Australasian Dirt Bike — January 2018

http://www.adbmag.com.au JANUARY 2018 | 217

FACTORY RIDE / READERS RIDE / HERITAGE / ACTION / OAS / RS GUIDE

THE NOLAN N53 has held up exceptionally well

after some serious abuse. I’ve had this helmet

for two years and there is no reason for it to be

replaced. As you can see in the image, there are

no cracks in the shell, the padding is still soft and

comfortable, there is no torn material and the

straps are still as strong as an ox.

And while I sweat like a gypsy with a

mortgage, there is no vulgar stench coming

from the helmet ... somehow. I’ve had a few small

crashes wearing the helmet and my brain has

not squeezed out of ears, so the safety aspect

seems to be good.

I also love the shape, with some really racey

lines, and the graphics look modern, not dull and

boring. The peak is adjustable and durable,

failing to snap in some quality face plants.

The only issue I’ve had was with the foam

struggling to wick the sweat away. Like I stated

earlier, I sweat under water, so I’ve always

struggled to fi nd helmets that don’t make me

look like I’ve been swimming.

Because the helmet weighs less than 1.2kg

there is a little less foam than in bulkier helmets,

so I’m guessing that is why the helmet doesn’t

wick away all the sweat. It was still incredibly

comfortable, but either the material on my

forehead or the air vents don’t draw enough

sweat away from my noggin when I am riding in

humid, hot conditions.

The Nolan N53 is a safe, comfortable,

good-looking, lightweight lid. If you’re a heavy

sweater you may get the odd drip of

perspiration down

your face but at the

low price of

$299.95 it’s one of

the best bang for

your buck helmets

on the Australian

market.

Mitch Lees

NOLAN

N53 HELMET

GET IT HERE

BILL

$299.95

BROWSER

ronangel.com.au

BLOWER

(03) 9464 3366

SCOTT

MX550

BOOTS

THINK OF THEtoughest

person you know.

Someonethat’splayedor

ridden through pain and

bled for their cause.

Maybe it’s Toby Price,

Michael Hooper, Paul

Gallen or Dustin Martin.

Nowimagineyoucould

mould their DNA into a

dirtbike boot. If you could,

it would be the Scott

MX550. I’ve been

traipsingaroundinthese

bootsforalittleoversix

months and they’re

showingnosignsofwear.

Sure,Imightlooklikea

startrooper,butatleast

myfeetandanklesare

well protected.

WE RATE 

PROTECTION I don’t

think I’ve worn another

boot that is so rigid. This

has pros and cons but, for

protection, it’s a defi nite

bonus. The multi-axial

pivot that Scott has

designed sits on the ankle

and allows the ankle to

move up and down but

that is it. The rest of the

boot is wrapped in a

tough plastic.

BUCKLES These ones

use the standard

clip-and-fold technique

and, after all the water

and dust they’ve endured,

can still be locked in place

by using just my fi nger

and thumb.

PLANKING Some boots

offer excellent comfort

but sacrifi ce the

protection needed around

the middle of your foot.

This is particularly bad if

you land heavily on the

’pegsorastickattempts

to spear you. The

MX550 boot does not

bend unless you’re

kneeling down, and you

have to try pretty hard

to do that.

SOLE REPLACEMENT

The outer sole is

replaceable. Like the

rest of the boot, the sole

is pretty tough and I

haven’t broken through,

but it’s good to know

there is a cheaper

alternative to replacing

the boot.

WE DON’T RATE 

PADDING These boots

are incredibly rigid and

not as comfortable as

some of the softer

options. But it’s a small

price to pay for a

well-protected foot. Also,

when I slide my foot in,

my heel always catches

the padding above the

GET IT HERE

BILL

$599.95

BROWSER

fi ceda.com.au

BLOWER

(02) 9827 7561

VERDICT

If you’ve had ankle

problems or just want a

boot you won’t need to

replace due to decay

after a few years, then

the Scott MX550 is the

one for you. Sure it’s a

little rigid, and not as

comfortable as softer

boots on the market,

but the ankle support

is excellent and the toe

and foot arch are

impenetrable so I’ve

never felt anxious

about a busted trotter

while riding.

ML

Used &

Abused

Totally

Tra shed

The alloy clip-and-fold buckles

are a brilliant design

The sole can be replaced but

doesn’t even need it yet

ankle and pulls it down,

which requires a bit of

re-arranging once the

boot is on.

SOUND The multi-axial

pivot provides safe and

fl exible ankle movement,

but it makes a lot of

noise when you’re

walking. They creak like

the old wooden ship

Diversity, which means I

can’t sneak up and

sack-wack my mates.

GRIP It’s handy that the

sole is replaceable but

even new it doesn’t offer

great hillclimbing ability.

Mitch Lees