A Smart Helmet For the Future
We reported on Forcite a while back, the smart helmet company has an innovative product unlike any other on sale today. Forcite just launched its MK1 smart helmet in Australia and will expand to other markets in the near future. You can order the helmet on the company’s website, although when we tried going to the main site, it was down.
Upon some investigation on the company’s invite-only Facebook group, it became clear that the third-party server the company was using experienced issues, likely from all the buzz this new helmet is creating. The company has another site up so it can continue to take orders.
Tons of Tech and Features
For those of you who don’t know Forcite’s MK1 smart helmet will be a game-changer. It features ECE 22.5 and DOT-certification and a carbon fiber shell. The helmet offers an antibacterial lining, an advanced ventilation system, a UV400-rated visor. It has pretty much everything else you’d expect from a premium motorcycle helmet. What sets it apart is the technology included with the lid.
The helmet gets integrated speakers, dual microphone, chin-mounted HD camera, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, and a unique LED lighting system for alerts and navigation. With all of this, you can take calls, listen to music, get directions, receive alerts about construction or weather, and even live stream your ride via the camera.
Forcite also discusses AI on its website saying the helmet learns your riding habits and preferences. What exactly this means, though is unclear. It looks like it uses your previous GPS data to help give you suggestions. The system would alert you if there’s construction, weather, or some other issues on the road.
To help you control all of this is a controller that you add to the handlebars of your ride. This means that you don’t have to reach up from your handlebars to control the system. It also means you’ll have to move the controller, to a different bike if you regularly ride more than one.
The battery life of the helmet is about five hours, according to New Atlas. That’s better than the few comparable smart helmets out there, and we’d expect Forcite is looking at how to make that even longer. Right now the company is looking at December deliveries. Forcite will be running demos in Australia. We, unfortunately, won’t be buying a plane ticket to Australia to give one of those demos a shot. Hopefully, we’ll get our hands on one of these helmets in the future to give you a detailed review.
tech helmets so far sacrifice the essentials for tacked on gizmos.
got to be a good helmet first and foremost
Hi Darren, I agree. I think Forcite has an opportunity here. This smart helmet looks to be a good helmet and have all of the tech. Of course, I can say that for sure until I see one up close and wear it.
Too many people gonna get caught up in the wizardtry that they are going to forget about the three interior shapes and gonna buy it just because they want one fit be damned. There are a lot of helmets I like but do not fit my head shape.
A lot of these guys are putting $300 of electronics in a $59 helmet and selling it for $1500.
Smash at 40 mph see the verdict
Crashing in this helmet vs any other helmet that meets DOT and ECE standards should result in very similar injuries (or protection from similar potential injuries.)
The differences between a $50 shell and a $700 shell (retail, obviously it costs nowhere near that to produce) is weight, balance, aerodynamics, noise, comfort, wicking ability, ventilation, overall fit/finish and long-term durability of the various components such as lining, straps etc.
I got invited to go to sit down with Alfred, the founder, last night to check out the Founders Edition helmets. My buddy knows him and invited us to dinner with him.
The helmet is very nice. The tech is pretty unobtrusive, only giving alerts via dimmable led light bar with colors for different events (weather, police, road construction).
The padding was very nice, with anti microbial material, emergency removable cheek pads, the usual for a high end helmet.
The camera is replaceable, which is an engineering design decision. This means if damaged it can be replaced, maybe you get a rock chip and the lens gets scratched, or maybe they come up with a better camera down the road, etc.
As a commuter riding in SF traffic, this would be awesome, as it can capture the traffic interactions if anything happens.
They have some awesome app tech in addition to the helmet that marries your GPS position on a map to the video as you play it back. We thought it was pretty cool. If they have the ability to record voice, or add it, might be a Vlogger dream.
We were all surprised by the light weight of the L and XL we got to handle. I don’t know how they did it, but a camera, battery, speakers, internal drop down visor are stuffed in the helmet and the max weight is 1550g for the XL.
The carbon looked really good. The weave was nice, the clearcoat was excellent with no waviness or drips, etc.
They have an intermediat oval shape (yay for me!) that should fit many people. I usually take a medium in my Bell helmets, and the Large felt like it would downsize perfectly to fit my head shape. I believe Alfred said they have the ability to provide custom cheek pads for a more custom fit as well, but will have to verify.
Their desire is to increase safety for riders through just enough information, like Waze, with the addition of the information relayed to the rider in an unobtrusive manner. The tie-in with the LEDS for directions of turn right/left let’s you keep your eyes on the road instead of glancing down at your handlebar mounted phone.
They sold out of their first run in Australia. I’m eager to get one myself, as I was impressed, and this solves the external helmet mount camera issue for me.
I also like that it is not HUD. Personally I don’t want HUD invading my eyeline when I am riding. Others may not want this helmet simply because it is NOT HUD, but that is personal choice.
The helmet itself without all the tech is one I would buy for myself, personally, it looked that good and had the right features. It’s not surprising this is the case, as Alfred also rides.
Thats just my quick impression, which is very favorable. I’m not being paid for this review, I just met the guy last night at dinner.
what a lovely advert
I think you’d be impressed with the helmet as a helmet first, I was.
It’s not an advertisement, as I am not an employee, nor am I paid, just a review from someone that rides that got to handle an actual helmet in person. I am not the first one in CA to see them, they had a demo ride early in the year up at Alice’s which I did not attend.
There are reviews on Youtube from riders in Australia that have tested the helmets. They are not vapor wear, they exist. I encourage you to check them out.
Interesting you have no comment on the helmet itself or the tech, are you not interested in these?
Yes I am replying to myself. 😀
I just checked the weight without the Cardo radio on my Bell Qualifier MIPS helmet on the web, 1620gr. I don’t think mine is heavy in Med size. That’s why I was impressed with the Forcite weight. With the included internal visor and camera and battery it was less than my Bell, and I run a Cardo unit, adding more weight.
I’ve been riding for 50 yrs now. I’ve never had a helmet tell me where to go,how to get there or anything else. That’s the fun of riding, follow your nose.
Paying attention to all those tech gizmos is dangerous. It distracts you from the job of riding and coming home in one piece. If there is any doubt look at all the distracted car drivers. I like new tech in helmets but not the kind that will distract me from riding.
My Forcite helmet got delivered yesterday but I won’t be using it, packing it back up and try to sell it, not going to risk the disappointment.
My mate got his the other day and said the wind noise inside the helmet is horrendous and reading a lot of comments of owners on their Facebook page saying the same thing, plus other issues.
Not sure how much testing got done on these premium helmets before they were released to the public, but surely one of the test riders told them about the wind noise inside of it.
Great looking helmet with awesome technology but for $1200 I don’t expect my eardrums to get belted and be ringing like crazy at the end of a ride.
I would like to buy one of the helmens