SOL Helmets Review – SL68S & SL68SII Model

SOL Helmets Review

Model Tested: SOL SL68S Speed & SL68SII Metalman

Riding is always engaging and exciting, a helmet on the head will make sure that the enjoyment is memorable

From the time we got in touch with people for riding gear reviews, we focused on helmet brands. We had a lot of helmets coming in for reviews as well as giveaways and we did a few, very exciting helmet giveaways too. SOL Helmet India got in touch with us too during that time but kept us slightly waiting. Well, the wait was worth it and they sent us the new set of graphics for the best outgoing models for the brand. I am talking about the two models – SL68S and SL68SII (pronounced: s-two).

The SL68S Speed is the all-black helmet with smart while-blue lines all over it while the SL68SII is the one with the outrageously famous Metalman design. The Speed comes with a shiny gloss finish while we procured the Metalman design in a matte grey with a high-visibility matte green colour combination. I had been using a SOL SF-2M for quite a few years and I was familiar with the internal cushioning. But the new 2018 models got a slight change. The internal sole got slightly thicker while the soft cushioning stayed soft but was slightly thinner leaving less room for the cushion to soften out over time of use. And this, I can say because I’ve been using my SL68S Speed for over 3 months now and have no issues whatsoever.

You may rule the road, but first always wear your crown – the helmet.

Unlike the Zeus helmet which had an oval egg design, the SOLs here have a football round structure for the helmet. The helmet is a little large in size and looks really well along with all the riding gear on. Adding to the design is the spoiler fin that ends on the back for the SL68SII while the SL68S gets a smaller fin but has integrated LEDs in it. The 6 LED pair works in 3 patterns, full-time On, slow blinks and rapid blinks. The 2nd option is my personal favourite.

There are 6 air vents at the front of the SL68S. One at the chin while the other 5 are on the top of the head and 2 exit vents do the job at the rear fin. While, there are 5 front vents for the SL68SII, one at the chin and 4 on the top which have a sleeker intake and there are 4 at the exit fin or the so-called spoiler design. While riding, it does get a little windy inside and the rider tends to sweat less. However, it gets very noisy at high speeds. The inner cushion does the job well and the D-Ring strap makes it so secure that the helmet stays still and does not move around much.

The good part is that there is enough space for an addition of Bluetooth speaker within the cheek cushioning. This aids for more add-on options to be used for purposeful riding. A single visor does the job here but we get options to obtain clear, smoked or mirror visors. The mirror visor restricts sunlight so well it’s not suggested for night riding. However, our personal favourite is the smoked visor which is apt for giving good visibility even at night. The mechanism to remove the visor is a little tricky but with little guidance, even a newbie will be able to change the visor in no time.

The SL68S models from SOL are really very unique. They have been in the market for quite some time and yet haven’t lost the charm and are preferred by most of the riders. These helmets are a good pick for high-speed riding because of the comfort. The secure D-ring strapping rather makes a perfect pick for touring full-face helmets. There has been no compromise in comfort and with DOT safety rating the protection isn’t compromised too. These models will still be a pick for a few and only require a revolutionary graphics design just like the Metalman did.