Breakthrough Motorcycle Safety for All Terrain: Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road Airbag System Review

Crashing while riding motorcycles on dirt is inevitable and sometimes out of the rider’s control. But dressing for the crash is not. The Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road expands the lauded system’s coverage to trail and adventure riding with an off-road-specific algorithm and appropriate passive protection.

The Tech-Air Off-Road jacket combines elements found on other under-the-jersey back protectors, chest protectors, and “pressure suits” with an airbag system. Alpinestars has been developing the Tech-Air system since 2017, and it has accompanied professional riders during the Dakar Rally, which is widely regarded as the world’s toughest and most dangerous off-road race.

The Apinestars Tech-Air Off-Road system offers CE Level 1 passive full back and limb protection and CE Level 2 chest protection. When deployed during a get-off, the system delivers CE Level 1 full chest and back protection, plus full coverage of the shoulders, neck, and collarbones.

I tested the Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road garment while trail riding on both private and public trail networks. It also accompanied me during adventure and dual-sport rides through the Texas Hill Country. My testing period ran from cool spring temperatures through the heat of this past summer.

In short: The Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road system provides proven crash protection and peace of mind while riding the unpredictable terrain and conditions found during trail, dual-sport, and adventure riding. The protection jacket adds noticeable weight and reduces heat dissipation and mobility. But the tradeoff for greatly enhanced protection when needed most made it a no-brainer “yes” to me. The Tech-Air Off-Road is expensive at an MSRP of $1,000, but the potential consequences of a significant crash go beyond any price tag.

How the Tech-Air System Works

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The Tech-Air system is similar to car airbag systems in terms of basic premise.

One triaxial accelerometer and three gyroscopes communicate with an electronic control unit (ECU) to monitor movement. The ECU has three algorithm settings that determine the combination of sensor information that will trigger airbag inflation — Enduro, Rally, and Street. There is also a shipping mode that disconnects the battery from the system to prevent accidental airbag deployment.

When the ECU senses conditions that warrant airbag inflation, a gas-charged system inflates the airbag in 52 milliseconds. Two gas canisters reside on the back of the garment to protect two crashes before servicing. The airbag itself has been certified for up to four deployments as long as it’s not damaged in the process. There is no need to restuff the airbag, as it’s in an expandable, self-contained enclosure.

The inflation is activated by puncturing the pressurized gas canisters, which are not reusable. The dual set of replacement canisters costs $200.

The Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road’s passive protection jacket contributes to the effect of the airbags in a crash. It also guards against roost, clipping branches, and other incidental impacts. The jacket has a thermoformed chest protector and back protector with Alpinestar’s Nucleon CELL technology. It also has CE Level 1 elbow and shoulder guards, which are replaceable.

A stretch mesh fabric holds everything together and keeps all protectors positioned correctly.

The Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road in Use

All the high-tech airbag wizardry is a difficult sell, especially to professional racers, if the system limits performance in any way. So, how the protection jacket fits, breathes, and potentially limits mobility is a valid concern.

Protection Jacket Fit

I’m 5’11” tall, have a 32″ waist, and weigh 164 pounds; the size X Tech Air-Offroad’s stretch mesh jacket felt very tight after zipping up the main side zipper, which cleverly arms the ECU. This made it impossible to put it on without also turning it on.

When standing and moving my arms around, the system felt heavy (it weighs 7.1 pounds in a size M) and restrictive compared to the motocross-style chest and back protector I wore before acquiring the Tech-Air Off-Road. I also felt that it would retain much more heat and limit airflow.

Alpinestars recommends wearing a jacket over the Tech-Air Off-Road as it deems it not resistant to abrasion. I chose to wear an enduro-type riding jacket. It’s important to note that there needs to be enough room for the airbag to expand underneath whatever you choose to wear as the outer layer.

If this layer is too small or cannot expand, the airbag deployment could cause injury. The Tech-Air Off-Road is also incompatible with neck braces, including Alpinestar’s Bionic Neck Support models. The back of the Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road has a hydration pocket that accommodates a bladder of up to 3 L.

Riding Impressions

My concerns about the protective jacket when standing largely disappeared when riding. The tight fit, weight, heat retention, and effects on mobility didn’t magically disappear, but I hardly noticed them. I believed that the encompassing mental attention required to ride at anywhere near my limits displaced the attention required to notice such things.

Even during the sweltering Texas summer heat, I didn’t think the Tech-Air Off-Road affected the ventilation enough to worry about. And not once did I feel any drag on my upper body mobility. As far as the snug fit of the highly elastic mesh jacket body, I only noticed that the chest and back protection stayed put.

There was no bouncing or rotating, which I could not say about the motocross-style protectors I’d worn up until then. I also didn’t notice the extra weight.

But, just to test my theory, I rode back-to-back sessions with and without the Tech-Air Off-Road. Then, I did notice the difference. The most apparent was the weight on my upper body. I wouldn’t say it was oppressive; it was just clearly noticeable that I used more energy to jockey around on the bike.

The next noticeable thing was the difference in ventilation. The protection jacket partially blocked the airflow that I felt on my upper body when not wearing it. Again, it was nothing drastic but clearly noticeable. I don’t think this would be an issue at all during any season outside of summer.

The snug fit and its effect on mobility were the least noticeable things. When standing, raising my arms over my head produced the most resistance. But that never happens when riding, so it wasn’t an issue.

The jacket’s snugness also wasn’t an issue because, subconsciously, I understood it was keeping all the passive protective elements in the correct positions. And I was so used to that with knee braces, boots, and other upper body passive protection garments. These all require secure positioning.

Connectivity

The Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road is undeniably a high-tech protective garment. And as such, it requires updates like other electronic devices.

The ECU’s LED control panel displays battery life, gas canister status, and riding mode and confirms that it’s active when the main zipper closes. It also vibrates to alert the rider that the system is armed. The ECU communicates with a Tech-Air app, which delivers firmware and algorithm updates.

The electronics are sealed against water ingress and are certified to function in temperatures ranging from 14 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. And the system is certified to be electromagnetically stable.

Alpinestars claims that the lithium-ion battery lasts 30 hours and has a recharge time of 4 hours. My experience validates these claims. The brand also claims you can charge it for an hour in a bind, and that will provide 8 hours of riding time. The battery recharges through a USB-C port.

The ECU and airbag components can separate from the protective jacket for laundering.

The Final Say on the Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road

I can only report on how the Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road felt while riding. I cannot at all state how it worked in a crash. However, the brand claims it is twice as effective as its passive protection systems.

The organizing body of international rally racing, the FIM, also mandates the use of airbag vests for all motorcycle competitors. One of my best friends, Andrew Short, raced the entire world rally circuit and Dakar five times after a successful motocross and supercross career. He has crashed countless times.

“At first, when I started racing with it, I was more concerned about performance and minimizing weight to maximize my results rather than safety. After crashing and using the Alpinestars Tech-Air system, I became a big believer. It was crucial for safety while racing at high speeds. Alpinestars created and worked so hard to create the best airbag system, and they invested so much effort in getting the algorithm correct for this kind of racing,” Short stated.

My back-to-back testing undeniably revealed that the Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road does have negative effects on riding, especially in the heat. I have crashed plenty of times, and some of them resulted in serious injuries, one affecting the rest of my life.

Again, it’s not if; it’s when you crash. As the old saying goes, “You can dress for the ride or dress for the crash,” and for me, if there is a product that can clearly minimize the injury potential of a crash, it’s a clear choice to use it.

I’ve written professional reviews for more than a decade on hundreds, if not thousands, of products and have never before written, “Go buy this if you can.” But I am saying it now: If you ride dirt bikes or adventure bikes at any rate of speed that makes you think you could get seriously hurt, do everything you can to secure an Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road or a similar airbag system.