Leatt GPX 6.5 V-16 Carbon Helmet

After testing and really coming to enjoy the Leatt GPX 4.5 gear I was excited to try their GPX 6.5 carbon helmet. For starters, who doesn’t like getting a new helmet and on top of that, it’s a helmet that matched my gear. Leatt has integrated their 360 degree Turbine Technology into this ECE and DOT certified helmet to try and limit injury from rotational forces.

The first thing I noticed when viewing the Leatt was its small shell size. It almost reminds me of a full face mountain bike helmet. The reasoning for the smaller shell is simple; the less mass the helmet has, the less force is transferred to your head. Obviously there is a fine line between cushion and mass, but Leatt feels that their smaller shell is safer. One of the reasons that the shell can be so small is because the V-shaped impact foam is molded directly to the shell. The small turbine structures used in the helmet are designed to deform or collapse when forces reach a certain point, to help cushion the blow to the riders head. 

Fortunately I never got the chance to really test out ALL the safety technology Leatt put into this helmet since I didn’t have a bad crash while wearing it, but here’s what I can tell you. The helmet is small and very light, which is nice because it doesn’t make you feel like a bobble head. I noticed the smaller shell instantly because I had to adjust my goggle strap tighter than I do with most other helmets I have in my rotation. Speaking of goggles, this is where I had my biggest complaint. The eye port/nose guard of the Leatt helmet was barely large enough to fit the array of goggles I use. The Blur magnetic goggles were tight in the eye port and had to be somewhat pushed into place in order to seal to my face. Any wide peripheral goggle like the Scott Prospect and Oakley Airbrake never really sealed well enough to keep dirt/roost out. For riders wearing smaller framed goggles like EKS Brand, 100 percent Accuri and Scott Recoil this wasn’t an issue. The helmet liner/cheek pads were comfortable, snapped in nicely, and after multiple washings didn’t show any signs of wear. One cool (pun intended) feature of the Leatt is the ventilation. This is the best ventilated helmet I’ve worn in quite some time.  Another feature I absolutely love on the V-16 is the hydration hose clip which is built in the chin bar. Instead of having to use a hook and loop strap, or drill holes and zip tie your hydration hose, you can just snap it into the chin bar. 

After riding with the V-16 for quite sometime, I can say I am pleased with the light weight feeling it gives when being worn. On top of that, since I’m an off-road guy I have to say I love the hose clip as well as the excellent venting the helmet offers. On the negative side I don’t think the V-16 is very aesthetically pleasing in my personal opinion. I feel like the small shell gives the helmet a very awkward, small and un-natural look (this could be partially due to my giraffe like neck). The smaller goggle port also makes it tough to find the appropriate goggle to fit inside the Leatt lid. In terms of functionality and safety I have no problem saying that the Leatt is a high quality helmet that has a lot of thought and technology put into it. With a retail price of $599.99 it is in the range of most premium high end helmets, but can you really put a price on keeping your head safe?  -Michael Allen

If you have any questions about this test please feel free to email me at michael@keeferinctesting.com. 

Bell Moto 9 “ET3” Replica Helmet Product Review

I get asked a lot about helmets and which one is the best to purchase. I always answer with “that’s a tough question to ask”, because there are so many variables when it comes to finding the correct helmet for you. It’s not always so black and white when it comes to testing helmets. Putting the helmet on and seeing if it is comfortable to your head shape is step one, making sure you have the correct sizing is another important aspect of getting the correct helmet, your determined price-point and not to mention what technology (the helmet comes with) that makes you feel safe is another. There is just so much to think about when getting a new helmet. I have more of a round shaped noggin and some helmets just don’t fit my head shape that well, but when I got the chance to test the Bell Moto 9, I was excited as I haven't really got to put that much time inside of one. Until now!  

                                                  Eli Tomac Bell Moto 9 Replica 

The Eli Tomac replica Bell Moto 9 is an awesome looking helmet (especially if you’re a ET3 fan) and weighs in at 3.1 pounds. Bell uses a “TriMatrix” Composite Shell that is a blend of three materials: carbon fiber, Kevlar and fiberglass. I am crazy about visor adjustment and this visor is the easiest visor to adjust I have her used. There’s no screw under the middle of the visor as this design only uses mounting screws on each side, and those are metal “QuickFlip” fasteners that require no tools. Simply flip out the tab, loosen by hand, adjust the visor up or down and tighten again. Boom! However, I think the best feature about the Bell Moto 9 is the Magnefusion Emergency Release System (MERS). This is another way of saying that it uses magnets instead of snaps, and it’s like finding gold! It’s that good! The cheek pads are held in place by several magnets, just like they would be with traditional snaps. From a safety standpoint, these are capable of being removed while the helmet is still on the rider’s head in case of a serious head injury. Many injuries happen, or are made worse, after a crash when some goof ball tries to take the helmet off. Once the cheek pads are off, the helmet can be removed without putting any unnecessary force on the neck and spine. The MERS system is designed to work specifically in conjunction with the Eject Helmet Removal System. There is a foam insert in the top of the helmet which can be removed to make room for the Eject system that every rider must have in a professional AMA/FIM sanctioned event. The Bell Moto 9 is ECE, Snell M2015 and DOT approved. 

 Now for me I am not a huge fan of the “M” claw, but I do think it’s cool that Bell has a helmet that the normal weekend warrior can purchase to look like Eli. That being said it was tough for me to win any “Best Dressed” awards when I was at the track wearing it, but I was happy with the comfort of the Moto 9. There were no major pressure points that the Moto 9 caused to my head and the liner was plenty soft (although not the softest material I have tried) against my freshly shaved summer time hair do. I do like the cheek pads to push a little against my face for a snug feeling fit and the Bell Moto 9 did just that. I also thought the chin strap and cheek pad magnets held up well against the over abusive test that I gave them. I sat in the back of my truck between motos on several test days and just played with the magnets (snapping them on and off). The strength of the magnet remained strong and didn't get worse over time as held its integrity. Ventilation in these summer months is key for me and the venting on the Moto 9 is one of its strong points. The chinbar has a stainless mesh mouthpiece and vents along the side. Two intakes are tucked under the visor and the top of the eyeport is lined with openings. The rear of the helmet has nine exhaust ports: one directly on top, four on the upper rear, above the goggle strap, two at the base and another pair along the bottom edge. It’s tough to actually feel airflow in most helmets, but with the Bell it was easy to feel a breeze while riding. The weight is on the heavy side while riding and I could feel my neck get slightly more fatigued than with some of the other lighter helmets on the market. However, I will not complain about that too much if it has the protection to back up the weight. I feel like there is a fine line with having a helmet that is “too light” and that leaves me with a sensation of having less protection while I ride. I also like that the nose area of the helmet isn't that close to my large nose and it also doesn't have a mud guard that comes into my face too much. At $400.00 for a replica helmet I would say that is slightly better than other helmet manufacturers out there today. With the reputation that Bell has with safety, I have a good piece of mind knowing that I am wearing a quality helmet, that will give me as much protection necessary when or if I do take a header. I wonder if Josh Hill will hook me up with some type of Monster Energy contract if I wear this at some local races? If I am testing a 2018 Kawasaki you know that I am going to be wearing this helmet! You can go to bellhelmets.com to purchase and check them out for yourself.