BY BRENDAN BAKER EDITOR IN CHIEF

The sound was crystal clear and only a bit muffled because the voice was broadcast from inside the helmet of Forcite ’ s CEO and Co-Founder Alfred Boyadgis .

“ I ' m doing about 50 kilometers an hour now and talking to you , so I don ' t know how it sounds on your end , but we ’ ve got wind noise cancellation on the helmet ,” he says , noting that the technology in Forcite ’ s new MK1S smart helmet is a bit of a “ doubleedged sword .” The more Forcite makes the helmet quiet through noise-canceling tech , the less outside world you can hear , so you can ' t hear the bike .

“ People like to hear the bike on video ,” Boyadgis explains , “ so I ' m trying to work out a way to record a little bit from the phone ' s mic with some exhaust noise and layer it on top of the video .”

But ironically , on our Zoom call , hearing his bike was impossible since he was taking the call from his LiveWire electric bike .

While other attempts to bring smart helmets to the motorcycling masses have failed to deliver much promise , according to Boyadgis , Forcite has been offering their high-tech lids in Australia and Europe and is now set to enter the U . S . market with Tucker Powersports .

“ I think a lot of smart helmet tech that ’ s come and gone didn ' t really deliver in the market , which is annoying for many people in the segment .” But with ECE helmet standards changing from 22.05 to 22.06 , Boyadgis says the broader range of impact tests will affect helmets with integrated technology such as the MK1S .

Forcite has integrated features and technology into the helmet for a more streamlined , aerodynamic , and safe approach . “ That ' s part of our IP ,” says Boyadgis . “ It ’ s got batteries inside ceramic that won ' t rupture upon impact , and the electronics module is removable . So if you have an impact , you can replace the helmet for about half price . And it ’ s also handy to have this stuff in the unit that you charge once , and just ride with it like I am today .”

Riders can set the helmet to record audio or video , using it like a dash cam that is always on . For the display , an array of LED lights sit below the rider ’ s peripheral vision and light up for turn-by-turn navigation .

“ It ' ll light green from the center and go to the left or the right for navigation , so you don ' t have to look down at your phone , and you can keep your eyes on the road . It also

has a police alert system , which pulls from the Waze API . And it has a speed camera , pothole alert , and other features ,” he notes .

As for why Forcite didn ’ t go with a heads-up display like other smart helmet designs , “ I found them distracting from the whole riding experience ; I just didn ' t like it .” Boyadgis says that Forcite ’ s customers agree . “ We ’ ve sold 5,000 helmets so far and have about 3,700 in the field – people love them . The general feedback is they don ' t want something distracting ,” he says . “ We wanted to create something that was still quite pure to the riding experience and didn ’ t distract you from anything .”

Boyadgis adds that the clip-on peripherals are inconvenient because they work independently of each other . “ It ’ s two different things you must charge if you want to use it , and you must connect them to separate apps . You might not know if the camera ’ s running out of battery .”

Boyadgis also points out that clip-on devices can change the rotational velocity of the helmet and its performance . Forcite has neatly enclosed all of the peripherals into one package that can be charged at the same time and operate from a single app . And it is styled like a premium helmet that doesn ’ t look like a futuristic design from another dimension .

“ The last thing we wanted to create was something that looked like a smart helmet with fins on it and all this space-age crazy stuff ,” he explains . “ We wanted a nice , slick , almost Italian-looking carbon fiber helmet .”

However , Boyadgis says they are building more than just the style of the helmet . “ We ' re considering participating in ASBK , and FIM certification is on the radar . We can record video and broadcast it . Also , the adventure sports category is booming .”

Boyadgis says that the most challenging part was designing the electronics , but now that it is done , adding the module to different shells is not as difficult .

ENTERING THE U . S . MARKET In a recently announced deal , Forcite has partnered with Tucker Powersports to be the primary U . S . distributor for the smart helmet maker .

“ I ' m really excited about getting these out to U . S . customers ,” says Boyadgis . “ The DOT version of the helmet doesn ' t have an internal sun visor , and it is slightly heavier because it has more carbon layers for the DOT test . The real plan is to get this in as many stores as possible that are premium stores in the USA .”

With noise cancellation inside the helmet , riders can listen to music , record video or make calls without outside interference . Forcite has neatly enclosed all of the peripherals that can be charged at the same time and operate from a single app .

Boyadgis says they are also selling the helmets on their website and to drive traffic to some dealerships . They have a list of 8,000 enthusiast who have indicated an interest in the MK1S smart helmet that retails for $ 1,099 .

“ It ' s really all guns blazing ,” Boyadgis quips . “ Riders and dealers will be able to see us at riding events , and we ’ ll do demos at certain dealerships .”

The biggest difference between Forcite and other smart helmet brands of the past is that it ’ s an actual product in production , and they go out to the customers to let them try it firsthand . “ The proof is in the pudding when you try the helmet out ,” he says .

According to Boyadgis , Forcite has to make it work because they are entirely backed by venture capital . “ We ’ ve got a responsibility to our investors and the people that put money in to make this product work . It puts the fear of God into us to get it right . If we don ' t deliver on the product , not only will the investor ruin us , but every single biker customer will be

The MK1S is available from Tucker Powersports in limited supplies , says the CEO . The smart helmet looks like a regular helmet with all of the components integrated into the design .

standing out front with a pitchfork !”

Some riders say they don ’ t want ( smart ) technology in their helmet and just want to focus on the ride , and Boyadgis is okay with that . “ But , in this day and age , when so much happens in traffic , I highly recommend trying it ,” he says . “ If your customer just rides on the highway on the weekend , it ’ s probably not the helmet for them , but for riders who want more , the MK1S has all that functionality built-in in an easy-to-use way .”

With a limited supply at Tucker , Boyadgis notes that it ’ s first come , first served for dealers who want to order the MK1S . If you break down the cost of the components like an intercom system , camera , navigation and more , the MK1S is a bargain for customers shopping for the latest tech .