| March 19, 2024
If you’re a fan of MotoGP, then you’ve surely witnessed riders being launched from their machines while their sophisticated airbag systems deploy midway through the journey toward the inevitable. What you see in those breathtaking moments is the result of more than 20 years of research, millions of kilometers of testing, and thousands of actual deployments, mostly in competition at the highest levels of racing—and primarily led by one company, Alpinestars.
Alpinestars now has an airbag system for off-roaders.
By Keith Dowdle | Photography by Simon Cudby
Since 2001, Alpinestars has been developing and testing airbag technology, and in 2011, they launched its Tech-Air Race to the road-racing community. The Tech-Air Race, like all subsequent Alpinestars Tech-Air systems, is a completely autonomous, integrated airbag system that is independent of the motorcycle and designed to provide full upper-body protection ahead of the first impact. If the system relied on impact to inflate, it would be too late. Highly advanced algorithms based on years of research and millions of data points combine to make the Tech-Air system function effectively.
In addition to race-specific airbag systems, Alpinestars has introduced a series of consumer models, starting with the Tech-Air Street in 2014, the Tech-Air 5 in 2019 and the Tech-Air 10 and 3 in 2022. Now, in 2024, they’re offering the first off-road-specific system available to the public, the Tech-Air Off-Road, which is intended for use in everything from competition enduro events and rally racing to adventure riding.
The Tech-Air Off-Road system is worn underneath your riding jacket (almost any riding jacket, too, not just Alpinestars jackets).
The Tech-Air Off-Road system incorporates a series of six tri-axial sensors—three accelerometers and three gyroscopes—that send information to the airbag’s computer every millisecond. So, one thousand times per second the system communicates where it is, how it’s moving, and—once it detects something unusual—it deploys the airbag before the rider makes impact. Full inflation takes between 40 and 60 milliseconds, depending on the size of your kit (the Tech-Air Off-Road is available in unisex sizes small through 2XL).
Alpinestars has been testing development versions of the Tech-Air Off-Road since 2017, again at the highest levels of racing, and they brought some of their superstar athletes to the Tech-Air Off-Road launch so that we could hear firsthand from pro riders, such as Ricky Brabec and Skyler Howes, just how many times this technology has saved them from what could have been serious injury. During the presentation, we watched super-slow-motion videos of absolutely gnarly crashes, some that were difficult to watch, but proved in very dramatic fashion just how effective this technology really is.
Ricky Brabec demonstrates the Tech-Air Off-Road system in action.
Let’s face it, rally racing is one of the most dangerous sports on the planet, and because of that, it’s an ideal testing ground for developing the most advanced protective gear available. The final development version of the Tech-Air Off-Road was worn by 52 riders in the 2020 Andalucía Rally and has since been worn by hundreds of others in races all over the world (including 83 riders in the 2023 Dakar) as part of the maturation process to verify a production version for everyday folks like us. And now that it’s here, the Tech-Air Off-Road offers adventure riders and weekend warrior racers the same level of protection as that worn by the best riders in the world.
Alpinestars has made huge advancements in their airbag systems since their first consumer system was introduced in 2011. We’ve tested a few of those systems over the years. Most of the early versions were a one-and-done affair wherein you needed to return the kit to Alpinestars after a deployment to have it refitted before further use. Not ideal for most consumers, especially those of us who ride off-road and fall down a lot. The Tech-Air Off-Road is different because it features two gas inflators, so if you have a crash but you’re not injured and want to keep riding, you’re good to go, and the system will deploy again if needed.
Unlike some of the older Alpinestars airbag systems, there’s no need to return the Tech-Air Off-Road system to Alpinestars for inspection after every deployment.
The inflators are easy to replace, and some of the pro riders told us that they carried extra inflators with them during long races in case they had multiple get-offs and needed to replace the inflators during the race. One rider said they actually did this during a race. Unlike some of the older systems, there’s no need to return the unit to Alpinestars for inspection after every deployment, although after four or more, they do recommend that you send it to them so that they can make sure that everything is still good to go. The inflators can be purchased separately and are $169.95 for a pair.
The Tech-Air Off-Road system has three push-button settings for different styles of riding: Rally, Enduro and Street.
Charging the batteries on this new kit is done via a USB C cable, and a full charge will last up to 30 hours. Ride-specific modes are another very nice feature, and a series of LED lights in the multifunction switch located in the lower left portion of the kit tells you which mode you’re in, how much charge you have, and whether both inflators are active. It also allows you to change modes (Enduro, Rally, and Street) via the press of a button. Enduro mode is what we used during the off-road riding at the intro. It allows for minor get-offs without triggering the airbag. Rally is for more high-speed off-road riding and has a different algorithm to account for sudden high-speed crashes. Street is, as it states, intended for street use, but the Alpinestars engineers told us that it’s also fine for ADV riding on fire roads and similar surfaces.
One very important feature Street mode offers that the other two do not is rear-impact protection. If the car behind you rear-ends you, the system will deploy—but only if you’re in Street mode. So, if you’re riding on the street, you certainly want to be in Street mode. Another really nice thing about the Tech-Air Off-Road is that it can be worn under any brand of gear. Whether you wear Alpinestars, Klim, Thor or whatever, you can wear the Tech-Air Off-Road underneath any riding jacket that you already own. However, you will need to make sure that your jacket is not too tight, as the airbag needs room to expand. The owner’s manual goes into detail about how to measure for that. You can also wear a backpack, but again, it shouldn’t be too tight. Almost all of the editors at the launch were wearing backpacks, and it wasn’t a problem. For convenience, the Tech-Air Off-Road has a water-bladder storage pocket, and the base layer is washable, both great features for the off-road rider.
It has plenty of all the usual protection, as well, but with the latest technology.
There were two editors who, let’s say, “fully tested” the system when they crashed during the launch. Both were fine, thanks to the airbag, and it was cool to see the system actually work in real-time. Although, I’m glad it wasn’t me who tested it. The kit incorporates a chest protector, back protection, and shoulder and elbow pads for passive protection like any other chest protector, and ventilation is adequate to keep air flowing around your torso. You can do away with any additional neck braces, since the Tech-Air Off-Road has built-in neck protection that meets FIM regulations that requires neck movements limited to a maximum of 40 degrees to the rear and 30 degrees maximum in lateral direction. The back and limbs passive protection is CE Level 1 compliant, while the chest area meets CE Level 2. Alpinestars has also developed an app that communicates with the Tech-Air and provides your system’s current status. Using the app, you can access the digital manual, track your ride, and change ride modes right from your phone.
Tech-Air Off-Road system sells for approximately $1000, which is much cheaper than hospital stays and time off work.
We wore the Tech-Air Off-Road for two solid days of riding in the California desert. It’s comfortable, easy to maintain, and incorporates the absolute best protection that money—and engineers—can provide. The size-medium kit is a solid seven pounds, and while some may say that’s too heavy, by comparison, the Klim Badlands Pro with the full armor kit is almost the same weight. A quality helmet is, of course, the most important piece of gear that any rider can wear, but airbag systems are the next evolution in rider protection. At $999.95, it’s not inexpensive, but neither are broken bones, hospital stays, and time off work. From this point forward, I’ll be wearing my Tech-Air Off-Road every time I get on a motorcycle. No question about it. It’s a technology that could save your life. CN
VIDEO | Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road Airbag System
For more information on Tech-Air Off-Road visit the alpinestars.com website: https://www.alpinestars.com/products/tech-air-off-road-system
