April 3, 2011

Product Review: Icon Variant.


I acquired this helmet about a month or so ago, and I've been wearing it on every ride since. I've managed to squeeze in ~500 miles in between the 12 hour work days and little bit of sleep. I've been wanting a helmet like this for a few years now, but couldn't decide on one. The Arai XD and Shoei Hornet were a bit pricey, the Joe Rocket Hybrid lacks in the style dept, The AGV AX-8 is neat looking, but I'm not gonna pay full pop on a helmet I can't get thru work, and all of the other cheapo brands (AFX, Fly, etc.) weren't really and option.

I gotta admit, this helmet is AWESOME! It's light, fits great, has killer venting, huge field of vision, shield doesn't fog, and looks damn good. I've gotten a lot of compliments on it. The helmet came with a clear shield, my hook up included a dark smoke, and I went out and bought a gold mirrored one. The only complaint I have is with the mirrored shield. The inside of it has a reflective coating of some sort on it, so in the morning and evening sun I see so much of my face reflecting off of it I have a hard time concentrating on the road. I installed the dark smoke shield last week, and problem solved. Also, the flyscreen on my Triumph directs the air directly into the visor, so when cruising along at highway speeds there's a tiny bit of pull up and wind noise over a conventional full face, but not nearly as bad as when I wear my MX helmet. I need to get the motard out soon to see how it feels when riding that beast...

All in all, I highly recommend this lid to anyone looking for a "hybrid" style helmet. This model runs a bit big, so I recommend ordering a size smaller than normal and you'll be golden. All of my other helmets are larges, and this one in a medium fits absolutely perfect. The shields swap in and out quickly as well, so if you're one of those law abider's that doesn't like running a dark or mirrored shield after sunset you can swap back and forth in no time.

So what are you waiting for? Go get one for yourself! I'll be sure to report back with a long term update later on in the season.

UPDATE: I slabbed ~300 freeway miles today (4/10) and this thing was GREAT! No issues at high speeds at all.

8 comments:

  1. do you not find it wants to rip itself off when you go quick? Back when i only had a DT125 in London i always wore an mx helmet and it wasnt a problem, but on my duke, man even with my street suomi replica i feel like my helmet wants to rip itself off around 150kmh. Around 170kmh it feels like my head wants to be ripped off despite the helmet having no visor. There is no speed limit on most of the German autobahn here though so I guess the speeds are a little higher but even going a more moderate pace i find the visor to be more of a hindrance than a benefit. No doubting they look cool though.

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  2. Like so many others, I've been looking at these helmets this spring. Does the shield go all the way up, under the visor? Can you wear goggles with it? I tried on an icon alliance and it felt good, I imagine they are constructed similar. May pull the trigger...

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  3. I've got a couple helmets that I feel like my head is about to tear off anywhere above 70mph, and this one isn't even as bad with the visor. They've vented the thing like mad, so even with my flyscreen directing all of the wind directly into the visor, the lift/head ripping off factor isn't terrible for a helmet of this type. But then again, I haven't spent much time at those speeds, so it could be a totally different story.

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  4. I have the same helmet and love it. Never had an issue with helmet lift.

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  5. i think i still own a helmet. couldnt tell you where it's at.

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  6. That helmet costs more than my last bike. However, looking like you just cruised out of Daft Punk's latest photoshoot might be worth it.

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  7. I own a Variant and it is the freakin best helmet i have ever had!! 10 years riding i been waitin for this helmet for years.. this style rocks the house when it comes to design and safety! Plus everywhere i go every rider asks me what kind is it.. and i tell um the best.. Love the Vizor love the alien style face / topgun style mach 1 speeds.. i use it for stunting and for racing.. love how the helmet keeps ur head straight at high speeds!! plus i breathe heavily when i ride cuz im stuntin.. and still never seen any fog with the anti fog system in it is #1 rated the best ICON RULEZ!!!

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  8. I have one on the way, I can't wait to give it a try. Thanks for the review!

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