Introduction
Meet the Supertech M10. It is Alpinestars’ first ever helmet. And from its specifications, and of course from what we have seen of it, the Italian gear maker seems to have gone all-in with this one. The M10 is an off-road helmet. And from our years of using various off-roading helmets, we have come to expect two things from the breed – barring protection, of course – lack of weight and prodigious amounts of airflow.
But, that’s a test for a later report. For now, let’s take a closer look at what makes the M10 shine on the spec sheet.
The Construction
The Supertech M10 uses a mix of carbon fibre and other materials like Aramid fibres in order to give the helmet strength and lightness. And Alpinestars is quite immodest about it because one can clearly see the carbon weave all over the helmet. This translates into a little over 1.2kg on our weighing scale. So yes, ‘lightness’ is something the M10 does really well.
Inside the shell, you obviously get an EPS liner to absorb and distribute impact energy. But, Alpinestars says, the shape of the helmet and how the EPS liner has been designed and bonded with the shell makes energy dissipation more efficient. Plus, the interior liner has a few patents up its sleeve as well. It’s called the A-Head system and we have talked about it in a later section.
The M10 also comes with hydration system compatibility. It has a channel cut into the jaw line wherein one can run the tube for the hydration pack. This stays in place thanks to a similar channel cut into the cheek pad. The securing system, meanwhile, as is typical of most helmets today, is via D-ring. And the S-M10 comes standard with an extra visor and a lovely carry bag.
The Protection
Let’s start with the shell design. The Supertech M10 uses carbon fibre as we mentioned earlier. And according to Alpinestars, the moulding process plus the uni-directional carbon composite used for this helmet prevents compression while allowing some deflection. This deflection not only reduces the energy transfer to the rider’s head during an impact, but it also spreads this energy over a wider area taking the sting off the impact.
The S-M10 EPS liner itself has four different densities. Alpinestars says it helps better mitigate and distribute the impact energy in a crash, and it allows for a better, more comfortable fit. What’s more, the helmet comes with a patented A-Head fitting system. Unlike most helmets, the inners of which are essentially split into two cheek pads and a head or a helmet liner, the M10 A-Head splits the latter into two as well.
So, while the ‘head-cap’ allows the rider the flexibility to tilt the helmet to suit his or her visibility needs, the head liner itself offers additional protection to the brain via MIPS. MIPS or Multi-directional Impact Protection System employs a headliner, which runs around the circumference of the head. It has two layers that can easily slide over each other courtesy low friction. So, in a crash if the helmet rotates suddenly, these sliding layers prevent the rider’s head – and with it his or her brain – from rotating as aggressively. And that reduces the shock to the brain.
There’s also an ‘eject’ system the Supertech M10 comes compatible with. But it’s not what you think. It doesn’t shoot the helmet into the sky at a press of a button, but instead it allows for emergency removal of the helmet without negatively affecting the rider’s spine. What it incorporates is a balloon, which can be pumped to inflate and that slowly but surely pushes the helmet up for easier removal without needing to pull or tug at it.
And it is DOT and ECE certified, of course.
The Comfort
To achieve both better protection and a more comfortable fit Alpinestars has produced four different shell sizes for the S-M10. Others generally do different sized interior liners for one shell size instead. The S-M10 as a result comes in small, medium, large, and extra large. This one here is a medium.
Now, we have already spoken about the M10’s lightness, which contributes handsomely towards comfort when riding off-road. And like we said at the start, good airflow is another essential quality for an off-road helmet if it’s comfort one seeks. And the Alpinestars nails that as well.
And it does that by having many vents. It has two big air vents in the chain bar. Then two more around the mouth area. You get a few around the brow area, two under the visor peak, a couple on the side of the helmet and then some on the top as well. Plus, there are four exhaust events at the rear of the helmet to pull all the warm air out.
The removable helmet liner meanwhile is of the sweat wicking variety and feels soft to the touch. It is washable and employs cool-max fabric and is anti-bacterial as well.
What’s next?
In the next report, we will talk real world performance. We will tell you how effective the airflow is, and if the helmet’s lack of weight actually helps riding off-road. We will tell you if one can actually run the hydration system effectively via the helmet, and if donning the helmet for long hours feels as comfortable as Alpinestars claims. And, there will be more.
Product Details Make: Alpinestars Model: Supertech M10 Price: Rs 46,500 (excluding taxes)
Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi
