Dainese Smart Jacket

[DJ123]

I've ordered one of these as I was in the market for a new back protector/some torso protection. It looks to be a game changer on the airbag front of clothing, as it's a separate unit and works with any jacket.

As it is still new to the market I didn't see any real world reviews, so thought I would do my own to help others who are looking.

I'll update on what it's like when I get it and how it goes over time as I regularly commute on the bike & long weekend rides.

More info here https://www.dainese.com/gb/en/smart-jacket.html

[notacop]

Probably better to get the size that fits over or under your riding gear. I got a Helite jacket, not the vest so I'm limited to it rather than choose from the several riding garments I already have.
Great idea but poor choice?

[Daboo]

Just a couple thoughts, assuming if you change your mind after reading this, and that you can return it and get your money back...

• First, you have to recharge it often. The battery only lasts 26 hrs. I've been on road trips, where the number of power outlets in the motel room were not many and were inconvenient.
• If you activate it, you can't make it operational. It has to be sent in and there's a cost to it.
  

  How do I replace the airbag after activation? How much does it cost? Where can I have it replaced?
  
  Following each activation, the system must be taken to an official D-air® dealer for Shield maintenance and system recharging. After the D-air® system has been activated, the Smart Jacket cannot be used until an authorized dealer has inspected it. Resetting the Smart Jacket D-air® system costs 249.95 euros.

• There's no neck protection.
• It doesn't appear like there's any tailbone protection either.
• You have to be moving at 6 mph to make it activate.

The idea of a vest is far better in my opinion, than having the airbag incorporated into a jacket. You can take this Dainese vest with you when you ride with a summer jacket or winter jacket. That's good.

I've had my Hit-Air (similar to the Helite brand) vest deploy three times. All were at less than 6 mph. The first fall saved me from some broken ribs at the least. I was stopped at a busy intersection and tried to turn right before the traffic coming from my left had a chance to get there. As I started to go, a teenager walked out in front of me. He was in the right, I was wrong. I hit the front brake since my right foot wasn't on the foot peg yet...and I went down hard. As I lay there on the ground, I realized I had the edge of a curb in my side...and nothing hurt. Oh...the airbag deployed. I think the way I hit, I would've broken a couple ribs. Even though I was hardly moving, the force of that 570 lb bike, slammed me to the ground hard. The only thing damaged was my ego...and I had to replace the CO2 cannister.

Replacing the CO2 cannister is easy. It takes about 5 minutes once you find the allen wrench and get a CO2 cannister. (I now have one as a spare at home.) All you do is replace the cannister and tuck the airbag portions back where they belong and you're on your way. You don't have to send it in through an authorized dealer to the company to have the sensors checked. That could take a couple weeks. In the meantime, you're riding without the protection you wanted.

When the Hit-Air airbag inflates, you get the protection on the front and back of the ribs as you'd expect. You also though have a section that deploys to protect your neck and collar bone. Another section, deploys and protects your tail bone. Maybe the Dainese system does that, but it didn't seem like it did.

The price is good for what they are offering. I'm just leery of the technology and the inconvenience of dealing with it.

Chris

[DJ123]

Just a couple thoughts, assuming if you change your mind after reading this, and that you can return it and get your money back...

• First, you have to recharge it often. The battery only lasts 26 hrs. I've been on road trips, where the number of power outlets in the motel room were not many and were inconvenient.
• If you activate it, you can't make it operational. It has to be sent in and there's a cost to it.
  
• There's no neck protection.
• It doesn't appear like there's any tailbone protection either.
• You have to be moving at 6 mph to make it activate.

The idea of a vest is far better in my opinion, than having the airbag incorporated into a jacket. You can take this Dainese vest with you when you ride with a summer jacket or winter jacket. That's good.

I've had my Hit-Air (similar to the Helite brand) vest deploy three times. All were at less than 6 mph. The first fall saved me from some broken ribs at the least. I was stopped at a busy intersection and tried to turn right before the traffic coming from my left had a chance to get there. As I started to go, a teenager walked out in front of me. He was in the right, I was wrong. I hit the front brake since my right foot wasn't on the foot peg yet...and I went down hard. As I lay there on the ground, I realized I had the edge of a curb in my side...and nothing hurt. Oh...the airbag deployed. I think the way I hit, I would've broken a couple ribs. Even though I was hardly moving, the force of that 570 lb bike, slammed me to the ground hard. The only thing damaged was my ego...and I had to replace the CO2 cannister.

Replacing the CO2 cannister is easy. It takes about 5 minutes once you find the allen wrench and get a CO2 cannister. (I now have one as a spare at home.) All you do is replace the cannister and tuck the airbag portions back where they belong and you're on your way. You don't have to send it in through an authorized dealer to the company to have the sensors checked. That could take a couple weeks. In the meantime, you're riding without the protection you wanted.

When the Hit-Air airbag inflates, you get the protection on the front and back of the ribs as you'd expect. You also though have a section that deploys to protect your neck and collar bone. Another section, deploys and protects your tail bone. Maybe the Dainese system does that, but it didn't seem like it did.

The price is good for what they are offering. I'm just leery of the technology and the inconvenience of dealing with it.

Chris

I did consider a lot of factors before buying, and looking at what is out there this is the 'best' product in terms of overall performance as it is a stand alone unit with a brain that has been taught umpteen scenarios. It can react to a situation as well as inflate prior to the initial impact (the air bag stays inflated for 5 seconds). I don't want a tether to the bike, as there will be countless times I forget to tie up, or untie. Rendering the unit useless/my back unprotected and a lot less cash in my pocket as a result. It is also a bonus that the unit is able to be worn over or under a garment, or on its own if you so wish.

26 hours is a weeks commuting for me, and I also have a bluetooth headset so charging it up is no issue for me. It can also be charged from a power bank with the right voltage output (min 5W) so there is that as a back up option for a long weekend away. Most hotel room sin Europe have plenty of sockets, and its a USB C connection - the same as my phone so it's not like I will have to carry a spare cable.
Yeah, I know about the reset cost, about £220 in the UK. Not fussed about it TBH - if it goes off accidentally its my fault. If it goes off due to a fall I'd prefer to pay the price of a reset than a broken bone/injury!
I did see it has no neck protection, or tail bone. But neither has my back protector. My concern would be if the airbag went off whilst my head was turned it could cause an injury rather than preventing one.

I was wary of it at first, but I have decided to buy in to it and see what it's like. I've wanted more torso protection for a while and when you consider the price of a chest and back protector in a vest by a decent brand with a decent CE level of protection you're not far from airbag technology. I also prefer the fact there is no hard protection, which is much better for comfort on long rides and seating position on the bike.

The vest arrived today and I am happy with it (un-tested on the bike yet). The fit is perfect and is very comfortable to wear. Appears to be very simple to operate too, so it will be an adjustment week for me getting used to it. The app is also very easy to use to update the firmware, or put it in to shipping mode to deactivate it.

[notacop]

Chris is right, the other similar items on the market have a greater ease of use. Just have to remember to connect the lanyard from the bike to the vest or jacket.

[Daboo]

This thread will be great for others in the future too. There's advantages to this system, and I was surprised the cost wasn't more.

If anyone looks at many of my previous posts, they'll see that I like non-techie solutions. It doesn't mean that the techie solutions are bad; just a different approach.

And wearing one of these is far preferable IMHO, than not.

Chris

[DJ123]

I hope it will be of some use. As they are still a new technology and not yet mass market, there is very little out there from a consumers point of view and review. Hopefully this will filter down in the next few years along with the prices as the technology becomes more available.

I am always sceptical of 'new' technology, but it seems to work well in their race suits/MotoGP so I am willing to give it a go!

If the protection level is as good in the tests as it is in real world situations then I think it's worth its weight in Gold.

[Daboo]

I often find the professional magazine reviews to be worthless. They are usually just copied from the manufacturer's press releases and product info. If I want a real review...I'll look to see what actual reviewers like yourself write about what they experienced.

Chris

[DJ123]

First ride impressions:
The jacket is very comfortable to wear. You're aware of its presence, as like a back protector you can feel it but it is not 'in the way'. It certainly helps when you are at difficult junctions and have to twist/turn your torso, or if you want to adjust your seating position as there is no rigid protector.
It turns itself on/off when you get on or off the bike - which makes it a great fuss free device to wear. No changes to pre/post ride checks or rituals.
I'll be using it this week for my commute and see how it goes, and also how the battery life lasts. Todays trip was only 2-3 hours or so and the weeks riding should be about another 10. I expect it to be down to 50% battery life by Friday.

[guidoveloce]

I think it's great. obviously it's quite expensive and if you fall down you must spend a lot of money to reset the system but, in some way, you can consider it like a broken "safety" part of your bike that must be replaced after the falling down (like the brake levers for example). also in a car the airbag resetting after a crash is expensive.
I think that I would buy one.

[DJ123]

I think it's great. obviously it's quite expensive and if you fall down you must spend a lot of money to reset the system but, in some way, you can consider it like a broken "safety" part of your bike that must be replaced after the falling down (like the brake levers for example). also in a car the airbag resetting after a crash is expensive.
I think that I would buy one.

That's the way I looked at it. Much like if you drop your Helmet the same rules apply!

[DJ123]

So this is a day 5 update.

Battery life
I've done 1 x 3 hour ride out, plus 4 days commuting to work. I think total bike time commuting is around 7 hours total or so.

Total jacket time is about 10 hours for the rides I have done so far, and the expected battery life is 26 hours. I checked the battery life tonight and it is currently at 66%, so there is a max time of 30 hours (with my current riding time) or at least a safe 20 hours (enough for a weekend away).

The vest is still comfortable and essentially not noticeable once under the jacket. I've got used to the feeling of not having a hard back protector, and not having to do up the straps either!

[DJ123]

So this is a day 5 update.

Battery life
I've done 1 x 3 hour ride out, plus 4 days commuting to work. I think total bike time commuting is around 7 hours total or so.

Total jacket time is about 10 hours for the rides I have done so far, and the expected battery life is 26 hours. I checked the battery life tonight and it is currently at 66%, so there is a max time of 30 hours (with my current riding time) or at least a safe 20 hours (enough for a weekend away).

The vest is still comfortable and essentially not noticeable once under the jacket. I've got used to the feeling of not having a hard back protector, and not having to do up the straps either!

2 week update
So the day has come to charge the vest as the low battery warning came on today. I figure I've done about 25 hours on the bike (combined social riding and commuting) so in line with the expected 26 Dainese say. This also includes where the vest has sat around unused too (switched off, obv), so I am impressed at the life of the battery.

This certainly makes it ideal for a 3 day weekend away ride, without having to think about taking a charger with me.

Still very happy with the purchase and the product itself. I can't wait for summer though to see if it is better to wear above or below my jacket to keep cool.

[ruffyz]

2 week update

Still very happy with the purchase and the product itself. I can't wait for summer though to see if it is better to wear above or below my jacket to keep cool.

Thanks for the thread. Looking forward to the Summer update. Also, looking forward to the end of Winter!

[DJ123]

2 week update
So the day has come to charge the vest as the low battery warning came on today. I figure I've done about 25 hours on the bike (combined social riding and commuting) so in line with the expected 26 Dainese say. This also includes where the vest has sat around unused too (switched off, obv), so I am impressed at the life of the battery.

This certainly makes it ideal for a 3 day weekend away ride, without having to think about taking a charger with me.

Still very happy with the purchase and the product itself. I can't wait for summer though to see if it is better to wear above or below my jacket to keep cool.

To add to this post;

One feature I really like is the inbuilt alert system for telling you when the battery life of the jacket and when it is/is not active.

The LED lights give a quick indication of the jacket's status; armed, not armed & also the battery life. The vibration motor is a great feature as I wear it under and can't see the LED's the jacket it it lets me know the jacket is armed and working.

This saves the guess work of the battery life & also takes away the doubtful feeling if the jacket is armed and working.

[Randyjaco]

I've ordered one of these as I was in the market for a new back protector/some torso protection. It looks to be a game changer on the airbag front of clothing, as it's a separate unit and works with any jacket.

As it is still new to the market I didn't see any real world reviews, so thought I would do my own to help others who are looking.

I'll update on what it's like when I get it and how it goes over time as I regularly commute on the bike & long weekend rides.

More info here https://www.dainese.com/gb/en/smart-jacket.html

The fact that you have to send it back to Dainese after any activation is a non-starter for me. Otherwise, it has potential.

Randy

[Daboo]

I do have to plug mine in more often. In fact, every time I ride with it on if I want it to work. But at least I don't have to worry about batteries.

I'm not trying to knock what you bought DJ123. I just couldn't resist the poor attempt at "Dad" humor. Yeah, I know...it was poor. Go ahead and roll your eyes... My kids do all the time.

I'm still interested in your experiences. Do you have any links that indicate how it performed for people in an actual accident, since I doubt someone can just stand there and pull hard on the lanyard clip like you can with the Hit-Air and Helite vests?

Chris

[DJ123]

of what I have tried to find when researching the jacket, there is no data on the internet (that I can find) about how it performed directly. Only the information relating to the safety levels to which is performs. I imagine that the technology is the same/very similar to what they already install in their respective jackets and one piece suits for the road.


DOLOMITICERT PROCEDURAL GUIDELINE:
AIRBAG LEVEL 2 CHEST EN 1621-4 DC
AIRBAG LEVEL 1 BACK EN 1621-4 CB
DPI (2016/425)

[Daboo]

I came across an interesting review of the Alpinestars Tech Air Race Vest. https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/201...12-fast-facts/ It is a good read.

One thing surprised me as I read through this, but makes perfect sense. If you buy one of these vests, you must use a compatible jacket. In other words, the jacket has to have elastic portions built-in so there's room for the vest to expand without crushing you inside.

3. The Tech Air system vest can ONLY be used with Tech Air compatible garments. One suit is available now (in two colors), and one more and a Tech Air jacket will be launching this fall. The specially designed Alpinestars one-piece suits/jackets have specific stretch panels so that when the airbag deploys the suit garment expands properly and you don’t get injured.

Chris

[DJ123]

I came across an interesting review of the Alpinestars Tech Air Race Vest. https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/201...12-fast-facts/ It is a good read.

One thing surprised me as I read through this, but makes perfect sense. If you buy one of these vests, you must use a compatible jacket. In other words, the jacket has to have elastic portions built-in so there's room for the vest to expand without crushing you inside.


Chris

What Dainese advise is that you have 5Cm of gap between the vest and your jacket (if wearing it under the jacket). Most Textile jackets will have this room to allow for expansion, but you wouldn't get this under a leather jacket as it would be incredibly loose fitting.

You can however wear the Dainese vest on the outside of the jacket and it'll suffer no adverse effects.

[TheMeteor]

My son was looking at one of these at the NY Show. I forget which brand but recall you needed the accompanying over-jacket and once activated you needed to send it back to them for a recharge at a cost of approx $300. I know an injury costs more but wondering which make most sense for street use? For track day use? Once weighing capability, cost alternative options.

[DJ123]

My son was looking at one of these at the NY Show. I forget which brand but recall you needed the accompanying over-jacket and once activated you needed to send it back to them for a recharge at a cost of approx $300. I know an injury costs more but wondering which make most sense for street use? For track day use? Once weighing capability, cost alternative options.

The Dainese vest is for street use only, for track you are better off with a dedicated airbag suit with the racing airbag system installed.

Dainese recharge is 300USD, but that's for a check of the whole system, airbag replacement etc. For peace of mind I prefer they look it over then I replace an air canister and hope all is still ok . . . . .

The technology is still relatively new and filtering down to street use. The costs have come down from when they were first introduced and will level out (I think) about £300 or so once they really become a mass market item. For me simply in terms of comfortable this airbag vests vastly out performs any hard armour on the market, as does the practicality of wearing it and ease of day to day use.

[DJ123]

Seeing it has been a few months since m last update, here we are in June already!

Still very happy with the jacket and it's every day usability. I've commuted on my bike daily, plus done long riding days at the weekend. It's been as comfortable as the first day i've worn it and offers an extra layer of warmth on the colder days, but doesn't add any heat on the hotter ones.

One note i have is when i add my Winter liner (i rarely use) to my jacket I feel as though my torso is bulky, and i lose some back/chest/arm movement. So i would wear the jacket on the outside if i was to regularly have the liner inserted.

The battery life is still great; it sat for 6 weeks during lockdown without being charged and was still above 75% battery level when i came to use it.

Overall still very pleased with it, and will continue to use it in to the future.

[DJ123]

A further update on this now. With the better weather i've been wearing the airbag jacket over the top of my motorcycle jacket. I can definitely say this improves air flow and cooling, as the airbag jacket does block some vents where the airbags are located. My only concern i have with wearing it on the outside is it's ability to hold itself in place in the event of a collision/activation.

Battery life is still good - i still get circa 30 hours of life from it. Enough to get me through a weeks - week and a half worth of commuting. All other seams and zips still working well too - which is good to see on an item i've almost used daily the past 7 months.

[ruffyz]

Thanks for the updates!

[rcb78]

I recently picked up a Klim vest, the advantage of it being that you can self service after an inflation. They do recommend sending it in after three deployments though for a full inspection. The unit has WiFi and will auto update the algorithms as they are pushed out without any intervention.

[DJ123]

I recently picked up a Klim vest, the advantage of it being that you can self service after an inflation. They do recommend sending it in after three deployments though for a full inspection. The unit has WiFi and will auto update the algorithms as they are pushed out without any intervention.

i can't find out much information about the safety/tests of the Klim model. Would be interesting to see how it compares to the Dainese & Alipnestars offerings, given it is a fair bit cheaper.

[rcb78]

It's not cheaper, it's just sold as two parts. You buy the vest and then choose to either buy the brain outright, or do a subscription model if you're only a seasonal rider. Klim just makes the vest, all the tech is Inemotion, check out their page and you'll see they are used in other brands too.

[DJ123]

the subscription part seems odd to me. even if you were a seasonal rider i can't see what you'd benefit from as you'll simply be paying for it, for longer. And anyone buying it 2nd hand would need to continue paying in order to own the unit.

[rcb78]

the subscription part seems odd to me. even if you were a seasonal rider i can't see what you'd benefit from as you'll simply be paying for it, for longer. And anyone buying it 2nd hand would need to continue paying in order to own the unit.

I think the assumption here is that the buy in cost is a barrier to many riders, especially those that may only ride 6 months out of each year. At any rate, I think it's good that they give you the choice. For someone that doesn't mind dropping some money down all at once, they can just buy it. For someone that wants the protection buy but is operating on a tighter budget this gives them a way into a higher tech solution without having to front the cost all at once.

[Richard230]

This review of the Dainese Smart Jacket by Motorcycle.com just dropped into my inbox: https://www.motorcycle.com/products/...-jacket-review

[DJ123]

This review of the Dainese Smart Jacket by Motorcycle.com just dropped into my inbox: https://www.motorcycle.com/products/...-jacket-review

That's a good/fair review, and very much on-point with my thoughts.

[rcb78]

"(Electric bike owners should note that they will not be protected from impacts, like being rear-ended, when at a stop because there is no engine to create the vibrations that keep the system armed.)"

That's concerning, and I was wondering about that as I was reading the review. I'd rather see them do what Klim does and keep it on for a few minutes (10-15) after movement is no longer detected. I stopped yesterday at a traffic control on some twisty roads and had the engine shut down while I waited, luckily no one came plowing through but that's not something I want to have to worry about.

[DJ123]

unless you have electric bike it's not an issue . . . . . i'd only shut down the engine on the road if i was in a safe spot and the wait was long enough to warrant not having the engine on.

To give you an idea of how sensitive the sensor is, if i'm standing next to the bike when it's running the vest detects the vibrations coming up through my feet (even though i can't feel it).

[rcb78]

That's good to know. I shut down because the temp outside was 105F and I knew I'd be there for at least 20 minutes.

[HughPolish]

Very interesting... I'm considering getting one too

[DJ123]

well a year on already! And I certainly did not ride as much as i think i would due to the pandemic.

My thoughts a year on are still very positive. It is nice to have all the protection but without the rigidness/loss of manoeuvrability whilst on the bike. The battery life is still good and gets about 30 hours between charges, which is enough for a weekend away/long weekend away. Or a week of commuting for me. The seams and zip have held up well, nothing has come apart and everything still works as it should. I do now wear this on the outside of my jacket, unless it is raining, as i find it more comfortable - especially during the summer when you want a breeze to pass through your jacket.
The only negative i have is when storing it on the bike, if i want to put my gear away when out and about. Due to all the components in the jacket it does not pack up so small (same size as my motorcycle jacket), and takes up more room than i'd like/prefer. Apart from this, i have nothing bad to say about it!
Some weekends away i have taken a normal back protector, and i do notice the weight difference on my torso when not on the bike. And the ease of storage is also a remarked difference too.

Overall i still think it is a good investment, and i'll continue to use it for the years to come.

[ruffyz]

Thanks for the update. As spring rolls around in the states. I'll see if I can find the cash to buy this or the alpine star.

[DJ123]

Thanks for the update. As spring rolls around in the states. I'll see if I can find the cash to buy this or the alpine star.

I would certainly say its worth it, and i don't think i could see myself not having one in the future.

I use mine 99% of the time when i'm on the bike - unless i've forgotten to charge it, or need to store my gear on the bike and i use a standard back protector instead.

[DJ123]

Well, 18 months and about 20K miles in an issue arose. The jacket one day would not activate. The computer box was ok as were the batteries and the on/off switch but suspected it is a broken wire. I could not fine one in the jacket, so it maybe hidden away in the seams where they protect them.
Thankfully it has a 2 year warranty, and the only cost i had was to post it to the shop from which i bought it from.

Other than this, it has been solid and a great bit of kit. I do feel odd riding without it now, although not unsafe.

[DJ123]

Well, 18 months and about 20K miles in an issue arose. The jacket one day would not activate. The computer box was ok as were the batteries and the on/off switch but suspected it is a broken wire. I could not fine one in the jacket, so it maybe hidden away in the seams where they protect them.
Thankfully it has a 2 year warranty, and the only cost i had was to post it to the shop from which i bought it from.

Other than this, it has been solid and a great bit of kit. I do feel odd riding without it now, although not unsafe.

I now have closure to this case. Unfortunately the old jacket could not be repaired (financially unviable). I now have a brand new jacket sent out (FOC as it was under warranty), which looks to be a newer revision with some adaptations made.

It was a very well handled case by the Dealer i brought it from (Dainese shop/authorised dealer). The only only expense i had was posting it back as i bought it from a shop 200 miles away.

[Daboo]

ADVRider recently had a post of someone with a "smart" airbag jacket that failed to deploy when he was rear-ended.

[rcb78]

Got a link or name of the thread? Not having any luck finding it.

[DJ123]

ADVRider recently had a post of someone with a "smart" airbag jacket that failed to deploy when he was rear-ended.

A standard back protector wouldn't have helped either , unless he was directly hit on his back.

I've looked into the Alpinestars jacket and noted some features it lacks (according to their technical document I've read) vs the Dainese Smart Jacket, which i believe are key in this situation;

Firstly, it is worn under a jacket and you are unable to see the activation LED's - so you have no way of knowing if it is active when riding, or when stopped (the traffic light system is next to the lower Zip) - Dainese can be worn outside the jacket (which is how i wear it), making the LED very visible as it is on the upper left chest.

Secondly, it has no vibration motor to alert you when the jacket is armed, or disarmed. This is very useful when you are unable to see the LED's to inform you of its status. - The Dainese has a Vibration motor at the LED area which vibrates for circa 2 seconds when activating, and buzzes 5 times when it is deactivated (either you've un-done the jacket, or got off/switched off the Bike. You are able to feel it, even when worn on top of a Motorcycle jacket.

Thirdly, the AlpineStars does not look to be active at idle, unless the energy/impact is of a particular energy transfer (details below from their technical documents) - the Dainese is active at idle as it sense the Bike vibrations. They comment that if on an EV it would be active as the jacket would sense no vibrations, and would assume you were no longer riding.

*the above is my opinion, based on researching the vest.

Like all armour, they're not all the same as much as they appear to be. There are some key differences between brands in the way they operate and the features they have.

Taken from A* technical document (link here)

Accident WITHOUT Deployment
In the case of minor, low energy and/or low speed accidents, such as those involving speeds below those described in Section 3 (“Tech-Air® Envelope of Protection”) it is likely that the System will not deploy. Nonetheless, a thorough inspection of the System should be made to ensure that there is no significant damage (tears, holes, etc.) which could compromise the function of the System, as per the maintenance check outlined in Section 15.
In case of situations where the user believes the System should have deployed, a feedback can be sent to Alpinestars through the Tech-Air® App and/or contacting Tech-Air® Support. If the System is returned to an Alpinestars Tech-Air® Service Center for an inspection, a detailed description of the event (including photos where possible) must be included.

[Daboo]

I'm not finding it right now. I'll post when I find it.

Edit: Found it. https://advrider.com/f/threads/alpin...#post-43297286

Chris

[rcb78]

Thanks, it's worth noting for others that this was an Alpinestars Techair vest, since we've talked about a few brands here.
It's also worth noting, or rather speculating, that this is a risk with any vest. Teathered likely would not have helped him since there type of injury he sustained probably occurred before he was 'removed' from the bike, rather as he was ejected. His own crash analysis mentions this. A vest with electronic sensors would have the best chance of deploying, but still not a guarantee since there's always the risk a real accident could be detected as normal riding on rough roads.
My takeaway is that the A* version doesn't have enough memory to ensure the data for deployment, or lack thereof, will be captured and sent back for analysis to improve the algorithm. This is an area where the Klim (In&Motion) is seemingly a better choice. Everytime it's plugged in to charge while connected to WiFi, it sends complete logs back for review. This 'should' help capture significantly more data for a more accurate deployment algorithm.
Ultimately i still think having one that 'may' work is better than not having one at all. Like they say, better to have and not need than need and not have,, unless you have a false positive deployment, that's just freaky.