Adventure riders cover a very broad spectrum of riding conditions. But it's fair to say
that the helmets they use aren't always as multi-dimensional. That's where this
lead claims to set itself apart. It's the AGV AX-9. It's claimed to be first rate in safety,
comfort and practicality across all riding conditions.
I've been running this particular helmet for a few months now, let's take a closer look.
The adventure bike scene has exploded in Australia over the past 18 months.
And finding a helmet that is up to the task of every adventure setting
is an important box to take for most riders. The AGV AX-9 range is claimed to do just that,
with four different configurations, the ability to remove the sun visor or use off-road goggles. This
particular AX-9 matt carbon model retails for $799 in Australia, and weighs just 1445 grams.
It's lightweight construction shell combines carbon, aramid and glass fibre.
Now, you might be asking yourself, "How can a helmet that looks like this safely run on the
road?" Well, like all AGV helmets, the AX-9 has been tested in extensive wind tunnel testing, so
it is really good on the open road. Of course, if you angle your head a certain way or if you
catch... If you get a really high top speed, it is prone to a little bit of wind turbulence. But for
the most part, it sits really well on your noggin, and it's really comfortable over long rides.
From the outside, there's a couple of key points. You've got three different air vents,
this chin vent, two top head vents here, and then two passive rear exhaust vents,
which also help to circulate air. There's two different tabs for the visor operation,
which means you can do it with both hands. It's a little bit clunkier than some more expensive
helmets, but for a mid-range level helmet, it works really well. Then there's the inherent
flexibility of the AGV AX-9. I've strictly run it in this setting that you see now, but you
can remove the sun visor and can also remove this lens here as well and replace it with goggles. So
really functional, and it means that you can adapt it or tailor it to your riding style.
Inside the AGV AX-9 continues the [0:02:23.7] ____ theme with premium washable materials
that are above all comfortable. The material at the base of the helmet won't absorb water either.
The internals are said to have been developed for use with glasses,
while the chin guard is removable without tools.
Now, AGV says that they strictly do not want riders exposing their face on the trail. So for
that reason, you can't actually get the AGV AX-9 with a flip-down internal sun visor as you see on
many other brands. We found a little bit of a way around that with this transitional pinlock system.
The lens that comes with the AGV AX-9 is already compatible with that out of the box,
or thing going out and purchased a separate pinlock transitional lens,
which claims to sort of darken in brighter scenarios, and then soften in darker scenarios. So
it works quite well. I have to say, it's not quite as effective or as immediate
as a flip-down visor. There's really no replacement for those internal systems.
We recently tested the AX-9 on a five-day adventure ride in North Queensland.
With lots of rain and humidity across hundreds of kilometres riding every day,
it proved to be something of a torture test. And the AX-9 stood up to the task admirably.
It performed really well. It's stable at open speed,
offers a great field of vision for the rider. It doesn't fog up,
and it's really comfortable on your head. At $800, it doesn't exactly break the bank,
and it provides great quality for riders that tackle every type of riding condition.