I can already hear the protests, "I don't want any technology interfering with the purity of my ride", but the smart helmet niche is rapidly evolving, and not all models will put technology between you and the road, like Shoei's Opticson Smart Helmet. Nolan's new X-904 UC intelligent helmet and a range of O'Neal lids sit on the opposite end of the spectrum to what we've seen from Shoei or even Cardo, as you wouldn't even notice this lid was smart until you needed it.
This product is designed to work with the Nolan X-904 helmet or specific O'Neal lids, although Quin, the UK-based safety tech company, makes universal smart helmet devices. The tiny pod slots directly into the back of the helmet and is used to "provide intelligent safety technology that uses real-life data to reduce injuries and save lives.". But how it keeps you safer is what makes it so "smart".
The pod records motion and movement up to 6,000 times per second and analyzes the data using Quin's algorithm to identify patterns, so it can detect "events", like impacts, slips, trips, or falls. Crucially, when it detects one of these "events, it's designed to automatically alert your three chosen emergency contacts, providing them with your status and location in real time.
However, it will also give an audible alert before sending out this information, allowing you to cancel it via the Quin app if you don't want the information to be sent.
Users who subscribe to Quin Plus, Quin's Response System (QRS), will get the most safety benefits in the worst situations. This system offers direct integration with professional emergency services in 32 countries. Where this system really comes into play is when you can't access your phone to contact emergency services, or are unconscious and reliant on either a passerby or someone who has noticed you're missing.
As soon as you fall, the nearest emergency response team will be dispatched to you as quickly as possible, and they'll be better prepared for what they encounter thanks to the health and safety details that the Quin pod sends them. The pod's algorithm can pick up to help emergency services, like impact detection, crash detection, and post-impact immobility. But it also picks up on things to help you know whether you or your helmet is compromised, such as helmet drop and HeatSense—this detects your head's temperature and, together with riding analytics, can help you understand if the heat is impairing your riding.
The cautious among you might be wondering who will have access to all this data, as I was. And I was assured when attending a virtual presentation that it would just be Quin, and that the data would be used to improve what we know about motorcycle accidents and help emergency services know what to expect when arriving at the scene of a crash.
If you want to benefit from this data, you can also check out the information that the pod picks up on your riding style and see how things, even heat, change how you ride. From these performance analytics, it's possible that you could become a better rider.
A spokesperson from Quin said, “Our mission at Quin has always been to make intelligence an integral part of every ride — not just to detect incidents, but to help protect riders through meaningful, data-driven technology. Partnering with Nolan marks an exciting step forward in that mission. The X-904 UC brings Quin’s smart system into the heart of a helmet built for exploration and endurance — a perfect match for adventure riders who embrace technology that enhances both their confidence and their connection to the ride.”
You can choose to engage with the information and change your riding style accordingly, or else put the pod in and forget about it. Either way, this technology will make riding, or rather, crashing, safer. The first and only time I went down on a public road, I'd have been screwed if I didn't have my riding buddy behind me to help sort the situation out, and I had previously often rode that road alone.
If I had a pod from Quin in my helmet, I'd feel more at ease on those solo rides. But tell me what you think. Would you pay around $120 extra for a helmet with a Quin pod?
