To mark the fourteenth anniversary of the death of racing great Joey Dunlop, Arai have released a limited edition replica crash helmet. Before that fateful day in Estonia, Joey had just delighted fans by winning the Formula One and Senior races in the 2000 TT on his Honda SP-1. In the 1985 season, to which the ‘85’ refers, he raced to victory in two races at the North West 200, three races at the Ulster GP, and the Junior, Senior, and Formula One TTs on the Isle of Man.
And he did it all wearing the same design that he’d worn throughout his remarkable career. The helmet is instantly recognisable to aficionados of road racing, because Joey always wore his distinctive yellow lid, with the ‘85 season helmet also showing the Downtown Radio logo of his Northern Irish sponsor and the ‘Joey’ logo that he wore on his lid at the time. The vibrancy of his talent is well represented in the bright yellow colouring and, like Arai’s standard RX-7 GP helmets, it scores highly in all the essential areas – in terms of safety and performance. We particularly praised the great build quality, the good ventilation, the all-day comfort and the quietness.
Joey in Action
This is the first replica crash helmet that’s been released since the one year anniversary version after Joey’s death. It has been approved by his widow, Linda Dunlop, who has signed a certificate of authenticity to be included with each sale. The run is a strictly limited edition with only 305 helmets manufactured. Each purchase will also include a numbered sticker, and they are available (for now) in sizes XXS-XXL through Northern Ireland dealer Crossan Motorcycles.
If you’re looking for a new crash helmet or simply want to join in the tributes to the most successful TT racer ever with a truly exclusive and limited edition helmet, then you won’t go far wrong with a Joey 85.
Best place to buy this Arai crash helmet?
Please click below to visit the Arai helmets pages at our recommended stores - all highly rated for excellent service and keen prices. 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).
Click above to drop onto their Arai helmets pages or *quick view retailer T&Cs here.
It’s simply too obvious to make a remark about German efficiency. We’re at the point now where a helmet – no, more or less anything manufactured by the Germans – could be made from recycled crisp packets and chewing gum and people would trot out the old line about German efficiency.
Having said that, Held do show a pretty tasty line in motorsport equipment across their remarkable 318-page catalogue, though their naming conventions could be a little smoother. Scard is a rock-hard name for a helmet, and Masuda sounds suitably mysterious, but whoever came up with ‘Travel-Champ’ needs to stop using Google Translate quite so much.
While ‘Held Alcatar’ does sound like a something Severus Snape might scream at Harry Potter, it’s actually a dual-sport helmet. A nice looking and reasonably priced one at that. It’s available in either plain black or white/red graphics (as shown above), and has a wide-face aperture and a peak giving it a motor-crossy look; a peak which many people find a pain but many others find makes them look like a sinister movie character coolly disappearing off into the distance on a dirt bike with the heist gang’s takings.
Why do those characters always turn out to be women by the way?
But I digress. The helmet’s peak, though, does tend to catch the wind quite a bit – so if you’re inclined to ride around windy parts a lot where you get quite a few cross winds – you might find the peak a bit of a pain. The visor is a little stiff which could impact speed of opening but it does mean it stays where you want it – which in our book is the priority.
The Alcatar has got a very useful internal drop down sun visor – again, absolutely key to looking sinister – but with a secondary benefit that it keeps the sun out without the need for shades. The aerodynamics are well designed, with little noise detected at lower speeds. Its ventilation is average though, and the inner lining is a little rougher than some similar helmets – though at this price point, some shortcomings are to be expected I guess.
Obviously, it’s a sturdy piece of kit given the predictably German efficiency – oh damn it – but although it meets the usual ECE 22.05 safety standards (though not SHARP tested), it does feel a little lightweight. And even though it’s a German brand, the helmet’s actually made in China. Nevertheless it’s a very competently made piece of head gear, especially for those looking to try a dual-sports helmet for the first time and who doesn’t want to scare the bank manager.
The Alcatar’s plain variant is available at a smidge under £130 at the time of writing, with a tenner more for the graphic version.
If you’re looking for a new crash helmet or simply want to join in the tributes to the most successful TT racer ever with a truly exclusive and limited edition helmet, then you won’t go far wrong with a Joey 85.
Looking to buy a crash helmet?
If you’re looking to buy a helmet (or just want to see some prices for helmets or other gear) – please check out the prices by clicking the link to the page at Sportsbikeshop below. And if you buy from there, we get a small sum from the sale (thanks lots!) and please let us know how you get on with the purchase so we can share with other readers.
It’s not often you get to look around the Triumph factory in Hinkley – I should know, I’ve called and asked more than once. They just don’t usually do tours, I guess downtime equals lost production. But on the weekend of the Triumph Live event outside the heritage centre in Gaydon, that’s just what Triumph did. We bought our tickets for the event early and, out of the blue, we got an invitation for a tour of the Hinkley factory on the Friday afternoon before the event. Fantastic.
So down we rode, not knowing what to expect – and certainly not expecting to be able to access the whole factory with staff there, chilled out and helpful, to answer any questions.
We parked up among the descended masses of Triumphs and wandered over to an open gate in the side of the factory building. There we found happy, smiling employees showing us where to bung our gear and giving us a quick word about what we’ll see – then we were off into the despatch bay.
It was incredible to see row upon row of completed bikes, bagged and boxed and stacked on racking ready for despatch. And spares too – a massive row of 675 front and rear wheel rims – we picked them up. They were incredibly light for the power and stresses they have to handle. And fair play to the Triumph staff – as long as we kept to the routes they’d taped off, then they were happy for us to take as many photos as we wanted and handle gear that was laying around. Big thumbs up there.
Triumph Hinkley Factory main entrance
Spares Warehouse
Spares in the despatch bay
Happy Christmas! lots of lovely Triumphs ready for the dealers
They should add ‘on pain of death’ to that. Rocket 3 ready for the dealer.
From memory, four Triumph Daytona 675 engines in a row
Nice bunch of complete Triumph Tigers
Triumph Rocket III ready for the dealers
Check out some of the labels on the boxes – wouldn’t mind one of those turning up on Christmas day morning!
The despatch and warehousing area took up two large storerooms. After walking through an area with some Daytona 675 engines and a few part-built bikes for us to look over, we entered the production area proper, the first part which was full of milling machines, polishers and ovens where they finish off the crankshafts, crankcases and cylinder blocks.
Onto the machine shop for some crankshaft turning
An oven full of cranks
Cranks fresh from the oven
Cranks ready for the assembly line
These Thunderbird 1700 barrels were mahoosive!
Rocket III barrels and cases laid out for inspection
The heart of the Rocket III – not quite yet beating
Nice presentation of the Rocket 3 block
Driveshaft tunnel from a Rocket III?
To be quite honest, we didn’t really expect to see this level of engineering being done in house. These days much of this sort of engineering is done off-site at fabrication plants with the parts being pulled together in an assembly plant. But here in Hinkley, the cast components are brought in and finished on site before being moved to the assembly line. We saw milling machines and polishing machines and a massive oven where 16 different types of cranks are baked. We also saw Rocket 3 and Thunderbird Storm cylinder heads in various stages of machining. As you can see from the pictures, Triumph laid on some displays of the various components for us to gawp at. I thought my Rocket III cylinders were big enough – until I saw the Thunderbird storm pots. They were ginormous.
And so we moved on to the best bit – the assembly line. There seemed to be four models being fettled when we went round – the Rocket 3, Thunderbird Storm, Tiger and (I think) a Street Triple. First off we just saw the engines – massive great lumps on a conveyor belt. Huge racks of components all labelled and stored in bins, trugs and shelves. Box after box of camshafts and racks of Rocket rear ends. For a Triumph lover, it was heaven.
Thunderbird engine on the line
Assembly of a Rocket III engine
Injectors waiting their turn
Moving round a bit and engines and frames met and became recognisable bikes – Rockets and Thunderbirds in the earlier stages then Tigers and (I think) Street Triples. From conveyor belt for assembling frames and engines, they’re then winched onto an overhead system that holds the bikes at person height so the rest of the bike can be added – wiring, forks, wheels, tanks etc. etc. It all looked incredibly organised – and clean and tidy – but then I guess that’s what all production lines are like these days. I know I was lucky enough to visit the McLaren F1 factory down in Woking a couple of years ago and I was flabberghasted by how spotlessly clean their workshops were – white everything and literally not a drop of oil or tinciest speck of dust (that Ron Dennis must be a dream to live with – ‘Nah just leave it love, we’ll tidy up in the morning ;-)).
Rocket 3 engine starting the journey
Thunderbird 1700 engine being assembled
Frame now attached to the Rocket 3 engine
Rocket III on the production line
Rocket 3 Roadster taking shape
Triumph Thunderbird Storm nearing completion
Triumph Tiger and Street Triple halfway through production
From there, we moved on to the the quality control area. You didn’t get much of a sense of what was going on there because there were a load of very shiny and very finished bikes hanging around ready to be put through their paces. There were one or two with labels on them mentioning faults and tweaks that needed to be made, so I guess their process is working and they’re picking up any problems before they leave the door.
All of which culminated in the bizarre spectacle of a bike on a bench ready to be bagged and boxed. They also have to partially dismantle some bikes for shipping, depending on where they’re being sent to. Apparently countries like Brazil put a hefty duty on complete machines being imported, so they have to be shipped over as kits, to be reassembled on delivery and avoid the import duty. Others, like the Rocket in the picture above, have to have bars, wheels and other sticky-out bits to be taken off and packaged separately so they’re a decent size to be boxed.
Thunderbirds ready to roll (to the QC department)
More Thunderbird Storms ready for their final QC assessment
So there you have it. It was cock-on of Triumph to open their gates to us all – free of charge – and be so chilled about us wandering round, snapping, videoing and generally causing a nuisance. On the other hand, it’s great PR – what with that and the marvellous Triumph Live event, where even James Toseland’s band was excellent (even for two very cynical Yorkshiremen who were tanked up and very much looking forward to deriding him mercilessly for half an hour!)
Triumph Thunderbird Commander – by ‘eck that seat looks comfy!
Triumph Bonneville Black?
Would you like a bag with that? Once through QC, they’re ready for bagging and boxing
Nope, it left me and my Ducati-riding bro with nothing but thanks for Triumph – and astonishment at the great job they’re doing to keep this fantastic brand and range of motorcycles going. Being in my forties, I remember the closure of the Meriden plant and I guess motorcycles were always something that were manufactured abroad. So it’s great to be able to go around a British motorcycle factory that, to me, make some of the best and most outlandish motorcycles available (I like outlandish) and to see British bikes being born.
Thanks Triumph and good luck to ya!
To finish, here are some video snippets I shot on the tour. Kinda bring it to life a little (but sorry about my mumblings over the top!) – and there’s one or two more on the YouTube channel.
The Speed R, from French helmet producer Shark, is a pretty aggressive-looking, sports-oriented full faced crash helmet. It’s notable for the range of funky colour schemes it comes in as well as the integral sun visor and optically-correct (and thick!) clear visor as well as scoring a healthy four star rating in the SHARP crash helmet safety test. See summaries below for more information as to whether you should buy one.
Mid-priced fibreglass helmet with sun visor
SHARP 4 star safety tested (out of 5)
Optically correct visor
Moderate noise
Good for glasses-wearers
XS – XL, 1.45Kg
Typical price range: £170-£250 depending on retailer/model
Looking to buy this Shark?
It's been discontinued for a while now, but you can still find it on Amazon UK the last time we checked. Please click the link and you'll drop straight onto their Shark helmets pages (then use site search).
The Shark Speed R scored a creditable 4/5 in the SHARP helmet test, meaning it should perform above average in an accident. Like all other crash helmets for sale in the UK (and the rest of the EU) it’s also ECE 22-05 approved so you should be reasonably confident that it’ll stay on, not crack and absorb the impact well.
The shell is constructed from layered glass fibre – what Shark calls ‘multiaxial’, meaning that the layers of fibreglass are laid at different angles to reduce splitting and help with overall stiffness and structural integrity. There’s also a Speed-R Carbon which is also mainly constructed from fibreglass but with a layer of carbon fibre on top to give it a cool carbon fibre look.
Shark Speed R Blank in Gloss Black
While the carbon fibre layer is mostly there for looks, it should help with abrasion resistance in a crash too.
Size
The helmet is built in two shell sizes – which is kinda what you’d expect at this price of helmet – more expensive helmets tend to be produced in two or three helmet sizes. Remember, the closer the helmet shell size matches the helmet size you need, the more the level of padding inside the helmet is optimised. That means if you use a ginormous helmet shell for an XXS fitting, then they have to use lots of padding inside the helmet to make it fit – and the more you’ll look like a lollipop when you wear it (massive helmet on small head). For more info on helmet fitting, look here.
Wind Noise
The Shark Speed-R is about average for noise suppression. Much of the way owners feel about the level of noise in a helmet is dictated by the type of bike ridden (sporty & faired or naked and unfaired) and the position (lean forward or sat upright). It’s also dependent on how quiet your last helmet was as it’s a comparative judgment. However, Shark designed the helmet with sporty naked riders in mind (the bike, not the rider 🙂 ) and this is born out by owners who reckon that it’s best for more upright riders where the helmet is more in the wind. If you’re crouched forward, it gets noisier. The helmet was designed with a spoiler at the rear of the helmet that’s supposed to reduce buffeting and increase stability – and as long as you’re sitting reasonably upright, folks reckon it’s pretty good – with the aerodynamics working best when in the windflow, making it quieter and reducing buffeting. On average, the Speed R seems about average for quietness.
Ventilation
The Speed R has chin/forehead vents and a rear exhaust vent. Pretty standard really. The exhaust vent is located at the back of the lid with a bit of a spoiler over the top which is designed to create a ‘venturi’ effect – meaning it lowers the pressure behind the helmet, effectively sucking all the manky head-air out of the helmet to produce extra cooling. Quite a few helmets do this these days and with the Speed-R, Shark has made done quite a bit of external and internal work to maximise the air flow. To quote the marvellous Franglais from the Shark website, ‘The immediate benefit is an ultra fast refreshment hence the quasi-nonexistant mist.’ Couldn’t have put it better myself!
Speed R rear view showing exhaust vent spoiler and base spoiler to reduce buffeting
There are the usual external vents on the Speed R but, to work well, these have to be complemented by well routed and large interior air channels in both the polystyrene shock absorbing material and internal lining and skull cap to allow it to reach the head. Shark have done their homework here and most owners report that it works very well, keeping the head cool in hot weather.
Having said that, there can be an issue with the visor fogging but that’s pretty standard on most helmets so an anti-fog insert is going to be necessary.
Visor
There’s some very good things and a very bad thing to report on the visor. On the outer, clear visor, Shark have gone for a very high quality, optically-correct visor that owners say is great to use – some people commenting that their vision’s as clear with the visor down as it is with it up! It’s also notable because it’s so thick – over 4mm in the centre, reducing to just under 3mm at the edges. There aren’t any notches on this visor mechanism to keep the visor open at set points, but there aren’t any complaints about the way the visor keeps open where the user puts it so shouldn’t be a problem there. The main problem is that there isn’t a tab on the front of the visor so a gloved finger can find the edge of the visor to open it. More than one person has moaned like crazy about the barmy oversight with a coupe of folks saying it’s impossible to open the visor without taking your glove off. It does seem a bit mad that they’d produce a visor without an opening-tab and it’s something that should be pretty easy for Shark to recitify – so might be worth checking with the retailer that the problem’s been sorted before you buy.
One thing that’s worth noting is that the visor’s really easy to change with a couple of pull-tabs below each visor pivot that release the visor quickly. Great for taking your visor off quickly to give it a clean.
The sun visor is operated by a nice alloy slider to the top left of the helmet and works well, with users reckoning their vision is nice and clear, even when the sun visor’s down. To view other helmets with integral sun visors, click through to our helmets with sun visors page.
Comfort
As ever, comfort is dependent on making sure you get the right fit. It should be snug but not too tight and match the shape of your head. Occasionally people are finding that the cheek pads are a bit oversized and might squeeze the face a little until they give. Also, there are some comments that if you have a pronounced forehead, you might find the helmet presses there – so, if that’s you, you might want to try one on before you buy first.
In Texas colour scheme showing integral sun visor.
If you wear glasses, there’s a handy groove cut in the liner that allows glasses’ stems to seat easily inside the helmet and there’s plenty of space inside for the lenses to sit without being interfered with by the visors – so all good here.
The internal lining is fully removable and washable (delicates/cold cycle) and there’s no complaints about comfort or abrasion so should be fine.
Best place to buy this Shark?
You can still find this helmet at Amazon UK. Click the link to drop through to their Shark Helmets page (then use search) - but make sure you only buy from the most reputable sellers.
Other stuff – fasteners, audio, weight etc.
The Shark Speed R has a d-ring fastener which is a reliable and easy to use fastener that’s compatible with track use, if you fancy doing a track day. There’s a cut-out in the EPS liner for third party communicator/intercom speakers but it’s also Sharktooth bluetooth-ready (Shark’s own brand of communicator). One thing everyone agrees with is that it’s a light helmet – with the XS size helmet weighing in at just 1.45 kilos – right up there with the lightest non-carbon fibre helmets.
If you want another opinion about the Speed R, here’s a video review that’s got quite a few ‘likes’.
Warranty
At the time of writing, Shark helmets come with a 5 year manufacturer’s warranty (2 year’s statutory with an extra 3 years) which covers manufacturing defects and postage too. That’s a pretty good deal on the face of it and, at the least, shows that Shark are confident in their manufacturing and QA process. We’d love to hear if you’ve used their warranty. Please let us know using our contact form.
Overall
The Shark Speed-R combines modern, slightly-aggressive styling and attractive graphics with good safety levels and useful features – including integral sun visor and optically correct clear visor. The only notable, and slightly odd fail is the lack of tab to open the main visor. Otherwise, it’s a mid-priced helmet that performs either average or well in most other respects and should provide a trusty and reliable buy.
Other places you might want to look
If you’re looking to buy a crash helmet, there’s a few items in the links below to equip you with most of the things you need to know:
A range of other useful articles/research you should be aware of if you’re looking to buy a crash helmet.
Otherwise, just click on the feature you’re interested in from the list to the right to see only helmets with that feature.
And if you’ve experience of the Shark Speed-R that you’d like to share, please add a comment below or fill out the form and we’ll publish it – the site’s based mostly on feedback from users and owners like you so we’d genuinely love to know what you think.
Looking to buy this Shark?
It's been discontinued for a while now, but you can still find it on Amazon UK the last time we checked. Please click the link and you'll drop straight onto their Shark helmets pages (then use site search).
The recently introduced AGV K3 SV is the successor to the popular K3. What’s the difference? Well mainly the SV part which refers to the integral sun visor in the new helmet. The original was a good seller because it looked nice, had some useful features, offered good safety levels (SHARP 4 Star tested) and, all in all, offered greatvalue for money.
Well, this new K3 SV looks to give more of the same. Its thermoplastic shell is made in 2 sizes – which is ok for a medium priced helmet. It should mean you get a reasonable fit and the helmet doesn’t look too large/small on your head if you’re at one of the extreme sizes – such as XXS or XL. Ventilation is supposedly good, with chin, brow and top ventilation intakes and a rear exhaust covered with integral spoiler, which is designed to increase stability at higher speeds.
K3 SV In Rossi Winter Test Blue colour scheme
The internal padding is all fully removable and, as long as you’ve got the right fitting in the first place, beds in nicely and is comfortable. While the visor is Pinlock-ready, it doesn’t come with a Pinlock insert at this price. But the most notable feature about the visor is the integral sun visor that’s pretty easy to operate (easier to lower than to raise it apparently). Other features are that it’s AGV bluetooth communications system-ready, has a great/quick visor release system (just pull down a tab on each side and out pops the visor) and has a nice and easy to operate micrometric fastener to secure it.
Really like this one – K3 SV in Rossi Gothic Black
The AGV K3 SV hasn’t yet been SHARP tested for safety, though if the previous version is any measure, it should do pretty well. At this price point, it’s not the best quality helmet in terms of build quality, but it does offer good features at a very attractive price point – at the time of writing prices start around the £150 mark. Provided it does score well when tested by SHARP, the K3 SV should be a good buy and well worth taking a look if you’re in the market for amid-pricedfull face crash helmet.
Here’s a video we found giving some more info on the K3 SV that you might find useful.
Otherwise, just click on the feature you’re interested in from the list to the right to see only helmets with that feature.
Best place to buy this AGV crash helmet?
First off, we suggest you check out SportsBikeShop. They're based in the UK, offer free delivery with 365 day refunds, have really competitive prices (they'll price match too) and offer outstanding service (9.8/10 on Trustpilot at the time of writing).
If you like to buy from Amazon you can click the link to drop straight onto their AGV Helmets pages (just make sure you only buy from the most reputable sellers with the highest feedback).
Motoin are based in Germany, have decent Euro prices and get great feedback (4.7 out of 5 on eTrustedshops at the time of writing) though note, there's a delivery charge to ship outside of Germany, so factor that in (see here for details).
If you're looking for a quality US retailer, we recommend Revzilla (USA). They're based in Philadelphia, have amazing online reviews - at the time of writing 9.8/10 on Reseller Ratings - along with free US delivery for orders over $40.
Please click any picture/link to drop straight onto their AGV helmets pages. 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). Click here for more info on our recommended retailers.
Click above to drop onto their AGV helmets pages or *quick view retailer T&Cs here.
The RPHA Max is a modular/flip-up helmet that’s well liked by most owners. It’s comfortable, well put together, pretty quiet and light for a flip-up. It’s a more expensive helmet and only scored 3/5 stars in the SHARP crash helmet test. But for daily use, it’s practical and works well.
Weight – 1.45Kg (size XS)
SHARP 3 star safety rating (out of 5)
Comfortable
Average/good wind noise
Integral sun visor
Comes with Pinlock anti-fog insert
Good for glasses & speakers
Available in sizes XS-XXL
Typical prices: £300-£380 (Max Evo)
Looking to buy an HJC RPHA Max?
Please click below to visit the HJC 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
HJC reckon the shell is one of the most advanced around – and is made up of layers of Aramid (Kevlar is an aramid), carbon fibre and fibreglass. It sounds like it should be the DBs for safety – and like all crash helmets for sale in the UK, it’s ECE 2205 approved, which means it’s passed certain minimum safety tests. However, when tested by SHARP, it only scored 3/5 stars so it’s not as safe as some other flip-up helmets such as the five star Shark Evoline (check here for other 5 star helmets*).
The HJC R-PHA Max isn’t dual homologated (meaning it’s only been ECE 22-05 tested and approved for use as an open face helmet). I know I’d want my own flip-up helmet to give as good protection – or at least be designed to try and give as good protection – as a full face. If you’re reckoning along the same lines, then check out our reviews of dual-homologated lids as they’re approved for use as open and full face helmets.
Having said that, the RPHA Max’s chin guard stayed in place during 93% of the impacts during the SHARP tests (yeah I know, I’d like to see a score of 100% there too!).
Wind Noise
Most folks love how quiet the R-PHA Max is – HJC claim 84db at around 60mph. It’s been wind tunnel designed to be as slippery as possible – and we need to add the usual caveat here that how noisy your helmet is also depends on the type of bike you ride and the position you ride in – plus you should probably ride with ear plugs most of the time anyhow. That said, it’s widely regarded as a quiet helmet – though a couple of guys who previously owned Schuberth C3’s reckoned it’s not as quiet as that. Again, it’s a relative judgement – to the man with no shoes, the flip-flop is the height of comfort (Confuscious).
HJC have included an integral (non-removable) chin curtain and neck curtain around the bottom of the helmet that should keep some breeze out and is designed to reduce noise coming into the helmet from wind blast around the bottom of the helmet and the jacket collar. Words pretty well by all accounts.
the R-PHA Max in the MC-10 colour scheme. Looks pretty nice and sleek?
Size
The R-PHA Max is produced in three shell sizes. Which is a good thing. Most expensive lids are produced in three shell sizes meaning they don’t have to over or under-pad the shell to make it fit the different sizes. If you have only one helmet shell size, they have to really cut back on shock-absorbing material and/or padding for the larger sizes or stuff it full for the smaller sizes – often resulting in a helmet that looks massive on an XS head. Having three helmet shell sizes means the Max should have the right shell size for your head whatever size helmet you pick – XS to XXL.
Ventilation
There’s mixed opinions on the interweb about ventilation. There’s an air vent in the chin and one in the brow – with an always-open exhaust vent at the back. When you look inside the helmet, it’s obvious HJC have made quite an effort to make sure there’s good routing for the breeze around the head and most people who ride in hot places say it does a good job of keeping them cool with the chin guard down. All good there. There are some minor moans (and it has to be said, they are pretty low-key) that because the visor fits quite close to the face in the RPHA Max, that it’s more prone to fogging – even in warmer temps.
However, the visor on the Max is Pinlock-ready and there is a Pinlock insert supplied – so fit that and it will stop the fogging – though if, like me, you’re rather well-endowed in the snout area – you might find that brings the inside of the visor a bit too close for comfort as a few wearers reckon the R-PHA Max is slightly shorter front-to-back than your average helmet, so the visor sits closer to your face.
Visors
As mentioned, the main (clear) visor comes with a Pinlock so fogging needn’t be an issue as that’ll sort it out. The R-PHA Max also comes with an integral sun-shield operated, rather bizarrely, by a spring-loaded slidy-knob towards the top centre back of the helmet. Most folks find it a bit odd to have it there – but once you get used to it, it works well enough, with three positions – fully down, slightly less than fully down – and up. If the sun visor’s down, because it’s spring-loaded, you can press a button on the top of the helmet that will
Showing the rear exhaust vent and sun visor slider.
retract the sun visor in a second. It does feel a bit cheap to operate and there’s the occasional report of squeaking – but all in all, it does its job.
One thing worth mentioning is that the Rapid Fire II visor removal mechanism is pretty easy to use (though not as easy as some other HJCs). Open the visor, and there’s a little tab that needs pushing up while wiggling the visor to release it. A bit weird why they’ve replaced their awesomely-quick Rapid Fire I visor mechanism with one that’s a bit fiddly. However, it’s still good and allows you to quickly pull off the visor when you need to clean bee/greenfly/pigeon-juice off it after a fast summer blast.
Best place to buy an HJC RPHA Max?
Please click below to visit the HJC 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).
Chin Guard
To open the chin guard, you push in a button under the guard and the guard rotates upwards. Push it down and it clicks back into place locating over a couple of sturdy-looking aluminium pegs at each side. The occasional person complained that it feels like a two-handed job to click the chin guard back in place so might be worth having a go in person to see if it suits you (though in my experience, you get the knack pretty quickly).
Comfort
One of the main plus points reported by owners is that it’s very comfortable. Not for people with square heads apparently – and of course it needs to fit pretty snugly – but for those with a good fit then it’s a very comfortable helmet. It comes with fully-removable and washable internal padding made from an anti-bacterial and wicking material – that’s also supposed to suck heat out quickly (I think HJC’s marketing department is staffed by 13 year old girls from Romford as they’ve called it Cool4Ever – nice). That’s arguably not such a great thing in January in Inverness – but no one seems to think it works particularly well anyhow, so possibly no damage done there.
Video
Other stuff – fasteners, audio, weight, glasses
The HJC R-PHA features a double-d ring fastener – which is a very reliable and easy to use fastener and means, together with its ACU Gold Star that it can be used on the track for track days. It’s a pretty light helmet – though note when comparing helmet weights, it does depend on which helmet size is tested. The XS version of the Max is 1.45Kg while the Large is around 1.6Kg.
One feature liked by most who wear intercoms or Bluetooth is that there’s plenty of room for speakers in the helmet. There isn’t a corresponding cut-away inside the foam but there is one in the padding so most 3rd party speakers seem to work well.
The RPHA Max has also been designed with glasses-wearers in mind – and there’s plenty of room at the side of the eyes to slot the glasses stems through.
Overall
It’s not the cheapest of helmets, but it’s a good all-round performer that holds together well with good build quality and lots of useful features. It’s quiet and comfortable though not the safest as tested by SHARP, scoring only 3/5. That said, If you’re after a flip-up that looks sleek, with a full-array of features like sun visor, anti-fog and can be used for the occasional track day, then the HJC R-PHA Max may well be the one for you.
Alternatives
There are a number of good alternatives to the R-PHA if you’re looking for a flip-up. A few we’d recommend checking out the Schuberth C3 is a good performing and quiet helmet, the Roof Desmo which is great-looking and dual-homologated, the Lazer Monaco which has great ventilation and scores 4/5 in the SHARP test; and the Shark Evoline 3 that’s got some great features and scored a maximum 5/5 in the SHARP test.
To see reviews on other helmets, click our crash helmets review section. For other four or five star SHARP rated crash helmets, choose from the menu at the top.
If you’ve any experience of the RPHA Max, we’d love to know what you think in the comments section below. Nice one.
Looking to buy an HJC RPHA Max?
Please click below to visit the HJC 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).
MT is reckoned to be a massive name in Spain and becoming increasingly recognised over here in Blighty. And with flip-up helmets becoming more and more popular, I thought it’d be worth taking a look at one that’s pretty cheap and that’s just been nominated by MCN as it’s No.1 flip up.
The thing about the MT Flux is that its got pretty well all the features you’d want in a modular lid at a really low price (which is why it was rated by MCN as its No.1). Its chin bar opens at the touch of a button, its got an integral sun visor and it’s got a decent, solid feel to it. Like all helmets for sale in the EU, it has been ECE 22-05 approved. It’s also been SHARP tested where it scored an extremely respectable 4/5 stars for safety which is very good.
Best places to buy an MT Flux?
Most places have stopped selling the Flux, but the last time we checked, you could still find it on Amazon. So please click below to drop straight onto their MT Flux 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).
However, for flip-up helmets, SHARP also report on how many times the chin guard remains fully locked after an impact and unfortunately the Flux scored very badly here, remaining locked and closed in only 40% of impacts (the tested average is 77% for flip-up helmets).
Also, as far as I could find out, the Flux hasn’t been dual-homologated either, so that means it’s not been given the thumbs up to give the level of protection a full face helmet will, rather it’s just been approved for use in the same way an open faced helmet has – unlike the Roof Desmo or AGV Compact.
MT Flux looking nice in Gloss White
That said, the Flux has got that modern aerodynamic, angular look that’s designed to reduce drag and turbulence and most owners reckon it’s pretty good in that respect – though it has to be said that the level of buffeting you’ll feel is always very much dependent on what sort of bike you ride and whether you’ve got a fairing or not.
Other stuff: the MT Flux has a thermoplastic shell available in the usual XS-XXL sizes and has removable lining so you can rag it out and wash the stink out from time to time! It’s fastened by a micrometric fastener – which are increasingly popular and, if you’ve not come up against one before, they’re really easy to use (find out more on our micrometric page). What else? Well, its got a decent, thick visor, is generally regarded as comfortable and comes in four colours – gloss black/white, moody matt black and decidedly un-moody flu yellow.
Front view of the MT Flux
So how much will all this flip-up goodness cost? Well you can pay loads for flip-ups of course – check out the Schuberth C3 review to see one of the most expensive (and best performing) – but prices for the MT Flux (at the time of typing) are around £90 which is a whole lotta features for the price.
For other helmet reviews check out either our Crash Helmet Reviews or for the safest helmets on the market, check the SHARP 4 & 5 Star Crash Helmet reviews section! And if you’ve ever worn an MT Flux helmet, please comment below and let us all know what you think. Thanks!
And finally here’s a video showing how to change the visor on the MT Flux (might come in handy?)
Most places have stopped selling the Flux, but the last time we checked, you could still find it on Amazon. So please click below to drop straight onto their MT Flux 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).
Lean mean carbon/kevlar/fibreglass version of AGVs AX8 off road helmet – for people who growl while they’re riding.
Apparently, AGV had so many people asking for the AGV AX8 Dual off road helmet without the peak, that they’ve decided to put this peakless version into production. Called the AX8 Naked, it’s aimed at folks who ride naked bikes such as your factory streetfighters or supermotos who want a helmet with a distinctive and aggressive look but without the peak needed by off road riders. And pretty horny it looks too. It’s angular and mean-looking and the spec shows it should deliver the goods too.
AGV XX8 in moody matt black
The shell comes in three sizes (a good thing) and by the looks of it AGV couldn’t quite decide what to construct it of so they made it out of everything they found in their lab. It’s got layers of Carbon, fibreglass and kevlar so you’d expect it to be pretty strong and shock absorbant. Other features: it’s got a double-d ring fastener, three front inlet vents and two exhausts, antifog and antiscratch visor and fully washable liners. It’s not been SHARP safety tested yet but it is, of course, ECE 22.05 approved for sale in Europe and should retail for around £250.
If you’re looking to buy an AGV helmet, why not check out our other full AGV crash helmet reviews.
Best place to buy this AGV crash helmet?
First off, we suggest you check out SportsBikeShop. They're based in the UK, offer free delivery with 365 day refunds, have really competitive prices (they'll price match too) and offer outstanding service (9.8/10 on Trustpilot at the time of writing).
If you like to buy from Amazon you can click the link to drop straight onto their AGV Helmets pages (just make sure you only buy from the most reputable sellers with the highest feedback).
Motoin are based in Germany, have decent Euro prices and get great feedback (4.7 out of 5 on eTrustedshops at the time of writing) though note, there's a delivery charge to ship outside of Germany, so factor that in (see here for details).
If you're looking for a quality US retailer, we recommend Revzilla (USA). They're based in Philadelphia, have amazing online reviews - at the time of writing 9.8/10 on Reseller Ratings - along with free US delivery for orders over $40.
Please click any picture/link to drop straight onto their AGV helmets pages. 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). Click here for more info on our recommended retailers.
Click above to drop onto their AGV helmets pages or *quick view retailer T&Cs here.
Little known but becoming increasingly popular since the launch of their new range, this is the Duchinni D605 modular helmet.
First impressions are that it’s a nice and sleek-looking lid at a competitive price. It’s a flip-up modular helmet that’s operated with a single button at the front that’s easy to use.
Looking to buy a Duchinni?
We recommend SportsBikeShop (UK) for outstanding service, 365 day free returns and free helmet delivery. Please see here for more info on them or click the links to go straight to their Duchinni helmets pages where you'll find the latest helmet designs and deals.
It has the usual three vents – a chin vent, forehead vents and rear exhaust vent – and has a fully removable lining. There might be some question marks over the ventilation not being quite strong enough to keep the visor fog free but a decent anti-fog liner should sort that out.
Like many modular helmets, it’s a little on the weighty side (it’s got the weight of the gubbins required to operate the movable front) so at 1890g it might get a bit heavy after a while.
It was independently tested by the SHARP helmet safety labs in 2018 where it scored a relatively low 2 stars (out of a maximum 5) which would stop us recommending you buy a 605 – although it did score a decent 97% for the percentage of times during testing its chin guard stayed locked and closed. That’s a very decent score.
If you’ve got your heart set on buying a Duchinni D605, we recommend you click through to our recommended retailer using the link below.
Or alternatively, scroll down to find out which modular/flip up helmets we think are the best on the market today.
Best place to buy this Duchinni crash helmet?
You can find it in our recommended store 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). Click here for more info on our recommended retailers.
Click above to drop onto their Duchinni helmets pages or *quick view retailer T&Cs here.
Just launched is the new AGV Compact modular/flip up helmet. It’s aimed at the increasing number of folks who like the safety and utility of a full faced for when they’re steaming on a bit, but the freedom of an open faced helmet when the mood takes them or they’re in bimbling mood. In fact, this helmet’s been dual-homologated by the ECE dudes – meaning it’s been tested and approved by the EU powers-that-be to work in both guises – something that not all modular helmets have.
Hi Vis yellow version of the new AGV Compact flip up helmet
As you can see, it looks pretty nice. So what features has it got?
It’s got a thermoplastic shell with the usual chin and forehead vents with a rear exhaust. The liner’s fully removable and washable and, in this case, built of breathable fabric with, say AGV, no seams at the point of contact with the head.
AGV Compact in white showing sun visor.
The visor’s antifog coated and has an integral sun visor operated by a little lever to the left. It’s secured with a micrometric fastener (which are pretty good) and is SHARE bluetooth system enabled. Price will be around about £170-£190 depending on colour scheme.
We’ll check out the AGV compact in the fullness of time. Looks like it’s got decent features and the right price point though. In the meantime, if you’re interested in other flip-up helmets, check out our modular/flip up helmet page. Or check out all our other AGV crash helmet reviews.
Best place to buy this AGV crash helmet?
First off, we suggest you check out SportsBikeShop. They're based in the UK, offer free delivery with 365 day refunds, have really competitive prices (they'll price match too) and offer outstanding service (9.8/10 on Trustpilot at the time of writing).
If you like to buy from Amazon you can click the link to drop straight onto their AGV Helmets pages (just make sure you only buy from the most reputable sellers with the highest feedback).
Motoin are based in Germany, have decent Euro prices and get great feedback (4.7 out of 5 on eTrustedshops at the time of writing) though note, there's a delivery charge to ship outside of Germany, so factor that in (see here for details).
If you're looking for a quality US retailer, we recommend Revzilla (USA). They're based in Philadelphia, have amazing online reviews - at the time of writing 9.8/10 on Reseller Ratings - along with free US delivery for orders over $40.
Please click any picture/link to drop straight onto their AGV helmets pages. 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). Click here for more info on our recommended retailers.
Click above to drop onto their AGV helmets pages or *quick view retailer T&Cs here.
