Motorcycle Safety Gear for Keeping You Protected on the Track

Our latest track session found us piloting one of the hottest—and fastest—bikes around, so priority number one was to gear up with the best safety equipment we could gather. Here’s what we rounded up.

Alpinestars Tech-Air System

A quarter-century after airbags were required, race cars still don’t use them. Fortunately, motorcycle racers can. For our Laguna Seca track day aboard the Aprilia’s RSV4 1100 Factory, we tried Alpinestars’ Tech Air 5 airbag system ($750) that the company says “decreases impact force by up to 93%” compared to typical passive protection. Available in eight sizes, this high-tech vest fits inside any roomy street jacket or a Tech-Air compatible racing suit. During a crash, the system uses three gyroscopes and three accelerometers and computer algorithms to deploy in 20 to 40 milliseconds—before you even hit the deck, providing crucial shoulder, chest, ribs and back protection. For peace of mind, the vest is Bluetooth-enabled so its lithium-ion battery’s state of charge may be monitored via smartphone app, which also allows toggling between street or race modes, and even plotting your road trips.