Maja Kenney of Maja’s Motorcycle Adventures tests new AGV K6 Helmet with many thanks to AGV UK check AGV UK for more info
My first thought when putting on the new AGV K6 helmet was “That’s a bit snug.” And it is but not to the point that it becomes uncomfortable. I expected the usual discomforts as you do with most new helmets. They need a bit of wearing in and some pressure on the ears, cheeks and that inevitable new helmet headache after a longer ride is to be expected. Surprisingly, there was none of it. My ears fit nicely inside and even with the speakers of my intercom system fitted there was no pressure on them. The cheeks don’t get too squashed, in fact, it feels almost as if it was pre-worn for my head! On the first 100 mile ride, I did feel a little bit of that tension around the crown of my head but that went away after the next two rides.
It took a bit of positioning of the helmet at the right angle for comfort but once it was settled I noticed two things. How incredible light the helmet is and how big the field of view is. And in fact, these are two of the statements AGV claims it has worked on and made different on the K6. They sure delivered on their promise. The helmet weighs around 1.2 kg (2.7 pounds) and is made out of a carbon-aramid fibre shell. You notice the lightness of it as soon as you pick it up and you practically forget you are wearing the helmet once it is on your head. Not only is it incredibly light, but it also offers the same level of protection that MotoGP riders enjoy.
The field of view has been improved, too and you notice that immediately. The horizontal and vertical field of vision have been extended to give you better visibility of your surroundings.
The visor comes with the Max Vision Pinlock 120 anti fog system which offers better visibility with its slimline edge design. In fact, you cannot see the edges of Pinlock at all once the helmet is on and the visor closed. I really like the visor’s lock system that allows you to lock the visor in place fully or leave a gap for air circulation whilst it is still held in place by the catch system at the front and not just relying on the side release mechanism to keep in place.
The helmet is marketed at a sports-touring market but I miss the internal dark visor for touring days which I find invaluable in the ever-changing British weather. You can change the visor completely for a darker one but that leaves you with having to carry the clear one with you. Because of the snug fit the sunglasses don’t fit under the helmet which means you’ll have to explore another option for when the sun is in your eyes. It is ACU approved and carries the gold sticker so you can safely take it to a track day, too.
I’ve fitted my Sena intercom to the new helmet easily. There are cutouts for the speakers in the helmet but I did have to swap the microphone for the one that attaches to the helmet rather than the one on a flexible arm. The fit of the K6 is so snug that it doesn’t leave much space around the chin area. This meant my microphone got caught and moved each time I put the helmet on. To adjust it you need thin and flexible fingers and I still struggled to find a place to settle on where it didn’t annoy me. A small change to make for the comfort and peace of mind that I am wearing one of the safest helmets on the market.
The interior of the helmet feels soft and smooth, it embraces your head with a soft cushion of comfort and safety that is also breathable. It has quick-release pull straps on each side in case of an accident and a shorter D-ring strap which means less flapping in the wind if you forget to fasten the end with the popper. There are five vents on the helmet, two in the chin area and three at the top of the helmet. Having tested the helmet in March you can feel the cold air coming through which gives me the confidence that it is working very efficiently and will do a great job on those hot days where you can’t feel the wind at all.
Speaking of the wind, the helmet is incredibly quiet. I’ve used it in heavy winds as well as still days and I was impressed how well it stood the test of a very windy day. Due to its lightness, it was less of a struggle to ride against the wind than what I’ve experienced in the past. And I could still hear the music clearly through my speakers.
I did get a few raindrops on the inside of the visor that was let in through the top vents when riding in the rain. The liner at the back of the helmet was slightly damp too, which is to be expected as it is exposed however, the inside of the helmet was completely dry at the end of the 40-mile journey.
When it comes to the graphics, this range isn’t the most inspiring one at the moment however, the red colour on them matches the wheels of my Ducati perfectly so I’m more than happy with my choice.
Review and photos by Maja Kenney of Maja’s Motorcycles Adventure
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AGV K6 Helmet supplied by AGV UK
For more AGV Helmets UK news check out our dedicated page AGV Helmets UK News
or head to the official AGV Helmets UK website agv.co.uk/
