Testimonials
Testimonials
The HitAir will greatly reduce your chance of injury or death
"I decided to go with the best known and used airbag jacket in the business...the Hit Air jacket. I spoke with Rueben at www.bikebone.com. He is a gentleman and answered my thousand or so questions...was very honest and upfront about each of the brands on the market (I think they're impactjackets, motoair, and hitair)...anyway, after a lot of pushing from the wife, who doesn't want me to become roadkill, I decided to get the hit air jacket. First Appearance: This jacket is very well made...they run a little small, so keep that in mind if you're going to get one. The 'cordura' is of excellent quality, the pockets are functional, and the padding is beyond padding...even without the airbags, the padding in this jacket far exceeds that in my other 3 riding coats! The quality of this jacket is top-rate. Fit: The jacket fits a bit snug, as it should. It has a liner for the winter and could be considered a 4 season jacket...depending where you live, of course. For those in really hot climates, the vest might work better for you...the safety testing was the same...they both did quite well. It has zippers and velcro on the sleeves for adjustment and the waist can be adjusted with velcro as well. Function: The jacket is waterproof and has high quality reflective components. It has special technology to keep you warm in winter and cool in the summer. The jacket has a CO2 cartridge on the right chest region....you have to attach a clasp from the CO2 cartridge to a cable that has to be attached to your bike (this is so that if you come off the bike the airbags deploy). The cable is best attached to the right side passenger rubber handle thingy. When you get out of the seat, the cord has no slack, but it won't create enough pull to set off the CO2 cartridge.
Concerns: Unwarranted concerns about getting off the bike and forgetting to detach the clasps. The CO2 connection can take a good amount of tug before it goes off...when you're attached, you won't forget to unclip it before you get off the bike. It becomes routine, like taking the key with you when you get off the bike. There should be slack when you're riding and no slack if you get up and out of your seat a little. The attachment does not get in the way or affect any of your functions on the bike...
Final Thoughts: If you don't have an airbag jacket, get one. It's like buying a car without an airbag...oh, they don't make them without airbags anymore...for a reason... As far as riding goes, the protection is unmatched. There is no question that they will vastly increase your odds of surviving a fall and coming out with minimal to no injuries (at least in the upper body). The jacket, along with a full face shield, is the safest way to ride...period. I have asked if Rueben could do something for spyderlovers members and he agreed to take $50.00 off (along with free shipping) for any coat that anybody here buys. Full disclosure...as I did with Mosites Motorsports, I don't get a kickback...I'm always looking for merchants to help out spyderlovers members as the help I get here from many of you is priceless and much appreciated. If you're in the market for an airbag jacket for safety, the Hit Air will impress you. As a crash reconstruction specialist, I can say that this jacket saves lives...there are plenty of testimonials out there about it and I hope I never have to find out how well the airbags work. On that note, the peace of mind is great... Most all of us here spend a lot of money on our bike for modifications of all sorts. I love adding mods to my bike as well. All this is for naught if you get badly hurt or killed on your bike. The Hit Air will greatly reduce your chance of injury or death. If you have any questions or concerns about the jacket, please feel free to ask me. I'll help you as best as I can."
A rotational fall with a fortunate outcome.
"I have been riding my whole life. I have evented in horse trials for the last 40 years. After hearing the testimonies of several friends, two years ago, I purchased a Hit-Air vest. Unknowingly, that purchase probably helped save me from irreversible injury.
I am a 62 year old woman competing at Preliminary level horse trials. My horse is a seasoned eventer. Horse trials are somewhat like a triathlon. It is mandatory to complete a dressage test, a cross country jumping test and a stadium jumping test over a 2-3 day period. During the cross country phase, it's mandatory to wear protective gear including a protective vest but optional to wear a second Hit-Air type vest over the first.
Thank God, I had both vests on that day. Tragically, on the cross country course, my horse hit a jump and somersaulted over the obstacle. I was pitched forward out of the saddle and landed on my stomach, but, unfortunately, my horse hit the ground and rolled onto my left side. I sustained serious soft tissue crush injuries to my left leg, but it could have been much worse. The doctors at the hospital all stood around my bed in disbelief wondering how I didn't break by back, neck, ribs or more. My husband and I explained to them how the Hit-Air vest worked and we all knew it was because of that vest that I did not sustain more serious injuries. Of course my leg was bruised so badly, the whole thing swelled tremendously and completely turned a dark black and blue. But there was a clear line of demarkation where my air-vest was. Under that vest, there was not a single black and blue mark, no muscle soreness or tightness.....nothing!! Incredible!! Thank-you Hit-Air for creating such a product. Every equestrian should wear one! By the way, my horse is totally fie and I will make a complete recovery too!"
Crashed (my first!): Pics of Gear/Bike
Was out riding around East on Long Island on Sunday, as is tradition around these parts. Was out doing photography, just riding around and enjoying the autumn weather. I was also testing some of my new gear to see how warm I could stay (it was in the 40's).
After about 4 hrs I was heading home on Rt 25A, which is pretty fun to ride (lots of twists) but at times can have heavy traffic. Time was around 6-ish, which also meant it was just getting real dark.
Anyways, was doing about 40mph heading West when a red mini-van (heading East) decided to turn left, thereby crossing my path. He claims he didn't see me and was obviously driving too fast/not looking.
From my end I'm cruising and all of a sudden I see the side of a mini-van right in my path. This was near the bottom of a decline. I grabbed my breaks, bike slid out and down we went.. I fell to the left and the bike slid out from under me, sparking every where... Read entire testimonial
One deer, one VTX 1300 at 60 mph
I managed to reduce the Michigan deer herd by one deer in June. I was cruising along at just below 60 MPH at 9 am when a buck jumped in front of my VTX. I hit the deer's head and it's body side swiped me off the bike. The distance from the first skid marks to were the bike and I ended up was about 195 feet. The jacket performed perfectly and I remember rolling through the ditch thinking how glad I was the jacket inflated. The only injuries I sustained were strains and a bit of road rash. No injuries to my spine, ribs or major parts. I have highly recommended the Hit Air jackets before and now have proof as to how well they perform. Thanks. Tim Bake -July, 2009
When I began riding motorcycles again...
...after 10 years off I became much more safety conscious. I love the freedom and joy of riding but not the inherent risk. My first line of defense was taking proper rider training courses offered by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation including the BRC and ERC. Rider training never ends and you never stop learning but these courses were really invaluable. Next I learned the acronym ATGATT "All The Gear All The Time".
The question then became what gear to use. For me the answer was a full face white helmet, kevlar lined jeans, boots, gloves, and a protective motorcycle jacket . I initially bought a mesh-type jacket with CE approved armor in the shoulders, elbows, and back. I felt more protected but also understood this jacket would not do much to protect my body from the severe impact of an accident.
After much research I discovered the airbag jacket concept and several manufacturers with products. I have actually tested and used three different brands at this point: The Airetronics Vest, The Impact Jacket, and The Hit-Air Jacket. The Airetronics vest simply didn't work very well for me because I kept setting it off! It actually has two tether cords and two separate CO2 cartridges on each side. It seemed if I moved even slightly in the seat I would be in danger of setting it off. The Airetronics vest also offered no additional protection such as traditional CE armor inserts.
Next I tried out the Impact Jacket. The Impact Jacket is a good product, but because I test inflated this jacket many times I found the airbag would not always inflate consistently. Several times the test inflations were unusually slow because the force with which with tether is pulled out has a direct impact on the size of the hole created in the CO2 cartridge. Airbag deployment is also hampered if you do not have an absolute perfect jacket fit. With the standard CE armor included it is a much better product than the Airetronics vest, but I still was not fully convinced.
Finally I found out about the Hit-Air Jacket - the original company that started this research and product line. The Hit-Air jacket has all the standard CE armor with the additional benefits of the airbag protection. I found the inflation mechanism on the Hit-Air to be much better and consistent.
With the Hit-Air key-ball mechanism, it doesn't seem to matter what direction you pull the cord, or with what force the cord is pulled (minimum 40-45 ft. pounds) because it will inflate consistently every time. I also like the fact compressed air from the CO2 cartridge is delivered evenly throughout the airbags by several connecting tubes. After many inflations, I have found an absolute consistent inflation time of 350-450 milliseconds.
Some have debated that this is too slow to help you out but consider even if the jacket is only partially inflated at the time of an initial impact it is partially inflated evenly throughout the jacket and therefore provides some protection. In any type of motorcycle accident where the rider is thrown from the bike to the ground by the time one reaches the ground the jacket is inflated. I feel much safer and am always happy to share my experience with others.
The Hit-Air Jacket looks just like any regular high quality motorcycle jacket, but under the surface it is a completely different level of protection. I never ride without my Hit-Air jacket! Brian Gorrell - Oklahoma, USA
Best Quality out there in the market.
Like I said in the beginning of this testimony, I was really impressed with the Hit-Air jacket. A major decision to buy a motorcycle was because of my Americade, Hit-Air experience. Are there any competing companies that make a similar product, yes but from what I have seen, the quality of the Hit-Air jacket is not matched; you be the judge.
Do I like this jacket? Yes, I have no plans of leaving my skin or breaking my neck, torso or tailbone on the road. I believe in ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time)!
" I wanted to give you an update on my vest. I had an unfortunate incident yesterday and fell off my horse during a training ride. The air vest was incredible. I could feel it deploy about halfway to the ground and I landed on air. No injury, just a little sore from trying to stay on the horse.
My mare was less than thrilled with the sound of the Co2 cartridge. She took off and had to be caught across the farm. The important thing is I was just fine.
I will continue to promote the use of this vest with everyone who will listen. Now I can testify to how well it works!
Here is a picture with the vest, before it deployed…
Lauren Howard
September, 2014
"I can walk and continue to ride because I was wearing a Hit-Air air vest when my 18.5 hand, six year old Selle Francais gelding spooked, took off for home and inadvertently threw me against a cement fence. The trauma doctors couldn't understand how I took such a severe fall (point of impact was the area of my right kidney) without any broken ribs or even displaced vertebrae! This was the best investment I've ever made in a piece of horse equipment. Everyone who rides should wear these. Thank you very much for sending it to me!!" |