| Author | Message | ||
     Blublak |
The Face shield seems wide compared to my older helmet; an HJC AC-10. I feel as though I have better peripheral vision and clearer view of what's around me. Also, they have a neat tool less replacement system for the shield so in less then 5 minutes I can swap shields.. Anywhere. On that, you do have to make sure you line up the shield correctly or you may 'think' you have it right and not until you're riding do you realize it's not right. I did that once and had to pull over and fiddle with it for a few minutes to get it back where it belongs. Venting. This is the only helmet I've worn in some 20 years of riding that I can actually feel the air moving across my head. I have to give some of that to the nice fully removable and washable suspension liner system that sits atop the crown of the head, preventing it from 'closing down' air flow around your head while the lid is on. The three vents in the forehead region, feed that open space on top of your head and help keep hot air from collecting there, the two at the 'brow' (built actually into the shield and they open into a port in the helmet liner and feed air in that way. If the shield is not in proper alignment, these vents don't work correctly.) May be the prime cause for the feeling of a breeze across the top of my head, a dual position chin vent and twin upper exhaust vents in the rear and what appears to be some sort of 'soft vent' at the base of the helmet build into the 'outer' liner. To my thinking, the vent covers also act as a 'spoiler' of sorts to help keep buffeting down, however a good crosswind will still try and whip your head around at speed. The chin vent in 'first' position sends air up onto the shield, to help defog (you can also LOCK the shield into a 'vent open' position by way of a slider attached to the lower left edge of the shield that contacts an elongated 'C' shape clip on the helmet, thus locking the shield in place with a thin slit open all the way around the bottom making it that much more efficient) in colder air. At second position, the chin vent provides air directly through the chin piece to your face and to the inside of the shield. The Front top vents have open and closed as options, so you can close one or two or all of them independently of the others. The rear upper exhaust vents have slider type closures that let you vary the amount of air escaping as well. The base pad vent seems to be just that and always venting. There is also a 'chin spoiler' integral to the chin bar and can be pulled down to deflect a small amount of air from running up and under the helmet in cooler weather. Since I had my head measured, and the helmet pads 'custom' fitted to my head and face, this is the most comfortable helmet I've ever worn and in several hours of riding I've yet to feel it pinch or feel anything but snug. Usually I have to wear a helmet for several hours, taking it off every now and then to give my head a break while the padding 'learns' the shape of my head. This isn't the case with the RX-7. Fit and finish seem to be what you would expect of a $500+ helmet, the graphics are bright, clear and the flake is really nice when you turn it in the sun. Not sure what it looks like to people around me as I ride, but in the hands it's an attractive and stylish piece. Even a little flashy as befits the source of the scheme. Loudness.. or in the case of this helmet.. LOUDNESS.. uh, ok, so it's the only grip I have about this thing.. but hey, IT'S LOUD IN THERE while riding. It's so loud that I've started wearing ear plugs, even for short hops. I have to attribute this extreme volume of wind and engine noise to the lightweight materials used in construction? Or perhaps it's the suspension system used inside that allows so much sound to transmit through the shell? I don't know for sure, but I do know that in a day of riding without those plugs I think the battering my ears are taking would offset all the benefits of the rest of the lid making me feel worn out sooner then I should from the constant roar in my ears. All in all, I give this helmet a   Rating.. The two bashes are for the loudness and if it wasn't so loud, then there would be only one out of the twelve. Anyone else have one of these lids? What do you think? | ||
| Jessicasdad |
I have the same helmet .... X Large in Silver .... it was the ONLY helmet that I put on and felt comfortable in . Shoei/HJC and the others pinched at one point or another .. even right out of the box it felt VERY nice .. and the only issues I have had were some minor blemishes on the air channels over the top of the helmet.. A couple of emails to Arai customer service with a digital photo .. a few days later I had a FULL SET of vents at my front door .. keeping those new ones on the shelf till I really need them ... No .. the Arai is not the cheapest ... not the quietest (why they make ear plugs) but for me the fit and finish are top notch. And Arai is one of those rare companies that is a pleasure to deal with .... |
