HONDA

GL 1800 Gold Wing, the motorcycle with airbag system

The airbag system being activated after a collision can be the difference between life and death. Nowadays, all cars have this safety mechanism. But are they also present in motorcycles?

Cost represents a challenge for the popularization of airbags

The answer to the question above is yes.

However, only Honda has invested in motorcycle airbags so far.

The system was launched in 2006 with the GL 1800 Gold Wing model.

The current generation of the motorcycle still has the technology, but it is rare to find one of them on the streets due to the high price.

The motorcycle costs from R$ 304 thousand (Brazilian currency) and only 33 units were sold from January to September 2024 in Brazil.

Because of this, the popularization of airbags in motorcycles is still a long way off.

The system was developed after studies...According to Honda, the airbag was installed to protect motorcyclists in the event of head-on collisions. Studies indicate that this type of accident is the most frequent, occurring in 68% of cases.

Since motorcyclists do not wear seatbelts, it was necessary to develop a much larger airbag than that used in cars. In an impact, it is common for motorcyclists to be thrown from the vehicle, which led the automaker to design an inflatable airbag with a different shape and straps to keep the airbag in the ideal location.

A cheaper alternative is a jacket equipped with airbags. In professional motorcycling, such as MotoGP, all riders are required to wear suits with airbags. Inflatable jackets have an airbag in the middle of their seams, such as the Armor Airbag by Texx.

To activate the airbag, a cable from the jacket is attached to the motorcycle. The motorcyclist must always remember to attach this part of the jacket to a fixed point on the motorcycle for the equipment to work correctly.

In a collision, when the motorcyclist is thrown away from the bike, this cable stretches and activates a CO2 cylinder that is attached to the jacket to inflate the bag. It is a purely mechanical actuation. After using it, simply put the airbag back in its stored place in the jacket and replace the cylinder.

by Mundoquatrorodas