The Motoairbag MAB M1 is a sleeveless airbag vest designed to be worn over a motorcycle jacket. It is shorter than most riding jackets, with a low-cut neck, which makes it easier to layer over existing kit without adding more bulk than necessary.
Motoairbag doesn’t define one particular style of rider it is designed for, but after using it for around 4000 miles on an Aprilia Tuareg 660 and BMW R1300GS, I see it primarily as a road-riding airbag that works equally well for long-distance touring and adventure riding.
Unlike an electronic system, the MAB M1 uses a mechanical tether attached to the motorcycle. If I separate from the bike with sufficient force, that tether triggers the airbag. I like the simplicity of that approach: there are no batteries to charge, apps to connect or electronics to remember to switch on.
Most importantly, during my test the vest actually deployed when I collided with a car. That experience inevitably shapes how I feel about it more than any specification sheet ever could.
Fit & comfort
I normally wear a medium motorcycle jacket, but I need a large in the MAB M1. The vest fits well enough over my riding kit, although adding another protective layer inevitably makes everything feel more substantial. That is particularly noticeable if the motorcycle jacket already has chest and back armour fitted.
Initially I found the vest quite intrusive simply because I was conscious of wearing another layer. After spending more time in it, though, that feeling reduces considerably. I’m still aware that it’s there, but it stops feeling like an inconvenience and starts to feel more supportive.
There are expansion zips on both sides to give extra room when wearing thicker clothing, and two internal straps help secure the vest around the body.
There are no pressure points that cause irritation, and on a long riding day the vest actually becomes less noticeable as the miles pass. By the end of a 300-mile day in temperatures into the low 40s Celsius, I’m certainly ready to get all my riding kit off, but that applies to everything I’m wearing rather than just the airbag.
Set-up & tether system
There is very little set-up involved with the vest itself. Beyond adjusting the side expansion zips and the two internal securing straps, it is essentially ready to use from the box.
What you do need to do is attach an anchor point to the motorcycle. Motoairbag provides a strap that can be bolted to a suitable point on the bike’s frame, plus another option that loops around the rear seat. Both provide a D-ring for the vest’s Fast Lock tether.
I’ve tried the system on three different motorcycles and have no difficulty finding somewhere suitable to attach it. I now have permanent anchor straps on two bikes, while the seat-mounted strap is useful if you regularly swap between different motorcycles.
The Fast Lock tether works rather like a car seatbelt. Under normal movement it extends and retracts freely, so I can move around on the seat, lean or stand on the pegs without feeling restricted. If it experiences a sudden movement it locks, and if more than 15kg of force is then applied the airbag activates.
That arrangement works very well for me. Even on unpaved roads I retain the same movement I would normally have without the airbag.
Photography: Jose Mas
Connecting is easy enough while seated on the bike, although I need to turn around to see the attachment point when clipping on. Disconnecting is easier and can be done by feel.
Early on there were occasions when I forgot to clip on, although it soon became part of my riding routine. I also sometimes forget to disconnect before getting off the bike. When that happens the tether tightens and reminds me before I put enough force through it to trigger the vest.
Riding experience & practicality
Putting the MAB M1 on adds another small stage to getting ready. There are two internal buckles, the external front zip and then the tether to clip to the bike.
At first I saw that as yet another little job to do every time I ride. It doesn’t take long before it becomes completely normal, though, in the same way fastening a helmet strap or putting gloves on becomes automatic.
The vest does restrict access to the lower front pockets on some motorcycle jackets, although there is a pocket on the front of the airbag itself.
There is also an optional hi-viz outer layer, available separately, designed specifically to work with the airbag, with sections that can open as the vest inflates. I generally like wearing hi-viz kit, so I think that is a useful option.
The mechanical system has another advantage for travel because I don’t have to think about charging or electronics. Motoairbag also provides documentation covering air transport of the system, which is useful for riders who fly to overseas riding trips.
Hot weather performance
Heat is probably the biggest compromise I notice. I rode with the MAB M1 in temperatures reaching around 40°C, and adding another layer over a motorcycle jacket inevitably reduces airflow and makes it harder for body heat to escape.
I can improve things slightly by lifting my elbows and allowing more air into the vents of the jacket underneath, but there is no question that I feel warmer with the airbag on than without it.
Motoairbag suggests partially opening the front zip of the vest to allow more air to reach the jacket underneath. The two internal securing straps remain fastened, so Motoairbag says full protection is retained. That is something I intend to try more in future.
Another option is removing some of the conventional armour from the motorcycle jacket underneath. Motoairbag says its system can replace traditional back and chest protectors, which would certainly reduce the bulk I feel when wearing both systems together.
Even so, there is no getting away from the fact that an airbag vest is another layer, and in extreme heat that is noticeable.
Protection
Protection is the reason I accept those compromises. The MAB M1 uses separate front and rear airbags. Motoairbag states that the front section protects the chest, abdomen and neck, while the rear airbag covers from the cervical region down towards the coccyx.
The front airbag is certified to Level 2 of the CE safety standard for chest airbags, and the rear to the equivalent standard for rear airbags. In both cases, that’s the most protective of the two levels.
The Fast Lock system is also designed to determine which bag inflates first according to the direction of the incident. Motoairbag says that in a frontal collision the front bag deploys first, while in a rear impact the sequence is reversed.
What appeals to me is the straightforward nature of the system. If I part company with the motorcycle and load the tether sufficiently, the mechanism operates without relying on software or an electronic algorithm to identify what is happening.
There will inevitably be unusual situations where a rider does not separate far enough from the bike to activate a tethered system, particularly in a very low-speed fall where rider and bike remain together. But for the type of incident I primarily want protection against - being separated from the motorcycle - I have confidence in how this system works.
Deployment experience
The most important part of my review comes from something I never wanted to test. The MAB M1 deployed when I collided with a car.
I have no recollection of hearing or feeling the vest inflate. I don’t remember it affecting my breathing or restricting me as I came off the bike. In fact, I only knew it had inflated because, once I stopped rolling and stood up, a witness pointed out the inflated airbag around me.
I suffered heavy bruising to both forearms, a loss of some skin from one elbow, a broken little finger and damage to my knee and bruised toes. By comparison, I have no visible bruising or abrasion to the areas covered by the inflated vest. The hospital staff were surprised by the lack of apparent injury to my torso.
I can’t know what injuries I might have suffered had I not been wearing the airbag, so I can’t say definitively that the MAB M1 prevented any particular injury.
What I can say is that I experienced a significant collision, clearly hit the road hard enough to injure several unprotected or conventionally armoured areas, and emerged without injury to the parts of my body covered by the airbag.
That experience gives me considerably more determination to wear an airbag than I had beforehand.
Reset, servicing & maintenance
What happens after deployment depends on why the vest fired. For a non-impact deployment, the system can be reset by the owner. Motoairbag provides guidance, and there is also an SBS video showing the process in English. I haven’t personally had to carry out this reset.
At the time of review, a two-cylinder recharge kit including the reset tool costs £49.90, while individual cylinders are £24.90 if you already have the tool.
It's a different scenario following an impact, which meant my airbag went back to Motoairbag for inspection.
The process is impressively thorough. The vest and airbags are inspected, the gas-generator system and Fast Lock are dismantled and checked, activation is verified and safety-critical components are tested before reassembly. In my case, the airbags were fitted into a new vest.
Motoairbag describes the returned product as equivalent to a new unit, and after receiving mine back I have confidence in using it again.
The approximate repair cost following my accident is €300 plus shipping. That initially sounds expensive, but viewed against the cost of replacing the complete vest - and considering that mine sustained what Motoairbag describes as a significant impact - I think it is reasonable.
The system also requires inspection after four years from purchase or its last inspection, and there are routine checks riders should carry out themselves, including inspecting the tether, Fast Lock, activation cables, zips and gas cartridges.
Durability
Before the accident, the vest, tether and Fast Lock looked virtually as good as new after more than 3000 miles, including riding in temperatures around 40°C.
There is no sign of the attachment hardware loosening or wearing significantly, and nothing about the system gives me concern during normal use.
After the crash and deployment there was a hole of around 30mm in the vest material between the sections that open to allow inflation around the neck and coccyx. Otherwise, I see no obvious damage to the tether, Fast Lock or its cables.
Given the forces involved in the accident, I think the system stood up extremely well.
Final thoughts
Before my accident, I sometimes questioned whether adding another layer of motorcycle clothing was worth it, especially while riding through temperatures above 40°C and seeing local riders going past in shorts and T-shirts.
My answer now is very simple: yes.
I already choose to ride in proper motorcycle jackets and trousers with armour because I want to reduce the consequences if something goes wrong. Wearing an airbag feels like the next step in that same approach.
The MAB M1 isn’t completely unobtrusive. It adds bulk and warmth, there is another fastening routine to remember and a tether you need to clip in every time you set off. A design offering greater ventilation without compromising protection would make it easier to live with in hot weather.
But those compromises feel relatively insignificant after experiencing an actual deployment.
I sustained injuries to several parts of my body during the collision, yet there is no bruising or abrasion in the areas covered by the inflated airbag. I can’t prove what the outcome would have been without it, but the experience is enough to change how I view airbag protection.
Before the collision I believed an airbag was a sensible additional layer of protection. Afterwards, I struggle to imagine many circumstances where I would choose to ride on the road without one.
