Flying around a racetrack at triple-digit speeds – or navigating the mean streets – on a motorcycle is never as safe as humans would like. Fortunately, technology is helping balance the scales of two-wheeled safety.

A company on the leading edge of this technological safety revolution is Italy’s Dainese, whose patented D-Air airbag system, developed over the last two decades to more fully protect riders in a crash, is bringing high-tech safety to the world’s road racers, track-day aficionados and street riders on a daily basis.

The next chapter of the airbag system safety story, of course, covers new applications in the motorcycling world, and Dainese’s renewed partnership with American Flat Track – and its recent signing of Estenson Racing’s five-rider squad – is proof positive of the company’s desire to lead the way. While Dainese has been developing its motorcycle airbag system technology for years, first testing prototypes in MotoGP events during 2007, the professional flat track portion of its development will deploy in American Flat Track during 2019.

Dainese's D-Air system, which comprises inflatable chest (below) and shoulder (above) sections, is controlled by an ECU 'brain' that uses an intricate system of sensors, gyroscopes and GPS units to determine when a rider is in the process of crashing. 

“We’ve collected and analyzed thousands of hours of data on the asphalt side of the motorcycling equation,” says Dainese Marketing Director Peter Bacon, “all of which has gone into the technology behind our D-Air suits and jackets for the street rider, road racer and track-day fan. But the dynamics of a dirt surface are often different from that of asphalt, and the differences between street and dirt track motorcycles, and the way they behave, slide and crash, also vary, and we’re trying to learn as much as possible here. Our goal, of course, is maximum rider safety, and we feel that partnering with AFT and Estenson Racing will add greatly to our knowledge and, in the end, make motorcycling safer for all types of riders via even better products than we offer now.”

The input and dynamic parameters generated by the Estenson Racing team during 2019 will be crucial in finalizing the algorithm Dainese will use in for-sale-to-the-public dirt track suits going forward. Here's team rider Kolby Carlile, who ran near the front for much of the DAYTONA TT Main until suffering a mechanical, doing his part during practice.

Broadly speaking, Dainese’s D-Air airbag system is comprised of an anatomically designed airbag and a ‘brain’ – an electronic control unit that utilizes software and its algorithm to detect and analyze data from a system of sensors, gyroscopes and GPS up to 1000 times per second. Of course, before the system can detect a crash and inflate the airbag to protect the rider, those particular force and dynamic/crash parameters must be identified and entwined into the system’s software algorithm – which is precisely the sort of information Estenson Racing riders JD Beach, Jake Johnson, Kolby Carlile, Ryan Wells and Dallas Daniels will help Dainese identify and collect during the 2019 season.

JD Beach, who joined Dainese in early 2019, is arguably the lead development rider in this quest for dirt-surface data. Beach, 27, grew up racing flat track, and is not only a two-time national champion in MotoAmerica’s Supersport series, he’s also a threat to win American Flat Track nationals – all of which makes him a perfect fit for Dainese.JD Beach, who'll compete in national-class flat track and road racing events in 2019, is the ideal guy to lead D-Air development thanks to his dual-role experience and championship-caliber speed. "JD is key to this effort," says Dainese's Peter Bacon. 

"JD is a top-shelf, championship-caliber pro in both disciplines,” says Bacon, “so he’s the ideal guy to have on our team. He’ll give us the type of input we’ll need, and when you add the quality testing and input the rest of that very fast and very experienced team will provide, we’re going to be in really good position this season.

“Working with a guy like Tim Estenson is great, too,” adds Bacon. “He wants the sport to grow, as we do, and he has skin in the game with American Flat Track. He’s committed, smart and passionate, and that’s exactly what we’re looking for in a partner. Overall, we couldn’t be happier.”

Beach is equally enthused. “I’m really excited to be working with Dainese this year,” he said. “They are a great brand, well-known for quality and protection, and it’s cool they’re as passionate about road racing and flat track as I am. It’ll be fun taking on this new adventure with them as they continue to develop technology for the sport of flat track racing.”

Veteran championship contender and Estenson Racing member Jake Johnson will also provide valuable input for Dainese as it refines its D-Air technology in 2019.

Right now, Dainese offers racing suits and jackets to the public with D-Air airbag system technology for street and road racing use. In the near future, Dainese plans to extend this airbag technology to all flat track riders and racers, thereby extending coverage to an even larger audience.

“We’ve already made great strides with this system,” says Bacon. “We’ve vastly improved our street- and track-oriented D-Air offerings over the last couple of years, eliminating the tether system, making the system lighter, and now with the latest version, offering customers the ability to have deployed airbags re-evaluated and re-packed by local authorized dealers. In the future we’d very much like to give every rider – on or off road – the protection our D-Air systems offer. And while that will take some time, we’ve already started down that path, with both American Flat Track and Estenson Racing helping us reach that goal.

“We’ve got some exciting news coming soon on the airbag front,” Bacon added, “and we’re excited about the coming American Flat Track season.”

Estenson Racing's Dainese-supported team for 2019: Left to right, Dallas Daniels, Ryan Wells, JD Beach, Kolby Carlile and Jake Johnson.