This is from an article on webBikeWorld
Each airbag has a triggering device that is can pierce the carbon dioxide cylinder when mechanically activated. The trigger is attached to a 2mm thick plastic covered cable with a breakaway device in the middle and a safety clasp on one end. The clasp must be attached to the motorcycle; to do this, MotoAir supplies a couple of extra lengths of plastic covered cable with screw ends. One of these can be used to loop around the motorcycle's frame, or some other sturdy attachment point on the bike.
When the rider is ejected from the bike, the force on the cable triggers the pin that pierces the carbon dioxide cylinder, and the idea is that the weight of the rider's body will cause enough force for the breakaway connection to separate.
The carbon dioxide cylinder is located on the outside of the airbag in the area of the right hip. When the airbag inflates, presumably the inflated airbag will protect the rider from landing on the hard metal cylinder and triggering device.
The airbag is reusable by simply unscrewing the empty cylinder and replacing it with a new one. The airbag's inflatable neck section must also be tucked back in under the jacket's collar and the "hook and loop" closures hold it until next time.
It may be difficult to find a location on some motorcycles near enough to the cable to get everything connected. I'm not sure what the maximum recommended length for the entire cable assembly should be; I assume that if it's too long, the rider might theoretically be too far away from the bike before the airbag deploys.
A thether seems like it might not work very well. Too long and you'd be sliding on the pavement before it went off. And as for me, if I'm on the bike for a couple of hours I like to stretch out. I can't think of one part of my body that stays in one place the whole time I'm on the bike. Another thought I just had, I know everyones done it, how many times have you forgot to turn your gas back on? Imagine the first time you forget to take your tether off when you get off the bike...
