Arai Chaser V review. For other motorcycle crash helmet reviews, visit our All Crash Helmet Reviews section or our Only SHARP 4 or 5 Star Helmet Reviews section. To see all the available helmet designs or to buy a Chaser V, visit here.
Summary: A middle of the range (though still pretty expensive) Arai with a fibreglass shell, fully removable lining and wider than average visor aperture. A great all rounder that’s comfortable, has good ventilation and average noise suppression.
- Not Yet SHARP tested
- DOT version is Snell certified
- Fibreglass Shell
- Full Faced Helmet
- Well rated for comfort and ventilation
- Available in sizes XS – XXL
- Available in 10 colour schemes
- Price Range: £300-£470 depending on model
The Arai Chaser V is a updated replacement of the popular Chaser helmet. It was designed to be an update on the previous version, making a few improvements in key areas based on user feedback.
Safety
The Chaser V is middle of the price range for an Arai. Like most Arais, the Chaser V has a fibreglass shell and is ECE 22.01 approved. However it hasn’t yet been SHARP tested in the UK though the DOT (US) version has been Snell M2015 certified.
Arai’s usually score slightly above average for safety and their more recent helmets have performed particularly well, so it’s expected the Chaser V should be OK.
It’s worth noting that the rear spoiler on the Chaser is actually stuck to the outer shell so that in an accident, it’ll fall off so the integrity of the helmet shell should remain intact.
Best places to buy an Arai Chaser V?
It’s not widely available, but the Chaser V is still available at Amazon UK the last time we checked. Please click the link below – and if you buy from them, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Visor
Arai developed the Chaser V with a slightly wider visor aperture to improve peripheral vision. It also has a locking mechanism on the visor that allows you to either lock the visor firmly shut or keep it cracked open – and owners say it works well. The Arai visor-removal system is also very good. It has a lever at one side that releases the visor and it’s simple to slot a new visor back in – probably a 20-30 second job it total to replace the visor, once you’ve got the hang of it.
Looking to buy this Arai?
We recommend SportsBikeShop (UK) for outstanding service and online reviews along with free helmet delivery. Or if you like to buy through Amazon (UK), click the link to visit GearedBiker's Arai helmets pages: they're highly rated at 93% at the time of writing. Finally, Motoin (Ger) are a quality German outfit with good service and decent prices (even with the current £-€ exchange rate). Please click any link to see their full range of Arais and latest prices.
Fitting & Comfort
Helmet fitting is all important when buying a new helmet (see our crash helmet fitting guide) but since we’ve all got slightly different shaped heads, you can sometimes find pressure points when wearing a new helmet. To overcome this, Arai have been pretty clever. The interior of the Chaser V is multi-density polystyrene (designed to protect the head against rapid deceleration in a crash as well as direct impacts that make it through the outer shell). However, they’ve also included a couple of 5mm strips in the polystyrene that can be ‘peeled off’. These correspond to the areas users have most problems with – i.e. the temples and cheeks. So if you buy a Chaser V and find it’s a little tight there or doesn’t wear in as much as you expected, you can tear off these strips and that will give a bit more space. Folks report these are really useful and can result in a helmet that’s nigh-on a perfect fit.
The interior in general is pretty comfortable with people reporting you hardly notice you’ve got a helmet on. It’s the usual high-quality Arai brushed nylon affair and is fully removable and washable.
Ventilation
While it’s a great all-rounder generally, one area the Arai Chaser V excels in is ventilation. Like most of the premium helmet makers, Arai understand that ventilation is key to making usable crash helmets – keeping the head cool in hot weather and the visor fog-free in cold & wet weather. The Chaser has the usual chin and forehead vents and both are fairly easy to use with gloves on. At the back of the helmet, there’s two small side vents which are always open, but there’s also a vent inside the spoiler on the top of the rear of the helmet. In this case, the spoiler is designed to create a vacuum in the vents which has the effect of creating a slight suck within the vents. This means if the front vents are open, then air is not only pushed through from the front, but pulled out of the rear. The overall effect is very good with riders who ride in hot places (unlike the UK!) saying they can ride all day in 90+ degree weather without any problems. Back in the UK, the chin vent also does a reasonable job in pulling air across the visor, though an anti fog insert or Pinlock are definitely a useful addition for properly mist-free riding.
Here’s the launch video from Arai Europe:
Other Stuff
Noise is reportedly about average. I think most riders tend to use ear plugs these days which means you’ll not really have a problem with the Chaser V in practise. A couple of reviewers commented that they bought the Chaser V because it was particularly easy to use with their glasses.
Overall
Overall, the Arai Chaser V is a nice helmet with good features. Arai has a long established reputation for good build quality and has produced some of the best selling crash helmets over the years, culminating in a range of helmets that can generally be relied on to perform well. The Chaser V is no exception. Laying aside from the fact that it hasn’t been independently SHARP tested for safety (though the DOT US version has been Snell safety tested), the Chaser V is well featured, has a good price point, and is a worthwhile buy.
A review from the Helmet centre including an on-bike review:
If you’ve found this Arai Chaser V review helpful – or if you’ve owned an Arai Chaser V, we’d love to hear what you thought about it – please let us know in the Comments area below. For other motorcycle crash helmet reviews, including other Arai Helmets UK, visit our All Crash Helmet Reviews section or our Only SHARP 4 or 5 Star Helmet Reviews section.
Best places to buy an Arai Chaser V helmet?
It’s not widely available, but the Chaser V is still available at Amazon UK the last time we checked. Please click the link below – and if you buy from them, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Definitely want an Arai?
Here you'll find all our Arai crash helmet reviews and previews including full face, flip-up and open face helmets.
