Airbag jackets? Your thoughts? (now other gear questions)

[stevegula]

But fucking worthless if they're banned. :? Oh great, I found the article. The CS and CL series. That's all? only 2/3rds of their lineup, and I ordered a CL-15.

Meh, I hit a mountain head first in a CL-12 and I was mostly fine. I've got an AC-12 now but I hope to never have to test it.

[BLINGMW]

It's a kneejerk reaction to some nasty incidents involving the lids.

I agree, I'm not worried about it. I'm finding so little data out there on any of this gear, just like the airbag jackets. The safety tests that are done aren't perfect, but at least I can rely on them. The helmet is DOT and Snell approved. That's all I can count on. Past that, I can only look at the gear and see if it looks well made to me, while also considering the recommendations of others. In this case, the HJC seems well made, the company has been around a while, likely would do what they can to stay in business by making decent helmets, and uses the same materials that most other helmets use.

[.RJ]

Spending more $$ on a helmet wont save your lid in a crash... it will be more comfortable, lighter, better venting, removable liners, and so on.

[BLINGMW]

lighter

That's really the only thing I realize is undeniable from a safety standpoint, and yes, spending a WHOLE lot more would get me a helmet that is a half pound lighter. I can live with that. BTW, this HJC has a removable liner, I found it comfortable and snug, and from what I read, the venting is decent. We'll see!

[.RJ]

The venting is 'decent' but when you start moving up in price point it gets A LOT better, really no comparison.

[Apoc]

To the point where riding can't be done without earplugs... unless of course you like headaches.

[BLINGMW]

Anyone familiar with Fieldsheer stuff? I'm trying to figure out why their sizing chart is WAY off from anyone else's. As in, usually 46 is best for me, but their idea of 46 reads more like a 50. And the sleeves are really short. There's a cheap suit on WERA that I might jump on.

[mrbaggio]

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How did he have an impact of 140mph? He gained speed because he was cut off? The police need a physics class.

[BLINGMW]

cool! But yeah.... 140MPH... well maybe that's how fast he was going?

[Ginger]

If he had an impact speed of 140, did they toss him in jail for driving with intent to kill after the jacket saved his life?

[HAULN-SS]

centrifugal force comes into play somewhat. I don't know that it would double his speed..but he could leave the bike faster than he was travelling horizontally.

edit: centripetal

[Ginger]

Yeah, the force would. But the instant you eject from the bike or make an emergency reaction to the situation you start slowing. To get a 140mph impact force the guy would have to have been travelling like, 140, slowed to 120 with air resistance, and gained 20mph in impact force back with the gravitation acceleration... or had the biggest highside ever. Maybe he was jumping off a house?

[HAULN-SS]

I dunno, they didn't give specifics, but I was just using his front wheel as the origin, assuming he slammed into a car and rotated around the front wheel.

[.RJ]

I dunno, they didn't give specifics, but I was just using his front wheel as the origin, assuming he slammed into a car and rotated around the front wheel.

:?:

Maybe you forgot about newton's laws?

[G.Irish]

I dunno, they didn't give specifics, but I was just using his front wheel as the origin, assuming he slammed into a car and rotated around the front wheel.

For someone to accelerate in that situation the object that hit his front wheel would have to be traveling in the opposite direction. If the object is stopped or going in the same direction it will decrease the velocity of the motorcyclist.

[Ginger]

If he hit the car without coming off the bike at a significant speed then he'd be dead. I think it's safe to rull that out.

*edit* In direct impact crashes like the one I used in this post have a tendancy to sever legs (why the goldwing is equipped with an airbag now - to help push the rider over the bars instead of into them).

[HAULN-SS]

I dunno, they didn't give specifics, but I was just using his front wheel as the origin, assuming he slammed into a car and rotated around the front wheel.

:?:

Maybe you forgot about newton's laws?

sorry, I dont have time to draw you a picture today.

[.RJ]

sorry, I dont have time to draw you a picture today.

Dont embarrass yourself... centripetal force isnt going to accelerate the rider as he's ejected off of the bike. Newton's 1st law.

[Evan]

he would have to have been going far greater speed than 140 to hit the ground going that fast. Air resistance slows you down extremely quickly at those speeds, and even the short time he was flying through the air would slow him down 20+ mph.

So the term "impact rate" probably means some multiplier / or equation was written (by someone who probably had no business doing so) to calculate some kind of theoretical mph equivalent of an impact, which is of course worthless but sure makes for attention getting figures for reports and news stories.

[Evan]

sorry, I dont have time to draw you a picture today.

Dont embarrass yourself... centripetal force isnt going to accelerate the rider as he's ejected off of the bike. Newton's 1st law.

newtons first law would only apply if the rider separated from the motorcycle before the accident.
even if the force exhibited by the motorcycle/wreck is brief, it is still an "unbalanced force" to put it in netwons terms and will affect the rider's trajectory