The American Icon is an outsider in the world of motorcycle clothing and helmets. Not only is the styling of the products quite radical (and therefore not to everyone’s liking), at the same time their way of communicating is nice and straightforward.
With the Airflite Jewel, the Portland, Oregon brand caught my attention for two reasons: on the one hand, the MIPS system, on the other hand, the separate visor. MIPS is a Swedish system that has taken the world of bicycle helmets by storm. It is a kind of internal shell that can move a bit in relation to the actual helmet shell (see below). The purpose of this is to absorb part of the rotational forces that are released during a crash with this ‘floating’ inner shell. In doing so, MIPS imitates nature, because the scalp on our skull is also a bit loose for exactly the same reason.
You don’t feel the MIPS in the design of the Icon Airflite Jewel, the system does not affect the wearing comfort of the helmet in any way. You also do not feel the deeply drawn visor while driving. The helmet’s ventilation is good and the visor is clear, scratch-resistant and doesn’t distort the view. You just have to make sure that it is either completely closed or completely open, with the visor in an intermediate position there will be some distortion of your view.
Although the Airflite Jewel MIPS features an internal sun visor, the helmet comes standard with a clear and a tinted visor. To switch you have to loosen the two caps on the sides of the helmet, but the switch is without any problems.
The helmet has a fairly tight fit and the padding does not tend to expand quickly. If you are in doubt about the size, it is best to go for the larger of the two. The chinstrap has a double-D closure. The ventilation is good and the visor gives a very clear view, on those points the Americans are very successful.
If they will sit down at the drawing board at Icon to design a successor to this helmet, they will also be allowed to keep the aggressive styling with the special shape of the visor. At the top of their priority list, however, should be a reduction in weight, because with 1,745 grams, the Airflite is not light. And if the engineers could get the sound volume down in the helmet, that would also be a nice bonus; this helmet is quite noisy. The Icon Airflite Jewel MIPS is available in blue, gold and silver.
Tested by: Bart de Schampheleire
Price: €362.94
Sizes: XS – 3XL
More info: partseurope.eu † rideicon.com
MIPS: why not?
And now that we have such a MIPS helmet in test, a few thoughts. Because although you might expect otherwise, the current design of ‘the motorcycle helmet’ has been unchanged for about 50 years. Motorcycle helmets still consist of the same basic concept: a hard outer shell of plastic or composite material, a layer of polystyrene foam for shock absorption, and a comfort layer for the motorcyclist’s head.
The arguments? Apart from the really high-end brands that owe it to themselves to look for innovations, there is relatively little pressure on motorcycle helmet manufacturers to take safety and effectiveness to the next level. In addition, it is also just incredibly cheap to make a motorcycle helmet in its current form.
However, in the motocross and bicycle sector it is possible and there is mainly the Swedish MIPS responsible for. MIPS stands for ‘Multi-Directional Impact Protection System’ and is the brand name for a number of technologies that aim to reduce the rotational forces exerted on the brain during a crash.
How it works ? The MIPS system ensures that a helmet rotates on impact (between 10 and 15 mm) without that rotation being passed on to the wearer’s head. Not only does that reduce the rotational force transmitted to the rider’s brain, but it also dampens that force over a longer period of time.
Unlike some brands that have developed their own rotation-limiting technology, MIPS does not sell its own helmets. Instead, the Swedish company is a B2B brand, licensing its technology to established helmet manufacturers.
The system has long been no stranger to the MX world, with brands such as Alpinestars, Bell, Fox, KTM, Thor and Troy Lee Designs offering helmets equipped with MIPS. MIPS has been around for twenty years and has a prominent presence in sectors such as cycling, winter sports and equestrian sports, but the brand is only now establishing a foothold in the motorcycle industry.
Currently only a few brands such as bell and thus also Icon MIPS helmets in the range for street riders. Maybe it’s time for other helmet manufacturers to start looking at MIPS…?
Text Bart de Schampheleire/TVO • Photography Peter Naessens, Icon, MIPS
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