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baugustine

2014
CBR650F
Staff
May 21, 2016
Ventura, CA
The wifes vest deployed whilst riding pillion with me. No bumps jumps or stupid pot holes and my vest was ok.

We contacted the supplier who took back the vest and sent away for tests. A.S. say they found no reason for it to deploy and are sending back recharged. (still under warrenty).

Great after service with Infinty, York.

periodically check the app for firmware updates to the vest ECU. I just got a notification last week of one. I think they collect log data and do running improvements in deploy algorithms
 

volkein

2014
CB650F ABS
Jan 28, 2020
In & Motion airbags just got a new update, they claim to cover 91% falls and 100% within 24 months.
I can't find the english changelog, sorry.
 

Dankotaru

2019
CBR650R ABS
Jul 5, 2019
7000' ASL, USA
I've been using the Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 for a while now, and thought to give an update.

First, the good:
It still fits well, has held up well with about 4k miles of commuting and track days, and so far I haven't needed it to activate.

The bad:
It can't be washed, and now it reeks. Considering I commute to the office with it, the smell has become an issue. I have to shove it in a filing cabinet or my office starts to smell a bit like a gym locker. Febreeze is your friend, but even it has limits. I've tried delicate hand washing, but if you use this almost every day like I do, you'll have to start washing it every week if you sweat while riding with it. I think my track days may be the cause of most of the odor, but for folks living in the heat, it's going to get stanky.

The app. The infernal app from hell. Just read the reviews on Google Play or the App Store. It sucks and can be infuriating to pair with the device. To pair with the vest and switch from Race mode back to Street mode yesterday, I gave up after an hour of failure to connect, got my daughter's iPhone and downloaded the app, then used her phone to pair and make the switch. Then it never paired again for running the latest update. Uninstalled and re-installed the app on my Android, then it paired and ran the update, but now it won't connect again. It's truly the worst part of this vest.

I still recommend the vest. But if you will ride in the heat, or have to pair with it regularly to switch modes for track days, then just know what you're getting into.
 

baugustine

2014
CBR650F
Staff
May 21, 2016
Ventura, CA
Dankotaru @Dankotaru spot on above. I’ve had to Febreeze mine several times. After a summer ride and lots of sweat it was rank.

the biggest issue I’ve had with the app is getting it to complete firmware updates to the vest itself. The vest needs to have the charger plugged in. definite Areas of improvement in the software updating process.
 

Motojack

2019
CBR650R
May 26, 2019
So it looks like the vest comes with a back protecture. Is it recomended you remove the jackets back protector when you wear it?

I am 6ft at about 78kg would the large be to loose?
 

baugustine

2014
CBR650F
Staff
May 21, 2016
Ventura, CA
So it looks like the vest comes with a back protecture. Is it recomended you remove the jackets back protector when you wear it?

I am 6ft at about 78kg would the large be to loose?

correct, you can remove back and chest protectors from the jacket itself. Unnecessary with the airbag vest

I wear a L, 5’10”, 170 lbs, jacket 42-44. You’ll need a little extra room in a jacket if it’s not designed for it. I sized up on several this year
 

Luke8188

2016
CBR650F ABS
Jun 18, 2021
Riding Since
2021
I just picked up the Tech Air 5 and on taking it out of the box the airbag seems to be slid down to the bottom at the back. Should it be booked in place within the vest? Any help or pictures would be great. Cheers
 

Luke8188

2016
CBR650F ABS
Jun 18, 2021
Riding Since
2021
Sorry by Airbag I mean the bladder inside the vest! I wondered if it should be fixed in place up the back or is just loose. Cheers
 

Luke8188

2016
CBR650F ABS
Jun 18, 2021
Riding Since
2021
O
Luke8188 @Luke8188 the bladder itself is free floating inside, other than connected at the top/back where the inflators are located.
Ok thank you so the bladder in the back of the jacket is just free to move? The connection to the inflators is the top of the back piece and then that leads over the shoulders right? Thanks for your help.
 

Luke8188

2016
CBR650F ABS
Jun 18, 2021
Riding Since
2021
Sorry it looks like the bladder has some little eyelet style slots that should be fixed to the vest using the Velcro loops on the inside. I can feel one at the top of the back, 1 on each side of the back near the top and one on the front edge at each side? Sorry for all the queries just want to make sure it’s all as it should be.
 

Luke8188

2016
CBR650F ABS
Jun 18, 2021
Riding Since
2021
Ok thank you - if you put your hand up the back is it attached at the very top with a small velcro loop?
 

Luke8188

2016
CBR650F ABS
Jun 18, 2021
Riding Since
2021
Does not appear so.
Ok it seems as if it should be to keep the back in the right place otherwise why would those loops and the slots on the bag be there. I might see if the dealer can shed any light.
 

baugustine

2014
CBR650F
Staff
May 21, 2016
Ventura, CA
Nice, looks awkward though. not something that you would use on a commute.
No doubt. Tech 5 is the perfect commuting vest. This would be nice for spirited canyon rides and/or track day events when your likelihood of low side goes up by a factor of X depending how aggressively you ride.
 

Dankotaru

2019
CBR650R ABS
Jul 5, 2019
7000' ASL, USA
I had the unfortunate experience of finally validating the effectiveness of my Tech Air 5 vest this past Sunday. My first motorcycle crash ever. I've never even dropped my bike before, much less had a crash. And I always thought my first crash would come at the race track.

Instead, it happened as I was coming home from a nice ride out on my new S1000RR, feeling great about a Broncos win earlier in the day and really enjoying myself, when another motorcycle merging onto the interstate cut across two lanes into the middle lane I was occupying, without looking. I saw him come over towards me between two cars in the right lanes just in time for me to hit the brakes, but all I did was avoid a side-on impact that would likely have taken us both down. Instead, as I was on the brakes, he hit my front tire with his rear wheel, which sent my new bike down hard on the right side and me tumbling down the interstate in traffic at about 60mph. The motorcyclist that hit me took off.

I hit the concrete hard on my right shoulder. The airbag deployed a fraction of a second before impact. Once it deployed, I rolled rather comfortably down the interstate about 7 or 8 times before coming to a rest on my stomach. It was like being cradled in a ball of bubble wrap. I instantly jumped up with my hands outstretched to stop traffic so I didn't get run over. The blue Subaru that was cruising behind me a moment earlier had come to a stop about 10 feet away from me. My bike was about 80ft further down the road. I ran down, picked up my bike, and got it over to the median shoulder while some nice folks called 911.

I am a big believer in ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time). And it paid off. Looking myself over, my right knee was a bit bruised and my right shoulder hurt, but nothing else. Nothing broken. I never lost consciousness. Aside from my shoulder, my entire upper body was perfect, not a mark on my hands or arms or anywhere on my torso. My right knee was bruised but my hips and left knee were perfectly fine, no bruises anywhere else.

Turns out my right shoulder was dislocated from the impact, but there's no bruising on the shoulder at all.

As I was assessing all the damage done to my new bike, the ambulance showed up. About that same time the lady in the blue Subaru behind me who kindly didn't run me over, came up and gave me her contact info as a witness to the whole thing. After the impact and watching me roll down the interstate in front of her, she thought I would be unconscious at the very least. She said I scared the crap out of her when I finally stopped rolling and then jumped up in front of her car with my hands out. I told her I have wolverine blood and drink badger milk. In reality, it was the airbag.

The ambulance transported me to the ER, and after a quick x-ray, the doctor set my right shoulder back in the socket and sent me home. I was there less than 2 hours altogether. He and the rest of the staff were positively floored that I had no trauma injuries. No internal injuries, not even scrapes on my hands. ATGATT.

My Rev'It jacket did its job. The material shredded, but the armor worked very well. My Reax jeans also shredded, but the Kevlar liner held up and protected my skin. The cheap knee armor the jeans came with is not as good as D30 or the Rev'It Seeflx armor, and I think my right knee would have been less bruised with better armor. The D30 hip armor I put in the jeans worked like a champ, no bruises at all on my hips. My favorite Alpinestars gloves took one for the team and are pretty ground down on the palms and sides, but didn't come apart and protected my hands.

And my Bell Race Star helmet doesn't have a scratch on it. Not a single mark. The airbag vest inflated enough that while rolling down the interstate my helmet never even made contact with the ground. Amazing.

So now I have to spend $200 to get my Tech Air 5 recharged. They estimate it will take at least 2 weeks. But the good news is they also wash the thing after it's disassembled, so that will be nice. It really had some funk to it. I'd say it's well worth it, and I won't ride without an airbag vest. The protection is just too good.
 
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