Airbags in leathers!

[wfooshee]

I [finally] got around to watching the Brno MotoGP last night. I was a bit busy with the bike last weekend, and in Bermuda when the race was on, so I'm finally catching up.

Lorenzo's crash deployed his new in-suit airbags, puffed him all up in the shoulders and back, but failed to deflate. His bike was trashed enough he couldn't continue, but even had it not been, his suit didn't deflate so he still could not have continued regardless.

Looked cool, all puffed up. Can't find any pictures, though, and everyplace that has a video shows it removed for copyright claim.

 

[johnny80s]

Here is one from Dianese.

 

[SockMonkey]

Don't be surpirsed to see this technology in mainstream riding gear within the next 3 years. I've talked with reps from a few manufacturers lately that have told me they're looking at &/or working on airbag-equipped offerings (though Dainese is leading the pack in this effort based on their race-oriented R&D). However, I understand that before this technology is available to the masses, it'll have to undergo extensive DOT and CE testing; testing not required for the track. (Hopefully, the R&D engineers are collecting enough data in airbag deployments like Lorenzo's that they'd be able to jump-start the testing process.)

Quite frankly, I'm all for technology that will make our sport safer. Dress for the crash, not for the ride as they say...

 

[wfooshee]

Here is one from Dianese.

Lorenzo's suit had the bags inside the shoulders and bags, so he was just "inflated" looking. Superman-mode. But Dainese (a before i) makes his (and Rossi's) suit.