The airbag system consists of a textile riding jacket, interconnected with an airbag vest
BMW Motorrad – the motorcycle arm of the German automaker –has launched an advanced airbag system to protect the upper body during accidents.
The ‘BMW Motorrad Street Air by Alpinestars’ consists of a textile riding jacket, interconnected with an airbag vest.
The system uses an algorithm that detects imminent danger and inflates a full upper-body airbag to provide crash protection ahead of impact.
It offers instantaneous inflatable protection to the back, kidneys, chest and shoulders, which are considered to be the most exposed areas during a motorcycle crash.
The system allows for full airbag inflation in 25 milliseconds for protection not only during crash impacts and loss-of-control situations when riding, but also when standing still – for example a rear impact while waiting at traffic lights.
The system also functions independently, using sensors close to the rider’s or passenger’s body, which means the airbag activates without the need for a wireless distress signal from the bike. This means there is no need to link a specific motorcycle to the airbag system.
Placing sensors near to the body also means the airbag system can be used for on-road or off-road touring. There is no need to deactivate the system if leaving the road for rough off-road trails, or to stop in between to change settings. Changing surfaces while adventure-touring, therefore, presents no problem.
The airbag system is protected by a water-resistant casing which, when worn under a compatible outer jacket, means the airbag is weatherproof.
BMW Motorrad says the system offers the freedom to ride any bike on any surface at any time with any type of motorcycle or scooter.
The airbag jacket is the first safety product to be launched under an exclusive agreement between BMW Motorrad and Alpinestars, and is available for both female and male customers.
The BMW Group sold around 2.24-million cars and nearly 137 000 motorcycles worldwide in 2015.