Alpinestars might have started off making hiking and ski boots in the ’60s, but it was the pivot to motocross gear and early innovation in the industry that made the brand famous. Knowing that, it makes the all-new Supertech M10 even more surprising, because it’s Alpinestars’ first tangle in off-road helmets and, on paper at least, it looks pretty damn impressive. For more than 50 years, Alpinestars kept busy designing and creating boots, jackets, gloves and armor for off-road riders, but never a helmet. According to Alpinestars, the Supertech M10 was developed, studied and tested over the course of five years.
Carbon fiber is the material of choice when it comes to any sort of protection — its lightweight properties and strength are too good to overlook — so it’s no surprise Alpinestars built the outer shell out of the black woven stuff. The Supertech M10 finally enters Alpinestars in a game it’s been oddly absent from with more industry-standard fitments like the Multi-directional Impact Protection System, magnetic release cheek pads and a new visor release system that holds onto the peak, but in the event of a hit, allows it to break away safely. Where the Supertech M10 attempts to stand out is the new A-Head fitment system lets you adjust how the helmet sits on your head, fine-tuning height and angle settings for maximum comfort.
While it is surprising Alpinestars is just now getting into this space, as a first time out the Supertech M10 looks like it will give the other guys a run for their money. However, going up against Troy Lee Designs and Fox Racing with a fairly similar helmet, Alpinestars is making a fairly ballsy play, especially at $649.
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