Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road Review
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- Опубліковано 7 вер 2024
- rvz.la/430QotP | Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road System
The Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road pairs a full passive armor rig with Tech-Air airbag technology. Developed by Astars for seven years and worn by Dakar racers for the past five years, the Tech-Air Off-Road System brings pro-level protection to the dirt-riding masses.
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This is the first airbag system I'm seriously considering
Great review! Love how much information you were able to share and your experience using such an innovative new product. Goes a long way towards getting people interested in a newer approach to safety.
They need to make these standard for supercross and motorcross. This would of helped Austin Forkner with his off at Dallas last weekend.
If they got rid of the sleeves it might work, still very restrictive
They would need a whole different algorithm for MX. So many jumps, landings, woops etc that any mode this currently has would probably set it off. I read that even some pro Dakar riders when they hit dunes and got some real air set it off mid flight when the airbag thought “my time to shine”
I would have liked to see the deployment while he was wearing a helmet
I’ve ordered one and I should have it soon in Mongolia. Maybe the first here. Anyway I’m convinced it’s a revolution in protection. With some caveats.
I agree that it needs forearm straps. These keep the elbow armour in place and prevent the shirt riding up the arm in a fall.
It really should have side rib protectors. These should be mountable on the straps that secure the chest piece to the back piece.
The bladder looks very vulnerable to cut hazards, especially down the upper arms. A large amount of bladder material is only covered by stretch mesh. So you could easily have a side fall not needing a deployment but trashing the bladder because of pointy material on the ground. Or even just riding through trees. This is probably solved by wearing a jacket but who wants to do that in summer? Instead I think the abrasion resistant material should cover the entire bladder. A hole or tear in the bladder would be catastrophic and require a replacement at $300 plus shipping.
Finally, I think hard plastic plates would be better for rocky terrain. These should be optional on a tech-air off-road. In particular I’m talking of the elbows, shoulders and side ribs.
Awesome review. Very helpful. Great explanation of which Alpinestars model and various modes.
Yes! Finally an Airbag system to be taken seriously & I consider getting one at last!
Hopefully one wouldn't use it, or it delivers when inevitably needed.
Just got mine in, awesome rig, super comfy to wear, and lowered the amount of noise around the house about motorcycle safety by a factor of 5. If that's not worth a grand I don't know what is.
Love the technology and I want one for street riding on my DRZ, but $600 every four falls offroad crazy!!
What’s your ER deductible?
It's not going to go off every time you fall offroad. It's made to go off on bad ones.
@@jackson_fotoYou can get a Helite vest and the cost of activation is a CO2 cartridge.
@@aluisiouswhile I do understand the indoctrination of RF9 and his love of Helite tethered systems: a tethered system isn’t a great choice off road. It’ll go off every time you tip over the bike and won’t go off in the event of a low side unless you separate from the bike. I’m also curious what happened to the helite price points. How did a co2 cartridge and trigger mechanism now cost the same as algorithm based units like the Tech Air 3 / 5 and only $200-300 less than this Off-road? Either way, tethered systems when standing up/ sitting down constantly like you should be for ADV is not recommended.
@@patrickmchugh8039 plus one to this. I have seen folks with Helite at ADV events and in just a small slow topple over the poor guy had his Helite bag go off and he didn't even hit the ground. I think Helite's tethered bags are a solid, non-complicated option for regular and even track riding. That being said, I don't want the bag going off in just my average low-speed crashes. To that end, I'm more upset that A-stars didn't include the forearm straps for the elbow armor.
Of course, I recently bought the Klim because the previous Alpinestars airbag vests required me to send the vest back to Alpinestars in California from Toronto, Canada after each deployment. Oh well, next time!
This one doesn't require a subscription plan.
@@MeerkatADV I got the first year free, but yes, going forward I either need to pay them for the lifetime sub or pay them monthly or yearly. The thing I'm annoyed about the most is I literally just activated it yesterday! I could have returned it and bought the AStars one instead!
@@brianq103Have fun when your vest glitches out and thinks you aren't subbed when you need it. Sometimes Windows thinks it needs to be activated, but I don't need Windows to save my life.
Great tech, it probably wouldn't have deployed when I fell at 0mph and landed on a rock with my A10 and still busted my ribs. I'd definitely get one of these, but I wonder how well it flows air here locally in the NJ Pine Barrens when its steamy and hot.
Right way to go after nearly 30 years in trauma medicine and riding. Only thing to prevent serious injury level 1;2 armournext to useless otherwise your car will be full of armour. If u look at injury mechanisms and force transfers makes sense . Still a few Misguided thoughts ie clavicle breaks usually a fulcrum transferred from wrist
Please don't tell me you're a doctor with the way you wrote that.
@@aluisious It looks like a bot tbh
Great Review, except you didn't show how it Zips on and off. I am looking at the Helite E-GP Air Track Airbag V For Track and Street and I think it only uses Velcro. I know the Appinestars Tech-Air Off Road Vest has a Zipper, but I would like to have seen it put on and taken off from the Test Dummy .
@revzilla, so the issue I have with this type of design is that the airbag and the “body suit” and the armour are all together, which definitely has its advantages. However, if I take this thing on a long adv trip, say 2 weeks, it’s gonna be pretty ripe at the end of my adventure, prolly won’t be allowed to enter the ice cream shop anymore. So, does alpinestars have spare shirts you can buy so you can carry clean ones and swap them out? Or am I left washing my alpinestars in the river or hotel sink? Lol
We doubt they would be selling this kit as build-able with spare parts (which would allow you to interchange it all), so if you are in the unique position about caring about your smell on a 2-week ADV trip (which all of your other gear is still going to be pretty ripe...), you would just need to wash the airbag as per the instructions instead of carrying a second one along for the trip. But from the sounds of it, you could take it apart and wash it at a laundromat / hotel with all your other clothes / base layers / gear in the same fashion, which is sounds like you'd be doing anyway on a 2-week trip.
Any chance you could show how it works with a hydration bladder and mx jersey? I understand you can’t wear a backpack with these?
FYI, Qantas in Australia will not allow the air vest to be transported in checked in luggage
Great to see this airbag human model reacting to somethings you say hahahahahahah he almost couldn’t contain himself, and I laughed together.
Great review by the way
How's the helmet immobilization on deployment? Would love to see that.
Enough to pass the FIM requirement. Since all rally racers are required to wear these and can’t wear neck braces for that reason, airbag specs have to immobilize the helmet to a certain degree to make up for it.
I'm curious what the repacking process is like for the actual airbag. I'd presume it's something that could be done on the trail, though I do wonder how long it takes.
Well the “repacking” is done by Alpinestars since that refers to just replacing the airbag bladder. But replacing the canisters is what riders can do trailside, which is only a few steps and pretty easy (if you have some spares).
@@RevZilla I always assumed the bladders were folded up to be more compact, and you'd have to fold/pack it away once it deployed, but I guess I'm wrong? 🤔
I guess I'll need to track one down to take a closer look.
@@chronoscholar3506according to all the influencer reviews (probably scripted) it does not have to be repacked. If it poofs once, wait a handful of seconds as it deflates and ride on. Once it poofs a second time, the rider can replace the canisters and ride on. After four poofs, send it in to be inspected, repaired etc. no official price on this service but they are saying it’ll be “around $300”. Sounds like $399.99 to me and a year from now it might be $500.
Is the system waterproof?
Does the airbag inflate enough to stabilize the head to avoid neck injury?
The brains are basically waterproof which is the important part. Some pro racers talked about celebrating by jumping into ponds after races and it still worked fine afterwards. And neck immobilization is enough to pass the bc FIM standard since racers have to wear these instead of braces.
Does this protect the ribs? All the ribs… I’ve messed up mine enough.
First time I hurt mine I was wearing the Leatt 6.5 pro. I hit something directly where there was no coverage. Out of action for 6 weeks. 2nd time I had an A10. It did its job but I landed on the plastic, non ce certified part and heard a massive crack as I hit a jagged rock. Without it I would have been in hospital for sure, but because it protected me, 3 ibuprofends and the ride continues for another 4 days and many many pain killers.
This is exact same question. Broke two ribs recently because handlebar went into my side just below my armpit. Looking for a rig that would protect me in the same situation.
@@brianfranko421 Yeah, it terms of rib protection this has even less than the A10 or the Leatt 6.5. Alpinestars arent helpful when I asked the question.
Yep, this is key for me too. Hope AStars is monitoring these comments.
@@bajageorgia6933 A good option to add but of course would kill more airflow is the EvoShield rib shirt. I wear it all the time now when I'm expecting dirt.
these look awesome. cant wait to try one! but i bet those air canisters get confiscated at airports more than they should. Ive had normal CO2 cartridges (for inflating tyres) confiscated even from check in luggage in Turkey for example. of course i flew with them to Turky and have flown to loads of other countries with them without issues. but loosing these Alpine stars cartridges could kinda ruin holiday plans.
Funny enough, that was part of our testing process. Had to fly from LA to PHL with our sample in this video. Put it in our checked bag as recommended by the Astars sales reps (since they travel with them all the time), and everything was fine. Had a TSA card stated the bag was looked through (to be expected), but it was otherwise easy as any other piece of luggage. Can't really speak for other countries, but that was our experience / the experience of their reps that fly with them weekly. We'd be surprised if the agent inspecting your bag knew exactly how / where to look for the cartridges and be able to remove them in a timely matter, but that's just our opinion. The odds seem pretty slim.
Thank you so much for the thorough review. You said, "track" during the review. Can we use this on a road track (e.g., COTA)? Or, do we have to go with the TechAir 7x in order to get track protection?
Track in the video was referring to MX tracks and tracks / trails in the woods. There is no "Race mode" for the Off-Road to get you to a street track and you'd need to grab one of there other systems (like the Tech-Air 7x and many others).
Dr. Disrespect would like a word with you
Without sunglasses, this thing doesn't have nothing on Dr 2-time!
Thank you for this great review. Taking all the proper sizing into consideration, do you suggest I wear my heated vest (with sleeves) inside or outside the Tech Off-Road vest?
You’d want to wear them under, since the closure heated gear is to your skin the better it works. You’d likely barely feel it through the TAOR. Keep in mind, since the airbag naturally blocks air and is extra layering, you likely won’t need the heated vest until colder than you usually wear it.
Great! Thank you. 😊
What I cannot tell is EXACTLY where the airbag protects. Does it go around the entire torso, including your sides? If so, how close does it get to your armpits? I'm trying to understand the protection for side ribs. I broke 2 several months ago after a crash. Rig didn't have protection up near armpit and handlebar broke my rib as I went down.
You may want to check out the photo on Alp’s site where it shows a cutaway of the airbag to see where it covers. But basically the system is towards the sides but doesn’t wrap around. It sits underneath the hard side-rib plates you see on the outside (in red/black) but doesn’t go up near the armpits. Can definitely understand wanting that area to be protected from your experience, but the facts are that it’s a very low likelihood to get hit in a crash but has a high trade off in comfort for the 99.999% of the time your riding and not deploying it. That’s why almost all off road rigs offer lower rib protection at the side but not upper: it just hinders off-road movement too much compared to how likely you are to hit it. Hopefully that helps 🤙
I’m with you @brianfranko421. I’ve looked at the cutaway images as Patrick McHugh mentions and it doesn’t show the sides. Looking at the actual jacket at the store today it looks to me like pretty wide strip down my side would have no protection.
I really like where they are headed with this off-road version but this is missing this one key piece.
It protects Alpine Star bottom line, this thing will be a major $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for A Star
I hope everyone else has a staring contest with Pat too
OK, you have the actual system for sale at ZLA; that's fine. However, after checking online and calling and asking, I've determined that you do NOT have the extra inflators or inflator set of two. When will those be available?
No exact date just yet, but soon. Alpinestars focused on bringing the airbags to the market first and the replacement canisters will be right behind them. I’d imagine they thought having 2 deployments per jacket gave them a buffer for the canisters to arrive before being needed.
@@RevZilla This is honestly the dumbest thing I've ever heard. A safety conscious user would likely want to "test" the inflation out to ensure it's working properly prior to trusting their life to it. Unfortunately this is not currently possible as you'd be using up one of your "lives" before you hopped on a bike. It also gives the impression the product was rushed to market before it was fully ready.
With no set date, it could be months before the replacement cannisters become available, and with "supply chain issues" I don't see how I could purchase a $1000 vest just on the hope they are actually in-stock. I have easily spent over $5k at Revzilla and will buy one of these - when the replacement cannisters become available.
@@Retumbo7 I'm not going to argue with you over replacement canisters, but will respectfully disagree with you in one main area:
I would consider anyone buying an airbag system a "safety conscious" rider. And I don't know of anyone, at least anyone in my circles, who has bought an airbag and then went out and tried to crash in it to "test the inflation".
@@SpurgeonDunbar Not suggesting anyone go out and crash, but simply a stationary test just like you do in the video.
You suggest it is OK to wear the airbag under a jacket, but not one that's too tight. How do you actually know what too tight is unless you try it?
I'm not trying to be argumentative here, but this is new technology and it just seems logical for A* to give the end-user the freedom to see what will work best for their use-case.
Obviously we all appreciate what you guys are doing with these excellent videos, but I feel like this is one thing I would want to test myself before I trust my life to it.
@@Retumbo7 Do you test the airbags in your new car before you drive it? Same thing. Alpinestars is sending this out ready to go. If it fails, then they are on the hook. But there are so many variables for situations needed, you won't be able to test them all anyways. It's certainly not too difficult to know if a jacket will fit or not. Put it on with the airbag. Is it loose enough to inflate in those zones. You can see how big it is in this video. If you really are worried, upsize.
Great review. Is the unit compatible with a kidney belt that's integrated into a jacket like the Klim Badlands Pro, or will the airbag interfere should it deploy?
Deployment lifts the jacket up.
So belt is not good.
Badlands Jacket must be xxl for xl airbag
Normally I have a L badlands jacket
How do you wash this? And how will it be day after day of riding in it … looks like it might be pretty hot? Is it waterproof
Great review, thank you. Having to re-zip is a huge hassle, means you have to take your riding jersey off. Does it require an A-stars specific hydration pack?
Yeah, although you could just reach your hand into the jersey and unzip it pretty easily, not 100% required to take the jersey off just to break the magnet. As for the hydration, its just a loop system so any hydration bladder design to hang from a hook will work.
@@RevZilla perfect, I thought you had to completely unzip, thanks for clarifying.
Adventure Spec have a jersey with a zip. It’s a bit heavier than a regular jersey but not having to struggle with it over your armor is worth it.
@@RandomGRK I’m not familiar with that gear/jersey; I’m rocking the Klim XC Lite year-round due to the weather where I live. What brand were you referring to?
I love this, but still not enough cervical spine protection.
Yeah, we would love to see more as well. Although, this does meet the FIM's requirement for protection of the upper spine. Racers are required to wear this instead of neck braces so FIM mandated that the airbags deploy with the same amount of stabilization of the head as a neck brace so they are still protected. More maybe good in theory too, but it starts to add more obstructions while riding which then makes the rider less safe when riding / not crashing. Curious to see how FIM / airbag manufacturers address this in the years to come though.
I think Helite still sets the standard when it comes to cspine protection.
@revzilla : what does it mean that an Alpinestars jacket is tech air ready? Does it have room for the large hump on the back of the tech-air offroad?
I’ve been trying the off-road with various jackets (Klim, Advspec) and the hump in back makes the neck and the top of the jacket fit quite weird.
Usually it just means the jacket has enough stretch for the airbag to deploy comfortably.
Did you ever find a good fitting jacket? Same boat.. xl Klim baja fits over over it fine but neck is weird when zipped up. Trying astars halo next
does the airbag system cover the shoulder?
Hello, the alpinestar tech air is very interesting, I would like to know what t-shirt I should buy to be worn with this system if I am size M.
Does it only activate when in motion? So when I’m riding in the city and I get a rear hit at a stop sign it won’t deploy?
The Alpinestars Road-algorithm built into this (and all of their Tech Air systems) will still protect you at a standstill if the unit is on. So if you come to a stop in traffic or at a light, it'll still be analyzing everything just in case you get hit, and it will deploy if needed.
It will deploy if stationary and hit from behind, BUT only in STREET mode.
Cool tech!
But ... how do you deflate it after a crash? Just open some valve or does air need to be pumped out, somehow?
It deflates gradually on its own. Takes a few minutes.
Backpack yay or nay?
According to Alpinestars you can, but need to have stretch on it to factor in the deployment. We’d recommend just using bike based luggage and not running a backpack though. We’ve had test riders crash with backpacks and airbags and if it is too tight it is not fun at all.
@@RevZillathe only problem I see with that is that it’s smart to carry first aid supplies on your person in case your separated from your bike. I guess that stuff will need to go in a fanny pack.
I race speedway sidecars in Australia have a look and tell me if it would work or not
Do you think that Alpine Star will bring out a vest only or removable arms for the off road? I’m looking to put it under my Badlands and in Australia it’s very hot wanting to get rid of as much unnecessary gear as possible.
Sounds like MXGP and SX racers are wearing sensors now for a smaller MX / dirt unit in the future. Should be interesting to see.
Can you wear a backpack with this?
you have to make it loose, or somehow not impeded with the A bag deployment. If you are wearing something that potentially impede the deployment of the A bag, you can't sue A Star . Risk management is a tight rope
Not gonna lie when I first saw the thumbnail I thought it was a Dr. Disrespect video.
Can this be used with a backpack ?
According to Alpinestars, it can work with hydration style backpacks. But we caution it as you have to make sure it has enough stretch in the backpack for the deployment or else the airbag’s pressure will push inward.
Great hopefully we will see more manufactures testing and stating if their gear is compatible with this system.
Could you use this one for like just riding on the street and cut the sleeves off and remove shoulders pads since street leather jackets come with them already??
At that point you should just buy the Tech Air 3 or 5. Or just remove the armor from the pockets in this rig instead of cutting the sleeves off.
@@RevZilla thank you for the reply, I just asked because I like the idea of yourself can replace those cartridges, cause to be honest it kinda sucks that you have to send to Alpinestars your airbag for a week or two so they replace the cartridges for you. Thank you I appreciate you guys.
For the price it needs padded protection on par with the Bionic Pro V2 for those low speed tip overs.
FWIW - the Bionic Pro V2 does offer CE level 1 armor all around like the Tech Air Off-Road, although you can upgrade the Tech Air's armor. And, when the airbag deploys, the impact protection far exceed CE level 2 testing standards.
@@RevZilla I'm talking about the foam padding it has outside the impact armor.
Is there any plans to make a more womanly fitted version? My lady friend has been shopping for a full armor rig that will fit the chest armor around a 32 I cup and there isn't anything we've found yet that works.
Nothing planned yet that we are aware of, although Astars has a fair amount of female racers at Dakar etc using this airbags system without issues.
Do you think this will be hot for enduro? also, do you think we could still run a klim ARSENAL 15 BACKPACK?
I was afraid of the "running hot" aspect as well, but it doesn't seem to be any "hotter" than my standard A-Stars Bionic rig that I currently use for enduros. I think it will mostly depend on what rig you're currently riding with and how it compares to that.
I've seen folks wearing backpacks with Airbags at ADV events, however, if there is not stretch in the pack's straps, that air pressure needs somewhere to go and it's gonna squeeze you pretty good. I have switched to using USWE hydration packs for enduros and dual sports in general, but I think they're going to be one of the best options for use with an airbag system. I currently use the Patriot 15L backpack and just removed the back protector and add a hydration bladder.
@@SpurgeonDunbar thanks for the detailed reply! I ended up calling Alpinestars. I thought it would reduce the effectiveness of the airbag having a pack. Their impression was it would be just as effective, but may brake the pack straps. The tighter "fit" with a pack to the human may also be impacted....but way better than high speed impact IMO. I'm going to switch from my klim airbag to the alpinestars offroad airbag SOON. I'm excited to use it for hard enduro, adv and snowbiking! Where the klim was mostly useful only for ADV.
Maybe I'll have to move my snacks to a fannypack or something similar. I've been running my personal protection in a fanny pack for a year or so...as the hill people gear pouch on the front of a chest protector was too hot.
There are cool clips that might be used to put a very small pack like the USWE onto the back of the offroad airbag. I'll tinker with it.
I dunk my head at every river anyway...as its always too hot. That is why snowbiking is so awesome, you can solve the cold with gear.
Would have loved to see a demo of it working.
Just watch the video. 10:13
Did you watch the entire video?
@RevZilla thanks 😊 but most people wouldn't 🙄 watch that long😢 think adverts, 2 minutes would have have made this video and you'd get more views.
Short and Sweet.
Love the channel ❤️
Why this shouldn’t work for touring/ road? I see that it's only supporting off road and street
Street mode is the coverage for touring / road usage. But if you are just touring around you are likely best suited with their Tech Air 5 and ditch the bulky design of this off road rig.
Thanks for your response! Tech air 5 don’t have usb c and for me is a must.
Can the chest armor be taken off for street riding?
No, it can't. Although Alpinestars offers 4 other Tech Air's that are better suited for street use if your shopping for an option.
amazing tech it should be made cheaper to save lifes of everyone...................
L size available 🤔👌
Is the street mode sufficient for regular sport bike canyon rides and some intermediate group track days with this model or do i really have to buy 2 different airbags for the dirt bike and the street bike?
Street mode is ideal for twisty roads but if you are doing track days you will need to get a Tech Air system with Race mode as well. The off-road version is going to be extremely bulky and hot under a track suit too fwiw, that’s why they offer the different designs in the 10 and 5 versions.
I'm hoping to see the track version updated with replaceable canisters as well... IMO that would be a huge win for the Tech 10!
They missed a trick here with not making the rest of the material abrasion resistant.
Ah, we disagree. Abrasion resistant material all over would’ve made it to bulky and hot for summer/desert racing. It’s already a hefty piece of equipment and if you are riding on road for ADV enough, you already have a jacket to toss over top ( or should be in the Tech Air 5 at that point).
How do you wash?
You can remove the armor and airbag to wash it. It’s all in the owners manual when you buy it.
Alpinestars has developed a bad reputation with these airbag vests for not opening when needed, opening at other times, and the insane cash grab for repacking them. You can only screw people so many times before consumers won't even consider your products anymore.
Thank you 😊
The big surprise isn’t when it deploys, it’s when you have to deal with Alpinestars customer support in California. Must be the easiest job to have.
Why because they don’t do anything and never respond back?
It’s a trap! You work for them 😂
Apparently us fat guys have built-in airbags because this is only offered up to 2x
Too expensive. I was happy to pay $800 for the helmet because i know it will help when the time comes. These airbags... not so sure. I prefer living on the edge and stay away from these overpriced products.
The data is beginning to show that an airbag may be more important than a helmet.
Not having all over Level 2 passive protection is a spit in the face of the customers in 2024... Level 2 inserts are not bulky at all.
When the airbag deploys, the impact protection is well beyond level 2 impact armor standards by miles. So since the airbag is designed to deploy in big crashes, CE 1 is just fine for tip over when it doesn’t. Again, that’s after 4 years of designing it for the best riders in the world who are also the most prone to crashing.
Yeah hard disagree with you there, CE 2 armor is way too bulky for riding off-road. Likely why 90% off armor rigs only offer CE1 elbow shoulder armor. Besides, when the airbag goes off it’s not like it matters since that is 90% better than CE 2 armor …
@@RevZillawould that also apply if you were to use it on the street? The elbows are still lvl 1 and there’s no airbag there. You said the armour is removable, can we actually put level 2 armour in the vest?
Yeah, the armor can be swapped to CE 2 if you wanted for the street. Or you can remove the armor and have CE 2 Elbow / Shoulder in the jacket you are wearing overtop since you'd still need and abrasion resistant layer that is tarmac-capable.
@@patrickmchugh8039 I've been wearing D3O CE2 armor off road (chest, back, elbows, shoulders) for the last 4 years and 70,000+ miles. Not bulky at all. But I agree in this instance the CE2 armor isn't needed (except maybe at the elbows) since the primary protection for a bad one is the airbag.
that's a joke