509 Mach III Carbon Helmet Overview [Dual Certification]

509 is a Polaris Industries aftermarket model that has targeted on snowmobile and off-road/trail-oriented gear. 509 has now expanded into avenue bike merchandise. We’ve got already reviewed the 509 @One leather-based jacket. Now, we have now examined the flagship providing within the new Avenue lineup—the Mach III Carbon full-face helmet.

The 509 Mach III Carbon helmet has a carbon fiber and fiberglass composite shell building. With the Blacktop colorway and the clear gel floor that reveals the weave of that carbon fiber shell, the manufacturing high quality is obvious and visual. The payoff of carbon fiber is gentle weight and nice energy.

The Mach III design delivers security together with its featherweight building. Weighing in at three kilos even on our scales, it’s exceptionally gentle for an XL full-face helmet. On the technical aspect, it additionally delivers America’s DOT FMVSS 218 and Europe’s ECE 22.05 certifications.

That gentle weight pays off in low-fatigue, all-day wearability. The sleek, aerodynamic form slips by the turbulence {that a} shorty windshield or speeds generate, making the 509 Mach III a wonderful helmet for touring or observe days.

Inside local weather management is completed through twin closable chin bar vents and twin closable vents above the eyeport. The slide-activated vents may be opened and closed with gloves on. Nevertheless, thick gloves require creating a really feel for the vent shutters, because the tabs on every shutter are very low-profile. The six exhaust vents are mounted open.

In use, there are not any whistling or buzzing noises. Positioned immediately above the eyeport, the vents admit perceptible airflow to the brow space and again on the cranium. The vent location additionally signifies that airflow is decreased if the defend is in a raised place. With the vents closed, there is no such thing as a perceptible stray airflow into the 509 Mach III.

The clear polycarbonate faceshield locks down tight over a neoprene edge gasket. The defend has a big raise tab hooked up to the decrease left edge, with a small hook that engages securely into the chin bar. Whereas the raise tab is massive sufficient to be simply operated with gloves on, the hook means enterprise, so disengaging it takes some effort. As soon as unlocked, the faceshield lifts simply and stays the place you place it. Though there is no such thing as a inner sunshield, there are 4 tinted and reflective defend choices from 509.

There are 4 detent positions within the defend hinge system, with the bottom offering a intelligent space of upper resistance to defend motion. This enables inserting the faceshield in a non-locked “demist” opening place starting from simply above the locked-down place to three-quarters-of-an-inch open. The defend stays in no matter place you select, even within the wind.

Closing and locking the defend on the 509 Mach III helmet proves to be a two-handed operation. Decreasing the defend to the cease places it within the barely open place. That’s high quality for me, because it tends to be the place I choose. Nevertheless, I couldn’t get it to the totally locked-down place with only one hand on the big tab.

Pushing down on the tab causes the defend to flex inward barely, inflicting the underside fringe of the defend’s hook to be blocked by the highest fringe of the hook slot. Pulling outward on the tab whereas urgent down didn’t work, both. To get the tab to permit the defend to succeed in the locked-down place, making use of stress downward on the high proper fringe of the defend whereas pushing down on the tab is critical. That makes getting the defend to the lock-down place a two-handed operation.

A metallic button within the heart of every hinge is pressed to unlock the faceshield for removing. Set up is carried out by merely urgent the defend into the hinge, with the tabs on the within of the defend aligned with the slots within the hinge base and the defend within the raised place.

There is no such thing as a chin curtain on the 509 Mach III helmet; that enables vital air up-flow to the rider’s face. That, together with the chin bar vents within the open place and the defend in a barely open place, prevents defend fogging. Surprisingly, there isn’t a perceptible enhance in wind noise over most helmets I’ve used which have a chin curtain.

Maybe essentially the most attention-grabbing innovation within the 509 Mach III helmet line is utilizing a Fidlock magnetic chin strap buckle. A magnetic hasp causes the catch to snap collectively—say goodbye to the outdated double-D ring buckle.

Whereas the Fidlock is a welcome change from the outdated two-hands-required D-rings and fairly easy to make use of, its operation takes some apply. Sadly, the method is poorly illustrated within the proprietor’s handbook, however I can clarify it.

Unbuckling the strap is a one-hand, pull-the-red-tab-and-its-open operation, with closing the buckle a bit extra concerned.

To shut the buckle, an oblong steel ring should drop into place behind a keeper fabricated from Grivory or Durethan. Then, the magnetic locking tab swings into place on the keeper to shut the buckle.

Initially, I struggled to align the house within the steel ring with the keeper. I concluded there was no option to get this factor closed with gloves on. After some experimentation, I found the method.

Grasp the crimson tab used to unbuckle the strap and pull it as much as the keeper aspect. When aligned correctly, the magnet often snaps the buckle closed by itself. Getting the routine down takes somewhat apply, however it works. After you hear the buckle snap shut, give the strap a stout pull to confirm it’s securely locked. You’re all set!

There is no such thing as a strap-end retainer snap or hook-and-loop offered, so if you alter the strap to suit, if you’ll want to comfortable it up fairly a bit, you find yourself with that unfastened strap finish hanging out. It finally ends up flying round within the breeze, which can be bothersome to some riders. In my case, I simply slipped the surplus strap again over the strap itself, decreasing the issue.

The polyester mesh consolation liner is well-padded and detachable for laundering. The directions within the proprietor’s handbook for eradicating and putting in the liner are sketchy, at finest.

The 509 Mach III helmet comes with a luggage-quality, padded, ventilated nylon logo-imprinted carrying bag, together with a typical fabric bag with a drawstring closure. The carrying bag is massive sufficient to accommodate your using gloves and different small gadgets, in addition to the helmet. The carrying bag additionally has a big, exterior mesh pocket on the top and a full-length zippered pocket on the aspect.

If there may be something that’s one thing of a disappointment with the Mach III, it’s the proprietor’s handbook. It’s lacking fundamental consumer data on a number of operation gadgets. For instance, the diagram on learn how to use the Fidlock buckle is troublesome to see and interpret. Directions on learn how to change the defend are sketchy, at finest. Having performed defend modifications many occasions, I labored it out pretty shortly, however new riders unfamiliar with hinge methods might have problem. Additionally, the handbook is troublesome to learn, because it makes use of tiny, considerably faint print.

References to avoiding frostbite make me surprise if the handbook was produced utilizing a earlier snow helmet handbook as the idea, because it appears to solely have a obscure connection to the options and operation of the Mach III product. There may be good normal content material about helmet do-and don’t gadgets, however not a lot that’s direct how-to data on this particular helmet.

Two colorways can be found— Blacktop, which is actually the grey/black woven floor of the carbon fiber shell with a transparent gel coat excessive and a high quality, grey pinstripe graphic, and Zenith, which reveals the identical carbon fiber view across the chin bar and sweeps up at an angle across the again of the helmet, whereas the remainder of the helmet shell is white.

The 509 Mach III Carbon options glorious match, end, and look. I just like the revolutionary pondering with the Fidlock chinstrap buckle. It’s light-weight, snug, and has high-level protecting credentials. These all come at a $400 worth level—spectacular for a carbon fiber helmet. It’s an amazing little bit of equipment from 509 because it expands from the snow and off-road scene into the road.

509 Mach III Carbon Helmet Quick Info

• Sizes: XS – XXL (53-54cm to 63-64cm)
• Weight: 3.0 kilos (XL shell)
• Shell materials: Carbon fiber/fiberglass composite
• Certifications: DOT FMVSS 218 and ECE 22.05

509 Mach III Carbon Helmet Value: $400 MSRP