For today's topic I thought I would look into the world of Dainese airbags.
For anyone who hasn't been living under a rock for the past few years, motorcycling is continuously evolving. We now have 200bhp+ super bikes with more computing power than anyone could have imagined a few years ago. Along with the development of newer motorcycles, motorcycle gear has also evolved substantially. Newer advanced materials are increasing garment safety as well as comfort, but there is one piece of technology with is arguably at the forefront of this technology revolution, Dainese D Air.
What is Dainese D Air?
It is what Dainese refer to as "Intelligent outfit" basically a wearable airbag designed to deploy when sensors on either the bike or jacket/suit detect an accident, all of the airbag inflation happens in under 45 milliseconds. Dainese D Air is made up of 3 key elements.
- Heart - The 3 D airbag is the heart of all D Air systems. The airbag is designed for comfort and enables a uniform 5cm inflation providing maximum protection should you need it. The really clever bit is that it keeps its shape when inflated so no surprise its patented and already being looked at for many other safety applications!
- Brain - The D Air control unit monitors information from the sensors up to 1000 times a second, this seems a bit OCD to me, but it means the time it takes from the sensors detecting a crash to the airbag inflating is minimised.
- Intelligence - The sophisticated algorithms analyse data from the sensors and decide when to inflate the airbag.
Does it work?
Short answer.... yes, yes it does. Tests have shown Dainese D Air to be 90% more effective than other composite protectors. That is quite a leap forward in safety. The highest level of D Air has coverage on the neck, shoulders, collarbones and false ribs.
The Products
- D Air Street (includes kit for the bike “M kit” + kit for the rider “J kit”). This is basically available in a Gore-Tex jacket or a D Air vest that you can wear over an existing leather or textile jacket. This needs to be used in conjunction with the “M kit” which is an electronic control unit that monitors sensors on the forks and under the seat. Did I mention this is also all wireless? Magic and unlike the much slower rip-cord alternatives! The M kit will monitor the status of the bike for any impacts to ensure the airbag deploys at the correct time and only from speeds of greater than 10km/h. The coverage on the D Air vest is on the back, collar bones and chest. This system is designed to deploy the airbag in the event of an impact, collision, or loss of control.
D Air Road
- D Air Road Jackets. Currently there are 3 types of D Air stand alone jackets, all for different uses. The Misano D Air jacket (Leather D Skin jacket for sports riding), Cyclone D Air (Laminate Gore Tex touring jacket) and the Continental D-Air (Laminate Gore Tex urban styled jacket). So you have 3 jackets to suit a wide range of needs, sport touring and urban riding. They work differently to the M and J kit. With these jackets you do not need sensors attached to your bike, the D Air processing unit is housed within the garment itself. The system houses 6 sensors and a GPS inside the ingratiated back protector. The D Air system will recognise the type of accident you are having and act accordingly, ensuring additional protection in head of/lateral collisions, highsides and lowsides accidents. Protection is provided for the shoulders, chest and back.
-D Air Race Suits. There are currently 3 D Air Race suits:the Mugello R, Mugello and the Misano D Air. The main difference with the Mugello suits is that that they are Kangaroo leather which is thinner, lighter but with more abrasion protection. These again have the D Air processing unit and sensors integrated into the suit, like the D Air jackets. However these suits are designed to function more on the race track than the road. The D Air suits recognise highside and lowside accidents that happen above 50km/h. This is to prevent airbag activation in situations where there is less risk of injury at lower speeds on a track. The Mugello R has D Air protection on the neck, shoulders, collarbones and false ribs, while the Mugello Misano only gets D Air protection on the neck, shoulders and collarbones. The Mugello and Misano are both also available as made to measures.
What D Air system is best for me?
This will really depend on what style of riding you will be doing. I would say if you are really content with the jacket you already have, or you don't like any of the D Air stand alone jackets and just want to do some road riding, the D Air vest would be the best way to go. However if you like either the Misano, Cyclone or Continental D Air jackets and one of them suits your needs, in my opinion this would be the way to go for road riding, as no extra fitment of sensors is needed on your motorcycle. If track riding is what suits you best, it will come as no surprise that i would suggest looking at one of the D Air race suits. The one piece race suit will offer greater protection at higher speeds while still deploying the airbag technology, which is all integrated within the suit itself.
It is really impossible to sum up everything about D Air technology in one blog as the range is continuously expanding and evolving. So if you have any questions, why not comment? Or ask one of the experts at Bike Stop on 01438 317038. We are always happy to help!
