CKX TX707 Carbon fiber off-road helmet

CKX TX707 Carbon fiber off-road helmet

February 9, 2017 0 By Marc A Quessy

By: Marc-André Quessy
Editor in chief
ATV Guys

CKX has been in the helmet business since 1983 with its first snowmobile helmet line and they have come a long way since.  In 1995 a full helmet line was introduced and the very popular Trans series winter helmets in 2005.  They are renowned for a quality product at a reasonable price point ever since their beginnings.

The helmet we are today today is a milestone for CKX. A full carbon fiber off road model, the TX707 Carbon.  The flagship of their off road line!

What’s the big deal?  Well, first off the shell is 100% Carbon Fiber. Why?  Weight!  It’s the lightest Helmet I have ever worn! Weighing in a tad under 1000 grams it’s nearly 40% lighter than the average fiberglass or injection molded plastic helmets. I can barely feel its weight on my head.  It also feels tough for such a featherweight.  All the moldings and trim are solidly fastened.  The sun visor is solid but flexible enough to take a hit without shattering and is replaceable (20.99$ don’t ask why I know).

CKX took care in the assembly of this helmet and it shows. It’s available only in matte Black/white trim or matte White/black trim and now they have come up with more interesting color schemes.  The matte white model’s finish is very nice and it’s the popular shade for “in” crowd these days but, I love the black’s looks even more because you can actually see the carbon fibers under the matte clear coat and scratches won’t show as easily.  I admit I find it just looks awesome!

The ventilation for the top of the rider’s head is handled by three vent openings right under the sun visor, one in the center and two larger ones protected by a steel mesh but unless you are at a fast clip there’s not much happening there but enough of a breeze not to turn it onto a sauna.

The TX707 is a comfortable helmet, the plush interior padding is easily removed for washing and dries in a snap.  The cheek pads we’re a little tight when it was new but after a few rides they have settled nicely and they are now nice and snug.

It has a classic padded D-ring chin strap (wish it had the quick click type from the tranz 1.5) that’s pretty standard on off road helmets but is comfortable all day so no worries here.

The TX707 is ECE 22.05 compliant.  What? Not DOT? Don’t worry!  ECE 22.05 is a fairly new helmet safety standard for us here in Canada but very common in Europe (over 50 countries recognise ECE 22.05). After little reading on the subject it exceeds the DOT certification for some testing.  It’s a much stricter testing regiment that every batch needs to pass the BEFORE leaving the factory. Helmets certified to the ECE 22.05 standard are approved for competition by AMA, CCS, FIM, Formula-USA, WERA and Moto GP. That’s good enough for me!

And to top it all off…

Action cameras like the popular Go-Pro series (gopro.com) that allows riders to shoot videos in HD of their rides, races and special moments are extremely popular these days.  Seems like every ride I go to there’s always a few of the guys (and gals) with those nearly indestructible little cameras.  Well, CKX made even simpler for the Go-Pro owners to shoot videos on their adventures.  The TX707 is the first CKX off road helmet that has an integrated Go-Pro camera mount. Sun, camera, ACTION!

Conclusion:

Full Carbon Fiber helmets are fairly recent in the mass market and some of the first models available cost in excess of 1500.00$!  Thankfully the prices have been steadily dropping in the last  2- 3 years to a more affordable level but many manufacturers still demand retail prices above 650.00$ can. Still high for the average consumer.  Well, now we have an all carbon fiber helmet you and I can buy without breaking our piggy bank or making our credit cards turn bright red.  The TX707 Carbon is one of the very few in the market below a 350.00$ MSRP from a well-known Canadian brand to boot!

Like the commercial says: “I liked it so much I bought the company”. Well I did not buy the company but I bought a TX707 for my personal use and I love it!

Specifications:

  • Carbon fiber composite construction shell
  • Comes in 2 different shells (2XS-M / L-2XL)
  • Fully ventilated
  • Removable / washable interior liners and cheek pads
  • Soft padded double D-ring chin strap
  • Meet or exceed ECE standard 22.05
  • Approximate weight: 975 g
  • Integrated and removable GoPro® compatible camera mount

 

MSRP: 349.99$

Distributed all over Canada by KIMPEX . CKX helmets are available at your local dealer or specialised shop.

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