At times, watching a MotoGP or SBK motorcycle rider come off the bike can seem graceful as they slide across the tar. They make coming off a motorcycle at varying speeds seem like a minor setback, even when they barrel roll through a gravel trap. For us spectators, we see riders come off so often, getting back up, heading to the garage and jumping on another bike, that it is a little jarring when they actually have a serious injury.
It is probably a combination of both experience in crashing/falling and improvements in safety features that have resulted in a reduction of serious injury and fatalities over the last decade or so. A significant number of developments in areas such as helmets, armour and gear standards, electronic rider aids and motorcycle components and materials that improve safety often originate from motorcycle racing. Those that don’t evolve and are perfected on the racetrack.
One such innovation is motorcycle airbag development which has followed two paths, namely factory-installed on a motorcycle itself and built into riding gear.
While research into motorcycle airbags is said to have started in the 1970s in the UK, it was only in the 1990s that serious research into fitting an airbag into a motorcycle began. Honda remains the leading developer in this area and is the only manufacturer that has factory-installed an airbag system in one of their motorcycles, the Gold Wing. This was introduced in the 2005 Gold Wing GL1800 and it only deploys in serious frontal collisions in situations when the rider is thrown forward.
There have been some murmurings that Yamaha as well as Autoliv, one of the largest automotive safety suppliers globally, are doing research in this area but the focus on the development of motorcycle airbag technology has been more focused on wearable systems built into riding gear.
Research for the first wearable airbag jacket was started in 1995 by Japanese-based Hit-Air (Mugen Denko) and launched in Europe in 1999. They have gone on to supply gear manufacturers such as Spidi and various police forces around the world – including Japan, Spain, France and South Korea, with their airbag system. They now provide an all-in-one airbag harness that can be worn over a riding jacket as well as jackets and vests such as the MX-9 Air Mesh jacket, made with a nylon and polyester outshell. It comes in dark grey, light grey and black with the liner, chest and protectors as optional extras.
The next to launch in the market was Helite, founded by French innovator Gérard Thevenot, also with vests and jackets, both in mesh and leather. They also produce the H-MOOV waterproof airbag backpacks that cover the back, neck, chest, abdomen and base of the spine. The H-MOOV backpack is available with either a mechanical system, which is tethered to the motorcycle and activates when it is disconnected from the motorcycle in a fall, or an electronic system with an algorithm that monitors data from sensors.
The Italians haven’t been left behind with both Alpinestars and Dainese developing airbag systems for various gear, in particular full leathers, jackets, vests and even an off-road system, in the case of Alpinestars, with their Tech Air Off-Road System. The Alpinestars Off-Road was developed in Dakar, which protects the chest, back, shoulders, collarbone and neck, can be integrated with the Alpinestars Off-Road Protection jacket and has Enduro, Rally and Street riding modes preloaded.
Dainese developed their D-Air technology over a 12-year period from 1994 with their airbag riding suit debuting at the 2007 Valencia Grand Prix with Marco Simoncelli. By 2018, electronic airbag suits became a prerequisite for riders in Moto2, Moto3 and MotoGP with most riders wearing either Alpinestars or Dainese. A spattering wear Spidi leathers, which incorporate airbags from suppliers of airbag technology.
Airbag technology is constantly being refined with brands such as Mo’Cycle developing the first airbag jeans, CX Air Dynamics developing airbag pants for riding and Motoairbag producing a range of products.
One can never be too safe on a motorcycle.
