Helite airbag vests

[Spydermike]

Ordered 2 Helite airbag vests and they just got delivered yesterday. I ordered the leather one for myself and the turtle (black) for the wife.

Leather vest - first thing I noticed was how heavy it is. I wasn't sure if I wanted the vest or the jacket, and I'm glad I went with the vest. Living in Arizona I would probably be too hot with anything more than a vest. I wasn't sure what to expect but am very impressed with the quality of it. It feels heavy when I first picked it up, but after it's on me I didn't feel any different. I am 5'11, 215lbs and ordered a 2XL. It zips up snugly, and sitting on the spyder did not cause it to ride up enough to bother me. It has 2 zipper pockets on the outside, one on the chest (left side, as the Co2 canister is over your right side), and 1 on the inside as well. Plus it has a phone pocket on the inside which looks too small for mine but we'll see. There's some armor for the back, and it has a zipper to get inside, perhaps to adjust or remove the armor? Unzipped, it's extremely comfortable, and my wife really likes the look of it (I do too). Overall I feel it's a little snug but I think once gets broken in it'll be fine.

Turtle vest - Since my wife only tried it on briefly, I don't have much to comment on right now. It's certainly lighter than the leather one, and there are velco straps for the buckles to adjust the size.

Yes, they are expensive, so if someone is seriously looking at buying one and has questions, let me know and maybe I can help answer :thumbup:We haven't gone for a ryde with them on yet, but I'll post an update after we've used them for some time.

Mike

 

[SPECTACUALR SPIDERMAN]

Hope you never have to give a review of how well it works

 

[Saluda]

Hope you never have to give a review of how well it works

X 2

 

[Jim&Teresa]

FYI - article on saving life using airbag vest - near where I live

Posted on 9-14-16 Air Vest saves life

Airbag Vest Saves Can Am Rider In T-Bone Accident


FYI...from an earlier post of mine last year.....good outcome! :thumbup:

Just saw this article....sorry if it's a duplicate. This happened in MN at the end of July 2016. Thought I would share a good outcome considering a crash and the rider being thrown from the bike.

Article:

The huge amounts of money poured into the development of self-inflating vests that deploy in the case of an accident are not in vain. An elderly rider got miraculously saved in an accident by one of them airbag-fitted protective garments.

According to a report, Jim Rasmussen, 74, got involved in a crash this summer while riding his Can-Am roadster and lived to tell the story. He was riding to Glenwood, Minnesota, and right before an intersection, a car pulled out in front of the trike, sending him flying 12 to 15 feet into the air.

The first responders soon arrived at the scene and were staggered to see the man lying on the ground but looking totally fine and being conscious. After what they’ve been through, such accidents usually end up nasty, so you can imagine the confusion.

Then they saw a tethered cord and asked Jim what it was. Rasmussen responded it was his vest, an airbag vest, actually. With the situation understood, the paramedics canceled the LifeLink helicopter that had been dispatched, and took Jim to a hospital with an ambulance.

Jim and his wife have been riding together for 40 years, clocking around 400,000 miles (643,700 km), but never went without protective gear. “We have always had gear on,” said Jim. “It’s hideously expensive, but definitely worth it.”

The Helite vest he was wearing saved his life and even spared him of other traumas. He was ready to go home after one night at the hospital. The vest uses a rigid neck brace and firm support to the back and chest.

It gets tethered to the handlebars of the motorcycle and in case you fly off, a spring-loaded piston pierces the CO2 cartridge on the front, instantly inflating the airbag around the neck and body.

Mr. Jim traded his BMW motorcycle last fall for the Can-Am Spyder to offer him more stability as his riding skills started to wear off with age. Still, he didn’t give up on the amount of riding gear he wore.


Read more: http://www.autoevolution.com/news/ai...#ixzz4KGTe6H00​