VOZZ RS 1.0 breaks the shackles at Sydney Motorsport Park

THE VOZZ RS 1.0 helmet has finally been unhinged at Sydney Motorsport Park yesterday after ten years of development.

The revolutionary helmet design really needs to be seen to be believed, so here it is.

VOZZ RS 1.0 motorcycle helmet clip in buckle helmet safe to remove in accident
As you can see, the helmet utilises a twin buckle system instead of a chin-strap which has critical safety and comfort benefits.

Managing Director for VOZZ, Mark Bryant believes the design will make render traditional chin-strap helmets extinct, because it is impossible to lift-off over your head once it is clipped in, it’s easier to remove in an accident and also provides back-of-the-head support once it is removed.

“We create and deliver innovative helmets that increase the comfort, safety and performance of people in high risk activities,” Mr Bryant said.

“Locally designed, this helmet is a tri-composite construction that delivers a ride with no buffeting, no chin strap, no vision impairment, no neck compression and no neck restriction issues.”

The buckles operate similar to that of a car door and have been tested well beyond the standard, Bryant said the shell ended up failing before the lock, removing much doubt about lateral blunt force trauma unsettling the locks.

The helmet has a QR code on the side which links to an accident removal video, and emergency rooms and paramedics in Australia will be given a training video which illustrates how to safely remove the helmet in an accident.

The VOZZ design also reduces wind noise, it does not tug on your ears or fold them and you can also wear sunglasses and gloves when taking it on and off.

VOZZ RS 1.0 Australian motorcycle helmet safety design
VOZZ RS 1.0 Australian motorcycle helmet safety design The brief accident removal demonstration showed how the head is safely positioned after removing the helmet.

Cycle Torque was invited to the launch and put in quite a few laps at Sydney Motorsport Park’s technical South Circuit.

On the spec sheet, the helmet weighs 1760g, which is a touch heavier than a modular style helmet, but the EPS inside the VOZZ helmet is curved to make constant contact with the head, making weight distribution more even so the helmet ends up feeling lighter.

The comfort and security of the VOZZ RS 1.0 helmet is stellar. Once it is on, it simply stays put.

The helmet provides plenty of peripheral vision, which was well tested on the late-apexed, look over your shoulder for what feels like an eternity turn 11 at Sydney Motorsport Park.

On a stinking-hot day at Sydney Motorsport Park, the VOZZ RS 1.0 also proved to be well ventilated, which allowed for more relaxed, concentrated laps on the short but sharp South Circuit.

More long-term testing will be required to evaluate how the helmet performs over longer distances.

Ken Lovegrove from Motorcycle Accident Rehabilitation Initiative (M.A.R.I) claimed to have done plenty of kilometres with the VOZZ RS 1.0, saying “it is the sweetest hat I’ve ever worn.”

The VOZZ RS 1.0 comes with a two visors (clear and dark), a helmet bag and is available in eight standout colours – orange, white, green, silver, matt black, blue, red and black.

Priced at $888 AUD, the VOZZ RS 1.0 comes with a three-year warranty and is now available from VOZZ Headquarters in Frenchs Forest, North Sydney.

An online store will become live next week, and dealers will be announced soon.

8 Comments

    • They didn’t recommend using a comms system because of the rolled bottom edge makes it hard to insert and it also puts the unit in an awkward position.

      Mark Bryant from VOZZ said a helmet with bluetooth comms was about three to four months away.

  1. I have recently migrated to a peaked helmet and won’t go back for road purposes.
    Is there any intention of releasing a version with a peak on it – or suitable alternative please?

    • Not at the moment Gordon.

      Their immediate plans are to introduce a bluetooth comms system in the coming months and a full composite constructed helmet should be a bit over a year away.

      The people at VOZZ are doing things differently than most, so don’t be surprised if you see a peaked design pop up in the near future.

  2. Hi, great review of this awesome new technology. Also great photos of the two creators Mark Bryant and John Vozzo together. Mark demonstrating the accident removal on John. Well done boys. This really looks fantastic.

  3. At round the $900 mark, it’s in the premium price range, which is not a bad thing. It’s just the guys (& gals) spending this sort of money, want to be able to use similar high priced equipment like aftermarket intercoms like the Sena 20s. Surely Vozz missed the mark by not being able to install these units? If we’re talking an in house offer in 3-4 months, is it likely to match the premium units the helmets price aligns with?

    • Without being certain, I doubt the majority of the helmet buyers in general are also intercom users so it’s only a realistic dilemma for a select few. Time will tell with the Vozz Bluetooth unit, it will more than likely have to be custom made for the design. I think they would be letting themselves down if it was of ordinary standards.

  4. I am a life support and human factors specialist in aerospace cranial protection areas of technology. I am also a life-long motorcycle rider of the ‘roadway’ type. Back in the 1960s, the US Air Force and US Navy were investigating methods of protecting aircrews of high performance jet fighters from extreme, adverse wind-blast effects upon emergency ejection from a disabled aircraft (at MACH+ speeds). These studies led to what was termed the US Navy ‘AOH-1’ design, a helmet that incorporated the oxygen breathing system into the protective helmet. This in turn yielded to a Navy helmet designated the HGU-20/P, a improved version of the AOH-1 concept that was operationally tested on missions over Vietnam. The US Air Force also investigated this helmet in a version designated the HGU-15/P, but rejected it after extensive flight testing that revealed it was too heavy (significant cervical spine G-loading) for fighter use and restricted vision to the rear (hard to ‘check six’ during aerial combat); the helmet’s chin-piece was furthermore fouling on the pilot’s parachute Capewells. The Navy, for its part, produced a limited run of about 800+ of their HGU-20/P version, but also ultimately rejected the helmet for similar reasons. Then, somewhat later in the 1980s, NASA revived the design for use on the early space shuttle flights (up to the Challenger catastrophe in 1986…Mission STS51L). Why am I remarking on all this? Because the HGU-15/P and HGU-20/P helmets are direct ancestors of the new VOZZ RS 1.0 ‘clamshell’ motorcyclist helmet!

    Both the military ancestors and the modern VOZZ RS 1.0 feature the same unique bi-valve ‘clamshell’ design that makes donning and doffing a cinch. Further, there is a startling visual resemblance between them (they both look like pressure helmets…i.e. space suit helmets). This is partly why I was amazed to stumble across the VOZZ RS 1.0 cyclist’s helmet! The many positive aspects of the present VOZZ cycle helmet closely parallel the US military precursor in terms of safety, comfort, quality and precision fitting, just to name a few advantages the design offers.

    A number of superficial and rather amateurish ‘user reviews’ have already addressed the VOZZ RS 1.0, but one thing that neither VOZZ or its helmet users have mentioned is the critical matter of ‘head shape’. Human head shapes generally consist of ‘long oval’, ‘medium oval’, ‘neutral’, and ’round’ types and if your motorcycle helmet maker doesn’t tell you what head shape fits their helmets best, they haven’t done ALL their marketing homework. European heads tend to be of the round shape, while in the USA the ‘oval’ types seem to predominate. For this reason, telling buyers about sizing on on the basic of circumference measurements is only half the informational process. A helmet needs to be the correct circumferential size and ALSO of the shape best suited to the wearer’s noggin! Even though the VOZZ RS 1.0 is a radical new development (and a very, very good one, I might add), they need to reveal to their buyers what shape head fits their mold best.

    I recently bought a VOZZ RS 1.0 in high-viz green and was pleasantly surprised by its high quality, careful fabrication and suitability for motorcycling. By the way, for those who have complained about the lack of VOZZ decorative graphic options (“…plain colors are boring”, etc.), be assured that safety on a roadway two-wheeler is all about visibility and high-viz colors work best in solids. Graphics tend to confuse, distract and obfuscate, so be very, very glad that VOZZ has the foresight to provide easily seen solid colors only!

    BTW, if anyone is interested in the history of the VOZZ RS 1.0 helmet’s military ancestor (the US Navy HGU-20/P), GOOGLE ‘HGU-20/P clamshell’ and see what comes up. VOZZ seems to have taken a page directly from the advanced US military head protection studies of the 1960s. Kudos to VOZZ! As we’d say in the US Navy “BRAVO ZULU” (“Well done!”).

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