Peaky blinders: Best peaked motorcycle helmets chosen by MCN

From adventure biking and trail riding to motocross, enduro and trials, there’s a peaked motorcycle helmet out there to suit every off-road occasion. The peak serves two main functions – to shield your eyes from the sun and provide protection from ‘roost’, the dirt and debris thrown up by a rider in front.

Types of peaked helmets

There are three basic shell styles for peaked helmets – full face with a visor, full face for use with goggles and open face. Each offers specific benefits for its intended use, but regardless of whether it’s on or off-road, all motorcycle helmets on sale in the UK must comply with the minimum requirements of the ECE safety test. That makes them fully road legal too.

Adventure helmets)

Full face peaked helmets with both a visor and peak are generally referred to as ‘adventure’ style helmets. These are the most versatile of the bunch as they are designed for both on and off-road use, making them de rigueur for adventure bike owners and a popular choice for touring.

Advantages over a dedicated road lid are increased ventilation and greater visibility, the result of a much larger front opening. Most can be worn with goggles, as whilst the visor is fine for tarmac surfaces, on the dirt it can quickly become clogged with mud or damaged by grit and won’t do much to stop dust getting in your eyes.

MX and Enduro peaked helmets)

MX and Enduro helmets are also full-face but designed to be worn with goggles – a much better solution than a visor on the dirt as they seal around the edges and have easily replaceable lenses. Protection, weight and ventilation are key due to the demanding physical nature of the sports.

Trials helmets)

Trials helmets are the lightest of the lot, a minimalist open-faced shell focused on giving the best possible peripheral vision and least encumbrance for the user without sacrificing safety.

Lids for classics)

None of the above may be aesthetically suitable if you’re riding a classic or custom, however, but there are some fantastic new and updated retro designs available to suit modern scramblers and period off-road machines.

We take a look at the pick of the pack for each category and highlight the key points along with approximate weight, ECE level and SHARP rating where applicable.

Adventure

MX and Enduro

Trials

Retro

Justin Hayzelden is a Commercial Content Writer at MCN Products. He has extensive industry experience, having spent over 10 years as a freelance road tester and journalist.

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