Remember the original One Industries Trooper helmet? That thing was so money. I mean, it had these claws and these fangs and it didn’t even know what to do them. It was like a big bear, man! Sorry…got a little carried away with the Swingers reference. But seriously, the original Trooper was unlike anything else on the market at the time. Even more impressive was that it was One Ind.’s first foray in the helmet biz, and they had a hell of start.
Now One Ind. has stepped up their game again to deliver their latest head gear, the Gamma helmet.
Features:
- Engineered shell for optimal strength to weight ratio
- Superior impact protection from progressive energy absorbing inserts
- Increased cooling from flow-through ventilation
- Easily cleaned
- Plush comfort with moisture managment liner
- Large periphial visibility
- MSRP: $270 ($260 for all white colorway)
When first picking up the Gamma, it feels surprisingly light, and that carries on once you hit the track. I typically wear a large helmet, and found the Gamma to fit exactly how I prefer: snug but not too tight around my forehead or back of the skull, plenty of room for ears, and ample space between my mouth and nose and the end of the mouth piece.
Some of the standout features at first sight for me were the excellent ventilation system, integrated visor/helmet area (which seems to be becoming more common in moto these days), and as I already mentioned, the weight.
On the track, the ventilation worked even better than expected. Feeling actual air flow in your helmet when riding is pretty rare for MX brain buckets, but with the Gamma, there is undeniable air movement. Big thumbs up there for a sweaty goon such as myself.
Since we’re on the topic of sweat, the moisture wicking removable liner did a superb job of keeping my head dry during some hot motos while I did my best to look like I know how to ride a dirt bike.
I would like to say that helmet designers are fully aware that a good portion of motocrossers nowadays wear some type of neck brace, but that isn’t true. Some lids still expect the rider to just deal with an uncomfortable brace/helmet interaction. Fortunately, One Ind.’s designers do not fall into this category.
The Gamma is very much a modern helmet, with an unnoticeable brace/helmet interface. Of course everyone is built differently, but I was fully satisfied in this department, feeling that the helmet offered plenty of movement when wearing both the Leatt and Atlas braces, but would still work properly in the event of crash.
My only gripe with the Gamma is the non-removable cloth on the edges of the interior foam. I believe any cloth on a helmet should be removable and washable…this only adds to the longevity of a helmet and eases maintenance.
One Ind. has always been a leader when it comes to appearance, and the Gamma is available in some unique colorways, but I’ve got to say that the cue ball, all white lid is growing on me. Nothing can beat a custom paint job, of course, but I like the idea of the exact opposite. For a while it was the all black lids, then matte black. Now all white (with white rubber liner) is kind of money. It’s not like the guy in the PG-13 movie everyone is hoping really makes it happen; it’s more like the guy in the Rated R flick that you’re not too sure about. Crap…there I go again.
For more information, visit www.oneindustries.com
-bayodome
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