Schuberth E1 Flip-up/Adventure helmet review

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Schuberth E1 Adventure/modular crash helmet – full review

Fibreglass shell
Modular/adventure helmet combo
SHARP 3 star safety rated
Adjustable peak
Integral sun visor
Optically-correct main visor
Sizes XS-XXXL
5 year warranty
Expect to pay £400-£530

Best places to buy a Schuberth E1?

Please click below to visit the Schuberth E1 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).

Just when you thought you’d seen every helmet design going, Schuberth have created the E1 – a combination of a flip-up and dual-sport helmet.

schuberth E1 Guardian helmet — E1 in Guardian graphics

Their goal for the E1 was to produce a versatile lid that’ll give the utility of a full face (good protection plus sound and wind insulation), the freedom of a flip-up (easy to get on and freedom to use in open-face mode with the chin guard up) yet with the characteristics of an adventure helmet.

Which sounds like a great idea to us.

Like all Schuberth helmets, they’re designed in the wind tunnel to reduce buffeting and noise. And you also get great attention to detail and Schuberth’s outstanding build quality as part of the package too. But then, so you should at this price point.

And the design’s been thought through too. You don’t need to move the sun peak to open the chin guard, and the peak itself is adjustable too. Also, the main visor is class one optically clear, meaning you shouldn’t get any distortion through it.

And if it gets too sunny, the E1 also features a drop down sun visor. Nice.

schuberth-e1-motorbike-helmet-in-radiant-white-side-view — Schuberth E1 in Radiant graphics

Safety

Schuberth have a reasonable reputation for producing safe helmets.

Of the six helmets they’ve had tested at the SHARP helmet testing labs so far, they’ve scored an average of 3 out of a maximum of 5 stars. The last two fibreglass helmets scored one four stars (Schuberth SR1) and a three stars (Schuberth C3 Pro).

And because the E1 is essentially the same helmet as the C3 Pro but with a different chin bar and sun peak, it’s no real surprise that when SHARP tested the E1, it scored the same 3 star rating.

You can get an idea from the graphic of where it dropped marks – but note that’s for just one of the tests (the 8.5 m/s test) so doesn’t give the whole picture.

By the way, SHARP doesn’t just test the helmet. When they test modular helmets, they record how often their chin guards come unlocked (see our guide to SHARP testing for more information on that) – and Schuberth has a history of doing very well in this respect.

But the E1 did drop a few percentage points here, with the chin bar staying locked and closed in 93% of the tests. Which is actually a pretty good score if you look across all tested system helmets; though whether that’s a good enough score for you, I’ll leave for you to decide.

The E1 also features Schuberth’s AROS chin strap – designed to reduce the possibility of your helmet coming off during an accident. That’s a real problem in bike accidents so it’s good that Schuberth are doing their bit to reduce the chances of helmet roll-off.

Other safety features include a micrometric fastener and drop down sun visor – that’s not just there for comfort but can be a real god send, along with the peak/roost guard, if a low sun catches you out unexpectedly!

Schuberth-E1-modular-helmet-in-guardian-yellow-side-view — Guardian E1s also come in red/black/white

Helmet Noise

Schuberth uses a lot of wind tunnel testing in the design of their helmets to try and make helmets that are as slippery as possible. A slippery helmet equals a helmet that’s less prone to buffeting and is quieter as there are fewer corners for the air to ‘catch’ on.

To give you an idea of just how far they go, they’ve even put tiny triangluar ‘turbulators’ on the top of their visors to break up the wind flow and remove the chance of the edge of the visor catching air and creating noise.

Of course, like all dual-sports and offroad helmets, the E1 has a huge sun peak/roost guard slapped onto the top of the helmet, so you’d expect that at least to make a bit of a racket, right?

Well, by massive agreement of folks who own an E1, they reckon it’s a very quiet helmet indeed. Even with that huge peak, most owners say that the E1 is one of – if not THE quietest helmet they’ve ever owned.

Part of that is undoubtedly down to the careful wind-tunnel designed helmet shell. But other factors like the removable neck roll, clever ventilation routing and internal comfort padding all play their part.

But whatever the reason, most folks who own a Schuberth E1 are very impressed with how quiet it is.

schuberth-E1-chin-guard-and-vent — Large chin vent on the E1 – with washable foam filter behind

Ventilation

Similarly, owners say that the ventilation’s great.

Schuberth have created a chin guard with a nice large vent in the front. And there’s a single crown vent that pulls air into the helmet through channels in the shock absorbing lining and around the scalp.

That chin guard vent especially lets in lots of air, and both vents are easy to open in gloves. That chin vent also has a washable foam filter behind it for when it gets clogged by off road dirt.

Pretty well all owners said that the ventilation is great. Even riders who regularly ride in temperatures around 100 degrees (I wish!) reckoned it pulls in enough air to keep them (relatively) cool. The only time it seems to struggle is if you’re riding off-road in the sun when it could do with a larger opening to fit goggles and give more ventilation.

Other than that – and for most of us road warriors – the ventilation on the Schuberth E1 should be just fine.

Visor

Like the visors on all Schuberth helmets, the visor on the E1 is class 1 optically correct, meaning there shouldn’t be any distortion. The visor’s also Pinlock anti-fog ready and a Pinlock insert should come in the box – but always double-check with your retailer before you buy.

schuberth-e1-motorcycle-helmet-crossfire-in-orange-side-view — Sun peak on the E1 Crossfire is locked with the orange locking tab – and removed using the circular finger screw

The visor on the E1 is the same visor as the C3 pro, so they’re interchangeable if you need to order a new one.

Most owners say the field of view is nice and wide too and also that the quick release visor mechanism is one of the best. So all good with the visor on the E1.

Sun Peak/Roost Guard

The sun peak/roost guard has been well designed too.

It’s 3 way adjustable by just moving the peak up or down with one hand. And when you’ve got it at the right position, there’s a locking switch that’ll hold it in that position. Simple.

If you have it in the lowest position, a few owners commented that it’s great at shielding your eyes from a low sun. In that position, it doesn’t even get in the way if you decide you want to open the chin guard. Because whatever the position the peak is in, the peak rotates back when the chin guard’s raised. Then when you drop the chin guard down, it rotates back down to the original position. Great design.

A few owners were worried that the sun peak might wobble or vibrate when they’re riding along on the road (quite a few do). But must owners agree that it’s pretty much as solid as a rock. Yes, one or two owners did say it vibrates a bit, but more say it doesn’t. We reckon that’s going to be a bit dependent on the type of bike you ride and things like whether you’ve got a screen up or not – so it’s impossible to say that you won’t have a problem at all.

But like one owner said – if you have a problem, you can usually rotate the peak out of sight or out of the airflow so it doesn’t bother you. And if it’s still a problem, with the quick removal system, it takes just a couple of seconds to take it off entirely. Job done.

Sun Visor

The E1 has a drop down sun visor too. That’s not class-one optically correct and neither is it anti-fog (which to be fair, most sun visor’s aren’t!)

It operates using the slider on the bottom of the left side of the helmet (one of the best places for it) and while a couple of owners said it’s probably a bit too lightly tinted, that’s not really the fault of Schuberth as it’s a legal thing in most countries to ensure vision’s not impared too much.

It’s also something lots of us moan about from time to time, so far from just a Schuberth problem.

Other than that, we reckon it’s well worth having a sun visor on your helmet these days, and the sun visor on the E1 works well.

schuberth-e1-flip-up-helmet-hunter-blue-black-side-view — The Hunter E1 – available in blue and red

Off Road performance

Of course, a dual sport helmet needs to be good for off as well as on-road performance.

The Schuberth E1 has the ability to remove the visor so you can wear goggles, and it has that large roost guard to protect your face from flying rocks and dirt.

There’s also a removable and washable foam filter on the vent in the chin guard. It’s there to stop dirt and dust getting through and it’s something we see on lots of motocross helmets, so that’s useful.

However, all’s not rosy on the off-road front.

A few owners said that visor opening isn’t large enough to fit most goggles. And that also means there’s not as much area to let in the tons of ventilation serious off roaders need – especially if you’re riding in the sun.

There’s no groove around the back of the helmet to hold the goggle’s strap in place either. And of course if you want to open up the chin guard while you’ve got goggles on, you’re gonna come unstuck.

So while it’s OK for some off roading, the E1 is no real replacement for a motocross helmet. Which I’m guessing is probably not that much of a surprise – or problem – for most folks looking for a dual sports helmet, who’ll mostly use it on the road anyway.

schuberth_e1_gloss-white — Gloss white E1

Chin Guard

The chin guard on the Schuberth E1 is opened by a single button underneath the guard.

Press the button and move the chin guard up and the visor and sun peak move up too. Drop the guard down and they both move down again to their original position.

As we mentioned in the safety section above, Schuberth chin guards do very well when tested by helmet safety people SHARP.

The chin guard on the E1 is different from the C3 Pro helmet it’s based on, and when SHARP tested it, the chin guard stayed locked and closed in 93% of impact tests.

That’s actually a reasonable score if you look across all the system helmets that SHARP has tested – but you’ll have to decide whether it’s good enough for you.

Comfort and Sizing

The Schuberth E1 is available in a wide range of sizes, from XS all the way up to XXXL.

Inside the helmet, aside from comfort, Schuberth has designed the lining to be cooling and moisture-wicking and also antibacterial.

They use CoolMax materials (same as used across their current range of helmets) which are designed to quickly move moisture away from the head.

They’re also Öko-Tex 100 certified. Which means they’re made with materials that don’t contain harmful substances and so shouldn’t irritate human skin.

schuberth e1 flip front helmet antracite side view — Classy looking solid antracite grey version

The lining is of course fully removable and washable too (as you find on all but the most budget of budget helmets these days).

But most importantly, owners say their E1 is very comfortable. A couple said they found it’s better for rounder heads (though most said it’s more suited to slightly longer rather than wider heads) and a few said that the removable neck roll was particularly impressive – stopping pretty much all noise and wind entering up inside the helmet.

Looks and Graphics

As usual, we’ve tried to put examples of all the currently available graphics available for the E1 at the time of writing. But there’s usually more variants for each design that we’ve room to put on the page, and helmet makers push out new graphics all the time.

So take a look at the links to our recommended retailers below. They’ll drop you on their Schuberth helmets pages where you should be able to quickly find the latest designs and any deals that are going on.

Best places to buy a Schuberth E1 helmet?

Please click below to visit the Schuberth E1 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).

Schuberth E1 Video

First up, a 2m review from a guy at DriveMag. Followed by a 4m look around the helmet by WebBikeWorld.

Other Stuff – audio/communicator, weight, build quality, warranty

Like a number of other helmets in the Schuberth range, the E1 is designed to seamlessly integrate with Schuberth’s own bluetooth sets. In the case of the E1, it’s the Schuberth SRC System Pro, which is a kit made by bluetooth specialists, Cardo. The SRC System is a collar that buttons on the bottom of the helmet and has the controls and cabling included. But you can use other aftermarket kits with the E1, though of course they won’t have the same level of integration. Word is that owners with Sena 20s and 10u have both been easily installed – though using sticky pads rather than any sort of integration.

schuberth-c3-with-src-system-pro-attached — SRC System is Schuberth’s bluetooth collar that attaches to the bottom of the helmet (in this case a C3)

As to weight, the Schuberth E1 isn’t the lightest helmet, weighing in at around 1.8Kg (4Lbs). It’s only about 100g or so heavier than your average modular helmet though so shouldn’t be a problem.

Build quality of the E1 is universally praised though. The fitting and finishing and the quality of the parts used is widely said to be outstanding and the design well thought out.

And finally, the Schuberth E1 comes with Schuberth’s five year warranty, though you need to register the helmet on Schuberth’s website to get the extra three years on top of the standard two year warranty.

Overall/Summary

The Schuberth E1 is a lovely helmet. OK, so it’s not the best off-road helmet in the world, but a helmet like this is always going to be something of a compromise. And given that the E1 can be used as a street helmet (without peak) dual sports (with peak) and is a quality modular helmet that performs very well in all guises, that’s no mean feat.

In safety terms, the E1 drops a couple of stars by scoring 3 stars out of 5 and a 93% score on the chin bar when SHARP tested it. But with its decent drop down sun visor, great noise suppression, pinlock anti-fog, integrated communications and excellent ventilation, it excels in so many other areas.

Because the E1 has been out a couple of years or so, its price has been dropping. So if you’re after a modular helmet or a dual sports helmet, that means you can now get a lot of lid for your money. And if you buy one, based on what owners think of theirs, we’re pretty sure you won’t regret it.

Alternatives to the Schuberth E1?

There aren’t many dual-sports modular helmets on the market to challenge the E1.

In fact, there is the excellent Caberg Tourmax which is a SHARP five star rated dual sport flip-up helmet that’s also one of our top rated helmets. And that’s about it!

So to cast your net a bit wider, we suggest checking out our top 10 modular helmets or our adventure bike helmet reviews.

Definitely want a Schuberth?

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

Best places to buy a Schuberth E1?

Please click below to visit the Schuberth E1 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

Arai Tour X4 adventure motorcycle crash helmet review

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Arai Tour X4 Dual Sport Motorcycle Helmet review – Arai’s most verstaile helmet ever?

Arai has designed the Arai Tour X4 to be probably the most versatile helmet in their range.

Out of the box, it looks like a regular adventure helmet, with sun/roost peak and large visor giving it the look of a helmet that should work nicely off road. But, like many adventure helmets, you can remove the peak entirely to make what looks like a more-or-less regular full face helmet. Or you can remove the visor, bung on some goggles and hey-presto, you’re in a motocross helmet. Which makes the Arai Tour-X 4 one of the most versatile helmets on the market.

And as usual with Arai helmets, their design goal – alongside making a helmet that’s as safe as possible – has been to produce a nice round helmet with any vents or spoilers being as low and close to the helmet as possible to increase ‘roll-off’ during an accident and reduce noise created when air flows over the helmet.

Worthy aims indeed. But have they pulled it off?

Adventure helmet
Fibreglass shell
3 configurations:
- adventure
- full face
- motocross
D-ring fastener
Snell m2015 certified (US)
Not SHARP tested
Great ventilation and comfort
EQRS
Sizes XS-XXL
MCN Rating: Quality 5/5, Value 5/5
5 year warranty
Expect to pay £440-£500
Arai Tour-X 4 in Detour graphics

The Arai Tour-X 4 is, like most new Arai models, very much an evolution of what’s gone before. Check it out alongside the Tour-X 3 and you’ll be hard-pressed to spot much difference. But that can very much be a good thing as it means Arai have taken their well-regarded adventure helmet and improved its performance where they (and their customers) think it needs it.

Best places to buy an Arai Tour X4?

Please click below to visit the Arai Tour X4 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).

Helmet Configs

As we mentioned, the Tour-X 4 is a properly versatile adventure helmet. As you can see below, that means you can wear it in regular dual-sports mode with visor and peak (which is how it comes in the box), or you can pull off the visor and re-fit the roost guard/peak and you’ve now got a full-on motocross helmet which will even fit goggles inside that nice wide visor opening.

Of course, if you’re intending doing some serious miles on tarmac, you might want to use it in conventional mode. That means, pulling off the peak, transforming it into a more regular full-face helmet.

All you need to do to make the transformation, is unscrew the peak by taking out a couple of nylon screws on either side. If you’re happy with that, you can bung up the holes using the replacement side-pieces that come in the box, so you don’t have unsightly holes in the side of the helmet. Or you can remove the visor and screw the peak back on to make the motocross version.

All of which makes the Tour-X 4 one incredibly versatile helmet!

Safety

Arai goes to massive lengths to make helmets that are as safe as possible. The Arai Tour X4 is ECE 22-05 tested/approved, and the version sold in the States is both DOT certified and has been tested/certified by the Snell Foundation. All of which is very good and exactly what you want to hear when you’re buying a helmet.

arai xd4 Tour X4 route black white crash helmet rear view — Peak and vent guards are all designed to break off on impact (shown on Tour-X 4 Route in black/white)

Arai has also designed the Tour-X 4 to share its R75 helmet form which is supposed to improve ‘glancing off’ performance so the helmet skids rather than grips during an impact (though as we’ve previously found on this site, there doesn’t appear to be much actual science to back this up) and they use one-piece multi-density polystyrene linings inside the helmet to give improved shock absorption at different speeds. This last point is something you find in the best performing helmets.

Unfortunately, all this careful safety design isn’t always reflected in great SHARP safety ratings. You can read all about SHARP here, but in a nutshell, even though Arai obviously works its little socks off to make amazing, premium helmets, that doesn’t always translate into the safest helmets – at least as far as SHARP safety test results are concerned.

Over the years, 12 Arai helmets have been tested and their average score is 3.4/5. Not poor by any standards, but not the best either – which is kinda what you’d expect from expensive helmets like Arais!

The Arai Tour-X 4 hasn’t been tested by SHARP yet so it’s impossible to say how well it’ll perform in an accident (so we’ve given it our default safety score of 3 stars until we know for sure). However, if you want to make sure any helmet is going to give you maximum protection, when you buy your next helmet, first-off, make sure it fits right. According to experts – including the SHARP testing labs – a great fit is the number 1 factor in getting a helmet that’ll give you the best protection.

Where there’s a decent SHARP score, you know it’s a helmet that’s going to offer as much protection to your head as possible. But since it hasn’t been tested by them yet, there’s a few other things we can look at.

arai-xd4-black-frost-adventure-helmet-top-side-view — Frost (matt) black version of the Arai Tour-X 4

That Shell is made of what Arai call their CLC complex laminate construction – including materials Arai calls ‘superfibres’, which are essentially high-grade fibreglass layers designed to offer more strength and bending resistance. All of which points to a more rigid shell – something that’s not necessarily a great feature in a crash helmet that needs to absorb and dissipate energy rather than simply repel it, and may point to why Arai doesn’t score top marks in SHARP helmet tests (but scores well in Snell tests which have a penetration test)?

On the flip side, Arai produces five different helmet shell sizes for the Tour-X 4, which we reckon will contribute to improved safety compared to helmets made with fewer shells. It’ll also make for a helmet that looks better and more in proportion to body size for the wearer. So that’s good.

A few final points on safety is that, like all other Arai helmets, the Tour-X 4 uses a traditional double-d ring fastener (absolutely fine though can be a bit fiddly compared to micrometric fasteners) and comes with EQRS built in – for quick helmet removal in an emergency.

Helmet Noise

The new Arai Tour-X 4 has more ventilation holes than the outgoing Tour-X 3. More vents can mean more ways for sound to penetrate the helmet; but it also has a redesigned interior which was designed to keep more noise out. So has it worked?

arai xd4 Tour X4 hi viz neon yellow crash helmet side view — Hi vis Neon yellow Tour-X 4

Well, there’s a wide variety of opinions out there. A couple of owners reckoned it’s easily the quietest adventure/dual-sports helmet they’ve ever used and another said it’s on-par with Arai’s road helmets.

On the flip-side, a couple of people said it’s really noisy. Also, a few have said they’ve suffered from a whistle or hum that seems to be coming from the peak – possibly from vibrations somewhere on the peak. It’s not an insurmountable problem – one guy cured it by adding lots of duct tape and weights to the bottom of the peak and another used lolly sticks – but it can be really irritating while it’s there.

Other than that, the bottom line – as is usual with nearly all helmets – is that how noisy you find the Tour-X 4 depends on lots of factors like how fast you ride, your riding style, what bike you ride, whether you ride a naked or fairing bike – and how quiet your last helmet was (i.e. if it was a real old bucket, then the X-4 will probably feel really quiet).

Plus, if you’re taking your Tour-X 4 off-road, you might want a bit of noise coming through to hear the revs and chat with other riders. It all depends.

And if you’ll be using your Tour-X 4 mostly on the road mostly, then stick in some decent ear plugs and you’ll find it a nice quite helmet anyway!

arai-xd4-mesh-red-motorcycle-helmet-top-side-view — Tour X-4 Mesh design – also available in sand, yellow and orange

Ventilation

Ventilation on the Tour-X 4 has been increased from the old X3. You’ll find vents aplenty – 3 in the chin, two brow vents in the visor itself and a couple of large scoops up top. All these aren’t going to be much use unless the air can escape the helmet too – so there’s four large exhaust vents in the shell to the rear, plus there’s a large collar exhaust in the padding at the back.

All input vents on the front can be closed off (the bottom chin vents with the gauze over them can be opened/closed/directed from inside the helmet) and the two large top exhausts can be opened/closed too.

So far, so many numbers. But do they work?

As it turns out, yep they do!

Lots of folks say they’re outstanding or very good, offering lots of air to keep visors (relatively) fog free and your head cool. They can be a bit tricky to locate and operate, but then that goes for most helmets (so stick it on and practice before you go out) but they’re decent to use in gloves and some of the vents give a nice positive ‘click’ so you know you’ve just used them.

One person said the vents can be a bit fragile, but that’s more a design feature for Arais – all the external bits and pieces are designed to break off easily so they don’t dig in and rotate the helmet during an accident. Usefully, most of these external vent covers are available to buy should you drop your helmet or if they snap off.

arai-xd4-flare-blue-adventure-crash-helmet-rear-view — Shell shape is Arai’s R75 designed for better ‘glancing-off’ performance

Visor & Goggles

The visor is large and contoured to the shape of the helmet and has integral venting in the form of brow vents directly in the visor. It also has Arai’s usual visor lock to keep the visor locked and closed (though there’s no cracked-open position on the lock like you find in some Arais). It isn’t a quick-change visor either which is a shame, but it is Pinlock-ready so you can add a Pinlock anti-fog insert to stop steaming on cold/rainy/humid days.

And because the visor aperture is so large, if you do take the visor off there’s room in there for a pair of goggles. By the sound of it, not many people actually bother, but one guy who did said they took his Scott OTG goggles, though it was pretty tight.

Peak/Roost Guard

That Peak works as both a sun visor and, if you take the helmet off-road, as a roost-guard to stop dirt and stones thrown up from other bikes from hitting your goggles/visor.

Like most external bits on an Arai helmet, the peak is designed to break off in an accident and so it’s only secured by a couple of nylon screws on either side. And according to one or two owners, that can mean it’s a bit wobbly.

If you’re not used to dual-sports helmets, you’d be forgiven for thinking that peak will act as a sail when you’re riding – particularly in a cross-wind or looking back over your shoulder. And truth be told, you will notice it’s there and it can take some getting used to. However, reports are that the peak on the Arai Tour-X 4 is very aerodynamic, with a couple of owners saying it’s OK for up to about 90 MPH before the drag gets really noticeable.

arai-xd4-distance-orange-dual-sport-helmet-side-view — Arai Tour-X 4 in Distance orange/black colours

It also gives great shade, especially if your visor’s a bit mucky or scratched where one owner said it’s great for stopping sunlight whiting-out the visor by casting shade over it.

And apart from the possible whistling noise mentioned in the noise section above, both visor and peak are reported to work very well.

Comfort & Sizing

Like many Arai helmets, the overall internal shape of the Tour-X 4 is medium oval – which should suit all but the roundest head shapes.

That’s helped by an innovative fitting system that Arai uses to help owners tailor the fit.

First off, there’s Arai’s FCS or facial contouring system – which is essentially a pair of carefully sculpted cheek pads with additional springing to gently push the cheek pads towards your face to give a nice firm fit.

Inside the helmet, the comfort lining has several removable panels – one in each cheek pad and another couple for either side of the head. These 5mm foam panels can be removed to give more room if required. And, like all Arais, you’ve always got the option of buying replacement internals and larger/smaller cheek pad sizes to more fundamentally adjust the fit still further.

The foam pads are covered by Dry Cool material which is essentially a nice and comfortable moisture-wicking fabric. And of course everything is removable and washable.

arai-xd4-vision-black-frost-dual-sport-helmet-rear-view — Rear view of the X-4 Vision

You’ll also find Arai’s usual pull-down chin curtain on the inside of the chin guard. There’s mixed reviews on how effective it is – for some it’s useful, for others it gets in the way when you put your helmet on.

But all in all, the internals of Arais are usually very plush and very comfortable – and the Tour X-4 is no different. As long as the fit’s right for your head in the first place, most owners find their Tour-x 4s are extremely comfortable helmets.

Looks & Graphics

Like most helmets, the plain solid colour designs are the cheapest – so if you’re after a plain gloss white or black (Diamond white/black in Arai-speak) or matt (Frost) black, you’ll find these versions cheaper than the rest.

If you’re after a choice of graphics, then there’s heaps of options for the Arai Tour-X 4. There’s the Vision, Move, Mesh, Desert, Detour and Route designs available – all coming in a range of different colours. That’s a lot of helmet designs to choose from – plus there’s new ones coming out all the time (and some being withdrawn) – so to see the latest range of designs and the latest Tour-X 4 deals, please click through to the Arai helmets pages of our recommended shops below.

Best places to buy an Arai Tour X4 helmet?

Please click below to visit the Arai Tour X4 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).

Arai Tour-X 4 Video

Other stuff – audio, weight, glasses, aero & buffeting, build quality, warranty

Word is that the Arai Tour-X 4 should be great for most bluetooth communicators. There are large ear pockets inside the helmet and one owner said his Scala Rider Q3 fitted well, as did another owner with a Sena SMH-10.

arai-xd4-solid-white-adventure-crash-helmet-side-view — This one’s the solid gloss white X 4 – what Arai call diamond white

The Tour-X 4 isn’t the lightest helmet in the world, but then it wasn’t designed to be. It weighs around 1.65 Kg (3.6lbs) so is pretty hefty compared to your average full face helmet at 1.47Kg (though about average for a dual sport helmet). But no owners commented on it feeling too heavy – just that it’s very comfortable – so I guess it’s not an issue. Either that or most owners don’t expect an adventure helmet to be featherweight.

A couple of owners said that the Tour-X 4 is comfortable if you’re a glasses wearer and it’s easy to slide glasses on while wearing the helmet. As for aero, Arai has carefully designed the Tour X4 to keep the shape as slippery and quiet as possible. And on the ‘slippery’ front at least, they seem to have done well because, while you will notice that peak in the air if you’re not used to a dual-sport helmet, it’s good for stability and lack of buffeting.

All round build quality on the Tour-X 4 is universally praised. Much of an Arai helmet is hand made and, together with their five-stage QC inspection process, one of the main reasons we buy Arais is because we expect that amazing Arai build quality. With the Tour X 4, a few things can feel a bit wobbly or plasticy, but that’s probably because some parts are designed to break off during an accident. All the rest feels well put together with quality materials.

One slight quibble with the X-4 is that the double-d ring fastener, while it works well, it could be longer (and so could the padding on the strap). It’s a very little quibble for most folks and just makes it a bit more fiddly to tie up the helmet.

And finally, all Arais come with a 5 year warranty as standard. That’s as long as motorcycle helmet warranties come so far and should last the suggested lifetime of the helmet.

arai-tour x 4-diamond gloss black-dual-sport-helmet-side-view — Classy gloss ‘Diamond’ black Tour X-4

Overall/Summary

The Arai Tour-X 4 has a legion of faithful followers – and it’s not hard to see why.

It’s got Arai’s legendary build quality, coupled with tremendous versatility that delivers a full face, motocross and dual-sports helmet all in one package.

OK it’s not the lightest helmet around and possibly won’t give the best impact protection (though we’ll have to wait for a SHARP test to find that out) but if you’re after a ‘go anywhere, do anything’ type of helmet that’ll be comfortable for all day riding and with superb ventilation, then the Arai Tour-X 4 has to be toward the top of your list. Owners love it and we think it’s great.

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.

arai-tour-x-4-move-red-dual-sport-helmet-side-view — Tour-X 4 Move in red and black

Alternatives to the Arai Tour-X 4?

It might be a great adventure bike helmet, but the Arai Tour-X 4 has lots of worthy competitors.

Of the big-hitting brands, there’s the Shoei Hornet ADV; that’s another versatile fibreglass helmet with big visor and EQRS that’s around the same price as the X-4.

Or for a smidge less money, you could buy an AGV AX-8 Dual Evo, which is a cool-looking dual sports helmet that’s lighter than the Tour-X 4; though if you’re planning on using goggles you should check it’ll work with yours before you buy (read the review for more info).

If you’re on a much tighter budget, the Bell MX-9 dual sport is a cheaper polycarbonate helmet, but still offers great ventilation and lots of comfort, plus it comes with Bell’s 5 year guarantee – so it’s well worth a look.

And finally, how about something a bit more unusual? X-Lite’s X-551 is about the same weight as the Arai Tour-X 4 but it’s cheaper and comes with a Pinlock anti-fog and has an integral drop down sun visor. X-Lite are made by the Nolan Group too who are known for great helmet safety (though the 551 hasn’t been SHARP tested).

Best places to buy an Arai Tour X4?

Please click below to visit the Arai Tour X4 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).

Definitely want an Arai?

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

Other Adventure/Dual-Sports helmets?

There are lots of other Adventure/Dual Sports crash helmets out there, so please check out our Adventure motorcycle helmets page to see all our other reviews and previews. Or, if you're looking for the safest tested helmets on the market, you might want to take a look at our safest motorcycle helmets pages 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.

Star Ratings

Nolan N40-5 crossover and jet motorcycle crash helmet

Nolan-N40-5-family-jet-GT-helmets-featured

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Preview of the Nolan N40-5 family of motorcycle helmets (40-5 jet and 40-5 GT crossover)

The Nolan N40 range has always been interesting and unusual. They’re a range of helmets that’s dominated by that massive visor and sun peak, giving the whole family of helmets a distinctly, well, adventure-helmet kind of vibe – but without the off-road ruggedness.

Think of it like the Multistrada of the motorcycle helmet world and you won’t go far wrong – it kinda looks like it should be useful off road but it’s very much designed to stay on tarmac.

Now though, the N40 has been updated and has returned as the N40-5. Like the old N40, it comes in both jet and modular configurations – with the jet targeting your scooter riders and the GT modular more serious bike riders who probably do a few more miles and usually wear either a full face or conventional modular helmet.

N40-5 = Jet style open face helmet
N40-5 GT = modular helmet
Polycarbonate Shell
Drop down sun visor
The non-GT Jet version of the N40-5 is the open face without the chin guard
GT is dual homologated
Single shell size
Micrometric fastener
Fitment sizes XXS – XXL
Pinlock-ready visor
Expect to pay £170 (N40-5 Jet) £190 (N40-5 GT)

Best places to buy a Nolan N40-5?

Please click below to drop straight onto the Nolan N40-5 helmets pages at our recommended retailers. 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).

The N40-5 range are a flexible bunch of helmets. Both models can be used in a variety of configs, which essentially means you can use them with the visor or sun peak on or off; or for the GT with the chin guard removed.

Nolan-n40-5-GT-N-com-solid-white-motorcycle-helmet-side-view — The N40-5 GT is the modular version with a chin protector

Safety

But I think it’s fair to say if you’re after the safer option, then the Nolan N40-5 GT is your best bet, given that it’s got a chin guard to give face protection.

And not just any old chin guard, because while it might look a little puny, it’s allowed the N40-5 GT to become dual-homologated. Which means, as far as ECE testing is concerned, it still offers a decent amount of protection. And that means you can legally ride with the chin guard in place or removed – which is not the case with all modulars (check our dual-homologated page for all the modulars you can use with the chin guard up).

The shell on both N40-5s are exactly the same – that’s a polycarbonate shell that’s made in only one shell size (which is a bit disappointing).

That said, Nolan do have an excellent reputation for making some of the safest helmets out there. And while the new N40-5s haven’t been SHARP (or Snell) tested yet, lots of Nolan polycarbonate helmets have been SHARP tested. In fact over the years, eleven Nolan polycarb helmets have been put through their paces in the SHARP labs and every one – yep, every single one – has scored four out of five stars.

Nolan-n40-5-GT-N-com-fade-cherry-motorcycle-helmet-rear-view — Rear view of the GT in Fade design

OK it’s not perfect, but it’s a bloody good score nevertheless. And given that consistency, if you were to push me to predict a score should SHARP turn their attentions towards the N40-5, I’d be bold enough to stick my neck out and say somewhere between three and five sounds about right!

Moving on from the helmet shell, there’s other stuff about the Nolan N40-5 that will help make it a safer helmet.

First off, that massive visor. It’s massive horizontally and it’s massive vertically, giving you, well, massive all-round vision (so you’ve no excuses with the N40-5 – none of your ‘it crept up on me’ excuses are going to cut it any more!).

In fact, the size of the visor, giving great vision all round – including when looking down towards your clocks – is one of the best things about the 40-5 according to owners. Scooter riders or some cruiser riders with clocks in unconventional places said they found the GT a revelation – no more taking their eyes off the road to check the taco because you can just glance down with the Nolan N40-5.

It’s also anti-everything; scratch, fog and UV 400 (the best standard). It’s Pinlock-ready too, so stick one in and it shouldn’t fog up. Yep, I did just hint the visor comes with an antifog treatment as standard, but I also forgot to mention that factory anti-fog treatments are always – ALWAYS – rubbish.

Nolan-n40-5-GT-N-com-helmet-vents — Nolan’s Air Booster – essentially a big air scoop and big exhaust

Finally, Nolan have made the N40-5 ESS or emergency stop signal-ready. That is their brake light system that you can attach to the rear of some of their helmets to give a bit of extra oomph to your brake lighting. It uses its own in-built accelerometer to detect braking, so works entirely independently of your bike’s circuit. It can also be switched to always-on or flashing, much like you see with cyclists. I’m not sure how many of us will want this or be bothered with yet another thing to charge up – but it’s there if it’s the kind of feature you’ll use.

Helmet Noise

Of course, if you’re wearing the Jet, then you’re going to get more noise in your helmet than if you’re using the GT version.

But overall, owners seem to reckon their N40-5s are anywhere between average to quiet helmets.

Ventilation

If you use an N40-5 Jet, then you’ll have as much ventilation as you can twist your throttle at. But it’s a different story for the N40-5 GT.

Which is why Nolan have uprated the ventilation from the old N40 with what they call their Air Booster Technology.

That means both helmets have a nice large top vent and a correspondingly huge rear exhaust vent allowing lots of air to circulate around the scalp. For the N40-5 GT modular, there’s also a small chin vent to drive air up onto the rear of the visor to aid defogging and give a bit more ventilation when it’s hot.

They’re both a nice touch – it’s better to have the vents there; and if you don’t to use them, just keep them closed.

Overall, owners reckon the ventilation on the N40-5 is fine. However, if you ride the GT version of the N40-5, then the visor will steam up, especially if it’s raining. And if you find yourself in the rain quite a bit, then expect to end up investing in a Pinlock.

Of course, the great thing with the the Nolan N40-5 is if things are really heating up, you can always pull off the chin guard and open the visor.

nolan_n40-5_classic-n-com-black-no-peak-side-view — Can also be configured to work as a regular open face helmet

Visor

There’s both that massive clear main visor and a drop down sun visor.

You don’t need me to tell you just how massive that main visor is. It’s massive in both horizontal and vertical planes so you’re going to have pretty amazing vision with either helmet. That’s great for peripheral vision and life-savers as well as forward vision.

In fact, that’s one of the best things owners find about the Nolan N40-5. Comments include that there’s an amazing field of view and that it gives a whole new feeling to riding a motorcycle!

Nolan say that aside from being anti-scratch, it’s anti-fog too (but expect it to be rubbish because they all are) and it’s UV400 – that’s the most protective of the UV standards. It’s also Pinlock-antifog ready, though unfortunately there’s no Pinlock insert included in the box.

Finally, the main visor is quick-release – useful so you can quickly give your visor a wipe after a ride or if you fancy whipping it off completely to go cruising in your RayBans.

Sun Visor and Peak

An interesting feature about the peak is that it moves with the visor. If you open the visor to the max open position, the peak moves up slightly to accommodate it – presumably to move both visor and peak out of your line of sight. Conversely, close the visor and the peak will drop down to its original position.

Nolan-n40-5-GT-N-com-solid-matt-black-motorcycle-helmet-front-view — Front view showing peak, sun visor and chin guard

In addition to the peak, there’s also a drop down integral sun visor too. It’s difficult to see in the photos, but there’s a small slider to the rear of the left hand visor pivot that drops/raises the sun visor.

Chin Guard

The chin guard on the GT version of the N40-5 is both protective and removable. Press down the two buttons on the inside of the chin guard and it unlatches and pulls away.

To make it legally protective in the ECE 22.05 zone (that’s Europe and Oz mostly), Nolan had to get the chin guard tested and approved by the ECE testers, and that means the helmet’s dual-homologated (or P/J homologated if you prefer). And given that it’s just an extra £20 to get the full face protective GT version of the N40-5, I’m guessing this is probably the model most of us will plump for.

While the chin guard is a little different to most of the chin guards you’ll find on conventional modular helmets, Nolan does have a great reputation for making chin guards that do exactly what they should do in an impact – i.e. stay locked and in place to protect us. So far, the chin guards on all five SHARP-tested Nolan modulars have stayed closed and locked 100% of the time during testing.

No other manufacturer who’s had more than one helmet tested by SHARP so far has managed that. Most come unlocked a few times, so very well done Nolan. Note whenever we review a modular helmet that’s been SHARP tested, we add in the locking percentage score.

Nolan-n40-5-GT-N-com-solid-matt-black-motorcycle-helmet-inside-view — Clima Comfort interior with micrometric fastener

Comfort & Sizing

Inside both N40-5s is what Nolan calls their Clima Comfort lining. Clima Comfort is used across many Nolan helmets and is a breathable and moisture-wicking material that generally makes for a good, comfortable helmet.

And that’s the case for the N40-5s. As long as you get the sizing right in the first place, we’d expect you to find the N40-5 comfortable hours in the saddle.

Looks & Graphics

At the time of writing, the Nolan N40-5 helmets have only just been launched so the range of designs in pretty limited. Aside from the usual matt and gloss black and gloss white, there’s also a plain solid silver and graphite grey version along with a hi-viz fluo yellow version. If you’re after fancy graphics, you’ll have to make do with the Fade designs which come in cherry red and silver – or check out the links to our recommended retailers below to see if any other designs have been launched (and check out the latest prices).

Best places to buy a Nolan N40-5 helmet?

Please click below to drop straight onto the Nolan N40-5 helmets pages at our recommended retailers. 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).

Nolan-n40-5-GT-N-com-fade-motorcycle-helmet-side-view — Another N40-5 GT in Fade graphics, this time in silver

Other stuff – audio, warranty

Both the N40-5 Jet and GT come ready to fit Nolan’s N-com bluetooth communicators. Nolan N-com systems that’ll work with the N40-5 are the B5L, B5, B1.4 and MCSII.

Both helmets come with Nolan’s outstanding 5 year warranty.

Overall/Summary

Italian maker Nolan has an excellent reputation for building safe helmets that are easy to live with. We’re not sure how well it’ll score if it gets SHARP safety tested, but if you’re after something that’s a bit different and like the idea of that massive visor giving unimpeded vision then you should check out the Nolan N40-5.

But it’s not just a one-trick pony. It’s a comfortable helmet that owners say is well-built too. And the flexibility that it offers – whether you want to ride as an open face or stick on the chin bar when you up the pace (for the GT version), then the Nolan N40-5 offers a range of options like few other helmets.

The Nolan N40 range of helmets had a mass of loyal followers and this N40-5 update looks to be bang on the money for those of us who are already convinced.

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.

nolan-n40-5-gt-hi-visibility-yellow-modular-helmet-side-view — Also available as a hi-viz yellow version

Alternatives to the Nolan N40-5?

The first helmet that comes to mind is that other quirky Nolan – the N44. With even more helmet configs than the N40-5, a similarly massive visor and integral sun visor – all for slightly less than the N40-5, that’s gotta be worth a look too.

If you want a more regular modular helmet and safety’s your No.1 concern, then the SHARP 5 star rated Caberg Duke should be on your shopping list. With a drop down sun visor and Pinlock (included in the box), all for less than the Nolan, it’s a great value for money modular.

Having said that, the Duke dropped a few marks in the SHARP test for it’s chin guard staying locked (87%) whereas the Nolan N104’s chin guard stayed locked and closed 100% of the time. It did drop a SHARP star overall though, making it 4 star rated – but it’s well worth a look.

Other than these suggested helmets, you can find lots more by checking out our top 10 rated flip-up helmets list.

Best places to buy a Nolan N40-5?

Please click below to drop straight onto the Nolan N40-5 helmets pages at our recommended retailers. 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).

Definitely want a Nolan?

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

Star Ratings

MT Thunder 3 polycarbonate motorcycle crash helmet

Page Contents

MT Thunder 3 – MTs do-everything motorcycle helmet

Spanish maker, MT, are growing a reputation for making some great performing helmets at attractive prices recently.

The Thunder 3 is the follow-up to their excellent Thunder helmet (not sure what happened to Thunder 2!) – that was a SHARP 4 star rated helmet that was amazing value for money. So can the Thunder 3 carry on the great work?

Polycarbonate full face helmet
All-rounder helmet
SHARP 4 star safety rated (max 5)
Pinlock Max Vision ready (Pinlock not included)
Drop down sun visor
2 shell sizes
Weighs 1.5Kg (just above average weight)
Fitment sizes XS – XXXL
ECE and DOT (US) certified
Expect to pay £80-£100

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

MT-Thunder-3-motorbike-solid-matt-black-crash-helmet-front-view — Front view of the matt black MT Thunder 3

Despite their focus on making budget helmets, MT are becoming a very popular make (especially in their native Spain) and are growing a reputation for making safe helmets that perform well.

So far, SHARP has tested six MT helmets and their average score is 4 out of 5 stars, which is excellent.

The original MT Thunder was tested by SHARP and scored four stars – and at the time of writing it’s still on sale, though being phased out and replaced by the Thunder 3.

As of December 2017, the Thunder 3 was tested by SHARP and scored – surprise surprise – 4 stars. And of course, like every helmet on sale in Europe (and Oz) it has been ECE tested and approved to surpass a minimum level of safety, so you can be happy it’ll give a decent level of performance in an accident.

The Thunder 3 is made in two shell sizes (remember that’s different from fitment size) which is about average for helmets at this price point and should lead to a reasonably well-optimised amount of shock absorbing padding. MT use a multi-density padding which is the same sort of tech that more expensive helmets like Arais and Shoeis use so all good there.

The Thunder 3 comes with a micrometric fastener (nice and safe and really easy to use) and there’s both a drop down sun visor and Pinlock-ready main clear visor. All these things contribute to making a helmet that’s both easier to live with and safer to use.

MT-Thunder-3-motorbike-crash-helmet-effect-white-silver-front-side-view — This one’s the Thunder 3 in Effect white/silver design

Ventilation

Ventilation on the MT Thunder3 looks to be a reasonably standard arrangement.

There’s a single chin vent and single crown vent, both operated by sliders to open/close them. To the rear, there’s a single exhaust port at the top of the rear spoiler.

Even though it looks pretty standard fayre, that configuration can be effective and is used by most manufacturers these days. The proof of whether it works or not will be how riders rate it when they’ve had chance to test the Thunder 3, and we’ll report back here once we’ve heard.

If great ventilation’s particularly important to you – check out these helmets that owners say have great ventilation.

MT-Thunder-3-motorbike-crash-helmet-torn-fluo-yellow-green-rear-view — Rear view of the Torn MT Thunder 3 in fluo yellow/green

Visor

The Thunder 3 has an interesting set up when it comes to the visor.

You might notice a hint of carbon fibre by the visor mechanism on the side of the helmet. That’s really just for show – we all love a bit of carbon fibre don’t we?!?

But the visor itself has a nice large opening tab to the left and is Pinlock Max Vision ready – in case you don’t know, Pinlock is a very effective anti-fog insert that locates between the two semi-transparent pins on the visor (see here for more information on Pinlock) and the Max Vision is their largest insert that covers pretty much all the inside of the visor.

That’s all good, but unfortunately the Thunder 3 doesn’t come with the Pinlock insert in the box, so you’ll have to budget for an extra £30+ on top of the price of the helmet if you want one. If you don’t, expect the main visor to fog up when it’s cold.

Sun Visor

The MT Thunder 3 also comes with an integral drop down sun visor – which is a fairly must-have feature for most of us these days. I know I find them very handy indeed. The sun visor’s operated by the slider to the left of the visor pivot; that’s one of the best places for the sun visor slider and much better than some which work from a slider right on the top of the head.

MT-Thunder-3-motorbike-crash-helmet-torn-fluo-yellow-blue-side-view — Thunder 3 Torn in yellow/blue

Interestingly, MT also advertises that there’s a snowmobile style electric visor available for the MT Thunder 3. In fact the whole look of the new Thunder 3 is reminiscent of snowmobile helmets which tend to have that aerodynamic moulding to the bottom of the helmet, so maybe MT has an eye on moving more into the snowmobile market with the Thunder 3.

Still, if you tend to do lots of riding when it’s really icy, who knows, an electric visor might be worth the investment!?

Comfort & Sizing

On the inside of the Thunder 3 is removable and washable comfort lining. It also comes with a breath guard and micrometric buckle to fasten the helmet.

MT offer the Thunder 3 in sizes from XS to XXXL – so if you’ve a big bonce you’re in luck because MT are one of the few makers who produce helmets up to that size.

Looks & Graphics

The Thunder 3 is a slightly unusual looking helmet with that curved bottom aero that pushes it more towards a snowmobile helmet than motorbike.

MT-Thunder-3-motorbike-helmet-red-white-trace-front-view — This one’s the Trace in red/white. For other designs, click our recommended retailer links

MTs graphics are fairly ‘out there’ too. They produce the standard matt black and gloss black & white versions, along with a plain hi viz orange (and yellow version and use fluo colours in their Torn range too), so they’ve got all the bases covered for folks who like their helmets plain.

All the rest are very shouty designs, and we’ve tried to put examples of all we can up and down this page – including the Torn, Trace, Effect and unusual Wild Garden versions.

As usual though, helmet makers are updating the graphics all the time, so we suggest you check out our recommended retailer links below to see the very latest designs along with latest offers and pricing.

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 Thunder 3 Video

Here’s an 8m look around the MT Thunder Torn in fluo yellow, followed by MT’s official 1m release video.

Other stuff – weight, warranty

The MT Thunder weighs in at 1.5Kg. That’s slightly above average weight if you look across all full face helmets no matter what material they’re made of, but slightly lighter than the average polycarbonate helmet (1.57Kg). In practical terms, that means you shouldn’t have a problem with the weight of the Thunder.

All MT helmets come with a bog-standard one year warranty (some come with five years).

MT-Thunder-3-motorbike-crash-helmet-effect-white-blue-side-view — Blue/white version of the Effect designed Thunder 3

Overall/Summary

The original MT Thunder was a great helmet at an amazing price point. The Thunder 3 is going up in the world – most notably in its price. But you do get some improved features for your money – including that new sun visor and a Pinlock ready main visor.

On paper at least, it looks to be a good helmet – and while MT are known for their cheap and cheerful range of helmets, they’re definitely looking to move up market with the likes of the Thunder 3. We’ll have to wait until the feedback’s in on what owners and riders think of their Thunder 3’s – but either way, with its SHARP 4 star safety rating, it should give excellent protection during an accident.

And at this price, the MT Thunder 3 looks an excellent buy with some quality touches. So don’t be put off it’s a name you don’t know – it’s worth a look.

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.

MT-Thunder-3-motorbike-crash-helmet-trace-black-white-front-view — MT Thunder 3 Trace design in black & white

Good alternatives to the MT Thunder 3?

If you’re in the market for a low-cost but good quality full face helmet, then first off you should have a look at the Shark S600. That’s a low-priced full face helmet that comes with a full five year warranty, scored well in the SHARP safety tests (4 stars out of 5) and comes with a Pinlock anti-fog in the box, all for about the same price as the MT Thunder 3. Now that’s value!

You should also take a look at MTs Revenge – that scored a maximum 5 stars for safety when it was SHARP tested, is lighter than the Thunder 3 and cheaper too. The only thing it’s really lacking is that sun visor.

Or how about the Scorpion 410 Air? That weighs about the same as the Thunder (though it’s a tad more expensive) and scored 4 stars for safety and comes with an optically-correct main visor. Comes with a three year warranty too.

For a slightly different final alternative, how about the Lazer Bayamo? That has a sun visor, scored 4 stars for safety, is Pinlock-ready, has a 5 year warranty and costs less than the Thunder 3. Gotta be a contender?

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.

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.

Arai Axces III crash helmet.

Page Contents

The Arai Axces III – Arai’s all rounder fibreglass full face helmet.

With all their MotoGP and F1 experience, not to mention over 90 years of making helmets, Arai are one of the best-known and well-respected helmet makers in the world.

The Axces III is Arai’s entry-level crash helmet, designed for both sports and touring bike riders.

It’s based on the shell of the old Arai Chaser V and shares both its construction and ventilation (which was very good).

So, if you’re after a (relatively!) inexpensive way into Arai ownership, then the new Arai Axces III might be a way in.

Here’s what the new Arai Axces III offers:

Full face fibreglass helmet
Double-d ring fastener
SHARP 3 Star safety rated
Only sold in Europe (so far)
Wide visor
Sizes XS-XL
Replaced by the Debut and Profile V
Expect to pay £299-£440

Best places to buy an Arai Axces III?

It’s not widely available, but the Axces III is still available at Amazon UK the last time we checked. Please click the link below – and if you buy from them, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Safety

arai-axcess-iii-frost-black-motorcycle-crash-helmet-side-view — Frost black Arai Axces III showing off that lovely round R75 shape common with lots of Arais

SHARP testing

The Arai Axces III is constructed from what Arai call ‘special fibres’ which is their version of fibreglass. It also features their peripheral belt tech – that’s a specially lightened and strengthened area running from the top of the eye port around the helmet to strengthen the helmet and reduce the need for thick shock absorbing lining around the top of the eye port to help improve vertical visibility.

And while you’ve gotta respect Arai’s attention to detail and undoubted commitment to making helmets that perform as well as possible, the tested safety results are not always as great as I’m sure they’d like.

arai axces III 8.5ms sharp test — 8.5m/s impact test on Arai Axces III courtesy of sharp.dft.gov.uk

The Chaser V family of helmets, on which the Axces III is based, scored a (relatively) lowly three stars when tested by SHARP. And when SHARP tested the Axces 3 in 2020 it scored three stars too. Which is OK but not great.

If you look at the 8.5 m/s test result graphic, you can see that it’s performing badly on the side impact attenuation which is really not what you’d expect from an Arai.

Other safety features

OK, it didn’t do so well when SHARP tested it, but there are other design features that contribute to safety – including a nice wide visor aperture for improved peripheral vision, double-d ring fastener, plus Arai’s commitment to producing rounder-shaped helmets that give better ‘glance-off’ performance – what Arai call their R75 helmet shape.

arai-axcess-iii-Line-motorbike-crash-helmet-rear-view — Properly classy Axces 3 Line in black and gold

On this last point, it sounds good on their bumf and the reasoning behind having a helmet shape that ‘glances off’ seems sensible. But SHARP testing does include an oblique ‘glance off’ test using a 45 degree anvil covered in sand paper to replicate a surface that will ‘grab’ the helmet on impact – like a road. So it’s not like their tests won’t catch great performing helmets in this department – they will.

Ventilation

One of the Arai Chaser V’s strong points was excellent ventilation. And since the Axces III is based on the Chaser V helmet design, we’d expect the Axces to do well here too.

It doesn’t look the trickest config at first glance – a single chin vent and single forehead vent all venting through to a twin rear exhaust port underneath the rear spoiler and smaller ports towards the bottom. Oh, and there’s Arai’s visor vents pulling some air behind the visor. But if it’s anything like as good as the Chaser, you should be happy.

Visor

arai-axcess-iii-sensai-motorcycle-crash-helmet-side-view — This one’s the Axces 3 Sensai design

The Axces 3 has what Arai calls its SAI wider aperture visor giving wider than normal peripheral vision.

It also features their well regarded quick release visor system and, even though it has a visor with a couple of vent holes in it to help with ventilation and de-misting, it’s both Pinlock anti-fog ready and comes with a Pinlock Max Vision in the box. If you want to read more about Pinlocks, check the article links in the panel to the right (bottom if you’re reading on mobile).

Comfort & Sizing

The Arai Axces III is made in three helmet shell sizes which is great for looks and safety.

The interior is mostly fixed in place though – which is a bit unusual for a helmet at this price point. Most helmet liners these days are removable for washing.

However, it does have replaceable cheek pads. This means if you buy an Axces and it doesn’t fit quite right, you can tailor the fit by replacing your cheek pads with thicker/thinner ones.

Like most Arais, you’ll find they fit longer rather than rounder head shapes best.

arai-axcess-iii-frost-white-motorcycle-crash-helmet-side-view — Frost white Axces III

Looks & Graphics

At the time of typing, there’s only the launch graphics available so be sure to check the links to our recommended retailers below to see the latest designs (and prices).

Of course, if you’re after a plain gloss black or white these colours are always available on launch and throughout the lifetime of a helmet. They’re called ‘diamond’ colours with the Axces III and there’s also a matt black Frost version available too.

Best places to buy an Arai Axces III helmet?

It’s not widely available, but the Axces III is still available at Amazon UK the last time we checked. Please click the link below – and if you buy from them, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Arai Axces III Video

arai-axcess-iii-flow-motorbike-crash-helmet-side-view — This design’s called ‘Flow’

Other Stuff – audio, build quality, warranty

The Arai Axces III has universal speaker pockets in the lining so it should fit most bluetooth kits – though the bottom of the shell has mouldings on it if you’re intending to stick your bluetooth to it. So beware.

Build quality on Arai helmets is usually outstanding – which is probably part of the reason that all Arais come with their standard 5 year warranty (that should last the lifetime of the helmet).

Overall/Summary

The Arai Axces 3 is a welcome addition to the Arai range – replacing both the popular Chaser V and the Axces 2. However, it’s now been superceded by a couple of helmets like the Profile V and Debut which are more widely available.

It’s basic in terms of advanced features – stuff like sun visor or EQRS for example are missing on this entry level helmet. It’s pricy too, and it didn’t score amazingly well when safety tested by SHARP.

But for your money you’re getting a premium brand and MotoGP heritage – plus that excellent Arai build quality. And if it fits your head shape (narrower rather than wider) and you like the idea of riding Arai, then there’s no reason to think you’ll be anything less than delighted with an Axces III.

arai-axcess-iii-dual-motorcycle-crash-helmet-side-view — Another reserved but classy Arai paint job. This one’s the Dual

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 Arai Axces III?

Even though this is Arai’s entry-level helmet, it’s not cheap. And at this price point, there’s lots of competition clamouring for your money.

For something a little unusual, how about a Kabuto RT-33? That’s Kabuto’s sporty composite fibre helmet that gets four SHARP stars for safety, has great ventilation, comfort and noise-suppression.

We also love (and so do owners!) the AGV Corsa. That gets top marks from SHARP for safety, is light, has a wide, optically correct visor and can be had for about the same money as the Axces III.

Or have a look at the HJC FG-ST and save yourself a few bob. It’s a SHARP 5 star, fibreglass all-rounder helmet with sun visor and Pinlock Max Vision in the box. It can also be picked up for about half the price of the Axces – which is a bit of food for thought (or juice for the tank!).

Of course, a lot of us will toy with the idea of buying a flip up helmet these days, so we’ve thrown a great performer into the selection here. Shark’s Evo One modular is SHARP 4 star safety rated, has a sun visor, comes with a Pinlock Max Vision in the box and is a smidge cheaper than the Axces.

Best places to buy an Arai Axces III?

It’s not widely available, but the Axces III is still available at Amazon UK the last time we checked. Please click the link below – and if you buy from them, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Definitely want an Arai?

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

HJC CS-15: HJC’s budget polycarbonate full face

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HJC’s budget polycarbonate full face helmet

HJC are known for producing lower-priced motorcycle helmets that offer good value for money. And as we’ve seen with lots of their releases in the past (such as their awesome IS-17 and FG-ST), they often do a pretty good job of delivering!

The CS-15 is their entry-level full face. On the face of it, it’s another low-price polycarb helmet. And looking at the spec sheet, it’s very no-frills – meaning it’s not got many of the latest features on many of the latest features.

So, if you’re in the market for a new full face helmet with about a ton burning a hole in your pocket, this is what the HJC CS-15 will give you for your money.

Sports-tourer full face
Polycarbonate shell
SHARP 4 star safety rated
Micrometric fastener
Sizes XS-XXL
No frills helmet
1.45Kg weight (slightly lighter than avg)
Expect to pay around £100

Best places to buy an HJC CS-15?

Please click below to visit the HJC CS-15 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).

hjc cs-15 solid matt black motorbike crash helmet side view — Solid matt black version of the HJC CS-15

Safety

There’s no safety data available on the HJC CS-15 just yet and it hasn’t been SHARP safety tested so far.

As usual, to be on sale in the UK and EU, it will have to be ECE 22.05 certified – and for more information on this or any other terms, check out the links in the right hand side panel (right at the bottom of the page for mobile users – sorry!)

HJC has a mixed history when it comes to SHARP safety rating of their helmets. Of their last three tested polycarbonate helmets, one scored four, another five (maximum) and another two stars. So we were struggling to second guess where the CS-15 will come in.

Well, second guess no more, because the testing bods at SHARP did get their paws on the CS-15 and they scored it an excellent 4 stars for safety (remember the max is 5 stars).

That’s an awesome score for an entry level, low-tech helmet and means it should give you excellent levels of protection. And let’s face it, that’s numero-uno requirement for a helmet, right?

There’s not a mass of other safety features incorporated into the HJC CS-15. But you’ll find it has a micrometric fastener (fabulously easy to use and safe as long as it feels nice and tight) and the helmet’s being produced in two shell sizes.

Micrometric fasteners are great while just two shell sizes aren’t ideal but are what you’d expect from a lower-priced helmet. Click the link to find out more info on why more shell sizes = better.

hjc cs-15 space motorcycle crash helmet top view — This one’s the CS-15 Space – also available in black versions

Ventilation

HJC do make a bit of a ‘thing’ about the ventilation on the CS-15.

It has a single chin vent and a pair of crown vents – all operated with a single (slightly small for gloved hands?) slider.

HJC call this ACS or Advanced Channelling Ventilation System – meaning the crown ventilation will channel air through the channels in the inner EPS lining, around the scalp, then out of the twin rear exhaust vents.

But even though the HJC blurb makes something of this ventilation config, this type of system is actually very common on most full face helmets these days, mainly because it’s an effective solution.

There’s not much information around the web on how well the ventilation of the CS-15 works; suffice to say we’ve yet to find an HJC helmet that isn’t somewhere from average to great when it comes to keeping your head cool and well vented, so there’s no reason to suspect the CS-15 won’t provide decent ventilation too.

hjc cs-15 sebka motorcycle crash helmet rear view — Rear view of the CS15 Sebka in blue

Visor

The visor of the of the CS-15 is quick-release, Pinlock anti-fog ready (though there’s no Pinlock in the box) and is anti-fog treated. The fact that it comes already anti-fog treated but Pinlock-ready possibly points to HJC not being over-confident in the ability of the anti-fog treatment! A Pinlock will typically set you back around £30-£40.

HJC visors are usually decent quality and work well. This one has the opening tab on the left hand side – which is just where you want it.

Comfort & Sizing

The CS-15 is made in two shell sizes with the smaller shell size covering fitment sizes XS-M and the larger shell sizes L-XXL.

It has a Nylax removable and washable lining. Nylax is a soft-touch brushed polyester which HJC have been using in quite a few of their helmets (such as the IS-Max II and CL-Y) for a few years now. It’s washable, comfortable and wears well.

The CS-15 also has glasses grooves in the sides of the lining to accommodate the stems of glasses and stopping them pressing into the side of the head.

Like any helmet, the key to getting a helmet that’s both comfortable and safe is buying one that fits correctly in the first place. Check our fitment guide to make sure you order the correct helmet – and always buy from a retailer that offers no-quibble returns.

Looks & Graphics

The HJC CS-15 comes in six graphics options as well as solid/plain gloss/matt black and gloss white.

Of the fancy graphics versions, there’s the Songton, Treague, Space, Sebka, Rafu and Velenta – and you can find examples of most of these up and down the page, though there’s usually at least a couple of colour options available.

Best places to buy an HJC CS-15?

Please click below to visit the HJC CS-15 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).

HJC CS-15 Video

Here’s a quick 1m look around a solid matt black CS-15.

Other stuff – weight, glasses, chin curtain, warranty

hjc-cs-15-songtan-motorbike-crash-helmet-side-view — This one’s the same as in the video – the HJC CS-15 Songtan

The HJC CS-15 comes with a breath guard & chin curtain in the box.

HJC advertise that the size medium weighs in at 1.45Kg which is a good weight – especially for a polycarbonate full face helmet. In fact, it’s way lighter than the average polycarbonate helmet and just a smidge heavier than the average carbon fibre helmet (!) – so you shouldn’t have a problem with the helmet feeling heavy when riding.

Finally, it comes with HJCs paltry one year warranty which is a bit feeble. 5 year warranty’s are becoming the norm these days so click here to find a helmet that comes with a 5 year warranty.

Overall/Summary

The HJC CS-15 looks a decent – if basic – package. But then again, you can have one sitting in your garage for a reasonably basic amount of money!

When you buy an HJC, you typically get a good quality helmet at a low price. The CS-15 is aimed at riders who’re looking for an ‘all rounder’ helmet – one that’ll work if you’re head-down and going for it on the twisties or bimbling through town on your way to work. It doesn’t have anything fancy like a sun visor or Pinlock, but we’d expect the HJC CS-15 to be a decent helmet to live with, helped by that attractive buy price.

hjc cs-15 rafu motorcycle crash helmet side view — CS-15 Rafu

One particularly great feature of the CS-15 is that SHARP 4 star safety rating. As we always say, if you’ve gotta wear a helmet, you might as well one that’s going to give you the best protection.

And since it’s now been verified by SHARP that the CS-15 will do just that, then that makes it a much more desirable helmet in our eyes.

All in all, it’s a basic helmet but it covers those basic features well and is a great value full face helmet for anyone looking for a lower priced all-rounder helmet.

Alternatives to the HJC CS-15

First off, there’s MTs SHARP five star safety rated MT Revenge – that’s another polycarb helmet that weighs about the same as the CS-15 and is pretty basic in terms of features. But if you’re after a lower priced helmet to protect you in a spill, this is a great tried-and-tested helmet to go for.

The LS2 FF352 Rookie is another SHARP 4 star rated lid but it’s even cheaper than the CS-15 and Revenge – and the Rookie is even lighter than both and comes with an optically-correct visor. Wow!

But if you do want an HJC full face and are OK with spending a bit more, then the HJC FG-ST is an outstanding helmet. It’s SHARP 5 star and comes with a Pinlock anti-fog insert in the box. Well worth a look this one.

Best places to buy an HJC CS-15?

Please click below to visit the HJC CS-15 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).

hjc cs-15 valenta motorcycle crash helmet side view — Designed with the ladies in mind? CS-15 Valenta

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.

More HJC crash helmet reviews/info?

Visit our HJC page to quickly browse all our HJC helmet reviews including all the latest safety-rated full face and modular/flip up helmets.

About optically correct visors

optically-correct-motorcycle-visors-featured-image

All motorbike helmets – and that includes the visors – are subject to rigorous standards and thorough testing before they go on sale in Europe and elsewhere. In fact – as you can see here – the word ‘visor’ is specifically included in the title of the ECE 22.05 regulations that all helmets have to conform to before they’re put on sale.

Here’s a sample of what the regulation says about visor distortion (before things get mega-technical!):

"Visors shall in addition be sufficiently transparent, shall not cause any noticeable distortion of object as seen through the visor, shall be resistant to abrasion, resistant to impact and shall not give rise to any confusion between the colour used in road traffic sign and signals."

And if you’ve been a biker for some time, you’ll know visors generally work pretty damn well. OK, some can be slightly better than others, but I’ve never bought a helmet with a visor that distorts so much that I’ve been tempted to replace it. You can certainly notice distortion if you look for it – especially at the edges or when looking through it at an oblique angle – but most modern visors seem OK.

So is making a special optically-correct visor a solution to a problem that never really existed?

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What is an optically-correct or class 1 visor?

They’re visors that are designed to minimise distortion so your vision is clear and unhindered.

The term Class 1 comes from a European standard for eye and face protection, where optical quality is graded in three classes – 1 to 3 – with class 1 being the best and suitable for prolonged use.

Schuberth say all their helmets come with optical class 1 visors as standard. Bell too produce helmets with optically correct visors – as do AGV, Shoei and LS2.

In fact, you can find all the helmets we’ve looked at with optically correct visors here.

Do I need one?

Short answer: probably not.

If the helmet you like comes with one in the box, then great. It goes without saying that clear vision is imperative when riding a motorcycle so having a visor that’s distortion-free is ideal.

But most modern visors are very good anyhow and for most of us should be totally adequate for day to day riding. Our priorities should probably be more focused on keeping our visor in good condition – regularly cleaned and fog-free – rather than worrying about having the perfect optics.

The only exception to that rule may be racers, whose finely-tuned peripheral vision and millimetre perfect judgements could potentially be affected by the slightly sub-standard optics found in regular visors.

However, for the rest of us, it’s probably more of a ‘would be nice’ than a ‘must have’ feature.

About photochromic visors

motorcycle-transitions-photochromic-visors-featured

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What are photochromic visors?

Photochromic means something that changes colour in response to light. So, in the case of visors, that means a visor that will darken in response to UV light.

Which means it’ll stay light when indoors (indoor lights don’t transmit much UV apparently) or when it’s dark or a dull day. But when it gets sunny, then the visor will start to darken. And when it gets really sunny, it’ll do it quickly and get really dark – Lazer quotes an 80% tint for its Lumino visors.

How quickly do they change?

Well, photochromic visors are known to darken more quickly than they lighten and the speed it takes is slightly temperature dependent too. But, if it’s a really bright and sunny day, they’ll typically reach max darkness in about 20s – or about the time it takes to get on your bike, put your helmet on and set off. Which is pretty cool.

How do they work?

Most of the photochromic visors on the market today use technology developed by a company called Transitions – including those available from Shoei, Bell and Lazer (see below).

Transitions lenses use a light-sensitive dye to either impregnate or coat the surface (depending on the material). When exposed to UV light, the molecules in the dye change structure, causing the visor to darken.

For more info on how it all works, here’s a link to Transition’s technology page.

We’re great fans of photochromic visors – especially when helmets come with them in the box like the very reasonably priced Bell Qualifier DLX full face and Lazer Monaco flip-up (that’s SHARP 4 star rated too).

You’ll find helmets that come with photochromic visors in the box here on our photochromic visor page. Or read on…

Which helmets come with Photochromic visors?

At the time of writing, the following manufacturers either offer their helmets with a photochromic visor as standard fitment, or have one available to buy separately.

lazer-kite-lumino-photochromic-visor — Lazer’s Lumino active photochromic visors are available for the Kite, Falcon, Osprey and Kestrel

Bell

Bell produces what it calls their Trinsitions SOLFX ClickRelease visor. The following helmets have one available to fit:

Bell Qualifier DLX – comes as standard with one in the box.

Bell Star, Vortex, RS-1 and Revolver – all ClickRelease compatible but not included.

Lazer

Lazer’s Lumino visor system is their photochromic visor brand that also uses Transitions technology. Lazer say that at it’s maximum it is 80% tinted (i.e. gives 20% light transmission). It blocks 100% of UV and is anti-fog coated too.

The Lazer Monaco comes with a Lumino photochromic visor in the box. However Lazer also say you can also buy photochromic visors for the Kite, Falcon, Osprey and Kestrel helmets.

Shoei

Shoei produces a Transitions adaptive visor for their CWR-1 visor shape which means it should be available for the X-Sprit 3, NXR and RYD helmets. Note none of these helmets come with a transitions visor in the box.

To read reviews and previews of all the helmets that either come with a photochromic visor or have one available to buy separately, visit our helmets with photochromic visors page.

all about fibreglass motorcycle crash helmets

all-about-fibreglass-crash-helmets-featured-image

Fibreglass was the wonder material of its age. Originally developed in the 1930’s it was their carbon fibre moment.

It’s a cheap, light weight, strong and mouldable material that’s very suited to making into motorcycle crash helmets and has been the go-to material for heaps of manufacturers over the years in their quest to make the best helmet.

arai-straw-hat-fibreglass-helmet — First stage of making an Arai helmet – creating a superfibre fibreglass shell

Indeed, many older dudes (like me!) still equate fibreglass helmets with top-of-the-range lids.

And with good reason – because in many cases it still does. Arai still uses it, so does Shoei and Scorpion, for example. But mostly, fibreglass is used as one of a number of components in a composite fibre helmet. These usually include other materials such as carbon fibre and kevlar in the mix.

In the picture, you can see an early stage of making an Arai helmet – creating a ‘straw hat’ of high-grade fibreglass (what Arai call superfibres) to form into the helmet shell before layering in other materials.

Fibreglass can be used as ‘ordered’ mats similar to carbon fibre weave. But, as you can see in the picture, it also has multi-directional strength when used in the ‘chopped strand’ method where fibres are chopped then laid down in random directions before being set in resin. This gives it great stability and multi-directional strength.

So don’t let fibreglass put you off – it’s an excellent material that displays lots of the properties we like to see in a helmet – light weight, strength with tunable flexibility and abrasion-resistance being but four.

And as you can see from our helmet materials table, fibreglass helmets are only a smidge heavier on average, and a tad poorer SHARP safety performing, than composite helmets.

Helmet Shell	Avg SHARP safety score (Max 5)	Avg weight (Kg)
Carbon	4.26	1.37
Composite	3.89	1.47
Fibreglass	3.31	1.49
Polycarb/thermoplastic	3.59	1.57
Full Face	3.59	1.47
Modular/flip	3.36	1.67

Visit our fibreglass crash helmets section to see the wide variety of top-performing helmets that are sold as fibreglass helmets (or as composites containing fibreglass).

All you need to know about micrometric or micro-ratchet helmet fasteners

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What is a micrometric motorcycle helmet fastener?

The micrometric (or micro ratchet, or plain ratchet) fastener is a relative newcomer to motorcycle crash helmets. It might be new, but it’s a real goodie.

It’s uses a small hard plastic or metal curved strip with teeth on it on one side of the strap. On the other, there’s a corresponding slot with a spring-loaded ratchet mechanism. Insert the strip into the slot and the ratchet grabs onto the teeth, thereby securing the strap.

micrometric-motorcycle-crash-helmet-fastener — Couldn’t be easier. Insert the ratchet strip to auto-lock, pull the red tab to release

That means it’s really simple to close and lock micrometric straps; but it’s also easy to open them too. Just pull the red tab connected to the ratchet and it releases the mechanism, unlocking the fastener. Couldn’t be easier.

The strength of a micrometric fastener is in its simplicity to use and, within limits, means that you re-tighten the strap every time. Oh, and in its cheapness to produce.

But it does have a weakness. And that’s in the fact that you only have an inch or so adjustment – the length of the ratchet strip in fact. That’s fine when the strap’s adjusted correctly, but when the strap stretches over time (which it probably will) it’s all too easy to have a micrometric fastener that’s not quite tightened enough.

And that, dear friends, could give you a chance of being one of the 8% of fatal motorcycle accidents where it’s reckoned the helmet comes off!

So, if you ride with a helmet fastened with a micrometric or ratchet strap, if it doesn’t feel tight enough, take a moment to adjust the buckle on the strap itself and not just the micrometric fastener.

Other than that, micrometric’s are great.