AGV’s Sports Touring Motorcycle Helmet.

The K6/K6S is AGV’s top flight sports touring helmet.

AGV says they’ve gone all out to make a helmet that’ll work just as well on a touring bike as a sportsbike. They also claim it’s the lightest in its class – that’s some boast – and have made it to be as compact as possible.

Which has meant it’s been made in four different shell sizes – all with a five density shock absorbing EPS liner inside to give as much energy absorption as possible (the most we’ve seen in a helmet so far).

They’ve also said they intend to make it super comfy, amazingly well vented and mega quiet. They’re one hell of a bunch of design goals for a range of helmets, never mind a single all-rounder helmet.

So here’s everything you wanted to know about the AGV K6 – including what owners and riders think of theirs – so you can make an informed decision on whether to buy one.

• Sports touring helmet
• Carbon fiber and aramid (Kevlar) shell
• SHARP 4 star safety rated (ECE helmet)
• Shell in 4 sizes
• 5 density EPS
• Weight 3.1lbs (1.4 Kg)
• EQRS* cheek pads
• Double-D ring fastener
• Pinlock anti-fog included
• Optically correct shield
• Expect to pay $480-$550

Looking to buy an AGV K6/K6S?

Please click below to visit the AGV K6 helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Overall/Summary

AGV went all out to create the perfect sports touring helmet with the K6.

We always thought the AGV K6 would give decent levels of protection, with its carbon/aramid composite shell coupled with a 5 density EPS liner and AGV’s amazing reputation for helmet safety. But you’re never sure until Snell tests it (or SHARP in Europe).

Now it has been tested by SHARP, it scored a maximum 5 stars for safety, meaning the K6 should give outstanding protection – about as good as you can get from any helmet on the market. *Although remember, SHARP tests the ECE version of a helmet and we’re never 100% sure it’s identical to the DOT version. Still, great job AGV!

AGV’s made the K6 a compact helmet too. Plus, there’s a quality shield system with a large field of view that should work well on everything from a sportsbike to a cruiser (and most bikes in between).

The overall build quality appears to be mostly very good (barring a few possible niggles – read full review for details) and AGV has a growing reputation of creating super comfy liners – the variety of quality materials they use inside the K6 is no exception and owners rate it as excellent for comfort.

OK, it’s lacking the occasional feature like a built-in sun visor which you may well miss if you err more on the touring side of sports riding. And it might not be quite as light weight as AGV initially imply – unless you’re wearing the smallest shell size where it’s closer to the 2.75lbs figure AGV states (otherwise it’ll be more likely around 3.1lbs).

But overall, the AGV K6 is an innovative and impressive sports touring helmet that achieves most if not all of what AGV set out to create. Owners are mostly very happy with their K6’s and recommend it as one of the best sports/touring helmets out there.

If you’re in the market for a high performance, mid-priced all rounder helmet, then the AGV K6 is well worth a look.

AGV K6 or K6S?

Well they’re basically the same helmet – just that with the K6S, AGV added a more pronounced/sportier rear spoiler to give it more of a MotoGP look. It’s expected that the K6S will replace the regular K6 though so you might only find those available when you come to buy one.

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

AGV has a ton of expertise in making composite fiber helmets. But this is the first time we can think of that they’ve made a composite shell just using carbon fiber and aramid (the generic name for Kevlar).

They’re both pretty high-end materials and makes for a helmet that’s both reasonsbly light weight and strong.

It did make it difficult to work out quite how much protection the AGV K6 might give you in an accident though.

That’s because, while it has been DOT and ECE certified, so meets a pretty high safety standard anyway, it hasn’t been Snell tested yet (AGV doesn’t seem to do Snell).

However in Europe, the ECE helmet has now been SHARP tested in the UK where it scored a fantastic 5 star rating – that’s a maximum score.

As always, we need to stress that’s for an ECE version of the K6 which may or may not be different for the one on sale in the US.

We always knew you can pretty well always trust an AGV helmet. If you take a look at our Safest Motorcycle Helmet Brands Top 10, at the time of writing, AGV scores incredibly well there – with every helmet tested in recent years scoring either SHARP four or five stars.

And now AGV’s reinforced their position by scoring maximum marks again, meaning we think you can trust the K6 to give you outsanding protection. Great to know.

In addition to the helmet shell tech, there’s other indications that AGV’s put quite a lot of effort into making the K6 a serious piece of protection.

Inside, there’s a 5 density EPS shock absorbing liner – that’s the most we’ve ever heard of in a helmet and should give the helmet the ability to manage small and larger shocks very well.

AGV has stated it’s one of their goals to make the K6 as light as possible. Lighter weight helmets reduce the amount of energy the helmet has to manage during an impact. AGV’s quoting weights around 2.8lbs (1.25Kgs) for the smallest shell size helmet.

Which is fine, but it does put on a few ounces when you start to look at the bigger shell sizes – going over 3.1lbs and making it only slightly lighter than average for a full face helmet overall.

Having said that, most owners reckon it feels like a light weight helmet while you’re wearing it, which is one of the most important factors I guess.

The K6 also has a version of the regular EQRS or emergency quick release cheek pads. Usually, pulling on the red tabs on the bottom of the helmet will easily pull the cheek pads out of the bottom of the helmet to help the emergency services remove a helmet without putting undue stress on the neck.

With the AGV K6, the cheek pads and neck roll are a single unit, so it’s debatable how ‘quick release’ the EQRS is as it might still be a bit of a struggle to pull it out without yanking the helmet around.

Other stuff that helps improve safety – that large shield (both horizontally and vertically) for improved all round awareness and vision. Plus, the shield comes with a Pinlock antifog in the box too; so fit it and your vision should stay clear throughout the seasons.

Another interesting feature is that AGV’s profiled the bottom of the helmet to reduce the chance of it impacting on your collarbone during an accident. It’s a small thing (until you break your collarbone!)  but shows the level of thought AGV’s put in to the K6.

It comes with a double-d ring fastener – they’re old-tech fasteners but they are reasonably easy to use and, as long as you keep them fastened tight on each trip, as safe as anything out there.

Overall then, we reckon the AGV K6 should give excellent protection. We’re not entirely sure it’ll give the 48% improvement over the ECE test that AGV quotes in its marketing – but there’s no reason to think it’ll score any lower than its usual four and five star helmets.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

The AGV K6 has been windtunnel designed and tested with one of AGV’s aims being to reduce helmet noise.

Has it worked? Well, we’ve found thoughts from a large number of owners but with a massive range of opinions – with some claiming it’s pretty well the quietest helmet they’ve ever worn and other saying it’s really noisy even with the vents shut.

As usual I guess it comes down to your individual circumstances; the way you ride, what you ride, how fast you ride etc. etc. so we’ll mark it down as about average for noise attenuation and if you buy a K6, hopefully it’ll exceed your expectations.

And always wear good quality earplugs anyway and you’ll find the noise levels in the K6 to be totally fine as well as protecting your long term hearing.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

There’s three forehead vents arranged in a scowly V formation above the shield – and a couple of chin vents on the chin bar.

While three forehead vents is way more than most helmets, the unfortunate thing with AGV’s multi-vents is that they have to be opened separately. That’s obviously a bit of a fiddly job – especially when you’re on the move – so it’s probably best to set them before you start riding.

In fact, it’s made doubly fiddly on the AGV K6 because a few owners have commented that the sliders are low profile and difficult to find in gloves – and they can be a bit stiff when you do find them.

Shouldn’t be too much of an issue if you set the vents before you set off though.

Inside the helmet, AGV has put a really comprehensive network of venting channels cut into the EPS liner. They cover all the top of the head, front to back (towards the twin rear exhaust vents) as well as around the circumference of the head. And if you open up those top vents, most owners agree that they let a good amount of airflow through the helmet (along with some water if it’s raining heavily, according to a couple of owners).

The chin vent switch is that small switch at the bottom of the chin bar (the black thing under the shield is the shield lock).

Even though it’s small, most K6 riders reckon it’s reasonably easy to find and use, though the chin venting is only about average for a full face helmet.

Shield

(more about face shields)

AGV’s had more luck with their shield design.

It’s been made to give excellent all-round vision, with 190 degree horizontal and 85 degree vertical vision. That’s pretty well class leading in a full face sports touring lid and several K6 owners reckon the field of view feels really wide while you’re riding.

They’ve also specced up a 4mm thick optically correct shield. That’s possibly a bit overkill because most shields are thick enough and have good optics. Still, it does the job and it’s in the box so if you like having a thick shield, enjoy!

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A couple of useful links…

– All our Sports Touring helmets reviews –
– The best protecting helmets we’ve covered –

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The shield works on a ratchet and has an automatic shield lock.

The lock automatically locks the shield closed when you close it. The lock on the K6 is that large black panel directly under the shield – designed so you can press that in and push open the shield in one fluid movement with one hand.

Only one or two owners reckon theirs isn’t as smooth to operate as it might be and can stick.

Usefully though, you can also use the shield lock button to access the city riding ‘cracked open’ position. Push it in and the shield will open up slightly to let in more ventilation but keep the shield locked on the latch.

If you look on the side of the helmet, you can see AGV’s redesigned quick release mechanism. It’s now made of metal which has allowed AGV to shrink it down to make it super small.

And several owners said it works really well – just open the shield, pull down a tab and the shield pops off.

It’s not quite as simple as the super fast magnetic quick changer you’ll find on X-Lite’s X-903 touring full face helmet, but it’s fast and straightforward nevertheless.

It also comes with a Pinlock ready shield and Pinlock 120 Max Vision antifog insert in the box. That’s something I’d always look out for these days as Pinlocks – while not perfect – are a great quality antifog solution and make it so you can at least see in cold/wet/humid conditions.

And the Pinlock 120 lens is Pinlock’s highest rated antifog insert – and it’s only available when you buy certain premium helmets – so if keeping your visor fog-free is important, then that’s a great add-on.

All in all then, apart from one or two niggles, AGV looks to have got everything well pretty well covered with the shield on the K6.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

AGV designed the K6 to be super comfy. And with the number of K6 owners we’ve found saying how really comfy it is, it seems like they’ve very much got it right.

Looking around the helmet, there’s a neck roll and removable chin curtain in there, and the comfort liner is fully removable and washable.

The padding’s made from sculpted foam covered in a variety of technical anti-bac and moisture wicking fabrics. You can find more info about the Shalimar and Ritmo fabrics used in the K6 here – plus they use something called Eco Leather that’s a wear resistant and waterproof plastic fake leather (not sure exactly how eco that is!).

But make sure you get the right size (sizing seems spot on and you can read our fitting and measurement guide) and as long as you’re a medium oval headshape (that’s most of us) you should find the inside of the AGV K6 a very comfortable place to visit for day-long rides.

Looks & Graphics

The K6 is a subtler take on AGV’s usual hawknose design that they use on their sportsbike helmets. Which should go down well with most sports touring riders who often prioritize great all round performance over sporty looks.

They’re sure to release more graphics over time (so you might wanna click through to the K6 helmets pages on the retailer links below to find the latest) but at the time of writing there’s plain grey (Nardo grey), matt black (Nardo black) and gloss Mono black or white in plain solid colors.

As for graphics, there’s the Minimal, Hyphen, Multi and Rush designs which you’ll find up and down the page.

Best places to buy an AGV K6/K6S?

Please click below to visit the AGV K6 helmet pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

AGV K6 Video

Here’s a pretty comprehensive 10m look around a black/red Rush graphic AGV K6.

Other stuff – fasteners, audio, glasses, warranty

All AGV K6 helmets come with a double-D ring fastener (more info on D-ring fasteners).

It comes with medium depth helmet speaker cutouts inside the EPS liner which is enough for most modern speakers. The main fly in the ointment with the K6 is that external shell shape which is full of curves and contours which can make it tricky to mount a bluetooth controller.

A few owners reckoned they needed to mount the controller a bit higher up that usual to get round this – and to use a sticky mount rather than clamp. But we did hear of riders with Cardo Packtalks, Sena 50s and Sena SMH-5 saying they fitted their sets no problem. And if you’re looking for a more integrated kit, the K6 is designed to fit AGV’s Ark intercom – using a K6 mounting plate and costing about $300.

If you ride in glasses, we heard from a few riders who reckon it’ll be fine with most glasses – though if yours have extra thick arms, you might notice them a bit.

The K6 comes with a standard 2 year warranty – though if you quickly register it on the AGV website, you’ll get an extra 2 years’ cover.

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Good Alternatives to the AGV K6?

OK, here’s some great performing all rounder helmets you might want to consider. Note SHARP safety scores relate to Eu ECE versions (which could be slightly different).

For a smidge less than the AGV K6 is Scorpion’s ST1400 carbon/composite sports touring helmet. SHARP 4 star rated, EQRS, sun visor, Pinlock and 5 year warranty. What’s not to like?

Or how about the cool-looking Simpson Ghost Bandit? SHARP 4 star safety rated, sun visor, Pinlock and those distinctive Simpson looks. So good, I bought one myself and love it!

Shoei’s RF-SR is their composite fiber all rounder helmet that’s SHARP 5 star safety rated, comes with EQRS, is Pinlock ready (Pinlock not included) and is a great all round quality helmet.

Finally, for a good chunk less than the K6, Shark’s thermoplastic Skwal is SHARP 4 star, comes with a Pinlock, has a simple micrometric fastener and features rechargeable lights front and rear (ooOOh!)

Looking to buy an AGV K6/K6S?

Please click below to visit the AGV K6 helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

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