Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1533377
P106 PRODUCT REVIEWI LIST PRICE: $799 ADV 9.5 Carbon tested WEBSITE: https://leatt.com/us/adventure • $799 IS NOT CHEAP BUT ALIGNS WITH OTHER PREMIUM ADV HELMETS ON THE MARKET. • THE VISOR ANGLE IS NOT ADJUSTABLE SO YOU CAN'T MOVE IT UP OR DOWN FOR DIFFERENT SUN CONDITIONS • GREAT VERSATILITY WITH EVERYTHING YOU NEED IN AN ADV HELMET. • INCLUDED PHOTOCHROMATIC SHIELD IS A MUST FOR LONG DAYS OF RIDING. • THE GOGGLES FIT NICELY INTO THE HELMET WITH OR WITHOUT THE FACESHIELD ON. • RELATIVELY LIGHTWEIGHT FOR AN ADV HELMET. • EASY TO INSTALL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS. • COMFORTABLE INTERIOR AND GOOD VENTING. The photochromatic shield is a huge plus, as you don't need to worry about getting stuck riding home at night with a dark shield. And the toolless system is among the easiest we have used and it's a cinch to pop the shield off to clean it. The Leatt goggles fit nicely into the helmet with the shield still on and the visor can even be pulled down with the goggles on, which is nice for short road sections. The venting on the 9.5 helmet is good with adequate airflow for off-road riding, especially while using goggles rather than the shield. The vents are easy to operate with gloves on. The aerodynamics on the road are as good as most other ADV helmets with an MX-style visor, which means it is not as good as a helmet without a visor, but not bad. And if you are used to using the visor to block the sun, it is a worthy tradeoff. The visor angle is not adjustable like it is on some helmets. You can completely remove the visor for long days on the road. For dirt use, you can remove the shield and use the provided covers to keep dirt out of the shield mechanisms. All these changes are intuitive and easy after doing them once. If you want to install a communica- tion system, the Leatt ADV helmets are among the easiest to do so. The EPS foam has molded channels for the wires, pockets for the speakers, a slot in the lower rubber beading for the wire to enter the helmet, and even a Velcro spot for the microphone. We installed a new Sena 60S system in about 15 minutes. A medium/large 9.5 Carbon weighs 1490 grams, which is 178 grams less than an Arai XD-5 that we weighed on the same scale. If weight concerns you, the 9.5 Carbon is among the lightest ADV helmet op- tions, and the composite 8.5 model aligns with most other models. The $799 price point is certainly not cheap, but is in line with other high-end ADV helmets in the market, and the slightly heavier 8.5 model with the $599 price tag provides all the same versatility. The premium helmet bag for the 9.5 Carbon helmet is great and the goggle pocket is a great way to keep your goggles from getting messed up. CN STAFF If you want to install a communications system, the Leatt ADV helmets include a slit in the lower rubber and channels in the eps for the wire, plus a Velcro patch for the microphone and speaker pockets.