I don’t ride motorcycles, but I’m fascinated by motorcycle protection. From armored-up jeans to full Bubble Boy outfits, there are a ton of options for gear. And one of the more interesting families of motorcycle gear is the air protection system built into the Dainese Smart Jacket. Now it’s apparently even better because Dainese has just launched the Smart Jacket LS Sport, which features something called D-air technology.
The jacket itself looks like your typical motorcycle bit of kit. It’s stylish enough, probably makes the owner feel a little bit cooler when they zip it up, and then provides a level of protection you actually hope you never need to use.
Built into the jacket is the D-air airbag system. This is designed to cushion around your chest and back when it senses you’ve been in a collision. Be that with a car hitting you or you about to hit the ground. The system can detect low-sides, high-sides, and vehicle collisions. And it can do this even when you’re stopped on your bike and a driver not paying attention runs into you. Like at a stoplight, when you’re waiting for the green and a driver is sending a text.
The jacket weighs just 4 lbs, which seems pretty good considering all the tech it has onboard. You need a battery to charge up, but the battery life is good for 26 hours. And when you’re not needing the airbag tech, the jacket has armor built into the shoulders and elbow sections.
How much is it? Dainese wants $900 for it. And that is in line with other airbag options I found over on Revzilla. Minus this pretty cool-looking Merlin jacket, which is out of stock anyway.