MIPS has been around for a while and is widely used by motorcycle helmet manufacturers such as Bell to improve rider safety.

For 2021, MIPS has introduced its most advanced BPS to date, here’s how it works.

A traditional motorcycle helmet is made up of three base layers: the sturdy outer shell, an EPS liner and a soft, quilted inner liner.

A MIPS helmet has these three layers, plus one more. Between the EPS and the soft inner liner, a MIPS helmet has a type of movable membrane that is anchored to the soft inner liner material but can move slightly in all directions.

It is anchored to the EPS in this latest helmet by means of small rubber mounting points. These ensure that the BPS liner returns to where it started after being moved.

How does a MIPS motorcycle helmet work?

The idea is quite simple and takes Arai’s theory and goes further. If a helmet has a head-on impact with an object, the EPS is designed to absorb as much of this impact as possible. The fact is that this kind of impact on a helmet is quite rare.

On most impacts, the cover hits the ground or other object at an oblique angle. On these shocks, the EPS liner is less effective and in some cases can transfer some sort of twisting motion to the rider’s head. It is this action that some doctors believe can cause serious brain damage in cyclists. The MIPS system wants to prevent that. Think of it as a shock absorber for your brain, allowing your head to move only a fraction more inside the helmet than if no BPS were used.

You cannot buy a MIPS cap directly from the company; instead, they are going to provide motorcycle helmet manufacturers who will use the technology in their own designs. Check out the Bell Helmets range for some MIPS equipped kits.