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Helite Turtle Airbag Hi-Viz Vest review


moshe_levy

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Hello All-

 

Here is Moto Mouth #11 - my review of Helite's Turtle Hi-Viz vest, which is a mechanically actuated airbag you can wear over your favorite riding jacket!

 

 

-MKL

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Moshe...dang...can't believe I haven't seen this before. Nice report. I went to their website and noticed they have riding jackets with the same technology. They didn't seem to have the cordura rating listed. Do you have any experience with their jackets. I'm intrigued.

 

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Personally, what I like about the vest is... that it's a vest! I love my Motoport jacket, and I also have a few other jackets for specific applications. I like that I can slip the vest over whatever jacket I want. With a jacket, well, you're stuck with that one jacket for the airbag tech, and can't use it any other way. That's just my view, but that's how I see it.

 

-MKL

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  • 1 year later...

I have two updates:

 

1) The version of the Helite vest I tested in 2016 had a velcro strip running up each side of the vest, up and over the shoulders. This exposed velcro played absolute hell on the underside of soft helmet liners, such as those used by Arai. Within a week, the friction between the velcro and the helmet liner underside of my Arai rendered the helmet liner underside virtually destroyed. Other helmets, like my Shoei Neotec test model, use a very rugged synthetic type underside, which was unaffected. I have been told by Helite that these velcro strips are no longer on the vests, for this reason.

 

2) I am in process of testing Helite's Leather Airbag Jacket right now for an upcoming article in RIDER. I really, really love it so far, except for the diminutive zippers they used on all the pockets, which are small for a civilian jacket, nevermind a motorcycle jacket where zippers should be able to be used with gloves on. I'm actually taking the photos for that article in a few hours. Will have a video next month.

 

-MKL

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Moshe,

 

In a lot of accidents, there is some sliding of the driver along paved or unpaved roads/ground/other vehicles, etc. I would be concerned about the abrasion resistance and/or puncture resistance of the outer surface layers. Any info on that?? If the pressure was released from a tear or puncture prematurely the end result might not be as good.

Edited by Lowndes
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You have to hit the ground before you can slide, so that initial impact has already been absorbed. My thinking is that it will then take quite a bit of sliding to penetrate the 600D fabric, which is heavier than many jackets. The rear portions of the air chamber are also protected under the back armor. The front left side also has a second layer of fabric to cover the adjustment straps. Even if you were so unlucky as to land directly on sharp broken glass, the vest could still absorb a lot of that impact before the gas escaped. No one suggests that an air vest will protect against all injury, or will survive all scenarios, but it's hard to imagine a crash where it does not provide more protection than your current gear.

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I used a Hit-Air motorcycle airbag vest for many years until somehow I lost in on a ride one day. :(

Moshe - have you investigated or done any reviews on the Hit-Air airbag vests. They seem to have more options and are less expensive than the Helite Airbags. I miss having the extra piece of mind the airbag provided and feel I should buy another one for this upcoming riding season. :thumbsup:

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Another alternative. Point Two.

 

I purchased one of them last year and hope to never ever use it. I believe Point Two and Helite were one in the same company at one point and explains the similar design. Point Two frequently runs promotional discounts. I purchased mine for $380 USD.

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I haven't tested Hit Air yet. The Helite is made of heavy Cordura, so it's as good sliding as most jackets. As someone else mentioned, it immediately starts deflating once inflated. The process takes about 5 minutes. It's so tight when initially inflated that you'd never be able to get it off otherwise. It feels like a boa constrictor!

 

-MKL

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