My 78 year old riding buddy recently crashed his dual sport and broke two ribs. He's been opposed to the airbag for the same reasons, but as he nurses his ribs and can't ride, he recently pulled the trigger and bought one.
I'm curious what the reality of being thrown off the Spyder in a collision or an off road adventure really is. Is an airbag, or even protective pants part of ATGATT on the Spyder?
They certainly can be!!
If you do some searching here, you'll find that of those who've had 'accidents' on Spyders (and there's a few), then regardless of the cause, the
very first thing that makes contact with the scenery &/or road is usually the riders body, and that's where
dressing for the ride while failing to dress for the slide (or the impact with the road/scenery!) can be fatal! 
And I use that word, '
fatal', on purpose, because sadly, we've had a few such incidents reported here, one just recently! (see link below, and post #33
) You might be
slightly less likely to have an 'off' when riding a Spyder than when riding a 2 wheeled machine, but you are still on the outside of said machine, which means that you're up close and very exposed to all your surroundings! There's been a few Spyder riders who have survived the initial impact & any injuries caused in that moment, but then there's been a bunch more injuries piled on top when they hit the ground/whatever, and sometimes, those riders have later died as a result of the injuries &/or infections in the massive areas of skin loss caused by the slide!
So sure, it's your ride and your body, but if you don't practice ATGATT and
dress for the slide, then it should be a clear choice that you've made, knowing that hitting the road/scenery can ultimately be fatal for you, as it has already been fatal for some Spyder riders! Some may decide they don't want to wear an Airbag, or maybe some will also make a conscious decision not to wear a jacket, riding pants, boots, &/or gloves, etc, whatever; but if you choose
not to practice ATGATT, then please do it knowing that while you're at
very slightly less risk of coming off than on a 2 wheeled machine, because you are still outside the machine and not fully encased inside a metal cage, the damage which will likely result from any accident can be
just as bad as on a 2 wheeler, and while it may well not be
immediately fatal, it still might be painfully fatal a week or even in some months time!!
Just Sayin'
https://www.spyderlovers.com/threads/my-uncle-was-hurt-in-this-2026-rtl-crash.167339/
