A lot of expectations for the new Mission helmet from CKX. Here is my review after my first 1000 km. First, I had a lot of expectations for this item. I wondered if the helmet was warm and comfortable while still meeting the special features of why it was designed.
The great strength of the Mission is that it is the integrated air system (AMS). It is designed to expel the air that is exhaled through 2 conduits located along the helmet. The helmet I have is equipped with an electric visor, which I’m not usually a big fan. However, I was surprised that the heating elements of the Mission’s visor did not obstruct the vision. Moreover, this visor closes perfectly and is waterproof even at high speeds. You must be cautious when raising the heated visor, as I noticed that if you move it too abruptly at its maximum opening, it might put down the sun visor.
The helmet is very comfortable, light, well soundproofed, and proved to be warm during my tests. Below -10 °C, I used the removable breath deflector, which is easy to install. Furthermore, I didn’t notice any air infiltration problems in the neck. The AMS system does its job well and will keep your head dry, even after several hours of use, although I believe that an electric visor that is not in use usually fog up more than one that is not electric. It would also be interesting in the future to see an indicator light that would allow the pilot to see whether or not the power visor is on. It is not always evident from the inside of the helmet to see it. I also think that a backup battery could take over the visor once the snowmobile has stopped keeping it defogged when you stop. The mechanism of the solar visor is flawless, and the original color is, in my opinion, perfect. One downside is that this solar visor is challenging to use if the breath deflector is in place, and you want to ride with the main visor open.
In conclusion, The Mission looks great and is by far the best trail/hybrid helmet on the market. During my last visit to the Monts-Valin, I even noticed that many off-trail snowmobilers had adopted the CKX Mission AMS. I can already confirm that this is the helmet that will be with me during my upcoming thousands of kilometers of rides! Note that 3 possible configurations are possible with the Mission.
