#MotorcycleHelmets

Helmet technology company Quin has successfully secured $9 million in Series A funding, with significant contributions from individual investors and helmet safety pioneer Mips AB (publ) (“Mips”). Mips has committed $7.3 million to acquire a 25% stake in Quin, a sensor-based technology firm specializing in event detection and data-driven emergency response protocols.

Way back in October, we previewed Shoei’s RF–1200 while we waited for our samples to arrive stateside. Well, we’ve logged a couple thousand miles with Shoei’s latest lid and can offer a full review.

The AGV X3000, if you hadn’t noticed, is AGV’s heritage-inspired line of full-face helmets. What sets the X3000 apart from others cashing in on the retro resurgence is the fact that this helmet is designed to replicate AGV’s first full-face helmet that donned the head of none other than the legendary motorcycle racer, Giacomo Agostini in 1969. The fact that Ago himself helped design the original helmet that the X3000 is based off gives this nostalgic lid a bit more street cred than your run of the mill vintage brain bucket.

Just like anything else, motorcycles are continually evolving and getting lighter, faster and more powerful with each passing year. Despite improvements to how well bikes handle and perform these days, having an accident and crashing is always a looming threat that can never be eliminated, only mitigated. Fortunately for us riders, there are engineers working hard to keep our heads and bodies as safe as possible so we can continue to enjoy riding motorcycles both on- and off-road with confidence in knowing that we have the best chance in decreasing the amount of damage a potential crash can cause.

The idea of not wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle is one of those things that really makes me scratch my head, which I’m thankful to still have… thanks to, oh I don’t know, a helmet?

In terms of rider education and injury prevention, a great deal of attention is paid to motorcycle safety by the government, motorcycle industry, and media. However, the subject of hearing loss among motorcyclists is rarely discussed. Yes, riders sometimes make passing remarks about ear fatigue after a long day in the saddle, and recent years have (in my subjective opinion) shown an increase in earplug use among riders. Still, the subject and the use of actual, provable scientific numbers have been relatively overlooked when compared to safety items like body armor and helmets.

Use to be helmets with internal sun visors were not only expensive but ponderously large. Fitting the shield and its retractable mechanics beneath the helmet’s shell, while innovative, gave its wearer a severe case of Charlie Brown head. Nowadays, many helmet manufacturers have managed to offer helmets with internal sun visors equal in size to those without. HJC’s done exactly that with the IS-17, but even more amazing is the retail price of the helmet: $180-$200.

Whether you have decades of experience or are a newbie, it pays to realistically size up this activity called “riding a motorcycle,” and to look at yourself as a lifelong learner.

Unlike auto insurance laws, motorcycle insurance laws in many states do not require the carrier’s insurance to cover medical costs. Florida and Michigan, among others, have repealed their mandatory helmet laws, instead mandating riders to carry additional medical insurance – pushing premiums in those states to higher levels.