All of my biking life I have worn Shoei helmets - don’t really know why, brand loyalty I suppose. So when Arai gave me the opportunity to try out their new Corsair-V, I jumped at the chance.
I am a true believer in never “skinting” on a helmet; you should always get the best one that your money can buy and that you can afford, and Arai is at the top of the list. You only have one head, and let’s face it, it really is an egg shell in an accident. I can vouch for that after meeting a deer on a country road back in Blightly a few years ago.
The first thing that impressed me with the Arai Corsair-V when the box arrived was the three different lenses. Clear, slightly tinted and dark. The thought of having not to wear sunglasses under my lid while riding was “brilliant” as the men from the Guinness advertisement say.
Then there was the instruction on how to use the helmet. I popped the Arai CD into my machine and there we go; full easy to use computerized instructions.
The venting system is unbelievable; there are more vents on this Arai than I have ever seen on a helmet. On the top for your skull, on the back for the back of your head, on your face to stop steaming up, basically everywhere, and they all open and close with no hassle and are very well made.
The same however, cannot be said for the visor removal and replacement system. I suspect there is a knack to it. I as of yet, have not found that knack. It took me only two minutes to get the visor out and maybe half-an-hour to get it back in. I am not a quitter so over the course of the summer we will keep playing with swapping the visors in and out and I will report on either my success or failure to master the technique.
The colors, design and finish are really quite spectacular and being able to remove the lining to wash the inside after a track day is another benefit. Your head is also, as my mother would say, “snug as a bug in a rug”. It fits very comfortably, with support in all the right places and no movement at all. Arai helmets are renowned for the ability to remove the inside and put it back in the same way it came out. We will find out throughout this test.
Last night I went up to my weekly Quaker-Steak & Lube bike night in Cranberry, PA to test this baby out. The first thing that I noticed was its clarity through the visor. I had the clear visor on and it felt like it wasn’t there, I could see perfectly, absolutely no distortion at all! And the same could be said when I was coming home in the dark. The next very positive point is the Arai design. The helmet doesn’t go down way over the bottom of your chin, therefore, the airflow is wonderful, you don’t feel as restricted and it’s also lighter overall.
I did however, have problems with the catch that seals the visor down to stop any air from coming in. It wouldn’t open easily with my gloves on. Arai give me some lubricant in the packaging and I may need to add some more to the catch to make it move easier.
We have track work this next couple of weekends, so let me keep reporting on how the Arai does at 170 mile an hour.
