Is this the future of motorcycle helmet design?
Adventure motorcycle clothing maker Klim have announced the F5 KOROYD which they claim is the most advanced and safest motorcycle helmet ever
ADVENTURE motorcycle kit and clothing maker Klim (pronounced climb) have announced what they claim is their most advanced and safest motorcycle helmet to date.
The lid makes use of a new type of lining system that does away with some parts of the helmets internal lining, commonly made from Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), replacing it with a new type of lining material called KOROYD. The KOROYD (pronounced core-oid) integrates KOROYD welded tubes within the lid to improve breathability and impact protection.
KOROYD is made by bonding together thousands of small, plastic tubes to absorb the forces of an impact. Unlike an EPS liner, the tubes use air trapped within them to help dissipate the energy of a crash. An EPS liner instead breaks up and can in some cases shatter completely in a big accident.
The small tubes are bonded together in an organic honeycomb pattern, with the tubes themselves having a sidewall that it just 0.09mm thick. Because of the size and thickness of the tube, they also act more like MIPS helmet (Multi-directional Impact Protection) in that glancing blows and more direct hits will still be absorbed with the same amount of energy dissipation. Well, that’s the claim anyway!
Another benefit is the cooling effect of the tubes as air can run straight through the panels from front to back, increasing airflow to the head, helping to keep your bonce cool on a long ride.
With all this R&D and high-tech polymer welding going on, the Klim F5 KOROYD isn’t cheap. If you want one, get £499 ready and over to www.klim.com
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
