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Alpinestars Tech Air Race Suit | Late Braking

Following nearly 10 years of research and development, Alpinestars has made available to the public a leather suit incorporating its wireless airbag protection system—although the Tech Air Race is only available in Europe for now and at a price of approximately $8500.Following nearly 10 years of research and development, Alpinestars has made available to the public a leather suit incorporating its wireless airbag protection system—although the Tech Air Race is only available in Europe for now and at a price of approximately $8500. The airbag’s microprocessor unit is housed in the suit’s aerodynamic back hump and connects to two airbags, one in each shoulder. The entire self-contained and battery-powered setup adds just one pound to the suit, and is capable of sensing and arming only when the rider is on the bike and moving. An LED panel on the suit’s arm indicates the microprocessor’s status. If a crash is detected, one of two gas cylinders inflates the bags, which remain inside the suit, in 45 milliseconds. Once inflated, the rider’s clavicles and shoulders—the most likely portion of the body susceptible to injury in a crash, according the company’s data—are protected for several seconds; the bags deflate after another 20-25 seconds. The Dual Charge System allows a rider to remount and continue in a race with the second charge available should another accident occur—a situation that has actually occurred in a MotoGP practice session with Alpinestars rider Toni Elias. A wireless diagnostic card within the unit provides status information, and a dedicated support team, based at Alpinestars in Italy, is available to users for support. The suit will be available in the United States later this year.


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