MT-Helmets KRE 2 PLUS Pure A1 Full-Face Helmet – Gloss Carbon

The KRE 2 PLUS is the middle helmet of MT's new race range, and the one that needs the clearest label. It has a gloss carbon weave on the outside and MT's TRIC tricomposite shell underneath — not the full carbon of the FIM version above it, and not the FRC of the KRE 2 below.

The shell that looks like carbon and is not called carbon

MT lists the shell material of this helmet as TRIC: a tricomposite layup built on the patented MT-ULCS (Ultra Lightweight Composite Shell) process, combining three reinforcing materials in one wall.

The visible outer ply is a carbon weave, which is why the helmet reads as carbon on the shelf. It is not the same thing as the full carbon shell MT reserves for the KRE 2 PLUS FIM Racing #2 at the top of the range. We spell that out because the two helmets are otherwise almost impossible to tell apart — see below.

Four shell sizes across six helmet sizes

This is the specification worth paying for, and the one nobody puts on a price tag. The KRE 2 PLUS is moulded in four separate outer shell sizes for a range of six helmet sizes.

A helmet that spreads its whole size range over two shells has to make up the difference in foam and padding, which means an XS rider carries an XL-sized object and the fit at the shell boundaries is approximate. Four shells means the outside grows with the inside: less bulk on small heads, less crush on large ones, and a fit that is accurate rather than padded into place.

1,300 g — and what it is measured against

MT declares 1,300 g. Against our own MT range that is the lightest full-face we list, 80 g under the KRE 2 and around 200 g under the Thunder 4 R SV.

On a sport helmet that number is felt in the neck at the end of a track day, not in the hand in a shop. It is also a declared figure for a model that has only just reached the market — we have not weighed one, and makers differ on which size they quote and whether the visor is on it.

MT-ESLS — a double lock with an anti-fog notch

The MT-ESLS (Evo Screen Lock System) locks the visor twice: against airflow lifting it at speed, and against a glancing impact popping it open. A quick-open button releases it in a single movement.

The part that earns its keep daily is where it stops. The button parks the visor in a defined anti-fog position rather than swinging it wide — the first crack you want at a cold red light, with the junction still in view.

MT-QVSS, and metal at the pivot

Visors change without tools on MT-QVSS, MT's patented quick-swap mechanism, here carrying a metal insert at the pivot instead of polymer running on polymer.

That is a decision about year three. Tool-free systems do not snap; they develop play after the hundredth swap, and the pivot is where it starts.

MT-EVA and Pinlock® 120

The MT-EVA aperture is cut wider than MT's road helmets, which is felt at the shoulder check and when you are tucked and reading a corner through the top of the visor rather than the middle.

The PLUS steps up to Pinlock® 120 Max Vision compatibility — the clearest lens in the Pinlock range, against the Pinlock 70 the standard KRE 2 takes. MT has published no packing list for the KRE 2 PLUS, so whether a lens ships in the box is not something we can confirm. Budget for one.

Ventilation and the carbon spoiler

A chin intake and three upper intakes feed channels through the EPS and exhaust at the rear outlets — a through-flow layout rather than vents that stir the air where they sit.

The rear spoiler on the PLUS is a carbon part and stays compact. Its job is holding the wake attached so the helmet is not pushed sideways in dirty air, which you notice behind a lorry and on an exposed bridge rather than on a still morning.

The €200 question: this helmet or the FIM one

The KRE 2 PLUS FIM Racing #2 sits at €699.95 against this helmet's €499.95, and here is the thing no shop will tell you: MT ships the identical photographs for both. We compared their official images file by file — every one of the eight shared views is byte-for-byte the same picture. Externally, these two helmets are indistinguishable.

What separates them is real but invisible:

• Shell — TRIC tricomposite here, full carbon on the FIM version
• Weight — 1,300 g here, 1,250 g there
• Homologation — ECE 22.06 here; the FIM version adds FIM Racing Homologation FRHPhe-02, which is what a race organiser checks for

If you never sign on at a circuit that demands FIM, the €200 buys you 50 g. If you do, no amount of money makes this helmet eligible.

What it does not have

• No integrated sun visor. MT's cheaper Braker SV, Jarama SV and Thunder 4 R SV all have one. Here it is a tinted visor or sunglasses — the normal trade on a race-derived helmet.
• No FIM homologation. This is the road-and-track PLUS; FRHPhe-02 belongs to the separate FIM Racing #2.
• No independent safety rating. SHARP's three-star "MT KRE SV" is an earlier, different helmet on a different shell. Neither the KRE 2 PLUS, the KRE 2, the KRE+ nor the KRE+ S has been SHARP-tested, and no ADAC or Snell result exists.

Where it sits in our MT range

Note the KRE+ S line. It is carbon and FIM-homologated and costs €30 less than this helmet — but it is the previous generation, it is 350 g heavier, and its FIM homologation is the older FRHPhe-01. Different helmet, different argument.

When something wears out

Visor, cheek pads and lining are replaceable, as they must be at this price. The KRE 2 PLUS launched in 2026, so the parts programme is still filling in — tints, mirrors and alternative pad thicknesses arrive across the season rather than all at once. The EPS liner is the exception: it crushes once, does not recover, and ends the helmet's life the first time it does its job.

In the box

• MT KRE 2 PLUS helmet — Pure A1, gloss carbon finish, TRIC tricomposite shell
• Clear visor, fitted on the MT-QVSS mechanism, Pinlock® 120 Max Vision compatible
• MT has issued no packing list for this model. Treat the anti-fog lens, a second visor and a helmet bag as not included until MT states otherwise.

Size guide

Specification

• Model — MT-Helmets KRE 2 PLUS · Part number — 137900PA11 (XS–XXL: …03 to …08)
• Colour / finish — Pure A1 — gloss carbon weave
• Homologation — ECE 22.06. Not FIM homologated
• Safety rating — none for this model. SHARP's three-star "MT KRE SV" is an earlier, different helmet; no ADAC or Snell result exists
• Helmet type — full-face, racing and fast road
• Shell — TRIC tricomposite on the MT-ULCS process, four outer shell sizes
• Weight — 1,300 g declared by MT — not weighed by us
• Sizes — XS to XXL
• Visor — MT-QVSS tool-free quick swap with metal insert · MT-ESLS double lock, quick-open, automatic anti-fog position
• Aperture — MT-EVA extended vision area, sealed trim against water and dust
• Anti-fog — Pinlock® 120 Max Vision compatible — lens not confirmed as supplied
• Sun visor — none
• Ventilation — chin intake, three upper intakes, EPS channels, rear outlets · Aero — compact carbon rear spoiler
• Retention — double-D ring · Interior — removable · Communication — intercom-ready, no system supplied
• Impact liner — expanded polystyrene; single use by design
• Manufacturer — MT Helmets, Spain
• Sizing — measure the widest part of the head, 1–2 cm above the brow. With four shells the size the chart gives you should fit as intended rather than approximately
• Made for — track days, fast road and sport touring. Not a race-homologated helmet and not a long-haul tourer
• Care — never wipe the visor dry; road dust scratches it permanently. Gloss shows swirl marks, so use a soft cloth and plenty of water
• Replacement — after around five years regardless of condition, and immediately after any impact