Who knows where motorcycle helmet technology will take us in the next 20 years or even the next two years (seeing how fast new technology seems to be emerging) for that matter. But for now we’ve scoped the Internet to bring you some new motorcycle helmets and gadgetry that is already available or soon to be at our fingertips.
Heads up Display, or HUD for short, is exactly what we saw in old movies and TV shows like Terminator and Air Wolf when information would pop up on the character’s eyewear/face shield. With a HUD incorporated into a motorcycle helmet data is displayed across a transparent screen that allows the user to read pertinent information without having to look away at another screen, their handlebar-mounted GPS, or motorcycle gauges. Heads up display technology was originally developed for military pilots and has slowly been integrated into other industries and is by far the most exciting technology to be geared towards motorcycle helmets.
It seems it’s been well over a year or more since we first heard of Skully and its promise to deliver HUD helmets to the motorcycle industry. As of this writing the latest info states Skully just finished a record-breaking pre-order campaign for the Skully AR-1 helmet on Indiegogo, raising an astonishing $250,000 in in under eight minutes, helping push their funding to more than $2.8 million. So obviously the demand is there from customers, now it’s just a matter of units arriving to market. Projected delivery is sometime in the spring of 2105.
Billing itself as “The Worlds Smartest Helmet,” the Skully AR-1 full face helmet is outfitted with a rear facing camera that projects a 180 degree view of what’s going on behind the rider in a perceptual distance of 10 feet in front of the rider.
Unlike Skully which is an all-in-one HUD helmet design, the creators of Nuviz are striving to deliver HUD technology to a wide range of riders at a more affordable price by allowing them to incorporate the stand alone Nuviz Ride: HUD system to any full face helmet. The Ride:HUD unit is similar to the helmet cameras and audio systems many riders are familiar with in the way that it simply mounts to the outside of the helmet with a mount that has a very strong adhesive film. The mounting system allows the rider to quickly and easily install or remove the Ride:HUD as needed. The Ride:HUD projects a small display in the lower right corner of the wearer’s field of view and provides everything from navigation, weather, and incoming/outgoing calls, to music and motorcycle telemetry.
If you are easily distracted or feel you’d be overwhelmed with the wealth of information that can be provided by a HUD smart helmet, but still wan the safety and convenience of quickly knowing what’s going on behind you, then a rear view system integrated into a motorcycle helmet may be just what you’re looking for.
Reevu has been around for quite some time but didn’t finally start offering its rear view helmets until a couple years ago. At the back of the helmet is a reflective polycarbonate plate which is part of the patented Reevu Vision system that bends light around the inside of the outer casing of the helmet to a small mirror mounted in the middle of the upper eye port. The view is displayed in the mirror across the top of the helmet’s eye port similar to a rearview mirror you would find in an automobile. The Reevu helmet not only helps eliminate blind spots but is also very useful when sitting at a stop sign/stop light or waiting in traffic by allowing the user to see if a vehicle is approaching too quickly and therefore allow them to maneuver out of the way rather than getting rear ended.
Protecting your eyes while on a motorcycle is priority number one. If you can’t see where you are going you won’t get far! But there’s more to eye protection than just keeping dirt and debris from reaching your orbitals. Proper vison involves clarity in lowlight situations or nighttime riding and blocking the glaring sun during bright sunny days. Many helmet companies have started offering full face and ¾ helmets with integrated sun screens that flip down with the push of a button and retract into the helmet when not in use. There are also transitioning face shields similar to the eyeglasses that go from clear to tint depending on lighting conditions. These offer great versatility for riding in all types of situations but one company has taken things a step further.
AMI Powersports originally developed its technology to be used by the Air Force but now the company offers its Akari AX.11 e-tint face shield inserts for the motorcycle crowd. According to Aim Powersports they are the first to offer a liquid-crystal visor insert with electronic on-demand tint for motorcycle use. The inserts fit inside the eye port up against the helmet’s face shield. An external button mounts to the outside of the left side of the helmet and by simply pushing the button the insert will change from clear to tinted or tinted to clear in less than 1/10th of a second. You have the option to operate the insert with the push-button or let it change automatically with the lighting conditions via the light sensing photo cell. The e-tint LCD screen is powered by a USB rechargeable Lithium-ion battery and the screen features an anti-fog coating to provide clear viewing in all weather. Aim Powersports’ e-tint insert shields are easy to install (no tools required) and are currently available to fit a variety of popular helmets from major manufactures such as Arai, Bell, Schuberth, AGV, HJC and many more.
Secondly important to seeing when riding a motorcycle, is being seen when riding a motorcycle. This is especially true when riding at night with motorists behind you. Several companies have created lights that mount to the back of helmets and sync up with the motorcycle’s lighting system to operate as brake lights. If you really want to catch the attention of motorists at night then lighting up your motorcycle helmet is a great idea and there are several options for doing jus that.
The LightRider LEDs offered by Lumenflex will fit anything from a full face to a half or beanie style helmet. The LightRider is a strand of LEDs that mount to the exterior helmet surface with high-strength adhesive. The LED strip features a center section with flexible joints at the ends that are connected to longer strips. This design allows the user to route the LED strips just about any way they want around the helmet. LightRider is available in either all red LEDs, Red center section with yellow end strips, or red center section with white end strips. You also have the option of powering the strips off of the motorcycle’s battery via a connected power cord or you can run them off a Lithium-ion battery. The strips are super bright allowing for daytime visibility as well as extending your presence to others on the road when riding at night. The LightRider LEDs are weather proof, lightweight (only adding 37 grams of weight to the motorcycle helmet), and offer a low profile fitment that doesn’t interfere or compromise the structure or safety of the helmet.
LightMode
It seems no matter where you are, at the track, on the streets, or riding the trails, everyone has some kind of camera mounted to their helmet. Helmet cams can be very useful for training purposes if you’re working on your riding techniques. They can also be used as evidence if you are caught up in some unfortunate accident. However, most people like to use them to record and share their motorcycle antics. The most popular cameras people use are the GoPro, Drift, or Contour but now you can add another player to the game.
Sena has become widely popular amongst motorcycle riders for its Bluetooth helmet communication systems. Offering features like rider-to-passenger/rider-to-rider communication, turn-by-turn directions, music streaming, and making/receiving calls from your smart phone, Sena is one of the leaders in motorcycle helmet communication systems. Now they have added yet another feature to their offerings with the announcement about its new Prism action camera. The camera is a stand-alone unit that can be mounted to the side of the helmet and paired with your Sena headset or just about any other Bluetooth enabled headsets you may use. The Prism camera comes with a highly durable, waterproof case and offers the ability to record audio and video of your ride.
If you pair the Sena Prism with your headset Sena’s built-in Bluetooth features allow you to use the jog dial functions on the headsets to start, stop, communicate and share every second of your adventure. You can even narrate your videos as you record. In addition, the Sena Prism provides voice prompting to keep you up to speed with information such as, time elapsed since last video capture, video captured, battery low, and Bluetooth paired. If you don’t want to mount the camera to your motorcycle helmet or you want to be able to capture multiple angles and views the Sena Quick Release Mount System enables you to mount your camera just about anywhere or to anything. Lastly, by downloading the Sena app you can connect your phone and manipulate the device settings for your Sena comms system as well as the Sena Prism Camera.
New Motorcycle Helmet Tech: Welcome to the Future
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