An airbag vest that only works if your subscription is paid up...

[ReSTored]

.............. Price things too low, or not operate profitably, the genius of the product wont matter, the company will cease to exist. Similarly, price to high or abuse your customers, and you will not last either.

My view on the Klim vest is they are being slightly disingenuous about the "subscription". Its a lease, period, call it what it is. Miss a payment on you leased car? They send the repo man. Miss a payment on you " subscription " they turn the vest off. Same thing. Maybe the Klim customer doesn't care, or fully understand, but if they are happy I guess Klim is okay. I'd certainly view it with a dubious eye.

I view Klim as a relatively high cost, high product quality vendor of gear. They've obviously given this some thought and determined you can have two ways to buy the vest, outright or rent/lease to own. This gives people who might be questioning the value or cost of a vest to spread out the cost over time, maybe making it an easier purchase decision for some. I think Klim will have very few people who stop making payments.

In regards to technology in vehicles.............as an example of how things are now and will be in the future, my KTM comes with the cruise control and shift assist software preinstalled but requires paying for activation by the dealer.

The ST1100 is essentially an analog bike and there will be people who can keep this bike, and the 1300, on the road for many more years. Very easy to work on. Flash forward to 2052, 31 years from now. How many 2021 KTM's, BMW RT's and K1600's will be on the road. The complexity of today's vehicles is such that parts, technicians who still know how to service them, availability of special diagnostic tools, ongoing software updates etc...... means it will either be prohibitively expensive or just technically impossible to keep these vehicles on the road. Aside from the fact that these are all internal combustion vehicles and they may well be legislated off the road by then, so maybe a moot point.

 

[drrod]

Flash forward to 2052, 31 years from now. How many 2021 KTM's, BMW RT's and K1600's will be on the road. The complexity of today's vehicles is such that parts, technicians who still know how to service them, availability of special diagnostic tools, ongoing software updates etc...... means it will either be prohibitively expensive or just technically impossible to keep these vehicles on the road. Aside from the fact that these are all internal combustion vehicles and they may well be legislated off the road by then, so maybe a moot point.

I hope it lasts long enough reach the end of my riding. It would be nice if it was 30 years but if I get half that, I will consider myself lucky. I am keeping my ST1300 just in case I last longer than that though!!

 

[Daboo]

Would the Klim airbag deploy in a simple tipover from a stopped position?

No it would not. The sensors and algorithms can determine what kind of fall and activate it when needed. There is a video I saw that had someone try and set it off by jumping off the bike and doing other things like jumping on a trampoline and it did not deploy.

My first deployment of my Hit-Air was in exactly that situation. As I lay there with the corner of the concrete curb against my rib cage, I noticed I felt no pain. If it hadn't deployed, I would've had some broken ribs and a trip to the Emergency Room.

I'll take my old-fashioned tethered Hit-Air any day. I positioned my tether attachment so I could stand up with no issues. And while I've tried to walk away from the bike, it has never deployed from that.

Chris

 

[ST Gui]

Despite the updated info in the OP's link I'm agin the subscription model in order to use something you've bought. Sure pay the heavy freight and it's all yours free and clear.

But if they're concerned that rider forego the wonderfulness of they vest because of the price:

•Lower the price. If $800 is a reasonable price then do a subscribe-to-own deal. A skosh more reliable that regular monthly installments. The customer eases into the ownership of pricey safety kit free and clear and Klim gets their retail price and maybe a little vig. Win-Win.

 

[Tor]

Yeah, nah. Klim can stuff it, that ain't for me. Absurd that the functioning of a piece of safety gear is based on bilking me monthly for the privilege of owning their product. Now I can hear the arguments that there are plenty of other monthly services we pay for for them to work. And that is the crux of it. There is NO WAY, NONE, that this item requires an internet connection to function correctly. At the time of an accident event, there is no way an internet connection will play ANY part of the deployment. It simply isn't fast enough, or responsive enough, to do anything in the milliseconds of the required response. This in not true in a music streaming service, or a software service, or utility service. Klim marketing dept should be fired, as hearing this, it certainly doesn't make me think that the company has the best interests of riders in mind.

RT

What is this "Internet connection to work" you speak of? There is no internet connection needed for this vest to work. The only thing you need an internet connection for (iphone data or wifi) is to get the occasional firmware updates. The iphone (or whatever phone you use) pairs with the vest electronic unit, goes online, to check for updates. It also check for functionality, battery level, canister status, Mode switch. There are currently 2 modes (street and off-road) These two modes operates with completely different algorithms as far as accelerometer and angle change speeds etc. are concerned.

Yes I use this vest, have been for about a year, and absolutely love it. The 120 bucks a year I pay to stay subscribed is I guess a subject of discussion. I am not complaining. I have a hard time putting a price on safety. But, it is your choice, your money, your opinion. Run with it.

Ride Safe, Ride your own Ride.

 

[rwthomas1]

What is this "Internet connection to work" you speak of? There is no internet connection needed for this vest to work. The only thing you need an internet connection for (iphone data or wifi) is to get the occasional firmware updates. The iphone (or whatever phone you use) pairs with the vest electronic unit, goes online, to check for updates. It also check for functionality, battery level, canister status, Mode switch. There are currently 2 modes (street and off-road) These two modes operates with completely different algorithms as far as accelerometer and angle change speeds etc. are concerned.

Yes I use this vest, have been for about a year, and absolutely love it. The 120 bucks a year I pay to stay subscribed is I guess a subject of discussion. I am not complaining. I have a hard time putting a price on safety. But, it is your choice, your money, your opinion. Run with it.

Ride Safe, Ride your own Ride.

I've already responded to what Klim is doing here, but I will do so again. The "subscription" requires a monthly payment, and if you don't pay, there is a grace period, and then they turn the vest OFF. So there has to be some sort of connection, at a minimum intermittently. You state that it is through your phone, which is an internet connection. I'm happy for you that you think the price is worth it and the gear top notch. My issue, and it is MY issue, is I feel Klim is being disingenuous calling it a "subscription" when in reality it is a LEASE. If it was a subscription, a piece of safety gear would continue to function as such, to the limits of its last software update, and not simply switch off. It switches off, because they didn't get paid. This is all fine and good IF that is made very clear, but I find it quite poorly worded. Its a LEASE, period. I get why they do it, to make it more financially palatable to riders who think in terms of "monthly payments". I buy things outright whenever possible, so this ain't me. Please enjoy your Klim vest and ride often!

RT

 

[caldercay]

What is this "Internet connection to work" you speak of? There is no internet connection needed for this vest to work.

You didn't read the article

And as an owner, you should realize you never own the jacket outright and it'll work. You pay one of two subscription options for this to work.

Also ...
"If you’re not paid up, the vest won’t work, period. "

" but the Klim Ai-1 airbag vest uses Klim’s In&Motion Airbag system, which in turn uses an internet-connected component called the In&Box that does all of the complex sensing and math needed to know when you’re about to eat

 

[Tor]

I've already responded to what Klim is doing here, but I will do so again. The "subscription" requires a monthly payment, and if you don't pay, there is a grace period, and then they turn the vest OFF. So there has to be some sort of connection, at a minimum intermittently. You state that it is through your phone, which is an internet connection. I'm happy for you that you think the price is worth it and the gear top notch. My issue, and it is MY issue, is I feel Klim is being disingenuous calling it a "subscription" when in reality it is a LEASE. If it was a subscription, a piece of safety gear would continue to function as such, to the limits of its last software update, and not simply switch off. It switches off, because they didn't get paid. This is all fine and good IF that is made very clear, but I find it quite poorly worded. Its a LEASE, period. I get why they do it, to make it more financially palatable to riders who think in terms of "monthly payments". I buy things outright whenever possible, so this ain't me. Please enjoy your Klim vest and ride often!

RT

You didn't read the article

And as an owner, you should realize you never own the jacket outright and it'll work. You pay one of two subscription options for this to work.

Also ...
"If you’re not paid up, the vest won’t work, period. "

" but the Klim Ai-1 airbag vest uses Klim’s In&Motion Airbag system, which in turn uses an internet-connected component called the In&Box that does all of the complex sensing and math needed to know when you’re about to eat

Guys,

At least get your Covid Vaccines . Good Grief...

 

[caldercay]

At least get your Covid Vaccines. Good Grief...

The fact remains, for it to work, you must have an ongoing paid up subscription and be connected.

 

[rwthomas1]

I fail to the see the relevance of a personal decision like getting a Covid vaccine, which I did incidentally, to this thread.

RT

 

[st11ray]

What is this "Internet connection to work" you speak of? There is no internet connection needed for this vest to work. The only thing you need an internet connection for (iphone data or wifi) is to get the occasional firmware updates. The iphone (or whatever phone you use) pairs with the vest electronic unit, goes online, to check for updates. It also check for functionality, battery level, canister status, Mode switch. There are currently 2 modes (street and off-road) These two modes operates with completely different algorithms as far as accelerometer and angle change speeds etc. are concerned.

Yes I use this vest, have been for about a year, and absolutely love it. The 120 bucks a year I pay to stay subscribed is I guess a subject of discussion. I am not complaining. I have a hard time putting a price on safety. But, it is your choice, your money, your opinion. Run with it.

Ride Safe, Ride your own Ride.

Hey Tor,
I'm guessing that the vest still works even if you are in an area with no cell service as long as you have paid your monthly or one time fee, correct?

 

[bdalameda]

Hey Tor,
I'm guessing that the vest still works even if you are in an area with no cell service as long as you have paid your monthly or one time fee, correct?

Yes it does. I have a KLIM vest. It only needs the internet connection for updates not to operate.