With the increase Given the popularity of modern classic motorcycles in recent years, it’s only natural that motorcycle gear and apparel will follow suit. Like most major OEMs that have at least a few vintage style bikes in their catalog, most major helmet and gear companies have at least some vintage style items to match. suitable for those bikes. But the Italian company DMD make it different.
DMD doesn’t just rush in cafe racer device… they live and breathe it. Specific case: the rival DMD Classic style full-face helmet.
Headquartered in Bergamo, a picturesque city in the Italian high mountains of Lombardy, DMD specializes in helmets and clothing. Specifically, helmets and clothing combine modern materials and manufacturing processes, with all the style and fanfare of yesteryear.
This family-owned business has its roots in 1975 in California. While traveling to the US, the head of the family, Amilcare, decided to set up a company to import and distribute motorcycle accessories.
Years later, he and his son, Davide, found themselves in a warehouse filled with storied 70s motorcycle products—and an idea was born.
Amilcare and Davide reasoned that the market was ripe for a modern remake of one of the helmets they had seen there. Neoclassical and new wave custom scenes are just beginning to bloom, and the market for vintage-inspired gear is largely untapped. So in 2007, DMD was launched, named after the children of Amilcare; Davide, Michela and Danila.
Since then, the company has produced a wide variety of classic helmets—including open and full-face designs, with and without visors. Graphics range from timeless solid colors, to occasional special editions featuring individual illustrations from collaborators. Complementing the brand’s helmets is a full clothing catalog, with jackets, pants, gloves, bandanas, etc.
The DMD may have been around in the ’70s, but the full-face Rivale borrows its design from the motocross and auto racing helmets of the ’80s and early ’90s. Available in a wide range of solid colors and finishes. With elegant graphics, it embodies a minimalist aesthetic that will go well with everything from the classic Ducati Pantah to the modern. winning car. Stick a Marlboro or Elf decal on it, you could easily mistake it for an old racing helmet.
Its case is sleek and compact, accentuated only by a pair of thin chin vents and very discreet branding. The outer case uses a blend of glass fiber and kevlar carbon, with two case sizes in a five-size range [XS to XL]. Inside, you’ll find a soft anti-bacterial lining, with synthetic leather trim for an added touch of class. The lining is removable, washable, and even replaceable, plus it’s super comfortable against your head.
The Rivale ships with a transparent face shield, but you can also order a smoke screen for it. The visor holder’s bolts and guides look and feel sturdy, requiring the Allen key to be removed, while a simple tab on the lower left side of the visor secures it in place when the visor is in place. drive. While the visor doesn’t have any stops on the way up or down, it’s easy to put on and take off with gloves on.
The Rivale also features a padded chin strap with a D-loop closure and a removable chin curtain. And despite its nostalgic style, it still meets ECE 22.05.
If you’re considering buying one, it’s worth noting that the Rivale has a chin bar that fits very well and that its ventilation is limited. But those trade-offs are what makes the Rivale look as good as it does now (and besides, the chin vents are just barely enough to keep the helmet from getting stuffy). And it looks good; the off-white paint job is as elegant as it is, and every last decorative detail is neatly finished.
It also runs true to size and won’t strain your neck, showing a respectable weight of 1,428 grams [3.15 lbs] on our scale. On the road, it’s not quite as quiet as some high-end travel helmets, but it’s aerodynamic enough to minimize excessive wind noise.
DMD used the same process to design and develop the Rivale that it did with all of its helmets, under the guidance of Davide, who serves as CEO and lead designer. of the company. It started as a sketch, before moving on to digital design and simulation. From there, DMD built a prototype and began testing it—including placing it in a wind tunnel.
As a family business, the DMD team is extremely active in not only designing helmets but also experimenting. The brothers shared a love for motorcycling and travel, which informed and inspired every decision they made.
When a new helmet is in prototype mode, they usually paint it by machine or paint it by hand to pinpoint the exact direction it’s going. And if you are buying a DMD helmet, you can be sure that it has been worn and critiqued by the hand that designed it.
Add that experience, and the Rivale comes standard with a simple lid that goes well with the café racer style. Its available now direct from DMD, starting at €469 for mono color schemes.
Produced in collaboration with DMD
