The new ABUS Targon MTB helmet Part 1 - Half-shell and Full-face
02.05.26 07:37 32026-05-02T07:37:00+02:00Text: Erwin Haiden (translated by AI)Photos: Erwin Haiden, ABUS/Paul Masukowitz, Reuben KrabbeThis helmet is a big deal in more than one way. We got to review how it performs on the trails at Lake Garda, and in the second part of this series also caught a first glimpse of the new factory.02.05.26 07:37 62026-05-02T07:37:00+02:00The new ABUS Targon MTB helmet Part 1 - Half-shell and Full-face
02.05.26 07:37 62026-05-02T07:37:00+02:00 Erwin Haiden (translated by AI) Erwin Haiden, ABUS/Paul Masukowitz, Reuben KrabbeThis helmet is a big deal in more than one way. We got to review how it performs on the trails at Lake Garda, and in the second part of this series also caught a first glimpse of the new factory.02.05.26 07:37 62026-05-02T07:37:00+02:00
Full-face or half-shell? Many of us face this question, usually when expectations for a tour or a trip aren't clearly defined.
I personally usually fall into the half-shell camp, although a full-face would occasionally be the better choice and actually would have saved me from more serious injuries twice already. Often it's a question of weight, or — in my case — a question of wearing comfort and looks. In both respects the new ABUS Targon scores points with me. But before we head out onto the rain-soaked trails around Maso Naranch and into the production halls, a few facts about the Targon.
Full-face or half-shell?
the crucial question
The Targon is ABUS’s first mountain bike helmet to be manufactured in Italy. With its successful road-bike siblings, the Gamechanger, the Airbreaker, and the new Taipan, it is already in excellent sporting company. At the same time the Targon is paving the way into a new era: since last autumn earthworks and construction have been underway at the new site in Campodoro, between Vicenza and Padua. We were able not only to take a brief look at the construction site, but also an in-depth look at the production of the new Taipan - more on that in part 2.
Even technically, the Targon makes a statement. Thanks to numerous technical refinements it aims to score where other hybrid helmets falter, which posed some challenges for development and production. For ABUS, another reason to rely on production in Italy, where lines of communication and development cycles can be kept correspondingly short. At the same time ABUS is taking a corresponding risk with this venture - there are plenty of examples on the market of how such a hybrid should not work or look.
Welcome to our wedding
At the wedding venue and trail base Naranch, we celebrate the union of a half-shell helmet and a chin bar
Technical details and standards for the Targon
What sets the Targon apart from its competitors are primarily three features. The Speed Latch Systems allows easy removal and — with a bit of practice — also a super-fast reattachment of the chin bar on the go. The Zoom™ Rapid Fit adjustment system has a dial on the back and wraps the head over a larger area and more smoothly than most other systems I know. Thanks to the three-way adjustable Vario pads in the chin bar, the Targon can be customized to your head shape without having to swap pads. Bringing them closer results in a slightly tighter fit; sliding the pads forward gives the head more freedom.
Technical specifications
| Product | ABUS Targon |
|---|---|
| Category | Modular mountain bike helmet (2-in-1: fullface with removable chin bar / half shell) |
| Manufacture | Made in Italy (first MTB helmet from ABUS's own Italian factory) |
| Chin bar system | Patented Speed Latch System (quick removal/attachment, one lever on each side) |
| Fit | Vario Pads (padding in the chin bar adjustable in 3 positions) |
| Adjustment system | Zoom™ Rapid Fit (dial at the back of the head, millimeter-accurate adjustment, tension resets to starting position) |
| Padding | Comfort padding attached with Velcro adjustable, washable, easily removable |
| Buckle | Magnetic FIDLOCK buckle (one-handed, also with gloves) |
| Ventilation | 15 ventilation openings |
| Lower edge protection | Polycarbonate outer shell (protection against scratches, impacts, wear) |
| Visor | High-quality visor detaches in a crash (to reduce neck loads) Dual-mount option for action cam and light |
| Goggle integration | Defined area under the visor for secure fixing of goggles |
| Certifications/Standards | EN 1078; CPSC (USA/Canada) ASTM F1952-22 (voluntary additional downhill test) |
| Sizes | S (51-55 cm) / M (55-58 cm) / L (57-61 cm) |
| Colors | velvet black, sand beige, ash purple, lemon white |
| Weight (spec sheet) | from 950 g (size S, with chin bar), from 490 g (size S, without chin bar). |
| Actual weight | 978 g (size M, measured with BB scale), 503 g (size M, without chin bar, BB scale) |
| Price | RRP without MIPS 299.95 RRP with MIPS: 349.95 |
The system is rounded off with top-quality sourced components such as the magnetic Fidlock buckle, which once you've used it on a helmet you will never want to swap for anything else. The visor allows the simultaneous mounting of an action cam and a light and releases in a fall. The straps fit great, and for MIPS fans this version offers the MIPS Air Node Pro padding, which is designed to reduce rotational movement acting on the head in an oblique impact. The Targon not only meets all strict test standards, but even underwent voluntary additional tests for the increased requirements specifically for downhill helmets.
Intended use
- On e-bikes, where weight plays only a secondary role
- On home trails, where risk is gradually increased and more protection would often be welcome
- When traveling, where for space reasons you want to take only one helmet and often don't know what to expect
- For occasional bike-park riders
How does the new ABUS Targon handle on the trail?
For me, the very first trail runs on the Wexl trails were a revelation. The Targon fits almost as well as the Cliffhanger, which I love and which is my absolute favorite on the MTB — I've ridden it on almost every outing over the past few years. The Targon's ventilation seems solid, the new Zoom Rapid Fit adjustment system appeals to me personally even more and feels like a logical evolution, because the system also has to cope with the greater weight of the full‑face setup. What I especially like, though, is that the Targon wears like a comfortable half‑shell helmet and, as such, doesn't visually impose itself. This is largely down to the manufacturing technique, which I'll explain to you in part 2 of our story.
Most of the weight of the closure mechanism is borne by the chin bar. It can be clicked in within seconds with a few small tricks (use thumb and fingers as a guide in the right spot and then let the latch engage quietly instead of snapping loudly). Adjust the Rapid Fit with one hand, close the Fidlock one-handed too, and the helmet is ready for use.
Removing it is, in my experience, even easier; opening the Fidlock buckle also works one-handed.
For me personally, in the short review, unhooking and rehooking the chin bar was always preferable to putting the helmet on and taking it off in the full-face setup.
The fit of the helmet, both in the half-shell and full-face setups, was flawless on my head — comfortable enough even for longer tours and climbs and secure enough to give me a constant feeling of safety.
In the 70 km/h endless manual towards Torbole
Safe enough for Christian Textor's impressive stunt performance on the way to dinner
A good decision, not having to decide!
... with the ABUS Targon in the travel luggage
Interim summary: production, testing procedures and outlook for Part 2
| ABUS Targon | |
|---|---|
| Model year: | 2026 |
| Review duration: | 2 days / 40 km |
| Price (RRP): | without MIPS € 299.95 with MIPS: € 349.95 |
| + | attractive appearance |
| + | excellent functionality |
| + | comfortable in both versions |
| + | downhill-certified |
| + | technology housed in the chinbar |
| + | easy conversion |
| + | few compromises |
| BB verdict: | All-rounder helmet redefined |
The first brief impressions from the Targon review were very promising. For the first time with a 2-in-1 helmet I have the feeling that it will be used more often — because it is primarily a comfortable and stylish half-shell helmet that can be converted with a single click into a downhill-certified full-face.
In my case that could be whenever I don't know exactly what to expect, or if, like on the Schöckl during my last bigger crash, it starts to rain and even riding defensively no longer avoids a certain amount of risk. With the Targon I would have walked away uninjured after that crash; instead I ended up with six stitches in my chin. The considerations may be varied — with the Targon you can make the good decision of not having to decide.
In the second part of this story there will soon be a look at the review procedures, insights behind the scenes of the manufacturing and previews of the new factory, so stay tuned!
Link: ABUS Helmets
