Biltwell began with three-quarters of open-face helmets a few years ago for those who are still curious. It quickly earned an excellent reputation for the high-quality helmets it was producing and releasing into the market.
The Biltwell Team values its enthusiasm and love for motorcycles, and the rest of the world notices. Biltwell now offers a variety of DOT-compliant helmets, including full-face and the three-quarter form that they first introduced.
It didn’t earn its excellent reputation by producing sub-par helmets–these are among the finest. It hints at what the Biltwell Lane Splitter is all about. This Biltwell Lane Splitter review may both be a solution and a relief.
Table of Contents
Biltwell Lane Splitter Helmet Review
Overview
One of the first things you’ll notice about the Lanesplitter is its silky-smooth exterior, which combines the safety of traditional closed-face helmets with the ease of open-face ones. It offers an incredible field of vision, providing you with a great view of the road. The vents are in perfect working order. It is simple to maintain and clean, despite its durability.
Biltwell Lane Splitter: Features and Benefits
Size
The Lane Splitter Gloss Black Helmet comes in various sizes and may be used for various applications. As a result, you wouldn’t have to look for a helmet. Just because you’re wearing a medium size doesn’t mean you won’t receive one for your obese uncle.
In some instances, the helmet is available in medium and larger sizes, while in others, it is available in smaller sizes. Similarly, whether you’re a skilled motorcycle rider or want to go for a leisurely scooter trip, the Lane Splitter helmet will serve you well.
Tape measure your head to establish the proper helmet fit. Ensure that your size falls here between small and medium sizes, or between the medium and large sizes, as displayed on the size chart, and that you select the smaller of the two options.
Design and Shape
The Lane Splitter helmet’s outstanding design begins with the helmet’s glossy feel. The gleaming gloss black is incredible. Customers can’t get enough of Biltwell’s hand-painted finish and polycarbonate shields, both anti-fog and scratch-resistant.
What about the chin bar’s large front and side vents, which cool circulation and enable hot air to escape? The brushed Lycra lining contrasts with the quilted open-cell foam cushion, which is diamond-stitched.
The Lane Splitter comes in a variety of retro-style colors, the majority of which are odd solid colors that are ideal for a nostalgic ride. You may choose neutral reds and neutral browns, a lovely gloss copper, and some subdued metallics such as sterling silver and titanium bronze.
Visor
Biltwell also didn’t do a great job on the visor. There is a little tab on the left side of the helmet for adjusting the visor’s position. It’s suitable for opening and shutting the visor but not closing it. We’d like to see Biltwell develop a locking mechanism that is centrally situated.
The visor is in good condition. It’s intended to be scratch-proof and fog-proof. We didn’t have any scratches on it, but it did fog up once while outside in the rain. The chin vents didn’t help the fogging, so we cracked the visor to let some fresh air circulate.
Additionally, removal is not as simple as it seems, and you will want a screwdriver to complete the task. While this isn’t a deal killer for me, it would be wonderful if Biltwell could provide a faster method of doing things in future Lane Splitter editions.
Interior
The inside of the helmet has a moisture-wicking, detachable, and washable comfort lining. The welcoming and comfy material is ideal for lengthy journeys. The materials’ moisture-wicking properties are effective, although our heads still sweated on warmer days.
The padding inside the helmet and the padding on the cheek pads are stiff to the touch. While we would have expected it to break after a while, we didn’t find it to be too much, even in its fairly stiff form.
The cheek pads and chin curtain come out in separate sections, and the inside is entirely detachable. If you choose to use a comm system, the cheek pads provide pockets with ample area for speakers.
Ventilation
In the Biltwell Lane Splitter, the airflow is a little suffocating. There is a large exhaust vent on the rear of the helmet but no brow vents. Biltwell, on the other hand, crammed all of the vents into the chin bar.
You can comfortably ride with the visor open, and even when it’s closed, some air gets about, but excellent ventilation through the helmet is limited. At times, it might be a suffocating lid. Unfortunately, the chin vents never close.
Your lips and chin will get wet if you ride in severe rain, which we have done on a few occasions. Biltwell should make it feasible to seal at least the vents on the front of the helmet so that you don’t have to suffer from moderate waterboarding whenever it rains heavily.
Safety Measurements
The Biltwell Lane Splitter sports a polycarbonate ABS shell with a urethane chin bar, according to Biltwell. Again, that’s a chin bar made of plastic. But don’t worry: plastic and polycarbonate helmets are among the most durable and protective helmets available.
Essentially, the most crucial aspect seems to be how effectively the helmet is designed and produced rather than the material utilized. Your Lane Splitter will be ECE and DOT certified when you purchase it. It indicates that it has passed several stringent safety tests to guarantee that it will adequately protect you.
And the good news is that in early ’22, the UK’s independent helmet safety testing laboratories put seven store-bought Lane Splitters through its 32 impact tests and gave them the highest safety rating possible. That’s a 5-star rating for safety!
Pros:
- It is quite lightweight
- The design is stylish and classic
- Lining in brushed fleece Lycra
- Construction is sturdy
- ECE and DOT rated
Cons:
- Noisy chin bar vents
- No pin lock
Final Verdict
The Biltwell Lane Splitter full-face motorcycle helmet is a smart and durable mid-range option. It isn’t the most sophisticated product in this price range, but it is trendy. It is an excellent option for the hipster Luddite who prefers a retro-inspired contemporary helmet.
The disadvantages of this helmet stem from its preference for aesthetics above performance. The vents and general appearance are attractive, but they aren’t functional. Biltwell may rethink how the vents and visors work to make a more appealing helmet.
Overall, if you are looking for a simple, stylish helmet that fits round and oval skulls well, is constructed with high-quality materials, and isn’t concerned with some of the more advanced features available these days, this isn’t a bad pick.
