#MotorcycleHelmet

Since receiving the KLIM F5 Koroyd, I’ve put a lot of miles into this lid. Long freeway miles and multiple days back-to-back in the dirt, in both hot and cold climates. The F5 Koroyd has performed very well, thanks in part to the technology and development that has gone into this helmet. As KLIM has done with many other products throughout its lineup, the F5 Koroyd is a collaboration between KLIM and other leading companies in an attempt to truly make the best helmet possible.

We’re not going to assume that everyone enjoys wearing a helmet when they ride, and while we are of the mindset that safety is always a top priority, we realize not everyone shares our opinion about helmets. For a lot of riders, the decision is made for you based on the particular laws of that state but if given complete freedom to choose, what’s your position on wearing a helmet?

Intelligent Cranium Helmets is developing a prototype helmet with more electronic functionality than any other smart helmet available or imagined. The iC-R features twin full-color heads-up displays, twin rear-facing cameras, a LiDAR rear collision alert system, an electronically tinting visor, built-in Bluetooth communications, phone connectivity, and a solar panel to help power all this equipment. Can a helmet with this much future tech be realized with current batteries? Get approved by DOT, Snell or ECE? ICH says yes, and that the company can do it for a retail price less than $1,600. According to the most recent update (1/6/2016) on the company’s website, ICH has entered into development agreements with:

The little bottle of lube was the first sign things were different. Then the lack of any noticeable gears, ratchets or levers was another. “What the hell do I do with this thing?!” I thought to myself. Realizing I might be in for a tougher challenge than I expected, I broke the first rule of the Guy Code. I read the manual.

Riding motorcycles is dangerous. So are all of the finer things in life. Luckily, there are things you can do to minimize the risk. These are the street survival skills I have learned during my three decades of riding to make the mean streets less angry – and I’m passing on to my offspring when he starts riding on the street soon. The ability to negotiate the big congested city on a motorcycle is one of the greatest gifts I think I can give him; it’s also terrifying.

A girlfriend from years ago – the one who instead of toasting bread then spreading peanut butter on top to create a warm, tasty snack, would microwave the combination long enough to molecularly change the Jif Chunky into a soupy, burnt mixture of glop oozing down the sides of a rubberized slice of Wonder – mistook another person for me.

Comfortably snug. It’s the idiomatic expression oft used to best describe the way in which a helmet should properly fit. Defining or explaining exactly what comfortably snug feels like, especially to a virgin motorcyclist, is difficult at best. Even many seasoned motorcyclists wear a helmet of incorrect size and/or fitment. But a helmet’s effectiveness largely depends on it being correctly sized and fitted, making helmet choice a paramount decision.

Playful barbs about Power Ranger suits notwithstanding, it may come as a surprise to some readers of Motorcycle.com to find that not all motorcyclists enjoy graphics-laden, logo-ridden riding gear. That stuff may be fine for some, but many of us prefer simple, comfortable protective gear for everyday riding.

So, I’ve received a lot of flak for my sardonically caustic “ Top 10 Hipster Motorcycles” post, and I admit that I’m deserving of the heaps of scorn that have been tossed in my direction. Was it dated? Likely. Was it loathsome? Probably. Was it mean-spirited? Hell no! Just making fun of all my friends who wear trendy clothes and ride trendy machines. Heck, I’m one of ‘em – or, the closest to one the Motorcycle.com staff can boast, anyway. I love vintage motorcycles, and anything vintage, really (particularly shirts). Moreover, I’m from Brooklyn and own, like, two pairs of skinny-ish pants.

Motorcycling has always been about fun and without a doubt it can be a blast, but it’s not a video game, or a trip to an over-safety-engineered amusement park.