The World’s 1st 2nd Sports Modular Crash Helmet: the AGV Sport Modular

It’s billed by AGV as the world’s first sports-modular (flip-front) helmet. OK, that’s not entirely true, because Schuberth’s C4 flip-up helmet got there first. Still, it’s great to see helmet makers pushing back the envelope – and with the rise and rise in popularity of flip-up crash helmets, the world’s definitely ready for more sportsbike-focused modular helmets.

AGV say the Sport Modular offers the same level of safety protection as their top of the range sportsbike helmets, including the SHARP 5 star rated Pista GP-R.

And even though the Sport Modular is a full carbon fibre helmet with a 5 layer shock absorbing EPS liner – that’s some bold claim!

So, let’s take a look at what the AGV Sport Modular helmet offers.

• Modular helmet designed for sportsbikes
• Full carbon fibre shell and chin guard
• SHARP 4 Star safety rated
• 3 shell sizes
• 5 density EPS
• Integrated sun visor
• Class 1 optically correct visor
• Double-D ring fastener
• Pinlock anti-fog insert included
• Ride Magazine: Recommended
• 1.45Kg (3.25lbs) – light for a modular
• Sizes XXS-XXXL
• Price £575-£650

Best places to buy an AGV Sportmodular?

Please click below to drop onto the AGV Sportmodular helmets pages at Amazon and 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).

When you’re looking at the safety of modular helmets, there’s two things you have to consider (apart from getting the fitment just right) – and that’s the helmet shell and the chin guard.

AGV certainly know how to make a safe motorcycle helmet (check our list of the safest helmet brands to see how safe). They’ve been making bike helmets since 1947 and make helmets for some of the world’s greatest motorcycle racers, including the GOAT himself (no, not Marquez… Rossi!).

The Pista GP and its successor, the Pista GP-R are the only other full carbon helmets they’ve made to date and they’re both top (5 star) rated for safety by SHARP.

Well, in 2018 the SHARP testing labs got their hands on the Sport Modular and it was awarded four stars out of five. That’s a great result, but probably not quite the one AGV were after. IT also wrong-footed much of the press; loads of motorcycle websites still carry the story that the SportModular WILL be awarded a 5 star rating from SHARP.

Obviously, with the SportModular being a flip-up helmet, we also want that chin guard to stay firmly locked during all impacts – in the lab as well as on the road.

SHARP testing tracks the number of times a chin bar comes unlocked during testing, and in the case of the Sport Modular, they scored it a 97%, meaning the chin bar came unlocked once during testing. Again, I think that’s pretty good – not perfect, but I’d be happy buying a Sport Modular with that score.

With chin guard testing, AGV has done amazingly well over recent years. Of the three modular lids tested by SHARP since 2012 (and before the SportModular), every one remained locked and closed during all impact tests in the labs. That’s very unusual indeed and only Nolan can boast the same success rate.

Plus, AGV has introduced their patented visor lock system (VLS) which is there to reduce the chance of accidental openings too.

So it’s all looking pretty good for the safety of the AGV Sport Modular. And of course it’ll be ECE 22/05 and DOT certified too for the States.

Like all helmets designed for the track, it’ll have a double-d ring fastener (in the case of the Sport Modular, it’s a nice titanium job).

Of course, the fact that the SportModular has a lightweight carbon shell (reports are it’s around 1.3Kg in weight which is incredibly light for any helmet, never mind a modular) is great for safety. It means there’s less impact inertia which means less strain on the brain and the neck during an accident.

There’s also a class 1 optically-correct visor for extremely clear vision and a wide visor aperture for improved peripheral vision.

There’s no EQRS emergency quick release system unfortunately, but that’s about the only safety feature missing from the Sports Modular so we’re hopeful it’s going to offer great accident protection if things go REALLY BAD!

Like an increasing number of helmet makers, AGV designed the Sport Modular in the wind  tunnel. They say that’s resulted in a shell that’s incredibly slippery with reduced buffeting and that gives zero lift at motorway speeds.

But they also say it’s helped make the Sport Modular particularly quiet.

Sportsbike helmets are notoriously noisy – the quest for light weight and superb impact performance is often at the cost of noise reduction.

And of course flip-up helmets are generally noisier than full face helmets any way.

But aside from the great aero capabilities, AGV say they’ve engineered a pressure-free fit, designed to reduce helmet noise.

Well, looking at comments and reviews from around the web, there’s a massive range of opinions on the noise level inside the Sport Modular. Some people say it’s deafeningly loud while others reckon it’s almost whisper quiet; with lots of people comparing it to their last helmets. It looks like most folk’s opinions are dependent on what helmets they’re used to wearing and their riding style. So, if your current helmet is really quiet, expect the SportModular to be on the noisy side, and vice versa.

Overall then, we’re gonna rate the SportModular as about average for noise. Which, for a sportsbike-oriented modular helmet, is pretty good going. That’s because sportsbike helmets tend to be louder than the average helmet, and so do modulars – so to combine the two and make a helmet that’s about average for noise suppression is actually a job well done!

There’s a single chin vent in the chin guard, a single crown vent and a single exhaust vent in the shell of the SportsModular.

But it’s often not the number of vents – it’s how well they’re designed that counts.

AGV use a system that they’ve called IVS or Integrated Ventilation System.

What that means is actually pretty conventional: all the external vents direct air through the helmet shell, through channels in the lining and onto the head. Although, with a helmet with an integral sun visor that sits right where you need the vent channels to sit, it’s a bit more of an involved process.

AGV’s other modular helmet that also has an integral sun visor – the AGV Compact – vents very well, so it can be done. But unlike the Compact, the Sport Modular positions its single vent centrally and directly above where the retracted sun visor sits, making routing of the vent around the scalp potentially very tricky.

Which is probably one of the reasons it’s resulted in a helmet that’s got reasonable ventilation, but not the best.

If you ride somewhere that’s regularly hot, then you might want to try one of our best venting helmets instead. But if you ride in more temperate places – and don’t spend a lot of time on the track – the ventilation on the Sport Modular should be OK. And with the included Pinlock, you shouldn’t have problems with your visor misting up either.

If you’re after a helmet that works with your sportsbike, then you need a particularly effective visor system.

By that, I mean it’s gotta give masses of vision both vertically and horizontally. Vertically for when your head’s down in a racing tuck and horizontally so you can see who’s sliding up on the inside to throw a block pass on you!

With the SportModular, AGV reckon they’ve designed-in a 190 degree horizontal field of view – the same as the human eye’s visual range. Owners agree that it’s got an amazingly wide field of view – which has gotta be a very good thing both on and off the track.

Of course, both the main visor and the sun visor are anti-scratch and the main visor is Pinlock anti-fog ready and a Pinlock is included in the box.

The main visor is also quick-release for fast visor-swaps and it’s class 1 optically correct to virtually obliterate visor distortions (not that they’re a problem for most of us with our more standard visors).

And like most track or sportsbike focused helmets, there’s also a visor lock (front centre, directly above the chin vent) to keep the visor firmly closed as you ramp up the speed (or  when you hit the gravel trap!)

The chin guard on the Sport Modular has a metal opening mechanism, designed for maximum strength and to minimise the chance of it opening in an impact.

And like the rest of the helmet shell, the chin guard is made of carbon fibre. Now, that’s pretty unusual because most modulars with hi-tech shells still tend to have polycarbonate chin guards to keep costs and weight down.

To date, AGV have an excellent reputation for making modulars with safe chin guards that resist opening under impact. And that’s pretty well continued with the Sport Modular, because during SHARP testing they scored 97% for the chin guard, meaning – if my maths serves me well – the chin guard unlocked only once during 32 impact tests.

OK, so it’s not perfect, but it’s very near and is actually a great result in comparison to most brands’ tested chin guards.

AGV advertises the SportsModular as an incredibly light weight helmet. Well, that’s kinda true in that it’s very light weight for a flip-up helmet, but because modulars are generally heavier than full face helmets, it’s actually about average if you compare it to the typical full face.

Their website says it’s about 1.35Kg (3lbs) but that must be for the smallest sizes because for a large, it’s more like 1.45Kg – and it’ll be even more for the larger sizes.

Of course, figures on paper don’t really matter too much in comparison to how a helmet feels – and overwhelmingly owners say it feels really light weight when they’re wearing it.

Less weight is going to help with making a helmet more comfortable over longer rides and actually contributes to safety too if you did have an accident.

Inside the Sport Modular, there’s a removable/washable lining of course. But what’s interesting about the Sport Modular’s crown pad is that there’s a warm and a cool side – one for the winter and one for summer riding!

The winter side has a Shalimar fabric lining – that’s an AGV fabric that’s comfortable and warms up quickly.

Whereas the summer, cooler side uses a material called Ritmo – apparently making for a cooling, moisture wicking and anti-microbial lining.

That sounds like a great idea and is sure to be one that’s copied by other makers in the coming months.

There’s also a removable noise and wind protector together with an anti-water treated Nubuk fabric neck roll.

One thing that’s worth noting is that several owners commented that the double-d ring strap is mounted too far back, pulling into their throats and making the helmet uncomfortable. In fact, in our research, that’s probably the single biggest deal breaker for most owners. So be warned – if you do buy a Sport Modular (in fact if you buy any helmet online) you need to make sure you can return it without any fuss if it turns out the strap is uncomfortable for you too.

As always, all our recommended retailers offer no quibble refunds/replacements 🙂

All in all, there’s been a ton of thought and design lavished on the inside of the Sport Modular and owners universally say it’s a plush feeling, comfortable helmet that’s good for long hours in the saddle.

Looks & Graphics

There’s only a few variations of the sports modular helmet out at the moment – and there may never be too many because AGV are keen to show off that gorgeous carbon fibre weave as much as they can, so that limits the number of designs they offer.

Having said that, beside a few variants on the plain lacquered raw carbon versions, there’s also a hi-vis version, a plain white ‘aero’ version and a classy Aero Carbon Red version of the Sport Modular (see the top photo) – as well as the Tricolore with it’s subtle Italian Trocolore breaking up the carbon weave. Nice.

To find any more designs released since we wrote this article – and find the latest deals on the AGV SportModular, please click through the links to the AGV helmets pages of our recommended retailers below.

Best places to buy an AGV Sportmodular Helmet?

Please click below to drop onto the AGV Sportmodular helmets pages at Amazon and 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 Sport Modular Video

Other stuff – glasses, aero, communicator, warranty

AGV have made a glasses-friendly interior on the SportModular, so you should be able to slot the arms of your glasses in without fuss and ride without them sticking into the side of your head.

Of course, the Sport Modular is a sports helmet that needs to work on the track too. Which means it needs to be stable and aerodynamic, and not be prone to buffeting. Well the good news is that AGV has done a good job here because riders from nakeds to track missiles report that the aero performance of the Sport Modular is excellent, with exceptional high speed stability and minimal buffeting.

If you’re looking to fit a bluetooth kit to your SportModular, there are speaker pockets in there so you should be good. We’ve seen Sena owners say their kit fitted really easily but if you’re looking to add a communicator that needs to grip to the bottom rim of the helmet, you might find that the sun visor slider gets in the way as it’s low down on the left.

All AGV helmets come with a minimum 2 year warranty – extendable by registering your helmet with AGV within 60 days of purchase.

Overall/Summary

There’s undoubtedly a real place for innovation in the modular helmet market and the sportsbike and track-capable AGV Sports Modular flip-front helmet is definitely in a new category of helmet – taking on the new Schuberth C4 at its own game.

Its got a glorious full carbon fibre shell and chin guard along with a massive view port, cool/warm liner and, for a flip-up helmet, it’s light weight, and will appeal to a host of sportsbike riders who love the convenience of a modular helmet but who want the safety of a full-on track-helmet.

And the Sport Modular has been SHARP 4 star rated which, along with its 97% rated chin guard (see safety section above), means it should give excellent impact protection too.

Owners say it’s mega stable, is really comfortable to wear and the visor system works really well. Some owners report that the chin strap is mounted too far back; and the ventilation and noise suppression are about average.

But if you’re after a modular helmet for your sportsbike and you’ve got the wedge to spare on this premium-priced AGV, then – one or two niggles aside – the Sports Modular could well be the helmet you’ve been looking for.

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 Sport Modular

We’ve gotta mention the only real alternative to a modular helmet for sportsbikes here – the Schuberth C4. It’s not as light as the AGV but it’s got a massive viewport too, along with integrated comms and 5 year warranty.

If you’re not riding a sportsbike, but want a super light modular helmet, then the only one that comes close is the Lazer monaco. That’s SHARP 4 star rated and is cheaper than the SportsModular – and has excellent ventilation too.

For other great alternatives, see our top 10 flip-up helmets list.

Best places to buy an AGV Sportmodular?

Please click below to drop onto the AGV Sportmodular helmets pages at Amazon and 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