Last week I visited Alpinestars to get an early look at some highlights from their 2018 collection. As anyone familiar with the iconic Italian company would expect, the new offerings consisted of various pieces of top-of-the-line track and sport gear, as well as some new ADV/touring apparel and a few stylish new offerings from the brand’s revived old-school “OSCAR by Astars” lineup. As a sport enthusiast I was happy with the new race leathers and the OSCAR products are admittedly really cool looking. The first half of the day was spent with Troy Siahaan – from Technical Media Services – who gave attending journalists an overview of some of the 76 new products in the 2018 lineup.
One of the many new products for 2018: the Yokohama DryStar Jacket. Available in S-4XL for $489.95
While the first presentation went over almost two dozen new Astars products, the second half of the day was all about the Alpinestars Tech-Air airbag system which has finally made its way to the States. Damn, it is awesome. Astars began development of the high-tech safety apparatus in 2001, first being used by professional racers. In 2009, it would start being used in MotoGP and has since become a proven piece of equipment that the planet’s best riders depend upon. Currently, 26 riders from all three classes utilize the Tech-Air race system and starting next year the airbag systems will be mandatory for all MotoGP, Moto2, and Moto3 riders.
As you’d imagine, the Tech-Air system is incredibly sophisticated and high-tech. It works thanks to three accelerometers (one on each shoulder and one on the back) as well as a gyroscope and ECU unit located on the back. The four sensors record data in real time and send that information to the ECU which compares and evaluates it in a fraction (of a fraction of a fraction) of a second, knowing when to deploy and when not to. Because there are multiple sensors, they act as a sort of check and balance system for each other, in case one sensor misinterprets the incoming data, the others will catch the error. In its time being developed in GP racing more than 600 airbag deployments have put the Tech-Air system to the test and there has not been one occurrence where the device deployed when it wasn’t supposed to, or not deployed when it should have. Simply put: thanks to years of development it works incredibly well.
These sleeve-mounted LEDs indicate the status of the Tech-Air system.
The same sensors that are vital in the Tech-Air system’s deployment of the airbag are equally vital to Astars when developing the advanced piece of safety hardware. In addition to sensing when to deploy, the accelerometers and gyro also record crash metrics such as g-forces, initial impact force, location, and much more. This was invaluable to the development team – which has been collecting data since 2004 – as this is a product that needs to dependably work 100% of the time. Astars don’t yet offer the Tech-Air system for offroad applications, but the company sponsors Dakar competitors who have been wearing data loggers in recent years to aide in the development of use in non-tarmac applications. The same hardware can be utilized for different situations via a quick change of firmware. The airbag is deployed and inflated via two separate argon charge canisters. The canisters themselves use a small pyrotechnic explosion to activate the system. Astars had to jump through various hoops in order to receive the necessary certifications for the system confirming they are safe to handle, travel, and fly with.
As an active motorcycle airbag system had never been developed before, Astars had to source the components and software needed to bring this device to fruition. If something didn’t exist, Astars had no other choice than to build it themselves. Towards the beginning of development, various existing automotive equipment was adapted to meet their needs. Over time, the hardware and software was refined over and over again to become the cutting-edge system that’s now available. The other major hurdle facing the Tech-Air’s R&D team was getting the software to differentiate between the sometimes violent nature of track riding and an actual accident. Getting an algorithm to recognize a crash was a major challenge that took years to dial in, but it has clearly been perfected.
This active airbag technology is almost identical to what’s currently used in MotoGP (minus portions of the upper leg the newest system covers) and as of now it is the only system that fully covers the user’s torso. The entire Tech-Air system consists of a vest with the fancy computer hardware housed in a low profile unit on the wearer’s back. The entire vest/system weighs just under two pounds in total (technically 900 grams). Each vest is equipped with dual argon charges that can inflate the airbag in just 25 milliseconds (street) or 45 milliseconds (race). For reference, it takes about 100 milliseconds to blink. Systems can be sent back to Alpinestars for recharging at a cost of $299. This includes an inspection of the entire system and the download of logged data to aide the development team in further R&D.
The Tech-Air Vest.
How the Tech-Air system actually works is wildly complicated, but all you need to grasp is that the sensors are run through an algorithm that can determine when and when not to deploy the airbag, based on how violent an accident is. After the system deploys, it stays inflated for a full five seconds to offer plenty of protection during a crash. The longest recorded accident with the Tech-Air system took place at near top speed on a MotoGP machine and it lasted around seven seconds. Most of that time was spent sliding, making the five seconds that the system stays fully inflated more than sufficient for pretty much any accident. During the presentation of the Tech-Air system, a live demo was given and after the system deployed the tester wearing the system walked around and allowed the media attending to touch, push, and hit the inflated areas to get a sense of how long the airbag works for. Even once the system starts deflating, it still has enough air pressure in it for 12-14 more seconds before it stops doing its job.
Two different versions of the Tech-Air system are currently available: race and street. The race system can be plugged into a computer and the system’s firmware can be changed to allow for street riding, however the dedicated street version of the Tech-Air can’t be changed to track. The use of these two different algorithms allows for the airbag system to do a better job based on the needs of a particular riding application. For instance, the race system deploys via a single argon charge and once the system deflates, it’s good to go again. This means a single lowside doesn’t have to end your track day, and a single deployment doesn’t mean you have to spend the rest of your laps lacking the safety offered by the airbag system as long as you have a remaining charge.
Because there’s no possibility of being rear-ended while stopped at the track, the race system won’t deploy below a certain speed. However the street system anticipates this unfortunate possibility, and it is capable of deploying even faster than the race system, inflating the airbag via both charges simultaneously. The faster inflation also comes in handy when colliding with a car at speed, meaning if a car runs a red light and a Tech-Air system user t-bones said car, the system should almost always fully deploy between the time the vehicles make contact and the time the user makes their initial point of impact. Because an accident on the street is often a much bigger ordeal than on the track, using both charges on an individual accident is practical and, quite frankly, worth it.
Although the Tech-Air system was first used in conjunction with Alpinestars race leathers, the moto-gear powerhouse is starting to offer compatible jackets outside of of their race lineup. For the first time, this includes a jacket from the sexy vintage Oscar lineup: the Oscar Charlie. Alpinestars thinks this safety technology represents the future of riding gear so they have put a lot of proverbial eggs in the Tech-Air basket. Though specifics couldn’t be given when I inquired about future products that will be compatible with the Tech-Air system, I’m extremely confident in saying that Alpinestars will be offering an increasing number of jackets and suits for all riding disciplines that accept the Tech-Air system.
The OSCAR Charlie Jacket. [Editor’s Note: They missed a chance to play off the NATO Alphabet and call this the OSCAR Kilo!]
Another cool feature of Astars racing airbag system is that it can not only have its firmware changed from track to street, but it can quickly and easily be removed from one Tech-Air compatible product and dropped into another in just a few minutes. This allows users to wear the vest while commuting to work all week in the Oscar Charlie, and then remove it from their street jacket and throw it in their Tech-Air compatible racing leathers – such as the Missile suit or jacket – on the weekend for a trackday. Like any fancy tech offerings, this device will come down in price as it becomes more popular and spends more time on the market.
On top of Astars’ Tech-Air compatible products, the mandate for the use of this tech in GP racing has resulted in Alpinestars working with other gear manufacturers and providing them with the airbag system for their respective offerings. This will not only help drive the evolution of this technology, but also give riders more choices of products to use this system while simultaneously bringing the price down. Astars highly recommends that owners of the Tech-Air system service their unit every two years, a task that can be handled by scheduling an appointment or sending the device into Astars HQ. This bi-annual service costs $99.99.
Because conducting a proper study to determine the efficacy of the Tech-Air system would require a control group of riders not wearing it (combined with a particularly small sample group), it’s almost impossible to give data on the active safety system’s effectiveness in preventing injury. However, Astars mobile clinic did anecdotally relay that the Tech-Air system has been successful in reducing injuries or reducing the severity of them. I doubt this data will ever be readily available, but I’m confident in saying this system does offer the best protection currently available, evidenced by the fact the current top three leaders in the current MotoGP season all depend on the Tech-Air system.
With the Tech-Air system joining the ranks of other modern offerings such as Head Up Displays and 200hp bikes with full electronic suites, it really is starting to feel like the future has arrived.