Last winter I spent a handful of days enjoying the excellent riding in Northern Minnesota around the Baudette area and admittedly, I was not prepared for the cold weather. One of our night rides turned into pure misery (for me) and there was no excuse for it – I vowed to finally ditch the motocross style helmet and goggle combo and find a helmet that was warm, fog-free and quiet.
The Mission helmet is of the modular style and I have learned to appreciate this. As you can imagine, being able to flip the shield up allows you to talk to your friends at stops without taking the helmet off or even enjoy a candy cigarette. Its nearly impossible to photograph, but you can kind of see the rubber face piece when this shield is in the up position. When you pull the shield down, that rubber piece comes down and positions over your nose and mouth. This is what CKX calls their Air Management System (AMS). I had fears this would be a slobber collector or feel intrusive on your face…it is neither! You don’t realize its there, and better yet, the system works so well, I haven’t had the need to even run a balaclava. FYI – If you are going to run a balaclava, make sure to buy one that is thin, and has an open face to properly take advantage of the AMS. In the very first photo, you can see the Mission helmet comes with a visor which has two positions. Personally, from a styling standpoint, I really liked the looks of it, but after riding a few times, I removed it. Im built like a Sasquatch, and no matter what height windshield I run on a snowmobile, the wind typically hits me from the shoulders up. The visor on any helmet catches the wind and jostles my head and neck, and something I wanted to get away from. Plus, removing it slightly reduced the weight of the helmet. The removal process literally takes seconds.One of the built-in features of the Mission helmet is the ability to flip down/up a yellow lens shield which is particularly nice during flat light riding conditions. There is a sliding lever on back left (Red Arrow) of the helmet to operate lens. Here’s a better look at the yellow lens when flipped down. This photo was taken from the CKX website. I don’t believe you can keep the lens down, while the rest of the face shield is flipped up like pictured here. If you can, I have been unsuccessful doing so. For anyone who wears prescription glasses, there are adjustable cheek pads that allow plenty of room for glasses. Wearing a helmet that is plugged into a snowmobile via a cord is new to me, and took a few rides to get used to. During active riding, the cord doesn’t bother me or hinder any movement. On a sidenote, all the 2024 CATALYST models have a plug-in for electric helmets.There was a slight learning curve for me on the actual plug-in to the helmet. Ive learned, if this helmet shield starts to fog while riding, 99.9% of the time its because this plug-in isn’t properly connected. The arrows are pointing at two lines on the female/male ends of the connectors…if those aren’t aligned, your cord may pop out or loosen.Random thoughts: The Mission is relatively expensive. If you can find one, expect to pay between $550-600. IMO though, its money well worth spending if you want something reliably warm, fog-free and quiet. Something relatively minor to think about – this double lens helmet shield does work without being plugged in, but if you are like me, and bounce around to a wide variety of snowmobiles every season, you may get caught on one that doesn’t have a plug-in, and the weather may not be favorable that day. This helmet may fog, or ice up like any others would. I mentioned it above…there are very few times Ive felt the need to wear a balaclava with this helmet – A piece of headwear I think all snowmobilers battle with, and I personally hate the claustrophobic feeling when wearing one. If you have a jacket that has a high zip-up collar like I do, the neck curtain on the bottom of the Mission helmet does a great job protecting that area on your body. This helmet keeps you warm, but if you do feel the need to wear a balaclava, make sure to buy one with an open face that leaves your mouth exposed so the Mission AMS breath deflector can work effectively. I purchased a Fly Racing version from UpNorthSports.com.
Experience a unique helmet that redefines trail riding. Lightweight, insulated and aerodynamic, the Mission is designed to let you enjoy longer rides and at full speed without fear of extreme cold. Efficient in reducing the risk of fogging, the helmet introduces AMS, an integrated air management system. A CKX exclusive, AMS technology (patent pending) allows you to enjoy a clean environment, free from condensation and fogging by wicking away moist air to the outside. Maintain full visibility while riding and when stopping, take advantage of a wide opening by lifting the oversized visor. In one simple movement and without removing the helmet, you can drink, eat or converse with your trail-riding buddies!
Fiberglass composite shell
Fiberglass composite weight: 1680 g ± 50 g (Electric version, without peak) For fully equipped version: additional ± 150 g
2 shell sizes (XS-L/XL-3XL)
4 EPS sizes
AMS Technology integrated – patent pending
Ergonomic, adjustable and removable breath guard – patent pending
Two zone adjustable air vents at shield
Clear double lens shield, UV protection, anti-scratch and anti-fog treatment
Electric shield
Retractable yellow sun visor
Aerodynamic, removable and adjustable peak with two positions
Ratchet mechanism with push button to remove peak and / or shield without tools – patent pending
