New Harley-Davidson Smart Vest Is an Airbag You Can Wear

By Cameron Vanderhorst - April 9, 2024

You can think of this brand new airbag-equipped vest as a suit of armor in the war against distracted driving.

Leather vests have been around almost as long as motorcycling itself. Normally, we wouldn’t bother telling you about a new Harley-Davidson branded leather vest. After all, they come out with new ones every spring. However, this one is very different – and very special.

Harley-Davidson calls it the Smart Vest. So, what makes a vest “smart,” anyway? Well, for one thing, this vest can save your life.

The Harley-Davidson Smart Vest includes an advanced airbag system that can prevent you in a collision, or if you fall off of your bike. It uses an array of sensors to detect danger and protect you from injury.

Sensing Danger

That’s pretty exciting, considering the fact that the cars, trucks, and SUVS we share the road with seem to get bigger and bigger each and every year. That’s to say nothing of their drivers, who seem to be getting dumber and more distracted than ever.

The Harley-Davidson Smart Vest was developed in conjunction with Dainese, experts in high-end motorcycling gear. Specifically, they lent their cutting edge D-air system to Harley-Davidson to use in this new vest.

So, how does it work? The sensors detect both speed and vibration. That means it’s keyed into the vibration of your motorcycle, and the system becomes active over 10 km/h, or a little over 6 MPH. An LED in the left chest area functions as both a battery charge indicator and a status indicator. Of course, you won’t be able to see this indicator with your helmet on – that’s why a vibration function is built in.

The internal battery charges with a standard USB cable, and a full charge lasts over one full day. The airbags cover your chest and back, and are actually replaceable, along with the inflators. It’s not a DIY job, though, so you’ll have to take the vest to an authorized service center in that case.

If you aren’t a fan of vests, but you’d still like the added protection of the Harley-Davidson Smart Vest, fear not – it can be worn under a jacket, provided there’s at least two inches of “breathing room” to allow the vest to deploy if needed. We’ve certainly added this new safety feature to our spring 2024 shopping list, as you can never be too careful out there. Ride safe, and good luck!