More coverage and more protection. That’s what you will get from Kali’s latest helmet in the form of the Maya. Kali calls the Maya an Enduro helmet, but what does that mean when it comes to protection? For starters, the helmet features a shell shape that was specifically designed to offer better protection from impacts. It covers more of the back of the head, plus lacks venting on the sides of the helmet just above your temple. Given the fact that this area often sees harsh impacts from washing out on the trail or high siding, having more material where impact is more likely seems like a no brainer.
Maybe more important than the shell shape, is the foam the shell protects which is a first from Kali…
First Look: Prototype Kali Maya Enduro Helmet!z
If you’re familiar with Kali helmets, you’ve probably heard of their patented Composite Fusion Plus foam technology. Basically, Composite Fusion Plus is a dual density impact foam system that uses geometric shapes to help disperse energy even better than their Composite Fusion helmets. On the new Maya, Kali is using foam with a density just over 35g per cubic liter – their lowest ever foam density. Since the foam is softer, it will deform and absorb energy better leaving less energy to be transferred to your head.
Even with their highest end impact protection, the Maya will still retail for only $99.99. We got our hands on an early T1 first generation sample, so there will be quite a few changes from what you see to the final design. One of those changes will be relocating the visor so it sits lower on the helmet. On the scale our samples came in around 343g, but production helmets are said to possibly be as low as 300g.
All of the production Mayas will have a matte paint job in contrast to the gloss on the sample, and will be sold in solid matte black, duo matte white/black, and duo matte blue/white. The helmets above are still prototypes, but the black, and black/white colors will be similar to the production paint (the all white will not be offered). In addition to the color, visor location, fit system, and padding are yet to be finalized.
Since no Enduro helmet would be complete without a POV camera to record your radness, the Maya will include Kali’s camera and light mount system which includes mounts for Gopros, Light and Motion lights, and a universal mount with Serfas and Lezyne mounts soon to come. The Maya will be sold in S/M and L/XL sizes with availability estimated for Winter 2014 while the helmet is currently passing testing for CPSC and EN1078 standards.
These samples are equipped with a dual closure retention system, which will be offered on the final design. There is a possibility that there might be an all new dual retention system though. We shall see. If you’re a fan of the way the Kali Maraka XC helmet fits, you’ll love the Maya as it uses the same head form.
