Helite Turtle Airbag Hi-Viz Vest Review

[moshe_levy]

Hello All-

Here is Moto Mouth #11 - my review of Helite's Turtle Hi-Viz vest, which is a mechanically actuated airbag you can wear over your favorite riding jacket!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI7iFZtuf70

-MKL

[waxi]

I bought brown Helite Leather Airbag jaket few months ago. Best buy ever and it has timeless design...

[Idontwantapickle]

 That is a pretty neat concept but I am of two minds about it. On the one hand it will obviously help reduce injury from impact but then on the ground it seemed to cause the user to roll rather than slide. I am well protected when I ride from sliding by the leather etc. But rolling would seem to increase the chance of breaking a limb.
Thoughts?
Hunter

[charlie b]

I'd be tempted to get the adv jacket.  I wonder why the vest is available in hi-viz but not the jacket?

[Cam3512]

That is a pretty neat concept but I am of two minds about it. On the one hand it will obviously help reduce injury from impact but then on the ground it seemed to cause the user to roll rather than slide. I am well protected when I ride from sliding by the leather etc. But rolling would seem to increase the chance of breaking a limb.
Thoughts?
Hunter

I think you would still slide.

[moshe_levy]

All-

There are plenty of Youtube vids of crashes with this vest. (I love you guys, but not enough to demonstrate a crash for a video!). In general the vest is designed to reduce the initial impact and from there, you seem to slide. So you've still got the Cordura + the huge back pad to help there. Personally I like the vest idea over a jacket because with the vest, I can wear it over any jacket I want (summer, winter, mesh, leather, etc.)

-MKL

[moshe_levy]

Here's Helite's promo video which shows some stunt guys crashing - high and low sides. Lots of sliding as you can see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v79tKQbJWNo

-MKL

[Idontwantapickle]

Here's Helite's promo video which shows some stunt guys crashing - high and low sides. Lots of sliding as you can see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v79tKQbJWNo

-MKL

That's the same vid as the OP, and there was no sliding on the low side crash. The guy rolled like a barrel where without the vest  most likely you would slide. BTDT. Now on the upside there are a lot of things to slide into and having that protection would be a really good thing then!
I think i might have to get one.
Hunter

[moshe_levy]

I hope none of us have to find out if this thing works or not....

-MKL

[Tom]

I hope they're not using Takata inflators.

[moshe_levy]

lol.......

-MKL

[Tom]

Goldwing riders.   http://www.autoblog.com/2016/06/02/honda-goldwing-takata-airbag-recall/

[Cam3512]

Once the price comes down, I can see this as standard as airbags in cars.  Makes sense.

[moshe_levy]

Since when does anything French ever come down in price? 

-MKL

[Cam3512]

Since when does anything French ever come down in price? 

-MKL

Competition.

[charlie b]

Yep, depends on how the patent is written.