The Bell MX-9 Adventure Mips motorcycle helmet is biased towards adventure riders, but also makes a … [+]
I’m always fussing with helmets. Back when I started riding, most people didn’t even wear them, and they were essentially plastic-covered styrofoam shells with an easily scratched visor attached and roaring wind noise. Yes, you could get helmets with speakers in them for intercoms and such back then, but when I tried one on, the sound quality was dreadful (for music) and out the door it was about a $700 deal – and you needed a big touring rig to plug it into. Both were a solid “no” for a kid just out of college, but I did have a bike capable of doing long distance and I wanted to listen to some tunes on my travels, so I cannibalized an old set of headphones and DIY’d myself a fairly effective setup that even included a CB radio mic so I could get the lowdown from truckers on the where the speed traps were down the road. I happily used that setup for years, and even built out a few other helmets.
Eventually, Bluetooth tech came to helmets, but the first “connected” helmet I owned was a rather dodgy affair that only worked when it wanted to and still sounded like crap. I was almost ready to DIY another helmet some years ago when I heard about Cardo’s Packtalk Bold comms system – and that they had partnered with JBL for the in-hat speakers. I gave it a try and haven’t looked back since. Now every helmet I have is equipped with speakers and a mic, and the Cardo Bold unit just clicks in and out of its little carrier to bring them to life. What could be better?
With the visor up, riders can opt for goggles in dusty conditions.
Bell’s $229.95 MX-9 Adventure MIPS helmet, especially coupled with their $149 Protint photochromic face shield and the new $389.95 Cardo Packtalk Edge, is better. The MX-9 Adventure is an ADV-style full-face helmet with a large top sun visor and the tech I’ve been waiting for: A photochromic face shield that changes tint in sunlight, just like my glasses. The problem is, my glasses don’t change tint in a helmet because the visor blocks the actiivating UV rays (and keeps my face from getting sunburnt), so putting that tech in the helmet visor is a perfect solution.
The yellow liner is the MIPS device, allowing the helmet to rotate around the head in a crash. … [+]
The MX-9 also features MIPS technology (above), which is an added safety feature that allows the helmet to rotate around the rider’s head to reduce the twisting force of an obtuse (or non-direct) impact during a crash. You can read more about MIPS here:
Fit and finish of the Bell MX-9 Adventure is excellent, and it’s extremely comfortable; I wore it all day on several rides and it does not develop hot spots or irritation on my odd-shaped head. The visor cleanly tucks up under the sun shield allowing the use of goggles for truly dusty off-road riding. The visor and sun shield can also be quickly removed if desired for cleaning or replacement. The interior of the helmet is also easily removeable for cleaning or installing a comms system, which I did with my Cardo Packtalk Edge, which can be easily moved from helmet to helmet.
The Cardo Packtalk Edge is waterproof and runs all day on a charge.
The Packtalk Edge is Cardo’s new top-of-the-line comms system, and it is an improvement over the Bold, especially in wireless intercom clarity . It came with 40mm JBL in-helmet speakers, two microphones and everything needed for mounting and connection. The 40mm drivers don’t have quite the same bass punch as the 45mm JBL units I use with the Bold, but it’s a close second, and tweaking the EQ settings on my phone pretty much made up the difference. Setup of the Cardo’s speakers and mic is key; don’t rush it and experiment with speaker and mic placement for optimal results for your ears. Even moving the speakers a few millimeters can make a big difference.
Operation of the Edge is essentially the same as with the Bold as is the form factor, except the Edge is a bit smaller, sleeker and uses a slick magnetic mount system that’s a big improvement over the Bold’s sometimes finnicky click-in-click-out system. The “volume wheel” on the Edge is smaller than the same control on the Bold and a bit tougher to manipulate with thick gloves on, but you get used to it quickly. Battery life is excellent and I was not able to run it out in a long day of riding.
Cardo uses a proprietary voice command system in their units that is not reliant on internet/cell connectivity (like Siri, et al), so it always works and works very well. The list of commands is limited but covers pretty much anything the Edge does (music, phone comms, intercom, volume, etc.). Calling up your smartphone digital assistant is now a smoother operation than with the Bold, at least in my use of Siri on my iPhone 13 Pro. Nice touch: When you power down the Edge, the built-in assistant will let you know the remaining battery power (25%, 50%, etc.). It also boots up and finds your phone in literally ten seconds. Cardo’s app is also highly useful, but I often forget to open it and the Edge still did pretty much everything I asked of it just with the basic Bluetooth connection to my phone. Using the app, you can network with up to 15 other riders on intercom using Cardo’s “mesh” tech. For me, I just chatted with my son who was in the passenger seat on my motorcycle.
A good helmet is mandatory kit on every ride for your author, and it helps it the fit is right and … [+]
On balance, this is the “smart helmet” tech I was dreaming of decades ago before there was “smart” anything. But time and tech change quickly, and while I’m happy with every aspect of the Bell MX-9 Adventure and the Protint photochromic visor, the helmet is made even better with the inclusion of the Cardo Packtalk Edge. I highly recommend all three for any motorcyclist wanting comfort, safety, connectivity and a bit of of sci-fi cool on their head while riding.
