Scorpion EXO-AT950 Teton Modular Helmet & Yosemite XDR Jacket Review
Take it to the top: Scorpion EXO-AT950 Teton Modular Helmet
Helmet design has come a long way since the days of the pudding bucket. The new Scorpion EXO-AT950 Teton helmet is vivid proof of that.
There is a lot going on with this helmet—it is clearly the result of a lot of careful development, thoughtful design and in-use proving by folks experienced with helmet use in a variety of conditions.
As a helmet designed to be capable of handling cold-weather sports, yet with the versatility to handle all-round applications as well, the Teton has capabilities for comfort and function across a much broader range of ambient temperatures than many other helmets.
While it includes snow-specific features, the Teton proves to be a very comfy and capable helmet for road-going motorcycling, ATV and UTV use, even in warm temps.
It is equipped with an over-sized eyeport that is extra wide to optimize peripheral vision and downward vision and it is designed to accommodate most off-road goggles. It is available in neon-bright fluorescent colors with reflective piping in the bottom edge of the helmet’s comfort liner for improved visibility to other drivers in low-light conditions.
It comes with a fog-resistant dual-pane face shield that exceeds VESC-8 standards as well as an integral drop-down amber sun visor. To further manage face shield fogging, the Teton includes a removable breath box.
The face shield is one area that shows remarkable attention to detail, not only in its fog-fighting dual pane lens and ample viewing area, but in a little touch like a lift tab on both the right and left bottom edges of the shield. So many helmet shields have only one lift tab and that is either on the left lower edge or in some designs in the midpoint. It’s a nice touch and illustrates how sweating the details can add value and function.
The Teton is a modular helmet that can quickly shed the aerodynamically designed peak (with a simple tool like a coin—a nickel works perfectly) to shift from snow or adventure use to a street motorcycle helmet. Doing so has a second step; the installation of the side covers that mount over the chin bar/face shield hinge point. The side covers come packed in a bag and the peak is installed as the helmet is delivered.
Shedding the peak is a good idea if you plan motorcycle use at sustained Interstate highway speeds. The peak, while vented to reduce lift and buffeting still can catch some air under the right circumstances and cause some buffeting. That was not a problem at more common off-road and snow-use speeds.
The face piece/chin bar unlocks with a single toggle-type release in the bottom of the mid-point of the chin bar. The action is smooth and positive. The face piece lifts and locks in place in the up position with a firm detent position and pulls down and locks back into place easily and positively.
The chin bar has a sophisticated dual-channel ventilation system; one part has a closable vent to help channel air in and out of the breath box. That channel’s shutter is on the inside of the chin bar in the breath box. The other is the more conventional closable air inlet shutter on the outside of the mid-point of the chin bar. That air flows into the face piece via three outlets atop the chin bar.
Taken together, the vents act to both ventilate the interior and to de-fog the inboard surface of the face shield. Both shutters can be operated with gloves on. Again, somebody put a lot of time into this part of the helmet.
The breath box functioned well, but with the dual pane face shield and chin bar vent system, I wondered if the breath box was necessary as I did a day of motorcycle riding that started out with temps in the mid-forties and rose into the fifties. So, after a while, I removed the breath box, which is secured by three tabs and two snaps. Even with the breath box removed no face shield fogging occurred.
When the sun came out, the internal sun shield worked well, deploying easily with the slide control on the left side of the helmet’s crown. The tint is effective in easing the eyes and the shield didn’t create any glare, even when the sun is low in the sky.
For more on the Teton helmet, see: http://scorpionusa.com/products/helmets/snow/exoat950sd/exo-at950-teton-dual.html
That’s a wrap: Scorpion Yosemite XDR Jacket
With the Teton helmet handling the all-weather protection chores up top, what comes next is gear for the torso. The Scorpion folks have dreamed up a remarkable complement to the hi-viz Teton helmet—the hi-viz neon Yosemite XDR jacket.
As is the case with the helmet, there is a lot going on with the Yosemite jacket. Yet, despite the long list of high-tech materials and features the jacket has packed into it, the thing that struck me is how thoughtful and functional the design is. As with the helmet, the jacket has been conceived by folks who have been there, done that and know what how to translate “wouldn’t it be nice if there was a jacket that could…” into “we just created a jacket that can…”
Those two elements taken together with the external textile shell crafted with 500 denier nylon main body material, with 1680 denier nylon abrasion zones make a mission-capable whole. The exterior construction is bolstered by Exo-Stitch Safety Seams with heavy bar tacking at high stress areas to prevent seam separations.
When temps get balmy, the linings can come out, the chest panel vents open up, you fold down the inner windproof panels on the chest and back; open the full-length arm vents and side torso vents, and the mesh panels give you great air inflow.
Wearing the Yosemite jacket with only a thin long-sleeve baselayer in temps in the mid-forties was very comfortable with no discernable air infiltration along the main zipper in front or at the long vent zippers along the front of the sleeves. Frankly, I had no concerns about cold air getting in along the main zipper since each of the inner linings has hook-and-loop closures on storm flaps that are incorporated into their design. In addition, the external shell has a wide, full-length storm flap with both hook and loop closures and snaps to secure it against the wind.
It was those long vent zippers on each sleeve that I suspected would prove to be a weak spot in the windproofing, because they have no external storm flap, but I was wrong. With both inner linings in place, the sleeve zippers did not appear to allow discernable heat loss or cold air infiltration along their length. At much lower temperatures, that may be more of a possibility, but in my experience with the Yosemite product, it wasn’t a problem.
The weather isn’t the only thing that the Yosemite is designed to protect against. Impact protection is provided at the elbows and shoulders with SAS-TEC CE certified armor. The back of the jacket comes equipped with a PE foam back pad in the back protector pocket that can be upgraded to Level 2 SAS-TEC protector.
The sleeves are equipped with a pair of cinch straps above and below the elbow protectors that can be snugged up to help keep them in place over the joints they are to protect.
Another quality that reflects the experience of the Yosemite’s design team is the cargo capacity built in. The Yosemite has two large box-style cargo pockets on lower front with hook-and-loop closures on the flaps, two zipper-closure chest pockets and one very large cargo pocket across the rear, and one internal waterproof pocket in the liner. You may say there’s nothing new about lots of pockets on a jacket like this, but in this case the magic is in the size of them—they are all pretty large, (the rear pocket is 15” wide, X 8” deep by 2” from front to back).
The front cargo pockets are 7 ½” wide X 6” deep X 1 ½” and the chest pockets are 5” X 9”. The box pocket flaps have very handy—as in easy to grab and use with heavy gloves on—large rubber tabs to make it easy to get a grip on them and open them.
I’m a fan of hi-viz colors and reflective materials on gear for powersports. Being visible in all lighting conditions is a vital strategy for personal safety whether on or off-road, summer or winter, you name it. Both the Teton helmet and the Yosemite jacket bring fluorescent colors and retro-reflective materials to bear as part of the suite of protective design elements.
In the case of the Yosemite jacket, its durable textile outer shell offers abrasion protection, the CE armor at elbows and shoulders along with the back pad provide impact attenuation for key body parts and the color/reflective combination increases “conspicuity” to help prevent problems with other drivers.
Taken together, the EXO AT950 Teton modular helmet and the Yosemite XDR jacket form a functional, protective gear set that can adapt to nearly any weather and riding condition you might want to be out in.
For more information on the Yosemite XDR, visit: http://scorpionusa.com/products/apparel/mens-apparel/jackets/jacket-yosemite.html
Scorpion EXO AT950 SD Modular Helmet Specs
- Configuration: Modular full-face all-weather helmet.
- Country of origin: China.
- Shell material: Thermoplastic polycarbonate, dual-density EPS impact attenuating liner. Color options: Neon Orange/Dark Gray; Blue/Hi-Vis; Black/Dark gray; Pink/Dark Gray; Hi-Vis/Black.
- Available shell sizing: XS (53-54 cm) to XXXL (65-66 cm). See the Scorpion website for sizing information.
- Weight: 4.3 lb. (1,950g) (including peak, by direct measurement).
- Certifications: DOT (FMVSS 218)
- Shield/visor: External shield: dual pane clear polycarbonate, scratch & fog resistant, exceeds VESC-8 standards. Drop-down internal polycarbonate, amber included.
- Retention system: Nylon chin strap with double D-ring buckle
- Special features: Textile carrying bag included. Removable, washable KwikWick II® Anti-Microbial, hypoallergenic Comfort Liner, integral removable breath box, internal drop-down sun visor, closable chin bar and crown vents.
- Warranty: Five years
- MSRP: $289.95 USD
Scorpion Yosemite XDR Jacket Specs
- Exterior material: 500 denier nylon main body material, with 1680 denier nylon abrasion zones
- Lining material: Zip-out full-sleeve insulated EverHeat thermal liner and separate H2O Blok waterproof/windproof full-sleeve liner.
- Available sizing: See Scorpion website: http://scorpionusa.com/support/size-charts/fitment-exowear
- Closures: Heavy-duty nylon main zipper with internal and external storm flap
- Special features: Hi-viz colors available, reflective accents for low-light conditions, multi-layer removable full-sleeve thermal and wind/water liners, zipper closure ventilation system on torso and sleeves, Exo-Stitch® Safety Seams with heavy bar tacking at high stress areas.
- Warranty: Scorpion EXOWear™ is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for 5 years on Leather, 3 years on Textile, 1 year on Mesh products, 1 year on Covert Jeans/Flannels, and 1 year on gloves from original date of purchase, this warranty is limited to the repair and/or replacement of parts and the necessary labor and services required to repair the item. Normal wear and tear is not covered by the warranty.
- MSRP: $389.95 – $404.95
Scorpion EXO-AT950 Teton Modular Helmet & Yosemite XDR Jacket Review | Photo Gallery
