This Rider Airbag Vest Won't Activate if You Don't Pay the Subscription

Let's be honest with ourselves – traffic is bad, the infrastructure is worse, and road fatalities are on the rise. If you are a serious rider, then you will most likely think very hard about leaving the driveway without proper gear. A complete riding suit (including a certified helmet) is paramount for safety, but an airbag vest adds that extra level of confidence needed to travel places while on two wheels.

KLIM has taken advantage of all the hype regarding artificial intelligence (AI) and has been using this buzzword to tell prospective customers about its new Ai-1 vest for quite some time. It comes with a configurable crash sensitivity algorithm, so it's not something you'll find in any store. Since it's software we're talking about here, this means the vest benefits from over-the-air updates. As such, the product can be improved constantly.

However, such a novel product for riders does not come cheap. The vest itself costs $399.99, while the crash detection module is another $399. The latter is what KLIM calls a "continually evolving motorcycle protection technology driven by artificial intelligence" and can be configured for normal roads (Street Mode) or, optionally, for off-road fun (Adventure Mode). It can all be done through an app.

If you want to avoid paying $798.99 upfront, which includes a two-year warranty, access to software upgrades, and standard support, there is a subscription model available. The vest goes up to $469.99, but the In&box detection module responsible for activating the airbag costs $12 per month or $120 per year. Choosing this variant also activates the lifetime unlimited warranty and VIP support.

But if you pause the subscription and don't reactivate it before riding, the vest will not work. KLIM says an LED indicator lets you know if the airbag is active or not, so you should be able to figure out quickly if it will deploy in case of a crash.

KLIM also considered what can happen when a payment is missed. Customers will get a warning 30 days before the payment method expires. If that doesn't work out, there is a 30-day grace period in which the vest will work normally. After that 30-day period, the airbag stops working because it won't be able to detect any crashes. That is, of course, until payment restarts.

The good news is that if the grace period expires while you ride, the airbag won't turn off in the middle of your session. That is, of course, if you remember to charge it and the battery works correctly.