Inflating the VestTwo CO2 cartridges are used to inflate the Airetronics vest.  The triggers for each are located under the outer slit pockets and are permanently attached to the vest, one on each side in the front, under the vest's hand pockets.  The triggers are covered by a separate section of fabric, which is attached via "hook and loop" closure.  There's also a thin piece of foam padding covering the trigger mechanism. 

To arm the vest, the trigger is looped over a metal rod, and the CO2 cartridge is screwed in place.  The cartridge provides just enough resistance to prevent the trigger from engaging until the lanyard is pulled.

The harness must be attached to the motorcycle, either by looping it around a section of the frame or some other hard point.  Once it's installed, the harness can remain in place.  The harness is adjustable for length, and we had no trouble finding a suitable location on several different motorcycles.

The lanyards are attached to the harness by snapping the ends into a switch block (see photo, lower left).  The tricky part is remembering to uncouple the lanyards from the switch block before getting off the motorcycle. 

The Airetronics system engages with a comparatively low amount of force, estimated at about 3 lbs.  It would be very easy to trigger the system when getting off the bike.  Perhaps it would be a good idea to have a sticker or some other method of reminding the rider to disconnect before leaving the bike.

But the flip side of the low-force engagement system is that it probably won't interfere with the rider's trajectory during a crash.  Other systems we've tried take very large (relatively) amounts of force to engage, leaving us to wonder if the rider might become entangled with the bike during a get-off.

Once engaged, the Airetronics vest inflates very quickly indeed.  We didn't time it, but estimate full inflation takes place within 250 to 500 milliseconds.  The tough outer skin of the vest keeps the internal air bladders very tight and close to the rider.  It's surprising at how fast the vest inflates when the lanyard is pulled.  The vest deflates when the CO2 cartridges are unscrewed.  New cartridges can easily be inserted to re-arm the vest if necessary.

The vest becomes instantly tight and hugs the rider's body, and it feels like a Mike Tyson bear hug.  The air channels run vertically up and down the back, over the shoulders and down the front.  Again, it's not clear whether or not the inflatable vest prevents crash injuries, but it certainly seems that the extra cushioning would help protect the rider.

ConclusionAir-assisted rider protection systems will only become popular if the act of wearing them is as seamless, unobtrusive and easy as possible.  The Airetronics vest is a step in that direction.  It's virtually unnoticeable during normal use. 

The only trick is remembering to attach and detach the lanyards from the harness every time the rider mounts or dismounts the bike.  Perhaps the next step will be some type of range sensor that can trigger the inflation -- armed when the bike starts but intelligent enough to realize that if the bike is traveling at less than, say, 5 mph, the device will not inflate when the rider leaves the area.

In the meantime, the Airetronics vest has the potential to provide a level of cushioning when used under a matching Airetronics jacket or other riding jacket.  We recommend wearing full protective gear when riding, but we also realize that not everyone agrees, and that each rider conducts a conscious or unconscious personal risk analysis to determine what to wear for each ride. 

The Airetronics products have brought air-assisted rider protection down to a more reasonable price point that is within reach of many motorcycle owners.  We think this is a good sign and we'll continue to monitor new developments of this technology.