i was using Arai for yrs...Shoei never fit me right and AGV, no thanks. They feel cheaper than pound shop jellies ! Arai are heavy, and havent really movefd on. A bit likje the new honda Africa Twin, living off a name that wasnt ground breaking in the first place ! Its all about the hype... Shark all the way for me ! Lighter and more comfy than anything ive tried so far.
had nothing but issues with my shark, originally arrived at the shop cracked, parts fell off at speed (2 week old, 2nd ride out) , shop refused to refund, had to scare away customers then start really kicking off until he gave me my money back. bought arai rx7gp been fine since.
I had RX7s for years and wouldn't look at anything else, despite being rather noisy and having that terrible visor system. Then I bought an Astro R thinking that it would be the same basic fit as the RX7. It wasn't - I used it for 1000 miles of serial headaches then bought a Shoei XR1100 - never looked back.
I'm using the aria rebel on my 999 and find it just perfect, pretty quiet aswell, had originally purchased it to use on my superduke r as there designed for naked bikes, had a shoei gt air before that which was a great lid, don't find the visor removal system a pain at all tbh
After 12 years I finally bought a new helmet! First I looked at the Xlite 802R really love the looks. Tried it on but it doesn't fit my big ass head. Arai RX7-GP fits like a glove so bought the Ducati Corse 14
Yep, what fits your head is what counts. Look at the SHARP tests, Arai are over priced and underperforming. Best road helmet I've ever used is a Schuberth SR1 but I also love my XLite 802R Carbon. For the track I just buy cheap 5* rated helmets in their list that fit my head shape. Had some big high speed track offs and don't cry at replacing a sub-100 quid helmet... And before anyone starts - fuck off with the cheap helmet cheap head bollox. Of the several cheap 5* helmets I've crashed in I've never once worried that I sustained more injuries because I used a 'cheap' helmet... And none of em have been any more damaged than a 500-600 quid helmet woulda been in the same circumstances. SHARP Helmets - THE HELMET SAFETY SCHEME But yeah, fitting your head is the most important thing regardless of cost.
Well, after much deliberation I have just bought myself my first new helmet for 9 years, this Shark Race-R Pro. What sold me was the fulsome praise in the Revzilla review, and the fact that I am quite a satisfied Shark customer. The only snag is the dark visor. I nearly always ride in a dark visor, changing it for clear when the light fades. Being myopic, I seem sensitive to sunlight and in normal light, a clear visor often has me squinting. I ended up with 4 visors for my last Shark: clear, light tint (useful for slightly cloudy days), dark tint and silver iridium (er... just for the look). The problem with the iridium visor was that it was so dark, it really wasn't a good idea for road riding, unless, I suppose, you live in Dubai. The straight dark tint visor was suitable for 90% of my riding. But the dark tint on this new helmet seems to be like the old iridium tint: it is super-dark. So I am going to need a lighter one. But I suspect that the only lighter one I can get will be like the one I used to have for cloudy days. The goldilocks-zone dark tint no longer seems to exist. Dammit! Dammit! So it will be back to the shop with a hatful of old visors for some comparisons. It's been wet today, so no chance to test the helmet on the bike. But off it, it seems very cosy and will surely be a lot less draughty and noisy than my Arai RX-7 GP. In over 30° summer heat, it may prove to be a little too cosy. We shall see.
After a massive highside at Cadwell and landing my none to small frame right on my head ! I will not be moving from Arai
I agree. I have had Arais for years and they were always the helmet that fitted and felt right compared to the others. Then a year back I tried on the Shoei GT-Air and it fitted really well. I brought it after reading a few very good reviews and the fact that it is one of the very quietest helmets that you can buy. It is super comfortable even after wearing all day, built in sun visor, very stable at high speed with low drag (reduces buffeting on Multistrada), light, fantastic ventilation to the top of your head which is great in hot climates. So yes, I think for me, Arais have been overtaken.
Arai the only helmet I found I could wear all day, other makes have always created pain across my temples.
