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BMW Motorrad Rider Equipment is renowned throughout the industry for its innovation, quality and diversity, and represents perhaps the largest choice of such equipment produced by any motorcycle manufacturer in the world. With the release of the System 6 helmet in early 2009, BMW Motorrad further reinforced its position as a market leader in this sector and is now offering motorcyclists one of the most advanced helmets ever produced.

System 6 is the latest in a long line of motorcycle helmets that can trace its history back to 1981 and the first ‘System’ produced by the German manufacturer. Since then, developments in materials technology, crash test data collection and changing consumer requirements have propelled innovations in the helmet’s design.

Now, almost two decades later with the arrival of the System 6, BMW Motorrad has released its most accomplished helmet to date. Its predecessor – System 5 – proved popular; however BMW Motorrad was wary of becoming complacent in the highly competitive helmet sector, as Project Leader for Motorcycle Helmets Bernhard Neuheuser explains:

“Like everything in the world, the helmet industry is constantly changing. If manufacturers stand still, they get left behind, so there is the need to continually develop products. Competitors regularly release new products, so although the System 5 was a great product, we couldn’t be complacent and had to design a product that was even better than its predecessor – and that’s where System 6 comes in.”

In addition to boasting a minimal weight of 1,570g for the smaller shell version, the latest System 6 is one of the quietest flip-fronts on the market and comes with a drop down sun visor. It’s also more compact than System 5 with a cleverly designed chin bar pivot which optimises the size of the helmet when the chin bar is in an upright position.

As ever, BMW Motorrad has placed an emphasis on safety and System 6 possesses exceptionally high standards of impact absorption and has an extra neck band to prevent the helmet from twisting on impact, ensuring it remains in the best possible position on the rider’s head.

Before the helmet was made available to the public, the design was subject to intensive tests to ensure its integrity. The visor, for example, was lifted up and down 25,000 times, while the chin bar mechanism was tested 10,000 times in order to recreate the everyday strains it was bound to experience in the real world.

BMW Motorrad also tested the helmet’s aerodynamics and aero-accoustics in a variety of simulated weather conditions including wind, rain and extreme temperatures, all under the supervision of Neuheuser.

The Project Leader is immensely proud of the System 6, and in particular, the innovation and progress in technology that the helmet represents. “One of the most impressive aspects of System 6 is the four-lever mechanics within the chin part,” he says. “Traditionally, the chin part has just one pivot point, however the System 6 features four levers, resulting in a elliptic movement, rather than a circular movement. This has allowed the size of the helmet to be reduced dramatically when the chin part is up.

“However, the unique chin part is only one of many features that make the System 6 stand out,” he continues. “Our helmets are traditionally a combination of features that work together to create distinctiveness. For example, System 6 combines a sun visor, anti-fog feature and a reduced weight with the four-lever system, plus the forthcoming optional communications system will be unlike anything else on the market.”

With competition fierce in the motorcycle helmet sector, System 6 represents another step forwards for the German manufacturer and includes several new features for a BMW Motorrad safety helmet, including anti-fog technology and a sun visor. From August, System 6 will also be available with the in-helmet communications system option featuring Bluetooth technology and using BMW Motorrad’s Navigator IV system.

Although System 6 represents the pinnacle of technology at present, further advancements in visor design, construction techniques, materials and industry standards will inevitably lead to a successor to System 6’s crown from BMW Motorrad. So what does Neuheuser foresee these developments will be?

“The future for the motorcycle helmet sector is good, but it’s not easy to predict what advancements will be made as we are currently working with what is physically possible,” he says. “I can see electronic tinted visors proving successful in the future for example, but can’t see how carbon fibre construction will be economically viable. I think that it would be beneficial for a new standard to be introduced in the industry as this may prove to be the catalyst for further development and new technologies.”

Key features of System 6:

• Low weight: 1,570 g (smaller shell), 1,670 g (larger shell)
• Extra neck band to prevent the helmet from twisting
• Excellent aero-acoustics
• Chin guard with quadruple-joint mechanism
• Double visor as standard
• Drop-down sun visor.

More images may be found here.