Italian manufacturer AGV introduces two brand new helmets that are going to broaden its Street Road line-up: the K-3 and the K-4 Evo. If the K-3 can be considered the ‘entry-level’ product of the range, there is no doubt it raises the bar quite a bit as it bears quite a few resemblances with the GP-Tech (the model that sits at the top of that range) as well as boasting flashy Valentino Rossi-replica graphics. Its shell is made of HIR-TH (High Resistant Thermoplastic Resin), while the coating of its Street 8 visor is anti-scratch and anti-fog.

The air inlets on forehead and chin allow for a constant flow of fresh air inside the helmet while the two outlets on the sides and the one at the back - framed into a little spoiler - use EPS channeling to get rid of the hot and humid air from within the helmet. The inner lining is removable and washable (nape pad aside) and is made of Dri-Lex, which has been hygienically treated to avoid bacteria and allergies.

The K-4 Evo is arguably the most balanced and versatile model of the whole AGV range. The overall design of the model is pretty similar to the K-3, but its shell is made of fibreglass-based ACF (Advanced Composite Fiber). These two new models from AGV come with a slew of different and fancy graphics (as you can see in our massive photo gallery); which one do you like the most?

View the full AGV - K-3 and K-4 Evo photo gallery

Renowned German manufacturer Schuberth introduces the new S2, which is described as a ‘true allround helmet’ and - in the intentions of its maker - will take on all the main segments of the market, meaning Cruising, Touring, Sports and Racing too. The S2 weighs 1,450 g (+/- 50 g depending on the size) and has a shell made of composite moulding and fibreglass in a sanwich structure (hence it is uniform, with no ‘patches’) which contributes to make the S2 light and rigid, and has a polyester/polyamide lining that’s easily removable and washable.

Schuberth takes a lot of pride in its wind tunnel - they were the first helmet manufacturer to get one about 30 years ago - which allows them to carry on very advanced tests in aerodynamic and aeroacoustic on their products, and the S2 is no exception. The model in fact uses a quite advanced design and that reduces the air flow that gets to the ears, making it one of the most ’silent’ helmets out there. The model also boasts an innovative ventilation system which allows it to take in 8 litres of fresh air per second when traveling at 100 km/h, and uses a chin spoiler that increases down force while reducing neck strain.

Furthermore, the S2 is the first helmet ever to come with 2 integrated antennas for Bluetooth and FM radio reception, which is suitable for Schuberth’s own SRC connectivity system. Obviously, built-in sun visor and a Micro Lock quick release buckle at the chin-strap are also parts of the package. Check out the main specs of the Schuberth S2 right after the jump.

Schuberth S2 facts & figures

• Material: A special fibreglass reinforced duroplast matrix
• Visor: 2 mm Polycarbonate, clear, anti-fog due to Pinlock®, turbulators for improved
  aero accoustic, integrated sun visor, anti-scratch, 80% tinted
• Ventilation: top air intake 2 inlets, 2 air outlets on the back of the head
  chin ventilation, O2 ventilation
• Lining: removable and washable ThermoCool lining with antibacterial Interpower®-
  coating; COOLMAX interchangeable cheek pads, removable accoustic collar,
  reflective parts
• Fastener: Micro-lock
• Certificates: ECE 22-05
• Sizes: 8 sizes: XXS-XXXL (small shell XXS-L / big shell XL-XXXL)
• Weight: approx. 1450g* +/- 50g incl. built-in sun visor and
  accoustic collar

Twenty-one riders will be on the 2012 MotoGP grid this season and these are the helmets they will be wearing. Some graphics are instantly recognizable like the one on Valentino Rossi’s new AGV PistaGP helmet, or Casey Stoner’s Nolan X-Lite with symbols representing his native Australia. Others like Yonny Hernandez’s and Ivan Silva’s Scorpion lids are almost the same and just switch around the black and white colouring.

Both Michele Pirro and Danilo Petrucci are members of the Fiamme Oro, Italy’s police sports division (officially they are police officers). The Gresini rider’s lid has the name and blue and white colours of the State Police while Petrucci goes for the Fiamme Oro logo and the Italian flag.

James Ellison goes for the minimalist look, no graphics, just a pure white Shoei helmet that you’ll be able to spot immediately.

Which helmet design do you prefer?

During the first Sepang test Valentino Rossi debuted this new AGV helmet dubbed PistaGP (pista in Italian means track) that sparked a lot of interest after the Italian said “it feels like I am not wearing a helmet. Its aerodynamics have increased, with excellent ventilation and exaggerated visibility, like switching from the TV to the cinema.”

Rossi was the leading rider involved in this three year project (it also helps that he was named the honorary president of AGV back in 2008) that was officially presented to the press during this past weekend final pre-season test at Jerez.

According to the blurb, which doesn’t say when it will be released to the the bike riding world of Joe public and more importantly if someone who doesn’t make six digit paychecks will have to sell his first born (which some days I feel like doing) or a kidney (well we do have two) to afford to buy this innovative helmet that is based on laser scans of the rider’s head and then the measurements are converted into a digital format. These measurements are then used to design the helmet, from the inside to the outside, adopting state-of-the-art digital design technologies based on CAE/CAD methods.

For more pics and info on the PistaGP just hit the jump.

The structural components of the helmet are designed to obtain the required performances, minimizing measurements and weights. minimizing measurements and weights. The helmet is The helmet is therefore lighter and more compact therefore lighter and more compact than previous ones while offering better protection, ergonomics and comfort.

That is this PistaGP technically speaking offers:

- The residual impact force residual impact force transmitted to the head is reduced by 36% compared to the limit established by ECE regulations.
- The HIC (Head Injury Criterion) index is 48% below the limit established by ECE regulations.
- The basic visor movement area has been reduced by 71% compared to the GP-Tech helmet. This allows use of the space saved to increase the thickness of the absorption material, benefitting safety.
- The visor is Class 1 optical standard approved approved for excellent vision.
- The field of vision field of vision is 15° wider and the overall visor window area has increased by 9% compared to the previous helmet, without compromising its level of protection.
- The ZZ -Lift index (force of helmet lifting because of aerodynamic forces) has been reduced by 44% after wind tunnel tests.
- The air intakes air intakes have almost tripled in size, whereas the entire ventilation system of the PistaGP helmet removes heat and moisture very efficiently. The padding has a 3D concave structure, which is pre- shaped according to the morphological characteristics of the head, while the surfaces in direct contact with the head are free from stitching for guaranteed comfort.
-The fit of the PistaGP helmet, covered by three patents, provides an extraordinary high level of comfort and adaptability to different shapes unknown up to now.

“I consider the PistaGP helmet a tribute to Gino Amisano, an entrepreneur I admired for his ability to innovate, the records he achieved, and the competitive spirit with which he faced every challenge. The new helmet is part of the AGV Standards project, which, in line with the qualities established by Amisano, revolutionises the way helmets are designed, setting new records for protection and ergonomics that are clearly evident. The next generation helmets arising from this project are intended to place AGV, once again, in a leading market position with its technology”, said Lino Dainese President of Dainese and AGV.

This is the new and exclusive Airoh helmet GP500 that Team Gardner Racing (TGR) and naturally Remy and Luca Gardner will using this season.

Continuing the team’s developing “dream” theme, the Australian aboriginal dreamtime design reflects TGR’s Aussie roots, and is a stunning example of the Italian helmet company’s creative talents (even if reminds us very much of Valentino Rossi’s AGV 2007 Dreamtime lid)

Inspired by Australian aboriginal artwork and incorporating some of Remy and Luca’s favourite colours, Airoh’s designers have been able to highlight the Gardners’ proud culture and produce their own special piece of art and the dreamtime helmet is sure to be one of the team’s stars this season, alongside Remy’s Moriwaki Dream (MD250) GP3 bike.

“Our eyes popped out of our heads when we saw our new Airoh helmets for the first time,” said a grateful Luca Gardner. His brother Remy, who will showcase the helmet at his first Moto3 CEV Buckler race at Jerez later this month said, “we couldn’t believe how perfect the design is. I can’t wait to wear it at Jerez. Dad is always saying he has trouble seeing us on the track from a distance but now he won’t miss us”!

Airoh Helmets’ MotoGP Racing Development Manager Davide Trolli is also very proud of the new design. “When Wayne [Gardner] approached me about the opportunity to produce a specially designed helmet for Remy and Luca I was immediately interested. TGR are very pro active in promoting their partners and I recognised this as an excellent opportunity for Airoh to be indelibly associated with the TGR journey”.

Wayne Gardner is equally excited about the Airoh TGR design saying, “This design was a real collaboration between us and Airoh and we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful piece of art. We’re all huge fans of Airoh helmets and we look forward to working with them long into the future”.

We usually check out Sharp before buying a new helmet to see what kind of safety ratings it gets, but helmet certification standards are not all alike and one standard like DOT, Snell and ECE R22-05 may not meet the other.

So when an Italian consumer protection agency Altroconsumo carried out their own tests on ten full faced helmets and seven failed, with six of them not meeting ECE R22-05 standards, we as consumers obviously get confused.

This agency took into consideration models with price ranging from 85 to 460 euros and on different sizes had them tested in a certified homologation laboratory to check normal safety conformity with an extra test to check impact in points different from the ones forseen by the ECE standards.

Three models passed the tests including the extra test, with the Shoei XR1100 model coming out on top, while the models that didn’t pass the tests (AGV Grid, Airoh Dragon, Arai Axces, Premier Style, Shark Vision R e Suomy Apex - with Nolan’s X-Lite X602 meeting the first test but not the extra test) Altroconsumo reported their findings to the relative manufacturers and to the Italian Ministry of Transportation requesting that they immediately test all helmets that are currently being sold.

The above video is in Italian, but it’s easy to understand the various tests they carried out.

Source | motoblog.it

If you can’t get enough of social networking from your computer, smartphone or tablet and also feel the need to comunicate to the world while your riding your two wheels, Newmax Helmets is filling in that void with their recently launched Social Network Helmet.

The idea comes out of workshop organized by Newmax and the Istituto Europeo di Design in Turin in April 2011, and developed at the company by working on some ideas of Margherita Buzzi, a second-year student attending the three-year post-graduate course in Industrial Design.

The helmet is available in a rainbow of colours, but all them feature a white space ‘the wall’ on the rear where you can write messages, thoughts or even draw. Each helmet comes with a magic marker, an eraser and four removable stickers to further personalize it.

As usual Valentino Rossi debuted a special helmet for his home race at Mugello and this year it was this ‘eye-catching’ design dubbed ‘The Eye’.

Unfortunately for Rossi the Mugello GP didn’t bring him that much luck as he finished 6th in the race, despite the not so sublimal message behind the meaning of the eyeball “watch out because sooner or later there’s going to be a change” now hardcore Rossi fans can own ‘The Eye’ as AGV is releasing another limited edition of this GP-TECH lid, which is slightly different from the previous one.

The graphics were designed by Aldo Drudi and besides showing Valentino’s big blue eye, the helmet also features the colours of the Italian Tricolore flag (this year is Italy’s 150th anniversary of unification and also on AGV’s logo) his bulldogs Cesare and Cecilia and the trademark sun and moon motif on the back.

Technical specs after the jump:

The GP-TECH, top of the AGV range, has been designed and developed with the technical support of the nine times world champion; a helmet produced by merging the best features of the AVG race models (GP Pro, Ti-Tech ) with the Italian company’ racing experience to offer a lightweight, comfortable and extremely aerodynamic, innovative design.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

1. Outer shell in three sizes with SSL layering (Fibreglass, Kevlar, Carbon)
2. IVS (Integrated Ventilation System) with extensive ducting made directly in the shell for a more efficient air flow inside the helmet and improved aerodynamic performance
3. 3 front air inlets and 5 rear extractors
4. Micro aperture visor system for efficient anti-misting even in the most extreme conditions
5. New visor mechanism using the XQRS (X-tra Quick Release System) for fast, tool-free removal and replacement of the visor in seconds. Safety system prevents detachment of the visor in the event of a fall
6. Removable nose guard
7. Removable wind-proof, throat protection
8. Fully removable and washable inner liner (including neck roll)
9. Hygienically treated fabrics with differentiated zones for maximum comfort: high humidity absorption Cool Max on forehead, temples and nape of neck; super breathable fabric for effective air circulation at the top of the head; soft microfibre for a cool, comfortable fit on cheeks
10. Double D retention system
11. Sizes: XXS-XXXL

This was the last helmet design that Loris Capirossi wore during this year’s Valencia GP and it was a special and final tribute to his 22-year long career in Grand Prix racing.

Suomy has decided to honour the former three time World Champion with this limited and numbered ‘Grazie Loris’ edition designed by Starline. The Apex model will be produced in numbers from 0001 to 1000 and will be sold at a price of 400 euros.

The Monza Research Institute is developing full face electronic safety helmet that throws out a distress call if a rider crashes.

The helmet is part of DARS (Decade of Action for Road Safety), and a world wide campaign launched by the UN with the objective to improve road safety and it was presented during this year’s EICMA show by George Beghelli Bartoli, technical director of the Monza circuit.

The MRI ESH is able to report the exact location of the wearer and provides information regarding vital functions and sends off a signal of ‘man down’ in case of a serious accident.

The helmet will soon be undergoing a two month experimental field trial in collaboration with the Italian Postal Service. 150 letter carriers in the Lazio and Campania regions will regularly wear the ESH in order to provide valuable information the the MRI researchers and designers.

The applications for this type of helmet is far reaching and the MRI is also working on a similar project to improve workers safety on construction sites.

Technical info:

MRI Electronic Safety Helmet (ESH) is an innovative Solution for bikers’ Road Safety

The Electronic Safety Helmet (ESH) is the integration between Passive Safety with Electronic Active Safety due to GPS Global Positioning System, GPRS General Packet Radio Service, sensor and audio-voice technologies.

MRI ESH detect and manage the “crash and dead man” situations through a 3 Axis Accelerometer. In incident case MRI ESH send an automatiic Alarm Message, with the biker’s satellite position, to Operative Central (h. 24 x 365 days ) able to activate the First Aid Organizations.

MRI ESH External Panel (3 buttons) manage:
• On/Off: ESH activate and accelerometer setting
• e.Call (emergency call): voice connection with Operative Central (satellite position) for vehicle malfunction, trip security, etc.;
• i.Call (information call): voice connectionon with Operative Central (satellite position) for road information trip
reservations (hotels,restaurants), etc..

MRI ESH Software Web Solution manage the biker’s service personalization:
• Emergency personal phone numbers (SMS Short Messages Systems in incident case);
• Historical trips viewer (cartography with satellite positions)
• Historical trips data (Km, speed, etc.)

MRI ESH respect the Privacy rules:
• Satellite Position: automatic (3 axis accelerometer in incident case – manual (external panel);
•Tracking: manual (e.Call button);
•No“Polling System” from Operative Central

MRI ESH Solution can gro with:
• Bluetooth® protocol;
• Radio Frequency vehicle interaction.

Source | oggi.it

Valentino Rossi’s AGV tribute helmet to friend Marco Simoncelli arrived yesterday afternoon and he’ll be wearing it for the rest of this Valencia GP weekend.

The graphics are sombre, with Simoncelli’s racing #58 on the front in the same red and white colours as the late Gresini’s rider helmet, while the back has the usual Rossi graphics.

Photo Source | UccioYellow46

Voztec is an Australian company who is developing this revolutionary idea for a full face motorcyle helmet that has a quick release feature that could save lives in case of head and suspected spinal injuries.

This particular helmet doesn’t slid down over your head, instead it opens up in the back to allow you easy access and removal, however it’s the emergency release pin feature located on the top of the hemet that could be extremely useful in the unfortunate case a motorcyclist is involved in an accident, as paramedics will be able to release the pin and completely lift off the front of the helmet (that doesn’t have a chin strap) without risk moving the head and neck of the rider unnecessarily.

Source | vozcorp.com via gizmag.com