Date reviewed: November 2020 | Tested by: Bennetts Rewards member | Price: From £319.99 | cabergcares.co.uk
The Caberg Levo is a top-of-the-range flip-front helmet that offers the protection of a full-face lid with the versatility of an open-face. We gave one to Bennetts Rewards member Jon Mansfield – a motorcycle instructor at 1on1 Rider Training near Luton – to review over six months and around 2,000 miles, riding everything from his Kawasaki ZZR-1100 to the school’s ER-5s and even its Honda Groms…
For and against
- Excellent value
- Really quiet
- Very comfortable
- Sunshield won’t drop easily with chin open
- Deep visor can be a minor irritation on a sportsbike
Outer shell
I’ve got the ‘Prospect matt black/bronze’ colour scheme on review, which costs £349.99. Plain colours retail at £319.99, while the most expensive option is a hi-viz yellow at £382.99.
The finish on this composite fibreglass/Kevlar/carbon shell is great, and it’s good to see that the Levo is dual-homologated, meaning it can be used as a full-face or with the chin bar open while riding.
There’s a lever on the side of the modular helmet to lock the chin section up, but I’ve never needed to use it – I ride with it open a lot while instructing and haven’t had any issues at all with it dropping.
The chin section closes easily, with no jiggling needed to get it to lock securely, and it’s easy to pop open with my thumb too, regardless of how thick my gloves are.
Weight
Claimed to be 1,610g (+/- 50g), this large-sized lid comes in at 1,703g. It doesn’t feel heavy at all during use (very few helmets do, despite the seeming quest for the lightest by some brands), and it compares very favourably with the market-leaders; the Schuberth C4, for instance, was tested by Bennetts BikeSocial at 1,707g for a medium
Ventilation
The top vents are two-stage and closed, and very effective – with them open I can really feel the air flowing across my head and out of the exhaust ports; it’s like having air conditioning.
The chin vent is either open or closed, porting up across the visor. I’m not really aware of this blowing when it’s open, so it doesn’t feed the mouth area, but of course you can flip the chin section up if you want the ultimate ventilation.
Visor
The visor is quite smooth, with a cracked-just-open setting, then four-stages to the ratchet; it’s also extremely easy to remove, with no tools required. While there is a slight knack to getting it back on, it’s easily done once you get used to it.
I’ve had no leaks in the rain (some visors can let water in along the top edge), and the supplied Pinlock MaxVision 70 – the mid-range performance anti-fog insert – works very well.
The visor has a very deep front aperture, meaning you can see more low down. In practice, I haven’t really noticed a massive advantage to this – some riders on some bikes might appreciate it more – particularly adventure riders with a map on the tank – but my riding and in shoulder checks I’ve seen no obvious benefit. That unique visor shape does mean though that, on a more sporty bike at least, the bottom of the visor can be in your eyeline when riding with it open due to the way you angle your neck. In practice, this is unlikely to be an issue for most typical buyers of this lid.
The drop-down sunshield is useful, especially when I’m riding with the chin section up, but it won’t drop with the chin open, at least on my head. The sides of the lid are pushed open slightly by my cheeks, which jams the sunshield’s mechanism, so I just drop the chin piece down (I don’t have to latch it), then the lever works fine and I lift the chin up again.
Lining
The plush lining is wonderfully comfortable and easily removable for washing; if, like me, you’re wearing a lid almost all day, every day (in all weathers) you’ll appreciate a liner that’s quick and easy to get in and out for cleaning.
There are removable pads to fit intercom speakers in, along with channels for the cables and microphone. Caberg sells its own ‘Just Speak Evo’ Bluetooth intercom kit, but it’s great to find that it’s easy to fit your own universal one if you prefer. My cheap one from Amazon went in fine, though unfortunately it packed up within a couple of weeks. I’ll be looking for a better quality intercom next!
Fastening
The Caberg Levo is equipped with a micro-metric ratchet; you only need to set the strap length once, then this gives a secure fit every time, thanks to the series of teeth built into the catch.
This is by far the best option for a flip-front lid, I think, especially as someone who needs to take the helmet on and off quickly and easily, even with gloves on.
Fit
Fit is of course very subjective, but the Caberg Levo is incredibly comfortable on me; I typically take a large and this was spot on for me.
The expanded polystyrene (EPS) inner shell is made up of several densities in separate sections; it’s not the most expensive way to make a lid, but it works well, and it makes for something I’m more than happy to wear all day.
While I don’t wear glasses, I did try a pair and they fit fine, not putting any undue pressure on the sides of my head, and resting comfortably and easily on my nose.
Noise
While no helmet is quiet enough to wear without earplugs, the Caberg is very impressive, especially for a modular helmet. I’d say it’s every bit as quiet as something costing two or three times the price – it certainly helps that the neck skirt seals effectively and comfortably, but the good fit of the various parts also has to contribute.
For more information on why earplugs are vital with any helmet, and advice on which are the best, click here.
Caberg Levo flip-front helmet review: Verdict
I’ve worn pretty much every helmet over the years, and that includes the very cheapest, and some of the most expensive. The Caberg Levo is the best I’ve ever had.
The fact that the sunshield jams when operating with the chin section raised is something I’ve no problem putting up with; given the price and performance of the Levo, I thoroughly recommend it.
