Daily motorbike news, views & reviews
The single most important item you can wear on a motorcycle is a helmet. Yet there are varying, confusing and comprehensive laws around the world about whether or not you need a helmet and what type of helmet you must have. We sort through al the rules and regulations on helmets and offer advice for the rider. We also preview new motorcycle helmets and road test helmets for protection, soundproofing, comfort, practicality, ease of use, weight, aerodynamics and more, recommending what we like and pointing out the shortfalls.
Not every rider has the same shape of head, so some are riding with helmets that do not fit correctly due to the accepted standards in Australia and the import policies of helmet distributors. According to Australian Motorcycle Council Helmets Committee chair Guy Stanford, most helmets on shelves in Australia are shaped for people of …
Light weight is one off the most important safety and comfort qualities of a motorcycle helmet and Italian helmet manufacturer AGV has now released the world’s first fully carbon modular helmet. The AGV Sportmodular has a carbon-fibre shell and a carbon-fibre chin piece and weighs in a just 1295g. That compares with the previous lightest …
Quin is a cheap, lightweight helmet with an integrated Bluetooth communications that doesn’t have wires, velcro speakers, dials, knobs or an exposed microphone, yet also detects a crash and sends for help. It is the product of Indian/American company Quintessential Designs who have launched a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign six days ago and has already almost doubled its …
BMW Motorrad will have a new boss when Markus Schramm takes over as director in May and the company has a new look in riding gear for 2018. Schramm, who will succeed Stephan Schaller, is 55 and a “passionate motorcyclist”. He has been with the BMW Group since 1991. There is no word on which …
AGV last year joined the bandwagon of retro helmets with the X3000 and have now added this limited-edition tribute to the legendary 15-time world motorcycle champion, Giacomo Agostini. Link International spokesman Don Nicholas says Australia will get a limited number of the X3000 Ago helmets at $999 by June. He says they can be ordered …
The death of a young Irish rider whose helmet came off in a crash has led to a court warning about buying cheap helmets with clasp chin straps online. Stephen Hyland, 24, of Dublin, died of head injuries in October 2016 when he clipped another motorcycle and lost control of his Yamaha. Dublin Coroner’s Court …
There have been many airconditioner units for motorcycles and riders over the years that are big and expensive, but now an Indian company says it can provide cool and cheap air for your head. AptEner Mechatronics claims it will soon release an add-on airconditioner unit which simply straps to the front of a full-face helmet. …
Husqvarna has realised a Darth Vader-style Pilen helmet to match their new Vitpilen 701 naked bike unveiled last month at the EICMA show in Milan. Pilen means arrow in Swedish and the helmet certainly has the clean lines of an arrow. The helmet features a quick-change, double-panel, scratch-resistant visor and a ventilation scoop on the top …
Italian helmet manufacturer AGV is celebrating 20 years of Valentino Rossi world-class race wins with a special tribute helmet. Rossi has only worn AGV helmets throughout his racing career. All have been designed by Aldo Drudi, who became friends with Vale’s father, Graziano, when he was racing from 1977 to ‘82. Aldo has been a …
If you have a biker in your life, you’ll probably get that they aren’t the easiest of people to buy gifts for unless the gifts are centred around their passion for motorcycles! However, this can cause a problem unless you’re a keen biker too as you probably won’t know what to buy. That’s okay – …