Hit Air MLV2 review | Motorcycle airbag tested

Date reviewed: December 2024 | Tested by: John Milbank | Price: From £458 | hitairuk.co.uk

The Hit Air MLV2 airbag on review here might look similar in some ways to a Helite, and that’s no surprise… Japanese company Mugen Denko first began developing a Hit Air motorcycle airbag system back in 1995, and in 1999 launched its first in Europe, also supplying Spidi, IXS and Louis. A French company called Helite was formed in 2002 and was Hit-Air’s distributor in France until the pair later split and Helite produced its own products.

Over the years, Hit Air has supplied police forces in Australia, Bahrain, China, Dubai, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Spain, Sweden and Turkey with airbags, and while surprisingly it’s not as well-known in the UK at the moment, it offers its own advantages at what might be a more affordable price-point…

Pros & Cons

Features

The Hit Air MLV2 is designed to be worn over your existing riding kit, with a coiled, plastic-covered Kevlar cord tether attached from the CO2 inflation system on the chest to a point on your bike’s frame.

The MLV2 is available in navy blue, or black with sections of Lumidex reflective material at the front and back for £458, hi-viz yellow for £475 or fully reflective Lumidex for £485, which is what’s on review here. While the most expensive option, this manages to combine a more subtle design with impressive reflective performance, making you a lot more visible.

Inside the Hit Air is a polyurethane tube-type bladder a lot like that inside Helites, which provides coverage of the chest, neck, back and just below the rubs, with a pop-out section covering the coccyx. The rear neck coverage – which supports the back of the head to help prevent hyperextension – stays tucked out of the way until it’s needed.

The Hit Air MLV2 is only available in sizes small, medium and large. I’m 5’10 with a 44” chest and 34” waist (maybe nudging 36” at the moment), and while the large is the correct size for me, there’s a fair bit of expansion available in the waist, so don’t be too put off by the apparent limited options. If in doubt, speak to Hit Air UK for advice.

Hit Air MLV2 deployed

Watch the inflation of this airbag system

Can you wear the Hit Air MLV2 with a rucksack?

Like most motorcycle airbags, the Hit Air MLV2 could be worn with a rucksack, but you must ensure there’s space under the straps for the bladder to inflate. As usual, you can’t secure any chest straps, so be particularly careful with bags like Kriega or the new Oxford Atlas.

Trigger method

Competitor Helite uses a very similar trigger mechanism to that employed by Hit Air, with a ball retained in a metal ring acting as the key. Instead of a fabric strap though, Hit Air uses a Kevlar cord that is held in a retainer that’s set and locked with a thumbscrew.

This cord is attached to the frame either just under the front of the seat, or to the right, and can be trimmed to length once adjusted to suit. Additional cords are available for £17.50 if you want to fit them to multiple bikes.

Like the Helite system, the Hit Air will only deploy when the cord reaches the end of its extension, so it’s important to take some time while setting it; when standing on the pegs, the cord should be tight.

The MLV2 instructions suggest that the thumbscrew should be checked for tightness before every ride; a drop of thread-lock could be worthwhile if you’re concerned about it loosening.

Hit Air uses a similar airbag bladder to that in Helite devices

Can you accidentally trigger the Hit Air MLV2?

Accidentally firing the Hit Air MLV2 is very hard as the trigger mechanism requires a lot more energy than is exerted by getting off your bike and stepping away. You’d need to be very determined to fire it unintentionally – you’re more likely to simply be a bit embarrassed about forgetting to unhook before stopping for fuel and coming to an abrupt stop as you try to walk away.

Protection & Certification

There are two different standards used by airbag manufacturers, and to fully understand them, do check out our guide to the best motorcycle airbags here. The Hit Air MLV2 is certified to EN1621-4 Level 1 at the back only. This means it has undergone testing that simulates impact with a narrow-edged kerb, resulting in a comparative force mitigation figure of between 2.5 kN and 4.5 kN. Based on the calculated potential force transmitted, this means it can reduce impacts to between 2.5 and 4.5% of what they could have been. For reference, a Level 2 passive back protector has to transfer 9 kN or less, and a Level 1 passive protector must transfer 18 kN or less.

The chest area is not certified, but as Hit Air uses the European Norm 1621-4 standard for testing, this isn’t a surprise. While I haven’t been able to lab test this airbag, based on the testing I’ve done of the Helite Turtle 2, and given the similarity in construction, I’d expect the Hit Air to perform very similarly.

If the MLV2 was to be certified with the French CRITT standard that’s adopted by Helite – which uses a flat striker and anvil – the chest would very likely give about the same results.

The inclusion of a passive hard-foam protector over the back of the Hit-Air and Helite bladders spreads narrow impact forces, but as neither have additional passive protection on the chest,  neither would pass EN1621’s requirements.

There are differing arguments over which standard is ‘best’, so if you’re thinking of buying a motorcycling airbag I’d urge you to read the guide to the best airbags, and watch the video at the end of this article.

Head support is very good on the Hit Air, significantly reducing the chances of hyperextension (where the head is forced too far back). Compared to the Helite Turtle 2, the chest and side bladders run in a similar shape, but the back is noticeably different, coming down lower at the rear. There is a gap between the rear of the neck and the main back protector that some might be wary of, and while it’d be an awkward fall that saw this area hit, it’s something to consider when weighing up the pros and cons of all the systems available.     

From April 21 2018, all new motorcycle clothing is deemed to be Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). To meet this legislation, it must be tested to a recognised standard. For more information on the new laws, click here.

Comfort on and off the bike

Weighing just 1.65 kg, the Hit Air MLV2 is surprisingly lightweight, and thanks to the way the coccyx and neck protection clips out of the way, it’s very unrestrictive.

Of course, the bladder inside any airbag can’t be breathable, and they’ll often cover some of the vents on your jacket, but the construction of the Hit Air means there’s plenty of space for air to flow around and under it, so you shouldn’t find it has too much impact in hot climates.

The reflective material used in this review model is superb

Convenience

The Hit Air will compact down small enough to tuck into a decent-sized top-box, but you can’t fold it up as small as some alternatives (though it goes a bit smaller than the Helite), so you might need to wear it when you’re walking around off the bike.

There are no pockets on the vest itself, which could be a bit of an inconvenience if you carry anything in your jacket pockets as they tend to get covered.

Build quality

As you’d perhaps expect of a Japanese company, the finish on the Hit Air MLV2 is very good, the seams being accurate and details like the soft inflator case and simple adjustment / buckle system being neat and well designed. The thought that’s gone into the pop-up neck and coccyx protection is impressive too.

Special mention has to go to the Lumidex reflective material used throughout this version, which I think looks great as it’s not as garish as a full hi-viz material, but offers excellent visibility at night.

The Hit Air carries a label that states it should be replaced after five years, though it’s worth noting that it uses much of the same construction and materials as Helite, and that the UK importer says that they regularly service units that are much older than this.

Washing

The Hit Air MLV2 must not be submerged in water, and you shouldn’t use any detergents to clean it; you should simply keep it wiped down with a wet towel as the bladder and trigger mechanism can’t be removed.

Costs

The Hit Air MLV2 is the same price across the small, medium and large sizes, with only the finish affecting price – hi-viz is £17 more, while the full-reflective version on review here is £27 more. Hit Air recommends a service (which costs £49) every two years at the UK importer near Guilford, so here’s the cost of ownership over five years:

The Hit Air MLV2 can be recharged by the owner, with replacement CO2 canisters costing £22. Swapping them out is simply a matter of unscrewing the spent cartridge, resetting the trigger with the supplied M5 Allen key and setting bolt (it’s an M6 x 1.0 set screw), then fitting a new cartridge.

While the trigger mechanism is very similar to that used by Helite, the base doesn’t come out in this design, which means it can’t be cross-threaded (I did nearly strip a Helite during testing). On the other hand, the Helite design only needs the Allen key, and it’s arguably a little easier to seat the end of the tether when resetting.

Realistically, most users will probably never need to reset their airbag, but if you do have to, I’d recommend testing it with the spent canister still fitted, so you know how to get the tether properly seated. The metal ring should sit slightly lower than the surrounding case; if it’s not properly pressed in it can be easier to trigger. Once you’ve got the hang of it, take the old canister out, reset it again then fit the new one and you’re ready to go.

Four alternatives to the Hit Air MLV2

There are several options now available for motorcycle airbags, so I strongly recommend that you read our guide to the best airbags to be able to make an informed choice when it comes to assessing the potential protection offered. Here are some others to consider:

• MotoAirBag M1, £448 | This is fully certified to EN1621-4 Airbag Level 2 at the chest and back, and provides outstanding protection based on this test method. While also mechanically tethered, it has a unique, very fast trigger mechanism, and can be folded up surprisingly small when not in use. Cost over five years with servicing: £540. Read the full review of the MotoAirBag M1 here.

• Alpinestars Tech-Air 3, £519.99 | Providing great coverage at the front and rear, and with EN1621-4 Level 2 chest and back certification, I expect this to be updated in 2025 as this one still has to be sent away to have the inflator replaced (newer Alpinestars devices can be done by the owner). It has over-the-air updates and is very easy to keep charged. Cost over five years with servicing is £639.97. Read the full review of the Alpinestars Tech-Air 3 here.

• Dainese Smart Air, £599 | An evolution of the Dainese Smart Jacket (still available at a hefty discount if you’re quick), it’s certified to EN1621-4 Level 2 at the chest and back, and has over-the-air updates and a user-replaceable inflator. Charging is a little fiddlier than it needs to be, and the battery life is slightly disappointing compared to the previous model. Free servicing every three years makes it currently the cheapest electronic airbag over five years at £599. Read the full review of the Dainese Smart Air here.

• Helite Turtle 2, £550 | One of the most popular airbag systems in the UK, Helite uses a modified test method to prove protection levels, which is why it’s important to understand the differences. Given that it grew from the foundations of working with Hit Air, it’s no surprise to see that it’s similar in many ways. An electronic version is also available, though it costs £225 more with the optional fork sensor that’s required to detect impacts when stationary. Cost over five years with servicing is £689 for the mechanical version and £1,030 for the electronic one with fork sensor. Read the full review of the Helite Turtle 2 here.

• DO NOT be tempted by cheap airbags sold on the likes of Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, Temu and Facebook marketplace. These are often rebranded cheap flotation devices that do not inflate quickly enough to offer protection. Read our report of dangerous and illegally-sold airbags on Amazon here.

These are just four of many alternatives – you can find all the airbags we’ve tested here, and be sure to check out our complete guide to motorcycle airbags here.

Hit Air MLV2 review – Verdict

It’s fantastic to see so many motorcycle airbags available, and while Hit Air might be a relatively unknown name in the UK at the time of writing, it was actually one of the first on the global market, with other brands (like Spidi and even Helite) spinning off its development.

I’ll stress again that it’s really important to understand the testing methods used by different brands to certify their airbags as protective equipment by watching the video below (it was recorded before I reviewed the Hit Air) and reading the guide that goes with it, then decide for yourself which is right for you.

On the face of it, the Japanese Hit Air system is only certified at the back, but that’s because it uses the EN1621-4 method. If the company used the French certification standard applied by French brand Helite, it would carry the same CRITT certification, likely with similar results given the inflation system and bladder design.

Once you understand the test methods, your choice of motorcycle airbag comes down to the coverage, deployment method and price.

Do you own this airbag? Tell us what it’s like, or ask us questions about it at bikeclub.bennetts.co.uk.

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