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UAC.com - A recent study by J.D. Power and Associates confirmed what we already know - Icon makes some sick graphics. Sure, people want a helmet that fits well, meets safety standards, has a visor that swaps out easily, doesn’t fog and overall is fairly lightweight. But c’mon, what grabs your attention
We agree with J.D. Power and Associates recent survey - Icon does make some wicked graphics. The Alliance Redeemer Helmet not only looks sharp, it circulates plenty of air, doesn't fog easy, fits comfortably and meets a slew of safety standards. And did we mention it just looks freakin' cool?
So we admit we like the style of the Icon Redeemer Helmet. But styling is subjective and we wouldn’t be doing our job if we stopped there, so let’s take on objective look at the Redeemer.
First off, the full-face helmet is fairly lightweight at 3 lb. 11.2 oz., tipping the scales a touch lighter than my older Shoei which weighed in at 3 lb. 11.6 oz. Its outer shell is injection molded from polycarbonates. The interior is lined with a protective Styrofoam-like EPS layer which is covered by mesh and a removable HydraDry liner. The cheeks are fairly thick and nicely padded. Above them is another ring of padding that circles the head and further provides a snug, comfy fit. The HydraDry liner is moisture-wicking and greedily soaks up sweat. When the helmet starts to get funky, the cheek pads and head liner snaps out for easy cleaning. A D-ring closure system cinches the Redeemer down tight on your skull and comes with a snap for the excess strap.
One area the Icon Alliance Redeemer excels in is circulation. At the crown of the helmet sits two slits which circulate a healthy dose of cool air over your dome. Positioned in line with the top vents are dual rear exhaust ports that suck the air out. The two front vents easily click open and closed, even with gloves on, but the two exhaust ports aren’t adjustable. A good-sized chin vent opens up easily with a little push up and helps keep the visor from fogging up too bad. The Redeemer also comes with a removable breath deflector. Additionally, two breath exhaust ports allow expelled air to escape. Little dials inside the helmet open and close the exhaust ports, but you have to do it before you put your helmet on because they sit too close to your face to do it when riding. The one strike against the overall design is the two channels on the top of the helmet which are made of thin plastic. One of them got crushed and cracked when bag attendants piled luggage on top of my gear bag because they are fairly flimsy.
The Icon Alliance Redeemer has a fog-free Pro-Shield. Teamed with the chin vent, breath deflector and exhaust ports, fogging never became an issue on cold mornings. The shield is held in place with Icon’s locking system which isn’t the fastest system to use, but the process becomes easier after you’ve done it once or twice. To swap out the shield, open it up completely. Push the orange locking levers forward. This is the most challenging part because not much of the lever shows and it’s not easy to get enough pressure on it without a little assistance so you might want to use a key or some other small, hard object to push it back. Then simply pull the shield outward away from the helmet and the whole thing pops right off. The Redeemer has color-matched side plates and if you’d like to take them off when swapping out visors simply lift them from the front of the plate after you’ve taken the shield off and they’ll snap out.
To put the shield back on, line up the inner tabs on the face shield with the locking levers still in the open position, then push the levers back until they snap closed. Click the side plates back on after the shield is in place. If you’ve done it right, the visor will easily slide open and closed. If it’s not doing this fluidly, the locking levers probably aren’t in the correct position, so check them again. The Redeemer also comes with a small metal tab to lock the visor in place when you’re riding.
As far as quietness goes, the Icon Alliance Redeemer Helmet runs about mid-pack. It’s not the quietest helmet I’ve tested, but it doesn’t allow an exceptional amount of wind and road noise in either. But most full-faced lids that meet DOT, ECE, SAI and SG safety and testing standards don’t cost a measly $210. With its combination of excellent air circulation, a comfortable fit and killer graphics, it’s hard to beat what the Icon Alliance Redeemer Helmet offers at that price.
The Icon Alliance Redeemer Helmet is available at the Motorcycle Superstore.
Sizes Large to XX-Large
MSRP - $210
Source : http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/
