What is Digg?60 Comments
- Chompy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7You.. didn't read the article, did you?
- SoCalDissident, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6See, that's why the airbag is on the JACKET, which stays with the rider (you learn the darndest things by RTFA).
BUT, there are other systems I've read about that use the equivalent to an airbag sensor (mounted on the bike) that trigger the jacket to inflate. THOSE I would be interested in, especialyl if they put it in a real (i.e. LEATHER) jacket.
The current lack of protection in motorcycle gear is pretty surprising, given the advancements in neck protector for car drivers and such, and the level of advancement of motorcycles themselves. It'll be nice when rider protection catches up.
And, onyl a few fools find the "danger" part of it exciting. The rush is another matter, but the danger is something that keeps some of us from doing more street riding and motivates us to spend $$$ to go to the track instead (which is more fun, too) - retral, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Will this prevent drowning?
Sorry, but I can't help but visualizing the James Bond instant bubble thing in, I think, Die Another Day. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Yea, but don't you think that these airbags are made only to relieve the inital impact, and not act as an actual "buffer"?
Any rider knows that contact with the road will shred any jacket, including these air bags. The bags are only there so when you *do* hit some object, it'll hopefully lessen the damaging impact. - JimmyDushku, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4This would have come in handy for me..... last week!
- c0uchm0nster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3If you need your parents permission, then youre also going to need your parents wallet... getting any kind of adequate insurance coverage for a guy under 24 is going to cost 100$+ per month, even with a spotless driving record. I coughed up the cash for a year last year (I was 20) - but I'm probably going to be without it for another 3 years or so. I will however be purchasing one of these jackets.
It's unfortunate the companies employee's (or at least web developer(s)) have trouble with english, as there's a lot of info that isn't talked about on the site. For example things like what kind of padding is used, or what the point is of having mesh fabric jackets for summer weather if the insides are going to be covered with the padding.
The 55 pounds of force needed to release the key and inflate the jacket would worry me a bit as well: My bike won't tip over from that much pull on pavement but if it's parked on dirt the thing would tip right over the kickstand.
The last thing I can think of is lots of times bikers who are in single vehicle accidents end up going around a corner too fast and claim they have to "throw the bike"... which basically means fall over and try to make sure your leg isnt under the bike (for those not in the know: this is bad, as it takes longer to stop when the bikes on it's side than when using the wheels and brakes... plus youve got all that nasty skin against asphalt business). In those situations I don't think the jacket would inflate at all, or if it did it wouldn't inflate until the rider had almost come to a stop and the bike was still skidding a ways.
Regardless of all of that, ~$600 is very reasonable to save me from serious injury or death and I'll definitely be picking one up when I can afford the insurance again. - invader, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4"what? it involves a motorcycle? those have been around for years! no digg!!!"
hearing something *like* the news in the past != hearing the actual news
i would hate to see what would happen if you were unleashed anywhere in the entire 'apple' category.. considering every bit of news there is very much *like* everything else in the category..... - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3dude your such an idiot i can't even begin to start on you.
i'm just picturing what went through your mind imagining airbags coming out of the front handle bars or something.
talk about RTFA.. you didn't even read the ***** summary. - codyman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I would love to use a motorcycle as my daily driver... the wind rushing through my hair plus the idea of buying a Kawasaki Ninja 250 brand new for $2999 which @ 80 mph gets 80 mpg... the only thing thats holding me back is safety and this, if effective, might curb that...
- bytefoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2The 250 is a great bike to start out with and ride for a daily commute. It takes corners really well too. ;) If you are seriously interested, I suggest you take an MSF course around where you live to learn a bit more; it is well worth it. ;)
- m242, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4++digg just for the Snow Crash reference.
- Saku, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2It is an old concept/story, but an appropriate one. Honda just put an airbag on their bike, and this would be the right idea for everyone else. I am going to try to get one...and hopefully not test it.
- bytefoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Wow CrazyZ, you are seriously, and dangerously, uninformed. I *highly* suggest you check out this recent article concerning helmet safety, accident rates and causes, and the various standards. There's a part two that looks into safer components but it is difficult to find.
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/motorcycle_helmet_review/ - lostngone, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I ride motorcycles and I wear a helmet. In the state of Alaska we don't even need to have an IM done on them. I like the idea of being safer in a crash.
However....
The problem I have with airbags and emission controls is once they are set in place it is a illegal to tamper with them if you plan on driving it on a public road. Even if the engine change I make makes the engine cleaner they won't pass it because its now non-standard. I'm afraid if I won't be able to change handle bars or a cowling because of the airbag system.
However this jacket idea isn't bad - sinner0423, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It is the danger, but it's mostly for the speed you can get 1/10th of the cost of an exotic sports car.
It's a good idea, although I could see the latch mechanism being a point of failure. If it accidentally were to go off, if you leave the bike in an akward fashion and the cable doesn't disengage, etc.. Otherwise, what's the harm in keeping people safe from injury while they're enjoying what they do? - ihate2regist, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Inspector gadget
- benhiler, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1maybe i can finally talk my parents into letting me get my M class DL and i can drive mine once i get it. score
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Anybody else here ride street bikes. Over 15 years here.
This will be fine unless you get rear ended and hit the truck in front of you before the landyard reaches it's pull lenght and deploys. Same if you lowside or slide out in a turn and don't come off your bike. Even if it deploys, if you do a face down header, your screwed to, oh and don't forget the cagers making that left turn. Hard to deploy if you get T-boned. It would deploy maybe after you go airborne, but the impact of the cars bumper into your legs and lower torso would already be done.
I can image rolling up to the local hang out, forget to undo the landyard, and get off your bike in front of everyone. POOF. PUFF. SSSSSSSS.. LOL! - Celadinn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1That is a really cool concept, hope it makes it to America, maybe it will save some lives over here too!
- MattSharkey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1good stuff right there maby ill even get a motorcycle now cause i always feared the crashes ++digg
- ski309, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I flipped my motorcycle a year ago. I was lucky and was barely hurt, but if I'd had one of these I probably wouldn't have separated my shoulder.
- surfing, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Sweet, now i can cruise on my Vespa in safety and style!
- Rigbymatt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1stay clear of vengeful ponds and you should be fine ;)
- ChileanGoD, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1So now we will see motorcycle drivers bounce arround after an accident? =)
- cypher35, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Wasn't that "The World is not Enough"?
(when that avalanche is coming down and he inflates that bubble thingie to shield himself that that chick? are we thinking of the same gadget?) - Fosef, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Actually, you wouldn't be safe....the article said it deflates after 6 seconds. So basically you would take 6 second tube ride skipping across the lake, then....sink
- ejreynolds, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Very cool concept. I would absolutely buy a couple for myself and family members, especially if they get incorporated into leather jackets.
digg++ - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1yeah true it won't save you if you slide off, but then your not really take such a big impact just sliding off anyway, then it's more about saving skin from being grated off. and if a car t-bones you then nothing can be expected to save you, but riding a bike your more aware of whats around you so you tend to have a better chance avoiding those kinds of accidents.
i reckon you are totally right about setting it off by accident but, i reckon i'd do it for sure. or maybe your mates woudl be pricks and yank on the lanyard and set it off on you haha. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1you only roll for such a long period of time because nothing is absorbing the force. these airbags will cut down how far you bounce by absorbing that force (instead of your bones and organs doing it for you). i would guess that they have tested how long it takes to stop a rider of agerave weight etc. 6 seconds IS a long time.
- lbdwag, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1as it's been said nothing new here. I forget the company that produced one of these a few years back, everyone thought it was the best thing ever... yet it fell right on it's face, like most things. The new Goldwing's have or were going to have an air bag system too.... don't know if that's true or not since I don't really follow the technology progression of those bikes.
- wvstephens, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1well would have been great atleast it is another step considering my brother was just killed on a motorcycle Thursday. I would have bought him one if I knew about it.
- SystemError, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If i wreak into a pond it is nice to know i will be ok
- bytefoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Something similar was in Popular Science a while back but I never heard anything from the company again. Glad to see that someone finally brought these to market.
- MedHead, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I remember something "like" this around the same time ago. It involved a vest that had, around the belt, bottles full of compressed air, as well as a ripcord attached to the motorcycle. If the rider was ever ejected, the ripcord would activate the compressed air bottles, which would inflate the vest around the rider.
- nathanrobinson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1crazyZ...attacking someones intelligence/whatever is not very wise. you have NO CLUE on what experience i happen to have to validate certain points i happen to be making.
/sigh. also happen to probably know more about snell and dot ratings than the majority of riders.... blah, blah, blah.
my point was...
helmet ==> "always inflated airbag" for your head. ==> will save your life, and has saved mine.
"airbag on the jacket" ==> worthless crap. ==> i've had a $1700 suit that had done jack ***** for me, on every incident except the one where i lost the skin on my arm from a slide. (better that losing all the skin on my back, and i wasn't wearing it then... :/ ) and THAT is what a jacket/pants/boots/gloves are for. - trev0006, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Here is a video of how this motorcycle airbag works:
http://www.dpccars.com/motorcycle/06-26-07page-Mot ...
more motorcycle videos:
http://www.dpccars.com/motorcycle/motorcycle-video ... - c0uchm0nster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I made the same points about sliding off before I saw your posts, but if you go to the manufacturers site the lanyard doesn't release & inflate the jacket unless it's got over 55 pounds of force. Just don't use it with a scooter ;)
- borisbauer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The origoinal concept can be find at http://www.wwriders.com . They started a while ago and their product is great. I tried it on myself and it turns you in a Michelin man in 0.02secs.
- fatJohn, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Being a motorcycle rider who has wrecked before, I see two problems with this suit.
1) In order for the jacket to inflate, you must "disconnect" from the motorcycle. This doesn't always happen. On a low side crash, the bike may end up on top of you, and this jacket will be doing little damn good if it isn't inflated.
2) The jacket remains inflated for only 6 seconds. Many motorcycle riders have traveled well beyond 100mph before, and if a crash were to occur at that speed or higher, the rider may be skidding down the road for much longer than six seconds. After which your "air bag protection" will deflate on you, and you will get some nice injuries because your suit was smart enough to stop working before it should have.
My real issue with this jacket is that it doesn't offer any added protection over a good riding suit (Alpine Star, AeroStitch, etc.) except maybe the added ability of being a flotation device (for 6 seconds). If this thing comes over to the US, I for one will NOT buy it. - onepatriot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0What you fail to consider is all the people (like me) who _don't_ ride a bike because of the danger, that this might win over.
- nathanrobinson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0lets be realistic here - you die in a MC accident because your head smashes into a pole/cow/truck/etc going 60 mph. your helmet becomes nothing more than a brain-bucket. you get road-rash if your don't wear good gear.
You won't die if you ride a bike naked wearing just a helmet. You might not get laid for a *really* long time... but you will still be alive. Alive and miserable, but alive. Now... take off that helmet? Your brains get scooped out faster than ice cream at a church picnic. - acorn22, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1O RLY?
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Wow, you really know nothing about this. Multi-area damage and age are the two biggest factors in a MC crash fatality. It has little to do if you are actually wearing a helmet or not, though the helmet surely helps. You also realize that the DOT testing of helmets is piss poor in the US? Half the DOT rated helmets on the market have never actually been tested, but if the manufacturer MEETS DOT safety guidelines they get the DOT sticker. SNELL is a different story.
I live in PA and though I am not required to wear a helmet I still do. Dress for the crash not the ride. - JustMatt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Hmm "strategic areas." I would like to see this concept redone using computer generated random areas.
(Of course they are "strategic areas"!) - retral, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@cypher: Yes, same gadget... you're probably right :P
- KevinAce, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0$20 for a life preserver would probably save a few bucks.
- tobym, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0@c0uchm0nster ... $100+ per month for motorcycle insurance? That's really high. I have under $800/yr for full coverage which I purchased at age 20.
- KevinAce, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Obviously didn't read the article.
- colelt1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Im 23 and I have full coverage for 700/year (Honda F4i)
- lemorex, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Sometimes I think about if they should have "older" ideas on digg, or just "news". Considering that the word News probably came from New, as long as the information is New to most diggers, I think it's News.
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