Review Summary
- Expanding (!) on their airbag vests, Helite has partnered with Mo’Cycle to develop an industry-first airbag pant
- Like the Helite airbag vests, these jeans can be reactivated by the owner simply by replacing the CO2 canister
- Pants are offered in two different styles, three CE ratings ranging from A to AAA, and two different colors
- Different lengths are offered (Hallelujah!)
- Armalith fabric is used which is more abrasion resistant than Kevlar
Introduction
Helite has partnered with Mo’Cycle to develop the first airbag pants for motorcycle riders. I’ve reviewed two Helite products, the Helite Turtle 2 Airbag Vest, their tethered version, and the Helite eTurtle 2 Airbag vest, their electronically triggered vest. I’ve written an article Why I Wear Safety Gear which explains why I choose to wear safety gear, so I’m not going to reiterate what I’ve previously stated.
Every single crash is different. The speed is different, angles are different, single person crashes differ by terrain and body type. What I’m saying is no two accidents are alike. I’ve had three racetrack crashes, all at over 100 MPH, and have never broken a hip or suffered a nasty bruise. But my leathers had level 3 armor and there weren’t cars/poles/trucks/fire hydrants/guard rails/etc. to hit. I know most of us think (at least me) about upper body protection, so we spend money on jackets. And when we do consider pants, it’s normally about knee and hip armor.
Many folks simply ride in jeans which we wear every day. They’re comfortable and cool. After reading about the fabric used in the Mo’Cycle airbag pants I had to research the fabric Armalith, I’d never heard of it. I doubted the protection value of the A-rated jeans I was sent to test since the denim feels thin and comfortable. Easily as comfortable as my Levi 501s.
So after my normal research, I am happy to have discovered Armalith and educated myself about its properties. Of course, you can do your research, here is a short video about how the material was tested in real life. Mo’Cycle plans to sell their airbag pants in the A, AA, and AAA levels of Armalith. The pants I’m evaluating are A level and the relaxed fit…what I call “Dad Jeans”
Construction
Before getting into the pants inflated, I’m going over how these jeans are constructed.
Let’s start with how they look. The Mo’Cycle (MC) pants sent to me are 35 waist and a 34-inch inseam, so I’ve rolled up the hems as I did in my youth. I stated earlier that these are the relaxed fit and MC will offer a regular fit which is more tapered in the leg. I found that the 35s are too baggy for my tastes and would order my regular size of 34/30 which is my preferred size in Levi 501s.
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Like Levi 501s, the MC jeans fly is a button fly, not zippered.
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I should also mention that I washed these jeans after removing the airbag as I do my normal jeans. I ignored the advice I was given to dry them by hanging, not to be a dick, but since I never hang dry my jeans. They came out fine. I try to assess gear in a real-world way. Now if using a dryer affects the Armalith, then I would hang dry them. But after doing quite a bit of research, I could not find any reference to whether Armalith is adversely affected by dryer heat. I’m sure Mo’Cycle or Helite will admonish me if I’ve F’d up. Believe me, they would NOT be the first individuals to scold me, or the last. Here are the jeans with the airbag removed and turned inside out so I could inspect the quality of the seams.
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Because my day job often involves wardrobe staff (you’d never know that by looking at MY wardrobe!) I’m lucky to have access to individuals who are experts in the field of fabrics and sewing. So when I showed them the stitching of the MC pants, their reaction was; “They’ve done a good job here Mark. If you compare the stitching and finishing to Levis they are comparable and in some ways better. BTW why are you still wearing that same t-shirt!?” Hey, that’s good enough for me and I LOVE this t-shirt!
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Comparing the MC stitching to my own Levis.
Each leg contains a velcro and a small snap seam that allows the jeans to expand once the airbag is deployed. The velcro is below the small snaps.
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On the right leg, there is a rectangular cut-out that allows the CO2 canister and tethered trigger mechanism to exit from the interior of the pant leg. This allows the wearer to replace the CO2 cartridge without any hassles.
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Now let’s take a look at the airbag. The airbag is zipped into the waist of the MC jeans. I measured the “35” inch jeans. The actual waist circumference is 37” as measured from the waist button eyelet to the waist button and the zipper length of the airbag is 31”, so it covers 84% of the waist. Now I’m really glad that the jeans are too big at the waist! Otherwise, I’d have to give up donuts and candy. No effing way I’m doing that. I’m hoping that MC offers an accurate sizing chart for the pants when ordering. Right now they are in a crowdfunding period.
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The MC airbags must come in various sizes as indicated by the tag on the one I’m testing. The airbag panel in front of the fly is mesh netting. Tends to ‘get in the way’ at a urinal if you don’t remember to grab it with your underwear while pulling it down. Don’t ask me how I know or why I washed the jeans…..
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I want to mention something here that may be a slight design flaw. After removing the airbag from the jeans and reinstalling it, I found it impossible to stretch the rectangular cutout far enough by hand to reinsert the triggering mechanism. I found that sliding the cylinder past the hole and then inserting the top of the cylinder first worked much better than attempting to insert the bottom end before the top. I ended up using a flat-end screwdriver to lever the bottom of the fabric away from the bottom of the cylinder where the CO2 canister gets inserted.
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Could my decision to dry the pants in the dryer have caused this? Perhaps. But if the rectangular hole is just ⅛ of an inch longer in the up/down measurement, the cylinder would go in with no problem. This certainly isn’t something you’ll know unless you remove the airbag to launder the jeans. Riding wear gets filthy, so washing the jeans regularly is a real-world thing. Unless you just like to stink.
One small tidbit for those who hang around people like me. If I saw the trigger tether hanging out of the side of anyone’s jeans, I ‘may’ give it a yank and ask “Hey what’s this for?” as I’m pulling it. So I tuck it into the jean seam behind the velcro just in case I’m around other a-holes like me.
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Although no instructions were included from Mo’Cycle regarding the tether attached to the motorcycle, I attached the included tether to the subframe of my Ducati Multistrada V4S on the right side of the subframe nearest to the front.
Here is the airbag removed from the MC jeans.
And I have removed the level 1 knee armor, which is the KNOX brand.
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This is the airbag inflated. I was concerned that the knee armor was too low and without the ability to adjust it until I activated the airbag. Once that happens, the knee armor moves up and is located just right for my knees. I still feel adding more velcro on the airbag would allow better positioning for various body sizes.
Activating the Airbag
The deployment of the MC airbag is very even and as instantaneous as any of the Helite airbags I have tested. Here are some still images of the different angles of the pants after deployment.
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The coverage of the hips, knees, and tailbone areas is excellent. My initial worry that the knee armor was too low is eliminated when the airbag is deployed. It raises the knee armor to just the right spot for my knees.
If you would like to see how to replace the CO2 canister in the MC trigger, you can view the procedure I’ve outlined in my review of the Helite Turtle 2 Airbag Vest, in my Installing the CO2 Canister section. The procedure is the same since Helite supplies Mo’Cycle with the trigger system.
Fit and Comfort
I didn’t know what to expect from the MC airbag jeans when they arrived. I was pleasantly surprised at just how comfortable they felt, the fabric and the fit. Granted the jeans are not my size, too large, but considering that they feel very close to my Levis. I cannot feel the triggering cylinder or CO2 cartridge as I walk. The only indication that I’m wearing something other than my normal jeans is the knee armor pads. Since they hang a bit low when in stride they swing a bit in the relaxed-fit legs. Not troublesome, just noticeable. They are not noticeably heavy either. I decided to weigh the pair sent to me, 4.16 pounds. I didn’t bother to weigh my Levis, I simply weighed the MC jeans so if you wish to compare the weight to your jeans or riding pants you can.
Conclusion
I’m going to qualify my conclusion about the MC airbag jeans by making the following assumptions. If MC does not include or consider these points it would affect my decision to purchase a pair.
- An accurate measuring method to determine the correct size for American size pants
- Enlarging or improving the cutout portion that allows easier reinstallation of the triggering cylinder into the jeans
- Developing a tethering system that does not require two tethers onto the bike frame if using a tethered vest with the MC jeans
- Option of level 2 knee armor included
- Pricing of A, AA, and AAA versions
I feel that MC jeans are a worthwhile investment for how and where I ride. Any safety device that reduces my chances of hospitalization is a device I’m happy to wear, PROVIDED that it does not involve many inconvenient hoops to jump through or ridiculous add-ons. The MC jeans seem to do neither of those things.
I applaud Mo’Cycle for investing the time, energy, and resources to develop and bring to market a well-executed product. Like anything new, people are hesitant to adopt something that’s not been done well before. Based on my points above and how they are addressed, I’ll be a buyer of the MC product.
Important Links / Where to Buy
- Indiegogo
- $526.00 USD
Pros
- Excellent airbag coverage for hips and tailbone area. Knee armor is well placed once the airbag is deployed
- Expanding gussets are easy to place into their original positions after deployment
- The seams are sewn with no fraying
- Comfortable and cool as regular jeans
- Machine washable after removing the airbag
- Offered in A, AA, and AAA abrasion rating
- Different inseam lengths offered
- Inexpensive CO2 cartridge replacements and user-serviceable
- Pants have belt loops
- Pockets are deep and well made
- Offered in a relaxed and regular fit
Cons
- Sizing may be an issue
- Reinsertion of the cylinder trigger is difficult due to the undersized cutout