Product development and refinement is usually a long process. That is particularly true in highly technical product lines that affect end-user safety while addressing comfort, convenience, appearance, competitive pricing, and many other factors. Portland, Oregon’s Icon Motorsports has been creating motorsports products to meet those diverse needs for more than 20 years. Development of the Icon Airform Mips full-face motorcycle helmet benefits from that experience.
With triple certification—DOT FMVSS 218, the more robust ECE 22.06 standards, and the less-known Japanese PSC standard—the Icon Airform Mips helmet has impressive safety credentials. In addition, the Counterstrike includes the constantly evolving Mips impact-absorbing technology.
Mips is a low-friction material layer between the removable comfort lining and EPS impact layer inside the helmet shell. It allows the rider’s head to rotate 10-to-15mm inside the helmet, absorbing some of any rotational energy experienced in an impact before it can reach the brain.
Research has shown that impacts causing rotational energy are far more common in crashes than those resulting in direct linear impact alone. The system also benefits from experience only time can provide, having been conceived and developed in Sweden since 1995.
The presence of the Mips system in a helmet is signified by the yellow round Mips sticker on the outside of the helmet shell. It can be visually confirmed by pulling the comfort liner back a bit to reveal the low-friction material layer between the comfort liner and the EPS impact layer.
The Airform shell is an injection-molded ABS and polycarbonate composite, with an expanded polystyrene (EPS) impact liner. The shell has a collarbone-protective curve on the bottom edge and a raised rear margin, enabling more comfort in an aggressive riding stance. The retention system uses a traditional double D-ring buckle.
Two shields come with the Icon Airform Mips helmet—a clear polycarbonate item comes installed, and a smoke-tinted extra shield is provided. Marked as exceeding VESC-8 standards, the tinted shield offers two predictable caveats—“not warranted shatterproof” and “daytime use only.” The shields feature the Icon Prolock system that provides solid engagement, and is easy to use with gloves on for disengagement. The internal drop-down sunshield has a moderate smoke tint.
Optional faceshields include six Icon Optics options ($45) and six Icon Tracshield choices ($50). There are also six accessory sunshields ($20).
Despite not having a carbon fiber shell and being equipped with a drop-down internal sunshield, the Airform in size XL weighs in on an Ultimate Motorcycling scale at only 3.88 pounds (1763 grams). That compares favorably with some other brands of similar size with carbon fiber shells.
The design of the outer shell of the Icon Airform helmet is lean and clean, with one small, closable crown vent and three always-open chin bar vents. I didn’t expect much from the crown vent because it measures only one-quarter-by-three-quarter inches. I was pleasantly surprised.
Consistent with other Icon helmets, the XL size and intermediate oval shape work well for me. The Mips system did not alter the sizing of the Icon Airform Mips helmet—the fit is snug and comfortable.
Riding in unseasonably hot weather, I deliberately wet my head to make it easier to sense the airflow. With the vent open, the faceshield down, and the sunshield fully down or up, the Airform’s airflow to the brow was perceptible. Further back in the shell, it is less noticeable—which is not uncommon.
Ventilation into the eyeport is excellent. The two-inch-wide horizontal chin bar vent channels air directly into the eye port and up to the internal surface of the face shield for de-fogging. There is also a removable breath deflector.
The Icon Airform MIPS is a surprisingly quiet helmet, given that it comes without a chin curtain. In clean air, riding with no windshield at interstate speeds, the only notable noise was an intermittent wind whistle that occurred only when the faceshield was fully locked down. The sound disappeared with the shield slightly open.
The external finish of the Counterstrike iteration I tested is Icon’s unique Rubatone red with 3D Lift Graphics over most of the helmet, combined with a gloss black/gray matrix pattern on the back. The surface has a slightly dimpled texture and the color has a high-viz fluorescent vibrance that works to increase your conspicuity. The standard changeable rear spoilers are dark smoke color, but there are 10 color options available from $15 to $30 a pair.
In all-day use during the autumn running of the Slimey Crud Motorcycle Gang Café Racer Run here in Wisconsin with dazzling sunshine and temperatures near 90 degrees, the Icon Airform Mips helmet was easy to use and comfortable. Light weight, good fit, an internal sunshield, high-visibility color in the Counterstrike Red version, state-of-the-art safety credentials, functional ventilation, minimal buffeting and lift, and an Icon-branded cloth helmet bag make the $250 Icon Airform MIPS helmet a solid bit of kit for all-round use.
Icon Airform Mips Helmet Fast Facts
• Sizes: XS – XXXL (53-54cm to 65-66cm)
• Outer shell: Injection molded ABS and polycarbonate composite
• Impact liner: EPS with Mips
• Weight: 3.88 pounds (XL)
• Certifications: DOT FMVSS 218, ECE 22.06 (Europe), and PSC (Japan)
Colors
Counterstrike: Black; Red; Blue; Silver
Kryola Kreep: Blue; Silver
Brozak: Red; Blue
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