Caberg Drift full face motorcycle helmet review

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What do owners think of their Caberg Drift crash helmet?

Note: The drift has now been replaced by the Drift Evo so you might want to check that out instead.

The Caberg Drift is a composite fibre full face helmet that’s designed to suit most riders – think sports/touring and you’ll not go far wrong.

So what makes the Caberg Drift different from all the other sports/touring helmets out there?

Well, the main selling point of the Drift is that you’re getting a composite helmet with a Pinlock anti-fog and drop down sun visor at an extremely reasonable price. I mean, really really reasonable. How does £210 for a tri-composite sound? Or £299 for a carbon fibre version? Thought so.

But price is far from the whole story. It’s gotta work well too.

The great news is it looks like Caberg have designed-in some very useful features that could well make it a really nice helmet to live with too.

Composite fibre full-face
Full carbon version also available
SHARP 3 star safety rated
1.35Kg (3lbs) (lighter than average)
Drop down sun visor
Pinlock Max Vision anti-fog insert included
Size XS-XXL
Expect to pay £210-£230 (composite) £299 (carbon)
Plain white version of the Drift

Best places to buy this Caberg?

Please click below to visit the Caberg helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Safety

The shell of the Drift is made from a composite of carbon, kevlar and fibreglass to make a helmet that should, on paper at least, be strong and light. And the scales bear this out – the Drift is around 1.35Kg for a medium size (the average weight across all full face helmets tested by SHARP is 1.48Kg).

That’s good for both helmet safety performance and comfort.

And if you want a Drift that’s even lighter, there’s the full carbon fibre drift that shaves a further 100g off the weight of the composite version (and looks pretty mean as well!). It’s only about £70 more too which is amazing value for a full carbon helmet.

caberg-drift-carbon-motorcycle-helmet-side-view — Full carbon version of the Drift – a real bargain

In the past, Caberg have produced some really safe helmets – in fact at the time of writing they’re our joint first place safest brand with their helmets scoring a massive 4.6/5 stars for safety across their tested range.

That said, most of their helmets tested to date by SHARP have been polycarbonate so their SHARP score isn’t massively useful when we’re talking about a composite fibre helmet.

In fact, the Drift is the first Caberg composite helmet that we’re aware of that’s been lab safety tested by SHARP. It scored three stars (out of a maximum 5) in their safety testing, dropping a couple of stars for average side impact protection.

If you’re after a helmet with a higher safety rating, you should click through to our Safest Crash Helmets pages where you’ll find all our SHARP 4 & 5 star rated helmets.

Of course, like all helmets in the EU, it’s been ECE 22-05 certified; and that’s no walk in the park. It’s a very comprehensive testing regime meaning the Drift should give at least an acceptable level of accident protection.

caberg-drift-shadow-motorcycle-helmet-front-view — Caberg Drift in Shadow black/red design.

One final note on the shell and safety is that the Drift’s only manufactured in one shell size. That’s not ideal for either fitting or safety – for those with smaller heads it may mean the helmet looks overly large on you and for those with larger heads, comfort and/or polystyrene lining will have to be reduced in thickness to compensate. Potentially, that’s not great.

Helmet Noise

Word is that the aero and padding on the Caberg Drift work pretty well and combine to make a helmet that’s slightly above average for helmet noise suppression.

Of the owners who mentioned helmet noise, three quarters thought it’s reasonably quiet, with one saying it gets noticeably noisy above 70 mph and another saying it’s noisier than average. One comment a couple of people said was that whether the vents are open or not doesn’t seem to make much difference to the noise levels – which is unusual (and welcome!).

caberg-drift-armour-union-jack-motorcycle-crash-helmet-side-view — Classy looking Caberg Drift Armour

As usual, everyone’s perception of helmet noise is different and it’s dependent on lots of factors (type of bike, riding position, fairing, speed) so you’ll have to take any review’s findings with a pinch of salt.

Ventilation

Onto ventilation, and there’s a single chin vent and single crown vent to bring air into the helmet and a single rear exhaust vent to help remove it.

All three have a large slider covering them, and word is they’re nice and simple to use and are great for using in gloves. And while it doesn’t sound like the most comprehensive ventilation system in the world – indications are that it works well.

Owners reckon it pushes a decent amount of air onto the rear of the visor and the top vent channels a decent amount of air around the scalp.

Visor and Sun Visor

The main visor is quick-release and has a spring loading mechanism that’s designed to pull the visor onto the rubber seal and create a nice tight joint against wind and rain.

It’s also nice and large and has a potentially useful visor lock/opener just to the rear of the left-hand visor pivot. In one position it locks the visor; or flip it backwards and it’ll crack open the visor about half a centimetre for defogging.

caberg-drift-flux-motorcycle-helmet-side-view — If you’re a fan of Tron, you’ll probably be a fan of the Drift Flux

I say it’s potentially useful because no-one mentioned they actually used it. And besides, most of us probably won’t really use the cracked-open position too much because if you need a bit of air, I suspect most of us will crack the visor open in the conventional way – i.e. open the visor a bit. And also because there’s a Pinlock Max Vision antifog insert included free with the Drift, that should see the visor being fog-free in all but the most extreme circumstances (i.e. think slamming down with rain in near-zero conditions and stopped at traffic lights!).

And even then you’ll usually be fine with a Max Vision in place.

The visor works on a ratchet (as opposed to friction alone) and has a couple of tabs on the bottom for opening with either left or right hands. That’s good.

Underneath the left visor pivot is another slider – this time for the drop down sun visor.

Word is that all’s well with the sun visor. It comes down nice and low and, while it can be prone to fogging, that’s not uncommon with sun visors. And because the sun visor slider works on friction, that means you can have the sun visor either fully-up or down or any position in between.

Comfort and Sizing

Inside the Drift, you’ll find the usual removable/washable lining found in all but the most budget helmets these days. The drift’s lining is both removable/washable and hypoallergenic. It also comes with a neck roll to reduce turbulence and a chin curtain to reduce noise.

And owners overwhelmingly say that the Caberg Drift is a comfortable helmet. They reckon it feels light to wear, is a roughly neutral shape and, as long as you get the fit correct in the first place, should be all-day comfy. Sizing seems to be true, so if you don’t know what size you are or would like to double-check, just follow our fitting guide to find the right size for you.

Looks and Graphics

There’s a stinkload of graphics options available for the Drift. We’d say the most-eye catching are probably the raw carbon version (when are we gonna tire of carbon fibre!? It’s just timeless!) and of course the moody black versions.

caberg-drift-tour-motorbike-crash-helmet-side-view — This one’s the red/white/blue Caberg Drift Tour

Of the rest, the Shadow Italia is pretty striking, as is the Armour and it’s subtle Union Jack design. And we’d have to give a nod to the excellent Drift Tour – which’d go very nicely with any non-Repsol Honda HRC Racing bikes out there!

Other than these, please check out our recommended retailer links below to see all the latest designs and deals for yourself.

Best places to buy this Caberg helmet?

Please click below to visit the Caberg helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Caberg Drift Video

Here’s a short video looking at the Caberg Drift (a Drift Shadow orange/grey in fact) from those funsters over at WebBikeWorld. He can barely contain himself can he 😉

Other Stuff – fastener, communicators, build quality, warranty

The Drift comes with a double-d ring fastener – which are a little fiddly compared to micrometric fasteners but are nice and safe. If you’re buying in the UK for use on a track, it should come with an ACU gold sticker on the back too.

caberg-drift-shadow-italia-motorcycle-crash-helmet-side-view — Caberg Drift Shadow Italia

The Caberg Drift has been designed to work with a range of bluetooth sets. There’s fairly generous speaker and microphone pockets/spaces included, so hopefully it’ll fit a wide range of communicators – along with Caberg’s own Just Speak range.

If you’re thinking of buying one, it’s worth noting that Caberg helmets come with just a one year warranty against manufacturing defects. Many manufacturers offer a 5 year warranty these days so if you’re after a bit more protection on your purchase, click the link and check out one of those helmets.

Overall/Summary

The Caberg Drift looks to be a smashing helmet – it’s got a great spec with some quality and useful features – all for not very much money at all.

caberg-drift-shadow-motorcycle-helmet-rear-view — Rear view of the Drift Shadow

It is of course ECE certified – meaning it’s been tested to European safety standard level – though it did drop a couple of stars when safety tested by SHARP. But owners reckon it’s a good helmet to live with that’s comfortable, reasonably quiet, has a good visor with Pinlock anti-fog, has great build quality and decent ventilation. In fact, there’s very little that owners seem to find fault with their Caberg Drifts. And it’s a great route to composite fibre or carbon fibre crash helmet ownership for not very much money. Well worth a look.

Definitely want a Caberg?

Here you'll find all our Caberg crash helmet reviews and previews including full face, flip-up and open face helmets.

Alternatives to the Caberg Drift

At this price point, there’s lots of great alternatives to the Drift.

Around the same weight and price is the X-Lite X-702, another composite fibre helmet but this one’s been tested by SHARP and rated a maximum 5 stars for safety.

Again around the same price as the Drift is AGVs K5 – another composite fibre crash helmet with a sun visor and this one is SHARP 4 star rated.

Finally, if you can afford another £150 on top of the price of the Drift, you’re into the territory of the more exclusive Schuberth SR1. It’s a little more track focused but this carbon composite helmet is SHARP 4 star rated and has great build quality (and of course there’s now the Schuberth SR2 to contend with).

Best places to buy this Caberg?

Please click below to visit the Caberg helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Star Ratings

MT Atom SV modular helmet

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MT Atom SV – MT’s flip-up helmet aimed at long-distance riders

The Atom is MT’s touring flip-up helmet, designed to give all-day riding comfort for folks who love to spend the entire day crossing continents or dawdling along mountain passes.

Which means that MT is really playing on the big boy’s turf now, because that’s one hell of a demanding rider right there…

MT are known for making helmets at the more budget end of the price range of course. But long-distance types are more demanding of their helmets: they expect all-day comfort; They want great noise suppression; and they positively insist on quality aero that lets them cruise around without getting buffeted around like they’re in a Metallica mosh-pit (then again, don’t we all?).

MT really has their work cut out with the Atom, so here’s our first look around what the new MT Atom offers:

Polycarbonate modular helmet
Aimed at touring riders
SHARP 3 star safety rated
2 shell sizes
Pinlock Max Vision anti-fog insert included
Optically-correct quick-release visor
Drop down sun visor
Sizes XS – XXL
Weight 1.7Kg
Expect to pay £130-£150

MT-Atom-matt-Black-motorbike-helmet-side-view — Stealthy-cool solid matt black version of the MT Atom

Looking to buy this MT helmet?

We recommend SportsBikeShop (UK) for competitive prices, outstanding service and free UK delivery/returns. Or you can click through to the MT helmets pages at Amazon if you prefer to buy from them. Please see here for more info on our recommended stores or click the links to go straight to their MT helmets pages where you'll find the latest designs and deals.

Safety

There’s a load of safety features adorning the Atom that shows MT are serious about safety.

First off, that visor. It’s an optically correct visor that’s Pinlock anti-fog ready and comes with a Pinlock Max Vision insert in the box. It’s also nice and thick at 2.2mm. Which covers most of the safety features you want to see on a visor – namely there should be little to no vision distortion and, with a Pinlock fitted, it’s not going to fog up either.

And of course the Atom comes with an integrated drop down sun visor so you can quickly protect yourself from any dazzling when riding and means you won’t get caught out when the sun gets low.

Of course, key to having a helmet that’s going to work well for you day-in, day-out, is having it comfortable (see the comfort and sizing section below). If it’s not comfy, then it either you’re not going to wear it or you’ll be riding around distracted by it. The Atom weighs about 1.7 Kg (3.75lbs) which is about bang-on average weight for a modular and so, as long as you get the right fit in the first place, it shouldn’t feel too heavy when you’re wearing it.

MT-Atom-Tarmac-Black-White-motorcycle-crash-helmet-Front-view — MT Atom Tarmac in black, grey, white

The shell on the MT Atom is polycarbonate (see our Polycarbonate section for whitterings on why polycarbonate helmets are just fine) and it’s produced in 2 shell sizes – which should make it fine in terms of safety and looks (again, see the link for more info. on what all this means).

And underneath the shell, there’s a multi-density polystyrene shock-absorbing liner to soak up the impact. That’s pretty much the same type of EPS liner you find in all but the most cutting-edge helmets these days – including several SHARP 5 star helmets (and including MT’s own five star rated MT Revenge polycarbonate helmet).

So, onto SHARP testing. Well, the Atom was SHARP tested in Oct 19 where it scored 3/5 stars for safety. That means the last 3 MT helmets have scored 3 stars with an average of 3.9/5 across all their tested helmets.

MT atom SV 8_5ms impact test result — MT Atom SV 8.5 m/s impact test result showing average to poor side impact protection. Image courtesy of Sharp.dft.gov.uk

3 stars is an OK score. But what isn’t OK is that the chin bar became unlocked in 50% of the helmet tests. That doesn’t necessarily mean the chin bar flipped up (SHARP doesn’t go further than saying it became unlocked) but if it was me, I wouldn’t buy a flip up helmet that scored so badly.

Once it’s unlocked you don’t know what’ll happen and there’s modular helmets out there that score 100% for chin bar safety. You’ll find some of them in our top 10 modular helmets list and you can find more if you go to our smart(ish) filters page and choose flip-up/modular and safest boxes.

Helmet Noise

MT has designed the Atom to be a quiet helmet. That’s not going to be easy though because modulars are notoriously noisier than full face helmets.

According to their bumf, there’s a four-way neck curtain system and lower liner flaps, all designed to reduce the amount of noise that gets into the helmet from below.

MT-Atom-Black-Fluo-yellow-flip-front-crash-helmet-side-view-open — Atom SV Tarmac in yellow showing full extent chin guard opens

Of course, there’s more to noise-ingress than just what gets in from around your neck, and good aero, clever vent design as well as a noise-suppressing interior lining all play a role in making a quiet helmet. So we’ll have to wait until our full review to find out if MT’s managed to make that rarest of beasts – a quiet modular helmet!

In the meantime, if you really want a quiet helmet – check out our quietest helmets page.

Ventilation

Onto the vents and the MTs vents look fine and fit for purpose.

There’s a single chin vent in the chin guard, operated by a toggle plate (push the bottom to open the top) and that directs air onto the back of the visor. See the gallery below for a close-up of the vents.

Up top, there’s a single crown vent, opened by a large, glove-friendly, slider. And at the back, there’s a large exhaust vent to help get all that fetid, stinky air to escape (or is that just me?), again, opened/closed by a large slider on top of the vent.

MT-Atom-Solid-Matt-Black-Back-view — Rear view of the matt black Atom showing rear sculpting and exhaust vent at top

The air from the crown vent is pushed through the helmet shell and channelled through the EPS lining inside the helmet and onto the scalp via the comfort lining.

It’s a method used in most helmets these days and should give decent ventilation around the top of the head.

Visor & Sun Visor

The visor on the MT Atom really ticks all the boxes. Quick Release – tick. Optically correct – tick. Pinlock ready – tick. Pinlock Max Vision insert in the box – tick. Drop down sun visor – tick.

In fact it does everything except perhaps have a super large visor opening – but then you only really get those (or arguably need those) on sportsbike helmets.

Nope, the visor mechanism – on paper at least – offers you pretty well everything you could want from a visor.

It operates on a ratchet, has the opening tab on the left and has a quick release mechanism on it so you can easily whip it off to give it a clean. It also comes with a Pinlock Max Vision anti-fog insert in the box. Fit that to the visor and you’ll never steam up again (OK, it’ll steam up if you go mountain climbing in it – but for most of us, it solves the problem).

Behind the main visor is a drop down sun visor. It’s a binary affair – meaning it’s either fully up or fully down – but that’s OK for most of us because that’s how we tend to use them.

Interestingly, it’s operated by a red/black switch on the bottom left hand side of the helmet; push the red switch forward to lower the visor, press back on the black one and the spring-loaded visor will pop back up, out of the way.

MT-Atom-Tarmac-Black-White-modular-motorcycle-helmet-Front-view-open — Helmet opens by a button hidden on the inside of the chin guard

Chin Guard

The chin guard on the MT Atom is operated, unusually, by a single button on the inside of the chin guard. Press it in and that releases the lock, allowing the chin guard (and visor) to swing up.

There’s a chin curtain ready installed on the Atom, but MT has cunningly made it in two pieces so you can easily slip your fingers in between them to reach the button. Good design MT.

Opening the chin guard is all very easy to do in one single action and with one hand, unlike some modulars I could mention. Once it’s fully open, there’s actually a small switch, almost hidden, that’ll lock the chin guard in place.

Which is not to say you can legally ride with the chin guard up on the Atom – you can’t. It’s not P/J approved (or dual homologated) so it’s only designed to protect you with the chin guard down.

Try one of these if you want a flip-up helmet that’s legal to ride in open-face mode.

The only fly in the ointment with the MT Atom is that they’ve a shaky record in producing chin guards that stay locked under impact testing – at least as far as SHARP’s concerned. SHARP has only tested two modular helmets to date, but they do record the percentage of impacts that the chin guard remains fully locked – and MT modulars have so far scored a 70% and a 40%.

Of course, this may not reflect how the Atom will do – hopefully MT has learned some lessons since the last MT modular was tested in 2015 – but it might not fill you full of confidence either!

MT Atom SV $5F — Close up of quick release visor mechanism

MT Atom SV $7F — Internal view of the Atom

MT Atom SV $4F — Top-down showing inlet & exhaust vents

MT Atom SV $1F — Lever to open/close sun visor

Comfort & Sizing

The MT Atom is available in sizes XS – XXL.

I’ve no information about the fabrics used on the internals, but they seem fairly basic but comfortable. There’s a moisture-wicking fabric covering most of the inside, a waterproof section to the bottom to stop the helmet absorbing rain from below (and a reflective part to give a bit of added visibility); and there’s a ventilated fabric to the front to help bring air through the cheek pads.

MT-Atom-Black-Fluo-yellow-rear-crash-helmet-view — Rear of the Atom Tarmac black/fluo yellow

There’s a generous neck roll and chin curtain to the bottom too to help reduce sound getting in the helmet, and there’s a decent length of padding over the chin straps so they don’t dig in.

Looks & Graphics

For a mid-priced modular, the MT Atom is something of a looker. It’s available in just two graphics at the time of writing – a solid matt black and the Tarmac graphics (in black fluo yellow or black/white) – though word has it there’s a white and full hi viz version coming soon.

To see the latest graphics available – and find deals on the MT Atom – please click our recommended retailer links below. Nice one!

Best place to buy this MT crash helmet?

Please click below to visit the MT helmets pages at our recommended stores or Amazon UK. And if you buy from either, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you - a massive THANKS! (it's how we finance the site).

*Quick view retailer T&Cs here.

MT Atom Video

In this 10m video, I take you around some of the Atom’s main features.

MT-Atom-helmet-Solid-Matt-Black-front-view — Front view of MT Atom matt black

Other stuff – fasteners, weight, communicator, build quality, chin curtain, warranty

The MT Atom comes with a micrometric fastener. It weighs in at around 1.7Kgs (3.75lbs) – that’s a rough figure – we weighed a size large at about 1.76Kg which is totally fine and just a tad over average weight for a modular.

If you’re looking to fit a bluetooth headset to your next helemt, there’s room for some shallow speakers inside the Atom and they’re held in place by some nice firm plastic-rimmed speaker pockets so they should stay put.

Build quality seems to be very good – with paint and finishing particularly great.

The MT Atom comes with a chin curtain and breath guard built in.

Finally, all MT helmets come with a basic one year warranty. Many (granted, more pricey) helmets come with a five year warranty (click the link to find helmets with a 5 year warranty).

Overall/Summary

When you first look over the MT Atom, it looks like a well thought-out helmet and the build quality looks (and feels) great. It’s been designed to work well for touring types – and we’ll see in a few months time whether MT’s design goals of making a quiet helmet that’s all day comfortable – has worked (if you own an Atom, please let us know what you think in the comments section below).

In October 2019 the testing boys at SHARP put the Atom SV through its paces in the lab. And while it scored an OK 3 stars overall (out of a max 5), that chin bar only stayed locked during 50% of the tests – which is a big concern.

MT-Atom-tarmac-black-white-crash-helmet-side-view — MT Atom Tarmac in profile

Other than that, it’s got a visor system that delivers most of what’s on offer today – including Pinlock insert and optically correct-ness – along with a simple to use chin guard mechanism and decent quality internals, not to mention sleek, modern looks.

I wouldn’t buy one because of that chin bar test result. If that’s not a deal-breaker for you, then the MT Atom might well be shaping up to be a bit of bargain modular.

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Good Alternatives to the MT Atom?

OK so you’re after a modular helmet with all the bells and whistles but that’ll give you change from £200? That’s not an impossible ask…

First off, there’s the ever popular Caberg Duke. 5 Star SHARP rating, decent price, reasonably light (for a modular) plus it comes with a Pinlock in the box. What’s not to love?

The HJC IS-Max II can be had for around the same money as the MT, it’s SHARP 4 star tested, weighs in around the same as the Atom and has a glasses groove for folks who wear glasses (or shades).

MT-Atom-Black-Fluo-yellow-crash-helmet-side-view — Finally, side view of the Atom Tarmac yellow/grey/black

The AGV Compact has that AGV brand mark on it – but it’s also got a sun visor, SHARP 4 star rating and is comfy and well ventilated.

And finally, if you can stretch to a bit more, there’s the dual homologated Shark Evoline 3. That’s 5 star safety rated, has a drop down sun visor, and is great for riding round legally with a truly open-face helmet vibe going on. It’s a nice looking helmet too.

Definitely want an MT?

Here you'll find all our MT crash helmet reviews and previews including full face, flip-up and open face helmets.

Other ways to find the Best Modular Helmet

If you're after a new modular/flip-up helmet, they've never been more popular and there's a ton of choice out there. You can find our latest top 10 modular helmets list here or check out all our modular helmet reviews here. You can also visit our Safest Modular Helmets page or our smart filters page where you can click the flip-up/modular check box then choose a few other features to find the best flip-up helmet for you.

AGV Veloce S: AGV’s Street/Sportsbike composite fibre full face helmet

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AGV Veloce S motorbike crash helmet review.

AGVs GT Veloce was a great helmet. Designed to be their entry-level sports helmet with a look of all those track-developed pointy AGVs like the Corsa R and top of the range Pista GP-R, it delivered supreme safety and lots of useful features all finished off with a great low price tag.

Now, the GT Veloce has been replaced by the Veloce S. Apart from a new range of graphics and a slightly fatter price tag, you’ll be hard-pressed to tell the two apart. But with new internals, EQRS and with a Pinlock in the box, the Veloce S promises to be a major step forward over the old helmet.

AGV-Veloce-S-motorcycle-helmet-multi-freccia-white-grey-front-view — AGV Veloce S in Freccia graphics

Carbon/aramid/fibreglass shell
Full face sports/street helmet
SHARP 5 star safety rated (maximum)
Class one optical visor
Pinlock antifog in the box
EQRS
Double-D ring fastener
1.4Kg (3.1lbs)
5 Year warranty (*see ‘other stuff’ below)
Expect to pay £379-£449

Best places to buy an AGV Veloce S?

Please click below to visit the AGV Veloce S helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Safety

The AGV Veloce S has a ton of safety features, backed by AGVs fantastic reputation for making safe crash helmets.

At the time of writing, AGV is our joint second placed top safest helmet brand. The Veloce S’ predecessor, the outgoing and excellent GT Veloce, scored top marks in the SHARP helmet test and because the Veloce S has the same helmet shell, we saw no reason that the Veloce S wouldn’t score just as well.

Well, after weeks in the SHARP testing labs, they’ve scored the Veloce S top marks again. Meaning, if you’re after a helmet that keeps you looking pretty as a priority (OK, it’s in the eye of the beholder, right?), then you can very much trust an AGV.

In fact, looking back over the years, you’ve gotta go back to an ancient AGV K-Series helmet to find one that scored less than four stars in SHARP testing.

Much of that will be down to those race-developed helmet shells. And while the Veloce S is more of a street/sports crossover helmet and not an out-and-out track helmet, the lessons learnt making helmets for the likes of Valentino, Pol Espargaro, Andrea Iannone and Jack Miller (actually, the list goes on and on) won’t have been put to waste on making helmets for the rest of us.

The shell’s a composite of carbon, aramid (i.e. kevlar) and fibreglass. It’s shaped in-line with many of their highly rated track helmets like the Corsa and Pista-GP and it’s backed by a multi-density shock absorbing lining. It also comes in four different shells sizes to make sure each fitment size is as close to optimal in terms of helmet size and lining. All these are GOOD THINGS.

AGV-Veloce-S-motorcycle-helmet-Rossi-Soleluna-side-view — It’s AGV so there’s always a Rossi Replica, right? This one’s the Soleluna.

There’s plenty of other features that will, hopefully, mean you make it round the track – or block – in one piece.

There’s a 3.3mm thick class 1 optically-correct visor for clear, distortion-free vision, backed by a Pinlock ready visor with Pinlock included to keep your vision fog-free from the get-go.

AGV also reckon they’ve redesigned to bottom of the helmet/neck roll to stop it hitting your collarbone in an impact (tbh, I kinda hoped all helmet makers would do this but now AGV’s raised it – maybe not!).

And should the worse happen and you do have a spill, the Veloce S is fitted with EQRS so paramedics can remove your helmet without upsetting your head and neck too much.

All in all, in terms of safety, that’s a stack of ways AGV has tried to make the Veloce S perform well. So in pure ‘check box’ terms, the Veloce should pretty well offer as much protection as you could hope for in a crash helmet.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

Obviously, the Veloce S is a sportsbike helmet. And when it comes to designing a sportsbike helmet, quietness is usually very low on the list of priorities.

And that’s proven to be the case with the Veloce S. By far the majority of owners reckoned it’s a noisy blighter. It’s probably not helped by all those great ventilation holes letting in a stack of air (see below) but if you get towards motorway speeds, the noise really ramps up and never stops building.

Of course, stick in a great pair of ear plugs and you should be OK. But don’t buy a Veloce S expecting it to be quiet and cosseting, because it ain’t.

Ventilation

Like most of the latest range of AGVs, the Veloce S is fitted with their IVS or Integrated Ventilation System.

All that really means is the Veloce S uses a system similar to most other modern helmets – i.e. vents in the shell allow air to pass through the shell where channels in the EPS polystyrene lining direct hair around the head. Air is then removed from the helmet by the two exhaust vents at the back of the helmet.

AGV-Veloce-S-motorcycle-helmet-multi-freccia-white-grey-rearview — Two rear exhausts – on the Freccia in white/grey

The configuration of the vents on the Veloce S looks similar to that on the outgoing GT Veloce – twin chin vents and triple forehead vents. On the previous GT Veloce helmet, owners seemed to think ventilation was OK though the switches on the vents were a bit fiddly.

But on the Veloce S, ventilation’s rated as excellent with the redesigned internals doing a fantastic job at circulating air around the helmet.

So if you’re planning to use your Veloce S doing lots of sweaty track days – or if you spend most of your days in the sunshine – then you should find yourself riding in a happy (and cool) place.

Visor

Like the GT Veloce, the Veloce S has AGVs Race 2 visor – that’s a nice large and wide visor that’s 3.3mm thick for added safety, and is optically class 1 correct for distortion-free vision. It’s also Pinlock and tear-off ready and, unlike the GT Veloce before it, the Veloce S comes with the Pinlock anti-fog insert in the box so you’ll never have your visor steam up (hurrah!).

The visor on the Veloce S is quick release and it operates without a ratchet. Fully closed, there’s a central locking mechanism which you have to disengage before opening the helmet.

That’s a safety feature to stop the visor opening during an accident or while on the track. A couple of riders found it fiddly at first, but once you get the hang of it the visor lock works pretty well.

The opening tab is in the middle of the visor which is a decent place for it and means you can open your visor with your right hand when you’re stationary and pulling in the clutch.

Once you open the visor, it cracks open to allow some air in and help reduce misting. But the next point up is fully-open because the Veloce S’s visor doesn’t work on a ratchet.

You’ll have to decide if that’s OK for you – some of us prefer a ratchet to keep the visor open at different stages, others don’t – it’s very much down to personal preference.

One great thing about the visor on the Veloce S is that it’s mega wide and tall. A couple of riders said they’ve never had a helmet that’s so unobtrusive because you don’t see the sides at all. And because it’s so tall, forward vision in a tuck position is excellent.

Comfort & Sizing

The Veloce S – like most helmets on the market – is a slightly oval fitment. Most of us have heads that are longer than wider and that’s the head form the Veloce S works best with.

AGV-Veloce-S-motorcycle-helmet-prediatore-matt-black-front-view — Prediatore graphics are a popular scheme – also in black/red

Inside, AGV have gone to lengths to make a comfortable liner, using a few technical fabrics to keep things dry and fresh.

The cheek pads use an antibacterial fabric that’s moisture wicking and with a microsense treatment (apparently this makes it more comfortable). The neck roll is hydrophobic-lined to stop it absorbing water in rain and both neckroll and skull pad are lined with moisture-wicking/antimicrobial Shalimar fabric.

As you’d expect, all the internals are removable and washable and all AGV Veloce S’s come with an emergency quick removal system (EQRS) cheek pads as standard fitment.

The Veloce S is available in sizes XS-XL.

Looks & Graphics

To date, there’s only matt black and pearl white options if you want solid, plain colours. If you want funky graphics, there’s the Prediatore, Freccia and Fulmine and you can find examples of these up and down the page. And like all AGV sports helmets, there’s a Valentino Rossi version – in this case it’s the Soleluna.

Best places to buy an AGV Veloce S helmet?

Please click below to visit the AGV Veloce S helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

AGV Veloce S Video

Here’s a pretty comprehensive 9m look around the Veloce S from the fast talking dude at Revzilla in the US.

Other stuff – fasteners, weight, chin curtain, warranty

The AGV Veloce comes with a tried-and-tested double-d ring fastener. They’re the fastener of choice among racing helmets – but they’re not strictly necessary to take on the track.

AGV-Veloce-S-motorcycle-helmet-Rossi-Soleluna-rear-view — Rear view of the Veloce S Soleluna Rossi Rep

As for weight, the Veloce S has been lightened from the old Veloce and now weighs around 1.4Kg (3.1lbs). The average weight of a composite fibre helmet is 1.46Kg so the Veloce S is a smidge lighter. If you’re after something lighter still, you’re best looking at one of these helmets instead.

As you’d expect, the Veloce S comes with both breath guard and chin curtain pre-fitted.

*And finally, AGV helmets come with a standard 2 year warranty. However, that’s extendable by an extra 3 years if you register your helmet on their website (within 60 days of purchase).

Overall/Summary

AGV’s range of sports/track helmets have a legendary status, not least because they have the blessing of the big man himself (not that big man – Valentino!). They all tend to score top marks – or near top marks – in SHARP safety testing too; and the Veloce S is no exception scoring a maximum 5 stars in the SHARP testing labs.

The Veloce S is a great looking helmet like the rest of AGVs sports helmet range – but it’s a little less extreme than the rest of the family. Which should make it a more usable street helmet and, importantly, cheaper. It’s not the lightest helmet on the block, but it comes with great stuff like an optically-correct visor, Pinlock antifog in the box and EQRS should things go wrong.

It’s not the cheapest helmet for road riding either, but it’s got that all important AGV pedigree and build quality, and it looks cool – with or without the Rossi graphics.

And owners love their Veloce S’s. Yup it’s noisy, but that’s pretty much a given for sportsbike helmets. But it’s comfortable, has great ventilation and an immense visor system.

If you’re looking for a quality sportsbike helmet that’s just as at home on the track as it is on your Sunday blast, then the AGV Veloce S should definitely make it onto your shortlist.

AGV-Veloce-S-motorcycle-crash-helmet-mono-pearl-white-side-view — Gloss white Veloce S in side profile view

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Good Alternatives to the AGV Veloce S?

If you’re quick, you’ll find some of the old GT Veloce’s on sale. They’re still a great helmet, cost less than the new Veloce S and they come with that maximum 5 star SHARP safety rating.

If you want something very sporty, that’s very light and has a maximum SHARP safety rating, then why not have a look at the Shark Race-R Pro.

For less money than both the AGV and the Shark, there’s the SHARP 4 star rated LS2 Arrow – that’s a sportsbike focused helmet that comes with both an optically correct visor and Pinlock antifog in the box. It’s light too.

Or for a helmet that’s more of an all-rounder, there’s the fibreglass HJC FG-ST. It’s SHARP 5 star safety rated, comes with a Pinlock Max Vision, has a drop down sun visor and is cheaper than the Veloce S too.

All these helmets are highly rated for safety and widely liked by their owners – and well worth checking out.

Other full face helmets?

We've got lots of other ways you can find your ideal full face helmet. You can check out our Top 10 full-face crash helmets list to see our best rated helmets or head over to our Smartish Filters pages and zoom in on helmets with your 'must have' features. You can browse through all our full face crash helmet reviews as well as our safest motorcycle helmets page where you'll only find helmets that are SHARP four or five star rated - so you'll know you're wearing the best protection out there. Finally, check out our helmet gallery to find a lid that takes your fancy.

Best places to buy an AGV Veloce S?

Please click below to visit the AGV Veloce S helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Star Ratings

MT Mugello budget motorcycle crash helmet

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MT Mugello: amazing value all-rounder budget helmet

Spanish helmet maker MT has built a solid reputation for making helmets that give excellent crash protection but don’t cost much. At the time of writing that means MT are our joint 4th safest crash helmet brand.

All of which means if you’re in a rush to buy a helmet and have a tight budget, then choose an MT and you’ll not go far wrong. You’ll not get the most sophisticated top-specced helmet around, but then you’ll also have saved a stack of dosh. Which is always a good thing!

The Mugello is a polycarbonate-shelled full face crash helmet that’s one of the cheapest helmets on the market. So can it be any good?

Polcarbonate full face helmet
SHARP 4 star safety rated (out of 5)
One shell size
Pinlock-ready visor
ECE and DOT certified
Removable liner
1.45Kg (3.2lbs) – lighter than average
Sizes XS-XXL
Micrometric fastener
Expect to pay £50-£60

mt-mugello-solid-titanium-crash-helmet-front-view — Titanium version of the Mugello

Best places to buy an MT Mugello?

Most places have stopped selling the Mugello, but the last time we checked, you could still find it on Amazon. So please click below to drop straight onto their MT Mugello helmets pages… and as always, 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).

Safety

As mentioned in the intro, MT score pretty well when their helmets are tested by SHARP.

To date, across all 6 helmets tested so far, they’ve scored an average of 4 stars across the range (out of 5) which is a spectacular result in anyone’s books – and even moreso because MT’s helmets cost so little.

Like the Mugello, most of their helmets are made from polycarbonate. If you’re new to crash helmets, that’s essentially a shell made of thick plastic, which might sound a bit low-tech. But polycarbonate is actually a great material to make a helmet out of because it’s strong and durable, reasonably light weight – and cheap to form. And while it might lack the kudos of fancy carbon fibre or kevlar lids, some of the most effective helmets on the market are actually polycarbonate helmets.

The MT Mugello, like all helmets for sale in Europe has passed the rigorous ECE 22-05 test (and is US DOT certified) meaning it’s gonna give you a decent minimum level of protection anyway. But SHARP has also independently tested the Mugello now and it scored a very respectable four out of a maximum five stars.

Obviously, it’s not quite top marks, but you can find all the helmets we’ve reviewed that scored maximum marks for safety here.

mt-mugello-jerome-white-red-motorcycle-helmet-front-view — MT Mugello Jerome – with Pinlock Max Vision ready visor (insert not included though)

Aside from this, the Mugello has a micrometric fastener (easy to use and nice and safe) and comes with a Pinlock Max Vision ready visor. Note: it doesn’t come with the actual insert though so you’ll have to buy that separately. We advise anyone riding in the UK or anywhere else prone to cold and rainy weather (or hot and humid weather) to invest in a Pinlock to keep your vision fog free and safe.

There’s also a high-visibility version of the Mugello (see pic lower down). If you like to make sure you’re seen when riding, that’s the one to go for.

On the downside, the Mugello is only made in one helmet shell size. That’s not really great for optimizing safety or fit/looks – read more here.

Ventilation

In the chin bar there’s a central vent which can be opened/closed. That’ll bring air towards the mouth and onto the back of the visor. There’s also a pair of always-open exhaust vents on either side of the chin bar.

On the top of the head, there’s a pair of AGV-style sliding vents to bring air through the helmet and onto the scalp, and a pair of matching rear exhaust vents to create a path for the ventilation and draw the stale air out of the helmet. Both of these vents can be closed too.

To help with reducing fogging on the visor, the MT Mugello comes with a breath guard already fitted.

All in all, it’s a fairly standard arrangement of vents that you see on loads of helmets these days but it should do the job of keeping you cool and well ventilated. Though if you ride in cold weather a lot, it’ll not be enough to keep your visor fog-free.

mt-mugello-leopard-full-face-motorcycle-helmet-military-green-camo-rear-view — Cool looking Mugello Leopard in camo green

Visor

The visor is a 2mm thick Pinlock Max-Vision ready visor with a quick release system.

For a £50 helmet, that means you’re getting lots of bang for your buck and it looks like MT has put a good deal of attention into making an effective visor system.

The quick change visor means it’s easy to quickly remove your visor to give it a clean after a ride – just open the visor, pull on the red lugs on either side and wiggle it off.

Visors always fog in the right (wrong!) conditions. So the fact that the Mugello’s visor is Pinlock-ready is great – and the Max Vision version means that the Pinlock will cover all your vision and not get in the way. The only downside with the Mugello is that the Pinlock insert isn’t provided with the helmet, it’s an accessory you’re going to have to spend another $30 or so on top.

Having some form of anti-fog treatment or insert is important for most of us – so click the link if you want to see all our helmets that are either Pinlock ready or supplied with a Pinlock included in the price.

mt-mugello-solid-matt-black-full-face-motorcycle-helmet-solid-white-side-view — Always popular solid matt black version

Comfort & Sizing

The MT Mugello comes in sizes XS-XXL though it’s only produced in one shell size. So if you’re at either size extreme, you might find that it looks either very large or too small on your head.

It’s got a removable and washable comfort lining which is handy if you’re going to be using it daily so you can stick it in the washing machine from time to time.

Looks & Graphics

If you’re looking for a plain Mugello, there’s a gloss white version and a gloss and matt plain black version. There’s also a grey ‘titanium’ and a plain gloss fluo hi viz yellow version for added visibility.

For graphic versions there’s the Vapour and Maker ranges (all available in red, blue, green, yellow and black/white variants) and the Jerome. There’s also the excellent green camo Military version.

mt-mugello-maker-black-green-full-face-motorcycle-helmet-front-view — MT Mugello Maker (comes in loads of colours)

You’ll find all these designs up and down the page – but for the latest graphics and any deals, check out our recommended retailers using the links below.

Best places to buy an MT Mugello helmet?

Most places have stopped selling the Mugello, but the last time we checked, you could still find it on Amazon. So please click below to drop straight onto their MT Mugello helmets pages… and as always, 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).

MT Mugello Video

A guy from the Philippines takes us round his new MT Mugello (note I think this particular design is now phased out).

Other stuff – fasteners, weight, warranty

The MT Mugello comes with the tried-and-tested micrometric fastener. It weighs in at around 1.45Kg which is just slightly lighter than the average full face helmet and way lighter than the average polycarbonate full face (1.57Kg) so you shouldn’t have a problem with it being too heavy.

mt-mugello-vapour-black-white-motorbike-helmet-front-view — Front view of the Mugello Vapour

MT helmets come with a 1 year warranty only (check here for helmets with a 5 year warranty).

Overall/Summary

Because of its low price, the MT Mugello is probably going to appeal to those who are new to biking or commuters. Which is undoubtedly where MT reckon they’ll pick up most of their sales.

However there’s a lot of spec to be had for that low price point – especially when you consider it’s got a decent Pinlock-ready visor and lots of other bells and whistles that you’ll find on much more expensive helmets such as quick-release visor and channeled ventilation system.

Couple that with the Mugello’s excellent 4 star safety score from the SHARP safety helmet testing labs and the Mugello suddenly seems to be a lot of a bargain.

So if you’re on a tight budget but after decent protection and a very usable helmet, then at this amazing price point, the MT Mugello is practically a steal.

There are some cracking alternatives around though, so make sure you check them out below.

mt-mugello-vapour-black-fluo-yellow-full-face-motorcycle-helmet-front-view — Vapour in yellow

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Good Alternatives to the MT Mugello?

The best way to find alternatives for yourself is to use our Smart(ish) filters page where you can select a few features you’d like on a helmet and we’ll show you which helmets you should check out.

Other than that, take a look at our LS2 Rookie review. This full face is lighter than the Mugello, is SHARP 4 star safety rated and comes with an optically correct visor. It’s only tad more expensive too.

Shark’s S600 is their entry-level helmet. And while it’s a bit more expensive than the MT, you do get a Pinlock antifog in the box – and a SHARP 4 star safety rating.

mt-mugello-solid-gloss-fluo-yellow-full-face-motorcycle-helmet-front-view — There’s a couple of hi-viz versions knocking around too if that’s your thing

So too does the Box BX-1. And what’s more it can be had for even less than the MT. Wow!

And of course if you’re willing to spend a bit more, there’s always MT’s own Revenge which is a maximum 5 star rated crash helmet that even looks cool (esp in the pricier carbon fibre version!)

For more alternatives, take a look at our budget crash helmets section.

Best places to buy an MT Mugello?

Most places have stopped selling the Mugello, but the last time we checked, you could still find it on Amazon. So please click below to drop straight onto their MT Mugello helmets pages… and as always, 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 MT?

Here you'll find all our MT crash helmet reviews and previews including full face, flip-up and open face helmets.

Airoh GP 500 sportsbike motorcycle helmet

Page Contents

Airoh GP 500: a carbon/kevlar racing motorcycle helmet

The Airoh GP 500 is a racetrack-developed sportsbike helmet designed for use on racebikes and track days.

It’s a reasonably no-compromise helmet that’s been designed alongside riders in some of the world’s toughest competitions including MotoGP, Superbikes and Supersports. They’re environments where features like noise-suppression and sun visors are dropped in favour of light weight and great aero.

So if on-track performance is only part of what’s you’re after in your next helmet, then you might want to look elsewhere (either see our alternatives section at the bottom of this page or click through to our sportsbike helmets page).

Composite carbon/kevlar shell
Track-focused full face helmet
SHARP 3 star safety rated (max 5)
Light weight (1.2Kg)
Three shell sizes
Pinlock and Tear off ready
Double-D ring fastener
EQRS
XS-XL
Expect to pay £299-£360

airoh-gp500-rockstar-crash-helmet-side-view — Airoh GP500 Rockstar

Looking to buy this Airoh?

You can find it at Amazon UK, or we recommend Motoin (Germany) for quality service and decent prices (even with the current £-€ exchange rate). Please see here for more info about our recommended stores or click the links to go straight to their Airoh helmet pages where you'll find the latest designs and deals.

Safety

SHARP has tested the safety of the GP500 in their labs – where it scored three stars (out of a maximum 5).

That’s a middle of the road performance – and while it scored well for front to back impact protection, it was let down on the side impact tests.

As always, your priority when buying a new helmet is to get a helmet that fits well and is comfortable to use. After that, a good independent safety testing score is what we look for. Three SHARP stars is a bit of a disappointment when there are plenty of SHARP 4 & 5 star helmets around. But that FIM score is a big thumbs up – for the XS helmet at least.

The GP 500 has Airoh’s most advanced helmet shell to date and it’s made in three different shell sizes – the more shell sizes the better for both comfort, sizing and, arguably, for safety too.

Another thing that contributes to safety is the overall weight of a helmet – not just making the helmet easier to live with but reducing pressure on the neck during an impact. And with the Airoh GP 500 coming in at a feather weight 1.2Kilos, that’s one of the lightest helmets we’ve seen to date.

Airoh-GP-500-Drive-black-white-motorcycle-helmet-side-view — The GP 500 Drive

Finally, Airoh have fitted their equivalent of an emergency quick release system (EQRS) that Airoh calls AEFR. A system like this on a track-focused motorbike helmet is pretty much a must these days, enabling emergency services to quickly remove the cheek pads from the bottom of the helmet and so helping remove the helmet without upsetting the neck.

Helmet Noise

Like most track-focused helmets, Airoh has designed the GP 500 to be as aerodynamic as possible to reduce wind resistance and cut down on rider fatigue – as well as make it a better helmet to use in a race where the last thing you need is lots of buffeting to kill your concentration.

Good aero qualities can also make for a quieter helmet as there’s less of the helmet sticking into the air flow to create turbulence.

However, that’s not what most race helmet designers are about. Their focus is operational efficiency, light weight and comfort before any real focus on noise suppression. And that’s especially true with the GP500 as the designers have added exhaust vents just by a rider’s ears. That’ll help with cooling and helping a racer hear other bikes approaching – but it’s pretty certain it’ll also mean it’s a noisy helmet.

We’ll not know for sure until we take a more in-depth review of the helmet, but don’t expect it to be quiet because race-bred helmets rarely are and we very much expect the same from the GP500.

airoh-gp-500-gloss-white-motorcycle-crash-helmet-rear-view — Exhaust vents at the rear of a solid gloss white GP500

Ventilation

The Airoh GP 500 has masses of inlet and exhaust vents. There’s four vents on the chin guard to direct air onto the face and rear of the visor with switches to open/close them on the inside of the chin guard.

There’s also a couple of brow vents set just above the visor in the shell of the helmet (again, these are closeable) and a couple of vents on the crown. These vents direct air through holes in the helmet shell, through channels in the lining and around the scalp. The warm air then exits the helmet via a pair of vents on the rear of the helmet underneath the spoilers, and a couple of side exhausts.

With this many vents, we’d expect the GP 500 to be a nice cool helmet for your track day.

Visor

The visor on the GP 500 is both Pinlock Max Vision-ready and tear-off ready. It has opening tabs on both sides of the visor and there’s a visor lock too to stop it opening while riding (or during an accident).

The visor itself operates on a ratchet – although there are only three positions and there’s no ‘cracked open’ or city mode which some riders might find a bit inconvenient. It’s not a quick release visor either – although it is toolless. Just rotate the large plastic panel near the visor pivot, remove both panels, then pull off the visor.

Most GP500s come with a 50% tinted visor.

Comfort & Sizing

Inside the GP 500 you’ll find a removable and washable lining that’s antimicrobial and breathable and it’s supplied with a breath guard as standard. It’s available in sizes XS-XL.

Looks & Graphics

The GP 500 has been out for a while now so you’ll find a wide variety of graphics on the market as Airoh continually update them. If you’re after a plain version in solid paint, then Airoh is currently listing a matt black version and gloss white. They used to support a few higher profile riders (such as Dovi) but their sponsored riders now only ride in smaller championships so there’s no race rep versions on the books. However they do produce the Sectors and Scrape graphics and you’ll find Cosmos, Rockstar, Drive and Check in stores too – and you’ll find examples of each of these up and down the page.

airoh-gp-500-sectors-motorcycle-crash-helmet-in-orange-grey-side-view — Sectors graphics also available in grey/white and grey/yellow

As always, to see the latest available graphics, please click the links to our recommended retailers below where you’ll find the latest deals too.

Best place to buy this Airoh crash helmet?

You can find it on both Amazon and our recommended store below. Note: if you buy from either place, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you - a massive THANKS! (it's how we finance the site). Click here for more info on our recommended retailers.

Click above to drop onto their Airoh helmets pages or *quick view retailer T&Cs here.

Airoh GP 500 Video

Here’s a pretty comprehensive 36m review by an owner of a GP500.

Other stuff – fastener, warranty

The Airoh GP500 comes with a double-d ring fastener (as do most track-focused helmets). It comes with a 2 year warranty.

airoh-gp-500-scrape-motorcycle-crash-helmet-in-gloss-yellow-side-view — Airoh GP500 Scrape

Overall/Summary

If you’re looking for a racebike helmet but don’t want to pay top dollar, then the Airoh GP500 is worth a look. It’s got a decent spec – including Pinlock Max Vision antifog insert ready, Airoh’s version of EQRS, a locking tear off-ready visor and loads of vents for long days at the circuit.

It might be lacking the brand of the big boys, but it’s lacking their big price ticket too. It’s also slightly let down by its SHARP safety rating too (3 stars out of max 5) but if you’re working on a tight budget but want a track helmet, then the GP500 might well do the job.

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

airoh-gp-500-sectors-motorcycle-crash-helmet-in-orange-grey-rear-view — Rear view of the GP 500 Sectors

Good Alternatives to the Airoh GP500?

OK, so you’re looking for a track-focused helmet at a good price?

How about the LS2 FF323 Arrow? It’s a bargain-priced SHARP 4 star safety rated helmet with Pinlock and optically-correct visor included in the price.

Or there’s the Kabuto RT33: that’s slightly less track-focused but still a capable sportsbike helmet that’s SHARP 4 star rated with a Pinlock thrown in. And because it’s a little less extreme, it’s quiet on the road too and can be had for about the same money as the Airoh.

You could also think about X-Lite’s premium sports lid – the X-802R – that’s a comfortable composite helmet that’s SHARP 4 star rated too.

Finally, you might want to look at AGVs GT Veloce. Based on the same shell as AGVs Corsa and Pista GP top race helmets, it’s SHARP 5 star rated but at a price less than the other two as well. It’s less extreme too, yet has a large visor for maximum vision and comes Pinlock and tear off-ready.

Looking to buy this Airoh?

You can find it at Amazon UK, or we recommend Motoin (Germany) for quality service and decent prices (even with the current £-€ exchange rate). Please see here for more info about our recommended stores or click the links to go straight to their Airoh helmet pages where you'll find the latest designs and deals.

Definitely want an Airoh?

Here you'll find all our Airoh crash helmet reviews and previews including any full face, flip-up and open face helmets.

LS2 Vector FF397 helmet review

Page Contents

The LS2 Vector: a light weight, quality fibreglass full face motorcycle helmet at a decent price

The LS2 FF397 Vector (to give it its full title) is a fibreglass-shelled full face helmet that’s designed for your typical sports touring rider. Essentially, that’s someone who likes to do a varied bit of riding and who needs a decent amount of flexibility from their lid.

LS2 has tried to produce a helmet that’s light weight, safe, comfortable and with some of the nice touches that modern-day riders want in their helmet such as an integral sun visor and well thought out visor system.

They’ve also tried to design a helmet that’s aerodynamically sleek and stable.

ls2-ff397-vector-titan-full-face-motorcycle-crash-helmet-side-view — Fibreglass LS2 Vector in titan graphics

So, here’s the lowdown on what riders and owners of the LS2 Vector think of their helmet – and we find out if LS2 have managed to make the helmet they set out to make.

Fibreglass full face helmet
Drop down sun visor
Pinlock Max Vision included
Longer head fitment
3 helmet shell sizes
SHARP 3 star safety rated
Class A optical visor
Light weight:
- 1.3Kg (2.9lbs) fibreglass
- 1.2Kg (2.65lbs) carbon
EQRS
Expect to pay:
- £160-£180 fibreglass version
- £250-£290 carbon version

Best places to buy an LS2 Vector?

Please click below to visit the LS2 Vector helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Safety

The shell of the LS2 Vector is made from a fibreglass composite. They claim it’s around 1.3Kgs in weight too which is a decent chunk lighter than the average fibreglass helmet of around 1.49Kg.

That can get alarm bells ringing slightly as a lighter helmet can mean there’s physically less of the helmet to give protection.

SHARP tested the European version of the Vector and awarded it 3 stars for safety, which is an OK score but not the best (you can see all our SHARP 4 and 5 star helmets here).

LS2 does produce the vector in three helmet shell sizes though – which is good for both safety levels and looks (as discussed here).

ls2-ff397-vector-razor-full-face-motorcycle-crash-helmet-rear-view — Rear view of the FF397 Vector Razor showing closeable rear exhaust vent

They also include a reasonably wide visor that’s class A optically correct meaning distortion should be reduced to an absolute minimum (but see below in the visor section for more info on this). And fogging is controlled by the inclusion of a Pinlock Max Vision anti fog insert in most European territories (though in the US it seems to come with LS2’s own Fog Fighter equivalent).

Of course, drop down sun visors aren’t optically correct or, usually, anti-fog coated. But still, having a sun visor can be damn useful and can be a real help with safety, especially if you get caught out riding into a low sun.

LS2 also include safety reflective stickers, a steel micrometric fastener and EQRS – all of which are useful safety features to have.

Overall then, the Vector offers a number of features to enhance safety coupled with a reasonable SHARP safety test score.

Helmet Noise

There’s quite a broad range of opinions out there on how noisy the LS2 Vector is. But overall, most owners think it’s a pretty quiet helmet.

Sure, you get some saying it’s loud but you always get a range of opinions on noise supression – and for good reason. That’s because we all have different levels of hearing, riding styles, types of motorbikes, and we ride at different speeds on motorcycles that offer different levels of wind protection – from nakeds to full tourers.

ls2 ff397 vector full face motorcycle crash helmet solid white side view — Plain gloss white Vector. Note sun visor slider on the bottom edge of the helmet

So I guess it’s not surprising there’d be a variety of opinions.

Having said that, the overwhelming view was that it’s quite a quiet helmet. So, if you buy one, hopefully you’ll be pleasantly surprised (though don’t expect it to replace a decent set of ear plugs – they’re still vital to protect your long-term hearing).

As always, if having a quiet helmet is important to you, you can view all our quietest-rated helmets by choosing ‘Quietest’ from the feature cloud to the right (bottom of the article for mobile users).

Ventilation

There’s a single chin vent with 2 position slider and a single crown vent. According to owners both are easy to use with gloves.

Air from the crown vent is channelled through the helmet’s shell and into channels in the liner to provide ventilation onto the scalp. There’s a single (closeable) rear exhaust port for the stale air to exit the helmet.

All that’s a fairly standard arrangement these days. But most owners say the ventilation is somewhere between good and excellent with some owners who regularly ride in hot summer weather saying it’s even good enough to keep their heads cool.

So the decent ventilation in combination with the anti-fog insert should keep you cool and your visor fog-free.

Visor

Like all LS2 motorcycle helmets, the FF397 Vector comes with a Class A optically-correct visor. That means the main clear visor should be distortion free – though a few owners have said that they found theirs to be a bit distorted towards the bottom, mainly because of the shape of the moulding.

ls2 ff397 vector carbon solid full face motorcycle crash helmet front view — Carbon Vector. Note iridium tinted sun visor and Pinlock Max vision on main visor

It comes with a decent visor quick removal system (just push a lever forward and out comes the visor) and it’s anti-fog insert ready. In Europe that means it comes with a Pinlock Max Vision 70 insert (Pinlock’s largest insert with mid-level of anti-fog) though with some US retailers it uses LS2’s own version of an anti-fog insert called Fog Fighter.

The Pinlock Max Vision is a nice large insert that should cover pretty well all of your vision and the ‘70’ version is great for all but the most extreme circumstances. Fog Fighters don’t seem to be well liked though so check with your retailer before ordering that there’s a genuine Pinlock included. Read more about Pinlocks here.

Sun Visor

The integrated sun visor is operated using a slider at the bottom left edge of the helmet.

A few folks complained that the sun visor doesn’t drop down far enough for their liking, leaving light to get in underneath the sun visor around their nose. One or two also reckoned that it needs pulling down manually for the last centimetre or so. But apart from a smattering of the usual complaints that the tinting is a little too light (that’s a legal thing so not something manufacturers can ignore) most said it’s great to have and really like the sun visor.

Comfort & Sizing

ls2-ff397-vector-vantage-full-face-motorcycle-crash-helmet-front-view — Vector in Vantage graphics

The LS2 FF397 Vector is designed to have a longer helmet fitment, suiting people with longer narrower heads rather than rounder heads (sometimes called long-oval though most folks seem to say it’s more medium oval).

Lots of folks with those shaped heads said they found it’s a massive relief to find the Vector because it fits where many helmets don’t. But as we’ve seen before on LS2 helmets, some also reckoned it sizes a bit small, so if you’re looking to order one and you’re between sizes, we suggest you go for the larger size.

The lining on the Vector is removable and washable and is both hypoallergenic and breathable. It’s secured in place with the usual poppers and slots but it also features LS2’s magna-tech system which uses small magnets to keep the neck roll in place.

Other than that, most owners say it’s a particularly comfortable helmet. Obviously, to gain that level of comfort, you need to ensure you’ve a longer narrower head and get your head measurements right in the first place – but if you do, you should find the Vector all-day-long comfortable.

Graphics

There’s a stack of different Vector designs for the fibreglass composite version of the helmet, plus a couple of carbon fibre helmets too.

If you’re interested in the fibreglass lid, there’s solid gloss black and white plus a matt black version. But there’s also the Vantage, Wake, Wavy, Titan, Razor, Trident – plus there’s the glow in the dark Orion version which you can see in the second video below.

As always, you can find all the latest graphics and deals by clicking through to our recommended retailers using the links below.

Best places to buy an LS2 Vector helmet?

Please click below to visit the LS2 Vector helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

LS2 FF397 Vector video

First off, here’s a look around the Vector by an LS2 rep from LS2 USA. That’s followed by a 1m video showing you the glow-in-the-dark Vector Orion.

Other stuff – fasteners, audio, weight, build quality, chin curtain, warranty

The LS2 Vector has a micrometric fastener – they’re very easy to use but you need to keep an eye on strap adjustment to make sure everything’s tight. Having said that, LS2 have gone to extra lengths to ensure the strap is really safe by mounting it with a metal fitment right into the shell of the helmet (the triangular insert below the visor pivot).

ls2-ff397-vector-wake-full-face-motorcycle-crash-helmet-front-view — This design is the Vector Wake

It’s designed to integrate LS2’s Linkin Ride Pal bluetooth set. If you’ve a different bluetooth set, there’s mixed messages about how well the Vector will work with it though. A couple of owners said it’s tricky to mount because of the left-side sun visor slider that sits right where you’d want to mount your bluetooth. One owner with a Sena SMH10 found it tricky to mount, though a Sena 3 owner found it easy.

Lots of owners commented how light their Vector’s feel – that goes for both the fibreglass or carbon version (which is 100g lighter than the tri-composite fibreglass helmet). So no sore necks after a day’s riding with the Vector.

Build quality for the Vector is praised by lots of owners – especially at this price where many were surprised at the quality and value for money. So it’s kinda surprising that LS2 only sell the Vector with a 1 year warranty which is pretty much the minimum of any helmet maker – and many offer 5 year warranties with their helmets.

Finally, if you go for an LS2 vector, you’ll get a chin curtain, neck roll and breath guard included in the package, along with the antifog insert.

All in all that represents a great package for your money.

Overall/Summary

Value for money is the watchword when it comes to the LS2 Vector. That and a relief in finding a longer, narrower helmet that fits well.

ls2 ff397 vector orion full face motorcycle crash helmet rear view — Rear view of the glow-in-the-dark LS2 Vector Orion

Which kinda sums up where the vector sits. If you’re after a light weight full face helmet that’s comfortable and performs well in pretty well every respect, and you love getting lots of bang for your buck (and have the right shaped head) then the LS2 FF397 Vector is well worth trying out.

LS2 made a ‘thing’ over designing a helmet that’s both aerodynamic and stable. And while very few owners mentioned either, maybe that’s a good thing because if it was prone to buffeting, then folks certainly would mention it. Plus quite a few owners seem to think it’s a pretty quiet helmet and that’s often a side-benefit of making a smooth and slippery helmet. So that’s probably ‘job done’ on the aero I’d say.

Ventilation is great too, and so is comfort, and then there’s that optically-correct visor backed with a top quality Pinlock anti-fog insert and decent sun visor. It also scored reasonably well when tested by SHARP (though far from the best).

All in all, the LS2 FF397 Vector is an excellent package and offers great value for money. If you’re in the market for a reasonably priced full face, then definitely check one out – or take a look at our recommended alternatives below.

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Good Alternatives to the LS2 Vector?

If you’re looking for a mid-priced full face helmet similar to the Vector, there’s a decent number of helmets to choose from. Here’s a few recommendations to have a look over before you take the plunge.

First up is the HJC FG-ST. That’s been tested and rated by SHARP as 5 stars (that’s maximum marks for safety). It also comes with an integral sun visor and Pinlock in the box, just like the Vector.

There’s also the AGV K5 and it’s later K5S variant. The carbon/fibreglass shelled K5 was SHARP 4 star safety rated and has a sun visor and Pinlock too.

Or you might want to check out the X-Lite X-702 GT. It’s more touring-oriented and it’s a composite-shelled helmet that scored maximum marks for safety when SHARP tested – and owners reckon it’s quiet, comfortable and well vented.

Best places to buy an LS2 Vector?

Please click below to visit the LS2 Vector helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Other full face helmets?

We've got lots of other ways you can find your ideal full face helmet. You can check out our Top 10 full-face crash helmets list to see our best rated helmets or head over to our Smartish Filters pages and zoom in on helmets with your 'must have' features. You can browse through all our full face crash helmet reviews as well as our safest motorcycle helmets page where you'll only find helmets that are SHARP four or five star rated - so you'll know you're wearing the best protection out there. Finally, check out our helmet gallery to find a lid that takes your fancy.

Definitely want an LS2?

Here you'll find all our LS2 crash helmet reviews and previews.

Star Ratings

LS2 FF323 Arrow full face helmet review

Page Contents

LS2 FF323 Arrow – feature-rich, track-developed bargain sportsbike helmet

Chinese crash helmet maker LS2 worked with the likes of Moto GP rider Yonny Fernandes and Moto 2 rider Isaac Vinales (Maverick’s cousin) to develop the FF323 Arrow series of helmets.

So you can probably guess the type of rider the Arrow FF323 is aimed at – sportsbike riders and track day junkies who spend most of their time in a tuck position. Usually, it also means a helmet that’ll cost an arm and a leg, because top-of-the range sportsbike helmets just do.

Not so with the LS2 Arrow though, because LS2 has managed to make a track/sports helmet that can be found as low as the £200 mark which, if you know anything about sports-focused motorcycle helmets, is a fantastically low price.

So the big question is – will it deliver?

There’s precious little information out there about how well the FF323 Arrow performs – so we’ve scoured around for all the information we can to see what owners actually think of their helmets. So here’s the lowdown.

Full face helmet
Sportsbike-focused
Fibreglass and carbon versions available
SHARP 4 star safety rated
FIM homologated (size M)
ECE & DOT certified
Optically correct class A visor
Mean-looking plain carbon fibre LS2 Arrow-C
3 shell sizes
Double-d ring fastener
Pinlock Max Vision anti-fog insert included
Weight 1.35Kg (3lbs) – that’s light
Sizes XXS-XXL
Expect to pay around £250-£370

Best places to buy an LS2 Arrow?

Please click below to visit the LS2 Arrow helmets pages at Amazon. 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).

Safety

The LS2 FF323 Arrow is both ECE tested (Euro) and DOT certified (US), and was tested by the SHARP labs in July 2016 where it scored a creditable four stars out of a maximum 5.

ECE testing is actually a pretty comprehensive testing regime to pass (read about it here) but the SHARP test adds to this and allows us to get a fully independent or comparative view on how safe the FF323 Arrow is compared to other motorcycle helmets.

A four star score is very respectable and shows the Arrow should perform well if you have an ‘off’.

A size M LS2 Arrow has also been tested by the official motorsports governing, the FIM, and approved to be used in professional circuit racing. Which is a nice thing to have if you’re looking to buy a track helmet.

LS2-FF323-Arrow-yonny-hernandez-motorcycle-Helmet-rear-view — Yonny Hernandez replica LS2 Arrow FF323

As always, if safety is your No.1 concern, you’ll find some decent alternatives to the Arrow by checking out our safest crash helmets pages – or looking at our suggested alternatives at the bottom of the page – all those are SHARP tested.

Of course, it’s not just the helmet shell and EPS liner that contributes to safety (though it’s worth noting that the helmet shell is constructed in 3 shell sizes and contains a multi-density EPS shock-absorbing liner – tick/tick). Other features of the FF323 Arrow that we’d consider make for a safer crash helmet include: the double-d ring fastener; a very large visor aperture with 3mm lockable visor and anti-fog insert; and the emergency quick-release cheek pads.

All in all, we reckon the LS2 FF323 Arrow is probably a safe helmet – and certainly has lots of features that make it easier and safer to live with.

Helmet Noise

Like many track and sportsbike focused crash helmets, the LS2 FF323 Arrow is generally regarded as pretty noisy.

When you’re developing a sports helmet, light weight, reduced buffeting and a host of other features take priority over noise suppression – and after all, riders who spend lots of time on the track wear earplugs pretty well all the time so a quiet helmet doesn’t really matter.

It’s fair to say that one or two owners do think their LS2 FF323s are reasonably quiet – and as we always say, how quiet you think a helmet is is very personal and down to lots of factors including your type of bike and how quiet your previous helmet was. But they’re in the minority with most folks saying it’s a noisy helmet.

As usual, if you’re going more than a few miles or taking your LS2 FF323 Arrow onto the track, stick in a decent pair of ear plugs and you should be good to ride all day without any problems.

LS2-FF323-Arrow-gloss--white- — Solid white Arrow FF323

Size

A couple of important things to note here, so read on.

Firstly, the LS2 FF323 Arrow is designed for people with longer, narrower heads – long oval as they’re often called. Most helmets these days are designed to fit people with slightly rounder heads (i.e. most of us), but LS2 have mentioned it on their website and reviewers mention it too – so if you’re not sure whether that’s you, I’d recommend trying before you buy (or use a retailer you can send it back to with no quibbles like our recommended retailers).

Secondly, the fitment size is noted by a couple of owners as being slightly small. So if you’re between sizes, we suggest you go for a size up.

Ventilation

Overall, owners reckon the FF323 Arrow is a decent venting helmet.

It has a system called Dynamic Flow-through Ventilation, which is really the kind of design you find in most helmets these days.

LS2-FF323-Arrow-C-carbon-fibre-fury-hi-viz-helmet — Showing top vents on the FF323 Arrow carbon fibre hi-viz Fury

There are four vents in the chin guard – the upper two vents push air onto the back of the visor and are opened/closed with the front slider on the chin. Weirdly, the bottom two of the four chin vents, which are designed to direct air to the chin, are opened/closed by a separate slider on the inside of the chin guard. We’ve seen a system use a hidden slider before on AGV helmets, though I can’t remember another helmet with both external and internal sliders on one lid.

The top front vents are there to pull air through channels in the shock absorbing liner and around the scalp. Both these vents are closeable with sliders and all sliders are ok to operate in gloves – once you’ve got used to finding them!

Finally, there’s four exhaust vents to the rear – two towards the top and two near the collar.

Whatever the configuration, owners and reviewers who commented on ventilation were all very positive – so if good ventilation‘s important to you, which it probably will be if you go on the track regularly, then you should be good with the LS2 Arrow.

Visor

Like quite a few of the most recent track-focused helmets, there’s a very large visor aperture on the LS2 FF323.

When you’re on a sports bike in a tuck position, you need a high visor opening to be able to see ahead well and, like most modern racing helmets, having the maximum peripheral vision is important as well to see when someone’s ducking inside you (pretty damn vital when riding on the road too of course!). So LS2 have made a really large visor opening – one which several owners commented is excellent – including one guy saying it’s worth buying the Arrow for this feature alone!

The visor itself is a 3mm thick, class-A optically correct visor which means you should have distortion-free vision. It also comes with a Pinlock Max Vision anti-fog insert in the box too which is great (they’re worth around £30 alone and really good at reducing fogging).

It has an excellent quick-release visor mechanism too – press a lever and out it comes – that’s up there with some of the best we’ve seen.

Like many racing helmets, it has a locking mechanism to keep the visor closed at high speed (or when you’re rolling through a gravel trap!) but press the lock and the visor cracks open a little to let some air in, which is a nice feature.

I did notice one reviewer who mentioned that, while the visor has a ratchet mechanism, there’s not enough positions in the movement, i.e. the visor only has a cracked open and fully open ratchet position and nothing in between. Having said that, no other owners seem to have a problem with it (or didn’t think to mention it as a problem!) so it doesn’t seem to be much of an issue, and all in all the visor system on the LS2 FF323 Arrow seems to have pretty well every conceivable base covered!

LS2-FF323-Arrow-R-Burner-motorcycle-crash-helmet-rear-view — Fibreglass FF323 R Burner showing rear spoiler and vents

Comfort

The FF323 Arrow comes with a fully removable/washable internal comfort lining that’s hypoallergenic, moisture wicking and breathable.

It also has an emergency cheek pad removal system which could (but hopefully won’t!) be useful if you have an accident as it’s designed to help the emergency services remove your helmet more easily and reduce the chance of aggravating any neck/spine injuries while removing it.

As mentioned briefly above (and in pretty well all our reviews) the most important thing when buying any motorcycle helmet is to ensure your helmet fits correctly in the first place. That’s vitally important to ensure your helmet offers max protection in a crash. But it’s also important for comfort too – and especially with the LS2 FF323 Arrow because of its longer, narrower head form.

So if you’ve the right shaped head for the helmet and you get the fit right, then the FF323 Arrow seems to be a comfortable helmet.

Looks & Graphics

The LS2 FF323 Arrow is a reasonably aggressive and sporty looking helmet, and because of its race-bred development, there’s a couple of race replicas available in the form of the Hernandez and Vinales reps. There’s also the usual solid white black colours, but there’s also four other designs, the Comet, Ion, Matrix and Burner as well as a couple of nice carbon variants (plain carbon weave and hi-vis).

We’ve put examples of all these designs around the page; but helmet manufacturers are always releasing new designs and colours, so please check out the recommended retailer links below to drop onto their LS2 helmets pages and see the latest designs (and prices).

Best places to buy an LS2 Arrow helmet?

Please click below to visit the LS2 Arrow helmets pages at Amazon. 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).

LS2 FF323 Arrow Video

Here’s a dude from LS2 giving us a 3 minute look over the FF323 Arrow.

LS2-FF323-Arrow-R-Comet-Helmet-White-Black — White/black LS2 Arrow-R ‘Comet’

Other stuff – fasteners, weight, buffeting, build quality, chin curtain

Like all track-focused helmets, the LS2 FF323 Arrow has a double-d ring fastener. While they can be a bit fiddly, they’re about as safe as fasteners come and a must if you’re planning to take your helmet on the track.

Similarly, you don’t want a really heavy helmet on the track – or anywhere for that matter – so LS2 have worked hard to keep it as light as possible. The Fibreglass version weighs in at a very light 1.35Kg for the medium version (1.39Kg for the large) which is very respectable – the average for a full face helmet is about 1.48Kg.

Buffeting and stability have also benefited from the track development because owners reckon it’s a stable helmet with a slippery shape that reduces buffeting.

Many also commented on the great build quality of the LS2 FF323 Arrow – especially at this low price point and for such a well-featured helmet.

Finally, along with a Pinlock Max Vision in the box, you should find there’s a breath deflector and chin curtain already fitted and there to reduce noise and stop fogging.

LS2-FF323-Arrow-R-Ion-green-helmet-side-view — Arrow R Ion design FF323 (also available in cool matt black variant)

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Alternatives to the LS2 FF323 Arrow

You can find some cracking alternatives to the FF323 along with all our other sports bike crash helmet reviews on our sportsbike helmets page.

But if we were to pick out some other lower-priced sportsbike helmets (though not as low as the LS2!), then you might want to read about the Kabuto RT-33. That’s another SHARP 4 star tested sports bike helmet that is comfortable and surprisingly quiet.

AGVs lower priced sportsbike focused helmet is the AGV Corsa – that’s SHARP 5 star rated, light, and also has an optically-correct visor. Similar to the Corsa but a bit more sports-touring is the AGV GT Veloce – that’s another SHARP 5 star helmet with a wide/tall visor aperture but that’s a little less track-focused.

Finally, we suggest you check out the Shark Race-R Pro. Another SHARP 5 star lid, this one’s made from carbon fibre and is even lighter than the LS2 – though it’s a bit more expensive.

LS2-FF323-Arrow-carbon-fibre-crash-helmet — Looking into the FF323 Arrow Carbon – showing one of the red emergency cheek pad removal tabs

Overall/Summary

The LS2 FF323 Arrow is a great helmet – especially at this price. Track/sports focused helmets are usually at the upper end of the price range, but somehow, LS2 have managed to develop and sell a helmet you can see on the Moto GP grid at a fraction of the cost of their competitors.

It’s SHARP 4 star tested and FIM homologated, so is almost as safe as they come – which is not to say it’s perfect – you’ll need to have the right head shape to fit it.

But with its large visor opening, class-A optically correct visor, good ventilation – and a host of other useful features – if you’re in the market for a sportsbike helmet and you have a longer/narrower head shape, then you really should think about checking out the LS2 FF323 Arrow.

Best places to buy an LS2 Arrow?

Please click below to visit the LS2 Arrow helmets pages at Amazon. 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).

Star Ratings

Best ear plugs for riding a motorbike?

We always say that if you’re riding any distance, stick in some ear plugs to protect your hearing.

There’s loads of resources online to tell you exactly how noisy it gets when you ride your bike – but the bottom line is that you can do permanent damage to your hearing if you ride: the higher the speed, the longer the time and the less sound-insulating your helmet, the quicker you’ll damage your hearing.

So always wear plugs when you ride. Simple.

But are all ear plugs made equal? And if not, which ones should I use?

Well, I’ve been riding for 40 years (OK I started riding when I was ten – I’m not THAT old!) and I had no idea. I bought a massive pack of bog-standard foam ear plugs years ago and I’ve been slowly working my way through them, but I’ve no idea if they’re really any good.

So, I decided to splash out on a wide selection of cheaper foam ear plugs and road test them all to find out which work best.

I also bought a range of rubberised ‘musician’ style ear plugs. They’re designed to reduce noise more evenly across the frequency range without blocking up your hearing like foam plugs do. Which sounds great in principle though they’re much more expensive than foam plugs.

At the bottom of the article, we explain some of the ratings you’ll find on earplugs, how to fit them and how they work with bluetooth sets. But for now, on with the findings.

Page Contents

Control ear plugs

I’ve been wearing these plugs for years ever since I bought a gigantic bag from a long-forgotten dealer. I don’t think I’ve ever really looked at them in detail but turns out they’re called Max Lite and they’re from Howard Leight (SNR 34).

howard-leight-Max-Light-ear-plugs — My old ear plugs – Howard Leight Max Lights

I’ve had them for well over 10 years (might be closer to 20 even) and they seem to work well. Each pair were in a little bag that has kept them fresh for all that time with very little degradation – none that I’m aware of at least.

To fit them, I roll them up lengthways then push the tapered end in and let them expand. That’s the way you’re supposed to do it and they do stay in place and give a reasonable level of protection like that. I can hear people talk OK and get the impression that the worst of the noise is being cut out.

However, if I want more protection (which I do most of the time) I’ve also taken to rolling them up and fitting them with the big end first. I found this gives masses of noise protection – probably double the standard amount. The plugs seal my ear perfectly and hardly any noise gets in – to the point that, with my helmet on, I can barely hear anyone speak.

I suspect that folks with small ears probably won’t need/want to do this. But if you’ve got a larger head and larger ears, then you might want to give that a go too.

Motorbike Ear Plugs Test – Foam Plugs

Anyhow onto the test. I tested out a couple of pairs of each of the following ear plugs over a number of rides and I’ve jotted down how they seemed to me. Obviously, the results are entirely my perception but I hope you find it all helpful.

moldex-7600-Mellows-ear-plugs — Click pic to see details & buy on Amazon

Moldex 7600 Mellows (SNR 22)

The mellows look like your bog-standard foam ear plugs. Their 22 SNR rating means they should attenuate (i.e. cut out) 22 decibels of noise. (see bottom of the page for explanation). They were reasonably OK to fit, sealed well and I felt they gave a moderate amount of protection. They are flat-cut at the ends so not quite as comfortable for reverse fitting. Overall, I’m scoring these an average 5.

Average joe plugs that are easy to fit and cut out a reasonable amount of sound. Score – 5 > Here’s 20 pairs at a decent price on Amazon UK

3m-EAR-Classics-ear-plugs — Click pic to see details & buy on Amazon

3M E-A-R Classic (SNR 28)

These 3M Classics are yellow tubes – much bigger than your typical foam ear plug and a coarser foam which I thought might be rough on the ear. But they didn’t feel it, and, because they’re that much larger, they expanded really well in my ear to fully seal it and really cut out tons of noise. They score really highly on Amazon too.

So far, these will be my go-to ear plugs and score a 9. > Click here to visit Amazon UK – 20 pairs of EAR Classics

Moldex 7700 Pura-Fit (SNR 36)

moldex-7700Pura-Fit ear plugs — Click pic to see details & buy on Amazon

The Moldex look like your run of the mill ear plugs but they feel a bit firmer than most. Roll them up and stick em in and they fit nice and firmly. And crucially – as their higher SNR rating suggests – they cut out a decent amount of noise. They don’t feel quite as secure as the 3M Classics for me, and because they don’t pack your ear tubes tight in the same way, they let in more noise. But if you’ve smaller earholes or the 3Ms feel too tight and uncomfortable, then these feel comfy and put less pressure on your ears.

Good quality, fitting and noise reduction. Score – 7.5 > Here’s a great deal for Moldex on Amazon

Howard Leight Bilsom 303L (SNR 33)

howard-leight-Bilsom-303s-ear-plugs — Click pic to see details & buy on Amazon

Like most foam earplugs, these Bilsom 303L (the L stands for large but you can get them in M or S too) are made from polyurethane, and their SNR 33 rating means they should be good for medium to high noise environments. I found they fit compressed/expanded quickly and gave a similar level of noise suppression to the Moldex 7700s.

Decent noise suppression, good fit and comfortable. Score – 7 > Here’s a good deal for a 20 pack on Amazon

3M 1100 (SNR 37)

3m 1100 earplugs — Click pic to see details & buy on Amazon

Polyurethane foam plugs These come in one size only which is suitable for a larger adult. The foam on these plugs is pretty firm and I found them more difficult to get a decent tight seal. After adjusting them a few times (i.e. poking them in further) I got a decent seal and they really quietened things down. But because they took more adjusting to get it right, I’m going to mark them down a bit.

Firmer ear plugs that are tricky to put in right. Score – 6 > Here’s a box of 50 for under a tenner on Amazon

Howard Leight Laser Lites (SNR 35)

howard-leight-laser-lite-ear-plugs — Click pic to see details & buy on Amazon

These are another set of polyurethane foam plugs. The foam on these Laser Lite’s is nice and soft and pliable, making them easy to roll up to insert in your ears and soft when they expand. I found them best if they’re reversed for my ears (see ear plug fitting below) and plugs like this with a T-shaped bottom end rather than flat-cut plugs like the rest on this test are best for a comfortable reverse fit. When they were in, they were really comfortable and cut out loads of noise.

Soft plugs that work well. Score – 9 > Click here to check out a pack of 20 for next to nothing on Amazon!

Motorbike Ear Plugs Test – Pinlock and Ear Peace

These plugs are rubberised – either silicon rubber or TPE (which is a plastic-based elastic polymer) – and have two or three lobes running along them. The lobes are designed to fit the ear canal and stop sound getting into your ear while the sound management is carried out by the central hollow section which has a noise-attenuating central filter.

Apparently, this type of ear plug was made popular by musicians who need to protect their hearing but still need to be able to hear a wide range of frequencies and talk to people in the studio or when playing live.

On your motorbike, they’re made to reduce harmful frequencies but still allow you to hear a range of sounds – from the sound of your Akrapovic or induction roar to hearing Bob talk about his latest daring overtakes when you pull over for a cuppa.

Pinlock Ear Plugs (SNR 24)

Pinlock are known for their excellent range of antifog inserts. But they also make ear plugs. Each pack comes in a nifty pocket-friendly foam box and include two pairs of earplugs – M and L.

To insert these plugs, Pinlock suggests you reach around behind your head, pull the top of your ear up and out, then insert the plugs. It feels a bit like a yoga move and isn’t the easiest if you’re wearing your winter gear, but to be fair to Pinlock, most ear plug makers suggest the same because it opens up your ear canal so when you put the plug in and let go, it should form a nice tight seal.

Putting the plugs in, they’re very flexible and don’t really give you the same feedback that foam plugs do. But once seated, they felt reasonably comfortable.

Out on the road, they do cut wind noise and you can hear other noises too. But I found when I upped it to motorway speeds, they didn’t cut out wind blast like a good pair of foam plugs do.

I tested them over several rides, back to back with the Ear Peace plugs (below) and never really felt like they were giving me the same protection as the foam plugs. I suspect if you tend to stay at lower speeds, they will be good but if you ride quickish, then they struggle to handle the increased wind blast.

TPE reusable plugs that don’t match the best foam plugs but let you hear more frequencies. Score – 5.0 > Here’s a pack on sale at SportsBikeShop.

Ear Peace High Fidelity Ear Plugs (SNR26)

Ear Peace actually sent me a couple of sets of these plugs out of the blue (thanks!). They come with 3 plugs in the pack, plus an aluminium holder and three filter sets. I always used the highest protecting black filters but there are high (SNR20) and medium (SNR17) included too.

Ear Peace motorcycle ear plugs — Click to visit Amazon and see more details.

Just like the Pinlock plugs, they were tricky to get in and seat right. But once I did, they worked about the same as the Pinlocks, attenuating some wind rush but not enough when I upped the pace. They sat comfortably in the ear though and if being able to chat to your mates is important (or hearing the howl of your exhaust) then you might find them worth it.

I found the Ear Peace had the edge over the Pinlocks slightly, but only just. I guess that may reflect the fact their highest filter setting attenuates noise by 2db more, because in all other respects, they seemed more or less identical.

Silicon rubber plugs to cut out wind blast but are tricky to fit. Score – 5.5 > Here’s a pack with metal holder on Amazon.

So which are the best ear plugs?

Well, after riding with the 3M E-A-R Classics and the Laser Lites, I’ve found both work amazingly well. But after using both for about 3 years now, the Laser Lites have edged it for me.

The E-A-R Classics might not have the highest noise cancelling rating (SNR rating) but they’re big, fit well and knocked off lots of noise when I tried them. Maybe it’s because they fit so easily and well that they seemed to cancel out just as much noise as higher rated ear plugs.

Click above for a cheap 20 pack out on Amazon

But they were also slightly less comfortable over long term use for me so I switched to the Laser Lites and I’ve never looked back.

They roll up nice and small but expand comfortably in your ear. And a pair lasts and lasts so they’re amazing value for money too.

Click above for a cheap 20 or 50 pair pack

So I’d recommend both of the above plugs. If you try both, I’m convinced you’ll find one or the other works great for you too.

And if you’ve smaller ears, you’ll find many of the plugs I tested available in smaller sizes too.

I also found some of the other soft polyurethane foam plugs worked well, especially if I reversed the fitting so the fat end was pushed in first. For me, they generally needed a bit more fiddling around with to get the fit just right, though having said that the Max Lites I’ve been using for about 20 years worked well and usually take me about 10 or so seconds to fit so they can’t be too much of a nuisance!

How to fit your ear plugs

They’re all designed to be rolled lengthways between the fingers so the foam is tightly compressed, then pushed in the ear canal, pointy end first (except for the 3M E-A-Rs where you can use either end).

Most folks I’ve spoken to reckon they pretty much ram them in and they might need pushing in a couple of times before the plugs expand adequately and deeply enough to seal the ear canal.

Personally, with the soft foam plugs I’ve tended to use, I push them in fat end first so there’s more plug to expand and fill the ear. It works for me but if your ears are small and/or you use firmer ear plugs, you might find that’s a bit uncomfortable. And I didn’t need to at all with the 3M EARs.

If you’ve got the right plugs and they’re in tightly, you should find it tricky to hear someone talk nearby.

Ear plugs and bluetooth communicators

You should be OK to wear ear plugs and hear your bluetooth at the same time. It sounds slightly counter-intuitive, but wearing ear plugs can actually make it easier to hear your headset at speed because you’re cutting out all the windblast noise. At least, that’s what I’ve found.

My bluetooth is a very cheap set bought off amazon (that’s the one, in the ad below) but as long as the headphones are positioned well inside the helmet, I can hear other riders up to about 70 mph while wearing ear plugs – which I’m happy with.

It’s very much an entry-level bluetooth set that sticks onto the outside of the helmet with sticky velcro – but it’s waterproof with good connectivity and I’ve found it a great starter kit for not very much money, especially if you’re wanting to experiment with bluetooth intercoms (or want to take an audio feed from your bluetooth GPS or Google Maps).

What are NRR & SNR ratings?

SNR stands for Single Number Rating and is an International ISO standard for noise reduction.

NRR is the US equivalent and stands for Noise Reduction Rating.

You’ll often find both numbers on the packaging of your ear plugs and the higher the number, the better the noise suppression.

SNR is an average figure because different ear plugs will reduce different frequencies at different levels. But the SNR rating shows the number of decibels the ear plugs will cut out.

NRR works the same. The NRR rating is the number of decibels (dbs) the ear plug attenuates (reduces the noise by). Because of the way sound attenuation is tested in the labs, some official bodies recommend dividing the NRR rating by two (and sometimes more) to get the true level of attenuation – but I’m not aware of any similar recommended calculation for motorcyclists.

As a biker you may well just want maximum protection – so in general, choose an ear plug with a high rating. In industry, folks carefully choose how much noise they want cutting out so they don’t damage their hearing but can still communicate – so may opt for some of the rubberised type of plugs like the Pinlock or Ear Peaces above. Personally, when riding my motorcycle, the more noise I cut out, the better.

What are H/M/L Ratings?

You’ll sometimes find an H, M or L rating on your ear plugs. This stands for High, Medium and Low frequency and gives a numerical rating to the amount of high, medium and low frequency sound they cut out.

OK, now grab yourself some of the best earplugs and go RIDE!

AGV K5/K5S Full Face Crash Helmet

Page Contents

AGV K5 & K5S: Review of AGVs Composite Fibre Sports/Touring Helmet

AGVs K5 is designed to fill an important gap for AGV – a mass-market sports/touring motorcycle helmet with a composite shell, at a middle-of-the-road price.

It’s a bit like making a wine to sell at a £6.99 price point – that’s where the majority of the market is so you need to blend everything just right to hit that sweet spot.

And on the face of it, the K5 looks like being a good vintage.

Sports-touring full face helmet
SHARP 4 star safety rated (K5)
ECE 22.05 & DOT certified
Carbon/fibreglass composite shell
Double-D ring fastener
1.55Kg (slightly heavier than average)
Sun visor
Available in sizes XS-XL (with MS & ML)
Price range:
- K5 £190-£220 (deals to be found – click links below)
- K5S £220-£280

agv-k5-crash-helmet-naked-red — The AGV K5 in Naked Red scheme

AGV K5 and K5S

In 2017 AGV launched an updated K5 called the K5S. The S version has an improved bottom profile and padding to help reduce the possibility of damage to the collar bone during an accident and an improved comfort liner to reduce any prominent seams (though the standard K5 is a really comfortable helmet). The K5S also comes with a Pinlock anti-fog insert in the box.

Best places to buy an AGV K5S?

Please click below to visit the AGV K5S helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Safety

The AGV K5 is both DOT and ECE certified and, as of August 2015, was tested by SHARP and awarded four stars, making the AGV K5 one of the safest helmets around (to date only a handful of helmets still on the market have scored 5/5 and you can find them all on this site in our 5 star SHARP rating section). Both the K5 and the K5S share the same helmet shell.

That excellent rating was always on the cards because AGV are one of our safest crash helmet manufacturers, and the most recent AGV helmets that have been tested by SHARP have scored either four or five stars (out of five) we were pretty sure the K5 would be right up there in terms of safety.

agv-k5s-motorbike-helmet-Hurricane-black-green — This one’s the AGV K5S in Hurricane black/green

AGV have cut corners slightly with the K5 by producing only two shell sizes. However, they do use four different densities of polystyrene lining inside the shell (the EPS lining) which is designed to absorb shocks more effectively. It should also help with making the fit more comfortable.

The shell of the K5 is a composite of carbon and fibreglass that’s designed to be structurally strong yet lighten the helmet. And with a medium size K5 lid weighing in at around a smidge under 1.4Kg, that’s light enough for it to fit into our ‘lightest helmets‘ category. So they’ve done a good job there.

For comparison, the (slightly higher-tech composite) AGV Corsa is about 1.35Kg. But then it’s over double the price.

That’s all reflected in the fact that owners almost universally reckon that their K5 feels nice and light – so if that’s what you’re after, you’ll probably not be disappointed with a K5.

Helmet Noise

The AGV K5 has a nice aerodynamic shape that should help with reducing noise. However, there’s mixed reports from owners as to how quiet it is.

Opinions seem to range from pretty noisy to very quiet with opinions spread equally in between.

As usual, it’s very much down to individual perception, usually based on things like the way you ride, the type of motorbike you ride and how noisy your last helmets have been. So we’ll plump for a score of about average noise.

Like any helmet though, stick in some decent earplugs and not only will you be protecting your long-term hearing but more or less any helmet you wear will feel pretty quiet!

agv-k5-crash-helmet-naked-blk-silver-front-view — K5 Naked, this time in black and silver – showing front vents

Aero & Ventilation

AGV make a big thing about the wind tunnel design of the K5.

It’s been designed with two chin vents, two brow vents and a crown vent – and with a closeable rear exhaust vent – with the airflow tailored to push air into the vents.

The exhaust sits under a rear spoiler that’s been designed into the shell itself and is there to help with stability at speed, as well as help suck air out of the exhaust. Like other recent AGVs, the front area is fairly pointy, designed to reduce buffeting and improve stability too.

And owners seem to agree that the aero does its job, with little buffeting at speed and a feeling that the aerodynamics help it slip through the air.

As to ventilation, overall, owners seem to agree that the K5 is very well vented, pulling in lots of air and keeping you nice and cool in hot weather.

There are some complaints of stiff vents as well as the two brow vents being difficult to find and open in gloved hands because they’re so smooth and close fitting. Also, a couple of complaints that the chin vent – found underneath and inside the helmet, is difficult to operate in gloves.

But other than those niggles, ventilation seems to be great on the K5.

AGV-K5-You-motorbike-crash-helmet-side-view — K5 You with both visors dropped down fully

Visor

The K5 has a clear main visor as well as an internal sun visor. The main visor is designed to be wider than normal for improved peripheral vision and is Pinlock-ready. Note however, a few owners complained that if you’re using the K5 tucked-in on a sports bike with a Pinlock fitted, the top of the Pinlock can get in your line of vision.

If you go for the S version of the K5, you’ll get a Pinlock antifog included in the box (you sometimes do with the K5 but check with your retailer before buying).

It also features AGVs latest quick release visor system (or XQRS GT2) as featured in our AGV GT Veloce review – and owners broadly love it because it’s easy to use (one owner said he could swap visors in under 30s on his K5).

Like pretty well all modern visors, it also protects against UV light.

Sun Visor

The sun visor is good on the K5 but has the usual complaints that you’ll actually find levelled at lots of drop down sun visors.

The main complaint is that it’s too light – something that’s common across drop down sun visors because of legal limits for tinting in lots of countries. A few people wished the area that fits around the nose was tighter too so it didn’t let so much light in.

AGV-K5-Roadracer-motorbike-crash-helmet-top-down-view — Top-down view of the K5 RoadRacer

But again, it’s designed to fit lots of people’s noses so you can only see if it works for your nose by trying the helmet on first.

Other than that, the sun visor works well.

Comfort and Sizing

The AGV K5 is designed to fit the vast majority of head shapes – that’s the intermediate oval (though a couple of folks with longer, narrower heads did say it fits them just fine).

Sizing is just about right with the K5, so you should be able to follow our helmet fitting guide and order the correct one without a problem.

Provided you get a K5 that fits right in the first place, owners say it’s a really comfortable crash helmet. The liner’s fully removable and washable and made from AGVs Dri-lex moisture wicking material.

In fact, saying just how comfortable it is, is the number one comment from owners of the K5 with a few saying it’s the most comfortable helmet they’ve ever owned. So it’s surprising that AGV updated the liner on the K5 with the K5S – they redesigned it slightly so there’s no stitching/seams in sensitive areas.

agv-k5s-motorbike-helmet-dark-storm-matt-black-yellow — Side view of the S version in Dark Storm design

If you’re a glasses wearer, the K5 comes with glasses grooves to accommodate your glasses’ stems although a couple of owners have said it’s still tricky to get your glasses on in the first place with the K5 as things are a bit tight (though one said it was a minor point and they probably just had to get the hang of it).

Best places to buy an AGV K5S helmet?

Please click below to visit the AGV K5S helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

AGV K5 Video

AGV-k5-drift-grey-rear-view-crash-helmet — Rear view of the K5 Drift grey/white

Other stuff – fastener, communicator, warranty

The K5 comes with a double-d ring strap and – in the UK – it should come with an ACU gold sticker so you can take it on the track if that’s your thing; though as usual, you might want to check with your retailer first as it’s up to the distributor to put the sticker on.

Double-d rings are easy to use and reliable fasteners, and encourage you to tighten the strap up correctly each time you put the helmet on, so that’s all fine.

The K-5 is AGV Share System ready. Share System is a communicator that allows rider-to-rider, mobile phone and GPS connectivity. Owners of other communicators say there’s nice large speaker pockets and a couple of owners said it works well with their Sena 10s systems too.

Finally, the AGV K5 comes with a 2 year warranty.

agv-k5s-crash-helmet-Hero-black-red — Hero K5S in matt black/red

Overall/Summary

When we previewed the AGV K5, we thought it would tick a lot of the right boxes. But helmets can look great on paper but be rubbish on the road.

Well, we’re pleased to report that owners seem to love their K5s. It’s light, it’s comfortable, the build quality is the usual AGV (i.e. great), the aero’s good so there’s not much buffeting and the visor system works well. Oh, and there’s that excellent SHARP safety result. Of course, there’s one or two niggles (there always is with every helmet) but the AGV K5 appears to work well exactly where AGV hoped it would: it’s probably not for you if you’re on the track all the time, but for sporty and touring riders (not to mention folks who commute on their bikes) the AGV K5 is a fantastic helmet that should prove an excellent buy.

Alternatives to the AGV K5

The HJC IS 17 is one of the best full face helmets around if you’re after value for money and performance. It can be bought for well under the price of the K5 and scored a massive five stars in the SHARP helmet safety test.

AGV-K5-drift-red-crash-helmet — This is the AGV K5 in Drift (red/black) colour scheme

If you’re after an AGV, the GT Veloce also scored maximum marks on the SHARP test. There’s one or two niggles reported (see the review), but all round, it’s a very competent full face helmet.

We’d also say, check out the excellent HJC FG-ST. That’s a SHARP 5 star rated full face helmet with sun visor and Pinlock included in the box – for about the same money as the K5. It’s also Ride magazine recommended.

Finally, how about the X-Lite X-702 GT? That’s another SHARP 5 star safety rated touring helmet with a sun visor, this time from another Italian maker X-Lite (part of the Nolan Group). It’s a tiny bit more expensive than the AGV K5 though.

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Best places to buy an AGV K5S?

Please click below to visit the AGV K5S helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Star Ratings

Full Review of the Shark Ridill Motorcycle Helmet

Page Contents

Shark’s entry-level all-rounder – the Shark Ridill full face helmet

The Shark Ridill is the replacement for that good ole stalwart, the Shark S700S. The S700S was a great all-rounder: a SHARP 4 Star safety rated helmet that performed pretty well in every respect and didn’t cost a ton.

And the Ridill looks like a promising successor for those on a budget (that’s most of us, right?). So we scoured the web for tons of feedback on what the Ridill offers and what owners and riders think of their helmets. Here’s what we came up with…

Polycarbonate helmet
Entry level all-rounder full face
SHARP 4 star safety tested
Drop down sun visor
Glasses groove
Weight 1.55Kg
Micrometric fastener
Pinlock anti-fog insert included (check retailer)
5 year warranty
Sizes XS-XL
Expect to pay £130-£160

Best places to buy a Shark Ridill?

Please click the links below to drop straight onto the Ridill helmets pages at our recommended stores. 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).

shark-ridill-motorcycle-helmet-tika-front-view — Nice modern design and cool graphics: the Shark Ridill Tika

Helmet Safety

If you compare the Shark Ridill with the outgoing 700s, you can see the similarities in the overall helmet shell design. Both look pretty modern but the new Ridill’s definitely got the edge with lots of cut-outs and sculpted mouldings.

The Ridill’s been tested by the helmet testing gurus at SHARP where it scored a very solid four out of five stars. And it’s also passed the mandatory ECE 22/05 safety test that all helmets on sale in the EU must pass. That’s a pretty rigorous test in itself; and together they mean the Ridill should give you an excellent level of rider protection.

One other thing worth mentioning is that Shark are our current joint-second placed safest crash helmet brand. Of the 24 helmets tested to date, their overall score is (a frankly amazing) 4.3 stars out of 5, with their last four polycarbonate helmets scoring three four stars and one five.

Which is starting to make us think if you’re after excellent protection, you can pretty much always trust a Shark (go on, there’s a quote for you Shark 😉

shark-ridill-motorcycle-helmet-in-gloss-black-front-view — Gloss black Ridill

Test scores apart, the Shark Ridill comes with a Pinlock-ready visor and Pinlock antifog insert in the box (but double-check with the retailer first). In pure safety terms, having a fog-free visor is essential and a Pinlock, while not perfect, is one of the best hands-off ways to keep your visor fog free.

The visor is also quick-release so there’s no excuse not to whip it off after a ride to clean the muck and flies off it and keep your forward vision in tip-top condition.

The Ridill comes with a micrometric fastener which are both easy to use and safe as houses (provided you occasionally check it’s adjusted correctly – see here for more details about micrometric fasteners or use the link above to see every helmet we’ve reviewed that comes with a micrometric fastener).

All in all, the Shark Ridill is a more entry-level helmet that’s made from polycarbonate. And while that’s probably the most conventional and unsexiest of the helmet materials, there’s many polycarb helmets that score maximum points in SHARP tests and at this stage, there’s no reason to doubt the Ridill won’t provide very good protection indeed (and every reason to suspect it will!).

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

Shark helmets are generally well-built and have decent aero properties – both helping keep in-helmet noise to a minimum.

And it seems to have worked pretty well with the Ridill. Despite the Ridill not coming with a chin curtain (which usually helps reduce wind and noise coming into the helmet from below), owners reckon noise-suppression is anywhere between OK and good.

Ventilation

One of the few things Shark say about the Ridill is that the ventilation is ‘optimized by means of numerical simulation (computational fluid dynamics)’. Well thanks for clearing that up!

For those among us lacking doctorates in fluid dynamics (!), there’s a single large chin vent that’s operated by a large flip-panel. On the crown there’s a couple of separate vents operated by small sliders that should be easy to find and use in gloves.

shark-ridill-motorcycle-helmet-blank-white-rear-view — Lovely clutter-free design. Only you’d expect some exhaust vents too…!

Unlike the outgoing S700S – and pretty well every other modern helmet out there at the moment – there aren’t any rear exhaust vents in the shell of the helmet to aid the air flow through the helmet and extraction of stale air out the back.

That does help with making a pleasantly clutter-free rear helmet design, but from a ventilation standpoint it’s pretty surprising.

Having said that, ventilation on the Ridill is decent – not good enough to stop the visor misting up if you don’t use a Pinlock, but gives a reasonable level of head ventilation according to owners.

If a helmet with lots of ventilation is important to you, you’re probably best taking a look at our helmets with great ventilation pages.

Visor

The Ridill has a quick-release main visor that’s Pinlock ready; and comes with a drop-down sun visor.

The main visor works on a ratchet mechanism and has the opening tab on the left hand side (rather than the middle – or even top). Both of those are broadly preferred by most people so ‘good one’ Shark.

All Ridill’s come with a Pinlock-ready visor and some shops include the Pinlock in the box. A Pinlock is a must if you ride in cool weather, or even somewhere it’s often humid, so check with the retailer first before you buy to make sure yours comes with a Pinlock. If it’s not, it’s going to cost you about £30 so well worth asking first.

The sun visor is operated using the slider on the top of the crown. It’s not the best place for the sun visor slider but most folks get used to it pretty quickly and if you’ve not had an integrated sun visor in your helmet before, they’re well worth it. Personally, I’m unlikely to buy a helmet without one these days (so speaks the voice of someone who’s just spent an hour squinting into the sun while riding over the Pennines!).

shark-ridill-motorcycle-helmet-oxyd-front-view — This one’s the Ridill Oxyd in black, grey and pink

Overall, for a helmet towards the budget end of the price range, the Ridill covers all the bases and offers most of the functionality you’ll need from your visor – ratchet clear main visor, Pinlock antifog and drop down sun visor: all present and correct.

Comfort & Sizing

The Ridill is available in sizes XS-XL. Inside there’s a removable/washable liner and there’s glasses grooves in the sides to make it easier to insert your glasses’ stems and stop them digging into the side of your head while riding.

Shark is known for creating decent quality, comfortable linings on their helmets and that’s reflected in owner’s opinions.

Sizing of the Ridill is reported to be about spot on and, providing you get the correct sized helmet in the first place, gives a snug and comfortable fit. Comments like ‘love the fit,’ and ‘comfortable and lightweight,’ and ‘found it comfortable in summer and winter,’ are typical.

Looks & Graphics

At the time of writing, there’s six different designs available with a few different colour schemes in each. We’ve put examples of the plain/solid versions along with the Kengal, Skyd, Finks, Tika and Oxyd. But as usual there’s new designs and colour options coming out reasonably regularly through the year so it’s worth clicking through to our recommended retailers below to see the latest designs and check out any offers going on.

shark-ridill-motorcycle-helmet-kengal-orange-red-rear-view — Kengal graphics – also in black/white/red and white/black/silver

Best places to buy a Shark Ridill helmet?

Please click the links below to drop straight onto the Shark Ridill helmets pages at our recommended stores. 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).

Shark Ridill Video

Here’s a very quick video rotating a Shark Ridill Skyd so you can have a 360 degree look around it.

Other stuff: weight, build quality, warranty

Weight

Because the Ridill is a polycarbonate helmet, it was never going to be the lightest helmet in the world. Shark quote figures of around 1.55Kg (3.44lbs) which is very much the average weight for a polycarbonate full face helmet so you shouldn’t have a problem with weight.

shark-ridill-motorcycle-helmet-skyd-mat-black-front-view — Shark Ridill Skyd in moody blacks and greys. Sun visor slider’s on the top of the helmet

Build quality and warranty

The Ridill hasn’t been out very long, but reports are coming back that the build quality is fine with decent quality materials and components used throughout: just don’t expect the world as this is one of Shark’s entry-level helmets.

And don’t forget, every Shark helmet is supported by their outstanding 5 year warranty which is as long as the helmet’s designed to last.

Overall/Summary

Shark has an excellent reputation for producing some great helmets. Their top-of-the range helmets adorn pretty much every racing grid in the world and they’re consistently at the sharp end of our safest helmets brands list.

And, true to form, the Ridill scored four stars in the SHARP safety test meaning it should offer excellent protection in an accident. And with its cool looks, wide range of funky designs, as well as drop down sun visor and Pinlock-ready visor, we reckon the Ridill will provide pretty much everything most riders will need in a helmet – at a reasonably competitive price point.

That’s all backed by owners who rate the helmet highly in pretty well every respect. Sure, it’s built to the price and you won’t get quite the same build quality from a helmet at twice the price, but the majority of owners seem very happy with the balance between value for money and helmet performance from the Ridill.

If you think the Ridill is the helmet you want, we say go for it. Or alternatively, check out some of our suggested tried, tested and recommended helmets below.

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

shark-ridill-motorcycle-helmet-finks-white-green-black-rear-view — This one’s the Ridill Finks in white/green/black

Alternatives to the Shark Ridill?

So you’re after a helmet that’s going to give you great protection in an accident but not break the bank? Here’s some helmets we suggest having a look at…

How about the AGV K3 SV or the Scorpion Exo 410 Air? The AGV is SHARP 4 star safety rated, has a drop down internal sun visor and it comes with a Pinlock antifog insert in the box. It’s from well-respected maker AGV (they make Valentino Rossi’s helmet no less) and it’s a smidge lighter than the Ridill.

The Scorpion 410 Air is a bit cheaper than the AGV or the Shark and comes with an optically-correct visor along with its innovative air pump system to get the fit just right and a SHARP 4 star safety rating too. There’s no drop down sun visor with the Scorpion though.

If you’re interested in something a bit more up market – take a look at the SHARP 5 star rated HJC FG-ST. It’s a few quid more but is as safe as they come, has a Pinlock Max Vision antifog included in the box and a fibreglass shell. It’s also Ride magazine recommended.

shark-ridill-motorcycle-helmet-tika-blue-front-view — Shark Ridill Tika in blue/black

And if you’re open to the idea of a modular helmet, the Caberg Duke is about the safest modular out there. Not only is it SHARP 5 star rated, but that chin guard stayed closed and locked in 87% of the impact tests (which is a very good combination of results!). It comes with a Pinlock anti-fog insert in the box, weighs about the same as the Ridill and can be found for a few pounds less than the Ridill if you’re open to a plain version.

Best places to buy a Shark Ridill?

Please click the links below to drop straight onto the Ridill helmets pages at our recommended stores. 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).