Review: Forcite’s MK1S smart helmet stays on your head, not in your face
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Anton Longshot
Ars Centurion
My opinion as a (very) longtime biker who's never had an accident: all I see here is a major distraction which is a huge no-no. And crazy expensive to boot.
But...to each his own I suppose. ¯\(ツ)/¯
But...to each his own I suppose. ¯\(ツ)/¯
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Since situational awareness is a must for any motorcycle rider, I can understand how a "smart helmet" MIGHT help that, but adding more things to keep track of than a dumb helmet proves seems counterproductive to me.
One can gauge their speed by the others on the road. One might benefit from a navigation system that isn't in your face or talking to you. One can benefit from knowing what's around them as they travel down the road. So all those check boxes seem to be filled.
The cost, however, seems to be high for the few conveniences it does offer.
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I am not a rider but it seems the main benefit not having to look down at the phone to check the navigation info I see this as potentially especially useful in cities where without looking down at your navigation display it's not always obvious which exact turn it's prompting you to take
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A helmet’s prime function is to protect your head in an accident, yet this review doesn’t even mention what standards it’s tested to. (Hint: DOT isn’t good enough.)
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OrangeCream
Ars Legatus Legionis
Doesn’t an Apple Watch accomplish the same thing?
Get directions in Maps on Apple Watch
Use Maps on your Apple Watch to get driving, walking, transit, and cycling directions.
support.apple.com
Of course that assumes your bike or helmet has a Bluetooth system to receive that audio turn by turn prompts:
Connect Apple Watch to Bluetooth headphones or speakers
Play audio from Apple Watch on Bluetooth headphones or speakers.
support.apple.com
You can mount it on the handlebars if you want the screen to be visible too:
View: https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/un0q7w/navigating_with_apple_maps_til_a_new_feature/
I have a phone handlebar mount, Bluetooth headset and use Apple Maps a LOT for motorcycle navigation. I use Apple Maps because generally (not always) it's great for hands free whilst riding "hey siri, directions to blah" and it starts navigating.
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I'm going to LOL, not because of any perceived issue with this helmet, but that in my state helmet wearing is optional for motorcycles1.
I have a neighbor who rides a Harley and plays music from the sound system on his bike, and the music has to be cranked up much louder than the bike itself in order to be heard (but I can't say if this is just a normal Harley or a loud pipes save live Harley). And to make it more fun, he rides to work in the morning and almost makes my house shake with the noise.
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1. The really weird thing is that 90% of motorcyclists here don't wear helmets, but 90% of bicyclists do wear helmets.
I have a neighbor who rides a Harley and plays music from the sound system on his bike, and the music has to be cranked up much louder than the bike itself in order to be heard (but I can't say if this is just a normal Harley or a loud pipes save live Harley). And to make it more fun, he rides to work in the morning and almost makes my house shake with the noise.
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1. The really weird thing is that 90% of motorcyclists here don't wear helmets, but 90% of bicyclists do wear helmets.
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As protection is the first and foremost item that a helmet needs to provide, I tracked down the product page and it states, "ECE 22.05 (DOT for US customers)." I would have hoped for Snell M2020 at this price point, it's still the gold standard (at least in the US) for a reason. ECE testing, while more comprehensive than DOT, is a lot more forgiving, and was developed based on much lower, urban-biased crash speeds than what are typical in the US.
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nothing in the article about the crash worthiness of the helmet? that strikes me as being similar to phone reviews that don't mention audio quality, but it's really a bigger oversight -- when your head's about to hit something hard, you give fu*k-all about the bells and whistles.
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Not having to look down at your bars, I presume.
I’ve been waiting for a helmet with a true HUD for years - marking road conditions, obstacles, etc. While this isn’t quite it, it’s a welcome step in the right direction.
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This video by FortNine makes a compelling argument for why Snell is a bad standard.
View: https://youtu.be/76yu124i3Bo
FIM seems to be the new hotness but so far it looks like it’s only available on racing helmets.
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Well, it's kind of like when a new smartphone is introduced....the LAST thing they mention, if at all, is how well it works as a phone.
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Per your “weird thing” comment, my opinion (as a former firefighter who responded to some pretty horrific motorcycle incidents) is that motorcycle wrecks are usually so bad that helmets may be perceived as pointless, while many bicycle incidents are less serious (or at least lower speed), and a helmet can make a real difference.
Edit: I do not agree with that perception if it exists. Helmets have value as PPE no matter what.
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I'm just happy that there is an article about anything motorcycle on Ars.
Assuming this is a start of the coverage, the quality can be improved hereon after.
Assuming this is a start of the coverage, the quality can be improved hereon after.
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It seems like an obvious solution for an AR device, and I really like the idea here, but to others' points and as a rider myself, distractions -- even good-intentioned ones like a map display -- can be far more dangerous on a bike than in a car.
Seems like this helmet strikes a good balance of starting out with small improvements for convenience, but doesn't overwhelm the rider trying to be a Google Glass style AR HUD.
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That could just be a selection bias. For accidents where the rider has their wheels simply slip out from underneath them when cornering1, they may just pick up their bikes and continue on their way - no need to call any emergency services. And in cases like that a helmet would protect someone slapping their head agains the ground.
Edit: And I forgot to mention that I also live in the SW, and the sun is very intense. I see a lot of motorcyclists riding around bare headed (not even a bandanna) and I always wonder how much they are setting themselves up for sun stroke - which would really affect their decision making abilities and motor control.
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1. This happened to me once. I was turning from a smaller road onto a larger road at a point where the larger road was also making a sweeping curve. Because of the banked road geometry and my turn geometry I was leaning the wrong way into the camber. The kicker was that about an hour before this, it had rained for about 10 minutes, being the first time it rained for several weeks, so totally exacerbated the slickness of the road. It was also an intersection that I was very familiar with and had never had a problem there. My wheels slid out from under me and I contacted the road with my boot, my hip and the shoulder of my leather jacket, and slid across 2 lanes. While I didn't hit my head that time, I came very close to doing so. The bike was just scratched up on the engine bars and maybe the rear blinker was bent out of shape. I just picked it up, dusted myself off and went on my way. The saving grace being it was early on a Saturday morning and there was no other traffic around.
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I think this is cool and interesting as a tech-y rider myself. But I'm still thinking separate systems make more sense.
For comms I'm a Sena guy (and ex-Autocom user) but say Cardio or whoever else makes whatever your riding buddies use. I got more use out of that bike-to-bike intercom function than for my phone (which is still desirable).
Separate RAM-mounted ancient Garmin GPS (not even the m/c specific version!) worked fine before smartphones became ubiquitous. As in the comments, now an Apple watch makes a fine haptic GPS accessory.
I like the idea of an integrated camera, being more streamlined than a typical mounted action cam.
But then you say ventilation is weak. That's a total deal breaker for me.
You don't mention if it comes with (or has available) different sized inserts. Fit is also awfully important to me. (Shoei's RF1200 and Arai's Quantum tend to be my go-to's).
In five years, or less (if dropped), you should be wanting to replace the helmet just for safety. Does Forcite offer a repair or trade-in service or some other way of not having to replace it all at once?
Also - shouldn't a cool smart helmet include built-in brake light (G-force based, easy to trigger) and turn indicators (trickier to auto-trigger)?
For comms I'm a Sena guy (and ex-Autocom user) but say Cardio or whoever else makes whatever your riding buddies use. I got more use out of that bike-to-bike intercom function than for my phone (which is still desirable).
Separate RAM-mounted ancient Garmin GPS (not even the m/c specific version!) worked fine before smartphones became ubiquitous. As in the comments, now an Apple watch makes a fine haptic GPS accessory.
I like the idea of an integrated camera, being more streamlined than a typical mounted action cam.
But then you say ventilation is weak. That's a total deal breaker for me.
You don't mention if it comes with (or has available) different sized inserts. Fit is also awfully important to me. (Shoei's RF1200 and Arai's Quantum tend to be my go-to's).
In five years, or less (if dropped), you should be wanting to replace the helmet just for safety. Does Forcite offer a repair or trade-in service or some other way of not having to replace it all at once?
Also - shouldn't a cool smart helmet include built-in brake light (G-force based, easy to trigger) and turn indicators (trickier to auto-trigger)?
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As someone who rides throughout most of the year (even in southern New England, since we apparently don't get snow anymore), I really don't see the point in spending that much money on just a helmet. Between my aftermarket stereo w/ bluetooth and handlebar controls, and a helmet with bluetooth built-in, I spent maybe $500 (with $400 of that being the helmet). Another $140 on a front & rear motorcycle dashcam.
Without any word on crash tests, how long the battery lasts on it, or anything else, this just doesn't appeal to me. I would rather spend 2/3 the cost to have dedicated equipment (two of those pieces also not requiring recharging batteries).
Without any word on crash tests, how long the battery lasts on it, or anything else, this just doesn't appeal to me. I would rather spend 2/3 the cost to have dedicated equipment (two of those pieces also not requiring recharging batteries).
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Really tempted to ask at this point what your Apple ID number is or which Apple-contracted marketing/promotions agency you work at... I thought it was just fanboi'ism, but now it's seeming a lot more like outright shilling tbh.
Edit: Don't believe me, search their comment history for "Apple". I rest my case.
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A camera recording your ride ready for the 5-0 to seize to check for any evidence of a "spirited" ride? Hell, no.
That's a nice easy tug for the police. There's no way that they will resist that temptation.
That's a nice easy tug for the police. There's no way that they will resist that temptation.
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I used to say I wore a full-face helmet so they could identify the body.
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I actually find this really intriguing, but was somewhat discouraged there was no mention of the crash ratings (though commenters have covered this) and the mention that it gets really hot.
However, I do like that it seems minimally intrusive and that it's quiet. I don't have a lot of distractions on my bike, and I like it that way. One of the biggest reasons I went with the Harley-Davidson Heritage softail is because it doesn't come with a fairing or a radio or a touchscreen or all the other distracting features that the bigger touring bikes typically have. Subtle queues for various things at the peripheral of my vision sounds very intriguing though, and like something I'd actually like to give a shot.
One major question I do have, though - do you happen to wear glasses? How comfortable is this helmet with glasses? I'm guessing at the least it would be a massive pain to get the helmet on with glasses on, if you struggled with earplugs with how rigid the ring is. So I'd likely have to put them on after putting on the helmet. But how hard would that be? And once they're on, is the helmet comfortable with them? Does it have some breathing space around the temples for them, or will it be squishing them?
Unfortunately, being someone who wears glasses and rides, that's a huge determining factor for me in choosing a helmet.
However, I do like that it seems minimally intrusive and that it's quiet. I don't have a lot of distractions on my bike, and I like it that way. One of the biggest reasons I went with the Harley-Davidson Heritage softail is because it doesn't come with a fairing or a radio or a touchscreen or all the other distracting features that the bigger touring bikes typically have. Subtle queues for various things at the peripheral of my vision sounds very intriguing though, and like something I'd actually like to give a shot.
One major question I do have, though - do you happen to wear glasses? How comfortable is this helmet with glasses? I'm guessing at the least it would be a massive pain to get the helmet on with glasses on, if you struggled with earplugs with how rigid the ring is. So I'd likely have to put them on after putting on the helmet. But how hard would that be? And once they're on, is the helmet comfortable with them? Does it have some breathing space around the temples for them, or will it be squishing them?
Unfortunately, being someone who wears glasses and rides, that's a huge determining factor for me in choosing a helmet.
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Heh my bicycle helmet has that (lumos) but tbh my moto has turn signals, not sure duping them onto a helmet makes sense.
Yeah I like my modular for just that reason. Much more pleasant experience for adjusting glasses.
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FortNine? Really? Random dude looking for views on YouTube vs. Snell Foundation's cadre of researchers who have dedicated their lives to helmet safety and design? You realize controversial takes on YouTube drive views, right?
If you want another take from a non-authoritative source on the internet, here's RevZilla's view on the "controversy" around Snell's standards (from https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/helmet-safety-ratings-101):
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I got intrigued when I saw the title but was disappointed upon reading the article. To me a "smart helmet" would not be something that provides me new and more ways of connecting to my phone, but something using technology to do better at what a helmet is supposed to do. Like powerful, intelligent noise cancelling that kills off the sound of the wind and (most of) that from the engine while letting in anything outside these parameters. That uses electrochromic materials to automatically dim light transmittance in bright conditions. That autoinflates airbags around the neck on impact for supplementary protection. And alerts emergency services at the touch of a button (or autonomously if no movement detected) after a crash. That would be a smart helmet. The product reviewed here, while a good effort, is basically a glorified bluetooth headset.
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If your primary concern about having dashcams is because it is evidence against you that you are doing something bad, the problem isn't the police. It's you.
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With multi-color LEDs like that, and that price, you should frankly be able to make any pattern and assign it to whatever you want. Defaults are nice but customization is more aligned with what many riders want. Can you choose which notifications get audio clips and which don't? Or is it all-or-nothing?
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Crash detection is available on both Android and Apple. Why should the helmet do this if the smart phone you have paired it with already does it?
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OrangeCream
Ars Legatus Legionis
Obviously I own stock in AAPL. I've owned it since 2001. You have the relationship backwards, really.
If I didn't think Apple made good products I wouldn't own their stock nor buy their product. If they weren't worth owning nor investing in, I wouldn't talk about them.
I don't buy crypto, for example, because I don't believe in it; because I don't believe in it you won't find me promoting it, and find me actively criticizing it.
So my bias is pretty clear. I'm not 'shilling', at least not in the traditional sense. I'm not going to see AAPL triple in value just because I bring up an Apple product.
If I bring it up it's because I think it's relevant, not because it's going to profit me.
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You may not like all of his stuff, and that's totally okay, but as far as "random dude looking for views on YouTube" goes, FortNine is one of the best out there IMO. The production quality of his videos is really high, he has a lot of very good information about a broad range of stuff related to motorcycles, he presents some complex topics really well in a very straight-forward manner. His videos on invisibility and high beams as an example. You might not agree with everything he says, but compared to a lot of stuff on YouTube, I don't think it's fair to wholly dismiss his content as just some rando making low effort controversial takes to get views.
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I'm completely confused. Fairings are distracting how?
Regarding combining with sunglasses -- I assume since you said you own a motorcycle that you currently wear a helmet. How are you doing it currently? Literally no one puts sunglasses or eyeglasses on before donning a full face helmet**. The glasses would be pulled painfully down your face as you squeeze the helmet on. A novelty brain bucket lid popular with some cruiser riders / the 1% crowd (you'd be just as well off donning a child's firefighter helmet), sure. But otherwise, you set your glasses down, pull the helmet on (it should be a very snug fit with no ability to rotate on your head once on), fasten the chin strap, open the visor if it isn't already, and pick up and insert your glasses. If you're using an off-road / dirt bike style helmet and goggles, same deal, you'd just fasten your goggles on after donning the helmet. Modern helmets have a rigid EPS inner liner and a compressible, soft foam liner (often in several removable pieces) that presses against your head. As long as the temples on the glasses aren't too bulky, all full face helmets will support wearing glasses. It helps if the temples have some curve that follows the contour of your head. When you're done riding, you need to remember to open your visor, remove your glasses, and stash them before removing your lid or they'll go flying as you pull the helmet off (ask me how I know; despite street riding for 25 years this still happens to me occasionally).
** -- For donning a modular helmet (the style where the chin bar pivots upward), you could in theory put glasses on and put the helmet on with the chin bar up, but the few modular helmet riders I know take off their sunglasses and put the helmet on with the chin bar down -- helmets fit snugly, and they're much easier to pull down into place if you can grab onto the chin bar -- then open the helmet if they aren't setting off to ride immediately.
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I don't want visual distractions while riding. If I can hear my music and Google maps voice prompts thru my dumb helmet's bluetooth receiver, that's pretty much all I need. And once upon a time, I didn't even need that.
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You don't need the Apple Watch. It's nice enough, but the voice directions are good enough.
I power my phone in a small tank bag, which also has the virtue of not allowing me to be distracted by its screen. I set my route before leaving, and voice commands via bluetooth connections allow you to make small changes on the fly. Apple Maps does the rest of the heavy lifting, giving vocal warnings about road hazards and warnings about speed checks. It gives a 2 km warning before highway exits and a 500 m warning before upcoming turns on secondary roads. It also gives routing information priority over music, so there's much less of a chance of missing a turn.
That's all the distraction I want while riding.
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He's entertaining and often educational but he's an individual primarily producing monetized videos for entertainment, not a safety researcher. Dismissing a safety standard as "meaningless" (he must really mean it, what with the dramatic dark lighting and chalk effect lettering in that thumbnail) that has been worked on for decades is controversial, and will drive views. "Low effort" are your words, not mine; I don't dispute that his videos have great production quality. Comparing ANYTHING to a "lot of stuff on YouTube" is a pretty low bar.
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It's not the fairing itself that's distracting. It's all the stuff packed onto the fairing on a typical H-D touring bike that I find distracting and did not want.
I wear glasses for vision. Not sunglasses. And yes, that's what I do with full face helmets - I put the helmet on first, and then put my glasses on. Hence me saying in my post it sounds likely that's what I'd have to do with this one. I currently wear a modular helmet, but with the face/chin in the upward position, I can pull the sides far enough apart to pull the helmet on with my glasses on my face. I don't need to put them on afterward.
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