I might purchase this helmet next month. Is this the best helmet ever? I currently have a medium Shoei. Am I right in thinking, a medium arai will be the same as a medium shoei? Thanks
I have the rx7v, my first arai and im loving it. Wasnt as good a fit out of the box as the shoei x spirit 2 i had last year but i had it custom fitted at the nec show and its perfect, really tight around the cheeks and actually hurt to put on/remove for first few hundred miles. Fit is excellent now its moulded to my head. Ventilation is good, bit noisy but thats to be expected with ventilated track helmet. I use plugs anyways so never bithered me. Only downfall is the new mechanism to release the visor. Great that you can lock it down in place but the lever to release is fiddly with gloves until you get used to it.
I'm a medium Shoei & the medium Arai fits me fine but the fits do differ a little between the models. I love the Arai colour schemes but oh what a b#stard is the visor changing system compared to the 2 second Shoei job! I've bust side pods & stuff on the arai''s & they ain't cheap to replace!
You really should try one on, I found Arai fit quite different to Shoei, I can't wear Arai as my nose is too close to the chin bar, but Shoei & Shark fit me really well.
Have to agree about size, I've had a couple of Arai lids and my current lid is a Shoei NXR all in same size. I found the Arai chin bar and visor much closer to my face, in factmy nose touched the visor on the Arai once bedded in. No such issues with my Shoei its a great fit. Wouldn't get another Arai as sick of buying side pods, they break too easy.
On the new rx7v you take the side pods off to change the visor, so something to keep in mind? Even though they are smaller now it's still a noisy lid.
And apart from TT racers and endurance racers, why do we need quick change visors? My old Arai GP3 motorsport helmet had a big screw on each side that you could use a twopence piece to unscrew. It took about 30 seconds to change visors and you knew it was fitted and wasn't going to flick off at the cost of 30 quid a pop.
Also wear Shoei medium, tried an Arai medium, was too narrow for my liking, large was well, just too large. I find X-lite and Caberg a good fit, as well as AGV's but I cant stand the noise of AGV's. The three X-lite I have owned have been the three quietest helmets I have used.
Gone from Arai to shoei and will stick with shoei! Arai are a quality helmet but too noisy and as said the visors are a pain to change! Have a transition visor on the shoei now so I don't have to take two visors with me but so quick and easy to change when you do
I'd never buy online unless it was to replace like for like, that's the only advice I can give you. Try them all on. Helmet fit is a minefield. Well it is if you've got a ten bob bit head like mine There's no substitute for actually putting the thing on. I wore an Arai for years. Swore by it. Come replacement time I got another Arai. Closest to long oval shape they had. Felt like putting my head in a bucket. Tried a Shoei NXR. Bingo. Go figure.
Shoei shape is for slightly narrower head ( more oval) whereas I have heard aria is for a round head. So best policy is to try them out and of course the length of your nose and if you wear spectacles will have a major effect on fit & comfort