Ixon IX Airbag U03 - Black / Orange

In the box it looks too small, but it's very stretchy, and obviously needs to be a snug fit. On the bike it's very comfortable. Don't be daunted by the instructions. Just set up your subscription. ( It's not a direct debit by the way, but a credit card subscription). It's simple to set up once you have downloaded the app. Just follow the instructions. The in and motion box needs agood push so that it engages with the vest. You must check that your outer garment meets the minimum spec. for use with the vest. You can't wear a rucksack, so may need to think about how you carry your bits and bobs. tailpack, tank bag, or top box maybe?

I bought the Ixon U03 after weighing up the other options on the market. They are pretty much the same but I like the protection the Ixon gave compared to the others as well as the built-in back protector. I am a 44-inch chest but the only one SBS had was a 2XL. I thought I'd try it after they said I could just send it back if it didn't fit. Well it fits, it's not baggy or too restrictive. The only downside (if there is one) to having extra protection on your motorbike is that one of my jackets is too snug and you need room for the airbag to inflate without damaging the protection the jacket provides in the event of a crash. No big deal I secured myself a really quality Merlin Perton jacket that it fits under really nicely.

I picked one of these up from the multinational Keynes shop a few weeks ago and finally had a ride with it on yesterday. It's a great bit of kit and whatever you can do to decrease risk of injury from a crash is money well spent! Only downside so far is that it's quite bulky so will take some getting used to riding in and you look a bit of a hunchback with it on! The salesman I delt with was super helpful (didn't catch his name but he's from stevenage like me!) so made the buying process easy.

The Ixon instructions to check whether your jacket can accommodate the vest are as follows.

1) Without the vest on (i.e. in your t shirt) measure your chest and waist (navel) in cm. Add these two values together and divide by 2. e.g (94cm+84cm)/2 = 90cm

2) Lay your jacket on a flat surface. Measure the width of the chest (arm pit to arm pit). Measure the width of the waste (where your navel would be). Note: if the jacket is elastic you need to stretch the jacket whilst making these measurement. Add the two measurements together. e.g. 56cm + 50cm = 106cm.

The vest will fit your jacket if the value obtained from the jacket measurement is 13cm larger than the value obtained from your body measurement. e.g. 106cm - 90cm = 16cm

I was surprised that my snug fitting leathers were big enough.

Excellent quality and fit. And it was excellently packaged and presented.

You wouldn't think it looking at the two manuals but it's really easy to set up and arrange payment on a monthly basis.

Thankfully I've not had to deploy it and hopefully never will, but it does give peace of mind when out riding.

!!!