The Sweet Protection Bushwhacker helmet has an eye catching design and great combination of colours. Obviously looks aren’t everything, but when you spend a lot of time your bike you do want a helmet that looks good! Don’t worry if pacific blue and white isn’t your thing though, there are 5 other colour options in the Bushwhacker range to choose from.
I liked the fit of the helmet too; like many other Enduro style helmets, the Bushwhacker is designed to fit lower down the back of the head, thus providing more protection when needed.
The fit can be adjusted with the Occigrip (see pic) on the back of the helmet; a big plus for me here is the Occigrip has 4 way adjustment – both sides and up and down. All helmets also come with 2 interchangeable sets of moulded pads; 5mm and 10mm, so that you can further tailor the fit.
The only niggle I do have on the fit however, is the rubber pad on the Occigrip pulled on my hair as I put the helmet on! The only way to avoid this was to release the adjustments and re-fit the helmet every time I put it on, but when I had the fit just right I didn’t want to do this so put up with it pulling my hair.
The Bushwhacker has an impressive 17 air vents, which are the result of digital simulations and field tests to optimise the airflow and heat extraction from the helmet; 5 deep internal airflow vents, 8 direct outlets and 4 vertical extract vents to provide effective cooling. My head didn’t feel like it was over heating at all, not even in hot weather conditions.
Having such a vented helmet however clearly means that there is less ‘helmet’ and the sections in between the vents are quite thin in places – almost like spines. Unfortunately I snapped a couple of these spines when I picked the helmet up, i.e. putting my thumb and finger through the vents to pick up the helmet.
The customer service at Sweet Protection though was absolutely faultless; I emailed them about the issue and received a response within 24 hours confirming that they would send a replacement helmet straight away.
From a safety and protection point of view, the Bushwhacker is top of the class. It has a ‘5 piece in-mould construction’, which compensates for the natural weakness of the skull. It directly fuses the shock absorbing EPS liner with the Polycarbonate shell, creating a lightweight and strong helmet.
The Sweet Protection Bushwhacker helmet shell also uses variable polycarbonate outer shell thickness and geometric shapes to optimise the protection and performance – the shell is up to 30% thicker in the areas where you need it most.
The helmet can be worn with or without the shatter resistant visor although the visor is designed to optimise airflow through the helmet so I kept it on.
I tested a small/medium, which was a surprisingly good fit on my tiny head as I normally wear a small helmet. This suggests that the sizing is on the small side so it would be a good idea to try the next size up if you’re tempted to buy a Bushwhacker.
Despite the issue with the Sweet Protection Bushwhacker helmet liner, which was swiftly resolved, I absolutely love this helmet. It’s incredibly comfortable to ride in, it looks great and fits well, but most importantly I am re-assured by all of the safety features.
PROS
Really comfortable to ride in
Looks great
Loaded with safety features
Great customer service
CONS
Pricey
Inner mould was easily damaged
Price: £139.00, available from Leisures Lakes Bikes.
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