After a premium sports touring helmet? AGV's K5 S is a serious competitor and could be the right lid for you... Review: Mike Cameron

AGV take the popular K5, already one of the most popular sports touring helmets, and make it even better. The K5 S is a fusion of comfort and sport, a sleek, lightweight design with plenty of features integrated to ensure that every trip is as comfortable as possible. Here is our review.

The AGV K5 S features a full carbonfibreglass mix, contributing a signifgant amount to its lightweight nature.

The AGV K5 S features a carbon-fibre-glass mix, ensuring a lightweight lid with less neck strain.

The K5 S has both DOT & ECE certification but no Snell certificate. The K5 S gets a 4 out 5 star rating on the SHARP rating system proving it has got some of the best safety that money can buy.

The K5S features a new inner liner, designed with some modern technical fabrics like Shalimar and Ritmo. The inner liner also has no stitching in the sensitive contact points. On the outside,
the external shell is made from a carbon-fibre-glass-mix, that’s light weight with excellent protection.

Four air intakes at the front flow fresh air into the helmet, while two rear extractors channel the air out, keeping you cool. These can be closed off if you prefer to in cold or wet weather. It’s also prepared for an ARK Communication System, with removable ear pod holes. I didn’t use the helmet with a communication device so all of my testing was done with the ear pads in place.

The K5 S has an internal drop down sun visor and the main visor is ‘pinned’ for Pinlock inserts, with the lens included with our lid. You can also replace the detents on the visor to customise the position.

I found the standard detent positions suited me just fine, but it’s nice to see riders having the ability to tune to their own tastes.

The overall styling is on the aggressive side and in the matt black would be right at home piloting a tough naked or streetfighter.

The K5s inner comfort liner uses a combination of Microsense-treated Ritmo and Shalimar high-performance fabrics that have impressive moisture wicking and antimicrobial properties. The neck roll is made from Shalimar fabric with an added water-resistant treatment. This helps minimise sweat water from channeling inside the helmet

The styling of the K5 S quite aggressive and sporty, perfect for piloting a tough naked or streetfighter.

The styling of the K5 S quite aggressive and sporty, but is great for everyday use, mainly sports touring.

The Ritmo Cheek pads have a 2Dry moisture wicking, and Microsense anti-bacterial treatment applied. You also get a removable nose guard and wind protector. I found the wind noise on the K5s to be acceptable and at highway speeds, far less intrusive than my entry level RJays Dominator I’ve been using on the daily commute prior to this test.

I found the Pinlock anti fog lens does an admiral job of eliminating fog in slowish stop start riding where I’d normally have the helmet lens open. The combination of the micro opening system of the visor along with the Pinlock lens, I found myself rarely opening the visor right up, which I would be doing constantly with my other lids. This was the feature that most impressed me, being the first time I’ve used a helmet with Pinlock technology.

The lid is available in a range of colour ways and graphics to suit your motorcycle or riding gear.

The lid is available in a range of colours and graphics to suit your bike or riding gear.

The external shell of the K5 S is made from CAF, which is a composite mixture of fibre-glass and carbon. Weight is very respectable and on par with other options at this price point. I quite liked the overall look and lines of the helmet in the matte black that I tested. It has a subtle but aggressive look. I’m not really one for loud graphics on helmets and was happy with the plain colour of the K5 S, but if graphics are more your style, you can get this model in varying graphics and colours to match your bike or other riding gear.

Another note worthy feature is the XQRS (Extra Quick Release System) visor mechanism for quick removal of the visor.

The AGV K5 S comes with a clear and tinted visor, with vision through the visor being superb.

The AGV K5 S comes with a clear and tinted visor, with vision through the visor being superb. Also Pinlock ready.

The K5 S comes with both tinted and clear visors. Vision through the visor is very good with great optics and superb peripheral side to side vision. All up, the K5 S is a premium bit of kit and well worth considering if you’re in the market for a sports touring helmet. The K5 S is available for a competitively priced $549.00 RRP to $629.00 RRP depending on the variant.
Check out the range at AGV Australia.


AGV K5 S Features

  • Shell in CAF (Carbon-Fiberglass) engineered in two sizes
  • IVS (Integrated Ventilation System) ventilation with five large front vents and two rear extractors
  • The spoiler integrated in the shell profile
  • New K5 S interior construction
  • Anti-scratch visor with Pinlock anti fog technology
  • Visor micro-opening system
  • Patented XQRS (Extra Quick Release System) visor mechanism
  • Integrated anti-scratch sun visor, removable without using tools
  • Double D retention system
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