I remember in my youth the wild designs that were emblazoned across countless motorcycle helmets. From fire and lightning patterns to insane graphics and characters to iconic liveries, everywhere you looked, someone had a rad helmet.
And then everyone sorta said, "What if we went minimalist?" And so the industry did, by and large.
But I feel like we lost something as a community when we left those designs. We lost a sense of personality and whimsy. We lost the ability to truly let our freak flags fly. I think we need to get back to those days. Not because of some odd sense of nostalgia, but because the world needs more fun injected into it in this deeply polarized time.
That's why when I saw Ruroc's new designs for its Eox line of helmets, I thought, "This is the way forward. We can finally have some fun with our lids again!" At least I hope we can.
Ruroc is known, like Icon, as one of the main brands that still do these fun and funky helmet designs. There have been collabs with Star Wars, Marvel, and DC Comics, as well as the brand's own in-house designs that feature colorful and vibrant designs that are sure to turn heads. As a Star Wars nerd, myself, I'm partial to the brand's Atlas 4 complete in Boba Fett's iconic helmet design or the Eox Rebel Pilot livery.
The latest designs, however, are just as out there and their names are equally wild.
Based on the Eox line of helmets, the new livery lineup includes the Gunslinger, the Oni, the Cyberstrike, and the Steamrider. And yes, I'm being serious. According to Ruroc, "[The Gunslinger design] rides straight out of the Wild West. Inspired by the grit and glory of western films. The Gunslinger features a gold foil revolver pistol, shotgun shells, a matching sheriff badge, and outlaw skull teeth," and "fusing Japanese folklore and cutting-edge design, [The Oni design] is inspired by the legendary ogre-demons of myth. The Oni’s details include an unsheathed silver-foiled katana, a blood-red sun, and a serpentine snake coiled around the head."
As for the Cyberstrike, it's "inspired by a cyberpunk dystopia and channeling the energy of tomorrow’s streets, the [helmet] showcases a hand-illustrated cyborg warrior, neon-pink accents, and a bold, futuristic mask." And last, but not least, "A fusion of cogs, copper, and chaos, the Steamrider features metallic silver and copper finishes, corrosion patina detailing, and a riveted-effect shell." Basically, it goes all steampunk for those who still love the genre.
According to Ruroc's head of design Daniele Caruso, "Our vision with these new Eoxdesigns was to fuse storytelling and performance in a way that truly stands out on the road. We wanted each helmet to have its own personality—something as unique as the rider who wears it."
I, personally, really dig the Oni.
The Eox helmet comes with multi-density impact foam and what Ruroc calls a Quad-Matrix carbon composite, which when combined let the helmet meet both ECE 22.06 and DOT standards. Likewise, the Eox is compatible with the brand's Shockwave speaker system, which for a limited time, will be added to your cart for free when you purchase a new Eox across the lineup. Pretty neat, if you ask me.
As for price, an Eox will set you back anywhere from $499 to $699 depending on the colorway, though the top-end priced versions are for the brand's Cosmic Collection. These new designs will set you back $559.
But what do you all think? Are you ready to spice up your helmet game again? I know I am after years of boring black, bare carbon, or some form of slashed colorways.
