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Brief Yes it's true, the helmet is the single most important piece of gear in motorcycling. With prices ranging from under $100 to well up over $600, it may be hard to figure out which helmet is right for you. For those who don't wish to sacrifice quilty features for a cheaper price, Icon has the solution for you. Overview When you first pick up one of these helmets, you'll definitely notice how light it is. You'll also notice the exterior venting system not found on others in this price range. Other features include removable cheek pads, breath deflector and little pockets in the helmet for speakers. The shield also has a quick release change mechanism which makes switching shields very quick and simple. Details When I first put this helmet on, I just couldn't believe how light it felt on my head as helmets in this price range are usually much heavier. I also noticed that the shape of the shell gives it much more room in the front nose and mouth area. Most other helmets in the past have been pretty snug in this area and my mouth and nose would sometimes rub against the inside of the helmet. You'll really notice this extra room when taking the helmet on and off as it doesn't rub on you face. Also, when mounting the microphone for the radio, there was still plenty left before hitting my face. Another important feature riders look for in a good helmet is how quiet it is on the road. I've found that many people prefer a quiet helmet that doesn't feel like you're wearing ear muffs. I feel the Mainframe Halo keeps just enough of the sounds out without muting the goods sound you want to hear like the bike and surrounding traffic. With the shield slightly open, I can feel the fresh air streaming past my face but not up into my eyes like most other helmets. Icon's claims of decreased facial wind which sometimes bothers those who wear contacts seems to be true as the air isn't concentrated in this area. The shield has seven different positions but with the way the helmet is designed, I rarely found the need to raise it above the first notch. The helmet's venting systems seems to work great and really moves the air around. It may be just my imagination but it seems like I have a larger viewable area through the visor. The clear shield is precise but I did find the dark smoke tinted shield to be a little murky if the sun hits it right. This may be a problem with my specific shield as I know another rider had a similar problem with an HJC shield which was fixed when returned for a new one. Okay, here's the real deal. The truth of the matter is, if you hold up one of these Mainframe Halo Helmets next to one of the more expensive Arai, Shoei or Suomy helmets, you will see a difference in overall finish. The Icon parts may be a little more inexpensive looking as the other models do carry nicer looking accents, paint and craftsmanship. But at well over half the price you can't deny that Icon's Mainframe Halo contains many of the higher end features of the big boys. The venting seems to be top notch as well as the fit and focus on a more streetable helmet for the everyday rider. Icon's niche is to bring quality products to the street rider at a reasonable price. I think they hit the bullseye here as the features of this remarkable helmet are only overshadowed by its price. Plain and simple, for the price you just can't go wrong with this helmet.
The venting seemed to work well as I could feel a cool sensation towards the top of my head. I did try to utilize the three positions of the top vents but really couldn't tell if there was a difference between the positions in the amount of time I had on the freeway. The mouth exhaust worked well and I could tell the condensation and heat from my breath was being evacuated without fogging the helmet. My favorite feature was the wind deflector as I found I could raise the visor one notch and the wind would not hit me directly in the eyes; this is nice for me since I wear contact lenses. Instead, the air seems to follow up along the inside of the visor towards my forehead. I am looking forward to the summer to really try out the venting properties and will keep you updated. This is a very well built helmet comparable to the high end helmets with similar features. A unique and very desirable feature that this helmet offers above some other high-end helmets is the speaker pockets. This feature makes it very convenient to install communicators into the helmet without disassembling it. The pockets also ensure that the earphones are always in the correct location without the fuss of Velcro and double-sided tape.
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