The idea of airbag jackets was originally frowned upon. After all, who wanted to look like a Michelin man? However, times have changed and now motorcyclists are increasingly looking at the airbag option as viable, and sometimes even essential.
But, how in the world do they work?
Well, we will use the example of Hit-Air Motorcycle Airbag Jackets. These jackets have a pull cord, which attaches to the bike. The cord is adjustable to a length to suit you, but it is recommended you have it at a length where, when stood upright on the pegs, there is a slight tautness. This cord is connected to the integral CO2 gas canister (see below) and takes a pull of approximately 35kg (the weight of a child) for the jacket to inflate.
The jacket has an integral CO2 gas canister which ranges from 25-60cc in capacity, depending on the size and style of the jacket. This gas, when released, rushes around the jacket in less than half a second to fill the various airbags, which are strategically placed over the major organs and other areas that are vulnerable in a motorcycle accident (for instance the neck, chest, sides, back and hips).
After inflation, a common question is ‘Can my jacket be re-used?’. The answer to this is yes, certainly. The airbag will deflate itself, or the air can be squeezed out manually, so the canister can just be relaced and used again. However, we strongly recommend that if your jacket is damaged in any way that you replace it. If you inflate your jacket by accident though, you can just wrap it up, replace the cartridge and carry on riding straight away!
We now have massive price reductions on our Hit Air Motorbike Airbag Jacket range.