Which helmet to choose? Now there’s a good question… Whether you’re new to biking, or a veteran to the game, this is something that we must all take seriously, as safety is not a laughing matter! There are so many makes on the market that it’s hard to make the right decision on which is going to be the best value for money and the safest. Our resident trouble maker and employee of Infinity Motorcycles, Great Portland Street, BabyJ, gives us the low-down on his personal experience with Arai…
A little bit of sun shining, birds chirping away happily, and the sound of bikes revving as they leave the Ace café a few miles away… Summer is approaching fast, and to many, that means a return to days filled with wonder, joy and also the ecstasy of spanking a brand new credit card on shiny new bike kit!
Spring is when manufacturers release their new lines of helmets, hoping for us all to part with our hard earned cash. And, for us bikers there are many different reasons for wanting to upgrade or change our lids, it could be that a new bikes colour scheme clashes, crashes or simply an update from an old, tired helmet.
For me, it was simply the fact that after face planting my head into the boot of a shiny car at 80 mph, it was time to replace said ‘helmet’. It had finally fought its last battle, and carried me through unscathed, but the scars were clearly visible, as ‘Ocean Blue Metallic’ is not a colour usually found on Arai Quantum Haga replicas.
So, what helmet to choose? Well I am a firm believer that you get what you pay for, not just in terms of safety, but also comfort. I have tested Arai’s a couple of times now, and each time amazed by how pleasant the experience has been… So another Arai it will be then… The question is which one?
After much deliberation, I chose to try out Arai’s all new model for the end of 2006, the ‘Viper GT’. Now the ‘Viper GT’ is aimed at replacing the ‘Signet GT’, a helmet that did not fit me personally, as it is aimed at people with a more oval profile, unlike the rest of their range. However, Arai have not changed the shape as extremely as they did with the ‘Signet’. You do instantly notice a difference though, compared to my ‘Corsair’, the ‘Viper’ sits prouder on my head, and I now have acres of room in front of my chin. With the ‘Corsair’ I can just squeeze a finger in. The cheek pads sit slightly higher, but don’t interfere with my peripheral view, but what is instantly better is the field of view when you are completely tucked in and peering through the top of the visor, something track addicts should consider!!
Comfort Arai is the only motorcycle helmet manufacturer that offers its helmets in different internal head shapes. The Viper is definitely designed for a person with a long oval shaped head, with a narrower and taller internal height and narrower sides. It is available in six sizes, and combined with five different shell sizes, replacement cheek pads in six different sizes and a removable skull cap, which can be ‘custom-tailored’ the fit if necessary.
To be honest, I have never needed to alter the interior of any of my Arai’s, but it is a service offered by all ‘Five Star Dealers’ in the Arai network. The out of the box the Viper fitted me just beautifully.
The fully removable lining means that it almost floats on your head, and you can feel that the helmet is completely snug all the way round the head, yet it remains comfortable. The ‘gerbil’ look is evident as the new cheek pads are yet to bed, but all is very comfortable, and within a week everything has bedded down perfectly, and I don’t even notice it on long rides.
The ventilation is similar to the Quantum that it replaces, but is vastly superior. Although the top vents look similar, Arai have clearly spent a lot of time and effort making them better. Firstly it’s clear that a lot more air is coming into the helmet, (I would say that the vents are better than my Corsair) but Arai have also managed to remove that horrible whistling sound that plagued their Quantum range. Combined with the scull cap that allows air to pass around the lining and your head, it’s a cool sweat free environment. The rear vents are also new.
The rear vents are designed to ‘suck’ hot air out of the helmet, and the Viper now has a half-open option. I have never been able to tell how effective they are, and the Viper is no exception. I'd have to say that the Viper has some of the best top venting I’ve experienced on any helmet, although this may be due to the slight amount of extra space in the top of the helmet due to its narrower and higher ‘long oval’ design. The extra space allows more air to flow in and over the top of my head.
Safety Now, this is really where Arai stand head and shoulders above the rest… As we have come to expect ‘Brussels’ once again stuck their car loving noses in and decided that our own ‘British Standard’ was not good enough and decided to implement a Europe wide system known as ECE22-05…idiots! The news is that Arai took one look at EC22-05 regulations and their response was also, idiots...
Now, all Arai’s meet the new standard, but they also do much more by the fact that they almost certainly would still meet the older safer British standard. So what’s in an Arai to make it so safe? The Viper is made from the usual composite construction (Super Complex Laminate Construction), a blend of Fiberglass and Aramid fibers which allow for a very strong shell, yet keeping the weight to a minimum.
More importantly Arai reinforce the area around the neck of their helmets to retain a very rigid structure, something that is NOT required by ECE22-05, meaning very little flex in the shell. Also the ECE test does not require a penetration test, which Arai also insists upon. This is an important factor for road use, where all sorts of potential hazards can exist during the event of an accident.
The third and most vital aspect of Arai safety is in their triple density inner shells. Believe me when I say that head butting anything at 80 mph should hurt, yet incredibly not the slightest head ache was felt, and this is due to the fact Arai use three densities of polystyrene inside their helmets. During my accident my head went from 80mph to 0mph in the blink of an eye….not good! However, by using three densities, Arai enabled my head to gradually decelerate during the impact, preventing my brain from bouncing around like a pinball and keeping me very much alive.
Arai have been protecting racers and riders for well over two decades, in the process turning the art of making crash helmets into a science.
Conclusion The Viper GT for me is a fantastic mid-priced Arai, ranging from £329.99 - £399.99 with some excellent choice of colours and graphics available.
It screams quality from the fit to the rich deep pearlescent finish of my particular model. It has superb ventilation and is surprisingly quiet for a fully vented helmet, the addition of a free ‘Pinlock’ anti-fog insert, and the knowledge that I can have my Arai serviced every six months for free.
And, in the event of an accident, Arai technicians can inspect the helmet to see if it’s still safe, means peace of mind. I think it would really suit someone who enjoys track days in particular, but it’s also very capable of the daily commute. With its five year life span, and a fully removable and washable lining its certainly has my vote…
If the price is still high, bear in mind that the Arai range now starts at a very reasonable £199.99 for the ‘Condor’ model and ranges up to an eye watering £499.99 for the ‘RX7 Corsair’ models as used by the racing gods past and present, Spencer, Mamola, Schwantz, Doohan, Dunlop, Edwards, Gibernau, Hayden, Pedrosa... And of course BabyJ!!!
Related Links www.infinitymotorcycles.com www.araihelmet.com
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