This is the second-highest airbag protection offered by Alpinestars, and it sits below the Tech-Air 10 V2. I went for the 7X for its ease of use because it is a vest that can be easily worn and removed – more useful with my usage pattern at media launch rides or track days, where there is a lot of waiting between riding sessions. The Tech-Air 10 is more of a full-body suit that offers much more protection but is more cumbersome to repeatedly wear and take off.
Unlike the tethered Neokavach airbag products we reviewed last month, this is a far more complex, fully wireless and autonomous system. It relies on a raft of sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, as well as advanced software and algorithms that have been developed over more than a decade of top-level racing. A fully charged battery will give you 20 hours of running time, which is plenty.
The technology keeps improving with time as well, and this vest is sleeker than the earlier Tech-Air Race vest I used to use. More valuable is that it now allows the user to replace the two gas canisters after a deployment instead of having to send the vest back to Astars for a service. As before, there are two canisters, and it can deploy twice, which means that you can continue your track day or race weekend after a crash, knowing that there is one more deployment still available. The inflator replacement kit is sold separately and will cost around Rs 20,000.
Thankfully, I haven’t triggered it yet, but it does offer comprehensive protection for the back, chest and shoulders, as well as neck support. The inner airbag itself is certified for up to 4 deployments, after which Alpinestars recommends replacing it, providing it hasn’t been damaged in one of the first 3 deployments.
The vest needs to be worn under an airbag-compliant jacket or leather suit with enough room for it to expand. It can be zipped into your leather suit, but doesn’t need to be, and it gets armed when the magnetic chest flaps are closed. Three indicator LEDs on the magnetic flap let you know when it is on and armed.
On track, I find the vest to be very comfortable, and it slips out of your mind once you’re riding. It’s only at a standstill that you feel the bulk and reduced breathability that it brings in. Theoretically, you could wear this on the street as well, but I find it far too uncomfortable to do so in our hot climate. If you do want to use it on the street, you must switch the software algorithm from Track mode to Street mode through the Tech-Air app. Street mode has different trigger parameters – for example, it will inflate in case it detects an impact at a standstill, which Track mode won’t do.
The good news is that Alpinestars now has an official presence in India, and Tech-Air products are now sold here through selected dealers. The company has also managed to keep pricing on par with international markets like the USA. This is undoubtedly an expensive investment, but it is also, by far, the most advanced and effective form of protection you can give yourself at the race track.
Where: houseofmachines.in
Price: Rs 1,11,400
Dinshaw Magol
Azaman Chothia
