Forcite MK1S smart helmet review

The smart helmet revolution is coming and an Australian company is leading the charge. Sydney-based Forcite was born after co-founder and CEO, Alfred Boyadgis, had an accident on his Yamaha and decided that there must be a safer way to ride motorcycles.

His answer was to create a helmet that could warn riders of potential hazards ahead and the result was the Forcite MK1 smart helmet. With in-built speakers, a camera, and a heads-up display, the Forcite MK1 was one of the first serious efforts to combine these elements into a singular lid.

Now Forcite has released its latest product – the MK1S. Taking the lessons learnt from the original MK1, Forcite has refined and evolved its technology to create an interesting lid that could be the start of bigger things to come.

The most notable feature is the Harmon Kardon audio system, which delivers crisp sound through its in-built speakers. There is also a built-in microphone, as well as a camera that captures high-definition 1080p footage at 30fps or 60fps.

The helmet is also capable of giving you navigation instructions, as well as warnings for potential hazards. All of this is controlled through a smartphone application as well as a Bluetooth controller that can be mounted on the handlebar.

As for the lid itself, the MK1S consists of a composite carbon-fibre shell, with a standard comfort liner and a premium 3D foam liner. It is ECE 22.05 approved and weighs in at an impressive 1550g (the XL versions weighs approximately 1630g). There is also plenty of ventilation and an internal sun visor.

The Forcite MK1S checks in with a sizeable $1299 starting price tag. For those dollars, you get the lid, a bag, a USBC charging cable, a charging adapter, a Bluetooth controller and mounting system, and a Forcite ‘maintenance’ tool. There is also loads of accessories available including spare parts and even a set of motorcycle scented candles (I’m not kidding).

Now, $1299 for a lid is a lot, but most other premium helmets are not a whole lot cheaper. In fact, $1000 is pretty standard in the helmet game these days. So, for a couple of hundred bucks, you get a camera, in-built speakers, navigation, a heads-up display, and support from the Forcite company and community. That’s pretty good value if you ask me.

Technology – It might be stating the obvious, but the best thing about the MK1S is the clever technology that makes it one of the smartest helmets on the market. The individual elements are not exactly ground-breaking, but Forcite’s ability to package it all into a ready-to-ride product puts it ahead of the curve.

Comfy, Stylish, and Safe – Any doubts that this is a legitimate helmet are put to rest as soon as you put it on your head. For me personally, it is a great fit, while the interior seems to have adequate sweat-resistant capabilities – even in hot weather. It looks excellent, with a moody carbon-fibre look, and the Forcite logos are not too lairy. There is also plenty of ventilation and the construction seems solid. For the record, the shell is made in Vietnam and the electronics module in Taiwan, while assembly and further quality control testing are handled in Sydney.

Clear Audio – Around town, the audio system is spot on. It connects seamlessly to your phone and the sound quality is crisp and clear. At higher speeds, wind noise does become a factor, but a few taps on the volume button should solve that issue. Of course, audiophiles might be disappointed, but if you’re looking for premium sound quality on a motorcycle, then you’re probably looking in the wrong place.

Camera – While the camera’s HD 1080p footage looks like it is from a 10-year-old GoPro, it still gets the job done and, coupled with the microphone setup, it’s a moto-vlogger’s dream. If you’re prepared to sacrifice a little bit of quality, then you can forget about mucking around with GoPros, wires, and lapel microphones, because the Forcite camera setup is ready to go out of the box.

Complicated Setup – Once you have everything dialled, the Forcite is quite simple and easy to use, but it takes a bit of hassle to get there. There are instructions, but you are largely left to figure things out yourself, mostly through trial and error. I personally had some issues getting the camera to work at first, and even though it is working now, I’m not actually sure what the problem was.

No Voice Control or Wireless Media Transfer – The absence of these two features might not bother everyone, but it does bother me. Firstly, voice control seems like a no-brainer. The Bluetooth controller works fine, but the whole system would be even easier if you could just tell your helmet what to do. Likewise, the ability to wirelessly transfer video files to your phone seems obvious to me. Forcite claims that it would be too difficult with the large file sizes, but GoPro has managed to do it, so I reckon Forcite can too.

No Helmet-to-Helmet Communication – Apparently this feature is in development but, currently, the only way to communicate is via a phone call. Sure, it’s not a deal breaker, but the ability to seamlessly talk to other Forcite users would be nice. We’ll wait and see what the company has in store.

My only other gripes with the MK1S is that the internal sun visor has an annoying gap that lets light in, and there is still a fair amount of wind noise at high speeds. The wind noise issue is not confined to Forcite – it is an age-old problem that no one has yet solved – but the sun visor could be better. Actually, I would much rather a separate tinted visor (I assume there is one available).

I’m also not the biggest fan of the controller setup. As mentioned above, it works fine, but it is one extra thing to worry about. I’d much prefer voice control, and maybe some buttons built on the helmet. I’m being picky though.

If it’s in your budget, then absolutely! I have a feeling this type of tech will eventually become commonplace in motorcycle helmets, but I’m glad an Australian-born company is leading the way.

For long multi-day rides, the novelty (and the battery life) might start to wear thin, but for commuting in urban environments, the phone, music, camera, and navigation features are super convenient. It’s a thumbs-up from me.