Here is your true open face helmet. There is nothing pseudo about it, no flip up/half face or any other nonsense going on. Just a pure helmet in essence, sitting on top of your head, making you look like a ‘gentleman riding his loud pipe’. Caberg has gone back to the roots and revived this retro style to combine it with modern values.
And they have not forgotten to get the necessary ECE 22.05 rating to have you riding around in the EU zone looking all ‘hip’.
We have worked closely with RevZilla, Amazon and 2Wheel over the years to provide our testers with products to review. They are all great partners and unique in their own ways, so make sure to check out their prices. Please don’t forget we may get a commission if you buy from them.
What Would You Love?
So we have an open face helmet. What about a communication system? Relax. Caberg has made it compatible with their Just Speak S communications device. So, you are not left high and dry when riding with peeps having premium lids on.
They do have a visor included in the box if you need it. But the great thing about this helmet is the fit and the suppression of noise that it brings with it. You should notice that immediately when you are on a particularly loud ‘thump thump’.
For riders looking to relive their glory days, Caberg has made special goggles available as a spare part.
A micrometric buckle which makes it easier to operate the chin strap is a nice added feature which raises a star as well.
The Top Features to Look Out For
Simple, yet classy looks and 17 colors define the Freeride helmet. Let us find out if there is anything special that really makes you ride ‘freely’ with this lid on.
Shell
Moving away from polycarbonate, Caberg is now using the tri composite to manufacture the shell of Freeride. It is a combination of Kevlar, fiberglass and carbon compounds. Tri composite has proven to be stronger than polycarbonate, so this is a definitive upgrade. Each material has its own strengths and weaknesses. So instead of preferring one over the other, it obviously made sense to look for ways in combining all of them.
The tri composite will resist scratches and cracks and tolerate high temperatures all the while withstanding high velocity impacts. The energy transfer from your lid to your noggin is debatable, but it is always important to research your facts before jumping at ‘pricier is better’ bandwagon.
That being said, the Freeride does its job properly; for you wouldn’t be wearing this on your SBK on a track day. Would you?
The helmet size is small and compact, by a bit too much for some. But Caberg has provided two shell sizes for trying out a comfort fit. The sizes vary from 53 cm on XS to a high of 61 cm for XXL.
The helmet is amazingly lightweight, weighing in at a mere 800 to 850 grams. That’s 1.8 pounds! It’s like putting a baseball cap and going out on a field day.
Strategically placed rivets along the eye port and rim and around the helmet remind us of that special feeling straight from the ‘50s.
Visors
Worry not, there is a visor. It comes in the box. It is totally up to you to put it on or order their goggles instead. The visor is anti scratch and does its job well to protect you from insects, debris, stones or anything that dares to fly around in your face.
If you try to order it online, you might find the words ‘Mehrschich Tlackierung’ as a regular feature. It actually means multi-layered coating or tiling (Courtesy – Google Translate) and has been used to denote the construction of the visor. It has been mentioned to have received a UV resistant treatment, but you won’t find any of this advertised on Caberg’s official website as of this review date. So check your Google before you believe anything.
The attachment system for the visor is simple to operate, though you need a flathead screwdriver for the seal.
We have worked closely with RevZilla, Amazon and 2Wheel over the years to provide our testers with products to review. They are all great partners and unique in their own ways, so make sure to check out their prices. Please don’t forget we may get a commission if you buy from them.
Ventilation
What ventilation? It’s an open face helmet. You get the full blast of air on your face and through the gaps between the liner and your head. Talk about wind in your hair…
When you put the visor on, you just need to tilt your head angle to get the airflow you need from underneath the visor. Nice and easy.
Padding and Lining
This is another area where the helmet shines. The lining is super easy to remove. It is a mix of leather outlines and what appears to be faux leather and fabric, but the overall feeling is very comfortable. The rear is adorned with a leather – ‘Made in Italy’ – strap poking out, riveted to the back.
The gasket around the edges is really thick and definitely instills that nostalgia when combined with the rivets and the leather liner.
Customer Reviews
A lot of riders seem like they were waiting for an opportunity to get their hands on a retro helmet like this one, just so they could take their Harleys out for the local pub meet. A few showed minor concern about the flimsy ‘feel’ of the chin strap, but nothing else.
We have worked closely with RevZilla, Amazon and 2Wheel over the years to provide our testers with products to review. They are all great partners and unique in their own ways, so make sure to check out their prices. Please don’t forget we may get a commission if you buy from them.
Bottom Line
So you already own a V-Twin and are itching to go all Rock ’N’ Roll at that rider meet. Right? Wanna be the Daddy-O all over again? Pop this baby on, git that FL Duo-Glide out and have ‘em go ape at ya. Straight from the fridge, man!