Honda Airbag Evolution Continues

[Admin]

Honda’s concept is designed to deploy the airbag from the back section of the tank, with the airbag wrapping around the rider and then detaching so that when the rider leaves the bike, the airbag will be with them. (Honda/)

Motorcyclists often have a strange relationship with safety. We all acknowledge that we do something that poses a risk but ideas to mitigate that danger are often eyed with suspicion. But a new airbag system under development at Honda could be a game-changer—decreasing the chance of injuries in the event of a crash but without any onus on the rider to change their habits.

Like ABS and traction control, airbags are one of those safety aids that first got a foothold in cars, and which manage to be unobtrusive. Unlike safety ideas that require the user to proactively buy into them such as seatbelts in cars, for instance, or helmets for motorcycles, car airbags are something we can simply take for granted right until the moment you need them.

On motorcycles, that sort of airbag isn’t a reality yet. Yes, we can choose to wear airbag-equipped riding gear—but Murphy’s Law says that the day you need it will be the one when you choose not to put it on. Alternatively, Honda has been selling airbag-equipped Gold Wings since 2007, but the Wing’s car-style airbag works specifically on that large touring motorcycle and still hasn’t been adapted to fit on more conventional two-wheelers. Last year we saw Honda’s first patent illustrating a new type of airbag that solves both problems, and now the company has filed more detailed documents about the same system, showing it’s still under development and being refined toward a potential production future.

Related: Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road Review

The proposed airbag would wrap around the rider’s torso. (Honda/)

The idea is to create an airbag that, like those in cars, doesn’t need to be visible or thought about, but when activated it works more like a wearable airbag than the car-style design used on the current Gold Wing. It’s illustrated as being mounted in the rear section of a bike’s fuel tank area, under a cover, and when activated by an acceleration sensor that can detect impacts, it inflates. So far it appears to be a conventional airbag. But there are two key differences. The first is the bag’s shape. Instead of a balloon-like design it’s sculpted into a “W” shape, with outer sections that extend under the rider’s arms and a central part that goes against their chest. As it fills with air, it wraps around the rider and holds them, rather like a life jacket.

A closer look at the shape of the airbag. (Honda/)

The second difference is that, once inflated, the airbag detaches from the bike and its inflators—two inflators are used—seal themselves to maintain pressure. It all happens in a fraction of a second, as soon as an impact is detected and before the rider separates from the bike, so when the rider does come off, the airbag remains wrapped around them, not attached to the bike. The result is like having a protective jacket that you weren’t wearing when the accident started.

Honda’s latest patent on the system revolves around the complexities of the separation system, showing how the airbag detaches once the pressure inside it equalizes with the pressure inside the two inflators. It’s a design that needs to be relatively simple to keep costs down and to ensure reliable operation without multiple electronic or moving parts, so when activated—even after years of dormancy—it can be relied upon to do its job.

An airbag-equipped Gold Wing has been available since 2007. (Honda/)

As usual with technical patents, it’s impossible to guess how soon this idea might reach production but Honda has now filed so many patents related to this concept that it’s impossible to conclude that it’s anything other than a serious R&D project. The potential benefits are huge and given Honda’s stated aim to eliminate fatalities involving its motorcycles or cars by 2050—just 26 years from now—it makes sense to prioritize it. And there are commercial benefits on offer too: A bike that can be proven to be safer than others will be a big draw, particularly when it comes to attracting new riders who might be unsure about making the leap to two wheels.

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[Rohan]

Very interesting. This airbag patent, when it comes into production, is going to be revolutionary due to a number of reasons. The biggest benefit that nobody seems to realize or talk about with this airbag system is its placement relative to where the most common injury of a motorcyclist in a crash is, the pelvis. Because this airbag is mounted right on the rear section of the fuel tank, where in a crash, the rider often impacts the tall gas tank, the common and dreaded pelvic fractures that are very serious, can be mitigated to levels for which we never have seen before. This is a huge step forward in motorcycling safety. The airbag cushioning on the gas tank can act like a crumple zone, making the impact less severe in crashes. For more explanation and an in depth analysis on the dangers of high riding gas tanks, here is an article: https://www.motorcycle.com/ask-mo-anything/ask-mo-anything-gas-tanks-and-pelvic-injuries.html

Something else pretty interesting I am thinking about is if this airbag system is paired with the Autoliv "bag on bike" systems. If you haven't seen them, you can search them up. I will also provide another link here to show that Autoliv is actually in their final stages of getting ready to mass produce their airbags on the handlebars of bikes starting in quarter 1 of 2025: https://www.autoliv.com/safety-solutions/motorcycles-bikes

If these two systems are combined, I cannot imagine how much safer motorcycles will be in crashes. There should probably be more crash testing when these airbags are available to the public and are being used.

With all of that out of the way, I would like to ask you a question. Do you currently know of any recent news or developments with this airbag system that Honda patented? I am very curious to see any news about this airbag. My current guess is that we might get more news and even this airbag system in 2025, considering that Autoliv is already planning to release their airbags as soon as next year. If and when Honda releases their new bike with this airbag system, I would buy it in a heartbeat and that would be my new bike. I am a safety obsessed guy with airbags on bikes, so don't mind me.

[Simon Davey]

Assuming that Rohan is part of Autoliv..... 

[Rohan]

I wish. I am just an 18 year old American teenager who is obsessed with motorcycles/ bike tech as a car and motorcycle enthusiast myself. I just happen to know too much in certain topics. Speaking of Autoliv, maybe I should email them and ask them about this myself, considering that they have a section where anyone can fill in contact details and ask any question they like. I will come back and relay any information I find, to this thread, when I hear back from them. But it will take some time as I have an upcoming Biology exam that I have to study for in a few days, don't mind me, I am a first year college student so I am quite busy at times. Anyways, if you want to know whether I have a motorcycle or not, I plan to get my first bike later in life pretty soon. I am just waiting on these safety tech to come out, then I could wear an airbag vest, airbag pant, and a cooling suit underneath, and my parents would be more pleased with the safety. If you want to know what airbag pant and cooling suit I am talking about, it is things like these:

https://traqgear.com/products/ultra-liquid-cooled-top
https://cxairdynamics.com/en/produit/cx-free-rider/

 

Edited November 13, 2024 by Rohan

[bonio]

Hi @Rohan. Welcome to the forum. 

I agree, that patent from Honda looks interesting. Not every patent ends up as a product, but it shows the amount of effort they're putting into the problem.

All the best with your biology exam. If you've been studying for it even half as much as you have on safety products, you'll breeze through.

[RideWithStyles]

No the first time or third time Honda alone has dabbled in these thing over the time and every decade (R&D credits and returns) can make the whole thing nearly free or cost less depending on your situation.
So many patents are applied and to the likes of Honda not a crum of bread to the cost and very few end to an actual production product, merely cash returns and safe guarding an possible route IF they were to go down that route in the future while not risking of walking into somebody’s else’s products, ideas, theories no matter how loose.

i still see some possible issues but then again depending on how you see them.