Motocross Helmets

How to pick an MX helmet for your riding

Pick the lid for the terrain. MX, enduro, trail and ADV off-road are four different disciplines. The right lid for a Queensland hardpack track is not the same as the right lid for a three-day Victorian high country run.

MX and motocross (dedicated track riding). You want the lightest shell you can afford with the biggest eye port and cleanest peak profile. The Airoh Aviator 3 Full Carbon at 1,290g (Primal graphic) to 1,350g (other graphics) is the benchmark. Full Carbon 3K shell, 4 shell sizes, 8 intake vents plus spoilers with integrated extractors. Dedicated MX lid: no visor, goggles only. Trade-off: an MX peak creates turbulence and lift above 100km/h, which is the real reason pure-MX helmets are off-road only. It's not just certification.

Enduro. Same goggle-compatible open face, but enduro riders typically want a slightly more enclosed eye port for branch clearance and a peak that holds position through scrub. The Airoh Twist 3.0 at $379.95 is the sweet spot. 1,330g Thermoplastic HRT shell, ECE 22.06 approved, optimised front-to-back ventilation, Bluetooth-compatible speaker pockets, D-ring retention. Runs a size smaller than road lids in the cheek fit, try before you commit or check the size guide.

Trail riding. If you're doing 60% road to reach the trail head, that changes the cert requirement. Australian states require ECE 22.05 or 22.06 (or AS/NZS 1698) for road-legal use. An ASTM F2040-only lid is not road legal here, even if it's a better MX helmet. Several Airoh and Leatt models in this collection carry ECE 22.06, some also carry DOT. Check the chin-strap sticker before you buy.

ADV off-road crossover. Adventure riders running deep off-road often want a modular or open face with peak. That's a different collection: see adventure helmets. If you're committed to goggles and serious off-road in an ADV context, the Airoh Aviator Ace at $699.95 crosses over well. 1,040g HPC double-shell construction, 8-intake ventilation, built to dual-duty between track and trail.

Kids MX. Nitro and RXT carry kids-specific shells, Nitro MX700 Youth at $99.95 and the RXT Racer 4 Kids at $134.95. Youth lids use smaller EPS shells and youth-calibrated liner density. Never fit a child in an adult small. The EPS foam in an adult lid is calibrated to adult impact mass. Wrong mass, wrong crush rate. That's the whole point of a youth-specific shell.

ECE 22.06 and ASTM F2040: what off-road helmets actually test for

Here's the number that matters: an ECE 22.06 helmet must pass both a straight-line impact test AND an oblique rotational test to simulate how your head actually hits the dirt. That second test is the one most old lids couldn't pass. It's why 22.05 stock was cleared from Australian shelves through 2024.

ECE 22.06. Replaced ECE 22.05 across Australian retailers in 2024. Key addition: oblique rotational impact testing at multiple speeds and angles. MX crashes are rarely straight drops. The oblique test is harder to pass than the 22.05 linear test it replaced. If a lid in this collection carries ECE 22.06, it's cleared both the rotational and linear methodology. This is the standard Australian road authorities accept alongside AS/NZS 1698.

ASTM F2040. The American Society for Testing and Materials standard for non-motorised off-road helmets, adopted widely for MX. It tests peak impact attenuation (drop test onto a flat and hemispherical anvil), penetration resistance (a pointed striker dropped from height), chin-bar strength, and retention-system loading. Peak impact threshold: head acceleration must stay under 300g. That's the hard number. No shell that exceeds it passes. ASTM F2040 is widely cited in MX marketing, but on its own it does not make a helmet Australian-road-legal. You need ECE or AS/NZS for that.

Dual certification reality. A helmet carrying both ECE 22.06 and DOT (or ASTM F2040) has cleared independent test labs using different methodologies. Leatt's 2026 range carries DOT + ECE 22.06 across the 2.5, 3.5, 7.5 and 8.5 tiers. The Airoh Aviator 3 range is built to the current European off-road spec. If road legality matters for your setup, check the sticker before you buy, we'll confirm any model's cert sheet if you call the shop.

Leatt 360° Turbine Technology. Leatt doesn't use MIPS. Their proprietary system uses energy-absorbing turbine discs mounted inside the EPS liner that compress under rotational load to reduce peak brain acceleration at impact speeds associated with concussion. It's a different engineering approach to the same problem MIPS addresses. Every Leatt Moto helmet in this collection, the 2.5, 3.5, 7.5, 8.5 and 9.5, includes 360° Turbine as standard, not as a paid upgrade.

Goggle fit spec. MX helmets in this collection are built for standard 40mm+ goggle strap width. Narrow 30mm enduro-specific goggles can float loose in the strap channel; wide 42mm outrigger goggles may not seat at all on narrow-aperture lids. Test the combination: no gap at forehead, no gap at cheeks, goggle sits flat across the nose. That's the fit check. We stock goggles in Helensvale if you want to seal-test the combo before committing.

MX helmet comparison

Weights are manufacturer-stated ±50g and vary by shell size and graphic. Certification listed on each product page. Call the shop on (07) 5573 5118 if you need a cert sheet confirmed before ordering.

MX helmet FAQs

What's the difference between an MX helmet and a dual-sport helmet?

An MX helmet is designed for goggles, an open eye port, and an aggressive peak. It has no visor and no face-shield mount. A dual-sport helmet (also called adventure or enduro) takes both a visor and goggles, has a narrower eye port with a face-shield mount, and typically carries ECE 22.06 for road legality. If you're riding to the track on public road, you need a dual-sport helmet or one of our ECE-certified off-road lids. Two mechanical reasons matter: an MX peak creates turbulence and lift above 100km/h that loads the neck, and a pure-MX shell without ECE is off-road-only by law. That's not an opinion, it's the chin-strap sticker.

Are motocross goggles compatible with all MX helmets?

Most MX goggles fit MX helmets within the same brand family without a gap at the forehead or cheeks. Cross-brand fit is where it gets tricky. The MX helmets in this collection are built for standard 40mm+ goggle strap width. Narrow 30mm enduro goggles will float loose in the strap channel. Wide 42mm outrigger goggles (100%, Leatt wide, Scott wide) can leave a 10 to 20mm gap at the eye port on narrow-aperture lids. The practical fix: buy goggles and lid together and test the seal. No gap at forehead, no gap at cheeks, goggle flat across the nose. We stock goggles in-store at Helensvale.

Does Leatt use MIPS?

No. Leatt's 2026 Moto range uses their proprietary 360° Turbine Technology, energy-absorbing turbine discs mounted inside the EPS liner that compress under rotational load. It targets the same failure mode MIPS does (oblique rotational brain acceleration) with a different mechanical solution. Every Leatt Moto helmet we stock, the 2.5, 3.5, 7.5, 8.5 and 9.5, includes 360° Turbine as standard. It is not a paid upgrade tier.

Is my MX helmet road legal in Australia?

Only if it carries UNECE 22.05, ECE 22.06, or AS/NZS 1698 certification. All Australian states and territories require one of those standards for public-road use. A helmet with only ASTM F2040, DOT FMVSS-218, or Snell certification does not meet Australian road requirements on its own. Check the chin-strap sticker. If it shows ECE 22.06 (or DOT + ECE 22.06), you're covered. If it only shows ASTM F2040, it's off-road only.

Do MX helmets run hotter than road helmets?

It depends on speed. At track pace (60 to 90km/h), a good MX helmet with open vent channels moves more air than most road full-face lids because there's no visor creating a seal. The Airoh Aviator 3's 8 intake vents plus rear extractors are genuinely cooling at pace. Under 30km/h on slow technical trail, the open aperture that helps ventilation becomes a liability for dust and debris ingress. A snotty nosepiece mid-ride isn't a defect, it's the geometry working as designed. Run proper foam-seal goggles on slow trail sections.

How much does a lighter shell actually matter in MX?

More than in road riding. At full peg-to-footpeg MX speeds, the head and neck take repeated vibration load over a session. The difference between a 1,330g polycarbonate trail lid and a 1,290g full-carbon race shell is real fatigue over 45 minutes of hard riding. Pro MX riders target sub-1,150g for this reason. For club racers and weekend riders, the Twist 3.0 at 1,330g is the practical sweet spot: meaningful spec upgrade over budget lids without the full-carbon price. For serious competition, the Aviator 3 Full Carbon at 1,290g is the lid. The $1,349.95 price is what that weight costs.

The verdict

Club MX rider on a budget: Airoh Twist 2.0 or 3.0. Road-legal rotational protection without a carbon price: Leatt Moto 3.5. Dual-duty track and ADV crossover: Airoh Aviator Ace. Chasing podiums at state or national: Aviator 3 Full Carbon. Pick the tier, confirm the cert for where you're riding, and don't overspend on carbon if you're riding Saturday trails.

Our family built Shark Leathers after Matthew was left quadriplegic at 19 following a motorcycle crash. Twenty years on, every MX lid we stock gets judged the same way: would we put it on one of our own? Full story on our about page. Call the shop on (07) 5573 5118 if you need a cert sheet confirmed before ordering, or come test a lid with your goggles at Helensvale.