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Alpinestars has unveiled its new Tech Air Race motorcycle suit, which (finally) features proper airbag protection.
Although airbag embedded motorcycle suits aren’t something completely new, Alpinestars' Tech Air Race suit’s airbag system is compact (crucial for rider comfort, it adds only 500g to the suit’s weight) and features rather sophisticated deployment technology.
The suit’s airbag actuation is subject to a fantastically complex set of algorithms, with the control module perpetually monitoring a rider’s movements to avoid inopportune airbag deployment – when bringing a tank-slapper under control, for instance.
Data for the control module's airbag deployment has been extracted from the most testing motorcycle environment known to us - MotoGP.
At the 2003 German MotoGP John Hopkins became the first Alpinestars' rider to lap with a data logging system. By 2007 Casey Stoner was onboard with the airbag suit development programme too.
Considering the rampant improvement in digital data capturing technology each year, Alpinestars now has an unparallel digital idea of the dynamic forces involved when crashing a motorcycle.
Control module, nitrogen cylinders, batteries, and sensor are housed within the race suit's speed hump. Neat and compact.
Specifically calibrated
Considering the lean angles motorcycle riders regularly enact when cornering at speed, it was essential for Alpinestars to ensure the suit’s airbag does not deploy negligently.
You don’t want to fall off your seat at the bar and have the suit’s airbag deploy by accident – which might save you a bruise, but it’s embarrassing to have the popping noise of nitrogen inflation cushion your fall, right?
Therefore Alpinestars' Tech Air Race suit only arms airbag functionality when a rider is being powered along with their boots on the foot pegs and their palms on the handlebars, a posture recognised by the control module.
The Alpinestars Tech Air Race suit is powered by two separate nitrogen cylinders, which are able to rearm the system within a minute of deploying.
Functionally the Tech Air Race suit employs seven sensors to calculate (within eight milliseconds) when an accident is unavoidable and deploys the suit’s airbag architecture in a way as to best protect the rider in terms of their posture before impact.
The suit's airbag volume is negligible, as seen in this comparative image where the right hand split is a deployed Tech Air suit.
Arm and shoulder protection the key
According to Alpinestars' research nearly half of all road riding crashes result in arm and shoulder injuries. Unsurprisingly, the Tech Air Race suit is tailored to primarily provide protection in these areas - although the technology is destined to migrate (via a simple rewiring system) to shore up hip, rib, back and forearm protection too.
Peak inflation is reached within 50 milliseconds, whilst the airbag system stays fully inflated for around five seconds before completely deflating 20 seconds later. The suit can supply two airbag deployments before it has to be reset, which means even after an initial tumble you can gather yourself up and continue riding - safe in the knowledge that you'll be covered for a second crash.
A further boon is the suit’s GPS locating device, which signals emergency personal coordinates as to where the accident has take place. Not really necessary for a track day, but potentially life-saving off-road and on an early morning breakfast runs.
With Ben Spies, Mika Kallio and Dani Pedrosa currently logging test data with the suits during MotoGP races, Alpinestars hopes to have consumer Tech Air suit’s ready by June next year.
The technology will not be solely road bike focused either, with track and off-road customised suits in the works, too.
Pricing is nearly impossible to peg a year in advance, yet Alpinestars guesstimates the Tech Air safety suite will add around $2 500 to the price of a standard riding suit.
Do you think airbag motorcycle riding suits should become mandatory in future? Share your thoughts here...
Although airbag embedded motorcycle suits aren’t something completely new, Alpinestars' Tech Air Race suit’s airbag system is compact (crucial for rider comfort, it adds only 500g to the suit’s weight) and features rather sophisticated deployment technology.
The suit’s airbag actuation is subject to a fantastically complex set of algorithms, with the control module perpetually monitoring a rider’s movements to avoid inopportune airbag deployment – when bringing a tank-slapper under control, for instance.
Data for the control module's airbag deployment has been extracted from the most testing motorcycle environment known to us - MotoGP.
At the 2003 German MotoGP John Hopkins became the first Alpinestars' rider to lap with a data logging system. By 2007 Casey Stoner was onboard with the airbag suit development programme too.
Considering the rampant improvement in digital data capturing technology each year, Alpinestars now has an unparallel digital idea of the dynamic forces involved when crashing a motorcycle.
Control module, nitrogen cylinders, batteries, and sensor are housed within the race suit's speed hump. Neat and compact.
Specifically calibrated
Considering the lean angles motorcycle riders regularly enact when cornering at speed, it was essential for Alpinestars to ensure the suit’s airbag does not deploy negligently.
You don’t want to fall off your seat at the bar and have the suit’s airbag deploy by accident – which might save you a bruise, but it’s embarrassing to have the popping noise of nitrogen inflation cushion your fall, right?
Therefore Alpinestars' Tech Air Race suit only arms airbag functionality when a rider is being powered along with their boots on the foot pegs and their palms on the handlebars, a posture recognised by the control module.
The Alpinestars Tech Air Race suit is powered by two separate nitrogen cylinders, which are able to rearm the system within a minute of deploying.
Functionally the Tech Air Race suit employs seven sensors to calculate (within eight milliseconds) when an accident is unavoidable and deploys the suit’s airbag architecture in a way as to best protect the rider in terms of their posture before impact.
The suit's airbag volume is negligible, as seen in this comparative image where the right hand split is a deployed Tech Air suit.
Arm and shoulder protection the key
According to Alpinestars' research nearly half of all road riding crashes result in arm and shoulder injuries. Unsurprisingly, the Tech Air Race suit is tailored to primarily provide protection in these areas - although the technology is destined to migrate (via a simple rewiring system) to shore up hip, rib, back and forearm protection too.
Peak inflation is reached within 50 milliseconds, whilst the airbag system stays fully inflated for around five seconds before completely deflating 20 seconds later. The suit can supply two airbag deployments before it has to be reset, which means even after an initial tumble you can gather yourself up and continue riding - safe in the knowledge that you'll be covered for a second crash.
A further boon is the suit’s GPS locating device, which signals emergency personal coordinates as to where the accident has take place. Not really necessary for a track day, but potentially life-saving off-road and on an early morning breakfast runs.
With Ben Spies, Mika Kallio and Dani Pedrosa currently logging test data with the suits during MotoGP races, Alpinestars hopes to have consumer Tech Air suit’s ready by June next year.
The technology will not be solely road bike focused either, with track and off-road customised suits in the works, too.
Pricing is nearly impossible to peg a year in advance, yet Alpinestars guesstimates the Tech Air safety suite will add around $2 500 to the price of a standard riding suit.
Do you think airbag motorcycle riding suits should become mandatory in future? Share your thoughts here...