Nope but I have a Arai chaser its a nice lid and very comfy but a bit noisy with the wind on the side pods for the visor compared to my old AGV lid.
Have got a Shoei X-Spirit 11 at the mo, but it's always been a tadge noisy and now it's been down the road tiz a good time for a change. This model Arai has more room at the front and thus fits peeps better with a 'Shoei Head' shape I'm told. The RX7 GP doesn't fit me too well and will be as noisy as the X-Spirit 11.
Try the new Shoei NXR, nice fitting lid for me and I have an Xspirit 2. Went right off Arai when one of the side pods broke whilst riding and I still had 150 miles to do with a flapping visor. Shane Byrne NXR looks nice too IMO.
I have had two of the vents on my Arai Quantum break and had to get replaced. No matter how much I adjusted the visor I always got a draught that went up across my eyes. And it was noisy too. It was a really good fit but now I use a Schuberth SR1. It's not as quiet as I anticipated but the fit is good, it is more aerodynamic at speed and the visor seals really well. I also don't get my head buffeted at speed like I used to with the Arai. The Schuberth is lighter too and well ventilated. Maybe not as cred as the Arai but a really good lid. I fu@king hate buying a new crash helmet. I really think it would be a great idea if big bike shops had a selection of helmets to test ride. You never really know what you're buying until you have a blast and by then it's too late - you're stuck with it. I will look at the Shoei next time too.
Yeah I bought a Quantum ST, Sine. Had to return it though because I just couldn't get it to fit right. I'd previously had a Viper GT in a Medium and knew that the Quantum ST was the longest oval head shape in Arai's current line up so went for that. Even though my head is 59cm I've always worn a medium and it fitted perfect in the Viper GT. I ordered a Quantum ST and my head was lost inside it. Totally moving around all over the joint and it looked absolutely massive. I exchanged it for a small and that was too tight. Ended up having to get a Shoei NXR. Here's the Quantum ST next to the Viper. Both are Medium.
+1 here for the shoei nxr great fit and not too noisy either compared to my Arai, looks great in the marquez scheme I've got View attachment 24481
Have you no considered xlite? ive got one of these I used to own a arai rx7gp and I to be honest rate this so much higher than the arai lighter quieter and fits so sweet X-Lite X-802R Ultra Carbon Pure Carbon Not to mention its £350
Yes Carlo, I have looked at those and they do indeed seem good value! I'm just struggling with the fact that X-Lite is basically the old 'Cheap as Chips' Nolan Helmet Company! At £380 I'd rather go with this! Shoei NXR Matt Black with FREE Gifts and FREE UK Delivery at Helmet City
At £380 you can even have Shoei GT-Air I got mine from AMRacing (based in Andorra, hence the price). I have just tested it during my epic 'Black Forest-Des Grandes Alpes route-Pyrenees' trip. Brilliant!
Aww man cheap as chips. I looked at it like this ive seen way more racers wearing nolan/xlite than AGV but agv seems to be a company everyone is used to and trusts their lids The big realisation for me was the only reason the arai and shoei are so expensive is the weak pound against the yen I remember when the top spec arai rx7 gp was £520 not £720 The nolan/x lite are in euros so the exchange rate is mega on them so that kinda explains the price to me. Dont get me wrong the arai/shoei are two company's i never thought i would stray from but I held the x lite in my hands and now im a believer
Are the lids that the Racers like Marquez, Crutchlow, and Smith wear exactly the same as we as Joe Public buy? I always believed the consumer product was different to the pro racer lids.
If you look up arai's they sell there lids on the fact they are exactly the same ones the racers use made in the same factory using the same materials on the same line. Also the shoei dealership said to me once that the lid you get from shoei is also the same as the racers use but slightly lighter sometimes due to the fact it doesn't have as much sponsorship stickers on it. Yes they will probably get a dude from the actual company to fit there lids correctly to there heads but due to the amount of racers they sponsor how could they possibly make custom exact fit helmets for everyone they would spend all there time making them and have no time or money left to make some for us Understandably there will be times where they will test a new vent or spoiler but how many times do you see the helmets on the top shelf change their is many years between the RX7 and the RX7 GP I know Dean Ellison and ive spoken to James Ellison a fue times now there both racers current and ex BSB with a stint in the GP satellite teams and WSB they say they get a white lid given to them and the only thing custom is the paint job
Im not saying it a green light to buy nitro or g mac even tho some lads wear them in the isle of man tt. Well known fact they take sponsorship money from g mac and nitro but buy something like a arai and place g mac stickers on them
I'm really not sure if I swallow the Arai coolade. I know they're beautifully-made helmets but if they're supposedly so much safer that other lids, why don't they get 5 star ratings from the SHARP people?
