For
many motorcyclists, modular helmets conjure up images of motorcycle coppers or
of serious, mature motorcyclists in no-nonsense Cordura gear with splashes of
hi-vis and riding touring bikes of mostly Bavarian origin and who favour
function over form.
That’s
a pity, really, because “flip-front” lids are actually quite a clever idea: you
effectively have two helmets in one and they’re very useful when you’re at
tollbooths on Continental motorways, or when you’re asking a local for
direction, or even when you’re stopping at a petrol station. They do
unfortunately have a fair few drawbacks - they’re heavy, massive, fairly noisy
and, of course, they’re not overly stylish, which is probably why only
motorcycle cops and the Bavarian touring bike appreciation society wear them:
style tends not to rate very highly on their agendas. I myself bought one a few
years back, but I never really managed to get on with it.
Enter
the LS2 FF324 “Metro” helmet, which is a new-for-2016 model. The first time I
saw the Metro, it was with the chin bar closed; at first glance I took it to be
a straight full-face lid. It was only on closer inspection that I understood
that it was a modular helmet. The first thing I noticed was the look of the
helmet: instead of your usual bulbous shape, the Chinese firm have given the
helmet a taut, aggressive and, dare I say it, sporty look. The chin bar is
slightly pointed and the central air vent is flanked by four mesh-covered side
vents (these can be blanked off by four smoked plastic covers that simply clip
into place), clearly inspired by ADV helmets.
The
main shell of the helmet, which is made out of what LS2 call “KPA” (a
combination of polycarbonate and Kevlar), is sleek and rounded, with two air
intakes, tapering off into a slightly downward-slanted spoiler that also houses
the exhaust vents. At the aft base of the helmet, there is a pronounced
winglet, which houses a further two exhaust vents and also provides a stable
base when the helmet is sat on a flat surface. Overall, this gives the helmet a
very dynamic look that wouldn’t look out of place when worn on a sports
roadster or a muscle bike. The face shield has an aerodynamic incurved lip on
its upper edge, and - surprisingly for a modular lid - is equipped with an
efficient quick-release system and is also prepared to be fitted with LS2’s
proprietary “Fog Fighter System” anti-fog insert. (Ours came with this insert
included in the box - there were also reflective stickers for French-market
lids, a small but effective chin curtain, the covers for the chin bar’s side
vents and a very nice helmet pouch) The helmet has a lever-operated sun shield.
Moving
on to the “guts” of the helmet (as Revzilla’s Anthony Bucci would say), we find
a chinstrap with a micrometric buckle, a very plush neck roll with a reflective
insert, comfy cheek pads and a 3D inner liner. All of these elements can be
removed and are washable, including the comfort liner elements on both parts of
the chinstrap (that’s a neat idea); however the inner mesh that I initially thought
was part of the helmet liner turned out to be a separate element that is fixed
to the inner EPS shell, which I find is a bit of a let-down on an otherwise
comfortable and well thought out interior.
With
the comfort liner fully removed, I carefully pushed the red mesh liner to one
side and could see a the large cut-outs for the ventilation’s intake and
exhaust vents, connected to some decent-looking air channels. I also noted that
there are cut-outs on the side of the EPS shell to house speakers if the helmet
is fitted with an intercom unit. These holes are blanked with pieces of foam
similar to that on flexible body armour inserts. Speaking of intercoms, this
lid can be fitted with a model-specific unit designed for LS2 and the controls
for which are placed on the chinstrap.
So,
what’s it like to wear? I must admit that I was expecting the usual fare of
bulk, loud wind noise with shrieks and whistles from the chin bar’s shut lines,
along with aerodynamic buffeting beyond 80 kph with the chin bar open. Bet here
again, LS2 have taken the rulebook for flip-fronts and chucked ‘em in the bin.
Instead
of bulk, I found that I was wearing a pleasantly light helmet. The manufacturer
claims a weight of 1,650 g, which places the Metro within the average for most
middle-of-the-range full-face helmets. The fit is snug and comfortable straight
out of the box, with now immediately noticeable pressure “hotspots” on the
forehead, cheeks or at the base of the skull. I was also pleasantly surprised
by the relatively low amount of wind noise generated by the helmet. No shrieks
and whistles; indeed I could say that the wind noise was “low-frequency” and
not too obtrusive, even on a bike without a windscreen. On the Triumph Explorer
XRT that we were road-testing recently, life inside the helmet was even
quieter. Aerodynamic buffeting is also reduced to a strict minimum, even at
motorway speeds (and, erm, slightly above…) with the chin bar flipped up.
Combined with a well-designed sunshield that provides excellent cover for the eyes,
this really is a modular helmet designed to be used open as much as closed.
(LS2 have obtained double type approval - full-face and open-face - for the
Metro) While we’re on the subject of airflow, I was pleasantly surprised by the
ventilation system: the main chin vent does its job without scooping up
insects, small birds or light aircraft; the top vents are ace, too - I have a
thick head of hair but for once I could actually feel air flowing over my scalp
and even down the back of my neck. The diminutive chin curtain and the neck
roll combine to ensure that no air gets in from underneath the helmet.
The
chin bar mechanism is slick and easy to use, with no clunky noises when you
lock it shut. Its only weak point is the locking tab that blocks it in its open
position: it is difficult to disengage and I can’t understand why LS2 have
placed on the right-hand pivot - surely having it on the left-hand pivot would
make more sense, allowing the wearer to operate it while riding. The face
shield gives a wide field of vision and its mechanism has five positions with a
nice, positive action to them.
In
all, this is a very well-designed, comfortable and light helmet to wear, and it
looks good too; it definitely reconciled me with the modular helmet concept,
and has already become my new “go-to” lid. I'm pretty sure that this could become the modular helmet of choice for riders of maxi-scooters, sports roadsters and muscle bikes. LS2 include it in their range of
“urban” helmets, but it does cut the mustard over long distances on the open
road. It is available in a wide range of sizes from XXS to XXXL, with three
different shell sizes, and comes in a variety of solid colours and graphic
designs, including the Firefly version (the one we tried), which features
glow-in-the-dark graphics on a flat, slightly rubberised, black background.
This latter version is very striking - when the graphics are glowing brightly
it looks like something out of Tron - and will make you just that little bit
more visible to other road users at night. The retail price for the "Firefly" version of the FF324 Metro is £179.99 in the UK and around 239 € in Spain and the rest of Europe. Other versions of the Metro will retail around the 200 € (£158) mark.
What we liked
Aggressive,
sporty and dynamic design
Comfortable
to wear straight out of the box
Aerodynamics
Low
weight
Low
noise level
Slick
chin bar mechanism
Efficient
ventilation system
Eye-catching
glow-in-the-dark graphics
What we liked less
Part
of the comfort liner is fixed to the EPS shell
The
pivot locking tab is difficult to use
Micrometric
chinstrap: it’s OK, but we still prefer “double-D ring” buckles
Our thanks to David Foschi at LS2
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