A Closer Look at 6D Helmet's Omni-Directional Suspension (ODS) System

Keen eyes will have noticed that, in many of the past stories on Cycle World, our testing staff has been wearing 6D's new ATS-1 sportbike helmet. Those not familiar with 6D's technologies or the ATS-1's dirt predecessor, the ATR-1, were probably curious why there was an unusual helmet in the photos and if it was different from the ones we normally wear.

The answer is: dramat­ically so.

That’s because 6D helmets are outfitted with an Omni-Directional Suspension system (ODS) that uses elastomeric isolation dampers to reduce the transfer of the angular acceleration energy to the brain in the event of an accident. In both the dirt and street helmets, these isolation dampers are placed between two expanded polystyrene (EPS) liners and compress and sheer upon impact. If the energy impact is high enough, the layers come together and the EPS takes over in an effort to manage the impact energy.

All of this is in response to the performance of conventional helmets, which, for decades, were constructed with stiff shells, a stiff EPS liner, and soft padding since the helmet manufacturers were primarily trying to protect your skull. Science, football, and common sense have since informed us that protecting the skull doesn’t necessarily protect the brain, and 6D is one of several companies charging into the uncharted territory of brain protection.

That matters for motorcyclists because the majority of crashes result in an oblique impact (due to the momentum carried in a crash), which causes the brain to sheer, rotate, and spin inside the skull. With its isolation dampers, 6D can limit this movement and thus limit the chance of a rider walking away with a head injury or concussion, the company suggests.

There are a few additional features of the ODS system as well. For instance, the suspension-like properties of the elastomeric isolation dampers on dual EPS liners enable the 6D to work even better in low-energy impact situations than a traditional (read: stiff) EPS liner, where a high percentage of crashes fall. Also, the slight gap between the two liners doubles as a ventilation system, especially when paired with four adjustable intake ports, 15 transfer ports, and five exhaust ports.

The ATS-1 comes in three helmet sizes with size options between XS and XXL. It is certified to exceed DOT FMVSS 218 (United States), ECE 22.05 (47 countries worldwide), and ACU (United Kingdom) standards and has an MSRP of $895. Look for a full helmet review coming shortly.