When you’re late to the game, the best way to make an entry is with innovation. That’s exactly what Alpinestars did when they got into the motorcycle helmet market with the SM10 about six years ago. Having recently moved to this helmet after retiring my Leat GPX 5.5 (another innovative product), there’s a lot of out-of-the-box thinking that I’ve appreciated.
For starters, I love the way the peak fit flush with the shell. The safety advantage is that the smooth interface leaves no edges or fasteners to catch on the ground in the fall, but the big benefit to me is the unique snap-fit fastening mechanism. There are no screws involved, and you can just pull the peak off or snap it back into place, which is a huge convenience if you regularly travel with the helmet. The downside of this design is that the peak position is not adjustable.
Other nice touches include speaker pockets and a three-way adjustable headband that can slightly adjust the angle at which the helmet sits on your head. There are grooves in the inner EPS liner for you to neatly route a drinks tube from a hydration bladder. Astars has also extended the EPS liner down below the cutout of the outer shell in the collarbone area. This is to reduce the chance of common injuries when the helmet hits the collarbone in a crash.
Like many off-road helmets, this one also uses a variation of the MIPS (Multi-Directional Impact Protection System) technology. This enables a small amount of rotational slip between the outer shell and the inner liner, which is supposed to reduce the chances of concussion and other brain/neck injuries. The shell is constructed in a tri-composite material that uses carbon fibre, carbon composite and aramid fibres. Weighing in at 1,180gm, this would have been considered in the middle ground a few years ago, but it is now quite light with today’s stricter safety standards.
There are a huge number of vents all over the helmet (I counted 28!), and as you’d expect, the airflow is superb. The vision port is also very large, which means you should be able to fit a big pair of goggles without any issues. The comfort padding is fully removable and washable, and it uses an interesting fastening system, where you first align the buttons and then slide them into place. It works well once you figure it out.
With a head circumference of 56.5cm, I’m in the no man’s land between sizes S and M. I went with the S that I usually use with other brands, but I find it a bit too tight. Astars has 5mm thinner accessory cheek pads that I’m keen to try, but I suspect it might have been smarter to go for the M size (which uses a larger shell) and then opt for the 5mm thicker accessory cheek pads if necessary. Just another reminder of why you must always try before you buy.
Priced between USD 650 and USD 800, this helmet is on par with the competition from top rival brands. The M10 ships with a spare peak and a bag that’s spacious enough to hold a pair of goggles and even a jersey and pants set without the armour. While the helmet does feel very well-made, there is still a small margin to be gained in terms of ultimate quality and plushness when compared to something like an Arai. But in pure performance terms, this helmet is superb, and it can justify its price.
Where: www.alpinestars.com
Price: Rs 65,000
Gavin Rodrigues
Dinshaw Magol
