Without a doubt, the best air vest review I've seen because it addresses the issues of tether: 1. Limited range of movement for ADV (standing) riders 2. Delayed or no deployment in low-side or still-on-bike accidents. Even if you go with mechanical/tether vest this are important considerations.
Is the delay in lowside and such not eliminated by the fork sensor? That's what the sensor is for, To detect low speed and other accidents that might not otherwise be detected.
It would be a real improvement, if Helite employ the mechanical and electronic feature together. It would be option for the rider to connect both or disconnect the mechanical safety. But honestly it is peace of mind to know that you are not dependent from the electric power and computers and will keep the proven safety from the mechanical. Helite do it, many riders will buy it for that solution. Many of us do not believe in electronic safety... But would use it together with the mechanical back up.
@@MotoVibes I stated how do I feel ... It would be great and Helite would benefit greatly I believe from the percentage of riders who are not fully comfortable with electronic devices. Plus I believe it is safer to have double protection, if one doesn't work the other will set the airbag off. In mean time I am looking forward to purchase a mechanical classic Turtle 2 for the next season.
Superb review mate. Your reasons/ logic for the non-tethered type is exactly the same as mine. I was looking for an under jacket solution, but soon concluded, this is definitely the best way to go in terms of protection and practicality. Nice one. Ride safe brother 👍
Thanks for the look! I agree that the electronic vest is the way to go. Helite is the only I've seen with adequate neck and spine protection, and that seems like the one of most important areas of protection for vests like these.
It offers a lot of air volume on top of that. It does have its limitations for off-road riding though (however it was never designed for this purpose) th-cam.com/video/4O7xjgOfCPo/w-d-xo.html
Hi Motovibes, thanks for the comprehensive review, it was very informative. I have the latest mechanical activated version and your crash video inspired the purchase. Your comparisons are accurate for those who are considering purchasing an airvest. I still like the tethered version as I do not have to depend on electronics to activate - if I come off the bike, it goes off. I commute daily and it is one less device in my life to charge. But you are right about the ability to standup, like when off-roading, and the potential time delay if rear ended or low side crash. Both are fantastic vests and affordable when you consider the risk.
Thank you for the feedback and your opinion. The mechanial vest is still a great product. I passed it on to a good friend of mine. He would likely not have gotten one for himself ;-)
shockadellick do a quick search on this Platform for similar crash videos of other electronic vests. The e-turtle is not crash tested yet. It’s hardly even available for purchase. Alpinestars tech 5 and Dainese habe videos of their vests.
@@shockadellick Thank you for the kind words! ;-) Any airbag you wear is better than not wearing one at all. There are still scenarios where the airbag may not do much - but there are many more where an airbag will reduce the damage or save your life ;-)
shockadellick I think the point is that this vest also works well at very low speeds - with the fork sensor combined all the way down to 0 kph. They all work well at high speeds when forces due to a crash are higher. We may ride faster on the bike most of the time but at the time of impact most riders have applied the brakes before - that is why most crashes indeed occur at relatively low speed
I wanted to go for the Dainese smart vest. But I feel like an airbag vest without neck stabilization fails the purpose. This is a good combination of good overall protection with the comfort of digital monitoring. I wished they made something more discrete and "elegant" with a zipper instead of clippers for example (like the Dainese). But hey, not all is about the looks. Thanks for the review, it helped a lot!
Thank you for your feedback on the review. The buckles may not look the best but at least they let some air flow - I just rode the vest in 33°C heat and I was glad to have some airflow through the front of the vest ;-)
Sehr schön erklärt😊👍 da sieht man mal wie weit die Technik schon ist, das es die Veste schon elektronisch gibt 👍 nice to have, aber besser wenn man sie nicht braucht 👍 Wünsche dir immer allzeit gute Fahrt💪
Wildlife Moto Not having the tether is really 👍 I did get used to connect the vest to the bike a bit like buckling up in a car. Now I have to get used to turning on the vest 😂
Vielen Dank! Danke für das tolle Produkt - eine kurze Frage hätte ich - wenn einem die Maschine (mit Gabelsenor) bei langsamer Fahrt oder im Stand umfällt - löst der Airbag dann aus? Wäre sicherlich interessant für langsame Offroad Fahrten (falls man die Weste dann überhaupt trägt). Besten Dank ;-)
MotoVibes wenn das Motorrad im Stand umfällt und das System eingeschaltet ist, löst es NICHT aus. Wenn man aber mit dem Motorrad zusammen bei niedriger Geschwindigkeit umfällt, löst der Airbag aus.
My e-turtle got in last Wednesday. Thursday I went to the black forest for three days. So it was perfect timing. I am absolutely thrilled with the wearing comfort, because you don't feel the vest while driving. You can put yourself in the footrests at any time. The ventilation works the same as without the vest. Even at higher speeds the vest doesn't flutter excessively. I am thrilled. Just the mounting point of the sensor is a bit scary for me. The GS does not have an upside down fork. According to the graphics, the sensor should be mounted at the bottom of the fork sleeve. But then it gets shaken a lot, right? I hope this works well. :-)
Congrats to your new airbag vest ;-) I can relate too all of your experiences - I also think the vest helps with higher speeds as it keeps my relatively loose ridding jacket a bit tighter to my body. As for the fork sensor - it is also hard to know if this thing is actually coupled to the vest or not - you just have to trust it is ;-) Unless there is a different blinking frequency of the status LED on the jacket but I have not tried that yet.
Thanks for the review. Helite should provide you an affiliate link. I didn't think airbags are matured enough for daily use, but your video made me do a bit of a research, and now I'm ordering one from them. Unfortunately E-turtles are out of stock, and there is no preorder possible on the helite Germany website, so I will need to try my luck at the end of the month and see if it is orderable.
That would be nice - however for now I am happy to know more riders consider an airbag vest and will be much better protected in case of a crash. My riding buddy Thomas also bought the latest Helite e-turtle 😉 I ordered it when it was out of stock too but got mine a few weeks later.
Great review and I really appreciate your making and posting this. I have ver 2 and the mesh jacket one ... would be nice if I could simply convert to the e versions. Regardless, I like the helite design since its worn over the regular gear (and is durable) so it can inflate w/o worry or interference and that it provides neck support.
Thanks for watching! A simple conversion of the vest would be nice - I bought my Helite a year before I replaced it with the electronic version. I gave the mechanical vest to a good friend of mine. He wears a vest now - something he would not have gotten for himself otherwise.
that is true - I guess I would have been fine with the mechanical vest - however, it was important to me to move freely again on the bike - that is a big plus for me.
Nice review, although I would welcome some more in depth info on the system, how “fail proof” is it? I always leaned towards the mechanical one because in my head am struggling to trust the electronics. Though as you very well pointed there are disadvantages to the original design as well and they are not insignificant.
I am sure it will release in a proper crash - electronic airbag vest have been around for a while and they do work. However, I wonder what happens if you just drop the bike at low speeds - I would hope there is some kind of threshold before the airbag deploys.
A video as been released by ixtem and helite recently. They talk about e turtle and they say that the airbag has been crash tested 1000 times during the development
Hello. Nice work on your video. I am also looking at the tethered vs electronic vest. You mention the tethered vest and riding standing up. I have a KTM 790 Adventure r and stand a lot as well. I was wondering your thoughts on the tethered vest while standing. Is it just an annoyance or does it interfere with your riding to the point that you can't really use it? I suppose you could just unclip it whenever riding the dirt?
allthingstwowheeled well. You can make the tether work while riding in standing position but you will always notice it’s there and your movement will be somewhat restricted- if you switch back to a seated position the tether would be longer than necessary - because of this reason alone I would go with the electronic vest. It’s very liberating after dealing with a tether for a year. 😉
@@MotoVibes I’ll keep tethered for now because i just bought it & does not require charging. I will extend the tether for off road days. Glad your crash was minor. Loving the back protector👌👍. I got the dorky yellow😂, ride from the city to get to the canyons.
@@movem1 the yellow is good for urban riding - I am hoping for Helite to come out with an off-road version of the electronic airbag vest. That would be awesome
I bought the same vest because of the same advantages you mentioned. By the way, I got also a SAS 1290.... but you already bought a new SAR. Always a save ride and greetings from Germany
No it’s not. The back protector is a level 2 - about twice the size of a typical in the jacket insert. Once the air is deployed the impact protection is a multitude of level 2 protector min impact levels.
Thanks so much for this video. Really informative and I didn't even know they had an electronic version. Since this video how has your experience been with the vest?
I really like the ease of use of the electronic version and the comfort while riding with it. I still ride standing up lot and there is no tether in the way now. Charging is super easy - just have a powerbank velcroed to the hanger I put the vest on after each ride - no need to run long wires to keep charged 😎
Thank you for making this review. Incredibly thorough and objective! So much so, in fact, that I placed an order for one after watching. Like you, I've owned the mechanical version for about one year and have been extremely pleased. Ever since Helite announced the E-Turtle would be coming to the States, I've been monitoring. They're finally starting to ship and, also like you, decided to upgrade based upon the purported deployment time (I want that peace of mind in the event of a low-side). How have you found the fork sensor, btw? I wanted to order that as well, but it wasn't yet on their site. Thank you again. ✌
Glad this was helpful Peter. I hope you will never need this vest 😉 the fork sensor came in a bundle when I bought the vest but it also sold separately here. Chances are they will do something similar in the States
@@MotoVibes Thank you for responding. I hope I never need it either, yet I have confidence in Helite's engineering, and feel reassured riding with the vest (your crash definitely bolsters my confidence - thank you again). I heard from them that the fork sensors will be released later in the States, evidently some type of manufacturing delay.
@@Peter-mcmcmc as the vest will work without it you can always add the fork sensor later. A friend of mine just crashed in the Alps and was happy to wear an airbag vest - not from Helite but it did it’s Job well in reducing the injuries. It was also an electronic vest
@@MotoVibes Man, that’s even more reassuring and further endorsement that people should be wearing airbags. I wish your friend a smooth and speedy recovery.
It may still be a while until it is available - obviously Helite has a distribution network for North America so I would expect the e-Turtle to arrive stateside at some point. I wonder what Ryan F9 would have thought about this vest - if you have not seen it yet - check out his latest video on airbag vests. Excellent video as usual.
@@norsmanadventures That sounds good - not sure if their production capacity is limited due to Corona restrictions but at least it sounds like it is happening a year after it was launched in Europe.
@@norsmanadventures I live in the US & contacted Helite Moto USA asking about availability here. They replied saying they should be available “at the end of May”, said to contact: Patrick@helitemoto.com to keep posted. Personally I’m not waiting, ordering from: TheVisorShop this week (they’re in the UK), excellent prices.
it just like any other insurance policy - it will not cover you against everything but when it does you will be happy to have spent the money on it ;-) None of our protective gear will give you a guarantee that you will walk away unharmed in case of an accidents. It just improves your odds of minizing any harm. Ride safe!
@@MotoVibes your absolutely right I’m gonna start riding in a couple of months but I’m still comfortable with the mechanical Helite not the electronic one
Hi! Thanks for a great video! I have bought the e-turtle but have not really tried it yet. I also have the fork sensor. How sensitive is the system, will it go off if I go on some gravel roads? Or if I ride over a curb. Feeling a bit unsure about accidentally inflates... what is your experience?
I have taken it on gravel roads with no issues. I would not do any serious off-road riding with it - at least not with the fork sensor coupled. So far it has not accidentally released - there were issues very early with first models - Thomas had an accidential release and the vests were recalled but it seems that fixed the issue.
@@MotoVibes Thanks for your reply! Took the vest om some gravel roads today without the sensor. No problems what so ever. Unfortunately I can't place the sensor at the bottom of the forks of my Africa Twin. Need to investigate that part further. Thanks!
@@MotoVibes Oh I see. The manual stated that it should be placed at the bottom. I will try to mount it higher up as well! Thanks! Keep up the good work and ride safe 👌👌
Good stuff friend ! Nice vest for touring and adventure riding. On racetrack I would prefer a fully suit integrated GP vest ! But it is very expensive !! Schwabenleder takes about 4000 euros for a custom made suit. But there are some alternative manufacturers which are cheaper but using the same electronic systems.
To complete MotoVibes, e-gp air by Helite Airbags is based on the same technology as e turtle but to be weared WITH a leather suit (with the bump on the back) The algorithm is developed for track use. They're leather pads that can be replaced in case of heavy drift. It's a little bit more expensive than e-turtle.
As per the user guide: "The detection system of the autonomous version uses the GPS signal to optimize the triggering situations. If the system does not detect or badly detects the GPS signal we cannot guarantee the triggering of the airbag." So there is a high chance that in a tunnel it will not work, unless you have the fork sensor installed on your bike. What do you think?
Honestly, that question would be better asked to Helite directly. I would like to know how this airbag actually works and what signals are processed but I have no idea. In my opinion the fork sensor is a good idea regardless. It is not much more money and it makes sense to have a sensor on the motorcycle to assist. Early Dainese systems used sensor on the motorcycle itself - cannot be such a bad idea 😉
Hallo, danke erst mal für das informative Video. Ich werde mich auch eine e turtle kaufen und hätte eine Frage: macht der zusätzliche Sensor am Federbein im Gelände Probleme? Verliert man viel Performance, wenn man den Sensor weg lässt? Viele Grüße, Markus
Freut mich dass Du das Video hilfreich findest. Zum Sensor - für die Nutzung auf der Straße kann der Sensor je nach Unfallszenario die Weste deutlich früher auslösen als der interne Sensor der Weste selbst. Da es hier auf Millisekunden ankommt lohnt sich sicher der geringe Aufpreis für dieses Feature. Man kann den Gabelsensor recht leicht entkoppeln falls man sich auf leichten Offroad Strecken bewegt und dann wieder koppeln wenn man wieder auf der Straße unterwegs ist. Das ist auch offiziell die Empfehlung von Helite.
Ok, danke für deine Antwort. Noch eine Frage: welche Größe hast du genommen? Ich habe inzwischen eine „L“, aber die kommt mir etwas zu groß vor. (Bin 178 cm und habe 82 kg).
@@markusbaumann460 Ich hab ebenfalls die Größe L bei 180 cm & 86 kg. Die Weste darf ruhig etwas lockerer sitzen - muss also nicht stramm anliegen wie normale Protektoren. Auch ist der extra Platz gut für weitere wärmere Schichten falls Du auch mal bei kälteren Touren unterwegs bist. Bei mir passt die L super - ich hatte im Laden M & XL probiert und L war am besten.
A great explanation of the information on the vest my friend. Its not something I've considered but it has opened my eyes. You failed to mention (or I missed) the cost of the vest. I'm not expecting it to be cheap, but how expensive is it?
Glad it was helpful! The vest + fork sensor is 799,- EUR - I believe just the vest is just under 700 EUR. The replacement cartridge is 59,- EUR. The mechanical vest is 550,- EUR - these are manufacturer suggested retail prices - sometimes you get good deals / discounts
The vest will last 25 hours with one charge and it does turn off automatically when not in use. I turn it on once when I start riding and if I take it off during a break I leave it on. I only turn it off at the end of the day. Also, I have a powerbank attached (Velcro) to the hanger I put the vest on and I connect it right after every ride when I put it back in the closet. Keeps it very simple
How does this electronic system reacts when riding dirtbikes? If you do a big jump with landing afterwards, will this not inflate the vest? Such g forces on the normal road be most probably a accident but on a dirt bike offroad might be "play"
Well, this vest is specifically made for onroad riding so dirt bike riding will likely set it off when it should go off. Also, it is not really that comfortable to be ridden in the standing position for extended periods of time - at least for me - the vest pushes into the back of my neck too much. For onroad riding - it is still the very best product on the market in my opinion. As for off-road capable vest I hoping to see some of the Dakar tech make its way to the consumer market - Helite & Alpinestars where equipping Dakar riders this year with off-road airbag vests which have been made mandatory
Ich besitze die Airbag-Weste von IXON, die trägt sich sehr gut und ist echt hochwertig verarbeitet. Deine sieht aber auch nicht schlecht aus. Für mich war es halt wichtig, dass die Weste unter meine Textiljacke passt und nicht zu dick aufträgt. Und gut erklärt btw. :D
Hi. Thanks for the video. Dealing about the right choose, mechanical or e-one. My concern about electronics is not only if the airbag will trigger properly, very important for sure but also and very important too if the airbag could trigger when is not need it! What happen if you get a road bump with the fork sensor activate? Will trigger for sure and you could fall down in panic prior to check what is going on, Or as in my case the vibration of my bi cylindrical maybe could also activate it? I like the fork sensor, i think supports much better the ecu on the vest to activate it specially on urban places and I really feel electronics will not properly trigger the vest without it but on the other hand could easily actívate the best when no need it. Honestly I have no idea which one I should choose.
Pablo Castaño i was just about to point you to the recall video. My understanding is that Helite fixed all the recalled vests in a very short amount of time. Of course this highlights exactly your concern and that of many others. The reliability of the electronics we are trusting our safety with. However, if they do work as designed (all airbags in cars are released by electronics) they will deploy the airbag much faster than any mechanical vest. Depending on your crash scenario this can make a big difference. The release time of a mechanical vest also varies depending on how much „slack“ you set on your tether (the cord that connects the airbag to your bike). If you wish to ride standing up (which do a lot) you have to set it long enough for it. In case of a Crash this means you loose additional milliseconds until the airbag deploys. This was the main reason for me to go with the electronic vest - the added comfort of not connecting the tether is a bonus. If you riding seated down all the time this may be less of an issue. In the end all you can do is wear all the safety gear you can and hope it all works when you need it 😉 I hope this helps 🤙
You turn the vest on before your ride. Leave it on even during gas stops or breaks. Turn it off when done riding that day when the sun sets. You can turn it off for longer stops but you don’t have to
@@restricted_r The fork sensor will need a battery replacement every 5 years I believe - nothing to turn off or on there. There is a small "magnet tool" to check the status of the fork sensor every once in a while. Battery for the vest will last 24 hours. The vest does have "auto" turn off - so you can leave the vest on the whole day and it will go into some power saving mode. I usually charge it after every use but you could get 2-3 days of riding out it easily. I use a powerbank on my hanger to charge the vest - not need to wire up your closet. ;-)
When I talk about the "other" vests - these are the manufacturers that I refer too. They cannot be serviced on the go (Alpinestars, Dainese) after they deployed and/or have a lot less air volume (all of them) as they are designed to be worn under your normal riding jacket (the dainese can be worn over the jacked but still has a fraction of the air volumen as compared to the Helite vest). Also - none of these have the "neckbrace" function to keep your upper spine straight during a crash or offer any kind of hip protection. In addition only the Alpinestars has some form of hard shell to prevent from punctures - e.g. if you hit a pointy object. The Helite has the "turtle" design with a hard shell (a large level 2 armor) on the outside - the airbag inflates between that hard shell and your body. Last but not least - as they are worn under the jacket they will keep you warmer than you may want during hot ambient temperatures - this is the main reason I started even looking for an over the jacket design (see this review on the Helite mechanical vest th-cam.com/video/yLN6YhF5lEY/w-d-xo.html) - hope this helps
You partially wrong ! 1) Ixon have neck protection and can be serviced by user 2) Bigger volume than Alpinestars but how fast it inflates ? Too slow to protect collision 3) Alpinestars has a back protector too Honestly, the only info you should share is how much you are paid to give a ranking without any tests of the competition !
@@juldav1949 wow - hold your horses! I am not affiliated with any company that I talked about on this channel - I bought and paid everything with my own hard earned money -every piece of gear to the motorycle itself. I am sharing my experiences to help others consider using an airbag or understand what I was looking for when I made my choice. it is not all positive either - Helite recalled its vest and there is a video on it by the way. However, you are right it seems the InMotion vest (Ixon) will offer some neck protection and with a similar design to the Alpinestars also some back protection. But if you look at the coverage area it is much less and does not go down the spine very far. For it was the sum of all those things to decide for this particular product. Your needs may be different and you may choose differently too which is totally fine. The most important issue to start with was the overheating issue with anything worn under the riding jacket - I do find myself riding in hot weather so this was very important to me. Once you get past the technical specs that is not something a lot of people consider - Anyway, any airbag vest is better than not wearing one at all. Ride Safe!
My Klim jacket (Latitude) is a size Large - I tried on the latest model of the Klim Badlands jacket and I would also wear a size Large for the Badlands. I hope this helps.
Hallo Motovibes, was passiert wenn ich die Weste mit dem Sensor verbunden habe, aber die Weste auf einem anderen Motorrad ohne Sensor nutze. Funktioniert dann die Weste noch oder sucht sie verzweifelt nach einem/dem Sensor?
Rainer B sie funktioniert auch ohne Sensor und damit auch auf einem anderen Motorrad. Leider bekommt man kein Feedback ob der Sensor gekoppelt ist mit der Weste beim Aufsteigern aufs Motorrad- eine andere Blinkfrequenz der Status LED wäre schön. Man kann am Sensor testen ob dieser generell noch gekoppelt ist mit diesem kleinen Magneten der Kurz im Video zu sehen ist. Dann gibt auch die Weste kurz ein akustisches Signal
I only bought the last model to months ago at a show and they said nothing about this coming out. Very disappointed i was not told that option was coming in the future. May i ask how much more it is?
I had intended to try out the airbag vest for some of the dirt roads / off-road tracks we did last September but the vest is not very comfortable when riding standing up - the vest is pushing too much into the back of my neck - also I wanted to bring a hydration pack - so last time the airbag stayed in the camp during the off-road rides. I did bring it for the on-road sections. I think for all the offroad stuff I may stay with a regular neck-brace (did not bring it last time), standard armor and hydration pack. I dropped the bike (every time at almost a standstill) a few times - so I would have likely seen the vest release at least 3 times on this trip ;-)
Ich habe mich sehr auf die elektronische gefreut, da sie mir Bewegungsfreiheit gibt - ich fahre recht viel im Stehen - auch auf Asphalt. Bei der mechanischen Weste muss man die Reißleine dann sehr lang einstellen was natürlich sub-optimal ist. Die Elektronik ist allerdings auch nicht ohne Probleme - siehe man neueste Video zum Recall der e-Turtle Weste
Honestly?! Because I think they look hideous ;-) but on a more serious note - I think they are overrated in their benefit for safety - at least for the riding that I do. In urban environments that seems to make the most sense in my opinion - with potential hazards coming from all sides. On the open road your highest risk of collision is from traffic crossing your path of travel - that is why I added extra bright auxiliary LED lights to my headlight and keep them on at all times - that does a whole lot more than a high vis vest which is hardly visible from the front especially from a distance. A high vis vest is best seen from behind - so good for urban environments to prevent someone from rear-ending you (it happens but it is very rare). Outside the city I rarely have traffic faster than me. The same logic applies to wearing a black helmet over a high-vis / bright colored helmet. I am not arguing black gear is just as safe - just saying the very small difference is not worth is for me - I like black ;-)
@@MotoVibes I like black better too however after nearly being T-boned by someone who obviously didn’t see me I’m now wearing as much Hi-Viz apparel as physically possible while riding, including the Helite E-Turtle. Figure every little bit helps & it certainly can’t hurt LOL. All the best.
@@LexPips you are absolutely right David. It can only improve visibility and therefore a riders safety. If you do not already have auxiliary lights on your bike may want to consider them. I found them to be very helpful for added visibility to prevent traffic crossing your path of travel. Ride safe 👍😎
I am not certain - best to ask Helite directly on this one. I assume you mean rear ended during stand still?! The only sensor that could detect such an accident would be the fork sensor would be my guess.
I am 180 cm tall (about 5'11") so size Large works well for me - fits right within the recommended size from Helite 170-185 cm for size L. I hope this helps
@@MinsterRogers I live in Germany ;-) - the only place for the US listed was helitemoto.com/ but they did not show the electronic version yet. It may take a bit longer for this product to hit the American market. Liste price for both vest and sensor is 799,- Euros
Helite directly is an option. May have to wait as they can be out of stock. I got mine from CS Bikewear In Germany - I also had to wait 3-4 weeks for delivery
GPS is just one of the sensors though and the vest is likely not released by the GPS sensor which is not fast or accurate enough. The vest must have some kind of acceleratometer sensor to trigger the release. Sudden decelaration or unusual directional change will trigger the vest. The vest will power down if you do not use it (hang it over a chair during a cafe break) - you do not have to turn it off for that so I assume GPS tracks to see if you are moving. I have kept the vest on to go into a store or home and it did not give any warnings etc.
@@tylerbraegelmann8548 Exactly. I think that many people confuse the two. If you're riding in a forest with tall trees all around you, it can be difficult to receive a signal. Thick clouds can also make it more difficult.
@@pomajzsolt4363 You can get good shoulder protection without an airbag. The major advantage of the airbag is that it protects parts of your body much better than just conventional protectors. Especially the spine but also your chest (which most riders have not protected at all) and hips - and with Helite you get a "neck brace" too to minize insuries from overextending you neck during a crash. The amor/protectos for shoulders, elbows, knees do not really need to be replaced by an airbag.
You mean the fork sensor? Not sure what the real battery life is on this but you get a little tool to check the battery status but I am not sure if there is any indication on the vest etc to give you a heads up
@@MotoVibes i am same height but weigh 10 kolis less and am not sure weather to gor for the L or M :/ but probbaly larger is going to be better so i dont get injured from the blow it self...
If you have other Helite products in your market I would assume that you will get the electronic version at some point. However, the vest came out pretty much a year ago in Europe. Helite is a French Company so neighboring markets came first I guess (including Germany where I bought it). Maybe contact the Helite Distributor in your country about the timeline. Not sure where you live but I know the electronic vest was not available in North America up until recently (or still is not). If you do not want to wait you can always buy the vest directly from Helite in Europe and have it shipped to wherever you live - shipping & customs will add to the cost of vest though.
@@petebusch9069 thank you very much Pete! Good to know as others have wondered when the vest would be available in North America 👍 it’s well worth the wait 😉
Ich überlege mir aktuell, die Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 zu kaufen - perfekter Tragekomfort insb. unter der Lederjacke - was auch noch super aussieht. Problem für mich ist aktuell "lediglich" die Air Volume um Nacken herum - das würde für diese hier sprechen. Ich lese auf der Website allerdings "Reaktionszeit 30ms" + "Aufblaszeit 60-90ms" oder so. In Summe somit >100ms bis zum kompletten Schutz. Alpinestars spricht von
Ich glaube ein Test würde nur bedingt viel bringen. Die unterschiedlichen Airbag-Modelle sind kontruktionsbedingt in bestimmten Bereichen besser als die Konkurrenz und in anderen schlechter. Grundsätzlich bieten alle Airbags ein besseren Schutz als würden man keine Airbag tragen - aber es ist halt keine Garantie und der Schutz hängt von vielen Dingen ab - nicht zuletzt die Art des Unfalls. Falls Du Dich für ein Modell entscheidest was man unter der Jacke trägt würde ich dringend eine Anprobe empfehlen - vor allem, wenn Du die Jacke schon hast. Der Airbag benötigt gut Platz und das kann eine Jacke erfordern die eine Nummer größer ist - auch denke an typischen Unterziehsachen für die kalte Jahreszeit. Den Schulterschutz finde ich eigentlich komplett redundant - für Elbogen & Schulter gibt es super Level 2 Protektoren das muss nicht unbedingt durch den Airbag abgesichert sein meiner Meinung nach. Viel wichtiger sind Nacken, Brust und Hüfte als weitere Schutzzone - hier gibt es oft gar keinen Schutz bzw es wird üblicherweise keiner getragen. Viel Erfolg!
MotoVibes in der Tat - das stimmt - genau dieser Nackenschutz ist bei Alpinestars wenn man ehrlich ist nicht vorhanden. Ich denke ich rufe mal bei Helite an und lasse mir die konkreten Millisekunden bis zum Aufblasen bei Grösse M geben - denn ohne diese Info kann ich nicht kaufen - ich bin Stadtfahrer und brauche diesen 50kmh Schutz - den Dainese Alpinestars und Held erfüllen - helite wurde leider nicht vom ADAC unter die Lupe genommen.
Why not make it electronic and lanyard triggered. Best of both worlds. If stay with bike in crash electronics will trigger it. If leave bike but electronic fails or battery is dead lanyard will trigger it
good idea but probably not that easy to do - the lanyard triggered vest releases a simple spring loaded pin into the CO2 cartridge and fills the airbag. The electronic vest uses an explosive mini charge.
There really is no point in still using a lanyard. It is old school and it is to slow in reaction anyway. I use a IXON IX-airbag U03 since may2019. It has In&Motion electronics on board. brands like Held, Furygan,Klim,RST,Ixon are using the same hard and software. It has been tested for years now on the street and in MotoGP on track. Every user of this software shares its riding data and updates are done over WIFI ( about 3 times a year) so algorithmes are getting really refined with millions of km data and already a lot of deployments. If you do not trust its electronics today, you should not drive a car or enter a plane either. In case of a clash it is deployed before you leave the saddle over your handlebar. A mecanical airbag can never do that. The newest update is a cooperation with an app called Liberty Driver. In case of a deployment, your airbagvest will use your phone to make an emergency call and send your GPS coordinats to emergency services incase you are unable to answer back.
@@MotoVibes Mir stehen schon die Schweißperlen auf der Stirn, wenn ich nur dran denke. Im Sommer, die dicke Kombi und obendrüber noch die Weste. Puhh. da wäre ich nach einer Stunde komplett dehydriert. Dann nehme ich doch lieber die italienische Art mit Jeans und T-Shirt :-))
@@pingel9155 Gegen T-Shirt und Jeans kommt man mit richtiger Motorradbekleidung natürlich nicht an in Bezug gute Durchlüftung. Mit der Harley bin ich noch in Jeans gefahren - mit T-Shirt eher seltener. Ich war auf der Suche nach einem relativ kühlen Setup für Touren - meine Jacke sitzt nicht sehr eng - ab 27°C hab ich i.d.R. auch nur ein T-Shirt drunter - mit dem Fahrtwind gibt es bis 35°C noch gute Belüftung auch wenn es dann schon sehr warm wird. Die Airbagweste erlaubt weiterhin eine gute Durchlüftung, da sie auch recht locker sitzen kann ohne an Funktion zu verlieren, wenn sie dann zur Auslösung kommt durch einen Sturz. Ich hatte vorher einen Ortema Rückenprotektor als Weste unter der Jacke - da war bei 27°C komplett Schluss durch Überhitzung bei mir. Das Teil verbringt jetzt die meiste Zeit im Schrank. Ich bin die letzten Jahre recht viel gefahren und mir war klar, dass das nicht auf ewig ohne Sturz laufen wird - wann war natürlich nicht klar. Ich war froh um meine komplette Ausstattung als ich mich auf dem Stelvio gelegt habe und das war jetzt nicht mal ein richtig krasser Sturz.
@@MotoVibes Ein Freund von Protektoren war ich noch nie. Irgendwie sind die alle unbequem und sitzen dann doch an der falschen Stelle, falls man sie mal braucht. So geschehen 2016 bei meinem Abflug in die Prärie. Rippen- und Schulterblattbruch konnten sie nicht verhindern. Und so eine Airbagweste katapultiert einen dann vielleicht wie einen Luftballon durch die Gegend, wenn man ihn loslässt. Sähe bestimmt lustig aus für die Zuschauenden :-)
@@pingel9155 wenn man schlecht stürzt können auch die besten Protektoren max nur schadensbegrenzend sein. Ich fühl mich jedenfalls besser mit dem ganzen Zeug auch wenn es etwas wärmer ist an heißen Tagen ;-)
The original mechanical vest is great - no question. I would not fully discount the electronics however. All car airbags are released by sensors and I just learned that Helite and Alpinestars supplied electronic airbags for the Dakar riders this season - these are special off-road racing vests.
Without a doubt, the best air vest review I've seen because it addresses the issues of tether:
1. Limited range of movement for ADV (standing) riders
2. Delayed or no deployment in low-side or still-on-bike accidents.
Even if you go with mechanical/tether vest this are important considerations.
Thank you very much for your comment and feedback - really good to know that this was useful to you 😉 cheers, Oliver
Is the delay in lowside and such not eliminated by the fork sensor? That's what the sensor is for, To detect low speed and other accidents that might not otherwise be detected.
It would be a real improvement, if Helite employ the mechanical and electronic feature together. It would be option for the rider to connect both or disconnect the mechanical safety. But honestly it is peace of mind to know that you are not dependent from the electric power and computers and will keep the proven safety from the mechanical. Helite do it, many riders will buy it for that solution. Many of us do not believe in electronic safety... But would use it together with the mechanical back up.
I would not hold my breath on a combo of electronic and mechanical vest 😉
@@MotoVibes I stated how do I feel ... It would be great and Helite would benefit greatly I believe from the percentage of riders who are not fully comfortable with electronic devices. Plus I believe it is safer to have double protection, if one doesn't work the other will set the airbag off. In mean time I am looking forward to purchase a mechanical classic Turtle 2 for the next season.
Superb review mate. Your reasons/ logic for the non-tethered type is exactly the same as mine. I was looking for an under jacket solution, but soon concluded, this is definitely the best way to go in terms of protection and practicality. Nice one. Ride safe brother 👍
Thank you very much Paul! Glad you liked it - ride safe! 👍
Thanks for the look! I agree that the electronic vest is the way to go. Helite is the only I've seen with adequate neck and spine protection, and that seems like the one of most important areas of protection for vests like these.
It offers a lot of air volume on top of that. It does have its limitations for off-road riding though (however it was never designed for this purpose) th-cam.com/video/4O7xjgOfCPo/w-d-xo.html
As usual a unbiased balanced revew, I'm buying two. I'll feel much better about taking my wife out on our occasional rides together on KTM SAS 1290.
Thank you very much - that good to hear that you are getting 2 of these - I hope you will never need them ;-)
Hi Motovibes, thanks for the comprehensive review, it was very informative. I have the latest mechanical activated version and your crash video inspired the purchase. Your comparisons are accurate for those who are considering purchasing an airvest. I still like the tethered version as I do not have to depend on electronics to activate - if I come off the bike, it goes off. I commute daily and it is one less device in my life to charge. But you are right about the ability to standup, like when off-roading, and the potential time delay if rear ended or low side crash. Both are fantastic vests and affordable when you consider the risk.
Thank you for the feedback and your opinion. The mechanial vest is still a great product. I passed it on to a good friend of mine. He would likely not have gotten one for himself ;-)
shockadellick do a quick search on this Platform for similar crash videos of other electronic vests. The e-turtle is not crash tested yet. It’s hardly even available for purchase. Alpinestars tech 5 and Dainese habe videos of their vests.
@@shockadellick Thank you for the kind words! ;-) Any airbag you wear is better than not wearing one at all. There are still scenarios where the airbag may not do much - but there are many more where an airbag will reduce the damage or save your life ;-)
shockadellick I think the point is that this vest also works well at very low speeds - with the fork sensor combined all the way down to 0 kph. They all work well at high speeds when forces due to a crash are higher. We may ride faster on the bike most of the time but at the time of impact most riders have applied the brakes before - that is why most crashes indeed occur at relatively low speed
@@MotoVibes True!
I wanted to go for the Dainese smart vest. But I feel like an airbag vest without neck stabilization fails the purpose. This is a good combination of good overall protection with the comfort of digital monitoring. I wished they made something more discrete and "elegant" with a zipper instead of clippers for example (like the Dainese). But hey, not all is about the looks. Thanks for the review, it helped a lot!
Thank you for your feedback on the review. The buckles may not look the best but at least they let some air flow - I just rode the vest in 33°C heat and I was glad to have some airflow through the front of the vest ;-)
Intelligent review, just ordered one, for the amount of relatively hassle free protection these give it’s a no brainier really.
Thank you very much Chris. I hope you will never need it 😉👍 ride safe! Cheers Oliver
Hopefully, you will never need it....good review....ride safe !!!
Thanks, you too! Never need it again it should say 😂
Sehr schön erklärt😊👍 da sieht man mal wie weit die Technik schon ist, das es die Veste schon elektronisch gibt 👍 nice to have, aber besser wenn man sie nicht braucht 👍 Wünsche dir immer allzeit gute Fahrt💪
Vielen Dank! Jetzt fehlt nur noch die passender 2-Wochen Tour zur neuen Weste 😂 mal schauen - vielleicht im Herbst
I ride with the Turtle 2. The best thing about the E vest is not having to remember to plug it in. I’m always forgetting with the 2.
Wildlife Moto Not having the tether is really 👍 I did get used to connect the vest to the bike a bit like buckling up in a car. Now I have to get used to turning on the vest 😂
If you use it often, you don't have to turn it off. It puts itself on snooze when still 😁
Danke dir für das tolle Video, deine Treue und Vertrauen und für das positive Feedback. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Und für die Zukunft allzeit gute Fahrt! 👍🏻
Vielen Dank! Danke für das tolle Produkt - eine kurze Frage hätte ich - wenn einem die Maschine (mit Gabelsenor) bei langsamer Fahrt oder im Stand umfällt - löst der Airbag dann aus? Wäre sicherlich interessant für langsame Offroad Fahrten (falls man die Weste dann überhaupt trägt). Besten Dank ;-)
MotoVibes wenn das Motorrad im Stand umfällt und das System eingeschaltet ist, löst es NICHT aus. Wenn man aber mit dem Motorrad zusammen bei niedriger Geschwindigkeit umfällt, löst der Airbag aus.
Hallo, leider kann der Airbag (E-Turtle) nicht auf Ihrer Website vorbestellt werden.Wie kann ich eine vorbestellen?
Mihail Zlatanov Vorbestellungen können per Email aufgegeben werden. Gerne können Sie mir eine Email an: a.akkermann@ja-handel.de schicken.
@@helitedeutschland5546 Super. Ich werde Ihnen jetzt eine E-Mail schicken.
Looks great, I'll be getting one soon!
Right on! Airbags have come a long way for motorcyclists. I think everyone should get one of these.
My e-turtle got in last Wednesday. Thursday I went to the black forest for three days. So it was perfect timing. I am absolutely thrilled with the wearing comfort, because you don't feel the vest while driving. You can put yourself in the footrests at any time. The ventilation works the same as without the vest. Even at higher speeds the vest doesn't flutter excessively. I am thrilled.
Just the mounting point of the sensor is a bit scary for me. The GS does not have an upside down fork. According to the graphics, the sensor should be mounted at the bottom of the fork sleeve. But then it gets shaken a lot, right? I hope this works well. :-)
Congrats to your new airbag vest ;-) I can relate too all of your experiences - I also think the vest helps with higher speeds as it keeps my relatively loose ridding jacket a bit tighter to my body. As for the fork sensor - it is also hard to know if this thing is actually coupled to the vest or not - you just have to trust it is ;-) Unless there is a different blinking frequency of the status LED on the jacket but I have not tried that yet.
Where are you located? I can not order in America until fall according to helite.
Thanks for this video. The fork sensors are a really great idea.
Thank you for watching 😉
Good review. Makes it very clear what to expact from this vest.
Thank you - good to know it was helpful
Thanks for the review. Helite should provide you an affiliate link. I didn't think airbags are matured enough for daily use, but your video made me do a bit of a research, and now I'm ordering one from them. Unfortunately E-turtles are out of stock, and there is no preorder possible on the helite Germany website, so I will need to try my luck at the end of the month and see if it is orderable.
That would be nice - however for now I am happy to know more riders consider an airbag vest and will be much better protected in case of a crash. My riding buddy Thomas also bought the latest Helite e-turtle 😉 I ordered it when it was out of stock too but got mine a few weeks later.
You’ve got a great bike and make really good videos. Subscribed!
Model B thank you very much. Welcome to the channel 😎
Great review and I really appreciate your making and posting this. I have ver 2 and the mesh jacket one ... would be nice if I could simply convert to the e versions. Regardless, I like the helite design since its worn over the regular gear (and is durable) so it can inflate w/o worry or interference and that it provides neck support.
Thanks for watching! A simple conversion of the vest would be nice - I bought my Helite a year before I replaced it with the electronic version. I gave the mechanical vest to a good friend of mine. He wears a vest now - something he would not have gotten for himself otherwise.
Thanks for the review. Very informative!
Glad it was helpful 😉
Good review, really useful. Thank you!
I am glad it was helpful 😎👍
It is faster, but I trust mechanical one much more than any electronics... Because electronics can fail, mechanical part cant really fail...
that is true - I guess I would have been fine with the mechanical vest - however, it was important to me to move freely again on the bike - that is a big plus for me.
Nice review, although I would welcome some more in depth info on the system, how “fail proof” is it? I always leaned towards the mechanical one because in my head am struggling to trust the electronics. Though as you very well pointed there are disadvantages to the original design as well and they are not insignificant.
I am sure it will release in a proper crash - electronic airbag vest have been around for a while and they do work. However, I wonder what happens if you just drop the bike at low speeds - I would hope there is some kind of threshold before the airbag deploys.
A video as been released by ixtem and helite recently. They talk about e turtle and they say that the airbag has been crash tested 1000 times during the development
Hello. Nice work on your video. I am also looking at the tethered vs electronic vest. You mention the tethered vest and riding standing up. I have a KTM 790 Adventure r and stand a lot as well. I was wondering your thoughts on the tethered vest while standing. Is it just an annoyance or does it interfere with your riding to the point that you can't really use it? I suppose you could just unclip it whenever riding the dirt?
allthingstwowheeled well. You can make the tether work while riding in standing position but you will always notice it’s there and your movement will be somewhat restricted- if you switch back to a seated position the tether would be longer than necessary - because of this reason alone I would go with the electronic vest. It’s very liberating after dealing with a tether for a year. 😉
@@MotoVibes Cool. Thank you for the info.
Nice review!!! I heard that you wear a large in both vests....would you mind sharing your ht/wt?
Thank you very much- I am 180 cm / 85 kg
An excellent upgrade, my tether restricts my ability to stand exactly like you said.👍
Will you upgrade?
@@MotoVibes I’ll keep tethered for now because i just bought it & does not require charging. I will extend the tether for off road days. Glad your crash was minor. Loving the back protector👌👍. I got the dorky yellow😂, ride from the city to get to the canyons.
@@movem1 the yellow is good for urban riding - I am hoping for Helite to come out with an off-road version of the electronic airbag vest. That would be awesome
I bought the same vest because of the same advantages you mentioned. By the way, I got also a SAS 1290.... but you already bought a new SAR. Always a save ride and greetings from Germany
Congratulations to getting both 😉 I hope you will never need the vest 😎
Not sure what to choose here. The alpinestars Tech Air 5 protets the shoulders better. But is designed to go under the jacket which troubles me a bit.
Also you need to check if you have enough room under your jacket to fit the Alpinestars vest.
Hi, there thank you for the video very informative you have some good kit there thanks again Ian.
Glad you enjoyed it
Great review, ride safe :)
Thanks, you too! ;-)
Awesome! Finally!!
Thank you!
I could be wrong, but I believe the back protector is only “level 2” after the air is deployed.
No it’s not. The back protector is a level 2 - about twice the size of a typical in the jacket insert. Once the air is deployed the impact protection is a multitude of level 2 protector min impact levels.
Hi Helite vest owners, when choosing your size do you measure yourself with riding jacket on?
Thanks so much for this video. Really informative and I didn't even know they had an electronic version. Since this video how has your experience been with the vest?
I really like the ease of use of the electronic version and the comfort while riding with it. I still ride standing up lot and there is no tether in the way now. Charging is super easy - just have a powerbank velcroed to the hanger I put the vest on after each ride - no need to run long wires to keep charged 😎
Thank you for making this review. Incredibly thorough and objective! So much so, in fact, that I placed an order for one after watching. Like you, I've owned the mechanical version for about one year and have been extremely pleased. Ever since Helite announced the E-Turtle would be coming to the States, I've been monitoring. They're finally starting to ship and, also like you, decided to upgrade based upon the purported deployment time (I want that peace of mind in the event of a low-side). How have you found the fork sensor, btw? I wanted to order that as well, but it wasn't yet on their site. Thank you again. ✌
Glad this was helpful Peter. I hope you will never need this vest 😉 the fork sensor came in a bundle when I bought the vest but it also sold separately here. Chances are they will do something similar in the States
@@MotoVibes Thank you for responding. I hope I never need it either, yet I have confidence in Helite's engineering, and feel reassured riding with the vest (your crash definitely bolsters my confidence - thank you again).
I heard from them that the fork sensors will be released later in the States, evidently some type of manufacturing delay.
@@Peter-mcmcmc as the vest will work without it you can always add the fork sensor later. A friend of mine just crashed in the Alps and was happy to wear an airbag vest - not from Helite but it did it’s Job well in reducing the injuries. It was also an electronic vest
@@MotoVibes Man, that’s even more reassuring and further endorsement that people should be wearing airbags. I wish your friend a smooth and speedy recovery.
@@Peter-mcmcmc thank you Peter. 😉
Thank you for the video 👍😀🏍
Thank you very much Robert - hope it helped the decision making 😉
I'm struggling to find a place to buy this in the USA...?
It may still be a while until it is available - obviously Helite has a distribution network for North America so I would expect the e-Turtle to arrive stateside at some point. I wonder what Ryan F9 would have thought about this vest - if you have not seen it yet - check out his latest video on airbag vests. Excellent video as usual.
I reached out to Revzilla.com, they don't know yet when they will get it but likely this summer they said.
@@norsmanadventures That sounds good - not sure if their production capacity is limited due to Corona restrictions but at least it sounds like it is happening a year after it was launched in Europe.
@@norsmanadventures I live in the US & contacted Helite Moto USA asking about availability here. They replied saying they should be available “at the end of May”, said to contact: Patrick@helitemoto.com to keep posted. Personally I’m not waiting, ordering from: TheVisorShop this week (they’re in the UK), excellent prices.
It looks great and practical it has everything I want in an airbag vest but I’m just scared about it not deployed when I’m in a crash
it just like any other insurance policy - it will not cover you against everything but when it does you will be happy to have spent the money on it ;-) None of our protective gear will give you a guarantee that you will walk away unharmed in case of an accidents. It just improves your odds of minizing any harm. Ride safe!
@@MotoVibes your absolutely right I’m gonna start riding in a couple of months but I’m still comfortable with the mechanical Helite not the electronic one
@@Mustafa-zr3lo The mechanical vest is absolutlely a fine product. If you happy with it do not change ;-)
Hi! Thanks for a great video!
I have bought the e-turtle but have not really tried it yet. I also have the fork sensor. How sensitive is the system, will it go off if I go on some gravel roads? Or if I ride over a curb. Feeling a bit unsure about accidentally inflates... what is your experience?
I have taken it on gravel roads with no issues. I would not do any serious off-road riding with it - at least not with the fork sensor coupled. So far it has not accidentally released - there were issues very early with first models - Thomas had an accidential release and the vests were recalled but it seems that fixed the issue.
@@MotoVibes Thanks for your reply! Took the vest om some gravel roads today without the sensor. No problems what so ever. Unfortunately I can't place the sensor at the bottom of the forks of my Africa Twin. Need to investigate that part further. Thanks!
@@AntonKallenberg Good to know - I mounted the sensor very high on my fork - same height as my LED fog lights
@@MotoVibes Oh I see. The manual stated that it should be placed at the bottom. I will try to mount it higher up as well! Thanks! Keep up the good work and ride safe 👌👌
Good stuff friend ! Nice vest for touring and adventure riding. On racetrack I would prefer a fully suit integrated GP vest ! But it is very expensive !! Schwabenleder takes about 4000 euros for a custom made suit. But there are some alternative manufacturers which are cheaper but using the same electronic systems.
Agreed! Helite makes a track version of the vest as well but leather is a must on the race track ;-)
To complete MotoVibes, e-gp air by Helite Airbags is based on the same technology as e turtle but to be weared WITH a leather suit (with the bump on the back) The algorithm is developed for track use. They're leather pads that can be replaced in case of heavy drift. It's a little bit more expensive than e-turtle.
As per the user guide: "The detection system of the autonomous version uses the GPS signal to optimize the triggering situations. If the system does not detect or badly detects the GPS signal we cannot guarantee the triggering of the airbag." So there is a high chance that in a tunnel it will not work, unless you have the fork sensor installed on your bike. What do you think?
Honestly, that question would be better asked to Helite directly. I would like to know how this airbag actually works and what signals are processed but I have no idea. In my opinion the fork sensor is a good idea regardless. It is not much more money and it makes sense to have a sensor on the motorcycle to assist. Early Dainese systems used sensor on the motorcycle itself - cannot be such a bad idea 😉
Hallo, danke erst mal für das informative Video. Ich werde mich auch eine e turtle kaufen und hätte eine Frage: macht der zusätzliche Sensor am Federbein im Gelände Probleme? Verliert man viel Performance, wenn man den Sensor weg lässt? Viele Grüße, Markus
Freut mich dass Du das Video hilfreich findest. Zum Sensor - für die Nutzung auf der Straße kann der Sensor je nach Unfallszenario die Weste deutlich früher auslösen als der interne Sensor der Weste selbst. Da es hier auf Millisekunden ankommt lohnt sich sicher der geringe Aufpreis für dieses Feature. Man kann den Gabelsensor recht leicht entkoppeln falls man sich auf leichten Offroad Strecken bewegt und dann wieder koppeln wenn man wieder auf der Straße unterwegs ist. Das ist auch offiziell die Empfehlung von Helite.
Ok, danke für deine Antwort. Noch eine Frage: welche Größe hast du genommen? Ich habe inzwischen eine „L“, aber die kommt mir etwas zu groß vor. (Bin 178 cm und habe 82 kg).
@@markusbaumann460 Ich hab ebenfalls die Größe L bei 180 cm & 86 kg. Die Weste darf ruhig etwas lockerer sitzen - muss also nicht stramm anliegen wie normale Protektoren. Auch ist der extra Platz gut für weitere wärmere Schichten falls Du auch mal bei kälteren Touren unterwegs bist. Bei mir passt die L super - ich hatte im Laden M & XL probiert und L war am besten.
A great explanation of the information on the vest my friend. Its not something I've considered but it has opened my eyes. You failed to mention (or I missed) the cost of the vest. I'm not expecting it to be cheap, but how expensive is it?
Glad it was helpful! The vest + fork sensor is 799,- EUR - I believe just the vest is just under 700 EUR. The replacement cartridge is 59,- EUR. The mechanical vest is 550,- EUR - these are manufacturer suggested retail prices - sometimes you get good deals / discounts
How long does a charge last and how long does it take to charge it? If you forget to turn it off does it have an automatic shutoff?
The vest will last 25 hours with one charge and it does turn off automatically when not in use. I turn it on once when I start riding and if I take it off during a break I leave it on. I only turn it off at the end of the day. Also, I have a powerbank attached (Velcro) to the hanger I put the vest on and I connect it right after every ride when I put it back in the closet. Keeps it very simple
If you have a passenger you have to connect 2 sensors on the forks?
No - you connect both airbags to one sensor 😉
@@MotoVibes thank you!
The Forksensor might blow the vest when doing a wheelie. Don’t use ist when going on a racetrack!!!
do you know of someone that had this happen to him? I can imagine that hardcore track use would need different airbag settings
How does this electronic system reacts when riding dirtbikes?
If you do a big jump with landing afterwards, will this not inflate the vest?
Such g forces on the normal road be most probably a accident but on a dirt bike offroad might be "play"
Well, this vest is specifically made for onroad riding so dirt bike riding will likely set it off when it should go off. Also, it is not really that comfortable to be ridden in the standing position for extended periods of time - at least for me - the vest pushes into the back of my neck too much. For onroad riding - it is still the very best product on the market in my opinion.
As for off-road capable vest I hoping to see some of the Dakar tech make its way to the consumer market - Helite & Alpinestars where equipping Dakar riders this year with off-road airbag vests which have been made mandatory
@@MotoVibes thank for the reply.
Not sure if its an option for the GS guys and girls who want to go around the world over unpaved roads
@@wilfredprins9718 I would be very keen on getting an offroad airbag vest ;-)
Ich besitze die Airbag-Weste von IXON, die trägt sich sehr gut und ist echt hochwertig verarbeitet. Deine sieht aber auch nicht schlecht aus. Für mich war es halt wichtig, dass die Weste unter meine Textiljacke passt und nicht zu dick aufträgt.
Und gut erklärt btw. :D
Das wichtigste ist überhaupt eine Airbagweste zu tragen. Ist jetzt sogar Pflicht bei der 2020 Dakar Rallye 😎
Hi. Thanks for the video. Dealing about the right choose, mechanical or e-one.
My concern about electronics is not only if the airbag will trigger properly, very important for sure but also and very important too if the airbag could trigger when is not need it!
What happen if you get a road bump with the fork sensor activate? Will trigger for sure and you could fall down in panic prior to check what is going on, Or as in my case the vibration of my bi cylindrical maybe could also activate it?
I like the fork sensor, i think supports much better the ecu on the vest to activate it specially on urban places and I really feel electronics will not properly trigger the vest without it but on the other hand could easily actívate the best when no need it. Honestly I have no idea which one I should choose.
Whuooo! I just saw your video about the recall ..... and extra point for the mechanical one when I really like the electronic
Pablo Castaño i was just about to point you to the recall video. My understanding is that Helite fixed all the recalled vests in a very short amount of time. Of course this highlights exactly your concern and that of many others. The reliability of the electronics we are trusting our safety with. However, if they do work as designed (all airbags in cars are released by electronics) they will deploy the airbag much faster than any mechanical vest. Depending on your crash scenario this can make a big difference. The release time of a mechanical vest also varies depending on how much „slack“ you set on your tether (the cord that connects the airbag to your bike). If you wish to ride standing up (which do a lot) you have to set it long enough for it. In case of a Crash this means you loose additional milliseconds until the airbag deploys. This was the main reason for me to go with the electronic vest - the added comfort of not connecting the tether is a bonus. If you riding seated down all the time this may be less of an issue. In the end all you can do is wear all the safety gear you can and hope it all works when you need it 😉 I hope this helps 🤙
Nice review but what do u need actually do when u want to sit off Your bike? Press the button?
You turn the vest on before your ride. Leave it on even during gas stops or breaks. Turn it off when done riding that day when the sun sets. You can turn it off for longer stops but you don’t have to
@@MotoVibes How often do You need to charge the modules? What about the fork sensor, do I need to turn it on/off also?
@@restricted_r The fork sensor will need a battery replacement every 5 years I believe - nothing to turn off or on there. There is a small "magnet tool" to check the status of the fork sensor every once in a while.
Battery for the vest will last 24 hours. The vest does have "auto" turn off - so you can leave the vest on the whole day and it will go into some power saving mode. I usually charge it after every use but you could get 2-3 days of riding out it easily.
I use a powerbank on my hanger to charge the vest - not need to wire up your closet. ;-)
Hi, whats your hight end weight and the size of the vest? Thank you
180cm approx 86kg - size Large works well for me
What about Alpinestars, Ixon, Dainese ?
When I talk about the "other" vests - these are the manufacturers that I refer too. They cannot be serviced on the go (Alpinestars, Dainese) after they deployed and/or have a lot less air volume (all of them) as they are designed to be worn under your normal riding jacket (the dainese can be worn over the jacked but still has a fraction of the air volumen as compared to the Helite vest). Also - none of these have the "neckbrace" function to keep your upper spine straight during a crash or offer any kind of hip protection. In addition only the Alpinestars has some form of hard shell to prevent from punctures - e.g. if you hit a pointy object. The Helite has the "turtle" design with a hard shell (a large level 2 armor) on the outside - the airbag inflates between that hard shell and your body. Last but not least - as they are worn under the jacket they will keep you warmer than you may want during hot ambient temperatures - this is the main reason I started even looking for an over the jacket design (see this review on the Helite mechanical vest th-cam.com/video/yLN6YhF5lEY/w-d-xo.html) - hope this helps
You partially wrong !
1) Ixon have neck protection and can be serviced by user
2) Bigger volume than Alpinestars but how fast it inflates ? Too slow to protect collision
3) Alpinestars has a back protector too
Honestly, the only info you should share is how much you are paid to give a ranking without any tests of the competition !
@@juldav1949 wow - hold your horses! I am not affiliated with any company that I talked about on this channel - I bought and paid everything with my own hard earned money -every piece of gear to the motorycle itself. I am sharing my experiences to help others consider using an airbag or understand what I was looking for when I made my choice. it is not all positive either - Helite recalled its vest and there is a video on it by the way. However, you are right it seems the InMotion vest (Ixon) will offer some neck protection and with a similar design to the Alpinestars also some back protection. But if you look at the coverage area it is much less and does not go down the spine very far. For it was the sum of all those things to decide for this particular product. Your needs may be different and you may choose differently too which is totally fine. The most important issue to start with was the overheating issue with anything worn under the riding jacket - I do find myself riding in hot weather so this was very important to me. Once you get past the technical specs that is not something a lot of people consider - Anyway, any airbag vest is better than not wearing one at all. Ride Safe!
Please tell me, which size is your Klim Jacket? I have Badlands size L and this could help me to find the right size for the vest...
My Klim jacket (Latitude) is a size Large - I tried on the latest model of the Klim Badlands jacket and I would also wear a size Large for the Badlands. I hope this helps.
@@MotoVibes Thank you 🙏
Hallo Motovibes,
was passiert wenn ich die Weste mit dem Sensor verbunden habe, aber die Weste auf einem anderen Motorrad ohne Sensor nutze.
Funktioniert dann die Weste noch oder sucht sie verzweifelt nach einem/dem Sensor?
Rainer B sie funktioniert auch ohne Sensor und damit auch auf einem anderen Motorrad. Leider bekommt man kein Feedback ob der Sensor gekoppelt ist mit der Weste beim Aufsteigern aufs Motorrad- eine andere Blinkfrequenz der Status LED wäre schön. Man kann am Sensor testen ob dieser generell noch gekoppelt ist mit diesem kleinen Magneten der Kurz im Video zu sehen ist. Dann gibt auch die Weste kurz ein akustisches Signal
Hi. A specific question for the size. Do you have L or L-L? (Because of the jacket size)
I have a L for the vest and I wear Large for the KLIM jacket - I am 180 cm tall @85kg (that was before the pandemic 😎)
@@MotoVibes thanks
I only bought the last model to months ago at a show and they said nothing about this coming out. Very disappointed i was not told that option was coming in the future. May i ask how much more it is?
Brian Murphy it Starts at 680 Euro I believe. The combo with fork sensor is 799 euros.
can you connect two e-turtle vests to one fork sensor?
you absolutely can!
I wonder how this " fork ' sensor will work when riding off-road in really rough stuff ?? Had you had a chance to experience it ?
I had intended to try out the airbag vest for some of the dirt roads / off-road tracks we did last September but the vest is not very comfortable when riding standing up - the vest is pushing too much into the back of my neck - also I wanted to bring a hydration pack - so last time the airbag stayed in the camp during the off-road rides. I did bring it for the on-road sections. I think for all the offroad stuff I may stay with a regular neck-brace (did not bring it last time), standard armor and hydration pack. I dropped the bike (every time at almost a standstill) a few times - so I would have likely seen the vest release at least 3 times on this trip ;-)
@@MotoVibes Thanks for your insight , i intend to turn mine off when going in the rough stuff and back on when the condition and speed improve .
@@alainbrouillette7740 that is absolutely possible of course ;-)
Moin, Gruß aus dem hohen Norden. Welche ist für dich die bessere Weste? Du hattest ja auch den Vorgänger?
Ich habe mich sehr auf die elektronische gefreut, da sie mir Bewegungsfreiheit gibt - ich fahre recht viel im Stehen - auch auf Asphalt. Bei der mechanischen Weste muss man die Reißleine dann sehr lang einstellen was natürlich sub-optimal ist. Die Elektronik ist allerdings auch nicht ohne Probleme - siehe man neueste Video zum Recall der e-Turtle Weste
@@MotoVibes ist dein neues Video schon draußen?
igor tassotto ja. Dieses hier th-cam.com/video/jFu_VXR6_KA/w-d-xo.html
Why would anyone choose black over the high vis yellow option? Just curious? Seems like it would be extra safety for only an extra $20?
Honestly?! Because I think they look hideous ;-) but on a more serious note - I think they are overrated in their benefit for safety - at least for the riding that I do. In urban environments that seems to make the most sense in my opinion - with potential hazards coming from all sides. On the open road your highest risk of collision is from traffic crossing your path of travel - that is why I added extra bright auxiliary LED lights to my headlight and keep them on at all times - that does a whole lot more than a high vis vest which is hardly visible from the front especially from a distance.
A high vis vest is best seen from behind - so good for urban environments to prevent someone from rear-ending you (it happens but it is very rare). Outside the city I rarely have traffic faster than me.
The same logic applies to wearing a black helmet over a high-vis / bright colored helmet. I am not arguing black gear is just as safe - just saying the very small difference is not worth is for me - I like black ;-)
@@MotoVibes I like black better too however after nearly being T-boned by someone who obviously didn’t see me I’m now wearing as much Hi-Viz apparel as physically possible while riding, including the Helite E-Turtle. Figure every little bit helps & it certainly can’t hurt LOL. All the best.
@@LexPips you are absolutely right David. It can only improve visibility and therefore a riders safety. If you do not already have auxiliary lights on your bike may want to consider them. I found them to be very helpful for added visibility to prevent traffic crossing your path of travel. Ride safe 👍😎
@@shockadellick Good thing you have the choice now. Both are excellent products and superior to most alternatives on the market.
what if you are rear ended? Does it work?
I am not certain - best to ask Helite directly on this one. I assume you mean rear ended during stand still?! The only sensor that could detect such an accident would be the fork sensor would be my guess.
Is there a scribe fee after buying it like some other's on the market or is it free after perching?
Nope- you only pay once. No hidden costs 😉
@@MotoVibes Thank you enjoyed your review very well done honestly presented 👍💯
@@euhanlon4969 thank you very much- glad you like it 😉
May I ask what your height/ chest size etc. is I ask to help work out if I should consider a large or large size thanks
I am 180 cm tall (about 5'11") so size Large works well for me - fits right within the recommended size from Helite 170-185 cm for size L. I hope this helps
how and where do i order the electronic vest? helite.com does not have an order page. where do i go ?
John S. I looked at the German site and I found a German online store called CS bike wear.
@@MotoVibes did you have to pay customs/duties when it arrived to you in USA? how much did it cost? and it included the front fork sensor?
@@MinsterRogers I live in Germany ;-) - the only place for the US listed was helitemoto.com/ but they did not show the electronic version yet. It may take a bit longer for this product to hit the American market. Liste price for both vest and sensor is 799,- Euros
Where did you buy from, i cant find it anywhere
Helite directly is an option. May have to wait as they can be out of stock. I got mine from CS Bikewear In Germany - I also had to wait 3-4 weeks for delivery
Is there anyway to get this in America yet?
You should thru Touratech and Nexx. Also check out Revzilla
What if you are riding in an area where there is no GPS, it won’t work?
GPS is just one of the sensors though and the vest is likely not released by the GPS sensor which is not fast or accurate enough. The vest must have some kind of acceleratometer sensor to trigger the release. Sudden decelaration or unusual directional change will trigger the vest. The vest will power down if you do not use it (hang it over a chair during a cafe break) - you do not have to turn it off for that so I assume GPS tracks to see if you are moving. I have kept the vest on to go into a store or home and it did not give any warnings etc.
Pardon my ignorance, but where in the world do you not have GPS? GPS is different than cell service you know
@@tylerbraegelmann8548 Exactly. I think that many people confuse the two. If you're riding in a forest with tall trees all around you, it can be difficult to receive a signal. Thick clouds can also make it more difficult.
This one is better or the new alpinestars tech air 5?
Pomaj Zsolt I think so 😉
@@MotoVibes What i like with the tech air 5 is protect the shoulders,but the Helite looks like more neck support and better spine protection.
@@pomajzsolt4363 You can get good shoulder protection without an airbag. The major advantage of the airbag is that it protects parts of your body much better than just conventional protectors. Especially the spine but also your chest (which most riders have not protected at all) and hips - and with Helite you get a "neck brace" too to minize insuries from overextending you neck during a crash. The amor/protectos for shoulders, elbows, knees do not really need to be replaced by an airbag.
@@MotoVibes Thanks for your answer!100% agree with you.I will go with new E Turtle i think!
i wonder if the sensor needs changing often
You mean the fork sensor? Not sure what the real battery life is on this but you get a little tool to check the battery status but I am not sure if there is any indication on the vest etc to give you a heads up
@@MotoVibes yea i meant the fork sensor
@@dedeig.g.2592 the battery is non-replaceable and lasts 5 years , as stated on the manual.
can i ask how tall are you and how much d you weigh?
Sure - 180 cm 85kg - the L size fits me fine
@@MotoVibes i am same height but weigh 10 kolis less and am not sure weather to gor for the L or M :/ but probbaly larger is going to be better so i dont get injured from the blow it self...
The E version of this is not available, how do we get one?
If you have other Helite products in your market I would assume that you will get the electronic version at some point. However, the vest came out pretty much a year ago in Europe. Helite is a French Company so neighboring markets came first I guess (including Germany where I bought it). Maybe contact the Helite Distributor in your country about the timeline. Not sure where you live but I know the electronic vest was not available in North America up until recently (or still is not).
If you do not want to wait you can always buy the vest directly from Helite in Europe and have it shipped to wherever you live - shipping & customs will add to the cost of vest though.
@@MotoVibes Thanks, it looks like its not available in the US yet, I'll contact our distributer here.
@@petebusch9069 well, maybe let us know if you find something out from the distributor ;-)
@@MotoVibes Just called and they said early June for the E version. I think I'll just wait for that.
@@petebusch9069 thank you very much Pete! Good to know as others have wondered when the vest would be available in North America 👍 it’s well worth the wait 😉
Ich überlege mir aktuell, die Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 zu kaufen - perfekter Tragekomfort insb. unter der Lederjacke - was auch noch super aussieht. Problem für mich ist aktuell "lediglich" die Air Volume um Nacken herum - das würde für diese hier sprechen.
Ich lese auf der Website allerdings "Reaktionszeit 30ms" + "Aufblaszeit 60-90ms" oder so. In Summe somit >100ms bis zum kompletten Schutz. Alpinestars spricht von
Ich glaube ein Test würde nur bedingt viel bringen. Die unterschiedlichen Airbag-Modelle sind kontruktionsbedingt in bestimmten Bereichen besser als die Konkurrenz und in anderen schlechter. Grundsätzlich bieten alle Airbags ein besseren Schutz als würden man keine Airbag tragen - aber es ist halt keine Garantie und der Schutz hängt von vielen Dingen ab - nicht zuletzt die Art des Unfalls.
Falls Du Dich für ein Modell entscheidest was man unter der Jacke trägt würde ich dringend eine Anprobe empfehlen - vor allem, wenn Du die Jacke schon hast. Der Airbag benötigt gut Platz und das kann eine Jacke erfordern die eine Nummer größer ist - auch denke an typischen Unterziehsachen für die kalte Jahreszeit.
Den Schulterschutz finde ich eigentlich komplett redundant - für Elbogen & Schulter gibt es super Level 2 Protektoren das muss nicht unbedingt durch den Airbag abgesichert sein meiner Meinung nach. Viel wichtiger sind Nacken, Brust und Hüfte als weitere Schutzzone - hier gibt es oft gar keinen Schutz bzw es wird üblicherweise keiner getragen.
Viel Erfolg!
MotoVibes in der Tat - das stimmt - genau dieser Nackenschutz ist bei Alpinestars wenn man ehrlich ist nicht vorhanden. Ich denke ich rufe mal bei Helite an und lasse mir die konkreten Millisekunden bis zum Aufblasen bei Grösse M geben - denn ohne diese Info kann ich nicht kaufen - ich bin Stadtfahrer und brauche diesen 50kmh Schutz - den Dainese Alpinestars und Held erfüllen - helite wurde leider nicht vom ADAC unter die Lupe genommen.
Why not make it electronic and lanyard triggered. Best of both worlds. If stay with bike in crash electronics will trigger it. If leave bike but electronic fails or battery is dead lanyard will trigger it
good idea but probably not that easy to do - the lanyard triggered vest releases a simple spring loaded pin into the CO2 cartridge and fills the airbag. The electronic vest uses an explosive mini charge.
There really is no point in still using a lanyard. It is old school and it is to slow in reaction anyway. I use a IXON IX-airbag U03 since may2019. It has In&Motion electronics on board. brands like Held, Furygan,Klim,RST,Ixon are using the same hard and software. It has been tested for years now on the street and in MotoGP on track. Every user of this software shares its riding data and updates are done over WIFI ( about 3 times a year) so algorithmes are getting really refined with millions of km data and already a lot of deployments. If you do not trust its electronics today, you should not drive a car or enter a plane either. In case of a clash it is deployed before you leave the saddle over your handlebar. A mecanical airbag can never do that.
The newest update is a cooperation with an app called Liberty Driver. In case of a deployment, your airbagvest will use your phone to make an emergency call and send your GPS coordinats to emergency services incase you are unable to answer back.
Ich hätte neulich eine Airbag Hose gebraucht😁.....40m am Allerwertesten gerutscht im Regen😋
😂 Wer weiß - vielleicht kommt das als nächstes!
Oh nee, würde ich nicht einmal geschenkt anziehen. Erinnert mich irgendwie an die Ninja-Turtles Comics :-)
Naa in Ninja Turtle grün gibt es die noch nicht 😂
@@MotoVibes Mir stehen schon die Schweißperlen auf der Stirn, wenn ich nur dran denke. Im Sommer, die dicke Kombi und obendrüber noch die Weste. Puhh. da wäre ich nach einer Stunde komplett dehydriert. Dann nehme ich doch lieber die italienische Art mit Jeans und T-Shirt :-))
@@pingel9155 Gegen T-Shirt und Jeans kommt man mit richtiger Motorradbekleidung natürlich nicht an in Bezug gute Durchlüftung. Mit der Harley bin ich noch in Jeans gefahren - mit T-Shirt eher seltener.
Ich war auf der Suche nach einem relativ kühlen Setup für Touren - meine Jacke sitzt nicht sehr eng - ab 27°C hab ich i.d.R. auch nur ein T-Shirt drunter - mit dem Fahrtwind gibt es bis 35°C noch gute Belüftung auch wenn es dann schon sehr warm wird. Die Airbagweste erlaubt weiterhin eine gute Durchlüftung, da sie auch recht locker sitzen kann ohne an Funktion zu verlieren, wenn sie dann zur Auslösung kommt durch einen Sturz.
Ich hatte vorher einen Ortema Rückenprotektor als Weste unter der Jacke - da war bei 27°C komplett Schluss durch Überhitzung bei mir. Das Teil verbringt jetzt die meiste Zeit im Schrank.
Ich bin die letzten Jahre recht viel gefahren und mir war klar, dass das nicht auf ewig ohne Sturz laufen wird - wann war natürlich nicht klar. Ich war froh um meine komplette Ausstattung als ich mich auf dem Stelvio gelegt habe und das war jetzt nicht mal ein richtig krasser Sturz.
@@MotoVibes Ein Freund von Protektoren war ich noch nie. Irgendwie sind die alle unbequem und sitzen dann doch an der falschen Stelle, falls man sie mal braucht. So geschehen 2016 bei meinem Abflug in die Prärie. Rippen- und Schulterblattbruch konnten sie nicht verhindern. Und so eine Airbagweste katapultiert einen dann vielleicht wie einen Luftballon durch die Gegend, wenn man ihn loslässt. Sähe bestimmt lustig aus für die Zuschauenden :-)
@@pingel9155 wenn man schlecht stürzt können auch die besten Protektoren max nur schadensbegrenzend sein. Ich fühl mich jedenfalls besser mit dem ganzen Zeug auch wenn es etwas wärmer ist an heißen Tagen ;-)
I have the turtle 2 it works great ,I think this new one is over complicated to be honest.
KISS
Keep it simple stupid 😀
The original mechanical vest is great - no question. I would not fully discount the electronics however. All car airbags are released by sensors and I just learned that Helite and Alpinestars supplied electronic airbags for the Dakar riders this season - these are special off-road racing vests.