all the options of electronic vs mechanical and I decided on the mechanical for ease of reset/reuse. All the e vests I saw require you to send them in to be reset, and some require a monthly subscription to even work at all. As far as heat goes, I rode through the Mohave desert this summer in 100+ heat. It was hot, but if you are wearing the vest correctly it should be loose enough to allow for inflation without squeezing like an anaconda. With it loose, it allows air in and under better than you would think.
 
and some require a monthly subscription to even work at all.

Technically the "In & Motion" vests do not require a subscription to work, they require a separate payment to activate the electronics.

KLIM is one of several companies that sells a vest equipped with the In & Motion computer operated system. Klim sells their vest for $399. There are several other companies that also offer the identical In & Motion computerized system, but package it with their proprietary vest system.

The In & Motion system payment can be made in multiple ways.
  • a monthly 'subscription' for 36 months ($12 per month = $144 per year)
  • 3 annual payments ($120 each) over a 3 year duration, or
  • 1 outright payment of $399.

For whatever it is worth:
  • Helite vests costs about $680
  • Klim vests cost about $399 for the vest + service of $144/year or $120/year or $399 outright (roughly $760 to $800 total)

So the Helite may cost more up front depending upon which In & Motion system you choose since the In & Motion system is a 2 payment system, one for the actual vest from Klim (or other supplier) and another for the activation of the In & Motion system.

The real questions, in my mind, include:
  • Are the electronics reliable to last 5+ years?
  • Is the hardware that holds the electronics robust enough to last 5+ years?
  • Do the electronics offer more crash protection than the Helite corded type systems? ie: Low side, High Side, rear impact, etc?
  • Does the simplicity of the corded system offer reliability advantages that outweigh the disadvantages in a Low Side, Rear Impact, or other collision that would not set off the airbag quickly?
  • Do the electronics, which apparently are upgraded via Wi-Fi, actually do a better job than a manual system at protecting you in a real crash? Or does a corded system actually do a better job? Is there even real life crash data to show one works better than the other on the street?
 
Technically the "In & Motion" vests do not require a subscription to work, they require a separate payment to activate the electronics.

KLIM is one of several companies that sells a vest equipped with the In & Motion computer operated system. Klim sells their vest for $399. There are several other companies that also offer the identical In & Motion computerized system, but package it with their proprietary vest system.

The In & Motion system payment can be made in multiple ways.
  • a monthly 'subscription' for 36 months ($12 per month = $144 per year)
  • 3 annual payments ($120 each) over a 3 year duration, or
  • 1 outright payment of $399.

For whatever it is worth:
  • Helite vests costs about $680
  • Klim vests cost about $399 for the vest + service of $144/year or $120/year or $399 outright (roughly $760 to $800 total)

So the Helite may cost more up front depending upon which In & Motion system you choose since the In & Motion system is a 2 payment system, one for the actual vest from Klim (or other supplier) and another for the activation of the In & Motion system.

The real questions, in my mind, include:
  • Are the electronics reliable?
  • Is the hardware that holds the electronics reliable?
  • Do the electronics offer more crash protection than the Helite corded type systems? ie: Low side, High Side, rear impact, etc?
  • Does the simplicity of the corded system offer reliability advantages that outweigh the disadvantages in a Low Side, Rear Impact, or other collision that would not set off the airbag quickly?
Good summation! I like the hard back protector on the Helite-like the “under current coat” on the Klim
 
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Technically the "In & Motion" vests do not require a subscription to work, they require a separate payment to activate the electronics.

KLIM is one of several companies that sells a vest equipped with the In & Motion computer operated system. Klim sells their vest for $399. There are several other companies that also offer the identical In & Motion computerized system, but package it with their proprietary vest system.

The In & Motion system payment can be made in multiple ways.
  • a monthly 'subscription' for 36 months ($12 per month = $144 per year)
  • 3 annual payments ($120 each) over a 3 year duration, or
  • 1 outright payment of $399.

The 3-payment option is cheaper than the single-payment option? (3 x $120 = $360, vs $399 for a single payment?)
That makes no sense at all. Are you sure it isn't $299 for the single, up-front payment?
 
The 3-payment option is cheaper than the single-payment option? (3 x $120 = $360, vs $399 for a single payment?)
That makes no sense at all. Are you sure it isn't $299 for the single, up-front payment?
Actually if you look at what is included it makes sense.

If you pay a lease payment for 3 years they will sell you an upgraded hardware version of the technology for $99 outright. If you buy it outright you get it for $399 but no upgraded hardware version after 3 years.
 
I hadn’t looked at that, so thank you. Ill have to read about it because at the moment it seems like an even _worse_ deal to pay upfront. You pay more for less, rather than paying more for the same thing, because you can’t upgrade anything at a reduced cost. So, clearly I’m missing something in the fine print that I need to review.
 
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