How to choose the perfect touring helmet

Modular helmets are designed to offer safety, comfort and practicality on long rides.

The chinguard that can be opened promotes ventilation and facilitates communication with passenger and fellow travelers.

The care taken in creating the helmet interior is essential for avoiding discomfort after many hours of wear.

An optical class 1 visor eliminates distortion, reduces eye fatigue and increases concentration.

Being able to adapt your helmet to changing weather conditions can make all the difference on longer trips.

Are you thinking about buying a new helmet? In this delicate phase, it’s good to remember that each segment has some specific characteristics that determine a product’s character. A touring helmet must not only be as safe as a racing helmet, but also comfortable and light, so as not to burden the neck muscles on longer rides. Practicality is also a must in this segment, which is why the most popular solution among travelers is the modular helmet, which allows the chinguard to be opened with a quick action.

The possibility of using it like an open-face helmet while riding should be verified according to the type of homologation, whether P (for ‘protective’, full-face) or P/J (for ‘protective/jet’, so both full- and open-face). In the first case, the helmet can be used correctly only when closed, in the second, in both configurations. In both cases, there is the great convenience of being able to open it on every break, even for a few seconds, and without having to remove it, to talk easily with fellow travelers, to quench your thirst or even just get some air.

Comfort for long journeys

While safety is a common requirement for any type of helmet, for all intended uses, comfort is one of the most important features to look for in a touring helmet. Helmets that seem comfortable when worn for a few moments might actually prove unbearable after a few hours. So what should you do? First of all, you need to carefully choose the correct size. Then you need to pay attention to how the interior is made and with which materials. The more care taken here, and the more finishing, the more likely it is that the pleasant sensation of a helmet you’ve just put on will last through the day. Then make sure the interior is removable and washable.

Label of a P/J homologated helmet according to ECE22-06

AGV uses high-quality fabrics on all its helmets, such as 2Dry and DrySpeed – materials that quickly move moisture away from the rider’s head – Ritmo and Shalimar, special liners that ensure a soft, delicate feel against the skin. During the design of the helmets as a whole, special attention is paid to avoiding any potentially annoying points of contact between the various pads and the wearer’s head.

Perfect view in every condition

Often treated as a secondary consideration, the visor is actually an element that can make a big difference. Not just a shield against the air, the visor is a genuine lens through which we see the road and everything around us. Optical class 1 eliminates any distortion and doesn’t strain the eyes, with benefits in terms of concentration and safety. AGV Ultravision increases the width of the field of vision to 190° horizontally and 85° vertically. This sweeping view means that the rider doesn’t miss anything happening around them.

In addition to guaranteeing a perfect view, the visor has to protect – it can’t be the weak point of the helmet. That means it needs to have a minimum thickness to guarantee safety against impacts. Remember that the homologation standard for motorcycle helmets in force since the beginning of 2021, ECE22-06, unlike the previous 22-05 performs an impact test on the visor itself, to ensure its strength. It’s also essential that the visor is anchored to the helmet through a solid mechanism that can withstand major stress. That’s why the AGV helmet visor mechanisms are made of metal, unlike the more common plastic systems. At the same time, the mechanism should always be as small as possible, so as not to take useful space from the EPS layer and not to affect the helmet’s protective performance in the temple area.

The visor distortion test

Feather weight

Even on the highway or Alpine passes, a light helmet makes a difference. A few hundred grams might not seem a lot, but after a whole day of riding you can really feel them on the neck muscles, for better or worse. That’s why AGV makes lightness one of the cornerstones of its production process, in all segments.

Carbon and composite fibers in general ensure the utmost safety and lower the weight significantly. Having said that, it’s not static weight alone that makes the difference – dynamic weight is even more important. Attentive design in the wind tunnel gives rise to a helmet with optimized air penetration, so much that it becomes weightless at a highway speed of 130 km/h.

Ready for anything

A good touring helmet has nothing to fear from weather that changes over the day. Air vents that are easy to adjust on the go, rear heat extractor and sun visor are the best solutions for dealing with changes in light and temperature. Compatibility with Pinlock, a feature of all AGV helmets, shouldn’t be forgotten on visors. It’s a must for avoiding fogging in the cold or rain.

AGV pays great attention to ventilation – it can prove a great support in taking on the toughest situations. Good ventilation can save us from scorching heat, but it’s also decisive when the weather is bad. Being able to open the air vents just enough to aid heat exchange, without letting water in, again helps keep the visor from fogging up.

AGV Tourmodular

Lightweight, comfortable and ultra-protective modular helmet, set up for use with integrated DMC Mesh communication system. Designed for maximum comfort and safety on long trips.

Dedicated aerodynamics

On a touring helmet, studying the aerodynamics counts. Road speeds aren’t particularly high, but good air penetration and dedicated aerodynamic appendages greatly increase acoustic comfort by reducing hiss and rumbling.

The retention strap

The helmet strap is a distinguishing factor within the modular helmet segment, too. There are more sporty models that borrow the double D solution from the most sporty helmets, the one that guarantees greater safety, and others that focus on practicality with micrometric closure, easily operated even with gloves on.

How to choose the perfect helmet

Guide to sizes, types and what to look out for

Communication systems

An important element for many touring riders is the possibility of the helmet housing an intercom system to allow communication with the passenger or companions during the trip or phone calls to be made or taken on their cell. A helmet like the AGV Tourmodular is compatible with the AGV Insyde intercom, the first system with DMC™ Dynamic Mesh Communication technology integrated with a modular helmet. DMC™ technology allows a stable connection to be established between up to 15 riders, 1.2 km apart, with a total range of up to 6 km.

AGV has studied touring helmets and optimized every aspect that can offer an advantage for long-distance use. Interior with attention to detail, to prolong the pleasant feel of a new helmet. An incomparable safety level for coping with the most diverse situations. The widest field of vision ever, so you always have everything under control. State-of-the-art aerodynamics to penetrate the air and minimize noise and neck strain. Optimized ventilation to maintain perfect comfort in all weather conditions.

How to choose the perfect touring helmet