Alpinestars airbag system on the way

Alpinestars, which has been designing and manufacturing protective gear since the mid 1960s, has just announced its new airbag technology -- Tech Air.

The Italian company has reportedly been working on an airbag add-on for race and road use since 2003, and will begin testing the technology on the racetrack this year. It's expected we'll see the airbag system first in MotoGP.

Could we see Casey Stoner donning the new technology?

Alpinestars says the Tech Air race airbag system could be on sale to the public later in 2011, starting with European markets. It is "...likely to add in the region of €2000 ($A2800) to the cost of a suit," says the company. It is designed to reduce shoulder and collarbone injuries.

"At present, Alpinestars plans to make the system available to its racers during the course of this season, before releasing a commercial system for track use during the latter part of 2011," said the company in an official statement.

The system is fairly compact (see third image) and is affixed to motorcycle race suits or leathers on the back/neck hump.

Dainese is currently testing its own airbag race suit system, currently in use by MotoGP riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, so Alpinestars is unlikely to have the airbag market to itself when it goes on sale in 2011.

"A full street system is also in development, with a commercial launch expected in 2-3 years," states Alpinestars.

How does the new airbag system work? According to Alpinestars the airbag's computer brain is powered by a battery pack and the airbags are inflated using a nitrogen based gas mix.

The system comprises two airbags that deploy over riders' collar bones and shoulders, taking just 0.05 seconds to inflate when its sensors detect an imminent prang. The airbags stay inflated for around five seconds.

Interestingly, the Alpinestars Tech Air system includes a patented dual charge system, which essentially gives the rider two airbag inflations "...without needing to reset or recharge the system," says the Italian company. This means that even after one crash, riders can get up and keep racing "...safe in the knowledge that the system will give them the same level of protection if they go down a second time."

The Dainese system currently only delivers a single airbag inflation before a recharge of the gas firing systems are needed.

For riders who have had collar bone or shoulder injuries as a result of high speed track incidents, this technology will be well worth the high price. Stay tuned for more details on the system's Australian debut.

Check out Alpinestars.com for details on the brand.