Brembo Life Jacket
Brembo have created a new motorcycle jacket “Life Jacket” which contains a revolutionary air bag. The air bag inflates in just 80 milliseconds which is some three times faster than most other products on the market.
Cionti fashion house were given the task of making the jacket look aesthetically pleasing. French company Helite developed the activation system and the tubes carrying the compressed gas. Sabelt designed the inertial reel connection cable that attaches to the vehicle that triggers the air bag.
The inertia reel allows immediate activation of the airbag when there is separation of rider from the seat and prevents accidental activation when the air bag is not subjected to a high acceleration. This allows the rider to get up from the motorcycle without the jacket inflating by mistake.
The fabric is Oxford nylon and Teflon.
The air cushion air bag inflates in front of and behind the riders chest and was developed in conjunction with the University of Florence which deals specifically with innovation and safety of two-wheeled vehicles.
The “Life Jacket” will be available in three models for men and two for women and is available in siz colours (white, black, blue, red, silver gray and sand mélange).
Prices will be between 390 and 590 Euros.
Read our exclusive interview with Brembo engineers:
Stay On The Black: What made you first look at an airbag jacket?
Brembo: Brand extention to products able to increase motorcyclist safety with comfor and innovation contents, first helmet then airbag.
S.O.T.B: How long have you been working on the airbag system?
Brembo: 2 Years
S.O.T.B: How important was it that the jacket looked like an ordinary motorcycle jacket?
Brembo: Our aim was not to look like an ordinary motorcycle jacket, instead we focus on an easy to wear everyday jacket for the urban motorcyclists. Light and ‘trendy’
S.O.T.B: Will we see a leather jacket with the system installed?
Brembo: Probably in the future.
S.O.T.B: In Europe, in particular the UK, a lot riders wear fluorescent jackets or bibs over the top of their motorcycle jackets? Presumably this won’t be possible with this jacket?
Brembo: The Brembo Life Jacket has fluorescent reflectors, but in any case the ‘over garnment’ must have the possibility to stretch (helastic bands) to allow the proper airbag expansion.
S.O.T.B: How did you make the jacket inflate so quick? How come other manufacturers hadn’t worked out how to do this?
Brembo: We partner with one of the main expert in Europe and we focus on every detail of the ‘inflating time’, from the actuator concept, to the shape and volume of the bag to the way the driver is connected to the bike. We made extensive use of computer simulation to validate time and protection level.
S.O.T.B: How far can a rider move from the bike with the belt attached?
Brembo: 300 MM
S.O.T.B: Is this going to signal a move into other areas of motorcycle wear for Brembo?
Brembo: Helmet was presented on November 2009 and is now on sale.
S.O.T.B: Will the jacket go on world-wide sale?
Brembo: Yes, stating from next November the Brembo Life Jacket will be purchasable online from a dedicated e-commerce site.
S.O.T.B: Do you have any idea just how safe the jacket is? What speed have your tests been completed at?
Brembo: In specific conditions (all the accidents are different) computer simulation show significant reduction of the potential damage, not only the life jacket increases the protection of the upper body but also help increase the head protection thru a strong cooperation with the helmet in the neck area. At European level more than 72% of the motorcycle accidents happen on urban areas so maximum speed of 50 Kmh has been evaluated.
