Motorcycle Airbag Accessories

Airbags have been an industry standard in the four-wheel world for many years. They have saved thousands and thousands of lives and continue doing this every day, every second, even when you read this. So, it has come as no surprise for anybody that this safety feature is now used in the motorcycle world. But instead of traditional airbags found in cars and trucks, motorcycle riders are protected with airbags built in their riding gear. Their basic principle of operation is identical to the one in a car, so they use similar airbag accessories you may need to replace from time to time to keep the airbags in mint condition.

The airbag system of an air vest or jacket in its simplest design consists of four main components, including the vest or jacket itself with a tube-like structure, a cartridge with the highly pressurized CO2 gas, a ball-style release valve, and a tether system, usually a lanyard, to link the release valve and the frame of a motorcycle. In the event of a fall, the cable will activate the release valve and allow the gas to inflate the tubes of the vest or jacket. The inflation process usually takes less than a quarter of a second, so you’re sure to get your vest or jacket fully inflated before you hit the ground.

A CO2 cartridge is one of the most crucial components of an airbag system as it stores the gas needed to inflate your air gear if a crash occurs. At the same time it is the only accessory you’ll need to replace after the activation of your airbag system to allow your airbag to do its job during the next fall if it takes place. Depending on the type of an air jacket or vest and its size, there are CO2 canisters of various capacities. The most common type is 60cc, however, there are also 50cc, 100cc and some others.

To preactivate the airbag system of your air vest or jacket, you need to anchor a lanyard to the frame of your motorcycle. There are a couple of ways to do this. You may simply tie it to your bike, however, in this case you will have to spend lots of time to untie it from the motorcycle when you need to get off, which is very inconvenient and frustrating. It is much more handy to use a plug-and-play retaining clip that will allow you to secure and detach your airbag system from the motorcycle frame in less than no time.

Nine out of ten motorcycle air vests and jackets available on the market are reusable. Once the trigger mechanism is reset and a new CO2 cartridge is installed, your air gear is ready for use again. However, it is still a good idea to inspect all other components of the airbag system for damage. It stands to reason that some of its crucial parts like a retaining clip or lanyard may get damaged during a collision or fall. If it happens, such airbag system components must be replaced with new ones to ensure proper operation of your air vest or jacket.