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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1517587
versions were a one-and-done affair wherein you needed to return the kit to Alpinestars after a deployment to have it refitted before further use. Not ideal for most consumers, es - pecially those of us who ride off-road and fall down a lot. The Tech-Air Off-Road is dif - ferent because it features two gas inflators, so if you have a crash but you're not injured and want to keep riding, you're good to go, and the system will deploy again if needed. The inflators are easy to replace, and some of the pro riders told us that they car - ried extra inflators with them during long races in case they had multiple get-offs and needed to replace the inflators during the race. One rider said they actually did this during a race. Unlike some of the older systems, there's no need to return the unit to Alpinestars for inspection after every deployment, although after four or more, they do recom - mend that you send it to them so that they can make sure that everything is still good to go. The inflators can be purchased separately and are $169.95 for a pair. Charging the batteries on this new kit is done via a USB C cable, and a full charge will last up to 30 hours. Ride- specific modes are another very nice feature, and a series of LED lights in the multifunc - tion switch located in the lower left portion of the kit tells you which mode you're in, how much charge you have, and whether both inflators are active. It also allows you to change modes (Enduro, Rally, and Street) via the press of a button. Enduro mode is what we used during the off-road riding at the intro. It allows for minor get-offs without triggering the airbag. Rally is for more high-speed off-road riding and has a different al - gorithm to account for sudden high-speed crashes. Street is, as it states, intended for street use, but the Alpinestars engi - neers told us that it's also fine for ADV riding on fire roads and similar surfaces. One very important fea - ture Street mode offers that the other two do not is rear- impact protection. If the car behind you rear-ends you, the system will deploy—but only if you're in Street mode. So, if you're riding on the street, you certainly want to be in Street mode. Another really nice thing about the Tech-Air Off- Road is that it can be worn un - der any brand of gear. Whether you wear Alpinestars, Klim, Thor or whatever, you can wear the Tech-Air Off-Road underneath any riding jacket that you already own. How - ever, you will need to make sure that your jacket is not too tight, as the airbag needs room to expand. The owner's manual goes into detail about how to measure for that. You can also wear a backpack, but again, it shouldn't be too tight. Almost all of the editors at the launch were wearing backpacks, and it wasn't a problem. For convenience, the Tech-Air Off-Road has a water- FEATURE I ALPINESTARS TECH-AIR OFF-ROAD SYSTEM P104 (Top) Unlike some of the older Alpinestars airbag systems, there's no need to return the Tech-Air Off-Road system to Alpinestars for inspection after every deployment. (Bottom) It has plenty of all the usual protection, as well, but with the latest technology.