There are a few things going on here.
The first is that for the first time ever in my life, I’m fizzing over a modular helmet. And this disturbs me. For it is not the natural order of things.
As a rule, I hate them chin-piece-flip-upping bastards. They’re heavy and they’re ugly, and they just get way uglier when you raise the chin-piece. On some level, I acknowledge they have some vague practicality, but what good is that when people laugh at you because you have what looks like an open toilet bowl perched on your head?
Hello, Darkness, my old friend…I tried to explain this to Damien when he wanted me to have one.
“We want to send you a modular helmet to try,” he said.
“No, you don’t,” I said. “You only think you do.”
“It’s Simpson’s new adventure helmet. And it’s made from carbon fibre.”
“Simpson?”
“Yes.”
“The mob who make those gorgeous, evil-looking Darth Bane Vader lids?”
“Yes.”
“In carbon fibre, you say?”
“Yes”.
And thus did I come into possession of my first-ever modular adventure helmet. And it is gorgeous.
It looks all the business all the time.I have always loved the Simpson helmet aesthetic. How could I not? It’s such an evocative design. It’s the kind of helmet kids (and big kids like me) wanna wear because it reminds them of Batman villains< Darth Vader, and fighter pilots.
What seals that deal is the iconic chin-piece/hate-muzzle combined with the goggle-like visor opening that has been the signature of Simpson since it began making drag-racing helmets in 70s.
But Simpson was not originally a helmet company. It started its life making drag-bike parachutes, and it’s a cool story.
So, in 1958, an 18-year-old called Bill Simpson broke both his arms drag-racing his car. His uncle, who owned a military surplus shop, jokingly suggested the outcome would have been better if Bill used a parachute to slow down his car.
Hell to the yes! thought Bill. He duly rented a sewing machine and sewed himself a parachute out of his uncle’s stock, then he and his mate, Mike Sorokin, chucked the parachute out of a car doing 160-km/h to see if it worked. It absolutely did. Really well. It sent their car first into the sky and then into a tree nursery, where they all lay until the cops came and arrested them.
The best way to put it on your seat is when it’s open. Otherwise it may fall. You will cry when that happens.Bill then devoted himself to making more drag-parachutes, fireproof clothing, and racing harnesses. Helmets came along in the early seventies. Which is when I first saw them and thought they were the coolest-looking helmets on earth. I still think that.
Back then, they weren’t used for bikes. They were drag-racing and stock-car racing helmets. Now and again, one would appear on a motorcyclist, but they were way too expensive and hard to get in Australia for that to be a common thing.
That has all changed in 2026. Simpson is now a major player in the motorcycle helmet game. And its iconic aesthetic remains. It just such a damn cool-looking lid.
But does it work? Is it any good? Imagine hooking up with the hottie of your dreams, only to discover she smells like farmyard and eats her own boogers.
The carbon is top-notch, and you can see the big exhaust vents at the back.So, it’s all well and good to look gorgeous, but if that’s all you’re about, then maybe I’ll shop elsewhere.
To my mind, this new Simpson adventure lid had an even higher bar to get over. It was a modular jobbie. And I already told you my views on those things. I was going to mark it hard.
Let me address the weight issue, which is probably the biggest issue I have with modular lids. You need your helmets to be as light as possible. The lighter they are, the less fatigue you get from wearing them, and the less impact they will have in the event of an oopsie when your poor neck will discover the difference a few hundred grams of inertia will make.
Modular helmets, because of their design and function, are heavier than a normal full-face. Their extra weight is a result of the flip-up mechanism (150 to 250gm), the peak (80-120gm), the extra venting (50-100gm), and the stronger chin-bar (100-150gm).
This Simpson comes in at 1850gm. My Shoei XSP-R Pro weighs 1560gm. My Airoh Cairoli dirt helmet is 1030gm. So now you know what you’re in for, but in real terms, 1850 is about average for a top-line adventure lid.
And this Simpson is certainly that.
What makes it that? Glad you asked.
Unmistakably a Simpson. Best field-of-vision I have found on a modular lid thus far.The overall finish, inside and out, is stunning. It’s a quality piece of kit – looks, it, feels i
Importantly, for my money, it offers a super-wide field of vision. When you’re being pursued through the scrub by a hate-filled Cape Buffalo, you will be grateful for an unobstructed view of everything around you. And it comes with a Pinlock, so no matter how hard you’re panting, there will be no fogged visor. That visor is also made from optical-quality Perspex, so there is no distortion to your view no matter what position it is in.
And I do like to crack it open a touch to let more air through, and it seems to cope quite well with speeds over 100km/h without slamming shut.
It has an internal drop-down visor as well, but since my nose has not been flattened enough by the fists of my enemies, and remains somewhat aquiline, that drop-down visor kisses that nose more than it should. Those internal visors are always tricky in that way. Some people will not have an issue with it touching their nose. Other, like me, will.
Obviously, the whole point of a modular helmet is cracking it open when you ride into town and need the girls to see how handsome you are. So, when you do that, does the wind suddenly wish to tear your head off? No. I’ve had it cracked open at 100, and while you can feel a pull, it’s no biggie. Quicker than that? Well, it ain’t meant to cope with that nonsense. None of them are.
The interior is pretty luscious. There’s lots of air moving around in there and it’s easy to pull the padding out and wash it – even though I have never done that, or hung out with people who do. By the time my helmet becomes an ecosystem for disease, I buy a new helmet.
It is an objectively stunning helmet. Oh, and you can take that peak off.I do understand there are adventure rides you may go on when your helmet may fill with bugs, mud, blood, plague, or whatever lives off camel-blood, and it will need washing.
Is it noisy? Well, it’s not as silent as the tomb, but no modular lid is. I would say it is not excessively noisy, but then what bothers some people may not bother me. I thought it was quite reasonable in this area.
Finally, the removable three-anchor peak. Peaks are a great thing. When the sun is setting they shade your eyes if you’re riding west. When the bastard in front of you is roosting you, they can stop crap smashing into your visor just by you inclining your head. But they’re only any good if they don’t interfere with the wind-blast hitting your lid. This one doesn’t.
And most importantly, it is hands-down the coolest-looking adventure helmet on the market. Good thing it’s such a great lid as well, aye?
HOW MUCH IS IT? $1299
WHERE CAN I GET IT FROM? AMX SUPERSTORES or at the following link
