A solid helmet is worth its weight in brain matter. Your brain matter, to be specific.
For those that don't know, I was in a bad motorcycle wreck a number of years ago and I credit my survival to my Shoei helmet at the time. The helmet saved me from the cliff wall's jagged edges ripping into my skull, as evidenced by the 1/4-inch gashes that streaked the side of it.
That damage was, and is, something I still think about each time I get onto a bike and go for a rip. So I take my helmets very seriously, entrusting my noggin to those brands that've done the research and engineering, as well as those I feature on RideApart.
6D is one of those companies, and its latest off-road helmet—the ATR-3—builds upon its other helmets and goes far further than before, allowing riders the opportunity to rebuild their helmets after a wreck.
The main feature of the new ATR-3 is the brand's ODS system or Omni-Directional Suspension. According to the brand, the "Omni-Directional Suspension™ technology is an active, in-helmet suspension and energy management system. The system reduces energy transfer to the brain over a wider range of energy demands, including low, mid, and high-velocity impacts for both linear and angular acceleration. This is achieved through the use of a suspended dual-liner assembly that can displace and shear in any direction upon impact."
Think of it as a semi-movable layer between the outside of the helmet and your head, thus protecting it from the forces involved when in a crash.
But more than that, 6D's ODS-equipped ATR-3 is pretty much fully rebuildable, thus enabling its customers to have a crash, but then replace key parts to keep their helmets in good working order. Chief among them, the helmet's inner EPS liner which can be swapped out to keep you riding.
6D also made the helmet lighter than its predecessor, while making it stronger. Increased aero vents also make the whole unit cooler, so when you're riding whoops or single-track, you aren't dying of heat. The company even calls the vents "Direct-to-Brow" cooling, so sweat isn't getting into your eyeballs, which has me intrigued given how much I sweat while riding.
The company will offer the helmet in three shells, which offer sizing between XS and XXL, and comes with the company's three-year warranty, and like its prior helmets, exceeds DOT, ECE 22-06, ACU and ASTM standards. A number of colorways will also be available on launch, including some seriously wild neons that absolutely have my attention.
As for pricing, the ATR-3 will set you back $759.95, which isn't bad for a helmet of this specification. Nor given it's designed to keep you alive and talking.
According to Bob Weber, 6D’s CEO and co-founder, “We continuously challenge ourselves to enhance our technology and advance rider safety. This on-going pursuit of innovation has led to the creation of the ATR-3—the lightest, best-ventilated, and most technically advanced helmet we have ever produced.”
Feels like I might need to add another helmet to my collection...
