Cardo have moved into the world of off-road with their new Venture smart helmet. The dirt-focused lid brings Cardo’s communication tech to motocross and enduro riders for the first time.
The firm, best known for their intercom systems , claim it’s the world’s first integrated Mesh helmet aimed at the off-road market, letting groups talk to each other without stopping or resorting to hand signals.
The Venture follows Cardo’s first road-going smart helmet, the Cardo Beyond , which we covered earlier in 2026. But whereas the Beyond uses a new helmet design, the Venture is built around Leatt’s existing 8.5 with Cardo’s tech added to it.
Also unlike the Beyond, the Venture does not use active noise cancelling (ANC) tech – potentially due to the slower typical speeds of off-road riding and the high ventilation needs of the riders.
The headline feature is 2nd-gen DMC (Dynamic Mesh Communication), which connects up to 15 riders at a range of up to 1.6km (around a mile) and across challenging terrain. The intended benefit is that riders can coordinate routes on the move, extend ride time and stay in contact when spread out.
Cardo also pitch it as a coaching tool, with instructors able to give real-time instruction to riders rather than shouting or signalling.
The system is operated by natural voice control, can share music between riders, and connects to other brands’ units via a live Bluetooth intercom link. There’s also IP67 waterproofing and over-the-air software updates. Usefully, Cardo say all the electronic components are removable, serviceable and upgradable.
Audio comes via 40mm Sound by JBL speakers, the same partnership found on Cardo’s Packtalk Pro intercom . Cardo’s audio work is handled at their Sound Labs in Straubing, Germany, which MCN visited in 2026 and where the team developed the active noise cancellation tech used in the Beyond helmet.
The Beyond uses larger 53mm speakers in a shell designed around them, whereas the Venture’s 40mm units are integrated into the existing Leatt platform.
The Venture uses the ECE 22.06 Leatt Moto 8.5 as its base. That means a lightweight composite shell with four-density impact foam, plus Leatt’s 360° Turbine Technology. Cardo say the turbine discs let the helmet move slightly on the head during an impact to reduce peak acceleration to the head and brain, while the energy-absorbing material in the turbines is designed to soak up the lower-energy impacts associated with concussion.
It’s fastened with a double D-ring and has a breakaway visor and an emergency-release cheek pad system.
Inside, there’s an antimicrobial liner, which Cardo claim is self-cleaning and inhibits odour-causing bacteria, and a modular pad system for adjusting fit across different head shapes (called Pro-Fit in Leatt’s world).
The Venture comes in six sizes across three shell sizes, running from XS to XXL (53-54cm to 63-64cm), with large, low- and high-speed ventilation ports designed to keep air moving even at low speeds.
Cardo claim the helmet weighs in at 1250±50g in the smaller sizes and 1430±50g at XXL, rising to between 1470g and 1550g once the tech is fitted.
The Cardo Venture has a recommended price of $799 / €799, with a UK figure yet to be confirmed. Cardo say it will reach retailers later in summer 2026.
There’s an impressive tiered warranty cover: five years on the helmet itself, three years on the electronics, and two years on the battery for EU buyers (one year for the rest of the world).
Using…