Bike Stop, ever since 1981, has been a dealer of Dainese gear, the first in the UK in fact. Following that, it became the first gear dealer in the UK to stock The Dainese D-Air airbag equipped motorcycle gear, so it follows on naturally that Bike Stop will be among the first to stock their new 3rd generation airbag gear, amongst the rest of their 2019 range.
Not only that, but Bike Stop will be
stocking the only airbag-equipped one-piece women's leather suit, the first of
its kind, which is news in itself!
The headline launch from
Dainese at EICMA this year (check out the link to see our top 10 bikes of EICMA
2018) was their third generation airbag range. It's now incorporated into more
of their gear than ever, with touring, sports jackets and one-piece suits
benefiting from its fitment.
Originally
the technology was developed to allow motorcycle racers to survive crashes with
less injury; not only does this reduce the risk of serious injury, but can allow
them to walk away from a crash that would have otherwise given them an injury
that'd have ruined their season. Broken collarbones are a very common injury in
MotoGP for example, and the airbags were originally added to reduce the chance
of a collarbone break. Usually a collarbone break would put a rider out for at
least a race or two, but obviously there were some who rode with broken
collarbones, as racers tend to do! Those airbags also protected against rib
injury too, another common racing injury.
Dainese realised however that
there was demand from other motorcycle riders, especially those who ride on the
road, but naturally the system needed altering to be easy to use and effective.
Basic versions of airbag technology use a simple ripcord to detect when you've
fallen from a bike. D-Air goes
one further, and adds a 'brain' to the mix. Old versions needed sensors
attached to the bike to detect a fall, but the latest models now use sensors
purely in the gear to detect when to deploy. Compared to older, or more basic,
airbag gear, this is a huge boon for practicality. Rather than having to go to
the hassle of fitting sensors to the bike or ensuring you attach a ripcord when
you get on your bike (and detach it when you get off), all you need to do is
zip the jacket up (which turns it on) and ride.
People inherently go for the
simplest option, and, if bike security is anything to go by, inconvenience
often ends up in someone not using something. Along with the fact that the use
of airbags reduces the force of an impact by up to 90%, the fact that the use
of such an item causes so little inconvenience makes it a great choice for
ultimate protection. There are two systems; D-Air Race
and D-Air Street, with some differences
between the two. Street will appeal to most riders with its more practical
range of jackets it fits into. All systems are easily rechargeable within
six hours, with eight hours of use and 25 hours standby time.
Presently
the Street range consists of only 3 jackets, but as of spring 2019 that'll be
expanding markedly with new 2-piece suits (the Avro) for both men and
women, a sporty jacket for both men and women (the Racing 3), another more
sporty jacket for men (the Tuono), as well as a new men's touring jacket (the
Carve Master). On top of these new releases, the Race range is also expanding
with the Misano is being superceded by the Misano 2, and this year being
made for both men and women. As mentioned before, this is a world first for
airbag equipped one-piece leather suits, ideal for the lady that likes to go to
trackdays and have the ultimate protection on the road.
Obviously, the best option for
the best protection is to buy the latest and greatest, but for some a discount
goes a long way. Thanks to the launch of the new D-Air gear,
the current generation D-Air gear
will be receiving significant discounts at Bike Stop to usher in the new
generation of gear. If stretching all the way to this gear isn't on the
cards for you, Bike Stop will be having a wide range of Dainese's 2019
collection, complete with all the new, gorgeous colour schemes.
If all
this appeals to you, Bike Stop will be hosting a launch event in March 2019
(exact date to be confirmed), where you can get up and close and personal with
the latest and greatest from one of Italy's most famous motorcycle gear
manufacturers. Bike Stop's overall gear range is also the largest it's ever
been, so if something from Dainese doesn't quite appeal, then it's highly
likely you'll find something to suit you. If the fit isn't quite what you need
for your body, Bike Stop offer a full tailoring service to really give that
personalised touch.
In the meantime, like us
on Facebook,
follow us on Instagram and Twitter,
subscribe to our mailing list to keep up to date on events happening at Bike
Stop throughout the year (including our March launch event), drop by to have a
chat, have a delicious Lavazza coffee and a cake, or view our large motorcycle
gear range.
