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At Motocard we wanted to explain how Alpinestars Tech-Air technology works, what types of motorcycle airbag of the Italian brand exist, which one is the best for you and its price. Find out in this video comparison.

The motorcycle airbag is a revolution in terms of safety and currently, it is a really very effective protection system regardless of the type of biker you are. So at Motocard we wanted to explain to you how Alpinestars Tech-Air technology works, what types of motorcycle airbag of the Italian brand exist and which one is the best for you.

>Motorcycle airbag. Types, prices, opinions and which one to buy. Buying Guide

Alpinestars Tech-Air motorcycle airbag, how does it work?

The first thing you should know is that we are talking about several types of aribags depending on the discipline you practice, all of them electronic and independent of the bike. No cables or installation.

That is, we equip with the airbag as if it were another piece of our equipment, either above or below the suit and jacket depending on the type of airbag. We attach it to our equipment by means of yellow zippers on the front and when we fasten the zipper, the airbag is automatically activated. Easy, fast and, above all, safe.

Keep in mind that, in addition, all Alpinestars airbags are universal and can be used with any equipment. Of course, there are some Alpinestars products that are specifically designed to carry the airbag, but that does not mean that you must use it with them.

But once it is in place, how does it work?

Whatever type of Alpinestars airbag you buy, once you put it on, fasten the zipper and automatically, the airbag is activated. When it detects that we are going to fall, it inflates in milliseconds, just before any fall. It’s that simple.

The airbag inflates in only 25 milliseconds (in the top airbags), which is faster than the human blink of an eye. This type of protection reduces the force of an impact by up to 95% compared to a traditional protector. In other words, it is equivalent to the protection of 18 back protectors. Once inflated, it provides maximum impact pressure protection for the next 5 seconds.

Tested for more than 300,000 kilometers, the Tech-Air has been designed to inflate at speeds of 25 km/h and above. At lower speeds, the system may not open.

The whole system works according to an algorithm, gyroscopes and accelerometers found in the airbag CPU. This technology is responsible for the fact that in such a short time the airbag is activated and anticipates the fall.

For your understanding, it is an airbag like the one in a car: an inflatable cushion that protects us from impacts. In this case, it covers shoulders, chest, shoulders, kidneys and back. Easy, simple and not at all cumbersome: no!

Keep in mind that we are talking about an Alpinestars technology that has been developed in MotoGP for more than 10 years, and is a type of protection tested in the most demanding conditions. And now, it’s within your reach, which a few years ago was more inaccessible.

Alpinestars Tech-Air airbags, what types are there?

Once we have explained the technology, it is time to talk about the types of Alpinestars airbags. There are several options depending on the type of biker you are.

Airbag Tech-Air 3, the most urban one

When we think of a motorcycle airbag, we may think that they are only designed to be used on racetracks. Not so. Alpinestars has a very interesting airbag, the Tech-Air 3, perfect to move for the city or for weekend routes. A really practical airbag for your day to day.

It is an extremely lightweight airbag vest, which you can store in the trunk or suitcase of your scooter and that can be worn both above and below the motorcycle jacket as it is waterproof. This is one of its strong points.

On the other hand, it is an airbag with very careful details, such as the diagonal zipper and the magnetic closure, perfect for not disturbing the zipper of your jacket.

The battery has an autonomy of 40 hours and the system takes 4 hours to fully charge. It has a compatible app to see precisely, the battery status and other parameters.

All this without forgetting that it has a version with a size optimized for women and in a reflective yellow version.

Airbag Tech-Air 7X, the most versatile motorcycle racing airbag

We go up a level with the Alpinestars Tech-Air 7x airbag. This is the airbag that replaces the original Tech-Air Racing. Even so, it is a mixed-use airbag: it is suitable for both circuit and street, as it has two algorithms that you can change indistinctly through the Alpinestars app: street and racing.

Alpinestars listened to the users of previous airbags and has introduced a really interesting novelty: this airbag has two charges that, in addition, we can change ourselves without the need to go through the technical service.

It is an airbag that also covers the shoulder area and is designed to be easily integrated under Alpinestars suits or jackets.

In addition, all the technology is located under the Level 1 back protector and has FIM homologation, necessary to compete in MotoGP or Superbikes, to give a couple of examples.

It is one of the most developed, since it has a configuration of 12 sensors that analyze the pilot’s position every millisecond. In this way, we have an actuation time of only 25 milliseconds depending on the size of the airbag. Much less than a human blink of an eye.

Undoubtedly, this is one of the most evolved airbags and very focused on the user, since it allows a mixed use: both for circuit and for the street.

Tech-Air 10 airbag, for circuit

If your thing is exclusively track riding, Alpinestars has another airbag developed to the highest level: the Alpinestars Tech-Air 10.

This is an airbag that protects not only the torso area and is designed to be worn under the racing suit. In this case, it is activated by the belt where the magnetic attachment is located.

It has a level 2 certification on the chest and back and the battery lasts for 24 hours. It is an airbag that you can also use on the street because you can also change the algorithm to Street.

Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-road, for the Dakar

And finally, we could not forget the Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road motorcycle airbag, the only airbag designed for off-road use. In fact, this type of airbag has been developed for such tough events as the Dakar.

The great advantage of this airbag is that the algorithm knows how to adapt to any situation thanks to the 3 algorithm modes: street, enduro and rally. It allows the technology to adapt to any terrain: very bumpy terrain, including crashes against obstacles and falls due to loss of control (commonly called ‘low-side’ and ‘high-side’ falls).

All this with a design that incorporates the usual protectors found in off-road vests. Undoubtedly, it is a huge step forward for the safety of those of us who like to leave the asphalt.

What happens if the airbag is triggered, can I continue driving?

Another big question is what happens if the airbag is activated, can I continue driving? In this case, the airbag remains inflated for 5 seconds and from that moment on, it deflates progressively.

In this way, we can continue our journey. Depending on the type of airbag, we will have an additional charge, as in the case of the Alpinestars Tech-Air 7x. Once the airbag has been activated, please note that if it does not have a second charge, you must send the airbag to us so that we can send it to Alpinestars technical service for its correct operation.

This service has an extra cost and takes approximately 7 to 10 days. However, in any case, if the airbag has been activated 3 times, the brand recommends to change it, as well as if it has suffered a dragging.

Alpinestars Tech-Air motorcycle airbags, our experts’ opinions

The motorcycle airbag is here to stay. For years now, it has become the best protection a motorcyclist can have. Whatever type of biker you are, you have a type of airbag that adapts to you. It is a technology developed by professional riders and is now available to you.

Is it expensive? Depending on the price you put on your safety. A motorcycle airbag can save your life, not only for the world’s top riders.