Looking for high levels of protection, with a touring orientated airbag jacket? Look no further than the Helite Touring 2 Airbag Jacket, which has been recently updated and following an activation simply needs a new cartridge to be ready to go once again.
Helite Touring 2 Airbag Jacket
The recently improved and updated design of the Helite motorcycle adventure jacket was designed from the ground up and uses CE certified armours to protect the shoulders, elbows and the spine but most importantly, the Helite jacket also incorporates a CE certified airbag system.
In the event of an accident, when the rider is thrown from the motorcycle, the airbag jacket instantly inflates (within 100 milliseconds) to protect the rider’s upper body. The activation is simple and automatic. A coiled wire attaches the motorcycle to the airbag jacket. If the rider is abnormally separated from the motorcycle, the coiled wire triggers the release of cO2 gas to inflate the air cushions.
Helite Touring 2 Airbag Jacket
The inflated jacket protects vulnerable parts of the upper body to prevent from serious injuries. After a few seconds the jacket deflates automatically. Once the jacket is deflated, a new cartridge can be installed and the jacket is ready to be reused.
The Touring 2 jacket Helite is an amazing jacket that will stand in all weather condition, being windproof and waterproof, and provide you the best protection. It has a removable central liner to suit better every season. The jacket has many pocket option so that you can have a hand on everything you bring along.
The Helite Touring 2 Airbag Jacket is available in either grey or black, for $1,395.00 RRP in sizes Small through to 4XL. See the Helite Australia website (link) to order or for more information.
Helite Touring 2 Airbag Jacket – Inflated
Helite Touring 2 Airbag Jacket features
TURTLE technology with SAS-TEC level 2 back protector.
Big protection volume: between 17L and 28L depending on the airbag size.
Ultra fast detection and airbag inflation in less than 100 ms.
Safety: shoulder and elbow armors.
Visibility: reflective stripes on the back, chest, sides, arms to be visible at night or in bad weather.
Technical fabric: high quality fabric Cordura 600D and 1000D on elbows and shoulders.
Aeration: zippers at the front, back, sleeves and cuffs.
Waterproof: waterproof, breathable and windproof membrane for all weather conditions.
Removable thermal lining (100% Polyester) with MESH.
Adjustments: adjustable slider for neck, strap at waist and velcro at cuffs for maximum comfort.
Helite airbag vests are like a helmet for your body and represent the future of motorcycle safety gear. Helite’s patented “Turtle” airbag protection can save you from serious injury and it might even save your life.
Helite Turtle 2 Hi Viz Airbag Vest
If you’ve already got a great riding jacket, that you don’t want to give up, that’s not a worry as the Helite “Turtle 2” Airvest is practical, lightweight and discreet and fits over your jacket. The vest guarantees premium protection without losing any freedom of movement.
Helite Turtle 2 Airbag Vest
Helite vests and jackets are also 100 per cent mechanical to avoid unwanted air-bag activation and changing batteries.
Helite Turtle 2 Airbag Vest
Helite Turtle 2 Air-bags include the brand’s patented design with an air-bag each side connected with a CE2 approved backplate that ensures the impact is absorbed and the energy dispersed.
A head strike is delayed and the brain decelerates sooner preventing many traumatic brain injuries, while the head and vertebrae stay straight in place preventing whiplash injury and hyper-flexion. Big reflective stripes also boost visibility. Once activated, replacing the cartridge just requires a new cartridge and with the help of an allen key it can be done in minutes.
Helite Turtle 2 Hi Viz Airbag Vest
The Turtle 2 provides direct protection for your neck, vertebrae, thorax, hips, abdomen and tailbone. Indirect protection includes to your head, liver, lungs, pancreas, heart and collarbone.
The Helite Turtle 2 Hi Viz Airbag Vest is available for $980, in various sizes, check out the Helite Australia website (link) for more information.
Helite Turtle 2 Hi Viz Airbag Vest
Helite Turtle 2 Airbag Vest features
TURTLE technology with SAS-TEC level 2 back protector
Big protection volume: between 17L and 28L depending on the airbag size
Mechanical system: easy to use and ready-to-use. No technical knowledge required
Lanyard: easy to install on the motorcycle. The lanyard connects the vest to the motorcycle
Comfort: soft neoprene collar
Aeration: Interior textile 3D mesh
Adjustment straps for a perfect fit over any motorcycle garment
Fastening clips: resistant to sustain many inflations, easy to open and close
Convenient: exterior pocket for small objects (credit card, keys)
Visibility: reflective stripes on the back to be visible at night or in bad weather
The Helite GP-Air Racing Airbag Vest was designed specifically for riders, with special attention paid to the aerodynamics, abrasion resistant materials and an excellent protection at the front/back for track and race use.
Helite GP-Air Racing Airbag Vest
The airbag shape integrated in the vest absorbs impacts and stabilises the whole upper body from head to tailbone. Front and back body armour offers double TURTLE effect! The results of absorption and distribution of shocks are considerably higher and it protects from intruding objects.
Helite GP-Air airbag vest is also 100 per cent mechanical to avoid unexpected airbag activation and changing batteries.
Helite GP-Air Racing Airbag Vest – Inflated
Very strong abrasion resistance is offered with leather (cowhide 1.2 mm) alongside foam to protect the airbag chamber. If damaged, the leather sliders on the back can be easily replaced thanks to the velcro.
Attention has been focused on aerodynamics with a space for most rider’s suit hump, while a tight body fit includes stretchy leather sides. Stretchy material on the neck/shoulders ensures optimal protection when the airbag inflates.
The Helite GP-Air Racing Airbag Vest has room for the hump on leathers
You can further customise your vest with a quick access to the front and back, or another possibility is the German store Rabatz Racing produces customised leather patches.
Adjustment via velcro and flexible material fits the GP-Air nicely over any suit. Red velcro is used to show the limit on close the GP-Air airbag vest, for proper fitment. The Helite GP-Air Racing vest is available for $1,275.00 RRP in sizes Small through to XLL. For more more information or to order check out the Helite Australia website (link).
Helite GP-Air Racing Airbag Vest
Helite GP-Air Racing Airbag Vest features
Mechanical system: the lanyard (connects the vest to the motorcycle) is easy to install on the motorcycle and does not bother the racer
Big protection volume: between 17L and 28L depending on the airbag size
TURTLE technology with protector on the back and on the front for a double TURTLE effect
Replaceable leather sliders at the back for better protection
Aerodynamics: the GP Air fits nicely over any racing suit (space left for the hump)
Abrasion resistant materials: very strong abrasion resistance with leather (cow hide 1.2 mm) and foam to protect the airbag
Comfort: stretchy material, close-fitting cut, elastic leather inserts on the sides and at the neck and shoulders
Convenient: fast and easy opening with gloves thanks to the velcro
Customization: sponsor logos can be stitched on the front and back with quick access via a zipper
Composition: vest 85% leather, 15% elastane, airbag 100% polyurethane
For those after the highest level of safety without sacrificing style, Helite’s Roadster Leather Airbag Jacket could be the answer. This 100 per cent full-grain 1.3 mm buffalo leather jacket is equipped with Helite’s airbag technology, which absorbs impacts endured by a rider’s upper body and ensures effective dispersion of energy and force.
Helite Roadster 2 Leather Airbag Jacket
The Roadster 2 now has the CO2-Cartridge incorporated into the jacket giving it a more streamlined look. When activated, the patented design of the airbag offers rigid support for the head and neck to reduce the risk of a traumatic brain injury.
The head and spine will stay fixed in a natural upright position so that neck vertebrae cannot be injured by hyperflexion. The black or brown Roadster leather jacket is also equipped with a SAS-TEC level 2 back protector which acts like a turtle hard shell. The result is increased protection against small objects and full disbursement of force across the surface of the back protector.
Helite Roadster 2 Leather Airbag Jacket
As far as comfort is concerned, the jacket features a soft collar neck, adjustable waist circumference, and adequate airflow because of the FreeAir mesh ventilation system in armpits and side panels.
Each jacket comes with a CO2 cartridge installed and a motorcycle tether for bike attachment. Once the cartridge is spent and the airbag activated, it’s as simple as fitting another cartridge to be ready to go.
Helite Roadster 2 Leather Airbag Jacket
The Helite Roadster 2 Leather Jacket is available in Vintage Brown or Black leather for $1495.00 RRP, in sizes Small to 6XL, for more information see the Helite Australia website (link).
Helite Roadster 2 Leather Airbag Jacket features
Black Buffalo leather, 1.3 mm thick
KNOX CE-certified shoulder protectors and elbow guards
Removable certified SAS-TEC Level 2 back protector
Removable liner (100% Polyester) for all year round riding
Turtle certified technology, airbag effective in under 100 milliseconds
Wrists adjustment, elasticated arms for increased freedom of movement
Waist strap
To provide a better, more streamlined look, the cO2 canister is hidden in an inside pocket
Let’s face reality here: it’s only really been in the past two decades that women’s jackets have been coming out in force. Before then, in what was historically a “male-dominated hobby,” women had to make do with either custom gear or modifying men’s gear to fit. We put the quotations there because ever since the 1970s, we know that women made up a good portion of riders, usually hovering in the 5 to 10% ridership range.
Flash forward to 2021, and now women account for about 22% of riders, worldwide. That is refreshing to see and has forced even a lot of the “old school” to recognize that there are badass ladies all over the globe that will swing a leg over and crank the right wrist. It’s also refreshing to see that in what was once traditionally a male-dominated sport, road racing and even MotoGP are seeing more and more women rising in their ranks.
What this means is that many of the big manufacturers and gear makers have had to adapt to provide proper racing suits and gear for these women. This, naturally, has led to the traditional trickle-down style of motorcycle gear from racing to street, which means that more and more jackets, pants, boots, gloves, and other pieces of gear are appearing every month.
Rev’It is one of those companies that has made women’s protective gear pretty much since their incorporation, as there are quite a few female riders in the Netherlands. On top of that, they have a history in both circuit racing and enduro racing, so both the full leather track jackets and hot weather mesh jackets are packed full of cutting-edge design.
The Eclipse is just one such example of this, with an open, flowthrough style mesh that would seem to not have any abrasion resistance at all. However, that mesh is made of polyester ripstop material, as is the main chassis of the jacket. While the solid panels are rated to 600D, the mesh itself commands a respectable 400.
With adjustable bicep and wrist closures, full YKK zippers, two external pockets, and one internal pocket, the Eclipse is also quite fashionable to boot. The armor comes in the form of Knox Flexform in both the shoulders and elbows, which feels extremely light but carries CE-rated impact protection. An optional back protector can be fitted to the jacket.
Roland Sands, with the Mia jacket, ticks off two-rider fashion styles in one go, without sacrificing any protection. The retro and cafe crowd will love the classic British asymmetrical styling, while the sport and the sport-touring crowd will love the aggressive fit with the included thermal lining that doubles as a hoodie when the leather is taken away.
That leather is one-grain style better than cowhide, as it is oiled buffalo leather at 1.0 to 1.2 mm thicknesses. In areas requiring stretch, premium-grade elastic ripstop polyester is used. The hoodie liner is also breathable and waterproof, meaning that even if you have to do a dash from the bike to your front door in a downpour, simply flip up the hood and you’ll get there dry.
Protection comes in the form of Knox micro lock CE level 2 armor at the shoulders and elbows, with the leather jacket’s inner mesh liner holding a back protector pocket for optional armor. Accordion panels at the elbows and a quilted stitch design around the shoulders allow the jacket to move freely, despite being pre-curved for a front tuck position. Ventilation comes via some very well hidden shoulder intakes and vents, which keep the jacket looking premium when zipped up.
If Roland Sands has the women’s cafe market cornered, it’s fair to say that Alpinestars, realizing there was a gap to step through, made a sporty cruiser jacket with the Alice. Carrying all the right looks of the double-breasted front flaps, the asymmetrical zipper, and the relaxed arm curvature makes this both a classic and a modern sports cruiser jacket, all in one.
Don’t let its old-school looks fool you into thinking it’s not armored to the nines. Alpinestars has included their super lightweight, breathable Nucleon Flex armor, which is certified to CE level 2, at the shoulders and elbows, with a forearm extension on the elbow armor. This is carried in a mesh-backed cowhide 1.3mm leather chassis, with a back protector pocket for optional armor.
As with other jackets of the sporting style, the thermal liner of the jacket is easily detached and serves as a hoodie. Ventilation is hidden well in the underarm stretch panels, allowing just enough air to pass to wick away heat without being overly cold.
This is a jacket that would look at home being used while riding either Honda Rebel 500 or an Indian Roadmaster. Classic, timeless styling with modern armoring deserves a spot on this list.
Roland Sands strikes again with a superb classic English cruiser jacket. Solidly in the retro cruiser fashion sense, the Riot jacket would look perfectly at home being worn in the crowd at an Iron Maiden or Judas Priest concert as much as it does astride a Royal Enfield or a Triumph Bonneville.
Much more of a summer cruise jacket, the Riot is made of microperforated top grain cowhide sourced from Blackstone, which means it is soft, supple, and abrasion resistant with a thickness of 0.9mm throughout. The asymmetrical zipper is, of course, full YKK, and is of the bronze classic style. Quilted leather highlights and aggressive cuff YKK zippers make the jacket scream “Rock n Roll!” in that quintessential British understated-but-loud way.
The jacket is also, of note, made with a very aggressive black dye process, as the color will lighten the more it is exposed to UV light until it reaches the classic light black that well-worn leather fashion jackets eventually reach. This is also the only jacket recommended on this list that does not come with pre-installed armor. However, pockets for elbow, shoulder, and back protectors are ready to accept your own choice of the best armor, from Alpinestars’ Nucleon Flexto Icon’s D3O and Rev’It’s SeeSoft.
With the increase in women’s participation in BSB, ASA, MotoGP feeder series, and the like over the past three decades, Alpinestars has had a lot of exposure to creating gear that is suitable to both genders, or those in-between genders. For the men, the T-GP Plus R v3 Air is one of the best mid-range sport and track rated jackets you can get, and by simply adding a Stella to the front of that name, that same legendary jacket is available to women.
The Stella T-GP Plus R v3 Air, apart from being one hell of a mouthful of words, is made of 600D highly abrasion-resistant polyester. Interspersed between these polyester panels, abrasion-resistant, tightly woven polyfabric mesh allows just enough air to wick away heat, but not chill you to the bone. A full mesh lining also helps boost that airflow’s effectiveness in carrying away sweat and warm air.
Protection is in the form of Alpinestars’ Nucleon Flex CE level 1 armor, with the shoulders being additionally armored with GP Lite slide shields. As sport riders will often choose between vest-style back protection or using jacket pockets, no back protector is included. However, Alpinestars has included both chest and back protector pockets, suitable for Nucleon KR-Ci CE level 2 armor.
A definite warm-weather riding winner, those that ride sportbikes where it never really snows have a go-to jacket that can be armored up as the need arises.
If you want a sport riding jacket that is both warm-weather rated and contains the abrasion resistance of leather, Dainese has you covered with the Racing 3 Perforated women’s jacket. The “mortal enemy” of Alpinestars on the MotoGP grid, Dainese uses a special treatment on all the leather they use for track and street gear, naming it “tutu leather.”
This leather is always 1.2mm or greater in thickness, while the treatment makes it highly water-resistant, supple, and reinforces the abrasion resistance through chemical bonding. And if that wasn’t enough protection for you, the stretch panels between the leather chassis panels are made of S1 bi-elastic, a Dainese and Cordura co-development that mixes the elasticity of regular polyfabric with the 500D+ abrasion resistance of pure Cordura.
The jacket is also microperforated in key areas and includes zip closure vents in the upper chest, with intake and exhaust vents on the sides of the jacket. Protection comes in the form of Dainese composite CE level II elbow and shoulder armor, with the shoulders being covered by an aluminum impact and slide plate that is mounted on a composite base, meaning the plate is replaceable. The jacket features a back protector pocket suitable for a Dainese G1 back protector, or a Dainese D1 airbag vest can be worn under the jacket itself.
It’s a premium leather and polymer jacket that passes CE EN 1621.1 and CE Category II – 89/686/EEC Directive protection standards, meaning it is ready for track use. Dainese themselves note that the jacket does tend to run on the tighter sport fit side, so they recommend buying one size up from your measurements.
If you have spent even two seconds at the local gear store’s ADV and off-road touring gear section, Klim is a name that is plastered literally everywhere. Specialists in the long-distance touring style of gear, both on- and off-road, the Artemis is a design that is not shared with any other jacket in their lineup, making this one of the very few women’s only jackets.
Named after the Ancient Greek goddess that protected nature, the Artemis does a very good job at protecting whoever is within its confines. A true three-season touring jacket, this jacket is made of Klim’s own Karbonite textile, which is rated at least 600D, and up to over 750D, abrasion-resistant across multiple certification tests. Behind the chassis sits a full GoreTex membrane layer, which itself is over a Klimatek mesh layer that acts to both wick away hot air and sweat, and supports the jacket on the body.
In making the Artemis specifically for women, Klim did not have to worry about ventilation for the male torso, so airflow has been mapped specifically for the female torso. Ventilation is controlled via two centerline chest vents, two cross-core vents, 2 forearm vents, and two bicep vents, all of which exhaust out two massive vertical back vents.
Protection beyond abrasion is reinforced by D3O level 1 armor in the back, shoulders, and elbows. The Karbonite fabric is also penetration resistant, so no sharp rocks on an off-road trip should leave much more than a small bruise and a memory. The collar is comfort-lined to not be abrasive to the neck, and both sides of the collars can be pinned back to the upper chest to allow ventilation air to pass down from the neck roll into the body of the jacket.
If you are going to be off-road for any duration, you really cannot get a better ADV jacket than the Artemis. It’s designed for, built for, made for the active off-road riding woman, and it shows!
The latest trend in protective gear in 2021 has been the major push forward with armored shirts and hoodies. Either out of a desire to not look “kitted up,” or purely for comfort, there are varying degrees of quality with these newer pieces of gear, and Merlin has been at the forefront of the highest-rated, best quality shirts.
Looking like your average long-sleeved plaid shirt that isn’t out of place on a farm, the Madison shirt is much more than just a fashion statement. The Buffalo Plaid fabric, itself tear-resistant, is backed by a full, interwoven, 100% DuPont Kevlar lining that is rated to 1000D abrasion. A light mesh lining keeps things comfortable, as does a relaxed street fit, while the kevlar holds CE level 1 elbow and shoulder armor in place. There is a pocket in the mesh liner for a back protector as well.
What looks like a button up front is in fact a storm flap closure over a full YKK zip, with YYK zippered vents cleverly hidden along the tops of the chest pockets. The pockets have small inner pockets designed to hold hand-warmer packs, and if that wasn’t enough, the whole shirt is water-resistant but breathes easily.
If understated but superb protection is in your checklist for gear, or if you just want a good all-around riding shirt that pairs beautifully with some riding jeans and boots, Merlin has just the shirt for you.
To say that this jacket is revolutionary is understating just how important it is. It may not look like much, it may even look bland compared to some of the other options on this list, but Helite has made a women’s fit jacket that has the single most important protection feature that any jacket can have. Enter the Xena, a leather sport touring and cruiser jacket with a built-in, tether deployed rider airbag system.
Made from premium 1.2mm cowhide leather, the Xena hides stretch polyfabric under a cleverly designed panel at the top back of the jacket, whose importance we will discuss shortly. As well, the sides and lower back feature floating leather on stretch panels, allowing the jacket to keep a tight, close fit at all times. The arms are relaxed in their curvature, making it comfortable for long-distance cruising.
The importance of both the large stretch panel at the top of the back and the stretch panels on the sides and lower back is so that if you do come off your bike, in any way, shape, or form other than stepping off of it when it’s parked, a tether attached to a solid point on your motorcycle yanks an activation valve open, inflating the airbag hidden in the liner of the jacket in 0.1 seconds. This airbag, along with the full Sas-Tec CE level 2 back, shoulder, and elbow armor, provides extreme impact protection into the high tens of G’s.
As it is a tether-operated system, with no fancy electronics or GPS sensors, it works every time you need it to. In fact, the airbag will self-deflate over about half an hour, and as long as the jacket has not been penetrated by any object or otherwise damaged, all you need to do to reset it is replace the spent 60cc CO2 cartridge in the right lower front of the liner, and it’s ready to deploy again.
For disguising a life-preserving safety feature in a fashionable cruiser and sport-touring jacket, while it is expensive, nothing is more expensive than your life. Either this or the wearable Helite Turtle 2 airbag vest, comes highly recommended.
Much like a couple of the other jackets in this list, if you’re going for a retro look that hides otherwise superior protective features, Dainese has a retro jacket for you in the Lola 3. Just looking at it, you’d think it was a slightly heavier track jacket, or a zip-up spring jacket to wear on the walk to the grocery store.
However, the Lola 3 is so much more. Combining high-grade Iride matte leather with S1 bi-elastic polyfabric panels and Dainese Pro-Armor impact zones, the jacket passes both prEN 17092 Class A jacket protection and EN 1621.1 armor class 1 standards. The Pro-Armor elbow and shoulder protectors are also rated CE level 1, which, while not as protective as CE level 2, allows for the armor to be more flexible and comfortable, while still being able to take an incredibly harsh whack without passing the impact to you.
And the piping on the jacket is not just for fashion, either. It is fully reflective material in an artificial shape, so the eye at night recognizes an artificial shape among the organic clutter of the environment in their headlights. A pocket for an optional Dainese G1 or racing G2 grade protector is inlaid into the TechFrame internal comfort liner just in case that person doesn’t see you.
