Review: AGV GP-Tech Helmet
Hello,
What do you get when you cross ultimate comfort, with ultimate technology and ultimate materials? You get the Ultimate Warrior….but apart from him, you also get the brand spanking new AGV GP-Tech. Retailing at £379.99, it most certainly is expensive, but what price do you put on your head?
The brand new AGV GP-Tech, the top of the line job
Well put whatever price you want on it, because until the SHARP tests come out (see below/here) I really don’t know how good it is, but from wearing it now for over 1500 miles in 4 weeks, I can certainly attest to certain things.
So, how does it feel knowing that I have the best money can buy on my face every day? It feels great. My Shoei XR-1000 is a nice helmet, but it’s nothing compared to this.
The first thing that struck me was that it actually fitted my head. I have tried on a lot of helmets and in the long list of ones that don’t fit me, the AGV is at the top. It was a shame because when I first started biking I was on the verge of buying an AGV Ti-Tech Rossi Gothic, the one he used from the 2007 motogp season. Even worse was that I was going to buy it off the net, but instead I headed to Scott Murrays to try some on and it didn’t fit me.
How smart is that! The two air channels on the crown
So it fitted me and even better, it fitted like a glove. The helmet is plush to say the least. The materials and fabrics used in this helmet are top notch and the interior of the helmet is a dream. The roof of the helmet is the perforated type of material, letting in some ventilation from the crown vents. The cheek pads and aperture surround are covered in a suede type material, which feels snug. There is CoolMax material used in the whole lining which wicks moisture away leaving the interior fresh.
The shell is made from a mix of Kevlar and carbon, which is really light. The design of the helmet is very aerodynamic, with 2 distinctive channels running over the crown for ventilation. The rear is quite pointy compared to other helmets and has another 4 10 vents to exhaust the remaining heat away from the inside.
Mega vent. Brilliant ventilation system and looks the business as well.
The ventilation on this helmet is fantastic. I have never felt fresh air on my face like this before. The Shoei was quite airy but that was mainly due to the chin being open completely. The AGV feeds a continuous flow of air in and around the face and keeps things nice inside, but also benefits from an enclosed feeling with the chin and neck skirts. However I can imagine in winter it may be a bit chilly. We’ll have to wait and see.
The visor on this helmet is both genius and disappointing. The visor doesn’t have pinlock, the famous anti fog double glazing that my Shoei had. Instead it has an anti-fog coating on it. Now from previous experience with both the Shoei and the Shark, I have always had fogging with anti-fog visors, but the AGV is something else. It is the start of summer at the minute so the real capabilities will again have to wait till winter, but there is no sign of misting at all with this visor. It’s amazing. UPDATE: Today I was riding along and suddenly I could see my breath, inside my helmet! It was amazing, I had seen it before, but the visor had misted up as well, however the AGV didn’t. It was great being able to see all this mist but also be able to instantly see out the visor when the air clearerd. Weird….However the disappointment lies with the visor mechanism.
The weak visor mechanism. It’s a bit difficult to change visors as well.
It doesn’t have enough friction. Compare the AGV with my Shoei and there is a distinct difference in ratchet strengths. The Shoei had a lovely firm ratchet, holding the visor wherever you wanted it to be, and if you wanted to close it completely, it would take that extra push to create the snap seal. With the AGV, it feels like the visor isn’t even on a ratchet sometimes. The visor has actually closed itself on a number of occasions, which has both startled me and annoyed me. Sometimes I like to go along with my visor open, but the AGV it’s impossible. Apart from that the visor is ace, especially the dark visor. I found with the Shoei dark visor that it was quite cloudy to look through, as if it was dirty. The AGV is crystal clear which is brilliant, and also without the pinlock insert, the viewing field appears larger.
The anti-fog visor. Note how easily it picks up finger prints. Annoying to say the least.
The stock GP-Tech rides quite low on my head. Its not just my head either which is weird. The aperture roof sits too low and forces me to look slightly up, which when you are going at faster speeds, is quite uncomfortable. However the way around this is a thin slice of foam, which I have put inside the crown of the helmet. This has allowed the helmet to sit more naturally on my head without compromising anything. (Thanks Chris)
On a final note, the helmet is really quiet, however not as quiet as Blair’s Schuberth, but a hell of a lot quieter than my Shoei, I think this is due to the small helmet opening and chin skirt, which were both available for the Shoei as the whisper strip kit, something which I was going to buy for a long time but never got round to it. I think I may have to invest in it after hearing the difference.
You squeeze your head through that tiny space, and it’s instant comfort.
My helmet is white, which shows up every splat of road kill, something which I hadn’t really noticed until now. My Shoei managed to cover most of it up and even though I cleaned it regularly, never really appreciated how many bugs have splatted. It’s both good and bad I suppose, it’s easy to clean my AGV and looks amazing when it is, but when I am out and about, its not very nice seeing bugs all over the place. I may look in to getting it painted, I don’t know.
So yeah, the AGV GP-Tech, top of the line helmet and an absolute dream. For nigh on £400, it’s a BIG price to pay for comfort/cutting edge tech. However if you want the pinnacle of helmet tech and comfort, look no-where else.
Fingers crossed it comes out top on the SHARP tests, which I have a feeling it will.
Thanks for looking folks!
More updates very shortly, including my RST GP-Pilot gloves, Furygan Orona Jacket, Puma Desmo 800 Boots and my Hardas jeans.
Gordon
p.s. remember you can see all of the photos here and from every single review/post on the photo gallery. Click the menu at the top to go there.
Design flairs like this make my day
Some more wee details which are ace!
The smart air deflector. Looks really trick and works brilliantly.
CoolMax lining. So far so good.
thanks my friend today just bought a rossi dreamtime limited edition helmet on just how amazing it fitted my head im sure it wont let me down on performance cant wait too try it out . once again many thanks on your posting . robby
Saturday, December 6, 2008 at 23:20
I can certainly attest to the quality of this helmet. Last november I had someone pull in front of me and I landed right on my head after doing my best superman impression over the car (impacted car @ 40mph). The helmet had hardly a scratch on it and more importantly, my head was intact. Im actually buying a new one this week to go with my new bike (old one was totaled).
Fellixx
Monday, January 12, 2009 at 19:52
I have the roosi 5 cont rep – awesome!
Mate had a big off in his, head 1st into a boulder at side of road, lid smashed but he didnt even have a head ache.
Still claims the boulder moved though!
Thursday, July 16, 2009 at 12:32
Im am totally confused about which helmet to purchase now! I thought the shoei x-11 was the man, then i agreed the shark rsr2 was boss man, now your review on the agv gp-tech makes me feel as if I should buy a porche instead of a full face helmet. Please help an old outlaw make the right decision. THX
Tuesday, September 1, 2009 at 03:02
Hey Kelly,
I would maybe check out the posts following this one, regarding the AGV GP-Tech and then base your decision on that. I am not sure the build quality of the GP-Tech would match the X-Spirit (UK) but check out the new XR-1100! That’s the daddy I think.
If only I could find £400…
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 12:56
I would like to know where I can find a AGP GP-TECH in Orlando, because I will go to |Orlando in this week.
Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 23:18
Great review! I have been going back and forth between a couple of helmets and the one selling point of the other helmet was the pin lock anti fog visor, which this helmet doesn’t have. After reading your review (and one other) I am going to give it a go!
thanks again
Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 04:24
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Thanks for writing such an interesting review Gordon.
I’m deliberating between a Shoei XR-1100 and the AGV GP Tech at the moment. The GP Tech fits slightly tighter around the cheek pads. I’ve been told that these will soften up and loosen up, so it’s probably better I go for the tighter fit. When i leave it on for about 10 mins or so, the ear end of my cheek bone aches a little bit.
I am just wondering how long and by how much the cheek pads loosen? And whether this aching is something which I should get used to, will dissapear, or whether i should avoid the helmet?
Any help would be great. thanks
Rich
Sunday, April 25, 2010 at 23:17
Hi Rich,
You are right, getting the helmet with the slightly too tight cheek pads is the way to go. This is how the GP Tech was for me and now, after nearly 2.5 years of constant wearing, when I put it on it’s moulded to my exact shape, and still really securely fitting/tight.
Getting a helmet that is loose to start off with is as good as not wearing a helmet at all. I made this mistake with my Shoei XR1000 and by the time I had worn it for a few months the cheek pads were very loose.
Good luck with the decision!
Gordon
Monday, April 26, 2010 at 09:48
Hi Gordon thanks for the review. I bought one of these helmets, partly on the strength of your review, or at least it did not discourage me when I found one at £230!
I am beginning to wonder however if I have a 2nd? All the vents have metal mesh, even on the rear of the helmet EXCEPT for the vents above the visor. These have no mesh and thus flies enter here at speed causing a terrible mess. What is worse is if small flies or midgies get in they actually sometimes end up entering the helmet and crawling on my head, which is a truely horrible sensation, and means I have to stop.
It reminds me of the time I got caught in a thunderstorm on the continent and left my lid out in the sun to dry. A week leter on my reutn trip to the UK my head strated itching, then stinging, then crawling with painful itching. Finding a rest stop I ripped the lid off to see hundreds of tiny fly maggots craling back into the lining! The lining came out and was dunked in the fuel tank, then washed. I still ahd the fumes of petrol all the way back form the Italian Alps!
But I digress…. does your lid have mesh protection in the vents above the visor, I can’t make it out from your photos.
Cheers
Paul
Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 22:41
Hi Murdoch,
I can confirm that all the vents have wire mesh except the vents above the visor. I don’t think I’ve had an issue with bugs getting in that way, but I wouldn’t notice anyway due to the bugs all conning in through the chin area!
That story with the maggots is pretty damn disgusting. I would be boking all over the place if that happened to me. Imagine riding along with maggots crawling all over your scalp. At least they didn’t start falling in front of your face, that would really put you off.
£230 is a great price for this helmet. It may not be the best in terms of build quality but it’s the best in terms of safety.
Take it easy
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 09:47
I got my plain black GP Tech January ’09 and have worn it most every day since. Until recently that was about 1.5 hours a day, now it’s about 40 minutes a day. It has stood up reasonably well to this, though the join between the piece marked “AGV” and the vented fabric on the bottom has come apart.
I bought it originally as I refused to buy another Arai when they are still using the same shell and noisy whistling fragile visor mechanism they were 15 years ago, if not longer. Come on guys, times change and progress must be made.
It’s quiet, still fits like new, and just “feels like home” – it really is incredibly comfortable.
Just today though, I broke the visor mechanism. Kind of my fault, you should pull the lever while inserting the visor, not just push it and hope the ramp takes up the rest – it doesn’t. Still, it looks like I can get the replacement mechanism for @£10, which is good value when compared to eg. Arai, which break all the time too.
Monday, July 19, 2010 at 13:58
You forget, that this is a race helmet and not a GT one. Also, what bike r u riding? if its a sport-bike, you have to work on your position.
If it’s not, then you’ve bought a wrong helmet.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at 22:03
What do you mean bought the wrong helmet!? A helmet is a helmet, in terms of purpose surely? Are you talking about the way it sits on the head, i.e. low? It’s a flaw I would think as I’ve spoken to many who all agree, racers and roaders. If you care to look at the site you’ve just posted on, you would see I ride a MT-01 and a GSR600, I dont see how changing my position on the bike would make my helmet sit higher up on my head. Once the foam is inserted in to the crown of the GP Tech, its a transformed helmet.
Thanks for the comment, but suggesting I have bought the wrong helmet is stupid.
Basically you are saying don’t get a top of the range helmet unless you ride a sportsbike!
Nice one.
I’ve covered over 50,000 miles with this helmet and it’s by far the best helmet (out of 6 I have worn) I have used. And I’ve never owned a sportsbike.
YY
Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at 22:11
Dear Gordon,
I was commenting Murdoch review about the helmet.
i don’t wanna go into it. gp-tech is a race helmet and that’s it.
btw, thank u for your review, very usefull.
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 02:09
The catch failed, but was replaced FOC by AGV. Top service!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010 at 15:22