2012 Kali mountain bike helmets – Just in

We’ve seen Kali’s Amara Cam trail helmet before at the shows but this is the first time we’ve got our hands on one. It’s good looking in an angular kind of way, a reasonable weight (345g) and boasts 17 vents but its USP is the integrated camera/light mount.

Built into the top of the helmet shell is a rail that can be combined with one of four supplied adaptors. There’s a GoPro-specific mount, one for pencil/bullet style helmet cams or Mini Maglite size torches, one for handlebar mounted cameras/lights and a bolted mount for DIY setups. 

Could this mean an end to bulky, wobbly mounts and homemade bodges? We hope so. All we need now is adaptors for Contour and Drift cameras. RRP is £65/US$100. The Amara is also available without the camera rail for £50/$80. 

The Chakra shares many of the same features – polycarbonate shell, extended rear coverage – but ditches the camera mount and has a more basic dial fit system instead of the ratchets found on the Amara. This saves weight (259g) and brings the price down to £40/$40.

A lot of companies off one or two full-face helmets but not Kali – they’ve got eight to choose from, ranging from the top-end Avatar 2 Carbon (£265/$349) to the entry-level Mantra (£60/$130). Just arrived for testing is the £110/$150 Durgana.

It uses a fibreglass shell, so it’s heavier – 1,103g on our scales – than rival helmets from the likes of THE and SixSixOne that use plastic (ABS/polycarbonate) outers. Airflow looks to be well though out though, with 14 vents and a system of internal channels to suck air past your head. It’s got an adjustable peak and removable liner, meets the EN 1078 and CPSC safety standards, and is available in five sizes and 10 colours.

On the pisspot front, Kali have embraced the skateboard-style skulls/zombies graphical route, although more subtle designs are also available. The Maha’s in-mould construction (where the expanded polystyrene liner is fused to the ABS shell while it’s still in the mould, rather than glued on afterwards) keeps weight down to 401g. RRP is just £25/$30.

The £45/$60 Samra uses Kali’s ‘Composite Fusion’ technology – an advanced form of in-moulding – and a fibreglass/composite shell to bring down weight even further, to 298g. Both lids comply with EN 1078 and CPSC, and are available in four sizes.

For more information about Kali helmets, visit www.kaliprotectives.com. UK distribution is handled by Surf Sales.