Airoh Aviator 3 review: top of the range dirt helmet with magnetic liner and accessory pack.

Page Contents

Airoh Aviator 3 dirt motorcycle helmet review.

The Aviator is Airoh’s top of the range off road helmet, designed to be lighter with more air flow, more comfort and with better aero than all the other dirt helmets out there.

airoh aviator 3 mx helmet push graphic side view — Push graphic Aviator 3

Which is a lofty aim as there’s some great offroad helmets on the market these days.

Airoh say they’ve used a wind tunnel for the aero and venting part. And they’ve thrown a couple of interesting features at the Aviator to improve safety – including slip plane protection system sorta similar to MIPS (called AMS2), along with EQRS quick release cheek pads (Airoh calls it AEFR) and a carbon fibre shell that’s made in 4 sizes.

It all sounds pretty good. So we thought we take a look over what the Airoh Aviator 3 has to offer and check out what owners and riders think of their helmets – all jotted down below in case you’re thinking of buying one. Enjoy.

Airoh’s top of the range motocross helmet
Composite or Carbon fibre shells
ECE 22.06 certified
Crash Test 4 star protection, 3 star comfort
Slip plane (MIPS-like) liner
8 air vents
EQRS
Magnetic liner
Double-D ring fastener
Sizes XS-XXL
Expect to pay £580-£680 / 670€-800€

Best places to buy an Airoh Aviator 3?

Please click below to visit the Airoh Aviator 3 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Overall/Summary

The Airoh Aviator 3 is a cracking motocross helmet.

airoh Aviator 3 matt black front view — Matt black Aviator 3

Ok, it’s a tad heavy and it’s physically on the larger side of dirt helmets. But riders who’ve taken the plunge seem to rate it highly.

Maybe that’s because they love the looks and its race pedigree. Or could be all the nice touches like the adjustable peak, magnetic liner and great venting. Or it could be all the accessories that come in the box like the side bumpers and peak extender.

Or more likely it’s because it’s a great helmet that’s good quality and looks the part on the bike. Couple that with it’s good Crash test score and you’ve got an excellent package at a decent price for what is Airoh’s top of the range motocross lid.

Not convinced? scroll to the bottom to see some recommended alternatives.

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

If you’re looking for a serious off road helmet, you’ll want one that you know will give you high levels of protection.

On paper, the Aviator 3 looks like it should fit the bill. The shell on most Aviators is HPC composite fibre (HPC just stands for high performance composite) while – at the time of writing – only the Primal graphic Aviator used 3K carbon, presumably because the 3K fibre in twill weave looks nice on the outside of the helmet (3K is your ‘regular’ carbon fibre and twill’s the pattern of the fabric).

Airoh does say it’s a few grammes lighter than the standard HPC carbon shell though.

airoh Aviator 3 glory motorcycle helmet rear view — Glory graphic Airoh Aviator 3

Whatever the shell material, they’re all produced in 4 different shell sizes which one of the highest number of shells produced we’ve seen in a long time. That shows Airoh’s commitment to producing helmets that fit right and look right. More shells also helps optimise comfort and can help improve safety so 4 shell sizes is always great to see.

Inside, there’s a slip-plane liner that works in a similar way to MIPs liners – so the inside part can move slightly independently of the outside, thereby trying to insulate you from any rotational forces that can cause neck and brain injury.

Whether these work or not is really difficult to say as there’s precious little independent evidence out there. The only European SHARP tested MIPS helmet – the Bell Qualifier – didn’t score very well for safety.

The good news is that, while the UK’s SHARP and the USA’s Snell labs haven’t tested the Aviator 3, Australia’s Crash labs have. They usually test ECE versions of helmets, and in the case of the Aviator 3, it scored 4/5 stars overall for crash protection (77/100) which is an excellent score (only one helmet ever has scored 5/5 or 93/100!).

Not so great news is that they also score a helmet’s ability to minimise rotation during a crash, and the aviator scored a distinctly average 6.2/15. That’s about the same as helmets without slip-plane internals, so my take is that their AMS2 multiaction safety system doesn’t look like it’s going to offer any extra rotation protection from a regular non-Mips style helmet. Not as far as Crash’s data’s concerned anyhow.

Don’t let that shattering revelation put you off too much though. See our Mips page for my take on whether Mips seems to be worth having or not.

OK, away from the data side…

It’s got magnetic EQRS cheek pads which are a must inside a dirt bike helmet as it should help you more easily remove the helmet in the event of an accident.

Airoh Aviator 3 rainbow helmet rear view 2 — Rear view of the Rainbow graphic Aviator 3

It’s also got a double-d ring strap which are basic but safe straps and are very common in ‘sports’ helmets as they seem to be considered safer than quick release straps like micrometric fasteners.

All that’s backed by the latest ECE 22.06 safety certification.

Overall then, it seems like the Airoh Aviator 3 will give good levels of protection.

Of course, getting a helmet that’s comfortable (so you want to wear it in the first place – see comfort section below) and that fits well (so it can most effectively do the job it’s designed for) are your number one priorities when buying a new helmet. After that, look for a good safety rating.

All in all, the Airoh Aviator 3 ticks most of the boxes when it comes to offering protection.

You’ll find all our other helmets that have scored well for safety here.

Take a look at our Best Motorbike Helmet Top 10s to find your next helmet too...

sportsbike-and-track-motorcycle-helmets-top-10

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

I guess most motocross riders aren’t too bothered about helmet noise – unlike street riders.

Which is just as well because with those 8 air vents, a large goggle port and six exhaust vents, there’s plenty of ways for noise to get into the Aviator 3.

It’s not particularly noisy for a dirt helmet, just noisy in comparison to some road helmets – so we’ve scored it average here. But if you intend to ride on the road or at high speeds, you might want to look for a different helmet (and it goes without saying – always wear ear plugs!).

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

You work harder when you’re riding off road, which is why motocross and dirtbike helmets need to give tons of ventilation to the rider (find the best venting dirtbike helmets by visiting our smart filters page and choosing ‘good venting’ and ‘motocross’). That’s why Airoh has smothered the front of the Aviator 3 with 8 different vents.

Airoh Aviator 3 rockstar motocross helmet 2 — Guess what this graphic’s called!?

There’s a pair in the front of the chin bar, a couple either side of the chin bar, then four more on the forehead including two brow vents. These all take air through the helmet shell, past the internal shock absorbing liner and onto your head/face/cheeks.

And of course, because it doesn’t have a visor, some air can enter the helmet around the goggles too.

The four chin vents are all covered with a metal mesh to stop bigger rocks and bugs getting in, and there are covers on the two vents on the top of the helmet. The vents are always open, though the Aviator 3 does come with a pair of plugs that you can use to bung up the brow vents if you like.

The top vents and front chin bar vents also have small washable foam filters in them to reduce the amount of dust getting into the lid. And there’s spare screws, filters and upper vent covers in the Racepack accessories box that comes with the helmet.

Of course, you need a decent path for air to follow out of the helmet if you want to make a helmet that vents well, and in the case of the Aviator 3, there’s six exhausts on the back of the helmet to let warm air out.

That’s all great, but does it work?

Certainly seems to. There aren’t that many views given online, but those we did find rate the ventilation highly, saying there’s good airflow getting through and you can really feel it, especially over the top of your head.

Peak & Goggles

The peak on the Aviator 3 has most of what you’ll be looking for in a motocross helmet peak. It’s aerodynamically tuned so it works well in mitigating lifting or buffeting, and while it’s a pretty regular sort of size, it’s supplied with a peak extender in the box if you want a bit of extra sun/dirt protection from standard.

A couple of useful links…

– Most comfortable helmets reviewed –
– Every dirt bike helmet review –

The peak’s also up/down adjustable – twist a couple of thumb screws and there’s a reasonable amount of adjustment available.

airoh Aviator 3 matt black top view — Large peak with peak extender fitted.

The eyeport’s a decent size too. It’s big enough to fit pretty well all regular size goggles – though if your goggles are jumbo size, you might have to remove the nose guard either on the helmet or your goggles to comfortably fit them with a bit of room to spare.

Oakley Airbrakes go on just fine though and the rear spoiler and mouldings keep the strap nicely in place.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

One thing worth being aware of if you’re looking to buy an Airoh Aviator 3 helmet online is that several owners reckoned they do tend to size a smidge small. It’s only really relevant if you’re usually between sizes with a helmet, but we’ve heard from lots of owners who said theirs were a bit tight – they do break in over time of course, but if you’re between sizes, we recommend you opt for the larger size helmet.

As mentioned, Aviator 3’s are made in four shell sizes, so whichever fitment size you need, it should look proportionately good when you’re wearing it. Having said that – what with all the mouldings, that large peak and whatnot, it is a pretty large helmet overall – certainly larger than the outgoing Aviator.

airoh Aviator 3 carbon fibre motocross helmet side view — Carbon fibre Aviator 3

And it’s a bit weightier too. The composite fibre Aviator 3 weighs around 1.42kg, which isn’t heavy for a regular street helmet but its on the weightier side of dirt bike helmets.

So if having a lightweight helmet’s important to you, you might want to opt for the full carbon fibre Aviator 3 (called the Primal – see pic below) which is about 50g lighter.

Inside both versions of the Aviator 3 is Airoh’s AEFR and AMLS gubbins. Basically they’re fancy ways for saying the internals are fixed in place using magnets, which also means you have quick release cheek pads in there (EQRS) in case you take a tumble and medics need to take your lid off without causing damage – always a good feature on an offroad helmet.

Those magnetic fasteners are popular too – it’s super easy to whip out the comfort liner and cheek pads for washing and it’s super easy to shove them back in place again.

The liner’s hypoallergenic too and word is that it’s a nice comfortable interior. Those cheek pads can err on the tight side, but once they’ve broken in, word is that it’s a nice place to stick your head (though the Crash helmet testing scheme only scored it 3/5 stars for comfort).

If you need any help with helmet sizing or fitment, you might want to read our helmet fitting guide here before you buy one.

Looks & Graphics

At the time of writing, there’s only the Primal graphic Aviator 3 that’s available in carbon.

airoh Aviator 3 primal carbon dirt helmet side view — Aviator 3 in Primal carbon fibre

There’s a plethora of different graphics available for the composite fibre helmet though – including the Spin, Push, Legend, Wave, Rockstar, Rainbow… and on and on. If you’re after a plain-ish helmet, they do a gloss white and matt black.

To check them all out, you’re probably best clicking through straight to the Aviator 3 pages at our recommended retail partners using the links below – and you’ll get to see their latest Aviator deals too.

Best places to buy an Airoh Aviator 3?

Please click below to visit the Airoh Aviator 3 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Airoh Aviator 3 Video

Here’s a slightly irritating but informative 7m look around an Aviator 3 at Champion helmets.

Other stuff – bluetooth, race pack, hydra system, warranty

Bluetooth Communicators

Airoh has decided not to include speaker pockets inside the Aviator 3. I guess that’s because it’s a serious motocross helmet – but if you’re a less than serious motocrosser who uses their helmet for road riding too, then it might be something you’d miss. Having said that, you might be better off with a dual sport helmet if you do a bit of both (or use our smart filters page to choose ‘bluetooth’ and ‘motocross’ to find motocross helmets that’ll let you fit speakers).

Race Pack Accessories

Airoh are generous with the accessories they supply in the box with all Aviator 3s. That includes vent covers, peak extender, protective side bumpers, breath guard, filters, fasteners, screws and vent plugs. There’s also a handy key on a lanyard that’ll let you remove most of the screws used on the Aviator 3.

There’s also a sticky GoPro mount which is not only useful but will have been tested/homologated as part of the Aviator’s ECE 22.06 certification. I guess that’s why it’s a sticky-mount because if you do have a spill, it’ll easily break away from the surface so doesn’t interfere with the protection offered by the helmet.

Hydra System

You know a helmet’s made for serious riders when there’s a hydration system available for it. The Aviator 3 is compatable with Airoh’s hydration system.

It’s tricky to find anything much about it but it seems to consist of a couple of blue lugs either side at the bottom of the helmet so you can loop the hydra system tube through one, round the back of the helmet and into the other to keep the tube in place while you’re riding (see picture). I guess that’s handy if you’re out a long day’s ride or you’re in a competition – probably more for pro riders than anyone else.

Warranty

Airoh Aviator 3s come with a fairly standard 2 year warranty from date of purchase.

Good Alternatives to the Airoh Aviator?

For around the same price as the Aviator 3 (cheaper if you go for the polycarb version) is the Fly Racing Formula helmet. It’s light, ECE, Snell and Crash test approved and it’s a great lid.

6D ATR-2 Sector off road helmet front view — 6D ATR-2

So too is the 6D ATR 2. That’s avaiable for around the same money as the Airoh – it’s super comfortable, has an array of protective features and it’s widely regarded as one of the best dirt helmets around.

Similar to the Bell Moto 10 really. That’s Bell’s top of the range dirt helmet with a Mips liner, collarbone friendly design, large viewport for the biggest goggles and magnetic comfort liner. Well worth a look.

You’ll find all our motocross helmet reviews here.

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Best places to buy an Airoh Aviator 3?

Please click below to visit the Airoh Aviator 3 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Star Ratings

HJC RPHA 91 review: touring modular helmet with integrated bluetooth and adjustable sun visor.

Page Contents

HJC RPHA 91 flip front motorcycle helmet review.

Following on from the RPHA 90 modular, the HJC RPHA 91 is HJC’s latest premium modular helmet.

hjc rpha 91 modular motorcycle helmet white chin bar raised — White HJC RPHA 91 with chin bar fully raised and sun visor fully lowered

It’s a composite fibre helmet with most of what you’d expect to find on a modern flip-front sports touring lid – including sun visor, integrated Bluetooth setup, chin bar lock and Pinlock ready main visor.

But it’s also got a few interesting features that nudge things forwards a little in what is a very competitive market. Namely, an adjustable sun visor, dual-control Bluetooth (in the form of HJC’s Smart 50B set – optional) and sliding pivot chin bar – along with HJC designing the RPHA 91 to be particularly quiet which is not usually a strong point with most modular helmets.

Note – if you’re reading outside Europe, the Non-Eu RPHA 91 is a slightly different helmet. Otherwise, if you’re in the UK/Europe and in the market for a new modular, here’s what you can expect from the ECE HJC RPHA 91.

Composite fibre touring modular helmet
Adjustable drop down sun visor
Pinlock 120 main visor
ECE 22.06 certified
Micrometric fastener
Four shell sizes
Supports HJC integrated bluetooth
Sizes XS – XXL
Expect to pay £400-£450 / 460€-520€

Best places to buy an HJC RPHA 91?

Please click below to visit the HJC RPHA 91 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Overall/Summary

The HJC RPHA 91 is a well designed touring modular helmet.

It has many of the features you’ll be looking for in a modular helmet including sun visor, Pinlock ready visor (Pinlock 120 included), integrated bluetooth and decent ventilation. It’s impossible to say quite how much protection it’ll offer until it’s been independently tested, though the RPHA 91 is ECE 22.06 certified and uses HJC’s latest PIM Evo construction so should be pretty good.

Quite whether it meets HJC’s stated design objectives is debatable. It is reasonably quiet for a modular (which means it’s about average overall), and even though it’s on the heavier side of modular helmets, it’s widely regarded as comfortable, well built and a user friendly touring helmet.

Overall, it’s well worth a look if you’re looking for a new flip-front helmet.

Safety (more about helmet safety)

The actual shell of the RPHA 91 is a complex composite of fibreglass, carbon fibre and aramid – something that HJC likes to call PIM or premium integrated matrix – and in the case of the 91 that’s their latest PIM Evo construction.

hjc rpha 91 modular motorcycle helmet pearl white top view — Top down view showing large crown vent and exhaust

On paper, that sounds fine but it’s only through testing that we can really know how great the protection is. That’s especially true when it comes to a modular helmet where that moving chin bar needs to be really well constructed to give proper full-face helmet levels of protection.

In Europe, the RPHA 91 is ECE 22.06 certified – though unfortunately it hasn’t been SHARP tested at the time of writing.

So there’s not much to go on to suss out whether it’ll offer good protection or not.

If we look at past test data for ECE HJC modulars, we can see the outgoing RPHA 90S (the helmet the 91 is replacing) scored a creditable 4 stars (out of 5) when independently tested by the UK’s SHARP labs. And the last four tested flip-front helmets scored either 3 or 4 stars – with the chin bars staying closed and locked in an average of 90% of impact tests. That’s actually a good average for a modular helmet.

Of course, whether the RPHA 91 would achieve that sort of score if it was to be tested remains to be seen.

For what it’s worth, in my view and based on past performance (at the time of writing, HJC are currently one of our Top 10 Safest helmet brands), I’d be happy that the RPHA 91 will offer a decent level of protection.

And remember, the number one factor when assessing helmet effectiveness is to ensure your helmet is properly comfortable and fits correctly before looking at helmet test data: They’re both vital in allowing any helmet to do its job well.

The RPHA 91 has got a micrometric fastener in Europe (double-d ratchet fastener in the US) and there’s a drop down sun visor inside to cut the glare – that’s always useful to have in a touring helmet.

And if you like to ride in an open face/jet helmet, just like ECE dual homologated helmets, the DOT RPHA 91 has a chin bar lock so you can open up the chin bar and lock it in place so it won’t slam down while you’re riding. All good.

Take a look at our Best Motorbike Helmet Top 10s to find your next helmet too...

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

One of the big features of the HJC RPHA 91 is that HJC say they’ve designed it to cut down noise. Modular helmets do have a tendency to be noisy so that’s always gonna be a welcome design goal.

hjc rpha 91 flip up helmet black rear view — Rear view of a solid black RPHA 91 showing generous neck roll and battery pack location

To do it, they say they’ve improved aero, tailored the internals to deadden noise a bit and fitted a thick neck roll to the bottom of the helmet to cut down noise ingress from below.

Perception of helmet noise is often a bit subjective – depending on your hearing, your motorcycle, your speed and a whole heap of other factors. And true to form, opinions on how quiet the outgoing RPHA 90 was were pretty mixed, though it was broadly seen as reasonably quiet for a modular.

And so too is the HJC RPHA 91 – with the owners we’ve come across so far saying it’s pretty quiet for a modular. Whether you agree if you buy a 91 remains to be seen (just don’t expect it to be quiet if you ride a MotoGP replica flat out with your chin bar up most of the time!).

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

Lots of ventilation is also something HJC reckon they’ve been working on with the RPHA 91.

OK, most of the ventilation system – something HJC likes to abbreviate to AVC for Advanced Channeling Ventilation – is fairly standard. So, that means it has a chin bar vent that takes air onto the back of the visor along with a crown vent that takes air through the shell, around channels in the polystyrene liner and out the exhast vent.

The chin vent is a large tipping panel that’s very gloves-friendly and offers a couple of open positions as well as fully closed.

A couple of useful links…

– Best helmets for glasses –
– Top 10 best flip-up motorcycle helmets –

With the RPHA 91, they’ve also added extra brow vents above the main visor too. Those take air directly through onto the forehead area and supplement that top crown vent to keep the top of the head cool.

Overall, owners seem to think ventilation on the RPHA91 is anywhere between about average to very good – and we did find a few owners in hot US states saying it has lots of airflow. And of course, being a flip-front helmet if things get too hot, you’ve always got the option of opening up that chin bar fully.

Visor

(more about visors)

hjc rpha 91 flip front helmet fluo green side view — Fluo yellow RPHA 91. Note sun visor slider and left hand bluetooth controller mount in black on the side

The visor on the RPHA 91 is Pinlock-ready, optically correct and quick-release.

In Europe, HJC supplies a top of the range Pinlock 120 antifog insert in the box alongside the helmet – that’s a great extra and should keep your visor clear pretty all the time whatever the weather.

It is a quick change visor though, so for easy cleaning or to swap the visor out, you simply open it up, pull a tab either side and it’ll pull right off.

To open the visor when riding, the opening tab is on the left hand side so that’s good (though it’d be even better if there was an opening tab either side) and the visor opens with a few detents to let you choose how far it opens.

That’s fine, though what’s not so great is that a few owners reported that the detents aren’t very strong so once you get up to motorway speeds, it can have a tendency to slam closed.

Sun Visor

(more about sun visors)

The sun visor has everything you’ll look for with a sun visor and is pretty innovative. First up, it’s reasonably dark smoked and it’s operated by a slider on the bottom left hand edge of the helmet. It’s also anti-fog coated which is good to see.

HJC RPHA sun visor mechanism — Adjustable sun visor positioning on RPHA 91

Something we’re starting to see with helmets fitted with sun visors is the ability to modify the drop. That’s good because common complaints with sun visors are that they either don’t drop down low enough or they interfer with your nose.

To try and get around this on the RPHA 91, HJC has added a level of adjustment. You can pop off the panel on the left above the slider (the one that hides the mouting plate for the comms controller) and under there is a switch that lets you set the drop amount.

So, in the highest setting, the sun visor has a fairly normal operation. But set it in the middle and it’ll drop down a tad more and pushes the sun visor away from the face by 5mm. At its maximum setting, the switch lets you drop the sun visor down slightly further and positions it 10mm away from your face.

So hopefully that’s something that’s useful for riders with larger noses or who just like a bit more space in front of their faces.

Chin Guard

(more about chin guards)

The chin bar on the RPHA 91 is operated by a single central button and features both a new elliptical hinge mechanism as well as updated locking mechanism from the old RPHA 90.

gloss black chin bar raised — Chin bar fully raised on solid black RPHA91

It’s super easy to use (press the button and the chin bar pulls up into its fully opening position) but unlike the old helmet, you can now lock the chin bar in place. That’s a requirement for ECE 22.06 dual homolgation in Europe and means it’s been designed so you can ride with the chin bar up and locked so there’s no chance of it slamming shut while you’re riding.

That elliptical hinge mechanism pulls the whole chin bar a little further backwards to help improve aero and reduce the amount the chin bar sticks out front.

As to whether that chin bar will give you full-face helmet levels of protection when it’s locked down in place, that’s difficult to say. HJC helmets have a good reputation for making chin bars that stay in place during impact testing of around 90% over the last few years (see Safety section above). But given the RPHA 91 has a different locking mechanism and given it hasn’t actually been lab tested by any of the testing labs, it’s impossible to say quite how it’ll perform.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

Internal fitment of the RPHA 91 is medium oval – so should fit most owners (see here if you’re after a longer oval fitment helmet).

It has a reasonably basic comfort liner and cheekpads – though they are anti-microbial, moisture wicking and fully removable/washable which is what you’d expect on a more premium price helmet.

There are of course speaker pockets inside the helmet and by default they have a small sound-deadening plug/panel in there that you’ll have to remove that to fit speakers. There’s also a removable neck roll at the bottom of the helmet, again designed to cut wind noise getting into the helmet.

The RPHA 91 is available in sizes XS-XXL and word is that fitment is true to size, so use our measuring guide to find out your head size and order the correct size.

Looks & Graphics

At the time of writing, there’s a large range of plain colours and just a couple of graphic options.

For plain, there’s a black, a white and a mid grey, for matts there’s a black, grey and blue. Graphics come in Combust (white, fluo yellow or red) and a Rafino (black, red, yellow or blue).

You’ll find examples of most of these up and down the page, but to check these out in more detail and find the latest deals/graphics at our recommended and rated stores, please click the links below.

Best places to buy an HJC RPHA 91 helmet?

Please click below to visit the HJC RPHA 91 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

HJC RPHA 91 Video

Here’s a 6m look around the RPHA 91 at Revzilla.

Other stuff – fasteners, bluetooth, weight, glasses, build quality, warranty

Fasteners

hjc rpha 91 flip front helmet matte black side view — Matte black HJC RPHA 91

In Europe, the RPHA comes with a super easy micrometric fastener.

Bluetooth Communicators

The RPHA 91 is an integrated blueooth helmet, which means it comes with all the placements, wiring channels, speaker pockets and controller mounts ready to fit the Sena-developed HJC 50B or 21B bluetooth headsets from HJC. The battery pack sits in a compartment at the rear of the neckroll while if you want to fit the 50B set, there’s a removable panel to mount the volume control panel on the left and the functions controller on the right of the helmet. The 21B only has a single controller panel to mount.

SMART-HJC-50B bluetooth — The HJC Smart 50B – note dual mounted volume and controller panels

Inside the helmet, there’s a couple of removable pads to expose the speaker pockets and there are wiring grooves to neatly embed speaker/microphone wiring.

That’s all well and good, but most of us will be wanting to use our own bluetooth sets rather than buying a new HJC one. That’s a little tricky on the RPHA 91 because you can’t install it on the chin bar as that raises, and you can’t really install it where the removable controller panel or the sun visor slider are. So you’re left having to install it way back on the left side of the helmet that makes it a bit awkward to operate on the move – it’s doable (and some RPHA 91 owners have done it) but it’s not ideal.

Of course, you’ll be able to use the existing speaker pockets and wiring channels – it’s just your controller will have to be mounted way back.

Weight

Weight of the RPHA 91 isn’t ideal either. Modular helmets do tend to be a bit more weighty than other helmets of course, mainly due to the chin bar gubbins mechanism. But the average weight of a typical modular is about 3.7lbs (1.67kg) whereas the RPHA 91 weighs just a smidge under 4lbs (1.8Kg). Ok, that’s just a few ounces heavier than average and it probably shouldn’t be a deal breaker – but one or two owners we came across did comment that it does feel a bit weighty.

Glasses

The RPHA 91 has glasses grooves inside so you should be able to fit most glasses inside without a problem. You may need to remove the speaker pocket covers to get the most comfortable fitment but other than that, it should fit all but the largest glasses (which may push against the top of the visor aperture).

HJC RPHA 91 Combust flip helmet side view — Combust graphic RPHA 91

Build Quality/Warranty

A few owners also commented that build quality is good with nice paint and finishing. That’s all backed by a very decent 5 year warranty – that’s just about as long as you’ll find with any helmet brand.

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Good Alternatives to the HJC RPHA 91?

There’s a heap of great alternatives to HJC’s RPHA 91 and you can find some of the best by checking out our continually updated Top 10 best rated modular helmets list. Alternatively, here’s a few flip-front helmets we recommend you check out…

AGV Tourmodular Balance helmet side view open — AGV Tourmodular

First up, the AGV Tourmodular is AGV’s high end touring modular. Made from carbon fibre, it’s ECE 22.06 certified, has a sun visor, comes with a Pinlock and has a super easy micrometric fastener.

shark-evo-one-2-slasher-anthracite-motorcycle-helmet-side-view — Shark Evo-One 2

If you fancy a flip-over helmet where the chin bar rotates to the back of the helmet, Shark’s Evo One 2 is well worth a look. It’s dual ECE and DOT certified, lighter than the RPHA 91 and comes with a Pinlock antifog insert in the box.

Or how about the Nolan N100-5: preinstalled Pinlock, micrometric, SHARP 4 star safety rated, sun visor, large visor aperture, integrated bluetooth setup – it’s even ready to accept an emergency stop light if that floats your boat!

Nolan N100-5HTML quick link to make category page

Best places to buy an HJC RPHA 91?

Please click below to visit the HJC RPHA 91 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Star Ratings

Schuberth S3 Sports Touring Motorcycle Helmet.

Page Contents

Is the Schuberth S3 sports/touring helmet worth buying?

Schuberth’s old S2 is a decent sports touring lid, but it’s starting to feel a bit dated.

Schuberth S3 daytona touring helmet front view — Front view – this one’s the Schuberth S3 Daytona

So, Schuberth has replaced it with the S3, same helmet type but with the goal of updating the design and improving its performance where they can. That means – and I’m paraphrasing the official Schuberth helmet info here – incorporating their latest safety, comfort, aerodynamic and aeroacoustic technology to make the best performing sports touring helmet possible.

Worthy aims of course, so let’s take a look over the Schuberth S3 to find out exactly what it offers and whether you should buy one if you’re looking to buy your next premium sports touring helmet.

Sports touring full face helmet
Fibreglass & Carbon fibre construction
Pinlock 120 antifog included
Integrated sun visor
EQRS liner
ECE 22.06 certified
Micrometric fastener
Ready wired for the Schuberth SC2 bluetooth
Sizes XS-XXXL
Expect to pay £375-£435 / 435€ – 510€

Best places to buy a Schuberth S3?

Please click below to visit the Schuberth S3 helmets pages at our recommended stores (click link to find out more about each shop). And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

Like pretty well all new helmets post 2023, the Schuberth is ECE 22.06 certified meaning it’s been designed to pass the latest mandatory helmet test for helmets in Europe and Oz.

That’s always a good starting point, though it’s always good to see further test evidence where it’s available.

Schuberth S3 matt black full face helmet side view — Matt black S3

Unfortunately, it hasn’t yet been SHARP tested (or Snell in the US) so that’s tricky. Until then, all we can really do is look back at previously tested Schuberth helmets to see how they’ve performed in the past.

Doing that, we can see their average score is just over 3/5 stars when tested by SHARP, which is a pretty average.

Their old S2 helmet scored 3/5 stars; their last tested full face helmet – the Schuberth R2 – scored 3/5 stars, while their most recently tested helmet – the Schuberth C4 Pro modular helmet – actually scored 4 stars.

So, if they stick with that trajectory, then you’d expect the Schuberth S3 to score something similar. If/when anyone publishes any test results, we’ll update this article to let you know.

FYI if you’re after a helmet that offers proven protection, then you can check out our Safest Helmets pages where you’ll find a only helmets that scored either 4 or 5 SHARP stars for safety.

Until then, it’s good to see Schuberth including a maximum effectiveness Pinlock 120 antifog insert in the box – along with adding a drop down sun visor. Together, they should keep your vision unimpeded whether it’s mega sunny or cold and rainy.

They’ve also added EQRS emergency quick release cheekpads inside which are there to help paramedics carefully remove helmets from downed bikers, hopefully without exacerbating any injuries. It also helps you more easily pop out the comfort liner if you’re looking to clean it or fit speakers/mics in there.

Schuberth S3 gloss white helmet rear view — Rear view showing exhast vents and bluetooth battery mount

Schuberth have opted to add the convenience of a micrometric ratchet fastener to secure the S3. If you’re only used to double-d rings, then you may well find them a revelation because they’re so easy to use and – as long as they’re correctly setup – should be as safe as any fastener out there.

Schuberth have long pre-empted the addition of a roll-off test to the 22.06 safety test by adding their anti roll-off system (called AROS) to the strap mechanism. That’s good to see as it’s estimated (from memory) that somewhere around 6% of motorcycle rider fatalities involve the helmet coming off. So anything to help keep the helmet in place has to be a good thing.

The last incarnation of AROS in the S2 had some owners complaining it felt a little uncomfortable. So it’s good to see Schuberth saying they’re modified the system for improved comfort.

And finally while we’re talking about safety, Schuberth make the S3 in two different shell sizes – you’d kinda expect more shells to be used when you’re talking about optimizing a premium helmet for safety, fitment and looks – so two is the minimum they can probably get away with I guess.

Take a look at our Best Motorbike Helmet Top 10s to find your next helmet too...

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

Helmet noise is a biggie for Schuberth and their marketing bumf has always harked on about how they’ve used wind tunnels to help them make quiet helmets.

The only thing is that lots of punters disagree and reckon in practice, they’re not really any quieter than most other helmet brands (click to find the quietest helmets we’ve covered).

Schuberth S3 daytona motorbike helmet side view — Another S3 Daytona this time in red/grey/black

True to form, the marketing blurb talks about how quiet the Schuberth S3 is. They say at 100Kmh (62mph) noise levels are 85db when riding a naked bike. In their helmet manual they do go on to say the critical area is to ensure there’s not much wind getting in around the bottom edge of the helmet and to adjust any screen accordingly.

They also say they’ve fitted their usual ‘turbulators’ to the top edge of the visor to break up airflow that can otherwise catch straight edges and cause noise or whistling.

And they provide the usual removable chin curtain to the bottom of the helmet to help stop breeze (and noise) getting into the helmet from below – though they also recommend wearing a scarf (thanks mum!).

We’ve heard from a couple of owners who do say it’s a quiet helmet, but whether that’s reflected by Schuberth S3 owners at large is hard to tell. When we get any further insight, we’ll let you know.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

Ventilation on the S3 looks pretty well thought out.

Up top, there’s a double forehead vent operated by a single large slider. Push that back and it’ll let air into the helmet, helped by the design of the helmet shell that Schuberth say creates an area of low pressure behind the helmet to actually suck air through the helmet.

Air then exits the helmet through a double exhaust vent at the upper rear of the helmet and another down by the neck roll.

The double vent in the chin bar lets you seperately direct air towards the back of the visor and towards the mouth; the upper tipping panel opens/closes the visor vent while the bottom slider panel opens up the chin vent. Both are nice and large so you can find and easily operate them in gloves.

Schuberth S3 rear exhaust vents close up — Two exhausts up top and some also down by the neck roll

Interestingly, Schuberth have added a washable filter to the chin bar vent – something you only usually see on dirt helmets. Still, if you’ve ever worn a helmet that lets mashed bugs fire towards your mouth, it might be something you’re keen to invest in!

Visor

(more about visors)

The visor on the Schuberth S3 is a quick-change visor that’s Pinlock-ready. It also comes with Pinlock’s top-rated 120 antifog insert in the box.

Note: you’ll only find Pinlock 120’s available when buying helmets and not available to retro-fit to other helmets. So if having maximum antifog protection on your visor’s an important consideration when buying your next helmet, always go for one that comes with a Pinlock 120 (or 120XLT which is their reformulated, more transparent version) actually in the box. You can find all our Pinlock helmets here and more info about Pinlocks here.

A couple of useful links…

– Which earplugs to buy –
– Top rated full face helmets –

You might notice small triangular mouldings along the top edge of the visor. They’re ‘turbulators’, designed to break up the airflow over the rest of the helmet to reduce noise. I’ve never seen a with/without comparison to see whether they work or not but it can’t hurt I guess.

Schuberth S3 concrete grey sports touring helmet side view — Concrete grey S3

The S3’s visor comes with opening tabs both left and right which is ideal because it lets you open your visor with either hand. It’s surprising how few brands actually do this as it’s mega convenient.

Sun Visor

(more about sun visors)

The sun visor’s a more or less standard type of affair – except for one useful feature. It’s operated the same way many sun visors are by using a slider on the left hand side to drop the sun visor down or retracting it back up into the helmet shell when not in use.

Schuberth S3 Storm helmet side close up — Sun visor slider with SC2 bluetooth controller mount behind it

You can’t quite see it on the photos but there’s actually a small lever on the underside of the sun visor slider. That’s usually in the closed position – but push it out and that lets the sun visor drop lower down. That’s a useful feature because one common moan about sun visors is that they don’t drop low enough – I guess to protect people with well endowed noses from having a sun visor plonking straight onto the top of it. Schuberth’s system clevery lets you choose from two positions depending on preference. Good design that.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

Schuberth S3s are available in fitment sizes XS-XXXL, with one helmet shell size covering fitments XS-L and the other XL-XXXL.

The interior has a fully removable and washable liner with EQRS quick-release cheekpads. It’s an intermediate oval fitment so should work for most riders.

Schuberth S3 motorcycle helmet photo of padding — Large neck roll, micrometric fastener and EQRS cheek pads

If you reckon your helmet fitment needs changing slightly, Schuberth offer something called ‘individual program’ which sounds very grand but seems like it’s just that they’ll swap out the pads in the comfort liner to try and customise the fit a little. It’s only available for helmet sizes M/L/XL too.

There’s also a strange little flap on the comfort liner so you can plug up the internal venting channels in the winter to stop cold air getting through.

Looks & Graphics

The S3 looks like a reasonably typical all rounder helmet but, with the addition of a tiny rear spoiler, it’s definitely got a slightly sporty edge.

You’ll not find any race rep graphics going on though – at the time of writing, there’s the Storm and Daytona graphics along with gloss white and grey and a matt black.

As always, to find any more graphics that have been launched since we wrote this article or to find any deals at our recommended retailers, please check out the links below.

Best places to buy a Schuberth S3 helmet?

Please click below to visit the Schuberth S3 helmets pages at our recommended stores (click link to find out more about each shop). And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Schuberth S3 Video

Here’s a 15m video looking around a Storm graphic Schuberth S3 (video’s set to start after the usual intro nonsense).

Other stuff – bluetooth, weight, aero, warranty etc.

Bluetooth

If you’re after a sports/touring helmet and bluetooth set combo, you should be sorted with the Schuberth S3 as it’s preconfigured to accept Schuberth’s SC2 bluetooth headset. That’s a Sena-developed Schuberth-badged bluetooth headset that Sena trumpets as being a Mesh 2 device.

Schuberth SC2 mic controller and battery — Controller, battery pack and boom mic of Schuberth’s SC2 bluetooth

Mesh devices are the latest type of bluetooth kits and create a resilient network among compatable intercoms. I tried to research Mesh 2 but couldn’t really find anything on the net about it so it seems like it’s just Sena/Schuberth trying to talk up their own mesh bluetooth kits rather than being some concrete new Mesh development (though I could be wrong – please comment below if you know better, thanks!).

If on the other hand you’re looking to mount your own 3rd party bluetooth headset on an S3, it might be a bit tricky given the way the helmet’s moulded and the fact the sun visor slider’s where you might want to mount one. Having said that, where there’s a will there’s usually a way and of course the S3 has speaker pockets ready to accept your speakers.

You might also find our communications ready helmets pages (for helmets that come with speaker pockets) and integrated bluetooth helmets (for helmets designed to work with specific bluetooth kits) useful.

Weight

The Schuberth S3 is quoted as weighing around 1.6Kg (3.5lbs), depending on helmet size. That’s actually a good bit heavier than the outgoing S2 (1.45Kg) and heavier than the average fibreglass helmet (1.5Kg).

At that weight it won’t cause problems of course, just that it’s not a particularly lightweight helmet.

Warranty

Schuberth offer a class leading 5 year warranty on their helmets with is great to see – though you have to register on their website to activate it.

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Good Alternatives to the Schuberth S3?

OK, here’s some great performing all rounder helmets you might want to consider.

Scorpion exo-st1400 antrim grey white carbon helmet side view — Carbon fibre ST1400 Air

For a smidge less than the Schuberth S3 is Scorpion’s ST1400 carbon/composite sports touring helmet. SHARP 4 star rated, EQRS, sun visor, Pinlock and 5 year warranty. What’s not to like?

simpson ghost bandit solid matt black crash helmet side view — matt black Venom

Or how about the cool-looking Simpson Venom? SHARP 4 star safety rated, sun visor, Pinlock and those distinctive Simpson looks. So good, I bought one myself and love it!

Shoei’s NXR2 is their SHARP 5 star safety rated full face all rounder helmet. Comes with a Pinlock, EQRS liner, double-d ring fastener and at 1.4Kg it’s much lighter than the S3.

shark-skwal-2-flynn-motorbike-helmet-front-view — Skwal 2 Flynn

Finally, for a good chunk less than the S3, Shark’s thermoplastic Skwal is SHARP 4 star, comes with a Pinlock, has a simple micrometric fastener and features rechargeable lights front and rear (ooOOh!)

Best places to buy a Schuberth S3?

Please click below to visit the Schuberth S3 helmets pages at our recommended stores (click link to find out more about each shop). And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Airoh Connor – new full face motorcycle helmet

Modelled taking inspiration from the wind. Sorry, what?

Annoying marketing bollocks aside, what Airoh means is that they’ve used a wind tunnel to design their latest full face helmet – the just announced Airoh Connor.

airoh connor zeus helmet side view — Zeus graphic Airoh Connor

There’s precious little information out there about what to expect so I’m going to make an assumption here; that being that the shell construction uses some sort of thermoplastic (either polycarb or ABS) because at the price point the Connor’s being offered – around £100 / 120€ that’s thermoplastic territory and anything more sophisticated, you’re probably going to pay more.

Other than that, apart from being ‘Wind driven’ and ‘leaving you free to be guided by the wind’ – ahem – Airoh reckon the Connor’s a slightly race-oriented, ride anything, go anywhere sort of helmet.

Here’s some key points.

Probably polycarbonate shelled*
Made in 3 shell sizes
Quick release visor
Comes with a Pinlock 70 in the box
Features Airoh’s ASN system
Micrometric fastener
Sizes XS-XXL
Expect to pay £100 / 120€

OK, we know that Airoh has used a wind tunnel in the design of the Connor – that’s usually to inform the aero of a helmet so it cuts through the air a bit cleaner as well as reducing buffeting, lift and noise.

Best places to buy an Airoh Connor?

The Connor’s due out in Aug 23, so if you’re visiting after then, please click below to visit the Airoh Connor helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Page Contents

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

But they also reckon it’s helped them tune the ventilation to get more air into the helmet when you want it. And you can see there’s a large number of vent holes in the chin bar as well as a couple of crown vents too. So all being well it’ll have a very effective ventilation system.

airoh connor full face helmet gloss white rear view — Rear view of the gloss white connor showing rear exhaust vents

What I do know is that those chin bar vents – while there’s no obvious external slider to open or close them, there’s actually an internal slider. Internal closures aren’t great for opening/closing on the move but as long as you set thengs before you ride, then it should be ok.

Up top, there are external sliders to individually open and close each vent – with both taking air inside the helmet and out through the rear exhausts.

Take a look at our Best Motorbike Helmet Top 10s to find your next helmet too...

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

Despite being a budget helmet, Airoh’s made the Connor in 3 shell sizes which is unusual for a cheaper helmet and really great to see – the more shells used, the better the fit, look and safety of a helmet.

Talking of safety, the Connor is ECE 22.06 certified (the latest safety standard) and it features something called ASN – probably standing for Airoh Safety somethingorother. Airoh’s blurb says it’s a 3D fabric structure designed to reduce the force transferred to the head on impact.

airoh connor motorcycle helmet matt black side view — Matt black Airoh Connor

That’s sounds like similar concept to other slip-plane internals like MIPS which is a solid concept designed to isolate the rotation caused by an impact from your head and brain. Whether Airoh’s system works or not remains to be seen but it’s good to see Airoh following the example of other manufacturers in this respect.

The Connor’s secured in place using a micrometric fastener – that’s good news if you like super easy fasteners – bad news if you like to fiddle around with double-d rings like your grandad did 🙂

Onto the visor – Airoh say they’ve made the visor wide to give great peripheral vision (though they don’t say how wide). What we do know is that it’s a quick release visor that’s Pinlock ready and comes with Pinlock’s intermediate level Pinlock 70 antifog in the box. Which, for the price point, is a really great addition.

Other bits and pieces – well there’s speaker pockets in there if you’re thinking of fitting an intercom. The internals are all removable and washable. And the Connor comes with a removable chin curtain to keep a bit of wind/noise out.

Other full face helmets?

We've got lots of other ways you can find your ideal full face helmet. You can check out our Top 10 full-face crash helmets list to see our best rated helmets or head over to our Smartish Filters pages and zoom in on helmets with your 'must have' features. You can browse through all our full face crash helmet reviews as well as our safest motorcycle helmets page where you'll only find helmets that are SHARP four or five star rated - so you'll know you're wearing the best protection out there. Finally, check out our helmet gallery to find a lid that takes your fancy.

Best places to buy an Airoh Connor?

The Connor’s due out in Aug 23, so if you’re visiting after then, please click below to visit the Airoh Connor helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

AGV K6 & K6 S: high tech, comfortable sports-touring helmet.

Page Contents

AGV’s Sports Touring Motorcycle Helmet.

The K6/K6S is AGV’s top flight sports touring helmet.

AGV says they’ve gone all out to make a helmet that’ll work just as well on a touring bike as a sportsbike. They also claim it’s the lightest in its class – that’s some boast – and have made it to be as compact as possible.

Which has meant it’s been made in four different shell sizes – all with a five density shock absorbing EPS liner inside to give as much energy absorption as possible (the most we’ve seen in a helmet so far).

AGV-K6-Multi-Hyphen-red-white-blue-motorcycle-helmet-side-view — AGV K6 in Hyphen graphics

They’ve also said they intend to make it super comfy, amazingly well vented and mega quiet. They’re one hell of a bunch of design goals for a range of helmets, never mind a single all-rounder helmet.

So here’s everything you wanted to know about the AGV K6 – including what owners and riders think of theirs – so you can make an informed decision on whether to buy one.

Sports touring helmet
Carbon fibre and aramid (Kevlar) shell
SHARP 5 star safety rated
K6S is now ECE 22.06 certified
Shell in 4 sizes
5 density EPS
Weight 1.4Kg (3.4lbs)
EQRS* cheek pads
Double-D ring fastener
Pinlock anti-fog included
MCN 5 star rated
Optically correct visor
Expect to pay £360-£400 / 410€-465€

Best places to buy a AGV K6/K6S?

Please click below to visit the AGV K6 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Overall/Summary

AGV went all out to create the perfect sports touring helmet with the K6/K6S.

We always thought the AGV K6 would give decent levels of protection, with its carbon/aramid composite shell coupled with a 5 density EPS liner and AGV’s amazing reputation for helmet safety. But you’re never sure until SHARP has tested it (or Snell in the US).

Now it has been tested by SHARP, it scored a maximum 5 stars for safety, meaning the K6 should give outstanding protection – about as good as you can get from any helmet on the market. Great job AGV!

AGV’s made the K6 a compact helmet too. Plus, there’s a quality visor system with a large field of view that should work well on everything from a sportsbike to a cruiser (and most bikes in between).

AGV-K6-Multi-Minimal-gunmetal-fluo-motorbike-helmet-top-down — Top down view of the gunmetal AGV K6 Minimal

The overall build quality appears to be mostly very good (barring a few possible niggles – read full review for details) and AGV has a growing reputation of creating super comfy liners – the variety of quality materials they use inside the K6 is no exception and owners rate it as excellent for comfort.

OK, it’s lacking the occasional feature like a built-in sun visor which you may well miss if you err more on the touring side of sports riding. And it might not be quite as light weight as AGV initially imply – unless you’re wearing the smallest shell size where it’s closer to the 1.25Kg figure AGV states (otherwise it’ll be more likely around 1.4Kg).

But overall, the AGV K6 is an innovative and impressive sports touring helmet that achieves most if not all of what AGV set out to create. Owners are mostly very happy with their K6’s and recommend it as one of the best sports/touring helmets out there.

So, if you’re in the market for a high performance, mid-priced all rounder helmet, then the AGV K6 is well worth a look.

AGV K6S gloss white motorcycle helmet side view — Gloss white K6S showing slightly larger rear spoiler (see smaller spoiler of K6 below)

AGV K6 or K6S?

Well they’re basically the same helmet – just that with the K6S, AGV added a more pronounced/sportier rear spoiler to give it more of a MotoGP look. It’s expected that the K6S will replace the regular K6 though so you might only find those available when you come to buy one.

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

AGV has a ton of expertise in making composite fibre helmets. But this is the first time we can think of that they’ve made a composite shell just using carbon fibre and aramid (the generic name for Kevlar).

They’re both pretty high-end materials and makes for a helmet that’s both reasonably light weight and strong.

AGV-K6-Rush-motorbike-crash-helmet-side-view — The striking AGV K6 Rush – showing collarbone friendly bottom profiling (see below).

It did make it difficult to work out quite how much protection the AGV K6 might give you in an accident though.

That’s because, while it has been ECE and DOT certified (and the latest AGV K6S has now been ECE 22.06 certified), it wasn’t SHARP tested – or Snell in the US – until recently so we didn’t really know how much protection the K6 would give compared to other helmets.

However, the ECE helmet has now been SHARP tested in the UK where it scored a fantastic 5 star rating – that’s maximum marks.

We always knew you can pretty well always trust an AGV helmet. If you take a look at our Safest Motorcycle Helmet Brands Top 10, at the time of writing, AGV scores incredibly well there – with every helmet tested in recent years scoring either SHARP four or five stars.

And now AGV’s reinforced their position by scoring maximum marks again, meaning you can trust the K6 to give you outsanding protection. Great to know.

In addition to the helmet shell and shock absorbing liner, there’s other indications that AGV’s put quite a lot of effort into making the K6 a serious piece of protection.

AGV K6 SHARP 8_5 ms test results — 8.5 m/s test results for the AGV K6 – courtesy of sharp.dft.gov.uk

Inside, there’s a 5 density EPS shock absorbing liner – that’s the most we’ve ever heard of in a helmet and should give the helmet the ability to manage small and larger shocks very well.

AGV has stated it’s one of their goals to make the K6 as light as possible. Lighter weight helmets reduce the amount of energy the helmet has to manage during an impact.

AGV’s quoting weights around 1.25 Kgs (2.8lbs) for the smallest shell size helmet.

Which is fine, but it does put on a few grammes when you start to look at the bigger shell sizes – going over 1.4Kg and making it only slightly lighter than average for a full face helmet overall.

Having said that, most owners reckon it feels like a light weight helmet while you’re wearing it, which is one of the most important factors I guess.

The K6 also has a version of the regular EQRS or emergency quick release cheek pads. Usually, pulling on the red tabs on the bottom of the helmet will easily pull the cheek pads out of the bottom of the helmet to help the emergency services remove a helmet without putting undue stress on the neck.

AGV-K6-Minimal-motorbike-helmet-side-front — A bit 80’s Retro – the AGV K6 Minimal

With the AGV K6, the cheek pads and neck roll are a single unit, so it’s debatable how ‘quick release’ the EQRS is as it might still be a bit of a struggle to pull it out without yanking the helmet around.

Other stuff that helps improve safety – that large visor (both horizontally and vertically) for improved all round awareness and vision. Plus, the visor comes with a Pinlock antifog in the box too; so fit it and your vision should stay clear throughout the seasons.

Another interesting feature is that AGV’s profiled the bottom of the helmet to reduce the chance of it impacting on your collarbone during an accident. It’s a small thing (until you break your collarbone!) but shows the level of thought AGV’s put in to the K6.

It comes with a double-d ring fastener – they’re old-tech fasteners but they are reasonably easy to use and, as long as you keep them fastened tight on each trip, as safe as anything out there.

Overall then, the AGV K6 should give excellent protection. As far as we can tell – about as good as any helmet available on the market today.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

The AGV K6 has been windtunnel designed and tested with one of AGV’s aims being to reduce helmet noise.

Has it worked? Well, we’ve found thoughts from a large number of owners but with a massive range of opinions – with some claiming it’s pretty well the quietest helmet they’ve ever worn and other saying it’s really noisy even with the vents shut.

As usual I guess it comes down to your individual circumstances; the way you ride, what you ride, how fast you ride etc. etc. so we’ll mark it down as about average for noise attenuation and if you buy a K6, hopefully it’ll exceed your expectations.

And always wear good quality earplugs anyway and you’ll find the noise levels in the K6 to be totally fine as well as protecting your long term hearing.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

There’s three forehead vents arranged in a scowly V formation above the visor – and a couple of chin vents on the chin bar.

AGV-K6-Secret-black-white-crash-helmet-front-view — Three forehead vents and a pair of chin vents – as just about visible on this K6 Secret

While three forehead vents is way more than most helmets, the unfortunate thing with AGV’s multi-vents is that they have to be opened separately. That’s obviously a bit of a fiddly job – especially when you’re on the move – so it’s probably best to set them before you start riding.

In fact, it’s made doubly fiddly on the AGV K6 because a few owners have commented that the sliders are low profile and difficult to find in gloves – and they can be a bit stiff when you do find them.

Shouldn’t be too much of an issue if you set the vents before you set off though.

Inside the helmet, AGV has put a really comprehensive network of venting channels cut into the EPS liner. They cover all the top of the head, front to back (towards the twin rear exhaust vents) as well as around the circumference of the head. And if you open up those top vents, most owners agree that they let a good amount of airflow through the helmet (along with some water if it’s raining heavily, according to a couple of owners).

The chin vent switch is that small switch at the bottom of the chin bar (the black thing under the visor is the visor lock).

Even though it’s small, most K6 riders reckon it’s reasonably easy to find and use, though the chin venting is only about average for a full face helmet.

Visor

(more about visors)

AGV’s had more luck with their visor design.

It’s been made to give excellent all-round vision, with 190 degree horizontal and 85 degree vertical vision. That’s pretty well class leading in a full face sports touring lid and several K6 owners reckon the field of view feels really wide while you’re riding.

They’ve also specced up a 4mm thick optically correct visor. That’s possibly a bit overkill because most visors are thick enough and have to be very optically correct to pass ECE certification anyhow. Still, it does the job and it’s in the box so if you like having a thick visor, enjoy!

A couple of useful links…

– All our Sports Touring helmets reviews –
– The best protecting helmets we’ve covered –

The visor works on a ratchet and has an automatic visor lock.

The lock automatically locks the visor closed when you close it. The lock on the K6 is that large black panel directly under the visor – designed so you can press that in and push open the visor in one fluid movement with one hand.

Only one or two owners reckon theirs isn’t as smooth to operate as it might be and can stick.

AGV-K6-Nardo-Grey-motorcycle-helmet-side-view — Tiny (but effective) quick release visor system on a Nardo Grey AGV K6

Usefully though, you can also use the visor lock button to access the city riding ‘cracked open’ position. Push it in and the visor will open up slightly to let in more ventilation but keep the visor locked on the latch.

If you look on the side of the helmet, you can see AGV’s redesigned quick release mechanism. It’s now made of metal which has allowed AGV to shrink it down to make it super small.

And several owners said it works really well – just open the visor, pull down a tab and the visor pops off.

It’s not quite as simple as the super fast magnetic quick changer you’ll find on X-Lite’s X-903 touring full face helmet, but it’s fast and straightforward nevertheless.

It also comes with a Pinlock ready visor and Pinlock Max Vision 120 antifog insert in the box. That’s something I’d always look out for these days as Pinlocks – while not perfect – are a great quality antifog solution and make it so you can at least see in cold/wet conditions.

And the Pinlock 120 lens is Pinlock’s highest rated antifog insert – and it’s only available when you buy certain premium helmets – so if keeping your visor fog-free is important, then that’s a great add-on.

All in all then, apart from one or two niggles, AGV looks to have got everything well pretty well covered with the visor on the K6.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

AGV designed the K6 to be super comfy. And with the quality of the fabrics they’ve thrown at it, seems like they really mean it.

Looking around the helmet, there’s a neck roll and removable chin curtain in there, and the comfort liner is fully removable and washable.

AGV-K6-Mono-white-sports-touring-helmet-rear-view — Rear view of the Mono white K6 showing that pair of rear exhaust vents below the small spoiler

The padding’s made from sculpted foam covered in a variety of technical anti-bac and moisture wicking fabrics. You can find more info about the Shalimar and Ritmo fabrics used in the K6 here – plus they use something called Eco Leather that’s a wear resistant and waterproof plastic fake leather (not sure exactly how eco that is!).

But make sure you get the right size (fitting and measurement guide) and as long as you’re a medium oval headshape (that’s most of us) you should find the inside of the AGV K6 a pretty comfortable place to visit for day-long rides.

Looks & Graphics

The K6 is a subtler take on AGV’s usual hawknose design that they use on their sportsbike helmets. Which should go down well with most sports touring riders who often prioritise great all round performance over sporty looks.

They’re sure to release more graphics over time (so you might wanna click through to the K6 helmets pages on the retailer links below to find the latest) but at the time of writing there’s plain grey (Nardo grey), matt black (Nardo black) and gloss Mono black or white in plain solid colours.

As for graphics, there’s the Minimal, Hyphen, Multi and Rush designs which you’ll find up and down the page.

Best places to buy a AGV K6/K6S?

Please click below to visit the AGV K6 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

AGV K6 Video

Here’s a pretty comprehensive 10m look around a black/red Rush graphic AGV K6.

Other stuff – fasteners, audio, glasses, warranty

All AGV K6 helmets come with a double-D ring fastener (more info on D-ring fasteners).

AGV-K6-Hyphen-motorcycle-helmet-rear-view — Rear view of the K6 Hyphen in red black and white.

It comes with medium depth helmet speaker cutouts inside the EPS liner which is enough for most modern speakers. The main fly in the ointment with the K6 is that external shell shape which is full of curves and contours which can make it tricky to mount a bluetooth controller.

A few owners reckoned they needed to mount the controller a bit higher up that usual to get round this – and to use a sticky mount rather than clamp. But we did hear of riders with Cardo Packtalks, Sena 50s and Sena SMH-5 saying they fitted their sets no problem. And if you’re looking for a more integrated kit, the K6 is designed to fit AGV’s Ark intercom – using a K6 mounting plate and costing about £260.

If you ride in glasses, we heard from a few riders who reckon it’ll be fine with most glasses – though if yours have extra thick arms, you might notice them a bit.

The K6 comes with a standard 2 year warranty in the UK – though if you quickly register it on the AGV website, you’ll get an extra 2 years’ cover.

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Good Alternatives to the AGV K6?

OK, here’s some great performing all rounder helmets you might want to consider.

For a smidge less than the AGV K6 is Scorpion’s ST1400 carbon/composite sports touring helmet. SHARP 4 star rated, EQRS, sun visor, Pinlock and 5 year warranty. What’s not to like?

Or how about the cool-looking Simpson Venom? SHARP 4 star safety rated, sun visor, Pinlock and those distinctive Simpson looks. So good, I bought one myself and love it!

shoei-rf-sr-or-ryd-helmet-white-side-view — Gloss white Shoei RYD

Shoei’s Ryd is their composite fibre all rounder helmet that’s SHARP 5 star safety rated, comes with EQRS, is Pinlock ready (Pinlock not included) and is a great all round quality helmet.

Finally, for a good chunk less than the K6, Shark’s thermoplastic Skwal is SHARP 4 star, comes with a Pinlock, has a simple micrometric fastener and features rechargeable lights front and rear (ooOOh!)

Best places to buy a AGV K6/K6S?

Please click below to visit the AGV K6 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

More Sports Touring Helmets?

We've looked at heaps of helmets that are more suitable for touring and naked bikes. You'll find them on our Sports Touring helmets pages. Or, if you're looking for the safest tested helmets on the market, you might want to take a look at our safest motorcycle helmets pages where you'll only find helmets that are SHARP four or five star rated - so you'll know you're wearing the best protection around.

Star Ratings

About the Pinlock Visor System for Motorcycle Crash Helmets

Page Contents

What is the Pinlock on a helmet for?

All motorcycle crash helmets can suffer from fogging visors – especially when it’s cold, wet or humid. We’ve all been there, sat at the traffic lights or crawling through slow traffic, rain slamming down on your visor and the visor’s like peering through a steamed-up bathroom window. You can see jack shit through the fogging and not only is it incredibly annoying, it’s also incredibly dangerous.

If only there was a way to sort it.

Well, Pinlock visor inserts are widely regarded as the best way to stop your crash helmet visor fogging up. Yes, people talk about all sorts of alternatives – from smearing your visor with spit (like divers do) – to washing up liquid – to dedicated visor sprays. But if you want a more elegant solution, and one that doesn’t involve smearing body waste or household detergents onto your visor, then a Pinlock (or similar visor insert) is undoubtedly the best answer.

I mean, there’s a reason MotoGP teams use Pinlocks after all…

If you want to know more about Pinlocks, not only have we researched and used Pinlocks for many years, but we’ve also spoken to Pinlock themselves to ask the trickier and more indepth questions.

So, read on for all the information you’re going to need about Pinlock antifog inserts… (or click the link to skip to view helmets that are all either Pinlock-ready or come with Pinlocks in the box).

Pinlock insert for crash helmets visor — Standard, clear Pinlock insert.

What exactly are Pinlocks?

Pinlock visor inserts are flexible transparent inserts which are placed inside the inner surface of your visor.

The main visor itself has to be ‘Pinlock enabled’, meaning it needs to have tiny Pinlock locating pins already on the inside of the visor. These are used by the Pinlock visor insert to locate the Pinlock into the correct position and keep it there.

Once the Pinlock’s properly attached to the rear of your visor, the Pinlock stops condensation forming on the rear of the visor and keeps your vision clear – as long as it’s used correctly… read on.

History of Pinlock

Derek Arnold started importing helmets into the Netherlands in 1979 but didn’t invent the Pinlock visor system until 1994. It was invented to help motorcyclists see better out of their crash helmet visors and was initially trialled with the Dutch police. Pinlocks have gradually grown in popularity throughout Europe and are now becoming more and more popular in the US and Asia.

In fact many crash helmets come with either Pinlock-ready visors (but the Pinlock’s extra) or with Pinlock-ready visors and the Pinlock insert dropped into the box.

There’s even the occasional helmet that has the Pinlock pre-fitted onto the visor in the box (such as the excellent Nolan N30-3 modular).

How do they work?

The Pinlock lens has a bead of silicon sealant around its edge. This presses tightly against the inside of your crash helmet’s visor to make an airtight seal between the visor and Pinlock.

The insert’s pretty easy to put in place. You buy the right Pinlock for your helmet, and it locates onto the pegs on the Pinlock-ready visor.

Just make sure you remove the protective film on the Pinlock before you do – it’s amazing how many people don’t realise it’s there and start riding with the film still attached!

Pinlock 70 Adventure helmet Pinlock — Pinlock 70 on an Airoh Adventure helmet

It’s the pressure between the pegs that pushes the insert onto the visor and keeps it tightly in place. And that’s it!* It forms a double layer a bit like double glazing which helps reduce the temperature difference between the rear of the visor and outside world. Plus the surface of the Pinlock has an open structure that actually absorbs moisture. Both of these working together stops condensation forming on the rear of the visor and turns you into a much happier bunny riding in the rain!

*Having said ‘that’s it’ – it’s important to seat the pinlock correctly and to give it ventilation for best performance. Read Why does my Pinlock Visor keep fogging up? below.

Regular or Max Vision Pinlock?

The original Pinlocks tended to be a bit small, so the edges of the Pinlocks could nudge into your line of sight, which wasn’t great. So they launched the Pinlock Max Vision which is a range of larger Pinlocks that cover more or less the entire rear of the visor to stop line of sight issues; and they tend to sit inside a recess on the rear of the visor for easier/better fitting.

Regular vs MaxVision Pinlock — Difference between the coverage of standard (left) and Max Vision (right) Pinlocks

So if you have a helmet with a full size visor and there’s an option of different Pinlocks, it’s always worth going for the Max Vision version.

Pinlock 30, Pinlock 70, Pinlock 120, Pinlock XLT?

In addition to regular or Max Vision Pinlocks, you’ll also find different grades of Pinlock lenses. In essence, the lower the number, the cheaper it’ll be and the lower its ability to keep your vision fog free. Which is not to say a Pinlock 30 doesn’t work very well, but if you ride all year round – or you race – you’ll probably want to push up the scale for more performance.

Having said that, while many helmets will come with a Pinlock 70 in the box (the two I regularly use came with 70s in the box) only more premium helmets will come with a Pinlock 120. And 120s are only available with certain brands and helmet models.

Various-Pinlock-performance-levels — The lower the number, the less effective the Pinlock

Most recently to the market is the Pinlock XLT. That uses an improved substrate to give clearer vision and is, at the time of writing, being used only on Pinlock 120s (though I’m sure that’s bound to change over time).

If you’re looking for a tinted insert, Pinlock 70s and Pinlock 120s are available in smoked versions for sunny days (not that useful where I’m writing from in Manchester!) and amber versions for improved vision in lower light (now you’re talking!).

What are Pinlocks made from?

Pinlocks are actually made from a special type of organic plastic.

Even though the Pinlock looks like a regular transparent plastic, it’s actually derived from wood pulp. This bioplastic has an open structure which allows it to absorb moisture, and Pinlock can create inserts with different levels of open matrix, with the different levels dictating how effective it is at stopping condensation.

That in turn also dictates whether it’ll become a Pinlock 30, 70 or 120 with the 120 having the most open structure and therefore absorbing the most water.

Why does my Pinlock visor keep fogging up?

I’ve had it myself – even on a brand new Pinlock with a brand new helmet – ride in the rain and it totally fogged up. It was no better than a Pinlock-less visor and, credit where credit’s due, after I complained, SportsBikeShop got straight on to Simpson Helmets for me and a replacement was in the post mega quickly – and that new one worked perfectly.

But how come it didn’t work and how come sometimes Pinlocks fog up?

Well, I never got to the bottom of the issue with that new one, but speaking with Pinlock at their Netherlands HQ, they had a couple of suggestions…

Sealing & Pins

First off, it’s vital that the Pinlock is well seated onto the visor and that the silicone seal around the Pinlock is fully sealed. So give yours a thorough visual check.

Pinlock 10 LS2 goggles — You can even buy Pinlock inserts for some goggles.

If you find it’s not properly seated, you might want to move it around a bit to seat it, or it might need adjustment. To do this, the pins on Pinlock lenses are actually eccentric adjusters too, meaning they can be rotated to correctly tension it.

It has to be said, some pins are easier to adjust than others. The pins on my Simpson Venom for example are really small and need a pair of pliers on the hex-side of the pins to gently rotate them, whereas the tear-off pins on my LS2 are large and easy enough to be rotated by hand.

Either way, adjust them little by little on both sides until your Pinlock insert is sealed all the way round.

Ventilation

One other element that’s often forgotten is that, effective though Pinlocks can be, they still need ventilation to work best.

It’s probably the last thing we think about when it’s chucking it down, but if you’re keeping your Pinlock visor closed, you really should keep your helmet vents open to give it a helping hand. Circulating air will really help the Pinlock to do its job by removing moisture-saturated air from the rear of the visor.

Knowing how to operate your vents – including knowing which way’s open and which way’s closed – is often overlooked or easily forgotten. But pushing your chin bar vents open when it’s raining (or visor vents if you’ve got em) can really help your Pinlock keep your visor fog free.

Do Pinlock visors wear out?

As Pinlocks are actually made from bio-plastic (as opposed to petroleum-based like most plastics) Pinlocks can shrink over time. It’s difficult to give them a predicted lifespan as it’s very dependent on how intensively they’ve been used. However, if a helmet is infrequently used and stored in the usual conditions we store our gear in (cupboard, garage etc.) it should last years and, by the sounds of it, might even last the expected lifespan of a helmet which most manufacturers suggest is around 5 years.

The way to tell if your Pinlock is worn out and ready for a change is that over time it’ll shrink slightly and you’ll find it doesn’t seat correctly or moves around inside the Pinlock pins. At that point, you’re ready for a new one.

How to fit a Pinlock Max Vision insert

pinlock crash helmets visor insert — Pinlocks are also available in smoked

How to clean a Pinlock

Pinlocks don’t like many detergents or anything abrasive. They also don’t like hot water. The reason being that some soaps can block the open structure of the Pinlock and stop it working so well – and because it’s an organic plastic, hot water can damage that open matrix too.

So if you need to clean it, use only tepid/warm water. Pinlock suggests lightly cleaning the surface with microfibre cloth first (lightly, to avoid scratching it) then using only luke warm water and mild liquid soap (whatever that is!) and a soft damp cloth, gently clean it before letting it dry naturally. But given I’ve no ideal what mild liquid soap actually is – I think it’s probably best to stick to just the cloth and warm water.

Drawbacks of Pinlocks?

Not many really – and none of them are a fraction of the drawback of having your visor fogging up all the time.

Pinlock 120 amber lens on Arai helmet — You can get Pinlocks in a variety of colours – including amber for low light visibility

Unless they come in the box with your new helmet, they’re an extra cost on top of a visor – usually around £30ish.

They can sometimes slightly impare your vision, with reflections from your face under some riding conditions. They’re pretty good in terms of not distorting the light that comes through, but arguably not as good as not having the Pinlock there in the first place.

The smaller Pinlocks also don’t cover the entire surface of the visor. I had a Shoei XR1000 with a Pinlock on it once and the top of the Pinlock used to get in the way of my vision when I was going for it.

They’re also not always 100%. A recent ride across the Alps with a Pinlock Max Vision and it started to fog up going over the tops – which was a surprise!

However, I know I’d just slapped the Pinlock insert onto the visor without tensioning it correctly – and my vents might well have been closed to keep out the cold. So it might well have been user error too!

I do quite often read about folks who don’t get on with Pinlocks though. And sometimes it can be because people buy them and don’t realise there’s a yellowish scratch-protective backing that’s on them! They just grab the Pinlock, stick it on their visor and find everything looks blurry.

pinlock-yellow-tint-peeling — Don’t forget to peel off the yellow backing before fitting!

To be honest, it’s not really their fault because it’s not that obvious when you buy one; and the instruction diagrams don’t show there’s a backing that needs removing.

But now you know, peel off the backing first before using your Pinlock – you’ll find it much better that way!

Which helmets?

Pinlocks are available for most popular makes of helmet including:

AGV, Arai, Airoh, BMW, Box, Caberg, Givi, Gmax, Grex, HJC, KBC, Lazer, LS2, Marushin, Nolan, Nitro, Schuberth, Scorpion, Shark, Spada, Shoei, Suomy, Takachi, X-lite. They also produce a range of universal Pinlocks that should fit your more generic, more obscure brands of helmet.

Recommended or not?

Definitely recommended. They offer some of the best anti-fog protection out there. I’m also a fan of other sticky anti-fog visor inserts too (ones that adhere to the inside of the visor). However, Pinlock offer one of the best solutions on the market.

Hi-tech shell, good price all-rounder. Premier Devil motorcycle helmet review.

Page Contents

Full Review: Premier Devil Sports Touring Motorcycle Helmet.

Premier helmets really seem to be pushing these days. You never used to hear about Premier but nowadays it seems like they’re releasing a new helmet every month.

premier devil sz13 motorcycle helmet front view — Head on view of the catchily named SZ13 graphic Premier Devil

Which is no bad thing. They’ve been around for decades and, historically, built a great reputation with famous riders like Phil Reed wearing a Premier racing helmet.

The Premier Devil is actually a racing-inspired helmet but designed for use on the road – so more of a sports touring helmet.

It comes in two variants – a slightly more expensive carbon version and a more reasonably priced carbon composite version (though they seem to share a very similar composite fibre construction – see below).

It’s got a decent spec too and the price point is pretty attractive.

So, if you’re looking to buy a new all rounder sports touring helmet, here’s what you can expect from the Premier Devil.

Sports Touring Helmet
Carbon composite shell
Drop down sun visor
Pinlock Included
EQRS
Micrometric fastener
5 year warranty
Sizes XS-XXL
Expect to pay £260-£350 / 300€-400€

Best places to buy a Premier Devil?

Please click below to visit the Premier Devil helmets pages at our recommended stores (click link to find out more about each shop). And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Overall/Summary

The Premier Devil’s a good looking helmet, uses some of the latest shell tech and is on sale at a competitive price.

premier devil U8 gloss white helmet side view — Gloss white Devil U8

Despite being a carbon fibre based lid, it’s not the lightest helmet around (though it’s OK). Ventilation’s no better than adequate and the visor opening could be taller – so watch out if you’re a sportsbike rider.

On the plus side, it’s comfortable, well built and has a useful drop down sun visor and included Pinlock in the box, all features that help make it a decent real world riding helmet.

And because it’s ECE 22.06, backed with quality shell tech and Premier’s reputation for making helmets that offer good protection, it should do the business if the worst happens and you end up testing it out on the tarmac.

All in all, it’s well worth considering if you’re after a nice looking, all-rounder helmet with some genuinely useful features. Though you might also want to check out our suggested alternatives at the bottom of the page or our take a look at our Top 10 best rated helmets pages too.

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

The Premier Devil’s designed to have a sporting look but actually work as more of an all-rounder helmet, suitable for commuting or touring and everything in between.

premier devil sz18 bm helmet rear view — SZ18 graphic Premier Devil

Which is why it’s been designed with a practical side, including a quick and easy micrometric rather than double-d ring fastener (we like micrometrics in sports touring lids) as well as speaker pockets inside to accommodate bluetooth headsets.

Obviously, it’s a piece of protective equipment so you’re probably interested in whether it’ll look after your head in a spill.

Well, it’s got the latest ECE 22.06 certification which is always good to see and means it should be guaranteed to offer at least a good minimum level of protection.

We always scout the likes of SHARP data (and Crash/Snell as well) to see if it’ll give us proper insight into how well helmets protect – where there’s data available. Unfortunately, the Premier Devil hasn’t been tested by any of these independent teasting bodies yet, though a couple of Premiers have been. They both scored a very decent four stars (out of 5) when tested by SHARP (including the retro helmet the Premier Trophy) so it goes to show that Premier certainly know how to make a helmet that protects well.

Whether the Premier Devil will score the same (or better) is impossible to say. However, with a more advanced Carbon composite shell that comes in two shell sizes, it should be decent.

premier devil carbon helmet side view — Plain carbon Premier Devil

In fact, Premier offer the Devil in both ‘carbon’ and composite forms but it seems they’re actually pretty similar shell constructions, with the carbon Devil actually a composite of Carbon fibre and aramid (Kevlar), and the composite fibre helmet including carbon, aramid and dyneema (itself a high tech composite of polythene and polyester). In fact, if anything, on paper it seems like the cheaper composite helmet looks to be slightly higher tech.

Two shell sizes is OK – though we do like to see more as more shell sizes helps optimise looks, fitment, and safety. The best brands make each helmet in three or more shell sizes (Bell even released one helmet in 5 shell sizes).

What is good to see is an EQRS liner with quick release cheek pads to help get the helmet off if you’re in an accident.

All in all, with a long history of helmet making, a decent SHARP track record and some quality helmet tech – all backed by an ECE 22.06 certifiation – the Premier Devil should give you good crash protection.

Take a look at our Best Motorbike Helmet Top 10s to find your next helmet too...

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

The vents on the Devil have a reasonably standard layout.

premier-devil-carbon-BM-helmet-front-view — Crown vent sits high up to avoid the stowed drop down sun visor.

There’s single large crown vent up top, and a single central chin bar vent. What’s good is that the sliders are all nice and large so easy to find in gloves and easy to operate on the move. They reportedly also work well with a nice, smooth action.

And while the word is that chin bar vent seems to let in plenty of air, the top vent is just about OK but less effective. It does let air into the helmet where it can circulate around the top of your head but it’s nothing special.

So if you’re planning lots of touring in hot countries, you might want to check out one of these excellent venting helmets instead.

Visor

(more about visors)

Premier say they’ve made the visor on the Devil 11% bigger – though that doesn’t really mean anything unless you know how big their old visors felt!

On paper, it seems a decent system though. It’s got a quick release visor with a large central lock/opening tab and it comes with a Pinlock in the box. An included Pinlock is always great to see though some owners have moaned that it’s their base level Pinlock so slightly less effective at keeping your visor fog-free.

A couple of useful links…

– All our Sports Touring helmet reviews –
– SHARP 4 & 5 Star reviews –

One other slight moan is that the visor aperture size – despite that 11% bigger claim – is actually quite small. It’s good for peripheral vision but it’s not very tall, so if you’re a sportsbike rider or ride in a more lean-forward position, the top of the visor opening might be a bit low for you (check out our Sportsbike Helmets section instead).

And if you’re set on buying a Premier Devil but worried about whether it’s suitable for your riding position, make sure you’re happy it’ll work before you remove tags and take it out on the road (at which point you can’t return it).

Sun Visor

(more about sun visors)

The Premier Devil’s got a useful integrated drop down sun visor. I always find it’s worth having a sun visor in a helmet. Even if you don’t use it all the time, it’s handy to have it there in reserve for when you’re caught out by a low sun or forget your shades.

premier devil FZ93 road helmet rear view — Premier Devil in FZ93 graphics

The sun visor on the Devil, works from a slider on the bottom left of the helmet. That’s probably the handiest place to put the slider, though it might restrict where you can put your bluetooth controller if you intend to mount one as it’s exactly the same spot you’d be looking to mount it.

Word from Devil owners is that the sun visor works well. It comes down nice and low – which is often a gripe – and while one or two riders reckon it could be tinted darker, it’s worth noting that it’s difficult for helmet makers to make the tint any darker and stay legal, so it’s something we usually just have to live with.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

According to owners, comfort’s generally good in the Devil.

premier devil U9 matt black helmet side view — Plain matt black Devil. Sun visor slider is on the bottom edge of the helmet.

It has a fully removable/washable interior with large ear pockets to fit speakers. It’s also got emergency quick release cheek pads which are handy for when you want to whip out the inside to wash the liner (as well as if paramedics ever need to gently remove your helmet after an accident).

While it’s a comfortable helmet, it’s not the lightest for a carbon fibre full face lid. Premier reckon the carbon version is around 1.4kg (that’s the cut-off weight for our lighest helmets section) while the composite carbon version is around 100g heavier (though size XL is reportedly around 100g heavier than that).

None of those weights are deal breakers and you’ll probably find it a decent weight while on the move – just that it’s not a particularly lightweight helmet.

Looks & Graphics

It’s always subjective of course, but I think you’ll agree that the Premier Devil is a good looking helmet – especially in the carbon weave.

premier devil carbon STY helmet rear view — Rear view of the Carbon STY: carbon with hi viz highlights

If you’re still a sucker for that exposed carbon (like I am) then you can get a plain and clear-lacquered Carbon as well as the Carbon BM which is kind of a lighter coloured matt carbon look. There’s also a few other carbon helmets with a range of coloured highlights – the Carbon ST range.

If you’re more interested in the lower price carbon composite helmets, then there’s a range of modern-looking tasteful graphics available.

As usual, we’ve included a selection of these up and down the page but if you want to see the full range or the latest released graphics, as well as deals on older designs – then please click below to drop straight onto the Premier Devil helmets pages at some of our recommended retailers.

Best places to buy a Premier Devil Helmet?

Please click below to visit the Premier Devil helmets pages at our recommended stores (click link to find out more about each shop). And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Premier Devil Video

There aren’t really any English language Premier Devil videos around, but we found this quick look around the Devil carbon on youtube (no talking just a bit of music).

Other stuff: fasteners, bluetooth, glasses, build quality, warranty

Fasteners

Premier Devils come with a metal micrometric fastener. If you find double-d ring fasteners fiddly, the micrometric is a great alternative. They’re safe and super quick to fasten up and unlock.

Bluetooth Headsets and Speakers

premier devil EV13 motorcycle helmet side view — Premier Devil EV13

If you’re wanting to fit a bluetooth communicator to your next helmet you should be OK with a Premier Devil as there’s some decent size speaker pockets in there. The only slight hiccup might be that the sun visor slider’s just where you might want to mount the controller.

Premier says the Devil is Bluetooth Smart ready – which I assume is the name of their own bluetooth headset, though I couldn’t find any info about it on Premier’s website or any other website. Maybe there’ll be more info on the way.

Glasses Inside a Premier Devil

If you’re a glasses wearer, you’ll find glasses grooves inside so you should be OK. The only other thing to think about is the height of the visor aperture as it’s not the biggest on the Devil so if you wear particularly large glasses, it’s worth trying them on inside the helmet before you commit to keeping it.

Build Quality and Warranty

The word is that build quality on the Devil is good – with quality materials used and a nice finish. And it’s nice to see Premier having faith in their own quality control by backing the Devil with a 5 year warranty – that’s about as long as helmet warranties come.

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Good Alternatives to the Premier Devil?

hjc f70 mago orange red crash helmet side view — Another Mago F70, this time in black and red

Here’s some other helmets we reckon you might like that are a similar price point to the Premier Devil.

The HJC F70 is a well liked fibreglass full face helmet. It’s been SHARP 4 star rated for safety, comes with a Pinlock and sun visor and costs around the same as the Devil.

Caberg-Levante-hi-vizion-modular-motorcycle-crash-helmet — Caberg Levo

If you’d consider a modular, the Caberg Levo is a composite fibre flip-up helmet that costs about the same and is well rated. Again, it’s SHARP 4 star and has a sun visor and Pinlock.

If your budget can stretch a little, Shoei’s NXR2 is a well rated SHARP 5 star sports touring helmet that’s on the lighter side and comes with a Pinlock and EQRS liner. It’s a high quality helmet from one of the worlds premier helmet brands too.

You’ll find further great alternatives in our Top 10 Best Helmets Lists.

HTML quick link to make category page

Best places to buy a Premier Devil?

Please click below to visit the Premier Devil helmets pages at our recommended stores (click link to find out more about each shop). And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Star Ratings

The Most Popular Movie Videogame Franchise Motorcycle Helmets.

predator-venom-iron-man-movie-motorcycle-helmets-featured

Page Contents

Film, Movie and Video Franchise Motorcycle Helmets.

We’ve all seen riders wearing helmets with attachments – ears, antennae and tails, that sort of thing. They’re usually add-ons that don’t cause any damage to the helmet and are there for a bit of fun – maybe to entertain the kids.

But if you want to take things to the next level, novelty helmets are available for lots of film and videogame franchises that can look properly scary… or just plain weird.

Here we’ve complied a list of the most popular ones – as searched for on Google and usually available through Amazon.

We hasten to add, while they advertise as being ECE or DOT certified for use on the road, we have no way of verifying if they’re genuine helmets with genuine certification. And we suggest some might be OK for a quick jaunt on an Easter egg or Christmas present run or the like, it’s probably not worth the risk for more serious distance riding.

Oh, and some seem to be shipped direct from China so you might have to wait a while for delivery – though some are stocked by Amazon too.

Anyhow, in order of popularity as searched for on Google, here’s a load of novelty motorcycle helmets – most are road-legal (but always check the small print if you intend to buy one!).

Predator Motorcycle Helmet

Predator helmets are based on the 20^th Century Fox franchise. They’ve since become five films and umpteen videogames along with a few Alien v Predator TV series. No wonder folk still want to dress like a Predator.

Fun fact – the predators are a species known as Yautja and were designed by Stan Winston, the same guy who worked on Terminator and Jurassic Park.

Buying a Predator Helmet

Most are made from thermoplastic but there are some made from fibreglass and even carbon fibre. Prices seem to range from £200 (225€) to (gulp!) £600 (675€) and some even have light up panels underneath the dreadlocks. Below are ads for some of the most popular and best rated Predator Helmets we found on Amazon.

Batman Motorcycle Helmet

OK, next most searched for is the Batman motorcycle helmet.

Batman’s been around since the 1930’s, and like Predator, it’s been made into a zillion different TV series and films (around 30 according to IMDB!), not to mention having its own DC comic since 1940.

So it’s not really a massive surprise that the occasional rider quite fancies sticking on a Batman helmet and going for a ride.

Buying a Batman helmet

There’s basically two types available on Amazon. The first (below left) is an ABS Plastic full face that claims to be ECE and DOT certified. It’s essentially a black full face with a pair of ears attached to the top (which can be removed) and it looks pretty cool, especially with a dark visor – though it’s unclear whether it comes with a tinted or clear visor. It actually also has built-in bluetooth kit – mic and speakers which is reasonably astounding for a budget novelty lid!

The second Batman helmet is an open-face, also advertised as a proper ECE/DOT helmet with an ABS shell and double d-ring fastener. Not entirely sure I’d be comfortable riding with non-removable lenses in front of my eyes though!

Venom Motorcycle Helmet

Almost as popular as the Batman helmet is the Venom. Venom first appeared in Marvel comics in 1984 and is one of Spiderman’s chief arch enemies. We all like to play the bad guy from time to time so I guess that’s why Venom’s so popular – that and his massive toothy grin suits decorating an evil looking helmet.

Buying a Venom Helmet

Unlike the Batman and Predator helmets, the Venom licence has been picked up by HJC so you can buy a proper protective motorcycle helmet by one of the bigger brands in Venom graphics. In the case of the Venom, that’s an HJC RPHA 11 helmet.

If you particularly like that grinning look, there’s also a Joker and Green Goblin helmet that’s kinda similar.

Iron Man Motorcycle Helmet

Iron Man’s another Marvel property, this time co-designed by the legendary Stan Lee and first appearing in the Marvel in 1963. In 2010, the latest franchise movies started with Robert Downey Jr starring and when dressing up as Iron Man at Cosplay events really took off – sometimes complete with fully articulating face pieces and electronic lighting.

Buying an Iron Man Motorcycle helmet

Buying an Iron Man helmet that’s road legal is a bit trickier than for some of the other helmets we’ve looked at. While the first helmet (below) reckons it’s both ECE and DOT certified, I’d have to say that’s doubtful given the restricted view through the eye holes because both standards specify a certain size of view port.

Even if they are genuinely legal, it’s not advisable to wear any helmet that’s going to obscure your vision when riding. That said, if you really must get an Iron Man helmet, here’s some of the best rated and reviewed we’ve found on Amazon.

Other non-motorcycle helmets

Star Wars Helmets

You can buy Mandalorian Boba Fett, Darth Vader and Storm Trooper helmets on Amazon – but all the ones I found are just cosplay helmets and not suitable/legal for riding on a motorcycle.

Here’s some of the best reviewed non-motorcycle Star Wars helmets we found at Amazon:

Halo Master Chief Motorcycle Helmet

Same as the Star Wars helmets, all of the Master Chief helmets are costume helmets and not for riding a motorcycle with. There was a company a few years back who reckoned they’d made a Halo Helmet that was DOT certified but I’m not sure it ever hit the shelves.

If you simply must have a Halo Master Chief Motorcycle helmet and don’t intend to ride in it, then here’s some of the best we’ve seen found Amazon.

Take a look at our Best Motorbike Helmet Top 10s to find your next helmet too...

Axxis helmets coming to the UK

There’s a new helmet brand coming into the UK this Spring. Axxis is a Spanish brand with an already large range of helmets covering pretty much any helmet type you care to mention.

axxis draken s full face side view — The Draken S is Axxis’ budget full face thermoplastic helmet starting around £60

Their helmets cover most price brackets – from the mega budget Draken S full face that starts in plain colours at around £60 (ECE 22.06 and includes a Pinlock) to their £400 Cobra carbon fibre full face complete with extra dark visor and included Pinlock.

They also have a Racer GP sportsbike full face and the Hawk Evo SV with sun visor in their lineup.

Modulars include the Storm, Hunter and Gecko – again all with sun visors and covering a range of price points. They also have a range of six open face helmets and a couple of off road helmets too.

Take a look at our Best Motorbike Helmet Top 10s to find your next helmet too...

And while there’s a helmet for every budget, it’s great to see that all their helmets -whatever the price – come backed with a full 5 year warranty. That’s pretty rare especially for low price helmets.

axxis square solid gloss black open face helmet — Axxis Square open face

Axxis helmets are distributed in the UK by well-known distributor Bickers so you should start to see them pop up into bike dealers near you quite soon.

axxis cobra rage carbon helmet side view — Top of the range Axxis Cobra carbone full face

Some useful links...

ACU Gold ¦ ADV Helmets ¦ Anti-fog Helmets ¦ Budget Helmets ¦ Carbon Fibre Helmets ¦ Cheapest Helmets ¦ Most Comfortable Helmets ¦ Communicator Ready Helmets ¦ Commuting Helmets ¦ Composite Helmets ¦ Coolest Helmets ¦ D-Ring Helmets ¦ Dual Homologated Modulars ¦ Dual Sports Helmets ¦ ECE 22.05 Certified Helmets ¦ ECE 22.06 Helmets ¦ EQRS Helmets ¦ Expensive Helmets ¦ Extreme Sizes ¦ Fibreglass Helmets ¦ FIM Track Helmets ¦ Flip-over modulars ¦ Full Face Helmets ¦ Helmets for Glasses ¦ Integrated Bluetooth ¦ Light Weight Helmets ¦ Long Oval Helmets ¦ Medium Oval Helmets ¦ Micrometric Fastener Helmets ¦ MIPS helmets ¦ Modular Helmets ¦ Motocross Helmets ¦ Open Face Helmets ¦ Optical Visor Helmets ¦ Photochromic Visor Helmets ¦ Pinlock Helmets ¦ Polycarbonate Helmets ¦ Quick Change Visor Helmets ¦ Quietest Helmets ¦ Retro Helmets ¦ Safest Helmets ¦ SHARP 5 Star Helmets ¦ Sportsbike Helmets ¦ Sports Touring Helmets ¦ Sun Visor Helmets ¦ Tear-off Visor Helmets ¦ Thermoplastic Helmets ¦ Track Helmets ¦ Good Ventilation Helmets ¦ Great Value Helmets ¦ Wide Visor Helmets

LS2 MX701 Explorer adventure motorcycle helmet review.

Page Contents

LS2 MX701 Explorer Adventure Helmet: modern, great value & versatile.

LS2 are a funny bunch. Historically, they’re mostly known for pushing out a large number of lower priced helmets. But nowadays, their helmets are really upping the ante and they’re creating some well designed, high spec lids that are – in theory at least – giving the big boys a run for their money.

carbon fibre ls2 explorer adventure helmet bottom view — Rear view of the LS2 Explorer carbon ‘black’ helmet

And leaving me, for one, a little confused about who they are and what they offer.

And that’s from someone who’s daily helmet is a carbon LS2 Arrow (which I’m finding to be a seriously fantastic helmet btw!)

The LS2 MX701 Explorer is a great case in point. It comes in two flavours – an HPFC shelled version (that’s fibreglass to you and me) and a carbon fibre version. They both look great and they’re both covered in all the goodies you’ll be looking for in an adventure helmet.

So, it does leave me wondering if there’s much point in paying any more for a helmet from one of the big brands when you can get so much value for money buying an LS2.

So, let’s take a look over the Explorer. If you’re in the market for a new dual-sport/adventure helmet, then here’s what the LS2 Explorer offers – as ever including the views and thoughts of actual owners – and check out our suggested alternatives at the bottom for some fully reviewed and fantastic alternatives.

Dual sport adventure helmet
Fibreglass and Carbon versions
EQRS
3 shell sizes
Long oval fitment
Micrometric fastener
Pinlock-ready visor
Integral sun visor
Optically correct visor
Sizes XS-XXL
Expect to pay
- Fibreglass: £200 (225€)
- Carbon: £300-£320 (340€-360€)

Best places to buy an LS2 Explorer?

Please click below to visit the LS2 Explorer helmets pages at our recommended stores (click link to find out more about each shop). And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Overall/Summary

LS2 say the Explorer has been created from the ground up to be the best adventure helmet around. And while it’s probably not, it’s a great value, modern looking lid that certainly delivers a lot of features the the money.

If you’re doing a bit of adventuring, you might find it’s not the coolest helmet (though it’s OK for less demanding on-road work).

ls2 explorer alter matt fluo orange motorcycle helmet sideview — Fluo orange Alter graphic Explorer

And if you do intend to do most of your miles on the road, you can rip off the peak to help with the aero if you like (slapping it back on if you hit the dirt).

That visor’s nice and wide and comes with a Pinlock in the box to help keep vision clear. It’s also optically correct and backed up with a drop down sun visor which all works well.

Every adventure helmet should have an EQRS liner these days – like the Explorer – and it needs to be comfortable and light. Check the comfort once you buy it as there can be niggles (see comfort section below), but it’s a pretty light helmet whether you buy the carbon fibre or fibreglass version so you should be OK there.

Yes, there’s a question mark about how great the protection will be when push comes to shove – though it is ECE 22.05 tested. But like many LS2 helmets, there’s certainly no question mark over the value the Explorer offers. It’s rare to find a carbon fibre helmet at such a low price point – and especially one that ticks all the adventure helmet boxes.

Most owners love the Explorer for good value for money and for its modern design. Many (not all) find the build quality excellent too – plus it has all the features most of us are looking for in an ADV helmet.

Overall then, if you’re in the market for a new dual-sport helmet and like getting value for your money, the LS2 Explorer might be worth a try. It’s probably not the best adventure helmet out there, but it’s a good helmet. See the bottom of the page for some alternatives – or check out all our Adventure helmet reviews.

Shell & Safety

(more about helmet safety)

Both the fibreglass and carbon versions of the Explorer are made in 3 shell sizes to optimise fit and looks – and safety.

ls2 explorer frontier carbon motorcycle helmet side view — Carbon fibre Frontier Explorer

The carbon version is slightly lighter – it’s been weighed to around 1.5Kg in size M – whereas the fibreglass version will be around 100g heavier. That’s not a lot of difference but in terms of safety, every gramme of weight saving helps as it’ll reduce the amount of interia generated by the weight of the helmet during an impact.

It’ll also mean it’s that little bit more comfortable and easy to live with day to day.

Other safety features include an emergency quick release liner (see EQRS), Pinlock Max Vision insert included to keep your visor fog-free, metal micrometric fastner which are really easy to use and good solid fasteners, and a visor with very good peripheral vision.

There’s also an integral drop down sun visor for when the sun’s in danger of obscuring your vision.

They’re all great safety features to have… but what about the helmet shell itself?

Well, all Explorers are ECE 22.05 certified (DOT if you buy one in the US) so should give a decent amount of impact protection, but beyond that it’s hard to say.

ls2 explorer extend adv motorcycle helmet front view — Front view of the LS2 Explorer Extend graphic

It does have a multi-density EPS to help it absorb different levels of energy – which is good to see. But looking back at SHARP helmet test data, LS2 helmets have scored just over 3 stars for safety over the years (out of a maximum 5) though that’s mostly for their cheaper polycarbonate helmets.

There haven’t been any carbon LS2 helmets tested so far, but there have been two fibreglass helmets tested to date and both have scored 4 stars. Whether that’s indicative of how well the LS2 explorer scores if it was to be tested remains to be seen.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

Despite having a ton of vent holes in the shell and that large peak up top, it seems that LS2’s done an excellent job sound deadening the Explorer.

Yes, we found a few owners who said it was a loud helmet (as you always do with something as subjective as helmet noise), but most owners reckon it’s a really quiet helmet – probably one of the quietest adventure helmets out there.

So, if you need an ADV helmet but want a quiet ride, the LS2 Explorer’s definitely worth checking out (and maybe check out our quietest helmets page too).

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

The Explorer has a wide range of vents that should give it excellent ventilation. It’s what LS2 calls their dynamic flow-through ventilation which basically means a load of vents, all open/closeable and with a bit of a sucking action going on around the exhaust vents at the back of the helmet (from the aero) to help increase airflow.

ls2 explorer extend matt military green helmet rear view — You can see most of the rear exhaust vents on this Extend graphic Explorer

The Explorer has a nice, large motocross-stylee chin bar vent, a pair of crown vents, pair of side vents and a smattering of large and small rear exhausts. And all are closeable for when things get cold or wet.

Those top and side vents take air through the helmet and circulate it around the head through channels in the polystyrene liner – pushing it out of the rear exhausts aftewards.

The system’s design checks all the boxes but there’s mixed reviews on how well it actually performs. Some folks riding in very hot places reckon it’s great – others say it could do with more cooling around the head. Overall, it’s probably around average for ventilation – so that means if your road riding it’ll probably be mostly OK, but if you’re getting a workout doing a bit of proper adventuring, then you might find it’sa bit on the warm side.

Visor

(more about visors)

The visor system on the Explorer ticks all the boxes too.

It’s a quick release visor (visors on dual sports helmets aren’t always quick change) and it’s nice and wide meaning better all round vision. LS2 say it’s made to be optically correct too and, like all polycarb visors, it’ll give excellent UV protection – somewhere over 95% at least.

A couple of useful links…

– All our Adventure Helmet reviews –
– Visit our Smart Filters to find the right lid –

One piece of great news is that, for a very competitively priced helmet, it also comes with a Pinlock Max Vision anti-fog insert in the box which should mean you never have to suffer from a badly fogging visor. Hurrah.

ls2 explorer solid white adventure motorcycle helmet side view — Solid gloss white Explorer

Finally, the visor has a lock on it. Locks can be a little fiddly to unlock and the visor lock on the Explorer is a little on the small size. However, it stands proud of the shell and we didn’t find anyone complaining about it, so it seems like this one’s OK.

In fact we didn’t really find any negative comments about the visor system – just positives. The Pinlock works well in all but the most extreme conditions and that wide field of view is universally praised. OK it could offer a better downwards view of the clocks but that’s an issue with most ADV helmets and their chunky chin bars.

Sun Visor and Peak

(more about sun visors)

There’s also a polycarb internal sun visor on the LS2 Explorer. It’s operated with a slider on the bottom edge of the shell – that’s the position favoured by most riders as it’s really easy to find and operate.

Having the slider there can limit the available space for a 3rd party intercom, though in the case of the Explorer, it’s set back far enough to not cause too many problems (*but see bluetooth section below).

The sun visor’s well liked with the only occasional negative comments being that it could drop a little lower and it’s a bit of a bugger to refit if you ever pull it out.

carbon fibre ls2 explorer adventure helmet top view — Another view of the carbon black Explorer – showing vented peak and sun visor down

Like many adventure helmets, the peak can be removed to convert the helmet into a more road-focused lid. It’s also up/down adjustable by loosening the screw at the top of the helmet – which can help with aero and shielding from the sun a little (a few owners commented there’s more adjustment on the peak on the Explorer than most other adventure helmets).

Many of the most recent adventure helmets have a vented peak to help with its aero characteristics and it’s good to see LS2 following suit. Most owners reckon the peak’s aero is good though there are some who complain of vibration and noise so it seems like it’s very bike and rider dependent.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

The main thing to note about the LS2 Explorer is that it’s designed for riders with longer oval heads. So, if you’ve got a rounder or medium oval head, you may find that it presses on the sides a little.

ls2 explorer extend adv motorcycle helmet side view — Another Extend graphic fibreglass Explorer

That’s just something worth bearing in mind if you buy one (and make sure you buy from a retailer who’ll swap it out with no quibbles if it doesn’t fit right).

In fact, quite a few Explorer owners reckon that they found pressure points inside their helmets – so it’s definitely one to wear inside the house for a good while if you think it might be a bit tight – BEFORE you commit to ride in it (after which you won’t be able to return it).

Also, several owners said it tends to size a bit on the small side – so if you’re between sizes, it sounds like you should definitely go for the larger size.

The liner is hypoallergenic and fully removable and washable.

It’s also EQRS or emergency quick release, meaning there’s a pair of tabs on the bottom that are designed to be pulled and quickly release the cheek pads to help emergency services more easily remove your helmet.

Hopefully, you’ll never need it but – especially in an adventure helmet – it’s worth having there just in case.

The liner isn’t anything particularly fancy, but the word is it’s of decent quality, comfortable and wicks sweat away OK.

Both the fibreglass and carbon versions are available in fitment sizes XS-XXL.

Looks & Graphics

The LS2 Explorer very much looks the part when it comes to a modern dual-sport helmet. There’s a wide range of graphics available too – and several plains if you’re more of a purist.

ls2 explorer alter hi viz yellow motorbike helmet rear view — There’s a couple of high viz options too…

If the carbon fibre version’s grabbed your interest (and why not at this price!) then you can of course find a plan ‘carbon black’ version that shows off the carbon fibre weave. But there’s also a couple of carbons that offer a lick of colour in the Frontier, Extend and Focus carbon graphic helmets.

In fibreglass, there’s just two plains – a matt black and a gloss white, along with the Camo-X and Alter graphics (in 3 colourways).

As always, to find the latest graphics and deals, please click the links below that’ll drop you right onto their LS2 Explorer helmet pages.

Best places to buy an LS2 Explorer helmet?

Please click below to visit the LS2 Explorer helmets pages at our recommended stores (click link to find out more about each shop). And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

LS2 Explorer Video

Here’s a 4m look around the Explorer from some guy at LS2 US.

Other stuff – fasteners, bluetooth, warranty

The Explorer comes with a metal micrometric fastener. I’m a great fan of how easy micrometrics are to use, and if they’re regularly adjusted, they’re as safe as any fastener out there.

ls2 explorer matt black adv motorcycle helmet underneath — The fibreglass matt black Explorer from below

As for a bluetooth communicator – it’s designed to fit the LS2 Linkin Ride Pal, so that’s probably the one to go for if you’re looking for a more integrated solution. It also means there is space for speakers in there too if you’re wanting to fit your own headset.

Word is they’re not the deepest speaker pockets but if you have slim speakers you should be OK. We’ve heard from owners of Cardo Packtalk Bolds and Sena SMH5s who said theirs fitted fine.

The main issue with fitting your own 3rd party bluetooth to the Explorer is that the sides aren’t flat so it can be tricky to fit your controller with a sticky mount. And the sun visor slider can interfere with fitting a clamp mount too – so it can take a bit of trial and error to get it fitting right. Still, I guess that’s often the case with fitting 3rd party bluetooth kits to helmets.

Not all LS2 helmets come with a 5 year warranty, but the good news is that, in the UK at least, the Explorer does – as usual, covering manufacturing defects only.

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Good Alternatives to the LS2 Explorer?

Click the link to find all the dual sport/adventure helmets we’ve covered so far. Adventure bikes are really popular these days, which means helmet makers have been keen to get adventure helmets out there, so there’s a lot of choice.

ls2-pioneer-solid-white-dirt-bike-adventure-helmet-side-view- — LS2 Pioneer

LS2’s own Pioneer Evo is highly rated and cheap too. It’s got EQRS and a sun visor and it’s half the price of the Explorer if you don’t mind wearing a polycarb lid.

caberg tourmax in matt black paint — Tourmax in matt black

For around the same price as the Explorer, you can buy Caberg’s excellent flip-front adventure helmet, the Tourmax. It’s SHARP 5 star rated too, though it’s a bit on the lardy side (aren’t we all) and a bit noisy (like most modulars).

arai xd4 Tour X4 hi viz neon yellow crash helmet side view — Arai Tour-X 4

Towards the top of the pile is the fibreglass adventure helmet from Arai, the Tour X4. It’s a well liked helmet that has three configs, turning it from a road to an adv to a dirt helmet. It hasn’t been SHARP tested in the UK but it’s Snell certified for safety in the US.

Same goes for Shoei’s Hornet ADV – and that’s Ride magazine recommended too. It’s a fibreglass helmet that’s comfortable, well built and with a well designed peak.

Shoei Hornet-X2 ADV solid white crash helmet — Shoei Hornet ADV

Other Adventure/Dual-Sports helmets?

There are lots of other Adventure/Dual Sports crash helmets out there, so please check out our Adventure motorcycle helmets page to see all our other reviews and previews. Or, if you're looking for the safest tested helmets on the market, you might want to take a look at our safest motorcycle helmets pages where you'll only find helmets that are SHARP four or five star rated - so you'll know you're wearing the best protection out there.

Best places to buy an LS2 Explorer?

Please click below to visit the LS2 Explorer helmets pages at our recommended stores (click link to find out more about each shop). And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Star Ratings

MCN LS2 Explorer: Quality 3/5, Value 3/5