Daily motorbike news, views & reviews
BMW has secured a patent that turns the front wheel into a crumple zone similar to the safety feature built into cars for decades. In the BMW Motorrad patent, the front wheel stays straight on impact, rather than deflecting, by means of a metal V-shaped unit mounted on the frame. Crumple zone They claim this …
Alpinestars has joined Dainese and Furygan in making an airbag vest that fits underneath any jacket. Airbags were first included with a leather jacket or suit usually for racing where it is now mandatory in some categories. They were followed by airbag vests that could be worn over the top of a jacket, or vests …
Last year MotoGP made airbag race suits mandatory and now Dainese has produced an airbag vest for everyday riders that goes under a normal jacket. Versatile vest Many riders have different jackets for summer and winter. It would be expensive to buy an airbag jacket for each season, so this idea of an airbag vest …
Rider Karen Curley of Canberra recently sent us photos of her wearing a Helite airbag vest at Mount Panorama Circuit on a ride with my fellow FRoCers (Female Riders of Canberra). She won the Helite airbag safety vest earlier this year in a Motorbike Writer competition to launch the safety product via our new online shop. “As …
Future motorcycle jackets could be made with lightweight rider armour designed like fish scales and with technology derived from sea creatures’ eyes. A team of Boston University engineering researchers believe fish, snake and even butterfly scales hold the key to creating strong and lightweight armour. The researchers have constructed scales with a 3D printer and …