The Brief Life of a $750 6D ATR-1 Helmet and 6Ds Response

[Dragon67]

I decided to post in the general discussion area because this impacts all of us. I'll link to my original post in KX250F if you are interested in a full history.

In brief, I purchased a 6D ATR-1 a couple of weeks ago for my son because I knew he was getting faster, and I know he is very competitive. Good thing, because he crashed very hard. The video and such are available here:

http://www.thumperta...f-was-involved/

The reason I shared this experience is because the helmet did exactly what 6D claimed it would do. My son suffered no head injury as a result of that crash. A little headache for a couple of minutes, but zero sign of concussion. I was amazed, and grateful . . . but also not real happy about having to spend another $750 to replace the helmet he destroyed.

So I wrote 6D a note from their web page and got a phone call within three hours from Scott Denison, who is a sales manager. He wanted to know how my son was doing, and to inform me that 6D is aware of the replacement cost issue and would likely begin a crash replacement program to help a little.

A few hours later, Mr. Denison called me and put me on speakerphone with himself and Bob Weber, the founder and CEO of 6D. Of course, the first question was about how my son was doing, but then they shared some other stories about real-world crashes with the helmet. Turns out there is a crash history building (of course) and that the stories are all very similar. What you would expect to be a knock-out crash ends up being an annoyance. People are getting on their feet and either finishing races, or going home instead of the ER. That's pretty cool, because that was our experience.

Under the crash replacement program under review, you can get a replacement ATR-1 for $500 if you destroy the one you have within a year. I would have bought a new one for $750 based on my experience, but I was happy to get the $250 break. I know these guys are going to have to sell a lot of helmets to recoup their investment, but I am sure glad they took the risk they did to make a new helmet design a reality.

Here is the video of the crash. It is poor quality for the crash itself, but I did my best in editing. It was downhill 4th gear WOT KX250F with a steep drop where you see the dust cloud. If I get a better version I will post it, but you get the idea.

Helmet pics are below, but this is the one I like most:

Edited May 14, 2013 by Dragon67

[JBFL]

Can we see pictures of the helmet, wondering why it is "destroyed"? Shell cracked? Rubber pedestals torn or seperated?

[Dragon67]

Can we see pictures of the helmet, wondering why it is "destroyed"? Shell cracked? Rubber pedestals torn or seperated?

Sure pics of the helmet are linked to the other thread, but I'll repost below for your convenience. The shell isn't cracked to our eyes, but there are signs of stress, particularly in the mouth guard area along the side. The innermost layer is also cracked. This is difficult to see in pics, but I will try again and edit this to show you. The cones did not separate in the visible area we could see, but the middles looked discolored, like when you bend a piece of colored plastic. The primary reason for the term destroyed is because it's unusable. Whether you can see cracks in the shell of the helmet or not makes no difference. The damage we can see tells us the helmet is compromised. I'll get an inside pic up ASAP. Great question, thank you.

[mynewcr250]

when you said destroyed, i was thinking you were stretching it a little, but yea, that things done lol

nice to know the helmets are working as they claim they do.

[BDubb106]

Amazing story... glad everything worked out for you and your kid.

This is one of those situations where I believe "you get what you pay for". You cannot replace your head no matter what you are willing to pay. I know what my next helmet purchase will be. I'm not willing to compromise my head to save a few dollars.

Thanks soo much for sharing! I'm interested in seeing the inside of the helmet.

[j368]

Glad to hear your Son is doing great. 6D has changed the rules with helmets. My next helmet is a 6D without a doubt. MXA did a story in the May issue, and Transworld did too. Nothing but rave reviews. It's an expensive helmet, but they have a lot of cost in it. I suspect the cost will drop some in a year or 2 after they recoup some R&D costs etc. I've seen enough proof with Tomac & Zach Bell to make me a believer. I think all high end helmet manufacturers are gonna have to follow this kind of technology to compete with 6D. I'm sure they have a patent on their hard work, and design.

[Dragon67]

Amazing story... glad everything worked out for you and your kid.

This is one of those situations where I believe "you get what you pay for". You cannot replace your head no matter what you are willing to pay. I know what my next helmet purchase will be. I'm not willing to compromise my head to save a few dollars.

Thanks soo much for sharing! I'm interested in seeing the inside of the helmet.

I know, but it's hard. You know if you take a styrofoam cup and break it, then put the pieces together, they kind of blend. Same problem with sharing this pic. I have a pretty advanced camera (EOS 40D) and a couple of lenses, but it's hard to pick up the crack. Besides, lighting is hard because it is inside the helmet. Not to make excuses, because I want to educate here. I will keep trying.

[BDubb106]

Its no big deal... just interested in the damage that the helmet soaked up. I would rather hear/see these "real life stories" rather than believe what a mag tells me. Because they will talk up any item that sparks interest to the public. Your testimony holds a lot more weight in my eyes. Crash test dummies only hold a little weight in how the product will protect a live human being because a human will react and brace for impact which typically makes things worse. Kinda the same way a drunk will usually be the one to walk away from a horrific car crash without a scratch while the sober person ends up getting hurt.

Am I right in believing that I see seperation between the shell and styrofoam inner shell in the first pic from the bumpers shifting due to the impact? Or is that just the rubber edge that shifted?

[kingkabong]

Great story! Glad it worked out and glad it held up to the protection claims.

[KDXGarage]

Thank you very much for sharing your product experience.

[jmcn R]

Just saw this, and that 6D actually kept good contact with you. nice! here was my post in the other thread.

"Glad to see he is OK and that you are passing on the info to us! I too wondered what these 6D helmets were that I saw some of the Honda SX guys wearing were, then when I looked it up and I was mighty impressed by what I saw! Cool design to say the least. I am a newbie to MX and am starting off with an inexpensive helmet while I am slow and not taking any risks at all, but when I feel the urge to open the gas more and take bigger jumps it will be time for a new lid.

Kudos to you for paying the info forward and to 6D for a badarse safety concept."

Edited May 14, 2013 by jmcn R

[Dragon67]

Its no big deal... just interested in the damage that the helmet soaked up. I would rather hear/see these "real life stories" rather than believe what a mag tells me. Because they will talk up any item that sparks interest to the public. Your testimony holds a lot more weight in my eyes. Crash test dummies only hold a little weight in how the product will protect a live human being because a human will react and brace for impact which typically makes things worse. Kinda the same way a drunk will usually be the one to walk away from a horrific car crash without a scratch while the sober person ends up getting hurt.

Am I right in believing that I see seperation between the shell and styrofoam inner shell in the first pic from the bumpers shifting due to the impact? Or is that just the rubber edge that shifted?

Me too. You are seeing the lip of the outer shell, I think. But I appreciate the question because I picked up the helmet to look. I had seen how the cones work as shock absorbers, but I hadn't figured the rotational component. So there is a large front area where the inner shell meets the outer shell and I pushed on it. As the front of the inner shell went down, the back came up. As I pushed on the back and front, it was like a seesaw. I noticed the whole inner styrofoam seems to float on the outer in what I consider to be a very fluid way. It's progressive, though. The first few MM is easy to move around, then it gets exponentially stiffer. I think the ripping of the inner layer happened not because of impact, but because or torsion. I also think those rips taken by the helmet were rips not transferred to my son's brain. Interestingly, Scott Denison pointed out that the helmet was designed to sacrifice itself. No question that happened.

I know 6D is going to go through this helmet with a fine-tooth comb for the exact reason you point out. Real world trumps test dummies. I know for a fact, though, that no other helmet can deliver what this one does. Why it took so long is a mystery to me, but I am glad it happened at the precise time I needed it to. Guardian angels, maybe, or just luck, or Bob Weber saying the status quo isn't good enough, which was lucky for me. Please keep asking questions and I will try to get those pics, but I promised to get the helmet out to them for analysis. As they learn more, I am sure they will get even better, so I am going to get it to them ASAP.

Edited May 14, 2013 by Dragon67

[Dragon67]

Just saw this, and that 6D actually kept good contact with you. nice! here was my post in the other thread.

"Glad to see he is OK and that you are passing on the info to us! I too wondered what these 6D helmets were that I saw some of the Honda SX guys wearing were, then when I looked it up and I was mighty impressed by what I saw! Cool design to say the least. I am a newbie to MX and am starting off with an inexpensive helmet while I am slow and not taking any risks at all, but when I feel the urge to open the gas more and take bigger jumps it will be time for a new lid.

Kudos to you for paying the info forward and to 6D for a badarse safety concept."

Good for you and enjoy the sport. That's exactly what I did. My son started to get heavier on the gas, and I got a premo lid (how did that sound, LOL, I am so old!). Glad I did. Knowing what I know now, I would have gotten it sooner . . . but it didn't exist! Ride safe and have fun. Thank you for your post.

[BDubb106]

Me too. You are seeing the lip of the outer shell, I think. But I appreciate the question because I picked up the helmet to look. I had seen how the cones work as shock absorbers, but I hadn't figured the rotational component. So there is a large front area where the inner shell meets the outer shell and I pushed on it. As the front of the inner shell went down, the back came up. As I pushed on the back and front, it was like a sea-saw. I noticed the whole inner styrofoam seems to float on the outer in what I consider to be a very fluid way. It's progressive, though. The first few MM is easy to move around, then it gets exponentially stiffer. I think the ripping of the inner layer happened not because of impact, but because or torsion. I also think those rips taken by the helmet were rips not transferred to my son's brain. Interestingly, Scott Denison pointed out that the helmet was designed to sacrifice itself. No question that happened.

I know 6D is going to go through this helmet with a fine-tooth comb for the exact reason you point out. Real world trumps test dummies. I know for a fact, though, that no other helmet can deliver what this one does. Why it took so long is a mystery to me, but I am glad it happened at the precise time I needed it to. Guardian angels, maybe, or just luck, or Bob Weber saying the status quo isn't good enough, which was lucky for me. Please keep asking questions and I will try to get those pics, but I promised to get the helmet out to them for analysis. As they learn more, I am sure they will get even better, so I am going to get it to them ASAP.

Thank you for the reply... that makes total sense.

I don't think it was dumb luck at all. I think the helmet did exactly what it was supposed to do. Someone was bound to develop something as innovative as the 6D and it did exactly what a helmet should do. I would imagine that it wont take long for other manufacturers to start thinking outside the box and strive for a helmet that meets and exceeds what the 6D is capable of.

This is the exact sort of example of the helmet I have been waiting for. $750 for a helmet is steep for sure... without hard facts I just could not bring myself to drop the coin on one. After seeing the hit that Bell took this season I was a bit less skeptical, but after seeing your example, I am convinced.

I am also a little more interested in the damage to the mouth area. I cannot see it in the pic obviously, but I noticed that you mentioned it but did not go into much detail about the actual damage. Every helmet I have had has suffered similar damage to the mouth area. One of them actually cracked from the mouth area the entire way to the back of the helmet (that was a Shoei VFX-W). It was a hard hit but I'm sort of curious how the bumpers work with an impact to that area of the helmet. I'm sure it has been extensively tested but it seems to me that most twist injuries result from this sort of impact because of the pointed shape of that area. I guess what I am asking is how your son landed. It seems to me that he must have landed pretty weird since he had such extensive damage to the top of the helmet as well as to the mouth area. I could not tell much from the video because of the quality but those are the types of impacts that I am most curious about, and your son seems like that is the sort of hit that he took.

Also, thanks for all the info you have already provided.

Edited May 14, 2013 by BDubb106

[downonmonday]

I have a 6D helmet and hope to never test it out. I'm glad it helped your son and that 6D is completely dedicated to it's consumers!

[Dragon67]

I have a 6D helmet and hope to never test it out. I'm glad it helped your son and that 6D is completely dedicated to it's consumers!

I hope you never have to test it out, too! Glad you mentioned the dedication, by the way. It was refreshing to hear how real the 6D people are. They wanted to know everything, and they shared experiences they have had with others in a very candid way. I think they knew their invention would be important, but now they are getting a feel for how it impacts real people. They should be proud, and they are. Arrogant? Not even a little bit. You would think with such a high-end product they might be out of touch. Guess I got to find out it's just the opposite. Hope you have a great season.

[Dragon67]

The helmet goes back today, but I said I would show the internal damage if I could, so here are a few more pics. The area where the inner shell ripped is clearly visible here. How much force was absorbed by that, I don't know, but it corresponds exactly with the impact areas on the outside. I took a better pic of the outside damage as well, because you can see the multiple impacts that happened on that one fall pretty clearly. This helmet was in brand new condition before the crash, so all that happened all at once. Hard to imagine. The other pic is of the cones themselves and the distance between the two shells. It's really remarkable how much room there is in there. A standard pencil slides in easily.

Our replacement helmet comes in tomorrow . . . ordered directly from the CE0 (I am still impressed by that). The only thing wrong with my son's head at this moment is the thought of the crash. As for me, I honestly have less fear now than I did before. As safety pioneers like Leatt and 6D keep coming up with these innovations, it takes a lot of the worry away.

And, I have heard the skeptics that imply a helmet is a helmet. Maybe so, but I figure if I can afford a high-performance motorcycle . . . kind of . . . then this investment is worth it. To me, anyway.

[BDubb106]

The helmet goes back today, but I said I would show the internal damage if I could, so here are a few more pics. The area where the inner shell ripped is clearly visible here. How much force was absorbed by that, I don't know, but it corresponds exactly with the impact areas on the outside. I took a better pic of the outside damage as well, because you can see the multiple impacts that happened on that one fall pretty clearly. This helmet was in brand new condition before the crash, so all that happened all at once. Hard to imagine. The other pic is of the cones themselves and the distance between the two shells. It's really remarkable how much room there is in there. A standard pencil slides in easily.

Our replacement helmet comes in tomorrow . . . ordered directly from the CE0 (I am still impressed by that). The only thing wrong with my son's head at this moment is the thought of the crash. As for me, I honestly have less fear now than I did before. As safety pioneers like Leatt and 6D keep coming up with these innovations, it takes a lot of the worry away.

And, I have heard the skeptics that imply a helmet is a helmet. Maybe so, but I figure if I can afford a high-performance motorcycle . . . kind of . . . then this investment is worth it. To me, anyway.

Crazy stuff there!!!

[jmcn R]

Agreed! These pics are even more dramatic than the first set! Already told a few of my friends about this thread and one that rides 24/7 is ordering one to send in a shipment down here next week.

[Dragon67]

Yup, I saw that, too. Funny how you miss things after an event like that. How, for example, did he get all those marks on the top of the helmet? Anyway, I got myself hooked on the fallen riders section for the last couple of hours and told him we had to have a talk. One of the posters there mentioned a chest protector that pumps up. RXR. Any idea whether that's any good? I was feeling pretty good earlier. Now I still want him to ride, and he wants to, but I can't exactly wrap him in bubble wrap, you know? Not to be a downer, but safety advice is always appreciated. Then we ride on!