Forcite's MK1S helmet builds in almost all the tech

The generally acknowledged frontrunners in the flashy, high-dollar helmet game have come from Japan (Arai, Shoei), Germany (Schuberth), and here in the U.S. (Bell). As far as we can recall, the Australians haven't put a helmet on our market, much less a flashy, high-dollar helmet. That's changed with the Forcite MK1S, a so-called "smart helmet" that just arrived here, approved by the DOT and all. It does what Kickstarter helmets like the Skully were trying — but failed — to do ten years ago: Incorporate a range of connected convenience and safety features into a sleek shell.

Outside, the Forcite starts with a T400 carbon fiber shell that can be had in matte or gloss finishes. Inside comes a moisture-wicking foam liner fitted with a chin curtain and neck roll to minimize noise inside the lid. Then there's a Pinlock 120 lens in the polycarbonate visor, the Pinlock's moisture-absorbing properties to keep the visor from fogging up. The visor's attached to the helmet with a quick-release pull and locking switch.

The helmet's most obvious tech feature is a camera in the chin area behind a clear cover. It records at 1080p wide-angle high-resolution at a maximum 60 frames per second, writing video to an SD card in the helmet. The Sony IMX sensor is said to provide good low-light capability. We're not sure which IMX sensor the helmet uses, but Sony's little chip family is featured in million of quality smartphones and dash cams.

The helmet's most useful tech feature might be the accompanying app and in-helmet GPS integration. The Forcite comes with a small, triangular remote control that attaches to the handlebars and controls the volume, the camera, and navigation. After pairing the remote to one's phone and the helmet, a destination can be entered into Forcite's GPS application. An LED bar at the base of the visor opening provides the same kinds of light cues that certain automakers are building into vehicle interiors to go beyond voice cues. Red, and green LEDs illuminate to provide quick indications of upcoming turns as well as hazards like accidents, traffic, and speed traps.