Riding motorcycles can be expensive, especially for the adventure-riding community. As a now quite popular form of motorcycling, manufacturers have been developing products specifically for the ADV market. And while that’s a good thing, quality moto gear has become increasingly expensive. $1,000+ dollar jackets, $800+ pants, $500+ boots, and $700+ helmets have become commonplace. It’s enough to break the financial backs of many riders.

As the price tag grows and their budgets shrink many riders are finding it more and more important to find gear that offers a good bang for the buck. Thankfully, reasonably-priced good gear is out there if you know where to look. And in my case, while at AIMExpo this year, I met with helmet manufacturer SMK to check out some of their offerings. Looking around the stand, their helmets looked good. But what really caught my attention was their accessible price tag.

There are two closeable vents on the Titan. One on the chin and one at the top of the helmet. Photo: Mike Botan

I looked several models over pretty closely and even tried on a few of their different models. As I chatted with SMK’s North American Managing Director, Shilpa Arora, she offered to send me (and Kim) a helmet to try out and test for free. I was happy to accept her offer, and one of the helmets I received was SMK’s Titan with the Firefly graphics.

The TLDNR (Too Long Did Not Read)

• Excellent budget pricing for a quality helmet
• Lots of useful features
• Quiet
• Comfortable, removable, and washable inner liner
• Drop-down smoke internal visor
• Easy visor removal and re-installation. No tools are necessary.
• Reasonably priced replacement inner and outer visors are available
• Communicator compatible
• Decent airflow
• Quick-release retention strap

The Elephant In The Room: Price

I’ll start by letting you know that the SMK Titan I received and am reviewing here has a suggested retail price of $229. And when I get to the helmet’s features, I think you’ll see why this particular helmet is a bargain.

Safety

Since we’re talking about helmets, the first thing we must discuss is the helmet’s safety certifications. The SMK Titan is both DOT and ECE R22.06 rated. While manufacturers self-certify DOT testing to meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 218, obtaining an ECE rating requires more extensive testing to some pretty stringent standards.

The SMK Titan helmet with its matt finish and Firefly graphics. Photo: Mike Botan

The recently revised ECE R22.06 test standards require a more comprehensive range of impact testing, including angled impacts and helmet performance with accessories attached. It also measures how a rider’s brain is affected during a crash. In the case of the SMK Titan, all new helmets meet or exceed the new ECE R22.06 standards.

Because I have had the helmet for a while, the Titan reviewed here is certified to ECE R22.05. But all new SMK Titans are being manufactured to the ECE R22.06 standard.

Features

Frankly, I was surprised at the number of features the SMK Titan offers at its price point. Some features are pretty common, while others only appear in a few brands from other manufacturers, which are often priced much higher.

“Quietude”

The older I get, the more I like a quiet helmet, and the SMK Titan is a very quiet lid. At its price point, it is pretty surprising that the Titan’s interior sound volume is on level with, or even better than, some very premium price helmets. With the visor open or closed, there is no whistling or buzzing, just a quiet ride.

I give the SMK an “A” for its low noise level.

Outer Visor

The Titan’s visor has six detent positions, which allow you to keep the visor open at different angles while riding. It will stay where you put it and won’t slam shut at speed like a premium helmet I rode with through the Namibian desert.

It’s made of a thick polycarbonate with good optical clarity. It fully closes with a nice click, and perhaps the seal is what makes this helmet so quiet. And to sweeten the pot a little more, the Titan visor is Pinlock-ready and comes with one at no additional cost (you have to install it).

That said, the outermost edges of the visor can distort the view if you happen to be looking through them. This is only an issue if you partially open the visor with the bottom lip in your line of sight.

Keeping in line with SMK’s budget-friendly pricing, replacement visors are priced between $24.95 and $29.95. That’s close to or below the price of a Pinlock insert, never mind a complete visor.

Because of the potential distortion of the visor’s outer edges, I give the Titan a “B+.”

Visor Installation/Removal

The visor’s mounting system makes removing or attaching the visor easy and is similar to the mechanism used in some other premium helmets. To remove the visor, you open it, pull down on the lever, and then pull the visor outward. It will then quickly release from its mount. You follow the same process to re-install the visor, but only in reverse. No tools are necessary.

Overall, I give the Titan’s installation and removal an “A.”

Inner Visor

The Titan’s smoked inner visor has very good optical clarity; in fact, it’s the best I have ever used. It is easily lowered with a sliding lever on the left-hand side of the helmet. Once lowered, the visor stays clear of your face. That’s a good thing since other helmets I have tried with an inner visor contacted my nose and or cheeks when fully extended. When retracted, it stays in place with no worries of falling, even when riding on bumpy terrain.

The Titan with its smoke inner visor in the down position. Photo: Mike Botan

If the inner visor becomes scratched or wears out, it, too, is replaceable and available on the SMK website for $13.95.

For its clarity and pricing, I give the inner visor an “A”.

Wearing glasses/sunglasses

This is a nice touch that I have not seen on other helmets. The Titan has incorporated extra room for glasses, and I could feel the difference when wearing my sunglasses. It’s a simple but nice touch that other helmet manufacturers should pursue. The Titan gets an “A” for ingenuity here.

Interior liner

The Titan’s interior liner is hypogenic, comfortable, and finished with a suede-like material called Resil. It is supposed to provide “…for a dry ride in the warmest, most active riding conditions.” I can say that I rode with the helmet in 90-degree temperatures, and the inner liner did not become slimy or clammy. The material breathed well, and there was no smelly odor despite the sweat my head deposited inside.

The back of the Titan. Photo: Mike Botan

Ultimately, if, like me, you sweat a lot or ride in hot conditions regularly, the liner is removable and hand-washable. Overall, I give the helmet’s liner a B+.

Airflow

To help keep you cool, SMK says the Titan utilizes “high efficiency ventilation.” Ultimately, the helmet has a closable chin and top vent. There are also three exhaust vents at the rear of the helmet.

As I stated above, I rode with the Titan in some pretty hot conditions. It provides decent airflow, but if you use the inner visor, it will obviously block some of the airflow across your face. Still, cooling air does reach inside the helmet.

For colder weather, the Titan comes with a removable breath deflector that is designed to move air away from the visor. I only rode with the Titan in hot weather, so I can’t comment on its effectiveness. That said, with the Pinlock visor insert in place, you shouldn’t have to worry about the visor fogging.

I give the Titan a “B” for airflow.

Communicators

If you use communicators while you ride, the Titan has some pretty deep and easy-to-get-to-speaker holes. Kim and I are currently using the Packtalk Edge communicators with JBL ear speakers. Although the speakers are slightly thicker than others we have used, they fit quite easily into the Titan’s speaker pocket. Even better, once installed, they don’t press against your ears.

Here, the Titan has both the outer and inner visors down. You can also see the outline of the included Pinlock insert, which is provided with the helmet. The slider bar to lower and raise the inner visor is below and just to the right of the communicator mount.  Photo: Mike Botan

Placing the comm’s wiring is also easy, so the Titan gets an “A” for its communicator compatibility.

Retention strap

The Titan uses a “quick release strap.” In other words, it uses a plastic insert that you slide into a ratcheting lock. Once you get used to it, putting your helmet on and taking it off is definitely faster. Personally, I’m old school and prefer the old D-ring equipped straps, but that’s just me. With its ECE certification, the helmet should stay on your head whether it uses a quick release strap or a D-ring setup. Since what type of strap to use is a personal preference, I won’t rate the retention strap here.

Sizing

Since heads come in all different shapes and sizes, it’s difficult to say whether the Titan will fit everyone well. To try to ensure their helmets can fit a wide range of people, SMK has two different shell sizes used in the construction of the Titan. One is used for smaller-sized heads (extra small and small), and the other is used for the remaining sizes.

In my case, I wear a size 7 hat, and the Titan in size large fits comfortably. I also wear a size Large when wearing Shoei helmets, but I wear a medium size in Arai helmets. But I can say that overall, SMK’s sizing is snug. So if you are in doubt about which size to choose, it would probably be better to go up one size than down.

Summary

I really like SMK’s Titan helmet. With its features and price point, the Titan offers excellent value. In a world of very high-priced lids, if you are looking for a reasonably priced and good-quality helmet, the SMK Titan can deliver the goods and do it well.