Anybody use a neck brace?

[revmatch]

Please post photos and also give us your impressions after several rides.

If the vest inflated while under a jacket that also has back armor is there room for full inflation?

How hot is it - or how much air does it flow?

Are these practical to wear on hot humid days when even a mesh armored jacket makes you sweat?

How much weight do you feel while wearing it with a jacket? Do you feel the added few pounds will create fatigue while touring in a vest?

How does it fit over heated gear?

Photo: can you show the tether attaches to the bike?

I’m very curious. Probably have 100 more questions!

Will do my best to answer!

Please post photos and also give us your impressions after several rides.

After several rides with the Helite vest, I can confidently say that I’m very happy with my purchase. Before buying it, I was afraid it might feel bulky and cumbersome, but that hasn’t been the case at all. The vest is super easy to put on over my REV’IT Sand 3 jacket — even with the Forcefield chest + back protector I wear underneath and the back protector built into the vest — and I don’t even notice it while riding. Clipping it in to the tether on my bike took a couple rides to get used to, but now it’s just a regular part of my routine and makes me feel that much more secure + protected when riding. I also love how bright and reflective the vest is (although there is a black version for folks who don’t want the hi-viz).

If the vest inflated while under a jacket that also has back armor is there room for full inflation?

The vest is designed to go over your jacket not under so achieving full inflation should never be a problem.

How hot is it - or how much air does it flow?

Haven’t had a chance to ride in particularly hot weather just yet, however, airflow hasn’t been a problem for me so far. The vest is loose enough so that air can still get in through the openings, but not so loose that it flops around in the wind while you ride. When I open the air vents on my jacket, I can feel plenty of air coming in.

Are these practical to wear on hot humid days when even a mesh armored jacket makes you sweat?

This one’s tough to answer. If you’re sweating in a mesh jacket, you’ll probably sweat more with the vest on top of it. How much more? Not sure. Is it practical? Highly dependent on the individual. Personally, I really like the added safety the vest provides so I’d probably just deal with any extra heat / sweating.

How much weight do you feel while wearing it with a jacket? Do you feel the added few pounds will create fatigue while touring in a vest?

To me, the extra weight is negligible and I don’t notice the vest while riding. I went on a 5 hour ride today and the vest never crossed my mind.

How does it fit over heated gear?

I don’t own any heated gear, however, I’ve comfortably worn the vest on top of my base layer shirt, chest + back protector, thermal liner, waterproof liner, and jacket with no issue. FYI — the manual says the CO2 cartridge should be used between 0°C and 45°C (32°F and 113°F), and that the vest shouldn’t be exposed to high temperatures such as those near a heat source. Might be worth asking Helite about this if you’re planning on riding in cold temps with heated gear.

Can you show the tether attaches to the bike?

The tether is installed under your seat by tying it to the frame using a noose knot. I don’t have a picture of the knot itself right now, but I do have one of the tether coming out from under the seat on my Honda Rebel 500 (I’ll be getting my NC in May and plan on installing a tether there too).

Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[melensdad]

That helps a lot, thank you.

So it is sized to fit over your jackets... How many jackets do you own and does it fit properly over all of them? I ask because I own 3 jackets. My full mesh FirstGear Rush Air jacket is a minimalist jacket and fits tighter to my body than my bulkier and more protective Klim Apex or my FirstGear Kilimanjaro, both of which have bulkier construction, somewhat more of a touring cut style and heavier armor all around.

I love the idea of the air vests. Just trying to figure out all the bits.

How adjustable is the vest? Is there enough adjustment in the fit so it can be easily fitted to wear over an armored touring coat AND ALSO a trim cut modestly armored full mesh jacket? I'd presume I'd loosen it for wear over a touring coat and tighten it for the trim fit jacket, just want to make sure there is enough adjustment in the vest fitment to accommodate.

If you wear a size L jacket would you size UP to an XL for the vest or is the vest sized L intentionally cut generous enough to fit over a size L jacket?

Does the vest come with just 1 bike installed tether?

 

[revmatch]

That helps a lot, thank you.

So it is sized to fit over your jackets... How many jackets do you own and does it fit properly over all of them? I ask because I own 3 jackets. My full mesh FirstGear Rush Air jacket is a minimalist jacket and fits tighter to my body than my bulkier and more protective Klim Apex or my FirstGear Kilimanjaro, both of which have bulkier construction, somewhat more of a touring cut style and heavier armor all around.

I love the idea of the air vests. Just trying to figure out all the bits.

How adjustable is the vest? Is there enough adjustment in the fit so it can be easily fitted to wear over an armored touring coat AND ALSO a trim cut modestly armored full mesh jacket? I'd presume I'd loosen it for wear over a touring coat and tighten it for the trim fit jacket, just want to make sure there is enough adjustment in the vest fitment to accommodate.

If you wear a size L jacket would you size UP to an XL for the vest or is the vest sized L intentionally cut generous enough to fit over a size L jacket?

Does the vest come with just 1 bike installed tether?

Happy to help!

The vest is very adjustable. There are 2 large flaps on the front that you can open to loosen or tighten the 3 clips that hold the vest in place. I have mine adjusted as tight as they can reasonably go, but I could expand the vest by several inches if I loosened them.

In terms of sizing, Helite says the most important measurement is height because that ensures the airbag covers the right parts of your body when inflated. There is some overlap in sizes so you might be able to comfortably fit into 2 sizes based on your measurements. Helite’s recommendation is to choose your size based on the type(s) of jacket(s) you wear most often. Given how adjustable the vest is, though, it should work well even if you’re switching between tighter and looser fitting jackets. Just keep in mind that the vest is supposed to have a loose fit so you don’t want it conforming to your body like a leather suit.

My sizing recommendation would be to look at Helite’s size chart, take all the measurements they ask for in all of your jackets, and choose the size that fits most of them, keeping in mind that the vest offers a lot of adjustability.

As for the tether, yes the vest only comes with one. Additional tethers cost around $30 in the US.

 

[melensdad]

I still love the idea of these airbag vests. Not decided to buy one yet. From what I can tell:

Helite seems to offer a ton of appealing simplicity. It can be recharged 6 times before it needs inspection. The replacement cartridges on the Helite are cheap.

KLIM, which claims to have the highest safety rating (made in one of the many videos I watched) is designed for under the jacket wearing so is protected by the jacket. It can be recharged 3 times before it needs inspection. Charge canisters are proprietary and expensive.

Price for the KLIM, upfront, is much cheaper than the Helite. US$400 for Klim vs $660 for the Helite.

KLIM is more expensive long term due to the subscription, but is cheaper for the first 2.1 years. If upfront cost is preventing a purchase it is an affordable way to get into a vest.

KLIM's subscription gives software updates based on thousands of actual uses of the vest, in theory making it more reliable and safer with each update, it also replaces the computer module every 3 years. The subscription is tied to moto tech company inMotion, which also works with other manufacturers in addition to KLIM; it appears that different companies sell in different world markets but the technology seems to be the same.

KLIM has a battery that needs to be charged.

Helite has no electronic components.

KLIM also requires a "subscription" and is tied to a smartphone 'App' to work. The subscription price is US$12/month or $120/year and the vest will not work if the subscription lapses. Not sure if it is possible to cancel it in late fall, restart it in the spring, to reduce the cost? The KLIM vest will NOT operate without the subscription.

Helite uses a reliable tether, but will not deploy until AFTER your body hits the windshield of your bike.

The KLIM shows it fully deploys before contacting your windscreen in at least 1 video.

Helite fits OVER your riding jacket and can be damaged during a slide on the asphalt.

KLIM fits UNDER your riding jacket and must have room inside the jacket to deploy but is protected from slide damage by your jacket.

Useful lifespan of the Helite is theoretically unlimited.

Useful lifespan for the KLIM is dependent upon factory support of the App and the subscription. The inMotion app/hardware is claimed to have TENS of thousands of users worldwide. The inMotion technology used by KLIM is sold by select moto brands outside of the North American marketplace so the customer base, and ongoing revenue stream, is much larger than KLIM's sales of their vest.

Other brands exist. Some have more coverage, some have less physical coverage. Some other brands are tethered like the Helite, some brands use a proprietary electronic module, some use the inMotion module. None will help you if you are t-boned by a car/truck/bus or Haley's Comet ... at least not until after you suffer impact injuries.

 

[dduelin]

Informative thread. I'm leaning toward the Helite as I have several referrals for it from friends that did their own analysis.

 

[mrbios]

Fortnine is entertaining and many time very informative. But as any channel that requires ever increasing viewership it taps into melodramatics a bit too much. The good comes with the bad. Not an indictment against it, just keeping things in perspective as the guy has developed an almost cult like followership.
........

Lots of good points; 1990 was my last 'real' crash resulting in injury (broken leg) my recent crash (resulting from abnormal group dynamics at around 20 mph was a wake up call for more protection. Luckily I wore my heavy reinforce leather pants would not have wanted to have just jeans on or shorts and a t-shirt like I wear in the summer when it is really hot.