You're heading down your favorite forest service road or trail and you have a big crash. You could be like the average guy and rely on traditional armor or you can wait until BMW and Alpinestars release their new airbag waistcoat. 

Alpinestars already offers their Tech-Air system in their top racing onesies, but now they are bringing that system to the adventure and street riding market. I can think of some days where I was out riding my KLR where that jacket would have deployed airbags several times in a single day. It will be interesting to see this jacket when its released.

(Here's the official BMW press release.)

BMW Motorrad and Alpinestars announce that they are starting an exclusive cooperation in innovative motorcycle safety clothing systems. The first product to be launched under this cooperation will be a BMW Motorrad jacket jointly developed by BMW Motorrad and Alpinestars, combined with an airbag waistcoat developed using Alpinestars technology. The new BMW Motorrad jacket, being branded by both makers, will be available in both male and female versions and the public presentation of this newly developed airbag jacket will be held later this year.

The airbag waistcoat is based on Alpinestars’ Tech-Air™ airbag system, the world’s first self-contained street airbag system that independently functions without the need for sensors to be installed on the bike and the subsequent need to link a specific motorcycle to the airbag system used by the rider.

This means that the airbag waistcoat offers the freedom to ride any bike on any surface at any time and can be used with any type of BMW Motorrad motorcycle or scooter, allowing the rider to easily switch between bikes without reconfiguring or reinitializing the bike-to-rider set-up.

Therefore, the system is immediately ready for use and no time is wasted in setting up electronic pairing between rider and/or passenger and motorcycle. This BMW Motorrad/Alpinestars jacket and airbag waistcoat offers comprehensive upper body protection including shoulders, back and frontal torso. By incorporating its sensors close to the rider’s body the airbag system activates without the need for a triggering wireless signal to be sent from the bike.

BMW Motorrad is the only motorcycle manufacturer to have developed the complete range of rider equipment ever since the 1970s - from motorcycle helmets to rider suits, boots and gloves. In doing so, high priority is attached to maximum comfort for the rider and passenger as well as minimizing the potential consequences of accidents.

BMW Motorrad has always regarded motorcycling and safety as being inseparably linked and anchored in the "Safety 360°" principle. "Safety 360°" breaks down the overall concept of safe motorcycling into three facets: safety technology in the vehicle, safety deriving from rider equipment and safety through rider training

Alpinestars has been innovating motorcycle riding technology for rider protection, performance and comfort for over 50 years. The Tech-Air™ airbag system, which forms the basis of their active safety cooperation with BMW Motorrad, is the result of Alpinestars’ intensive research and development which commenced in 2001.

For decades, both companies have maintained a leading role in active and passive motorcycling safety. This new cooperation, between BMW Motorrad and Alpinestars, is now extending their position further through this joint development agreement.