Dainese Goes Back to the Future

Among the cool products Dainese showed off at the 2008 Legend of the Motorcycle Concours was an old school Giacomo Agostini tribute helmet and their forward thinking D-Air airbag. Agostini, who has an astounding 15 Grand Prix championships under his belt, was honored with a modern, limited edition AGV* helmet that features the colors of the Italian flag. Ago told me, "You don't recognize people like Valentino Rossi today on motorcycles because the helmets have so many colors," touting the instant visual appeal of classic helmet graphics.

On the other hand, Dainese's trick D-Air system deploys a collar-like airbag within 40 milliseconds of an accident. The system has been in development since 1996, has been successfully tested at GP races, and will someday offer shoulder, collarbone, and neck protection to civilians like you and me.

The diversity of Dainese's work shows that they can keep an eye on the past while looking towards the future... no doubt, in part, thanks to a progressive attitude and a healthy research & development budget.

* Helmet manufacturer AGV is owned by Dainese.

Photos © Basem Wasef; Click to enlarge