Part 4 of our four-part equipment review from the 2026 ACT Pyrenees. For the full story of the trip, read ACT Pyrenees 2026 – five bikes, seven days and one unfinished adventure.
For the final part of our equipment review, we’re looking at the kit that matters most: the equipment looking after the riders.
Boots, trousers and jackets
Joe, James and Andy all wore Sidi boots, RST Adventure-X trousers and RST S1 mesh jackets.
Across the trip, we experienced cool and wet mountain conditions as well as exhausting off-road riding in temperatures reaching 39°C. The highly vented RST S1 jackets proved a great choice, providing proper motorcycle protection while allowing enough airflow to remain wearable in the extreme heat.
Cool Covers
We’ve included the Cool Covers in our riding-gear review because they’re about comfort—and on repeated ten-hour riding days, comfort is also about safety.
When you’re hot, uncomfortable and constantly moving around on the seat, fatigue builds more quickly and concentration can suffer. Anything that helps keep you cooler, more comfortable and focused is doing far more than simply making the journey pleasant.
Cool Covers were fitted to four of the five bikes, with only Dave’s KTM not having one. All five riders loved them and, with temperatures reaching 39°C, they were invaluable.
The 3D mesh allows air to circulate beneath you instead of leaving you sitting directly against a hot, non-breathable motorcycle seat. The difference in comfort was enormous, particularly during the long road sections in extreme heat.
On a short journey, you might consider one a luxury. Across repeated ten-hour days in the Pyrenees, they became an important part of keeping us cool, comfortable, alert and focused.
Simple, effective and one of those products you really miss when you ride a bike without one.
The helmets
Joe and Dave both wore Arai Tour-X 4 helmets. They were perfect for the job and, in our opinion, remain the benchmark for adventure helmets.
They aren’t the lightest option available, but their comfort, quality and all-day usability make them exceptionally difficult to beat.
Lee and Andy wore Klim Krios Pro helmets. The Krios Pro has plenty going for it: the Transitions visor is excellent, but its greatest asset is undoubtedly its incredibly low weight. It feels noticeably lighter than the Arai.
But a helmet has to fit—and unfortunately, neither of theirs does.
Andy’s is simply the wrong internal shape for his head and leaves him with some extremely uncomfortable pressure marks. Lee’s is too large.
Both problems demonstrate why you shouldn’t rush the process of buying a crash helmet—and why it’s the one product we really don’t love selling online.
Find a dealer who stocks the helmet you want, check that they have at least two or three suitable sizes available and give them—and yourself—enough time to get it right.
Try the helmet on properly. Leave it on. Sit in it and wait. A helmet that feels fine for five minutes can become unbearable after an hour.
Let someone with the proper training assess the size, shape and security of the fit. The most expensive or highly rated helmet in the world is still the wrong helmet if it doesn’t fit your head correctly.
The airbag
Joe and James both wore Furygan airbag vests using the In&motion system, set to its Adventure algorithm.
For most of the trip, the airbags simply sat there unnoticed—which is exactly what you want. Then James crashed near Jaca, and his became one of the most important pieces of equipment we had taken with us.
When the front of the Kove locked on loose stone, the bike skidded for around five or six metres, spun and threw James heavily onto the ground.
The airbag detected the crash and deployed before impact. James has confirmed that he felt it fully inflate before he hit the floor.
And it worked.
James still suffered two clean breaks to his clavicle, leaving the bone in three pieces, together with severe bruising around his lower-right back and hip. However, the extensive CT scan found no further injuries.
James’ AGV AX9
James was wearing an AGV AX9 adventure helmet—and his head did hit the ground.
He remembers the impact and the helmet has the marks to prove it. The shell didn’t visibly crack and, most importantly, James is OK.
The helmet isn’t.
Regardless of how it looks, it has taken a significant impact and will never be worn again. It’s now a write-off and will be displayed proudly alongside the other retired helmets in our showroom.
It did its job, and that’s all that matters.
There’s no way to know exactly what would have happened without the protective equipment, but looking at the force of the accident and the injuries James avoided, we genuinely believe the Furygan airbag and AGV helmet protected him from far more serious damage.
That isn’t theory or a controlled demonstration. It happened during a real accident in a remote part of the Pyrenees—and both did their jobs.
The bikes can be repaired. Routes can be ridden again. Getting the rider home safely is what really matters.
Get fitted properly
Come and try helmets, clothing and airbags at our showroom in Sittingbourne, where we can check the fit properly. Call us on 01795 899204.
More from our ACT Pyrenees review
- Part 1: the bikes and tyres
- Part 2: navigation
- Part 3: luggage
- Part 4: clothing, helmets and the airbag
- The full story: ACT Pyrenees 2026 – five bikes, seven days and one unfinished adventure