Feher ACH-1 Motorcycle Helmet – Air-Conditioned Helmet

While motorcycle helmets offer much-needed protection during the ride, they can be darn hot. Especially on hot summer days. Not to mention the open-faced and full-face helmets, which can get even hotter than your usual motorcycle helmet. Well, someone has actually thought of this problem and brought an apparent solution – the Feher ACH-1 motorcycle helmet.

This unique motorcycle helmet uses some revolutionary technology to bring its core idea to life. While it may not be robust like some modern helmets, its modest price combined with the features makes it worth your attention. Especially if you hate the heat.

Who is Behind the Feher ACH-1 Motorcycle Helmet?

As the name suggests, Steve Feher is the mastermind behind this helmet. He is an American inventor and a passionate motorcyclist, who has intimate knowledge of the industry.

Actually, Steve Feher began to study the different ways to get cool in the 1960s. After all, Hawaii’s climate forced him to hot and humid weather on a daily basis. His first patent was submitted in 1961 when he was just 11 years old!

25 years later, in 1986, he comes up with a patent for the AC blanket. This was quite a revolution, as hospitals adopted this technology to cool down their patients. It became a standard soon after.

Some years later, he made millions of dollars from a new patent. This time, the target was car seats. Yes, he actually patented a technology that cools down car seats! This technology proved itself to be very profitable indeed and is used in cars such as Bentley, Ferrari, Lexus, and Rolls Royce.

Actually, the same concept is used in Steve Feher’s AC helmet, the ACH-1.

Now that you have acquainted yourself with the inventor of this impressive helmet, let’s learn more about the Feher ACH-1 helmet!

Feher ACH-1 Motorcycle Helmet – Overview

Actually, Feher ACH-1 is the first self-contained air-conditioned full-face motorcycle helmet on the market available to the public. Of course, such helmets were here before, but only for military purposes. Also, there is an Indian company, AptEner Mechatronics, that invented BluSnap. That is essentially a snap-on air-conditioning unit for motorcycle helmets. It doesn’t work well in humid climates as it is an evaporative cooler.

We can conclude that most air-con units for motorcycles and riders are expensive and not compact. But, the benefit of this technology is very clear. Keeping your head cool will make your ride more comfortable and safer in the long run.

So what does the Feher ACH-1 helmet do? It distributes filtered and cooled air evenly through its interior. This is possible thanks to the utilization of thermoelectric technology. The helmet provides consistently cool internal temperatures, thanks to the integration of the Tubular Spacer Fabric with the comfort liner of the helmet.

Here is the video overview of the Feher ACH-1 motorcycle helmet!

Let us break down the main features and specifications of this air-conditioned helmet!

Construction & Design

The shell of this motorcycle helmet is comprised of multi-layered fiberglass. Furthermore, the synthetic fiber reinforces the shell further, which definitely elevates it to a high-quality status.

The face shield is scratch-resistant and features an anti-fog coating. That provides each rider with superb visibility during various weather conditions on the road. You can quickly put it on and off, thanks to the quick-release feature.

The face shield of the ACH-1 helmet comes in three variants: Clear, Light Smoke, and Dark Smoke. For Light Smoke and Dark Smoke variants, you will need to invest an additional $30 respectively.

Inside the helmet itself, you can find the comfort liner that is removable and easily washable. Also, the Patented Tubular Spacer Fabric is integrated inside the liner to provide cool internal temperatures with high consistency.

The Cooling System

The ACH-1 helmet is not designed to give you cold-induced headaches or to make your face feel like you’re riding in a car cockpit. Its design reduces the temperature around the top of your head, which you can notice during hot rides.

Of course, the temperature difference will be much more significant in areas with higher temperatures. In such situations, the ACH-1 helmet can cool down the ambient temperature for 10 – 15 degrees Celsius.

What are the benefits of cooling, you may ask? Well, for starters, your entire body will feel less impact from the heat. Also, the ride will be much more comfortable than with the regular motorcycle helmet.

Now, let’s break down the cooling system to some specifics!

Modes of Operation

The thing you should know is that there are no external venting holes on this helmet. That is necessary to maintain the airflow that ensures the appropriate circulation of cooled air.

You have two modes of operation on this helmet: the Fan mode and the AC mode. Make sure to always use either of these two modes to maintain a comfortable environment inside the helmet. After all, no outside air is circulating through the helmet!

The Fan Mode

The Fan mode provides effective circulation of non-cooled air. Use this mode when it’s not so hot, and when you want the basic airflow.

How Does the AC System Work?

The AC mode is a system formed of a few components: a cooling module, a convection system, a fan, and a filter. You can find the AC system on the back of the helmet.

As the rider moves on the motorcycle, the air gets absorbed into the helmet from the forehead air vent. Then, the air gets circulated through the cooling module. The lingering heat gets discharged through an exhaust. Then, the cooled air is sent through the Tubular Spacer Fabric over the top of the helmet. That ensures those 10 – 15 Celsius degree numbers we mentioned in earlier paragraphs.

What powers the air-conditioning unit of the Feher ACH-1 motorcycle helmet?

Actually, the helmet comes with a harness that connects to your motorcycle battery. We recommend you to use this cable to power the ACH-1 helmet for consistent and appropriate functionality, as the helmet can have polarity issues with other cables.

Also included is the quick disconnect cord. It has a switch with three functions:

• I setting – Turns on the Fan mode
• II setting – Turns on the AC unit
• 0 setting – Turns off any of the given modes of operation

Other than the harness, you can also use 12v battery packs. Just make sure not to use any battery pack stronger than 13v. The length of time the batteries will power the helmet in AC mode is variable:

• 3000 mAh – 2 hours
• 6000 mAh – 4 hours
• 12000 mAh – 6 hours

How to Use the Feher ACH-1 Helmet?

For starters, you have to install the battery harness, which is a simple process. First, find your motorcycle battery. You can usually find it under the seat. Then, connect the red wire first to the positive pole, and the black wire to the negative pole. Make sure to position the end of the connector in a convenient place. That will help you to connect your helmet with more ease during the ride.

When you are ready to commence the ride, just hook up the coiled connector cable. It features a switch to the cable at the helmet rear. Afterward, hook up the cable to the battery harness that you installed in the first step. Now, you can use the switch to commence any of the modes of operation (AC, Fan, Off).

Available Variants

The Feher ACH-1 motorcycle helmet comes in 6 sizes:

• XS (53 – 54 cm)
• S (55 – 56 cm)
• M (57 – 58 cm)
• L (59 – 60 cm)
• XL (61 – 62 cm)
• XXL (63 – 64 cm)

The weight of this helmet is 1,450g, which is not much when you consider that it has an integrated AC unit on the back. Also, it comes with the safety approval of DOT and ECE standards. That makes it fit for the global market.

You can find this full-face helmet in five colors:

• Gun Metal
• Pearl White
• Gloss Black
• Matte Black
• Silver

Price & Other Services

As of now, you can find the Feher ACH-1 motorcycle helmet on sale for $399,99. Its usual price is $599,99. Feher Helmets provides free shipping for the US market, while the rest of the world pays variable shipping costs for this helmet.

You also get a helmet bag and a helmet backpack included in the price of the helmet.

Closing Words

Of course, the ACH-1 motorcycle isn’t perfect. Most riders complained on the noise levels when wearing this helmet. Fan mode and AC mode are quite noisy, and you have to prepare to endure that. Also, the helmet has no sound isolation design choice, so you will most likely intimately hear the sounds from the road, especially the wind.

Nevertheless, for such a low price tag, this helmet is backed up by some powerful technology that is highly situational. If you are living in an arid or humid climate, this helmet could help you endure the longer rides.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure to check out our other motorcycle helmet overviews and reviews!