It’s a well-known fact that the riders who compete in the MotoAmerica Championship are our most valuable assets. The safety of our riders is of paramount importance, and it’s why we utilize protective soft barriers at all the racetracks on our schedule, have a medical staff and facilities at every round, utilize a fast car to facilitate rapid response to on-track incidents, and mandate the latest safety equipment for our riders.
Beginning this season, MotoAmerica is requiring all riders who compete in more than five of our rounds (race weekends) to wear a suit equipped with an approved airbag, whether the airbag is already integrated into the suit by the manufacturer or worn as a liner under a non-airbag-equipped suit.
“This is another step forward in our ongoing efforts to make motorcycle road racing as safe as possible for our riders,” MotoAmerica VP of Operations Niccole Cox said. “We’ve seen the benefits that airbag suits provide to road racers, and we want to make sure every one of our riders is equipped to go fast and be as protected as they can be while out on track.”
What began only a decade or so ago with proprietary technology developed by only a couple of the major motorcycle personal safety gear manufacturers—companies like Alpinestars and Dainese—has now proliferated to the point that airbags are virtually ubiquitous in the industry. Most motorcycle safety suit manufacturers, if they don’t offer suits with integrated airbags, have suits into which you can fit a separate airbag liner.
Below is a list of FIM-approved manufacturers and suppliers of airbag suits and liners:
In addition, If there are manufacturers who are not listed, but would like to be considered, they should send all drawings and specifications to [email protected] for consideration.
