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It seems like every company in the moto industry is pushing one another to be better in every way and the consumers are reaping the benefits. As with a lot of other companies, Leatt is now offering a premium goggle and we were one of the first media outlets to get our hands on a pair. I have stated in other stories that I HATE changing goggle lenses, no matter how careful I try to be I always end up with my ugly smudged fingerprints all over the inside and outside of the lens. I was thrilled that Leatt decided to go with a pre curved hard lens that snaps out with ease. In fact, the lens is technically “bulletproof” (although our other tester Matt said it didn’t hold up to a .45cal) using a military ballistic impact standard lens material. To install or remove the lens the outriggers un-clip forward and the lens comes out and up from of the nose guard to be easily removed. Re-installing the lens is the reverse process, but can sometimes be tricky to get back over the small side posts under the outriggers. The large 50mm anti slip strap stays in place and takes minimal adjustment to get the fit correct.
I wore these goggles in a variety of conditions including moto, desert racing and trail riding so I feel like I got all of the bases covered (when it comes to riding and race testing the Velocity 6.5). The first time I tested these goggles was at the Mint 400 with a team of buddies and let me tell you, I definitely tested the bulletproof features of the tough lenses (more on that in a second). The 6.5 is breathable and at the high speeds of the mint 400, I never felt like there wasn’t enough air flowing through the goggle. The field of vision is large and the foam contours my face shape well, although for some reason I feel like the lens is slightly far from my face. This isn’t a bad thing necessarily, but when wearing helmets with a close chin bar these goggles can be a hassle to get into the eye port. In fact one thing I noticed was that when wearing the 6.5 goggles with my new Leatt helmet I found it a pain in the ass to get the goggle into the eye port with the nose guard on the goggles, so I ended up taking the nose guard off the goggles to make it easier take on/off. I got to test out the strength of the impact resistant lens when I got passed racing the Mint 400 at about 85 MPH. Let me tell you, nothing hurts quite as bad as having small rocks pelt you while trying to hold onto a bike at high speed. I heard the rocks hitting everything and to my surprise the lens didn’t show any damage after the race, in fact I’m still using the original lenses.
When it comes to the downside of the new Leatt goggle all my focus is pointed at the tear-off system. When using traditional tear-offs, stacking more than two or three really hurts the clarity of vision as the lens gets somewhat distorted. After I noticed this problem I decided to try their laminated tear-offs, which has much better vision, but needs some work in the fitment and tear off capabilities. After all of the tear-offs are installed there is a noticeable gap between the tear-off and the lens (on the non-pull side) which lets dirt, water, and other debris fall between the tear-off and the lens. It seems as though the lens is nice and pre curved, but when putting a flat stack of laminated tear-offs on, the stacks want to stay flat and not perfectly contour the lens. Adding to this, the post on the lens has a plastic square underneath it, which doesn’t let the tear off sit flat on the lens. Another small critique of the tear offs is that on the pull side, the hole for the post seems too large and makes it easy to pull multiple tear-offs at one time. Leatt also offers a roll off system that I haven’t been able to try, but I am looking forward to getting my hands on. (editors note: The tear off problem also could be that this “off-road” guy needs to learn how to rip tear off’s in the air better).
The foam on the 6.5 is very comfortable and while it isn’t the most absorbent foam I have ever felt, I never had a drop of sweat fall into the eye area. I am a little weird and tend to wash goggles at least every or every other time I ride, so having an easy to remove, cleanable, replaceable lens was a big plus for me. On some goggles the strap tends to start to curl after a couple washings, but I haven’t seen that yet from the 6.5. Overall, I was impressed at the new high end goggle offering from Leatt and with a pricepoint of $79.99 it’s hard to beat. If you’re a guy that wears Leatt and ABSOLUTELY HAS to match, you just hit the jackpot, but if you’re a guy who doesn’t care about matching and just wants a good goggle, you’re stoked because in my opinion this goggle is worth a try. If you have any more questions about the new Leatt Velocity 6.5 goggle feel free to reach out to me at Michael@keeferinctesting.com.