ALPINESTARS SM5
Having been enjoying wearing Alpinestars Supertech M10 helmet for some time it’s been good to see the Astars team roll its virtues downstream into more cost-sensitive realms, first with the M8 and as from this June the budget-pleasing SM5.
Of course dropping price points mean you have to drop a few features along the way. And with the lowest entry point of the SM5 that means no carbon shell, no MIPS and no A-frame for personal fit adjustment. But that still leaves plenty of the fresh safety features that the SM10 brought along.
So it’s a thermo-injected shell this time, albeit the same M10 tech has been applied to the shell thickness to ensure there’s maximum protection where required. Similarly the varying-density inner liner is there to cushion the blows in the best way. The venting and the visor (‘peak’ to us Brits) systems are both drawn down from the M10 as well. And as you’d expect you get a removable washable moisture-wicking anti-microbial liner. And from a safety perspective you have the same emergency release system for the cheek pads. And we like the wee hydration tube channels that are integrated into the check pads.
In all, a smart helmet in all senses of the word, meeting the usual ECE and DOT homologation requirements. There are six sizes, XS to 2XL and the eight colourways (bookended by solid white and solid black) certainly look snappy and suit our more mature look on aesthetics here at RUST.
Prices:
Solid colour: £149.00, €199.95, US$229.95
Colours: £179.99, €229.95, US$259.95
