Klim Ai-1 airbag vest in black

Here at Motolegends we are not what might be termed evangelical converts when it comes to airbag vests. Yes, clearly, we can appreciate the benefits that an airbag vest might confer upon a rider. There a circumstances in which such a vest can protect against injuries, and in certain circumstances an airbag vest might even save your life. But every time you get on a bike you take a risk, and you cannot avoid that risk. If you cannot accept the dangers that go hand-in-hand with motorcycling you should perhaps stick with four wheels.

Our issue with airbag vests is their potential to cause a rider to become overheated, and thus a less aware rider. Modern technical suits come with amazingly technical membranes that allow the body to breathe, to sweat, and thus to cool itself down. An airbag vest can get in the way of this vital mechanism. Yes, we an see times where an airbag might be deemed almost a necessity; on the track, for example. But we are less convinced about airbag vests for road riding, particularly in hot weather. We can see, though, that in certain circumstances it might well pay to wear an airbag off-road. The same potential to overheat remains, and getting hot off road is always going to go with the territory. But in certain conditions, and where the terrain is particularly dangerous, an airbag can make sense. Which is why we have been persuaded to offer Klim’s Ai-1 airbag vest.

The Klim vest itself is produced by In&motion. This is the most common lanyard-free system. It is used by Ixon, Furygan, RST and Held. It inflates in order to provide protection down the front of the body, in the neck and down the back. In an accident, it will inflate in under 60 milliseconds. As a back protection device, it is estimated that the In&motion vest provides the same level of protection as two Level 2 back protectors. Once charged, the ‘brains’ module will stay operational for 20 hours. Provided the procedure is always followed, the jacket is capable of withstanding three inflations. Given its flexibility, convenience, usability and price, this is currently the best system on the market.

Airbag vests need to be worn under airbag compatible jackets. It can, for example, be dangerous to wear an airbag jacket under a tight leather jacket without expansion panels. But clearly Klim’s jackets are all airbag compatible. The Klim Ai-1 does not, like some In&motion vests, zip into the jacket. It wears as a standalone garment, meaning that you can wear it under jackets from other brands if you so wish. The Klim version is more vented than other In&Motion airbag vests, and that has been built into the Klim version to allow better breathability.

Now the airbag vest is controlled by a brain that is called the Detection Module. It is this module that fires the airbag in the event of an accident, and that receives updates to continually refine the crash-detection algorithm. When you buy the vest, you are obliged to buy or lease the Detection Module as an extra cost over and above the cost of the vest itself. If you buy the module, the price at the time of writing is £399. You buy this directly from In&Motion, and when you do this you automatically get ongoing updates. Or you can lease the module for £12 a month or £120 a year.

Ultimately, an airbag vest is a personal choice; that we accept. It is not a cheap option, but right now In&Motion offers the best, fastest and most updatable solution on the market. The best version of the In&Motion vest is almost certainly the Klim Ai-1 and don’t forget; you can wear it underneath any airbag-compatible jacket.