Schuberth’s C4 flip-front helmet – great for touring and sportsbike riders.

Schuberth C4 Basic, Pro and Pro Carbon Review.

The Schuberth C4 Basic and Pro are fibreglass flip-up helmets (Pro Carbon is full carbon fibre) that’s designed to work for both touring and sportsbike riders.

The C4 originally hit the market in the plain ole ‘Schuberth C4’ guise (no Pro or Basic then) and was designed to be a super slippery and compact, high quality and quiet modular helmet.

Which it kinda did and kinda didn’t. While the basics were OK, there were quite a few niggly problems which really shouldn’t have made it through Schuberth’s quality control.

schuberth-c4-pro-carbon-fusion-red-helmet-open — Schuberth C4 Pro Carbon with chin bar fully raised

These problems included a chin bar vent that was prone to breaking, a rubbish in-house version of a Pinlock that didn’t stop fogging and a communicator battery that could rattle loose.

But there were also quite a few other areas that Schuberth quickly identified needed improvement too.

In fact there’s a Schuberth document that itemises around 30 points of improvement from more comfortable comfort liner to deeper speakers and speaker pockets, improved internal shape, better glasses grooves, improved chinstrap padding – which have all been improved on the newer models.

That improved version is now called the C4 Basic – which should now have all those original niggles ironed out. And the Basic has been joined by the bluetooth-ready C4 Pro and Pro Carbon – you can see more info on the differences between the Basic, Pro and Pro Carbon helmets below.

As always, we do the research for you by scouring the internet’s forums, reviews, videos and comments to find out whether the Schuberth C4’s worth your hard earned money or if it’s a helmet you should avoid.

Fibreglass modular helmet
SHARP 3 star safety rated (C4 Basic)
SHARP 4 star safety rated (C4 Pro)
Drop down sun visor
Large visor (vertically and horizontally)
Genuine Pinlock anti-fog included
Integrated aerial, mic & speakers (Pro)
Micrometric fastener
1.66Kg (3.6lbs) average weight for a modular
Sizes XS-XXXL
5 year warranty
Expect to pay:
- £500-£550 (Pro Carbon)
- £350-£400 (Pro)
- £300 (Basic)

Best places to buy a Schuberth C4?

Please click below to visit the Schuberth C4 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).

Overall/Summary

The Schuberth C4 is a great looking modular helmet that’s designed for touring riders but with a sporty edge.

schuberth-c4-pro-swipe-grey-flip-up-helmet-side-view — Schuberth C4 Pro in Swipe graphics

The first gen of C4’s dropped the ball and had a few niggles that made for a premium helmet that really wasn’t worth the money. The C4 Basic and Pro that replaced it have improved it in several areas and makes the latest Schuberth C4 a much better helmet.

It’s not perfect though. The ventilation could be better, the integrated comms unit in the C4 Pro ain’t the best. For safety reasons, the C4 Pro is the one to go for as it scored a SHARP 4 star rating for safety whereas the C4 Basic dropped a couple of stars when the ECE version of the helmet was tested by SHARP (though the chin bar performed slightly better scoring 100% to the Pro’s 93%).

It’s a nice compact helmet with an excellent vsor system (with Pinlock and sun visor that work well), it’s comfortable and attenuates noise well for a modular helmet.

At this price, owners are (rightfully) demanding, and the slight inadequacies of the C4 range might be a deal breaker for some. In the real world though, no helmet’s perfect and while the C4 does have a chequered history, the latest versions are good helmets that the majority of owners find to be accomplished and stylish flip-up lids.

C4 Basic or Pro/Pro Carbon?

There’s Basic or Pro versions of the C4, plus there’s a carbon fibre version of the Pro.

schuberth-c4-pro-carbon-fusion-white-helmet-side-view — Fusion graphic version of the C4 Pro Carbon

The Pro is essentially the same helmet as the C4 Basic but with an integration for the Sena SC1 bluetooth headset. That means all the wiring’s pre-installed inside the helmet along with speakers and microphone (but not the controller unit itself which you’ll have to buy separately).

For more info, see ‘Comms Unit’ section below.

The C4 Pro Carbon is the same helmet as the Pro except it has a 100% carbon fibre shell that saves around 60g in weight (Schuberth’s own figures) over the fibreglass Pro.

Safety

Schuberth say the fabrication of their fibreglass shell, using a technique called DFP or direct fibre processing, makes for a much stronger shell. They also say their approach to producing an EPS or shock absorbing liner (which is now made in sections) will enhance shock absorption in different areas of the helmet.

Which is all fine and dandy – but does it work?

schuberth c4 8_5ms SHARP safety result — Schuberth C4 Basic 8.5 m/s Impact test result courtesy of dft.sharp.gov.uk

The UK/ECE version of the original fibreglass C4 was tested by the SHARP helmet testing labs.

When they tested the old C3, it scored 3 stars (out of a possible 5) and the average score across all SHARP tested Schuberth helmets to date is also 3 stars.

So guess how well the C4 Basic did? Yep, it scored another 3 stars out of 5.

Overall, that’s a reasonable score – but certainly not the best. You can find our top 10 overall modular helmets here and we’ve also put together a page that shows you only the Safest Modular Helmets Page.

Schuberth C4 Pro SHARP 8_5 ms test graphic — Schuberth C4 Pro 8.5 m/s Impact test result courtesy of dft.sharp.gov.uk

Having said that, more recently SHARP tested the C4 Pro and it nudged its way up to a 4/5 star rating.

Schuberth does make a noise about how compact (i.e. small) the C4’s helmet form is – which can get a distant alarm bell ringing because the smaller a helmet is, the less material there is to absorb shocks and stop it passing through to the rider. Which I guess may be reflected in the fact the C4 drops one or two stars.

That and the fact it’s only produced in 2 shell sizes which isn’t great for a premium price helmet.

Of course, SHARP also assesses how often that all-important chin guard unlocks during impact testing – because we all want it to stay locked and closed all the time, right?

Schuberth-C4-Pulse-Silver-motorcycle-helmet-side-view — This one’s the Pulse in silver

The good news is that Schuberth modulars are usually very good here. Their average score across three tested helmets so far is 97% (two 97%’s for both the C3 and C3 Pro and a 100% for the now defunct C2) – and now the C4 Basic gets a perfect 100% rating and the C4 Pro a 93% rating.

So that should mean you can rely on the C4 Basic’s chin guard to stay in place should you have a spill – which is always very nice to know!

Onto the rest of the stuff that should help with safety; there’s a nice wide visor and drop-down sun visor for when the sun gets low.

And whereas the old C4 came with it’s own (pretty poor) version of a Pinlock, both the C4 Basics and Pro come with a pre-fitted Pinlock 120 antifog insert. So you should always have a clear, fog-free visor.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

Schuberth has made efforts to make the shell of the C4 particularly compact and slippery – and they’ve also increased the internal padding and the thickness of the neck roll to help insulate the rider from external noise.

While modular helmets do tend to be noisier than full face helmets in general, it seems most riders do reckon Schuberth’s efforts have worked, as while there are a few riders saying it’s noisier than they expected, most owners do feel it’s a pretty quiet helmet.

Whether you’ll feel the same if you buy one, it’s difficult to say but overall it does seem it’s one of the quieter modular helmets out there.

Ventilation

The Schuberth C4 has a single chin and single crown vent.

The crown vent is opened by the 3-way slider above the vent and feeds air through channels in the shock absorbing lining, through the inner comfort lining and onto the scalp.

schuberth-c4-pro-carbon-fusion-red-helmet-front-view — Front view of the Fusion red C4 Pro Carbon

The chin vent takes air into the helmet and up onto the rear of the visor. Unusually, the chin vent is opened/closed by pressing the vent rather than sliding.

That’s a nice touch because I, for one, can never remember which way to move the slider to open or close it. So with the C4 you don’t need to!

On the first gen of C4 helmets though, the chin bar vent had a tendency to break. So it’s been uprated in the C4 Basic and Pro and is now more robust.

That’s all fine, but overall the venting system on the C4 leaves a bit to be desired. Owner’s opinions we came across range from ‘average’ to ‘very poor’.

The top vent does flow some air but not enough to really feel it circulating around your head unless you’re riding above 50mph. And the chin bar vent is particularly ineffective with several riders saying they can’t feel much breeze on the face or back of the visor ever.

So it’s probably a very good thing that it comes with a top-spec Pinlock to keep that visor clear.

schuberth-C4-motorbike-helmet-front-view — Single chin vent works on a press to open, press to close basis. C4 also has large visor opening

Visor and Sun visor

The main visor is designed to be as large as possible – both horizontally for improved peripheral vision – as well as vertically for good forward vision in a more sporty tuck position.

You can find other helmets with large visors if that’s something you’re particularly looking for right here.

It has a couple of opening tabs at the bottom edge of the visor with one on each side; which is exactly how most of us want them so you can open while riding along or while stationery and pulling the clutch in.

It’s also a class 1 optically correct visor so there shouldn’t be any distortion. And it comes pre-fitted with Pinlock’s most effective 120 insert. That’s a big step up from Schuberth’s own version of the Pinlock which apparently didn’t work very well on the original C4.

schuberth-c4-pro-carbon-fusion-yellow-helmet-rear-view — From the rear – the Fusion Pro Carbon this time in yellow

Overall, C4 owners say the visor system works well and gives a nice wide and deep view of the road ahead, so all good here.

The sun visor is operated using a slider to the bottom left edge of the helmet. The slider has a direct connection with the sun visor, meaning you can drop it down to any position you like rather than the fully-up or fully-down only some visors allow.

Again, we’ve not found any problems with sun visors on the Schuberth C4 and found several owners say it works just fine. So if you’re looking for a helmet with an integral sun visor that works well (and we highly recommend you do) then the C4 should fit the bill.

Schuberth C4 Pro: SC1 Integrated Communications

One of the big features of the C4 Pro and Pro Carbon is that fact that Schuberth have now integrated an aerial into the fabric of the helmet and have pre-installed both speakers and a microphone in there. So if you’re serious about your communicators, you’re probably very interested in the C4 Pro.

schuberth-sc1-sena-bluetooth-for-C4-R2-helmets-3 — Schuberth SC1 blutooth is integrated with both C4 and R2 helmets and just slots into the rear of the helmet

Schuberth has worked with bluetooth specialists Sena to develop the SC1 communicator for the C4 Pro (and R2) and designed the helmet to accommodate it.

There’s a couple of panels at the bottom rear of the helmet where the battery slots in place and another where the bluetooth sits. There’s also a companion app so you can configure the communicator and there’s an optional remote too.

That’s the good news. The not so good news is that many C4 Pro owners complain that the SC1 headset isn’t very good. Or at the least that it’s last-gen technology and most riders expect more from their headsets these days.

Yes, Schuberth has improved things from the old C4 where the battery could rattle loose and the microphone placement was so poor it picked up noise from the vents making conversations above 30 mph painful.

But there’s quite a few people saying the SC1 struggles to remember pairings and the buttons are hard to find and operate (amongst other things!).

schuberth-c4-pro-magnitudo-yellow-modular-helmet-side-view — C4 Pro Magnitudo is available in yellow, grey, white and brown

Also, if you buy a Pro Carbon version it seems the carbon fibre shell interferes with the signal enough to cut the effective range down to about half a mile – which is a bit of an oversight!

There are some owners who say it works just fine (especially if you make sure you’ve got the latest firmware update which some say does really improve things) but if you’re buying a helmet with integrated comms – especially at this price point – many people probably want to install a decent latest gen headset?

Having said that, if you want to use a different headset with your helmet, then you can always opt for the C4 Basic which doesn’t come with pre-installed speakers/mic so you can fit your own.

Chin Guard

The Schuberth C4 isn’t dual-homologated, so you can’t legally ride in Europe with the chin bar raised. But Schuberth have got a very good record for producing helmets with a well designed chin guard in terms of staying locked and closed during impact testing.

The chin guard on the C4 is opened by a single central button. And while with some brands, that can mean it’s prone to open under impact, of all the modular Schuberth helmets tested by SHARP so far, they’ve scored an impressive 98% average for the number of times the chin guards have remained locked.

And when tested by SHARP, the C4 was awarded a perfect 100% rating – meaning you should be able to rely on the chin guard on the C4 staying locked and closed in an accident. Job done.

schuberth-pulse-C4-flip-front-helmet-side-view — C4 Pulse black/white/blue helmet

Comfort & Sizing

The older version of the C4 was an intermediate oval shaped helmet. Which means it fits like most helmets on the market and should mean it’s comfortable for the vast majority of riders.

Word is that the reworked Basic and Pro helmets are slightly rounder fitment though – more like the fitment of previous Schuberth helmets.

Also, the old C4 used a fabric called ShinyTex. That was a material from a Chinese company that produces a range of fast-drying and antibacterial performance fabrics.

For the C4 Basic and Pro helmets that’s now been upgraded to a more comfortable CoolMax material. Again that’s both antibacterial and moisture wicking but it has a more comfortable nap to the surface.

Like the previous liner, it’s also Oeko-Tex 100 certified. That’s a certification that ensures fabrics aren’t harmful to the end user. So if you’ve a particularly sensitive skin, it might be a really handy feature.

All Schuberth C4 helmets come in sizes XS-XXXL and, providing you’ve a medium or slightly rounder shaped head, most owners say it’s a really comfortable helmet – and particularly comfortable since the liner upgrade.

And now that Schuberth has improved the glasses groove, it works well with glasses too, including when the sun visor’s down.

Looks & Graphics

At the time of writing, there’s a limited but classy range of graphics available for the C4 Basic. That’s a matt black or gloss white/silver.

schuberth-c4-pro-Magnitudo-White-Front — C4 Pro Magnitudo in white from the front

For the C4 Pro, there’s a much wider range of fairly muted graphics – the Fragment, Magniutdo and Swipe designs, with most available in red, yellow or black versions.

For the C4 Pro Carbon, all have exposed checkerboard style carbon fibre but with simple overlaid graphics – in Fusion or Tempest designs.

As usual, you can see all the designs available at the time of writing up and down this page – but to check them all out in more detail, as well as any more recent releases and deals on the C4, click through directly to the Schuberth C4 helmets pages at our recommended retailers below.

Best places to buy a Schuberth C4 helmet?

Please click below to visit the Schuberth C4 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 C4 Pro Video

Here’s an 8m look around the C4 Pro from Revzilla in the US.

Other stuff – fasteners, weight, aero, build quality, warranty

All Schuberth C4s come with a micrometric fastener.

Weight varies a little between the models. The C4 pro carbon is around 1.6Kg with the C4 basic around 50g heavier and the C4 Pro 50g over that (because of the comms pack).

1.65Kg (3.6lbs) is about bang on average weight for a modular helmet so none of them are particularly light, though it does mean you shouldn’t have any issues with weight either.

schuberth-C4-gloss-silver-motorcycle-helmet-side-view — Classy gloss silver C4

Schuberth tests all of their helmets in a wind tunnel to ensure they’re slippery (so reduce buffeting) and aren’t too noisy.

And we came across several owners who said the aero is excellent. They cut through the wind nicely with very little lift or buffeting.

Build quality is another feature several owners rated highly. C4s feel well built and sturdily made and their fit and finish are widely praised.

And finally, all Schuberths come with a 5 year warranty – but make sure you register on their website to activate it.

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 Schuberth C4?

There’s plenty of good alternatives to the Schuberth C4. If you’re after a good quality flip-up helmet then take a look at these highly rated lids.

shark-evo-one-2-slasher-anthracite-motorcycle-helmet-side-view — Evo-One 2 Slasher

You should check out the SHARP 4 star rated Shark Evo One 2 – it’s dual homologated, with sun visor and is a fraction of the price of the C4.

caberg-duke-2-modular-motorcycle-helmet-in-matt-gun-metal-side-view — Matt gunmetal Caberg Duke II

For excellent value and an amazing SHARP 5 star rating, there’s the Caberg Duke II – it’s also miles cheaper than the Schuberth and includes a Pinlock and drop down sun visor.

ls2-valiant-solid-gloss-white-modular-crash-helmet-rear-view — LS2 Valiant

The LS2 Valiant is another cheaper modular and, like the Shark above, its chin bar flips right around to the back of the helmet and out of the way. It’s SHARP 4 star rated and more suited to riders with a longer oval head shape than the C4.

agv sportmodular tricolore motorcycle helmet side view — AGV Sport Modular Tricolore

Finally, if you want a modular that works best with a sportsbike, then the AGV Sport Modular might be best for you. It’s a full carbon fibre SHARP 4 star safety rated helmet with sun visor, optically correct visor and Pinlock included.

Other ways to find the Best Modular Helmet

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

Best places to buy a Schuberth C4?

Please click below to visit the Schuberth C4 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 a Schuberth?

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

Star Ratings

Premier Trophy Review: a proper old school retro helmet with SHARP 4 star rating.

Premier Trophy: full face classic style motorbike helmet review.

Premier have been making helmets since the mid 50’s. They started up in Westminster, California but in the 1980’s they were bought out and production was moved to Lucca in Northern Italy where they’ve stayed to this day.

Which means if you’re looking for a classic, retro style helmet with real authenticity, then Premier are one of the brands you should probably check out.

Premier trophy carbon T9 full face helmet side view — Premier Trophy Carbon T9 is about £50 more.

If you read their website, they state that carbon fibre helmets are where their passions lie, but a quick look at their range of helmets shows they’re actually experimenting with a host of more exotic materials.

So it’s no surprise that the Premier Trophy, despite looking like a helmet from the 1970’s, actually uses a complex composite of carbon fibre, aramid (Kevlar) and dyneema.

And while you can tell just from looking at it that there’s gonna be one (or more!) compromises in owning a Trophy somewhere, that compromise shouldn’t be in safety because it’s been independently SHARP safety tested and scored 4/5 stars which is very good going.

So, if the Premier Trophy is on your list of helmets to research before buying, look no further as we’ve compiled and condensed all the wisdom from around the web to find out where it stands up solid and proud – or where it slowly rolls off the sidestand and falls down into the gutter. Much like my ZZR did last weekend. OUCH!

Full face helmet
1970’s inspired retro helmet
Dyneema, Carbon & Aramid shell
SHARP 4 star safety rated
Visor secured by poppers
Double-d ring strap
1.3Kg (2.9lbs) – light weight
Removable lining
No vents
Sizes XS-XL
Expect to pay £220-£280

Best places to buy a Premier Trophy?

Please click below to visit the Premier Trophy 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).

Overall/Summary

It’s pretty much ‘what you see is what you get’ with the Premier Trophy helmet. It looks like a back to basics retro helmet and that’s because it is a really basic helmet.

OK, the helmet shell uses up to date tech and materials which means it scored an excellent SHARP 4 star safety rating (so it should give excellent impact protection).

But other than that, you should be prepared for a real old-style helmet experience.

Premier trophy DO 92 retro helmet side view — DO 92 graphics Premier Trophy

That means the visor’s really basic and, in modern terms, doesn’t work very well. It’s drafty, awkward to lock and it’ll steam up too.

The helmet’s also noisy and there’s no ventilation other than an open visor and draft coming in from below.

On the other hand it’s a comfortable helmet that owners reckon feels very light weight and is well made, backed by Premier’s excellent 5 year warranty.

All in all, if you’re looking for a real taste of authentic late 20th Century motorbiking, then the Premier Trophy is about as close as you’ll get.

It’s real form and style over function. And while it should give you excellent protection if you’re ever unfortunate to test it out, if you want a touch of modern convenience (like a quieter helmet with a Pinlock visor system that’ll keep your vision clear, just for e.g.) then you might want to look elsewhere… like our Alternatives section at the bottom of the page!

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

Premier Trophy helmets are SHARP 4 star safety rated which is a great score and one of the highest safety-rated retro helmets around (along with the Simpson Venom).

All Trophies are constructed using a complex composite of carbon fibre, aramid (the generic name for Kevlar) and something called dyneema.

premier trophy sharp 8_5ms impact test results — Premier Trophy SHARP 8.5m/s impact test results courtesy of sharp.dft.gov.uk

I’ve not come across dyneema being used in helmet manufacture before but apparently it’s a high strength polythene that can be woven into sheets and has excellent penetration resistance and strength, so sounds ideal for helmet manufacture.

There are carbon versions of the Trophy around too (see picture below) which, rather than use an all-carbon fibre construction, apparently use the same helmet construction as the regular Trophies but with a top layer of carbon fibre for that great carbon look.

Despite scoring a decent SHARP rating, one slight fly in the ointment is that it’s only manufactured in one shell size – so if you wear a size XS you’ll be getting the same helmet shell size as an XL owner which may make it look a bit oversized compared to your body size.

Wearing a larger helmet shell usually means your helmet will have to be padded out a bit to make it fit, which doesn’t sound ideal but I guess could mean it actually has more internal shock absorbing liner and could potentially offer more protection. Just a thought – though I’ve never seen any data that shows this.

Premier trophy carbon tech helmet ltd ed front view — This one’s the Limited Edition Carbon Tech Trophy

Either way, it’s usually better to have a helmet made in more shell sizes for a more optimal fit. It also generally means that your wearing a lighter helmet – although the Trophy is a particularly light weight helmet which does help with energy management during an impact.

All Premier Trophies have a multi-density shock absorbing EPS liner too and are ECE certified – though they’re not yet DOT approved for North America.

Other than the fact that the Trophy is secured to your head with a traditional double-d ring fastener, that’s about it for safety features.

Overall though, with that excellent 4 star safety rating, it should give as good impact protection as many modern helmets. So a big thumbs up here.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

You’d be forgiven for thinking that with a nice round shell and no vent holes that the Premier Trophy would be a reasonably quiet helmet. But you’d be wrong.

Every opinion we found said it’s a noisy helmet. I guess modern padding, modern shell aerodynamics and chin curtains really do help reduce noise on modern helmets.

Premier trophy retro helmet BL 8 side view — Note: zero air intakes on this BL8 graphic Trophy

So if you’re looking for a quieter helmet look here. Otherwise, you’re gonna have to use some quality ear plugs if you buy a Premier Trophy.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

Ventilation is another area of compromise with the Premier Trophy.

Unlike some retro helmets that have managed to cunningly incorporate ventilation – like the hidden vents on the AGV X3000 or the visor vents in the Arai Rapide – Premier has decided to bin off vents entirely. So there’s no chin bar or head vents in the Trophy.

Instead you’ve to rely on it either being a cold day – or cracking the visor open a bit and hoping enough air gets in from around your neck. And if it’s a hot day and you’re riding a distance – good luck!

Visor

(more about visors)

A few owners reckon Premier have maybe gone a step far with visor authenticity.

10/10 for keeping true to the original, but arguably many of us would like a bit more functionality from our visors these days. Because the Premier Trophy has a real retro visor in every sense.

That means it’s really simple: a sheet of 2D polycarb wrapped around the view port, secured by a couple of allen bolts and held down by a pair of studs.

A couple of useful links…

– All our Retro helmet reviews –
– Open face helmets –

So, if you want to remove the visor, you’ll need to undo the allen bolts. And if you want to lock the visor you’ll need to be ready to squeeze a couple of studs which, according to owners, can be really fiddly.

Premier trophy DO 17 retro helmet side view — Side view of the Trophy DO 17 showing visor locking stud and pivot

I guess there’s a damn good reason visors moved away from stud fasteners 40+ years ago!

It is an anti-scratch visor of course (legally it has to be), but it does fog up easily and, with no ventilation or Pinlock available, there’s no easy way to stop it.

We’ve also heard from owners who say they’re not the best in stopping rain or wind creeping round the edges either.

All in all, if you’re really after a properly authentic helmet with properly authentic visor, then they don’t come more properly authentic than the visor on the Trophy.

Which is probably fine if you’re using it for a short Sunday jaunt. But anything more serious and it can get a bit annoying.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

Premier Trophies are available in sizes XS-XL only.

The word is that they’re true to size (so read our fitting guide and buy the right size) and that they’re nice comfortable helmets.

Premier trophy classic helmet BTR 17 rear view — Rear view of the BTR17 Trophy

The internal comfort lining is removable and washable, and it’s moisture wicking and contains active carbon filaments in the weave to make it antibacterial.

Most Trophies have a fabric and faux leather interior for that proper 1970’s look. Actually, that should probably be cheap plastic vinyl for a 1970’s look – but I think modern fabric’s probably a nicer touch!

As I said, most owners reckon they’re a comfortable helmet. But if you wear glasses they’re not ideal as we’ve heard from a few riders who say it’s really hard to get your glasses in there as there aren’t any glasses grooves inside.

Look here for helmets that work well with glasses.

Looks & Graphics

As you’d imagine for a stylish retro lid like the Trophy, there’s some seriously stylish graphics available.

There are a couple of carbon fibre finish helmets, and it’s available in plain black and gunmetal grey too.

As for graphics, there’s quite a few available and we’ve put as many as we can up and down the page – or to find more, please click through to our recommended retailers using the links below.

Best places to buy a Premier Trophy helmet?

Please click below to visit the Premier Trophy 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).

Premier Trophy Video

Here’s a useful 9m video from a chap who bought a Phil Reed rep Premier Trophy.

Other stuff – weight, build quality, warranty

Premier trophy classic helmet BTR 8 BM rear view — Premier Trophy in BTR8 graphics

Weight – or lack of it – is one of the great features with the Premier Trophy. Because it’s made from pretty hi-tech materials – and because it’s a basic helmet – they’ve managed to keep the weight down to around 1.3Kg (2.9lbs). And if you go for a carbon fibre version, you can shave another 100g off that.

Build quality is apparently high with several owners waxing lyrical about the fit and finish.

Which is probably reflected in the fact that Premier backs all their helmets with an excellent 5 year warranty.

Good Alternatives to the Premier Trophy?

You’ll find all old-style helmets in our Retro Helmets section – or you might want to check out our Top 10 full face helmets pages. Other than that, here’s a few classic style helmets we think you should take a look at…

simpson venom gloss white motorcycle crash helmet front view — Gloss white Simpson Venom

We’ve already mentioned the Simpson Venom. While it may not look typically retro, it is actually based on their old style car racing helmets. It has a SHARP 4 star safety rating too along with a drop down sun visor and Pinlock visor. In fact, it offers lots of modern day benefits, though I get that it might not really suit your old school ride.

shoei glamster resurrection white retru crash helmet side view — Shoei Glamster Ressurection

The Shoei Glamster might though, plus it has an advanced fibreglass AIM shell, Pinlock visor and a modern ventilation system.

arai rapide ha yellow motorcycle helmet side view — Arai Rapide HA

Same goes for the Arai Rapide – that also uses modern day Arai helmet tech and visor system making for a retro helmet that’s very little compromise. Granted, it is quite pricey though.

Best places to buy a Premier Trophy?

Please click below to visit the Premier Trophy 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).

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Star Ratings

Caberg Droid: SHARP 4 star safety rated futuristic modular with Pinlock.

caberg-droid-crash-helmet-featured-image

Caberg Droid review – one of the best protecting flip-front helmets around.

It’s pretty easy to see why Caberg called their new modular helmet the Droid: with it’s modern, angular design, it could’ve come straight off a Lucas Arts set.

caberg droid pure matt green helmet chin bar up — This one’s the Droid Pure in military green

But, if you take a look at the spec sheet below, there’s more to this helmet than it’s cool looks.

Sure, it’s a polycarbonate flip-up helmet, which might put you off a bit because polycarb helmets are generally cheaper helmets. But in the case of the Droid, it just means it’s on sale at a very affordable price point but also has a few features that’re more usually associated with more expensive helmets.

Caberg say the droid is 100% made in Italy, and it’s dual homologated and includes a Pinlock Max Vision anti-fog insert in the box. Which is always great to see.

So, if you’re in the market for a new modular helmet, here’s our full review covering what the Caberg Droid offers and how well it performs in the real world, taken from owner comments from around the web.

Polycarbonate modular helmet
Weighs 1.55Kg (light for a modular)
Sun visor
Eu ECE 22-05 certified (not DOT certified for US)
SHARP 4 star safety rated
Pinlock Max vision insert included
Micrometric fastener
Caberg Just Speak bluetooth ready
Sizes XS-XL
Expect to pay around £200-£250

Best places to buy a Caberg Horus?

Please click below to visit the Caberg Horus 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).

Overall/Summary

The Caberg Droid is a real contender. It’s not expensive and with features like dual homologation, Pinlock, quick release visor – not to mention that excellent SHARP 4 star safety rating (and 100% chin guard!), we say if you’re in the market for a reasonably-priced flip-up helmet, you should definitely take a look at a Droid.

OK, it’s not the best venting helmet in the world – and it is noisy. But owners say it feels really well built and is a particularly comfortable helmet. Plus the visor system – that includes a Pinlock Max Vision antifog insert – works really well. That includes the integral sun visor that most owners find very useful.

Overall, the Caberg Droid is a great helmet that’s well liked by owners and is excellent value for money. Highly recommended.

Having said that, there’s some cracking alternatives out there too (see our alternatives section at the bottom of the page).

caberg-droid-hi-vizion-modular-crash-helmet-front-open-view — Droid is P/J homologated – meaning it’s legal to ride like this (not all are)!

Safety

If you’re a regular reader of our reviews, you’ll know that Caberg historically do incredibly well on safety.

They’re consistently in the top 10 of our safest crash helmets brands because their helmets have scored an average of 4.6 out of 5 across all their helmets tested by SHARP, the UK safety helmet testing people.

That’s an amazing score and better than many of the premium brands.

As for their modular helmets, their movable chin guards score pretty well for staying locked and closed during those tests too – not as good as our top scorer, Nolan, who’ve scored 100% to date. But Caberg have an average score of their modular’s chin guards staying closed and locked in 89% of impacts, which is still very good.

Well the good news with the Caberg Droid is that when SHARP got hold of it, they awarded it four stars (max five) for safety – and that chin guard stayed firmly locked and closed during every single test!

Caberg Droid sharp 8_5ms test results — Caberg Droid SHARP 8/5 m/s test results (courtesy of sharp.dft.gov.uk)

That’s an excellent result and puts the Caberg Droid up there among the safest (SHARP tested) modular helmets you can buy!

The Droid is also also dual-homologated. That’s an ECE 22-05 European thing meaning it’s legal to be used both with the chin down (as you’d expect) but also with the chin bar up. Push the chin bar all the way up and there’s a locking slider that you can use to lock the chin guard up in place so it doesn’t accidentally come down while you’re riding.

But if you buy a Droid, it’s great to know you’re riding in one of the safest modulars on the market.

Helmet Noise

If you’re after a quiet helmet, the advice is to stay away from a modular as they’re broadly quite a bit noisier than a full face helmet.

caberg-droid-modular-crash-helmet-matt-black-red-fluo-blaze-side-view — This one’s the Caberg Droid Blaze in black/red fluo

Of course, stick in a decent pair of plugs and you’ll be fine wearing a modular, but if a low noise helmet is a priority, then you’re best going for one of these helmets which owners universally say are quiet.

Back to the Caberg Droid, and owners generally rate it as a noisy helmet. A couple of riders, who’ve obviously come to the Droid via open face helmets or tend to ride slowly commuting, reckon it’s nice and quiet. Which just goes to show how subjective helmet noise is.

But if you’re used to full face helmets, you’ll probably find it a noisy lid. And it’s even quite noisy if you’re coming at it from another modular helmet. It’ll probably be fine if you stick in a decent pair of ear plugs, but helmet noise is the single biggest bugbear mentioned by Droid owners.

Ventilation

Looking at the Droid, you’d think it’s got ventilation covered.

Those two round ‘turbine-style’ chin vents take air to the rear of the chin bar and onto the back of the visor.

The top vent is closeable too and routes air through the helmet shell and around the scalp using channels cut into the helmet liner.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any rear exhausts to help air flow through the helmet, and that gives you the first hint about how well the Droid vents.

The best comments we found say that venting’s okay – not great but adequate. The chin bar vents do pull some air onto the visor but a few owners reckoned that you can’t really feel air coming through the vents.

Which is not the end of the world, because many flip-front helmet owners don’t mind a bit of bimbling along with the chin bar up, and that’ll keep you properly cool. Just don’t expect the Droid to keep you really cool in the summer with the helmet in full face mode, because it probably won’t.

Thankfully, because there’s a Pinlock Max Vision included in the box, you don’t need to rely on air being pushed onto the back of the visor to keep it fog free.

Visor

The visor on the Caberg Droid works on a ratchet and it comes with a Pinlock Max Vision anti-fog insert in the box. That’s their largest size of Pinlock which covers most of the inside of the visor and will sort out all but the most extreme visor-fogging problems.

caberg-droid-modular-crash-helmet-matt-black-front-view — Look like Boba Fett (a bit!) big front vents, sun visor down – Droid in moody matt black Metal

It’s also quick-release to help with cleaning. Just open the visor with the chin bar down and pull the lever at either side of the visor pivot to pop the visor out.

There’s a visor-opening tab on either side of the visor too. That’s really handy for opening the visor while you’re riding, or opening with your right hand when you’re stopped.

We’ve not heard of any problems with the Droid’s visor at all so it sounds like they’ve got everything sorted here.

Sun Visor

As usual with most Cabergs, the sun visor is operated with a slider right on the crown of the helmet.

caberg droid pure anthracite orange helmet rear view — Rear view of the Caberg Droid Pure in anthracite and orange

It feels like a bit of a weird position at first, but allows more direct routing of the sun visor controller than at the side of the helmet – plus you get used to it after a while.

According to Droid owners, the sun visor’s easy to flip down, though a couple of people complained that it could do with dropping down a bit lower (a common complaint with many sun visors).

Also, we found a couple of owners saying it sometimes doesn’t quite retract fully, leaving a centimetre of sun visor sticking down at the top, which can be distracting (see video below to see what it looks like).

Other than that, most owners seem very happy with how the sun visor operates and find it a really useful addition.

Chin Guard

The chin guard is opened by a single button at the bottom. The guard is raised until it hits the guard-stopper at the top of the helmet at which point the P/J slider can be used to lock the guard in place so you can ride in open face mode.

caberg-droid-metal-white-modular-crash-helmet-open-side-view — Metal White version of the Caberg Droid – with chin guard in max-up position against the stops on the top

That’s well worth having if you think you’ll ride in jet mode much of the time – the last thing you want is your chin guard accidentally dropping down while you’re riding!

If riding with the guard up is something you want, we recommend buying a modular that’s dual-homologated as that means it’s safer and legal to ride with your helmet in open-face config. Click the link above for a look at all the dual homologated lids we’ve reviewed or previewed.

Conversely, if you do have an accident while riding with your helmet in full face mode, you want to be pretty sure the chin guard’s gonna stay locked and closed.

caberg droid hi vizion flip up helmet front view — Hi Vizion Droid

Thankfully, that’s something that SHARP test for with modulars and when they tested the Caberg Droid, the chin bar stayed locked and closed 100% of the time – making it one of the select few flip-front helmets where you should be able rely on the chin guard to give a decent amount of protection.

Droid owners seem happy with how the chin bar on the Droid works. Several owners said it closes and locks with a nice positive ‘clunk’ which helps them know it’s full locked and is reassuring.

They also reckon it feels like it’s a good quality chin bar and most find it reasonably easy to find the opening button, even in gloves.

It’s worth mentioning that you’ll have to open the chin bar up before putting the helmet on as it seems quite a few people who bought a Droid were surprised they couldn’t put it on while in full face mode.

Comfort & Sizing

The internals of the Droid are removable and washable, moisture-wicking and hypoallergenic.

There’s also glasses grooves cut in the sides to stop the stems of glasses digging in while riding – and while a couple of owners comment that the glasses groove doesn’t work as well as they’d hoped, other said they work fine. So I guess it’ll be a bit of a ‘suck it and see’ with your own glasses.

caberg-droid-hi-vizion-modular-crash-helmet-rear-bottom-view — Rear view of the Droid Hi Vizion

Caberg have designed the Droid to work with their Just Speak bluetooth communicator so that’ll mean speaker pockets plus space for your microphone to sit in too.

And if you’re looking for a helmet to fit your own bluetooth headset, we found several owners who said fitting their kits was easy – with plenty of space for speakers and mic.

Overall, sizing seems to be true, so use our fitment guide to work out how to measure your bonce and order the correct size. Oh, as always, buy from a retailer who accepts no-quibble returns in case it doesn’t fit quite right – like one of our recommended retailers using the links below.

But if you get the right size, Droid owners overwhelmingly say it’s a lovely, comfortable helmet.

The Droid will come with a chin curtain in the box and has a micrometric fastener.

Looks & Graphics

At the time of writing, there’s a matt black/white version of the droid – called Metal black or white, and a classy gun metal matt version. They also do a hi-viz green version called Hi Vizion. Aside from those plain colours, there’s three colour schemes using the Blaze design. They’re all shown on this page.

If you’re looking to buy a Droid, feel free to click through to the Caberg Droid helmets pages of our trusted retailers below to see any new designs and get the latest prices for the Droid. Click here to find out more about our recommended retailers and why you should trust your hard earned money with them.

Best places to buy a Caberg Horus?

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

Caberg Droid Video

Here’s a 10m look around the Caberg Droid.

caberg-droid-modular-crash-helmet-black-yellow-blaze-side-view — This one’s the Caber Droid Blaze in yellow/black

Other stuff – fasteners, weight, warranty

The Droid comes with a micrometric fastener. If you’re not familiar with them, they’re really easy to use and safe as houses.

It weighs around 1.55Kg (+ or – 50g depending on size) which is surprisingly light for a polycarbonate modular.

Finally, warranty. Caberg only give a one year warranty on all their helmets. Which isn’t great because lots of makers now give a five year warranty which covers their helmets up to the point at which most makers agree it’ll need renewing. Come on Caberg, time to up the length of your warranty!

Overall/Summary

The Caberg Droid is a real contender. It’s not expensive and with features like dual homologation, Pinlock, quick release visor – not to mention that excellent SHARP 4 star safety rating (and 100% chin guard!), we say if you’re in the market for a reasonably-priced flip-up helmet, you should definitely take a look at a Droid.

caberg-droid-metal-white-modular-crash-helmet-side-view — Side view of the matt white Metal Droid

OK, it’s not the best venting helmet in the world – and it is noisy. But owners say it feels really well built and is a particularly comfortable helmet. Plus the visor system – that includes a Pinlock Max Vision antifog insert – works really well. That includes the integral sun visor that most owners find very useful.

Overall, the Caberg Droid is a great helmet that’s well liked by owners and is excellent value for money. Highly recommended.

Having said that, there’s some cracking alternatives out there too (see our alternatives section at the bottom of the page).

Alternatives to the Caberg Droid?

hjc-is-max-2-crash-helmet-fluorescent-green-side-view — HJC IS-Max II

We’d say have a look at the HJC IS-Max II – that’s SHARP 4 star rated with most of the features of the Droid but for less money – same goes for the AGV Compact and the Lazer Paname which are both 4 star safety rated with sun visors too.

X-1003-tourer-n-com-crash-helmet — X-Lite X-1003

Going up the price scale from the Caberg Droid, there’s the X-Lite X-1003 – SHARP 4 star, 100% chin guard locked, Pinlock, a wee bit heavier than the Droid and a bit more expensive too.

And if we’re looking at modular helmets then we’ve got to include a Shark – in this case the 4 star Shark Evo One 2 with its chin guard that rotates to the back of the head – it’s dual homologated too and includes a Pinlock Max Vision.

And of course, there’s the hugely well rated duo of the Caberg Duke and Tourmax – they’re both cheaper than the Droid and both are SHARP 5 star safety rated (that’s the maximum!) though the Tourmax is more a dual-sports style modular and a bit heavier.

Best places to buy a Caberg Horus?

Please click below to visit the Caberg Horus 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).

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.

Definitely want a Caberg?

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

Caberg Horus: a low price flip-up with panoramic Pinlock visor.

Caberg Horus flip-up motorbike helmet.

The Horus is a thermoplastic modular helmet made by Italian brand, Caberg.

It’s been designed to work best for touring riders and commuters and, because it’s P/J or dual homologated, can be used with the chin bar up when riding (not all modulars can).

Caberg reckon they’ve also designed it so, when the chin bar’s raised, it sits closer to the rest of the helmet shell to reduce buffeting and drag. And they also say it’s got one of the largest visors on the market to give a more immersive ride, as well as help with seeing the instrument panel and GPS when you’re on the move.

All that together with a drop down sun visor and Pinlock visor (Max Vision insert included) makes the Caberg Horus a potentially great value helmet.

Caberg Horus matt black modular helmet front view — Front view showing nice wide & deep visor on a matt black Horus

ABS shelled modular helmet
Suitable for touring/commuting
SHARP 3 star safety rated
Drop down sun visor
Large/wide visor
Pinlock Max Vision included
Dual homologated
Micrometric fastener
Sizes XS-XL
Expect to pay £180-£220

Best places to buy a Caberg Horus?

Please click below to visit the Caberg Horus 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

(more about helmet safety)

A large visor that gives a good all-round view of the road is always useful for helping keep you out of trouble. Couple that with a Pinlock Max Vision antifog and the visor system on the Horus ticks all the essential boxes.

It uses a micrometric fastener which are nice and secure if used correctly and mega simple to use.

Obviously, riding with the chin bar in the raised position ain’t great for safety. But because the Horus has been both P/J tested/certified you can do that legally with this helmet. And if you do raise the chin bar, there’s a lock to the left of the visor which will keep it in the locked-open position to ensure it doesn’t drop down unexpectedly.

The Caberg Horus is only made in one shell size, which isn’t great – for looks or safety. The more shell sizes the better – and making a helmet in just one shell is pretty unusual these days, even for budget helmets.

Caberg Horus Scout red white blue motorbike helmet side view — Side view of the Scout with sun visor fully down

Still, it’s the helmet shell and the chin bar which are going to be the main protective factor with any helmet. And even though it’s a lower-priced modular with an ABS plastic shell (like their SHARP 5 star Duke II helmet), Caberg usually score very well here.

Looking at the past performance of their flip-front helmets, Caberg has usually scored very well.

Of their last five modular helmets tested by SHARP, they scored an average of 4.6 out of 5 stars. That includes four polycarbonate helmets. That’s an outstanding average by anyone’s standards.

Not so much with the Horus though.

It was tested by SHARP in 2022 where it scored 3 stars (out of 5) for safety. The chin bar scored 87% meaning in the majority of impact tests, the chin bar remained locked and closed. That’s just slightly less than their average of 91% across all Caberg modulars – though the Caberg Droid pushed up the average nicely by scoring 100%!

Overall then, the Horus should offer decent protection, just not the best.

Want to know what the best protecting modular helmets available in the UK are?

But note, Caberg helmets are ECE certified only so if you’re outside of the Eurozone or Oz (or anywhere else where ECE helmets are the legal requirement such as the USA) then Caberg helmets won’t be legal.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

We don’t have any specific info about how quiet the Horus is yet.

But if you’re not familiar with modular helmets, they do tend to be noisier than the average full face. So don’t expect it to be particularly quiet and to have to wear ear plugs (which you should always do anyway of course) and you’ll hopefully not be disappointed.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

Obviously, if you really need a ton of ventilation in the Horus you can always push the chin bar up and that’ll give you all the ventilation you can cope with!

But in full face mode it’s a different story.

Caberg Horus gloss white flip up motorbike helmet rear view — Twin rear exhausts visible on the gloss white Horus

In the Horus, there’s a single chin bar vent and a large slider up top that’ll take air into the helmet, exiting out of a pair of exhaust vents at the rear.

With a helmet with an integral drop down sun visor, the top vent has to be positioned further back on the helmet so the sun visor doesn’t restrict air flow when it’s raised – and this can compromise ventilation a little.

Visor fogging should be OK though given that the Horus comes with a nice large Max Vision Pinlock antifog insert in the box – fit that and you should stop fogging in all but the most extreme conditions.

Visor

(more about visors)

Caberg has made the visor on the Horus particularly wide to give excellent peripheral vision as well as plenty of vertical range for improved downward vision so you can more easily see your instrument panel or sat nav.

There’s a couple of opening tabs on there too, left and right, which is great as most helmets come with a left hand tab which means you sometimes have to scrabble around to the left hand side of your visor with your right hand if you want to open it when you’re sat at the lights.

It’s also got a quick release visor – that’s still fairly unusual on a modular helmet – so you can just open up the visor, pull a tab down and the visor will pop off for cleaning.

A couple of useful links…

– Safest Modular Helmets –
– Dual Homologated flip-up helmets –

As mentioned, the visor’s also Pinlock-ready and uses a Max Vision insert which is an antifog lens that’s designed to sit in a recess on the back of the visor and be large enough to cover the entire visor surface without the edges of the lens getting in your field of view.

Caberg Horus matt blue modular helmet side view — Plain matt blue Horus

All in all, the visor system on the Horus covers all the basics well.

Sun Visor

(more about sun visors)

There’s also a drop down, integral sun visor on the Horus.

Even if you only use them occasionally, sun visor’s can be really handy for when the sun drops low in the sky and can literally be a life-saver, as well as making riding more pleasurable when it’s just a sunny day.

The sun visor works using a slider on the left hand side of the helmet. Though if you’re thinking of fitting a bluetooth headset to your Horus, it doesn’t really leave much room to mount the control unit (see audio section below).

Chin Guard

(more about chin guards)

The chin bar is ECE P/J dual homologated, so you can legally ride with it in the raised position (not all modulars are legal to ride like this, so double check in our dual homologated helmets pages to find a modular that is).

No modulars are designed to be flipped up while you’re riding though, so always pull over before raising or lowering the chin bar.

Caberg Horus scout red grey black helmet open face view — Chin bar fully raised and locked on the Horus Scout Red/grey/black.

The chin bar on the Horus is operated by a single central button – press that and it’ll unlatch the chin bar so you can raise it. And when you fully raise it, the chin bar will auto-lock in place so it doesn’t drop down accidentally.

To lower the chin bar you have to unlock the chin bar on the small sliding lock behind the left hand visor pivot, and it’ll then drop down so you can click it locked and closed.

As mentioned in the safety section, Caberg has a good reputation for making chin bars that stay locked and closed during impact testing.

However, when SHARP tested the Horus, the chin bar became unlocked (not necessarily swinging open!) in 13% of the impact tests. Surprisingly, that’s actually not too bad a score when comparing it across the board with other modulars – though you may well (rightly!) insist on having it stay locked and closed in 100% of impacts, in which case check out one of these modulars.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

Inside the Horus, there’s a removable and washable liner with glasses groove to accommodate glasses stems and stop them poking into the side of your head when riding.

It’s also been designed with space for speakers and a microphone – specifically to integrate with the Caberg Just Speak Evo bluetooth headset, but that should mean it’ll fit most 3rd party sets too.

Caberg Horus scout fluo yellow black helmet open face side view — Hi Viz Fluo Yellow Scout

The only tricky part might be where to mount the control unit as, like most flip-up helmets with a sun visor, there’s usually not a whole lot of space to fit it. In the case of the Horus, the sun visor slider might leave some room to clamp mount your bluetooth but it’ll probably have to be set a little further back than normal.

Other than that, there’s precious little information available about the materials used inside the Caberg Horus. Suffice to say, Cabergs don’t usually have any problems with their comfort liners and they’re made from decent quality materials.

Looks & Graphics

At the time of writing, there’s just the Scout graphic Horus available, alongside a small range of plain solid colours – including a matt black, a matt blue and a gloss white.

As usual, we’ve scattered examples of all the colours and graphics available at the time of writing up and down the page, but to see more recent designs that have been released since, please click the links below to drop straight onto the Caberg Horus pages at some of our recommended retailers. Cheers.

Best places to buy a Caberg Horus helmet?

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

Caberg Horus Video

There aren’t really any useful Caberg Horus videos online yet, so here’s a rotating matt blue Horus so you can look around it.

Other stuff – warranty

All Caberg helmets come with a (stingy!) one year warranty.

Overall/Summary

On the face of it, the Caberg Horus looks like it should be a decent helmet. That large visor should be nice to live with – giving a more immersive feel when you’re riding. And being deeper than most helmets, it should make glancing down at your clocks and GPS nice and easy.

Caberg Horus gloss white flip up motorbike helmet front view — Gloss White Horus with chin bar fully raised

And as always, a Pinlock Max Vision to stop your visor fogging is an essential piece of kit too, and it’s great to see one being included in the price.

A sun visor is good to have, even if it’s in reserve to stop you getting caught out when it brightens up – and a micrometric strap makes it sooo easy to undo and fasten your helmet.

It’s not the best protecting modular out there because when SHARP safety tested it, it scored a middling 3 star rating, though the chin bar scored reasonably well with an 87% locked rating.

But if you like the look of the Horus and you’re after a good all rounder modular for not very much money, we’d say the Horus looks like it’s worth a punt. Or alternatively, check out one of our recommended modulars below – and take a look at our current top 10 modular helmets list to find a cracker.

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 Caberg Horus?

caberg-duke-2-hi-vizion-modular-motorcycle-helmet-guard-up-view — Duke 2 Hi Vizion

In this price range, one of our go-to modulars for a while has been the Caberg Duke II. It’s got most of the same features as the Horus, but it’s SHARP 5 star safety rated (the maximum) though there’s a tiny ‘but’ in that the chin bar ‘only’ scored 90%. Alternatively, there’s the SHARP 4 star Caberg Droid – 4 star but it scored 100% for its chin bar!

The Shark Evo One 2 scored SHARP 4 stars too with a 100% chin bar score. It’s a modular where the chin bar rotates to the back of the helmet to give you that proper open face helmet feeling.

Thinking about it, rather than adding more modular helmets worth checking out – instead, take a look at our safest modular helmets page below and we recommend picking one from there as there’s some corkers 🙂

Best places to buy a Caberg Horus?

Please click below to visit the Caberg Horus 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).

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We’d love your feedback on what we could do better. Please give us your thoughts here.
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HJC C70: Great value SHARP 5 star all-rounder full face helmet.

HJC C70 full face polycarbonate motorcycle helmet review.

The HJC C70 is HJC’s replacement for their IS17 helmet. Which means it’s designed to be a great all-rounder motorcycle helmet at an affordable price.

It also means it has one heck of a job to do – to replace one of their best selling, highest safety rated and fullest-featured crash helmets on the market.

Like the IS17, the C70 is a polycarbonate shelled helmet with a drop down sun visor, Double-D ring fastener (micrometric in Europe and the US), quick release and Pinlock-ready main visor. But sadly, unlike the outgoing helmet, there isn’t a Pinlock in the box.

So if you’re after a good quality, well performing but affordable helmet that’ll work from any bike from moped to a tourer (but not so well on a sportsbike) then read on as we tell you all you need to know about the HJC C70 helmet.

Full face all-rounder helmet
Polycarbonate shell
SHARP 5 star safety rated (maximum)
Drop down sun visor
Made in 2 shell sizes
ECE and DOT versions available
Pinlock ready visor (insert not included)
Double D ring fastener (UK only)
Quick release main visor
Sizes XS-XXL
Expect to pay £100-£140

Best places to buy an HJC C70?

Please click below to visit the HJC C70 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 C70 lianto hi viz motorbike crash helmet side view — After a hi viz C70? This one’s the HJC C70 Lianto

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

HJC has a pretty good reputation for safety, not least among their polycarbonate helmets.

The helmet it’s replacing was actually given a maximum safety rating of 5 stars by SHARP, and of course the HJC C70, like all helmets for sale in Europe, is also ECE tested & certified.

In the US it’s been certified DOT compliant too.

If we look at SHARP test data over the last few years, HJCs last two tested polycarbonate helmets scored 4/5 stars for safety. That’s the full face CS-15 and the IS Max II modular helmet.

And in 2019, HJC crept in to our top 10 safest helmet brands list at number 9 spot.

HJC C70 8_5 MS SHARP impact test result — 8.5 m/s test results for the HJC C70 – courtesy of sharp.dft.gov.uk

OK, so these aren’t giving you info specifically on the C70’s safety, but in 2019 SHARP tested the UK/Eu version of the C70 where it scored a maximum 5 stars for safety. Obviously, that’s an amazing score and means you should be getting some excellent impact protection if you go for a C70.

Right onto other safety stuff…

The visor’s been designed to be wide to give good peripheral vision. And an integral drop down sun visor’s always really useful to have on your helmet, to stop you getting caught out when the sun’s blinding; so that’s a very worthwhile safety addition.

HJC-C70-boltas-blue-black-motorcycle-helmet-rear-view — Rear spoiler and exhaust vents on the C70 Boltas in blue and black

And finally, the HJC C70 is made in two shell sizes. That’s probably to be expected for a helmet at this price point but we like to see more these days as more shells means a more optimised fit, less weight and – arguably – improved safety.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

HJC does say the C70 has been wind tunnel designed for improved aerodynamic performance. Which should help reduce wind noise entering the helmet of course.

That maybe the case, but where you have ventilation holes, you also have pathways for noise. And while there’s plenty of padding inside the C70 – including those ‘generous cheek pads’ (see comfort section below), it seems the C70 is about average for noise suppression.

As we often find, some owners think it’s a really quiet helmet while others say it’s noisy – all dependent on different motorbikes, riding styles, fairings, previous helmets etc. etc. It’s all very subjective, but given that we found an equal number of owners on either side of the fence, we’ve plumped for a score of about average when it comes to noise suppression.

And if you do buy a C70 – hopefully you’ll be pleasantly surprised (but always wear decent ear plugs when you ride to protect your hearing).

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

As you can see from the photos, there’s one large top vent and a single vent in the chin bar too.

That chin bar vent is covered by a sliding panel used to close it off or open it up and direct air behind the visor.

The top vent is opened by a small slider right on the top of the helmet. According to C70 owners, it’s actually really easy to find and, because it sticks up nicely, it’s simple to use and means gloved fingers can easily grip it .

HJC-C70-white-helmet-top-down-view — Top down view of the gloss white C70 – showing crown vent and sun visor sliders.

This top vent passes air through the helmet shell and into grooved channels inside the helmet.

It’s a similar system to the outgoing helmet and, according to several owners, it works well – pulling in a decent amount of air that can be felt across the top of the head inside the helmet.

Same goes for that chin vent. And if you’re riding in Europe, you’re going to want to buy and fit a Pinlock antifog insert in there to stop fogging.

If you’re a summer-only rider, you might get away without. Otherwise, expect the visor to fog up on cold mornings or when it rains.

Pinlocks are about £30.

A couple of links you might find useful…

– Click to see all our HJC Helmet Reviews –
– Here you’ll find all the safest helmets we’ve looked at –

Visor

(more about visors)

OK, the visor on the C70 does pretty much everything you’re going to need on your helmet – except come with a Pinlock antifog insert.

It is Pinlock-ready, meaning it’s got those Pinlock pegs fixed on the visor so you can buy a Pinlock and fit it on there. Just some helmets come with the Pinlock itself in the box – whereas the C70 doesn’t.

Find our helmets that are Pinlock-ready or come with a Pinlock insert in the box by clicking the link.

HJC C70 valon pink crash helmet side view — HJC C70 Valon

You can understand why the C70 doesn’t come with an insert. HJC obviously wanted to keep the cost of the helmet down and including a Pinlock would’ve nudged it up a bit.

But it’s a real shame because, according to a few C70 owners, it can fog up pretty easily (to be fair, most helmets can) and us Brit riders need all the anti-fog help we can get!

Other than that, the visor system on the C70 looks pretty good.

It’s nice and wide to give good peripheral vision. It also features HJCs RapidFire II visor quick removal system. That’s one of the best and just involves raising the visor, squeezing a trigger and popping off the visor.

Why do you need that? Well for easy cleaning mostly. Get home covered in dust/bluebottles/wasp juice – pop it off and wash it in soapy water. Job done.

The C70’s visor’s also got a small locking mechanism on it. When you snap the visor closed, it’ll click-locked. But it’s easy to push up on the visor tab, releasing the lock and opening the visor in one go.

A visor lock’s probably not that important to most of us outside a race track, but it does help a little with securing the visor against the visor gasket and keeping wind/rain out.

Sun Visor

(more about sun visors)

A sun visor’s always a mega useful addition to a helmet. Not only is it really convenient – quickly dropping it down to keep the sun out of your eyes – but it’s also an important safety feature when the sun’s low and dazzling.

HJC C70 matt black motorbike crash helmet side view — Matt black C70

The sun visor on the C70 is operated by a slider sat high up and far back on the crown of the helmet. It’s kind of an OK position for the slider, though it can be a bit tricky to find until you get used to it.

Unlike the old model which returned the sun visor to it’s fully up position using a spring-loaded, button operated mechanism, the C70’s sun visor needs to be slid down, then manually slid back up again.

That does give you the option of choosing exactly which position you drop it down to – whether you want it fully down or just down a little.

Plus, the spring mechanism on the old IS17 was known for getting a bit tired – meaning it’d raise it a bit but not fully. So this system does away with that potential problem.

Feedback from owners on the sun visor on the C70 is that it’s super easy to operate, it’s fairly dark and that it’s easy to find and use in gloves. So all good there.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

The inner lining on the HJC C70 is removable and washable and uses a material HJC calls SuperCool. That’s a moisture wicking and antimicrobial material that’s soft to the touch too.

HJC C70 lianto black red motorbike crash helmet side view — Black/white/red version of the Lianto

It’s available in sizes XS-XXL and is a medium oval fitment.

If you are looking to buy a C70, check out our helmet fitting guide first. Then when you receive the helmet, make sure it’s a reasonably tight fit (but expect it to give a little over the first days/weeks) and make sure it’s comfortable.

Ensuring your helmet fits correctly should be your number one priority when buying a helmet because a correctly fitting helmet means the helmet can do its job in an accident. If it’s too loose, it won’t give you the best protection.

And make sure you always tighten your chin strap fully, because loose helmets are known to come off in accidents if they’re not correctly tightened.

Like several HJC helmets, a few owners say that while it fits well, the cheek pads in the C70 can be really tight when you first get it (though they do break in pretty quickly). So if you’ve chubby cheeks – beware and expect to have to do some breaking in.

But note: you can buy different size cheek pads if it doesn’t break in as quickly or as much as you’d like.

Looks & Graphics

HJC’s expecting to sell lots of C70s and you can see that in the number of graphics available.

If you’re after a solid/plain helmet, there’s a gloss black and gloss white as well as a matt black version (called semi-flat by HJC).

HJC-C70-troky-black-hi-viz-motorcycle-helmet-top-down-view — This one’s the Troky in black and hi-viz

And there’s also a heap of funky graphics that we’ve scattered up and down the page: the Valon, Lianto, Troky and Boltas available in allsorts of colour options including some hi-viz.

If you’re interested in seeing the latest discounts and deals as well as any new designs that have surfaced since we last looked at the C70, feel free to click the links below to our recommended stores – recommended because they all score high marks in online reviews meaning they’ll look after you well if you buy from them.

Best places to buy an HJC C70?

Please click below to visit the HJC C70 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Other stuff – fasteners, glasses, aero, breath guard, comms/audio, warranty

The C70 is available with a double-d ring fastener from most retailers in the UK, or micrometric fastener if you’re in Europe or the US. Either system’s fine – click the links to find out more about either fastener if you’re not sure.

HJC-C70-troky-black-orange-crash-helmet-top-side-view — Black and orange C70 Troky

And if you prefer riding in sun (or normal) glasses, then the C70 is good for glasses wearers because there’s glasses grooves inside the C70. We found a couple of owners who said the grooves work great and the C70 is fantastic if you wear glasses because the slots make it really easy to shove your glasses on and stop the arms pressing into your head.

HJC says the slightly redesigned shell of the C70 was wind-tunnel tested to reduce noise, buffeting and give all round improved aero performance. We found owners who said the aerodynamic performance is very good, finding the helmet doesn’t ‘pull’ when you’re riding or looking around.

It comes with a removable breath guard inside the box to help reduce fogging on the visor.

While there aren’t any specific speaker cutouts inside the helmet, a few owners reckoned there is space to fit speakers comfortably and pockets in the cheek pads for them to go. So it seems you shouldn’t have a problem fitting a bluetooth kit as long as the speakers aren’t too oversized.

Finally, whereas some HJCs come with a 5 year warranty (RPHA range of helmets) the C70 only comes with a paltry 1 year guarantee 🙁

Overall/Summary

The outgoing IS17 was a great helmet, and so too is its replacement, the HJC C70.

The C70 has a slightly redesigned shell for improved aero, but other than that and a few other minor tweaks, it’s a very similar helmet. And like the IS-17, the C70 has now been awarded a maximum 5 stars for safety by SHARP, which means it’ll be mega protective like the last helmet.

Owners say the C70 has good ventilation, a great visor and sun visor system and, as long as your face isn’t too squeezed by the cheek pads, is very comfortable.

It’s well built too – for a helmet at this price point.

HJC-C70-white-motorcycle-helmet-rear-view — Rear of the solid gloss white C70

All of which means that if you’re after a budget helmet for your more upright motorcycle (so nakeds, adventure bikes etc. but probably not sportsbikes) that offers real performance and all the major features you need – like sun visor and Pinlock-ready main visor – then the HJC C70 very much delivers.

It’s a great helmet offering max levels of protection at a low price point. Highly recommended.

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 HJC C70?

HJC make some great performing lower-priced helmets, and we expect the C70 to be a good buy. But there are quite a few other great helmets available for not very much money.

Here’s a selection of recommended alternatives to take a look at. These have all scored well on safety tests – and you can find more by using our smart(ish) filters page, for example by checking the ‘budget’ and ‘safest’ boxes to find lower priced helmets that offer great safety levels.

If you’d consider a modular helmet, HJC’s FG-ST is a SHARP 5 star safety rated fibreglass lid that doesn’t cost the earth. It’s got a sun visor and comes with a Pinlock in the box.

Back to full face helmets – the Shark Skwal 2 is SHARP 4 star rated, has a Pinlock, sun visor, is reasonably light weight and has in-built LEDs for extra visibility.

Another maximum safety rating helmet is the full face composite fibre X-Lite X-702 GT. It’s light weight and has great ventilation too.

Best places to buy an HJC C70?

Please click below to visit the HJC C70 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Other full face helmets?

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

Star Ratings

MCN Rating: Quality 4/5, Value 5/5

Klim Krios Pro review: a hugely innovative Adventure Helmet.

Klim Krios Pro: Koroid dual sport adventure helmet review.

The Klim Krios Pro is an uprated version of the older Klim Krios dual sport adventure helmet. It’s advertised as being super light weight and including, well, pretty much every feature you could be looking for in an adventure helmet!

Klim Krios pro adventure helmet aresenal grey front view — Arsenal Grey Klim Krios Pro front view

That’s a full carbon fibre shell for strength and weight, a transitions photochromic visor that darkens in the sunlight and lightens when it’s not; and the flexibility to change the helmet from an adventure to a dirt or street lid.

Plus there’s an innovative strap closure in the form of their Fidlock fastener and a (potentially) game changing replacement to the old Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) liner in the form of a bunch of green plastic tubes called Koroyd.

Whew! That’s a lot of innovations and a lot to look at.

So, if you’re in the market for a new dual-sport helmet, here’s what the Klim Krios Pro offers and what owners think are the good and not so good points of living with it.

Adventure/Dual Sport helmet
Carbon fibre shell
Innovative Koroyd impact liner
Transitions visor included
Second clear visor also included
Aerodynamic peak
Easy to use Fidlock fastener
Pinlock antifog insert included
Sizes XS-XXXL
Expect to pay around £550

Looking to buy a Klim Krios Pro?

Please click below to visit the Klim Krios Pro helmets page at our recommended store. 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).

Overall/Summary

The Klim Krios Pro is a well liked adventure helmet.

U.S. helmet makers, Klim, are in the market to produce premium helmets, and with its carbon fibre construction and the inclusion of a Koroyd shock absorbing lining and super-easy Fidlock fastener, they’re also about using innovation where possible too. And more power to them for that.

Klim Krios pro helmet Loko Vivid Sage side view — Side view of the Krios Pro in Lok vivid sage colourway

They’ve also used heaps of tried and tested tech in there as well – including a premium transitions photochromic visor in the box and a Pinlock antifog.

And with the flexibility you get with an adventure helmet – changing it from a dirt helmet to a street helmet and to anything in between in seconds – the vast majority of owners love their Krios Pros.

OK so it’s not the quietest helmet (that Koroyd liner might be the culprit here) and the sizing can be a bit ‘generous’, but it seems that’s about it for problems for most owners.

Because, while the Klim Klios Pro is an expensive helmet, most owners also say it’s a really good one and worth the money. It’s comfortable, very well ventilated and light weight. And while that Koroyd impact liner is unproven (hence our lower score for safety), you actually get an awful lot of performance helmet for your money.

Klim Krios Pro Helmet Configuration

Like many adventure helmets, there’s a variety of ways you can use the Klios Pro. Basically, it’ll transform from an adventure helmet into an off-road helmet (with/without visor/goggles) or a street helmet (peak removed). You can see the different modes below:

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

OK, helmet protection is one of the big points that Klim say they’ve improved.

Not only are all Klim Krios Pro helmet shells made from carbon fibre, but they also incorporate something called Koroyd into their construction. That’s a material made from lots of small plastic tubes joined together to form a mat which replaces much of the internal expanded polystyrene liner that you’ll find on traditional helmets.

Klim Krios pro dual sport helmet aresenal dune side view — The Klim Krios Pro in Arsenal Dune graphics

You’ll find more information on Koroyd in the section below.

Suffice to say while some of the figures and stats provided by Koroyd seem impressive, as far as we could find, there isn’t any independent testing data to show how well it performs in a motorbike helmet.

Yes, it’s passed the ECE European homologation tests so it must be OK (and by selling the Krios Pro in the US, Klim obviously reckon it’ll pass DOT specs too) but it’d be great to see some independent safety testing results. I mean, when buying the Krios Pro, you’ll be spending a ton of money and probably buying into Koroyd’s promises, so at the very least it’d be great to see some proof the protection works, right?

We contacted Koroyd directly who said they didn’t have any independent helmet testing results they could share with us. And we contacted Klim too but they replied saying they couldn’t share test data – which is a bit bizarre, especially if they HAVE got test data.

Actually, Klim doesn’t totally replace the EPS lining inside the Krios Pro. The Koroyd lines the helmet inside the shell but I guess it’s not appropriate to have the comfort liner press directly against the Koroyd tubes. Maybe it’d damage the tubes or be a bit too uncomfortable?

So instead, there’s another EPS liner between the Koroyd and comfort liner.

This does make for a slightly bulkier helmet and one or two owners have said that their helmet feels less compact than similar adventure helmets they’ve owned.

Klim Krios pro dual sport helmet matte black front view — Front view of the Matte black version

It doesn’t help that the helmet’s only made in two shell sizes either. Most premium helmets are made in many more shell sizes as that optimizes fit and safety, as well as generally making for a helmet that doesn’t look oversized or give you that bobble head look.

The fact the helmet’s made in lightweight carbon fibre does help safety though. A lighter helmet means there’s less energy to ‘control’ and absorb during an impact and the fact the Krios Pro typically weighs around 1.3-1.4Kg (3-3.1lbs) depending on shell, means it’s a nice lightweight helmet.

OK, that’s the shock absorbing liner and shell. But the Krios Pro has some other safety tricks up its sleeve too.

It comes with both a regular clear visor as well as a photochromic transitions visor in the box.

That transitions visor adjusts the visor tint according to sunlight. So when it’s bright sunshine, the visor darkens. It changes in just a few seconds and gives great protection to your vision when things brighten up.

See visor section below for more info of what’s great and not so great with the visor on the Krios Pro.

There’s also a Pinlock antifog insert included in the box which is really worth fitting to the back of the visor to keep your vision clear when it gets cold or rainy.

That visor is really big too, offering excellent all round vision and peripheral vision too – another good safety feature.

And finally, another innovation that’s been embraced by Klim. The Krios Pro comes fitted with a new type of fastener – called the Fidlock.

Fidlock helmet fastener 2 — Closer view of the Fidlock

Fidlock Fastener

Fidlock are a German company who have produced an incredibly easy to use fastener. It’s essentially a metal clasp with a strong magnet in it.

To close the fastener, you basically move the two sides of the fastener together, at which point the magnets pull the fastener together and the lock auto-locks. That’s it!

To unlock, you pull the red tab and the fastener pulls open.

It’s incredibly easy to use and every reviewer we’ve come across seems to love it and think it’s pretty much a game-changer.

Is it as safe as a D-ring or micrometric? Not sure. It’s been ECE approved and DOT certified so it conforms to both their testing regimes. I guess because it’s sooo damn easy to use it kinda feels like it shouldn’t be as safe as the other fasteners. But of course, that doesn’t mean it isn’t.

Fidlock-helmet-fastener — Side view showing how it works (kinda)

And lots of life-long motorcyclists have endorsed it online, so kudos to Klim for taking a gamble and including it on their helmets. It seems like it’s a step forward in usability and – so far – seems to have comparable safety to D-ring or micrometric fasteners.

Overall then, the Klim Krios Pro should give decent protection. Without independent testing, we’re just not sure how good this innovative system is in comparison to the competition.

What is Koroyd?

It’s long been known that the cylinder is a shape that’s particularly resistant to compression. So Koroyd has made a ‘mat’ of small double-walled plastic tubes that are fused together to produce a material that absorbs energy by crushing the tubes, reducing the amount of energy passed beyond the Koroyd and thereby offering protection.

Koroyd-helmet-liner — Helmet liner made out of Koroyd, plus a section of Koroyd which has undergone 50% compression.

Koroyd say their material uses 78% of the thickness to absorb energy (in comparison to EPS’ 60%) and that it has less elasticity, so potentially reducing injury when the liner rebounds, passing energy back to the wearer.

Koroyd also says their material reduces helmet rotation during an impact as well as absorbing energy in a more controlled and consistent manner.

Whether it really works is, I guess, dependent on testing. And so far we haven’t seen any independent test results – just information provided by Koroyd and Klim. Which isn’t really good enough when we’re buying protective gear I’d say. We need real data.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

While Koroyd may or may not be a game changer in terms of helmet safety, what we do know is that it’s made of tubes rather than a solid EPS liner. And hollow tubes let noise through.

Klim Krios pro helmet Loko Striking Gray side view — This one’s the Krios Pro in Loko Striking Grey colourway

Yes there’s some EPS lining in there and there is a comfort liner and chin curtain, all of which will help insulate you from noise. But there’s also lots of ventilation holes too which will let air and noise into the helmet.

Overall then, most riders reckon it’s a bit noisy – or at least noisier than most similar helmets they’ve tried. Not deafeningly loud by any stretch (like quite a few folks reckon the older non-pro Klim Krios is), but noisier than average.

Which you may find useful of course if you regularly take your bike on the trail with a group of mates and like to chat.

But not so good if you like to ride in peace (though you should always wear ear plugs too).

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

The Klim Kronis Pro has a fairly conventional layout of the vents.

That’s a single chin bar vent and a single forehead vent.

Klim Krios pro helmet Mekka Vivid Sage rear view — Rear view of a Krios Pro Mekka vivid sage showing two exhausts under spoiler and another pair bottom left and right

That’s actually good news because those vents only need a single slider each to cover them and means you can open and close them quickly and easily.

In fact, both the sliders are nice and large and, according to owners, are easy to find and operate in gloves, which is always welcome.

Both vents only have an open or closed setting which is fine as that’s all most of use use. And that chin bar vent has a handy grill in to stop the worst of the dirt getting inside the helmet when you go off-road.

And there’s actually a pair of side vents at the side of the chin bar to help pull more air around the chin.

A couple of useful links…

– All our Adventure helmet reviews –
– Light weight helmets –

One interesting secondary effect of having a Koroyd liner is that, because it’s made of hollow tubes, air that’s pulled into the helmet can more easily get through to the head.

Couple that with a comfort liner with lots of cut-away panels for venting and it’s all set to be a great venting helmet.

Klim Krios pro adventure helmet haptik white side view — Chin bar front and side vents are visible on this Haptik white Krios Pro

And that exactly what the vast majority of owners say – that the whole helmet vents very well, pulling lots of air onto the back of the visor as well as circulating it around the head.

And several owners who were after a helmet to keep them cool for long off-road rides in the summer say that the Klim Krios Pro really gives excellent venting, keeping their head cool where other helmets struggle.

For many of us visor fogging can be a big issue.

Not only is there plenty of ventilation onto the back of the visor with the Krios Pro, but if that’s not enough, fitting the supplied Pinlock antifog will stop the visor fogging 99% of the time.

Visor

(more about visors)

Klim look to have thrown everything they’ve got at the visor system on the Krios Pro.

It’s a wide and tall viewport with a toolless visor change system. It comes with both a clear and transitions visor in the box and they’re both prepared to fit the (included) Pinlock antifog insert.

Klim Krios pro dual sport helmet matte black side view — Side view of the matte black Krios Pro showing the sheer width of that visor

Of course, nothing’s perfect. And slight niggles with the visor include a lack of a city-riding or defogging ‘cracked open’ position and a couple owners saying the visor feels very flimsy or thin.

Some owners also find the visor/peak removal system a bit fiddly because you have to twist and remove plastic fasteners which can be lost – and they’re just plain trickier to operate than most regular quick-release visor systems.

Klim do provide replacement fasteners in the box though in case you lose one.

But in general, the visor seems to work very well.

The helmet comes with the transitions visor fitted. Photochromic visors change from clear to smoked in seconds and generally give excellent protection against the sun.

But note: Klim recommend only using the transitions lens when using the Krios in street helmet configuration. That’s because the sun peak can cast shadows across the transitions visor causing darker spots while riding, which can be distracting.

Also, if you raise your visor with the sun peak fitted, the peak will put the visor in shadow causing part of it to tint which, again, will be distracting when you close the visor.

Klim Krios pro helmet Mekka Kinetik Blue rear view — Rear of the Krios Pro Mekka in kinetik blue

Thankfully, there’s a replacement clear visor included in the box, so you’ll just need to swap them out and use that when the peak’s fitted.

And if you do ride in your Krios Pro in street helmet mode, there are a couple of plastic plates provided to hide the base plate and neaten up the look of the helmet.

Overall though, riders like the large size of the viewport – some say it feels like you’re riding in an open face helmet – and the provided visors are optically very clear.

All in all, the visor system is well liked and the fact the helmet’s supplied with a £100+ transitions visor and £30 Pinlock is a real bonus.

Peak/Goggles

The peak on the Klim Krios Pro is aerodynamically sculpted and adjustable/removable.

Some owners seem to think the aero is excellent – allowing them to ride and do head checks without being buffeted or pulled around by the wind. But not everyone agrees and others seem to think it does catch the wind. I guess it’s very much dependent on where you ride and/or type of motorcycle and riding style.

It is pretty simple to adjust and remove the peak though.

klim-krios-pro-matte-black-helmet-side-view — Klim Krios Pro matte black

To adjust, you loosen the top screw and slide the peak higher or lower. To remove, take out the top screw then turn the plastic thumb screws half a turn, pull them out, then pull off the peak.

If you’re looking to fit goggles, it should fit most well known brands. Just watch out for that integral breath guard as it does sit quite high.

One useful feature is that you can fit goggles while leaving the visor in place.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

The Klim Krios Pro has a medium oval internal fitment. It’s produced in sizes XS-XXXL and made in 2 shell sizes, with the smaller shell fitting XS-M and the larger L-XXXL.

It uses Klim’s Klimatek comfort liner which uses an antimicrobial and moisture wicking material that feels plush and comfortable.

In fact Krios Pro owners almost universally praise the Krios for comfort – as long as you get the sizing right.

Many riders find the sizing about right, but others found it sizes small – anywhere from half a size to a full size small. So if you’re on the border between helmet sizes, order the smaller size. And if you do order the correct size but find it’s too large, make sure you’ve bought from somewhere who’ll do no-quibble swaps.

klim-krios-pro-mekka-kinetik-blue-adventure-helmet-side-view — Mekka Kinetik blue Krios Pro

Klim do sell a size up/down cheekpads though so that can help with tailoring the fit just right if you find it’s a bit tight or loose out of the box.

The liner’s fully removable and washable and while most of the liner’s held in by snaps, the cheekpads are held in by velcro. That’s fine but can mean they’re tricky to reposition once you’ve taken them out.

Looks & Graphics

The Klim Krios comes in a reasonable array of solids and graphics.

The Haptik white is a solid gloss white helmet whereas the Matt Black is actually a clear matt lacquer exposing the carbon weave beneath.

For graphics, there’s the Mekka, Arsenal and Loko – and you’ll find examples of all these up and down the pages – or click through to our recommended stores to find more examples and colourways.

Best places to buy a Klim Krios Pro helmet?

Please click below to visit the Klim Krios Pro helmets page at our recommended store. 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).

Klim Krios Pro Video

Here’s a comprehensive 24m look around the Klim Krios from Chaparral Motorsports.

Other stuff – audio, glasses, weight, aero, build quality, chin curtain, warranty

Unusually, while there aren’t any speaker pockets in the fabric of the helmet (I guess it’s a bit tricky to make pockets set into Koroyd?) Klim does have a bluetooth helmet integration with the Sena 10u communicator. So buy one of those and it should work seamlessly with the Krios Pro.

klim-krios-pro-loko-orange-helmet-side-view — Loko Striking Grey/Orange Krios Pro

There are recesses for speakers in the cheek pad liner though and we have heard of people fitting other Sena units as well as a Cardo Packtalk Bold without any problems. So it sounds like as long as your speakers aren’t too deep, you can probably mount a variety of comms units onto the Krios Pro without too many problems.

Same goes for fitting glasses. There aren’t any glasses grooves inside the Krios Pro, but we’ve heard from several glasses wearers who say they don’t have a problem fitting them into their helmets and riding with them in place.

One of the most talked about features of the Klim Krios Pro is how light it is. Weighing around 1.3-1.4Kg (3-3.1lbs) it is light weight, and many owners love how less fatiguing it is to ride in a Krios Pro.

We’ve not come across many quality issues at all in our research. The only slight niggle is that the carbon fibre weave can look a bit mismatched where the sheets join – which is probably more a visual nit pick than anything else. Other that that, Krios Pro’s seem well made.

They’re sold with a removable chin curtain fitted (good for noise and wind reduction) and there’s a fixed breath guard in place.

Finally, all Klim helmets come with an excellent 5 year warranty against manufacturing defects. Plus there’s also Klim’s gear protection guarantee that if you’re involved in an accident and damage your Krios Pro within 5 years of purchasing it, they’ll replace it free of charge! Obviously you have to send in quite a bit of info to accompany the claim but that’s a fantastic offer and a real bro move from Klim. Well done.

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 Klim Krios Pro?

I guess one of the benchmark premium adventure helmets is the Arai Tour X4. That’s a Snell approved (US DOT helmet) fibreglass helmet that’s just as versatile as the Krios but with EQRS as well as excellent ventilation and comfort. Costs around the same as the Klim but it is heavier.

Shoei’s Hornet ADV is also Snell certified (again, that’s for the US DOT helmet), quieter than the Klim and has EQRS. It’s made in 4 shell sizes, is reasonably quiet, has an optically correct visor and is well vented. Owners love it.

Italian Nolan N70-2 X and GT helmets are arguably even more versatile adventure helmets. It’s modular too so you can wear it as a 3/4 helmet, plus there’s a drop down sun visor and Pinlock included. It’s half the price of the Klim too.

Finally, if you’re looking for a quiet ADV helmet that’s got great ventilation, a Pinlock and optically correct visor – then how about the Schuberth E1? It’s got a fibreglass shell too. The only fly in the ointment is that it dropped a couple of stars for safety when it was tested by SHARP.

Looking to buy a Klim Krios Pro?

Please click below to visit the Klim Krios Pro helmets page at our recommended store. 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).

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

MCN Rating: Quality 5/5, Value 5/5

MT Rapide and Rapide Pro: budget sportsbike and track helmets.

MT Helmets sportsbike/track helmets: the MT Rapide and Rapide Pro.

The MT Rapide is the Spanish helmet maker’s second foray into making a track/sportsbike helmet.

mt-rapide-composite-helmet-global-graphicsside-view — Composite fibre Rapide in Global graphics

And like the KRe range before it, it’s available in composite fibre and full carbon version with both those helmets giving excellent value for money.

Only this time, the Rapides are that bit sportier looking and that little bit lighter.

And now, with the carbon version having the de-rigeur transparent racing spoiler on the back, it properly looks the part too.

Although it’s the KRe that’s been officially FIM approved for bike racing (size small only), whether you’re off the track or just after a helmet that’ll work well in a tuck-forward position on your sportsbike, there’s now another great budget option from MT.

Sportsbike/track full face helmet
Carbon and Composite versions
SHARP 4 Star safety rated
Both ECE & DOT certified
Double-D and Micrometric options
Sizes XS-XXL
Weighs around 1.3Kg
Pinlock in the box
Expect to pay:
- Carbon – £250
- Composite – £120

Best places to buy an MT Rapide?

Please click below to visit the MT Rapide 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).

There’s three different versions of the Rapide available. Here’s what they each offer:

MT Rapide

The standard MT Rapide is the composite fibre version (what MT calls FRC or fibre reinforced composite). It features most of the same features as the Rapide Pro but most versions come with a micrometric fastener instead of a D-ring and it’s available in 2 different shell sizes, not 3.

MT Rapide Pro

The Rapide Pro is the carbon fibre version with the MotoGP style rear spoiler. It has a double-d ring fastener, is made in three shell sizes and weighs around 50g less than the composite Rapide.

MT Rapide Kids

You can get a version of both the above helmets in kids sizes too. They’re the same helmet just made in smaller children’s S/M/L sizing, with a children’s large being the same size as an adult’s XS (53-54cm).

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

Despite selling helmets at the lower end of the price range, MT has a reputation for producing some very protective helmets – not all but some.

MT Rapide 8.5 ms impact test results — Courtesy of sharp.dft.gov.uk 8.5 m/s Impact test results.

Of the helmets that have been independently safety tested by SHARP, their average score across all tested helmets has been 3.7 out of 5, with two fibreglass-based helmets scoring an average of 4 stars (that’s the 3 star KRe SV and the old/discontinued 5 star MT Matrix).

Of course, all helmets on sale have to be ECE tested/approved in Europe (and DOT approved in the US) but now SHARP has tested the MT Rapide so we can compare its protection to other helmets. Just like the average for other fibreglass MT helmets, SHARP awarded the Rapide four stars out of a maximum five – dropping points for slightly reduced side impact attenuation if we look at the 8.5 m/s test.

Still, that means the Rapide offers decent protection and we’ll add it into our Safest Helmets Pages (only 4 & 5 star helmets make it in there).

mt-rapide-composite-helmet-revival-side-view — Composite fibre Rapide in Revival graphics

They all have decent helmet shell technology too. The composite fibre version is fibreglass-based and the carbon fibre helmet has a 100% carbon fibre shell (not all ‘carbon’ helmets do). They’re all backed with a multi-density shock absorbing liner which is what you want to see.

And it’s also good to see them both produced in multiple shell sizes (the Carbon in 3 different shells, the composite in 2) which will help with keeping weight down for a given helmet size as well as improving the looks/proportions.

Of course, all Rapides have a large visor for improved forward and peripheral vision, and they all come with an included Pinlock MaxVision insert to keep your vision clear.

And whether you go for a double-d ring fastener or micrometric, they’re both secure fasteners as long as they’re fastened up diligently every ride.

All in all, we reckon both MT Rapides should provide good protection as well as offer some useful safety features to help keep you out of trouble in the first place.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

Track helmets are notoriously noisy. Engineers tend to focus on more important things like good aero performance and all-round vision rather than noise suppression.

mt-rapide-pro-carbon-black-yellow-helmet-side-view — Side view of the MT Rapide Pro carbon fibre helmet in black/yellow

But the early opinion seems to be that the MT Rapide is actually not too bad, with a few riders scoring them about average for quietness.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

There’s a dual forehead vent operated by a single slider and the same goes for the dual vent in the chin bar.

The top vent takes air into the helmet where there’s some generous venting channels moulded into the EPS lining inside to help circulate air around the scalp. That air’s vented out of the back of the helmet through an exhaust vent hidden under the rear spoiler.

The chin bar vent takes air up onto the back of the visor to help with demisting and there’s also a removable breath guard to help divert your breath away from the visor, again to help with demisting.

Having said that, fitting the provided Pinlock Max Vision onto the visor is the best way to keep things clear.

Overall, it’s a fairly regular ventilation setup that you’ll find in most full face helmets. But it’s the way manufacturer’s implement the setup that makes the difference.

mt-rapide-overtake-green-sportsbike-helmet-rear-view — Rear exhaust hides under the spoiler on all versions including this Overtake graphic Rapide

And so far, the word is that it vents well, letting a decent amount of air into the helmet and with enough venting panels in the comfort liner to let the air get through to your head.

Visor

(more about visors)

All models of the MT Rapide have the same visor. Namely, it’s a wider sportsbike visor to give better peripheral vision that’s quick release for quick visor swaps and with a visor lock front/center that automatically engages when the visor’s closed.

It’s also Pinlock-ready with a Pinlock Max Vision insert included in the box, and it’s a thicker 2.2mm thick racing-style visor.

It works on a ratchet too; and unlocking the visor takes it to a first ‘cracked-open’ position that’s great to give a bit of extra ventilation without opening the visor fully.

A couple of useful links…

– Track helmets –
– Top 10 full face helmet reviews –

Overall, the visor mechanism’s a good one. And if you like to swap out the clear visor it comes with, there’s a few options available:

mt-rapide-pro-carbon-grey-helmet-front-view — Front view of the Rapide Pro

There’s several replacement tinted visors available, and if you’re serious about your racing, there’s a tear-off version available too. Plus, MT produce a ‘fog off’ insert which is not only anti-fog but is photochromic so it’ll darken with the sun – though note it’s only designed to work for 90 days, dependent on amount of use.

All in all, the visor system on the MT Rapide seems like a good un. And though we’ve heard of owners who found theirs leaked in the rain a little, the fitment can be adjusted at the base plates so if it doesn’t come with a perfect fit, you should be able to sort it so it is.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

The comfort liner inside the Rapide is hypoallergenic and removable/washable.

There are speaker pockets inside so you should be fine for fitting a bluetooth headset.

Though if you’re a glasses wearer, there aren’t any glasses grooves in the side of the liner, and I’ve heard of owners who struggle to fit their glasses without them pressing into the sides of their head.

If you wear glasses, here are helmets that should be great for glasses wearers.

All versions of the Rapide are available in sizes XS-XXL.

mt-rapide-composite-helmet-bad-clown-side-view — Bad Clown graphic MT Rapide

Looks & Graphics

The Rapide is a great looking helmet and the composite fibre version is available in a wide range of graphic options.

That includes the standard solid gloss white or black and matt black. There’s also the Revival, Duel, Crucial, Global and Overtake (the composite with a double-d ring fastener – as well as the bonkers Bad Clown graphic.

To see more pics of each helmet and find out what deals are to be had, we’d love you to click the links below where you’ll be taken straight to their Rapide helmets pages.

Best places to buy an MT Rapide helmet?

Please click below to visit the MT Rapide 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 Rapide Video

Most of the videos of the Rapide are rubbish unboxing videos. So here’s MT’s own (slightly more informative) 30s MT Rapide Pro video…

Other stuff – fasteners, weight, aero, chin curtain, warranty

The Rapide Pro comes with a double-d ring fastener and the composite Rapides mostly come with metal micrometric fasteners. The exception to this is the in Overtake graphic composite Rapides which come with a double-d ring fastener for some reason – though we’ve also heard of other composite fibre Rapides being occasionally sold with double-d rings.

mt-rapide-pearl-pink-sportsbike-helmet-front-view — Pear Pink MT Rapide

The bottom line is if it’s important to you, it’s worth checking which fastener you’ll get before you order. You should be OK with the Rapide Pro but it’s worth checking if you order a composite fibre helmet.

Both versions of the Rapide are pretty light weight, though as expected, the carbon fibre Rapide Pro is slightly lighter, weighing an average of around 1.3Kg. The composite version is typically about 50g heavier (though it’s still a very light helmet).

If you buy the Rapide Pro, it comes with the regular street spoiler found on the standard Rapide as well as the track spoiler which is designed to give more stability at speed. They can be swapped over using an allen key and the track spoiler comes in its own carry bag.

All rapides come with a chin curtain and breath guard as standard.

The MT Rapide is now sold with a 2 year warranty.

Overall/Summary

The MT Rapide seems to be an accomplished sportsbike helmet at a very pocket friendly price.

It’s rare to get a helmet with real track pedigree available at this low price point, never mind one that’s made from 100% carbon fibre and includes a MotoGP style track spoiler.

mt-rapide-pro-carbon-black-helmet-front-view — MT Rapide Pro with (optional) black visor

And now the fibreglass version has been independently safety tested by SHARP where it scored an impressive 4 star rating. With a multi-density shock absorbing liner and trick helmet shell construction, we expected it to score well and it’s possible that the carbon fibre version might score even higher.

And with a great visor system, including a Pinlock antifog in the box, and with tried and tested ventilation and comfort liner, there doesn’t seem to be anything stopping the Rapide being the absolute steal it first seems.

So, if you’re looking for a decent quality lower priced sportsbike or track helmet, the MT Rapide should fit the bill nicely. As should these proven helmets below.

Good Alternatives to the MT Rapide?

Even though the MT Rapides are great value sportsbike helmets, they’re not alone. Here’s some other sportsbike helmets you might want to consider.

HJC-FG-17-crash-helmet-zodd-green-side-view — HJC FG-17 in Zodd green

The HJC FG-17 is their popular race-ready fibreglass helmet. It’s been SHARP 4 star safety rated too and it costs about the same as the Rapide.

AGV-Veloce-S-motorcycle-helmet-Rossi-Soleluna-side-view — ‘Soleluna’ AGV Veloce S

For a bit more, you can have an AGV Veloce S. That’s AGV’s all singing all dancing SHARP 5 star rated sportsbike helmet with optically correct visor and Pinlock, that’s well comfy and has great ventilation too.

bell-star-crash-helmet-pace-orange-black-front-side-vew — Bell Star Pace design

Another tried and tested lid is the Bell Star, their entry level sportsbike/track helmet. It’s a SHARP 5 star composite fibre helmet that’s made in 5 different shell sizes to optimise the fit.

airoh-valor-raptor-yellow-black-helmet-side-view — Airoh Valor Raptor

Not all SHARP 5 star helmets are that expensive though. The Airoh Valor has proven you can make a thermoplastic sportsbike helmet that’ll really offer excellent protection for less money than even the budget MT Rapide!

How can we improve our site?

We’d love your feedback on what we could do better. Please give us your thoughts here.

Best places to buy an MT Rapide?

Please click below to visit the MT Rapide 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).

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.

Check out our Sportsbike or track helmets sections for more previews and reviews of helmets suitable for your sportsbike.

The Nexx XG200: a quality composite fibre retro motocross helmet.

Review of the Nexx X.G200 retro dirtbike crash helmet.

Portuguese helmet makers, Nexx, are starting to build a bit of a reputation in the retro helmet world.

First we saw their XG100. Which they then stuck a visor on it to make the more practical (and still cool) XG100R.

And now, with the XG200, there’s a funky retro dirt bike variant.

Looking at the spec sheet, it’s got a fibreglass-based composite fibre shell, some always open vents, a (slightly) adjustable peak and… and that’s about it.

But then, it’s a retro helmet and retro mostly means large helpings of old school style together with big dollops of compromise.

So, if the style of the XG200 works for you and you’re thinking you might like one as your next lid, then here’s what the Nexx XG200 offers…

Retro motocross helmet
Composite fibre shell
Medium oval fitment
Adjustable peak
Double D-ring fastener
DOT and ECE versions
Sizes XS-XXL
Expect to pay £240-£290

Best places to buy a Nexx XG200?

Please click below to visit the Nexx XG200 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).

Overall/Summary

What you see is pretty much what you get with the Nexx XG200.

Nexx-XG200-purist-white-retro-motocross-helmet-front-view-2 — Front view of the plain gloss white ‘Purist’ XG200

There’s no visor of course, so you’ll have to dig out those old Oakleys.

And while you’ll get some protection from that (carbon reinforced) chin bar and composite fibre shell should the worst happen, you’ll still be open to the elements, grit and noise that’s part of the territory with a dirt helmet.

So if you’re looking for a road helmet for the city, you should be OK. But if you’re looking to up the miles and speed – then maybe not.

The XG is nicely made though, with some great finishes and graphics that’ll complement most retro rides.

And for a decent price, you get a nice quality helmet that’s ideal for urban cruising with a bit of offroading thrown in.

Overall then, while it probably won’t be the best protecting helmet out there, if you’re looking for a real statement helmet for good money and don’t mind the lack of bells and whistles, then the Nexx X.G200 is a stylish lid that’s well worth a look.

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

If you’re looking for a helmet that’ll offer the best protection, Nexx has an OK reputation. Not the best but OK.

nexx xg200 desert race black retro helmet side view — Desert Race XG200

That’s based on historic SHARP test data where we can see that every one of their independently tested helmets has scored 3 stars out of a maximum 5.

That includes a couple of composite fibre helmets which have similar construction to the XG200 too.

OK, we don’t know exactly how well the XG200 will stack up if SHARP was to test it – it may score 5 stars for all we know. But we’d expect another 3 star rating, for obvious reasons.

The shell on the XG200 is made using Nexx’s X-Matrix 2 construction methods. That’s a fibreglass composite that should make for a particularly stiff helmet shell that’s pretty light weight too.

nexx xg200 rok on retro helmet front view — Rok’on graphic XG200

In fact it weighs around 1.3kg (2.9lbs) which is nice and light weight – and that’s great for safety as well as comfort because there’s less inertia caused by the helmet during an impact.

While it’s a motocross helmet, so doesn’t come with a visor, the viewport is wide so it gives great peripheral vision. Again, great for safety.

And there’s an old-style double d ring fastener to keep the helmet securely tied to your head.

The Nexx XG200 is of course ECE 22-05 approved (DOT if you buy one in the US) so, while it hasn’t been independently tested by SHARP, it has been put through its paces by the ECE testing crew.

Nexx makes the XG200 in two shell sizes which is OK and gives you a little bit of size/safety optimisation over single shell helmets.

And they’ve also reinforced the chin bar with carbon fibre, I guess to increase rigidity and reduce weight a bit there.

nexx xg200 super hunky motocross helmet top view — Top-down view of the XG200 Super Hunky

If you like carbon fibre helmets, there’s also a XG200 Carbon version which we suspect is the same composite fibre shell but with a layer of carbon fibre over the top to give it that full carbon look.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

The XG200 doesn’t have a visor so there’s a shed load of space for wind and noise to get inside the helmet. It does have 3D cheekpads and a reasonably plush liner though which will both help with reducing noise.

But like most dirt bike helmets, don’t expect it to be particularly quiet and expect to need to wear ear plugs to make it tolerable for riding over distance if you’re planning on taking it on the roads.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

Those seven vents in the chin bar are the most obvious way air’s going to get inside the helmet.

Nexx-XG200-desert-race-retro-motocross-helmet-side-view — This one’s the Desert Race XG200 in yellow

But there are also a couple of forehead vents hidden beneath the peak if you look closely.

Like the chin bar vents, they’re always-open so you can’t close them off. But there is a bit of protection given by the helmet peak to stop rain getting in there. And those forehead vents do take air through the helmet shell and into channels cut into the internal EPS liner to give some venting to your head.

All the vents are covered by a metal mesh which should stop the worst of the road dirt and flies getting inside the helmet. And while the forehead vents are a bit minimal (so don’t expect the best helmet venting in the world) the chin bar vents should let in a stack of air.

Although, because it’s a motocross helmet without a visor, they’re probably more about looks and image than giving riders ventilation around the mouth. I mean, there’s not exactly much need!

Visor/Goggles

(more about visors)

Nexx-XG200-star-race-retro-helmet-concrete-front-view — Nice large goggles port on the Star Race XG200

The XG200 is a retro motocross helmet so there’s no visor available (yet!). Though we wouldn’t be surprised if Nexx don’t offer a snap-on visor in the not too distant future.

But, for now, if you do buy one, expect to use a pair of shades with it – or budget for some goggles too.

There’s a nice large goggles port in there so it should fit a wide range of goggles. Though it’s not exactly designed to really cater for goggles very well.

There isn’t a rear moulding to keep a strap in place or a goggles loop either; so expect a bit of fiddling to keep your goggles in place.

Mind you, retro helmets are never the last word in practicality so you kinda expect to have to make do to some extent.

A couple of useful links…

– All our Motocross helmet reviews –
– Mid priced helmets –

Peak

The peak on the XG200 clips onto the helmet using the 3 studs above the viewport, and includes vent slots to help reduce lift when you’re upping the pace.

It’s a basic peak, though it is slightly adjustable up and down which will give you a little flexibility to set it up just how you like it – whether that’s to reduce lift a bit or give more shade.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

The internal fitment of the Nexx XG200 is medium oval so it should suit most rider’s heads (if you’ve a longer head shape, take a look at some longer oval helmets). And it’s made in fitment sizes XS-XXL.

Nexx-XG200-carbon-fibre-retro-motocross-helmet-side-view — Side view of the carbon fibre composite XG200

The interior uses Nexx’s X-Mart Dry fabrics which are soft to the touch and are moisture wicking and hypoallergenic. It’s also designed to look suitably retro with fabrics coming in either a black or tan to mimic the colours of leather found in older quality lids.

The internal lining is removable and washable and, unusually, it’s held in entirely by velcro. So expect it to be mega easy to remove but take a bit more time and fiddling to refit.

If you’re looking to fit a bluetooth kit inside your XG200, there aren’t any speaker pockets in there so you’re going to struggle a bit. Having said that, we have heard of one owner who managed to fit his Sena kit inside so it sounds like it is possible.

Looks & Graphics

As you’d expect with a helmet like the XG200, most of the helmet graphics are classic and retro inspired.

Nexx-XG200-star-race-retro-helmet-concrete-rear-view — Rear view of the Star Race graphic XG200

You can get a plain gloss white, plain matt black (called Purist) or gloss carbon fibre versions if you prefer not to have graphics on your lid.

If you do like retro graphics, there’s 4 different designs, each with a choice of colours. That’s the Super Hunky design, Desert Race, Rok On and Star Race – and you should find examples of all up and down the page.

To get the latest prices and find any deals, please visit our recommended stores using the links below. Cheers.

Best places to buy a Nexx XG200 helmet?

Please click below to visit the Nexx XG200 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).

Nexx X.G200 Video

Here’s a short video by some guy who’s loving his XG200 for urban riding.

Other stuff – warranty

Nexx XG200’s come with a 2 year warranty extendable to 5 years if you register it (Europe only).

Good Alternatives to the Nexx X.G200?

Surprisingly, for what you’d expect to be a niche sort of helmet, there’s some great alternatives out there.

Shoei Ex-Zero motorcycle helmet Equation TC-2 front side view — Shoei Ex-Zero Equation

The obvious one is the funky Shoei Ex-Zero. It’s a fibreglass retro mx helmet too but also has an EQRS liner and comes with a drop down clear visor for some added practicality.

Bell-Moto3-classic-yellow-motorcycle-crash-helmet-front-view — Bell Moto 3

Or there’s the original retro – the Bell Moto 3 based on their original 70’s scrambler helmet. If having the real thing’s important to you, then this is the one to go for.

nexx-xg100-tokko-full-face-motorcycle-helmet — Tokko Nexx X.G100

Nexx do another super light weight retro helmet – the Nexx XG100 (no visor) or XG100R (visor) which you should take a look at too.

Otherwise, there’s a host of classy and retro goodness to be found on our retro helmets pages.

Also…

Want to check out the best looking helmets?

You'll find the coolest, meanest and most retro helmets available on our Coolest helmets pages.

Best places to buy a Nexx XG200?

Please click below to visit the Nexx XG200 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).

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How to buy the safest modular flip-up helmets on the European/UK market.

safest and best protecting modular motorbike helmets

The best protecting Modular Helmets in the UK/Europe uncovered.

If you’re looking to buy a modular helmet, the chances are you’re hoping it’ll provide all the safety of a full face along with the benefits of being able push up the chin bar from time to time.

It’s kind of liberating being able to occasionally pootle along in open-face heaven on warm summer days. But when you need to press on, you need to know that pushing down the chin bar is letting you ride knowing your face is protected should the worst happen.

The problem is, that’s not always the case. Not all modulars are created equal and some manufacturers are better at making great protecting flip-front helmets than others.

All flip-up and modular helmets on the UK and European market have to be ECE 22.05 certified. So they’ve been tested for safety with the chin bar down to a certain level (in what they call P or protective mode).

Some modulars are also tested to be effective with the chin bar raised or removed – and are given the Jet or J mark. These helmets are what are called dual homologated or P/J certified – and you can find all the ones we’ve looked at on our dual homologated helmets pages.

That’s fine. But SHARP in the UK pushes the testing that bit further – and rates the helmet shell for protection on a score of 1-5 stars, with 5 stars being the best. So theirs isn’t just a pass/fail score like ECE testing, and it lets us compare how well each helmet protects compared to each other.

SHARP also jots down if the chin bar locking mechanism unlocks during testing, which ECE doesn’t. I mean, if it’s going to protect, then it needs to stay locked and closed in the first place, right?

So it’s probably safe to assume a helmet whose chin bar stays locked 100% of the time is going to be safer than one where the chin bar became locked half the time.

OK, that’s enough of the babble. The bottom line is that all the helmets on this page scored 4 or 5 star SHARP ratings for overall protection along with a 95% or above for the chin bar lock staying locked and closed.

So if you buy one of these modulars, you should be getting some of the best protection that’s available.

Modular Helmets rated best for Safety/Protection

SHARP 4 Star, 100% Chin Bar

AGV has consistently been towards the top of our Top 10 Safest Helmet Brands list for years. And since its launch, the AGV Compact range of helmets has been shown to be one of the safest and most protective modulars on the market. The original AGV Compact scored 4 stars and 100% and the follow up Compact ST scored exactly the same. Meaning you can put your faith in the AGV compact giving you excellent protection. Read the Full AGV Compact ST review.

SHARP 4 Star, 100% Chin Bar

Like AGV, Shark’s Evo range of helmets that started with the Evoline way back, has always scored well overall in SHARP’s tests – though their chin bars haven’t always stood up quite so well to testing. The latest incarnation is the Shark Evo-One 2 which has scored a SHARP 4 star rating and its chin bar stayed locked and closed 100% of the time making it arguably their safest and most protective modular ever. Excellent job Shark. Read the Full Shark Evo-One 2 review.

SHARP 4 Star, 100% Chin Bar

Italian maker X-Lite’s X-1004 is another modular with a great safety rating. It’s also dual-homologated and comes in composite or carbon fibre variants. X-Lite is part of the Nolan Group who have a reputation of making some of the best protective flip-front helmets out there. Unfortunately, none of Nolan’s best protective modulars are widely available now so the X-1004 is the sole remaining Nolan modular that offers excellent protection. Read the full X-Lite X-1004 review.

SHARP 4 Star, 100% Chin Bar

Caberg too has been in our Safest Helmet Brands Top 10 list for many years and the Droid perfectly represents what Caberg is about – great value helmets that offer excellent protection. The Europe-only Droid achieved both a SHARP 4 star rating as well as the chin bar staying locked and closed throughout SHARP’s 32 tests – and it’s also great value too. Read the full Caberg Droid review.

SHARP 4 Star, 97% Chin Bar

AGV’s top flight modular for sportsbikes scored an excellent SHARP 4 star safety rating but dropped a few percentage points for becoming unlocked just once during testing. The shell’s made from carbon fibre and, notably, so too’s the chin guard. Notable because many helmet makers tend to stick cheaper chin bars on an otherwise fancy helmet shells. Read the full AGV Sport Modular helmet review.

SHARP 4 Star, 100% Chin Bar

Nolan are known for making some of the best protecting modulars out there, and their top of the range N100-5 helmet is no exception. Like every other modular Nolan helmet that’s been SHARP tested, it’s scored 4 stars for safety along with 100% for the chin bar (what a record!). It also comes with a Pinlock ready fitted, has a tall visor aperture and drop down sun visor – all great for safety and convenience. Read our Nolan N100-5 helmet review here.

SHARP 4 Star, 100% Chin Bar

The HJC IS Max II has been around for a long time now. But it represents such great value for money and offers such excellent protection that HJC keep on making it. Yes, it’s a polycarbonate helmet, but that just means it’s in the reach of more rider’s pockets meaning you can buy a really functional modular with great protection for not much money. Read our full HJC IS-Max II helmet review.

SHARP 4 Star, 97% Chin Bar

The Roof Desmo’s been around for quite a while now, pretty well unchanged since it was launched. It’s got those classic Roof looks but with the added practicality of a chin bar that rotates to the rear as well as a nice wide view port when the chin bar’s down. Read our Roof Desmo review.

So there you have it, our full list of modular helmets that are known to offer the best impact protection on the market. Which is not to say others won’t offer such great protection of course – it’s just that they’ve not been independently tested by SHARP so we don’t know.

Other ways to find the Best Modular Helmet

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

Review of Arai’s entry-level full face helmet: the Arai Debut.

Arai Debut: a great quality comfortable helmet at Arai’s entry-level price.

If you’re looking for the cheapest way into Arai helmet ownership, then the UK-exclusive Arai Debut is it.

It’s a fibreglass full face helmet that features loads of Arai’s trademark features along with its R75 rounder head shape, designed to promote ‘glancing off’ during an accident.

You can buy a top of the range Arai with prices getting on for a grand, so at a few hundred, the Arai Debut is (relatively!) a steal.

Which you’d think would mean the Arai Debut is probably going to be slightly compromised somewhere. Whether that’s build quality, materials used or some slightly compromised functionality, there’s probably going to be one or two corners cut to keep the price down, right?

So here’s the low down on the Arai Debut – what features it offers and what owners think of theirs…

Fibreglass full face helmet
UK exclusive helmet
Pinlock Max Vision insert included
Wide visor opening
Double-d ring fastener
Sizes XS-XXL
5 year warranty
Expect to pay £300-£380

Best places to buy an Arai Debut?

Please click below to visit the Arai Debut helmets page at our recommended store. 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).

Overall/Summary

If you’re after a helmet that’s got that unmistakable Arai look but which won’t max out your credit card, then the Arai Debut is worth checking out.

arai debut gunmetal motorbike helmet side view — Here’s the matt gunmetal Arai Debut

It’s got the same helmet shell shape as all the latest Arai range (called R75), and while the shell itself is Arai’s more basic construction, the EPS isn’t so all in all it should give decent protection (we reckon around 3-4 stars if/when SHARP test it).

For the price, you can expect a few corners to be cut, but then Arai helmets have never been known to throw lots of the latest features and bells and whistles at any of their helmet range – so you’ll not be missing too much in those terms.

It’s not got a fully removable lining, and the ventilation system is nothing to write home about. But it has got a Pinlock anti fog insert in the box and owners reckon it’s mega comfortable too.

But it’s the value for money – a beautifully built Arai with all the attention to detail and quality materials – that many owners particularly love.

So, if you’re after a way into Arai ownership but prefer most of your money folded up in your back pocket, then the Arai Debut is probably the helmet for you.

arai debut motorcycle helmet in diamond white side view — It might be an entry level Arai but it looks very similar to all the others

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

As expected, the Debut uses Arai’s most basic helmet shell construction. It’s still a full fibreglass shell – what Arai calls SFL or special fibre laminate.

It’s just that Arai constructs some of their higher end helmets out of all kinds of fancy complex laminates. But to keep costs down, they’ve made the Debut out of good old fibreglass (albeit with a sprinking of Arai’s home-grown composite-fibre wizardry thrown in).

A quality fibreglass shell will be pretty effective at absorbing impact – plus it’s backed by Arai’s triple density expanded polystyrene shock absorbing liner – the same one as used in many of their much more expensive helmets.

It’s all kept on your head using their usual double-d ring fastener and it’s ACU Gold stickered too meaning you can take it on the track and the marshalls will happily wave you out of the pit lane (not back into the pits).

The visor on the Debut uses Arai’s SAI Max Vision visor – so not only is it nice and wide for maximum peripheral vision, but it also comes with a Pinlock Max Vision insert in the box to keep your vision clear even during the most grotty winter mornings.

Finally, the overall helmet shell is designed – like the rest of the Arai range – to comply with its R75 principles.

That’s where Arai designs their helmets to maximise ‘glancing off’ if a rider has a spill. Which means it’s designed to be as smooth, round and with as few protrusions as possible to help a helmet bounce off a surface rather than gripping and spinning the head.

So all those external bits and pieces like wings and side pods are made to snap off if they hit anything with force rather than dig in.

All that’s fine and dandy. But does it work?

Well, in recent years, Arai’s SHARP test results have been stonking, with four and five star ratings for all their helmets.

arai debut flag UK motorbike helmet rear view — UK Flag version of the Arai Debut. Note: rear spoiler hiding exhaust vents

Which is good news because that’s a maximum or near maximum safety score.

The slightly less good news is that the ‘budget’ Arai Debut tends to use their more basic helmet tech.

But for comparison, there are a few other helmets that used SFL helmet construction – notably the Arai Rebel, the Arai Renegade V and and Chaser X – and they scored three, three and four stars for safety respectably.

So all in all, while the entry-level Arai Debut is a solid but basic helmet in terms of safety features, we’d expect it to score similarly for safety.

It doesn’t have the latest stuff like EQRS or slip-plane internals (like some Bell helmets or 6D helmets do), but Arais are solidly built and we’d expect the Debut to offer decent impact absorption.

As always, if you’d prefer a helmet that’s known to offer excellent impact protection, you can head over to our Safest Motorbike Helmets pages where you’ll find pretty well every current SHARP 4 & 5 star rated helmet reviewed.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

Overall, owners seem to rate their helmets slightly above average for noise suppression.

That plush liner combined with the Arai Debut’s reasonably slippery R75 shell shape seem to combine to keep wind rush levels fairly low – though it can get noisy at speed according to a couple of owners (though of course all helmets get noisier the faster you go).

To find other helmets that are recommended for being even quieter than the Arai Debut, visit our quietest helmets pages.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

The Arai Debut has a similar ventilation configuration to quite a few other Arai helmets.

That means a single ventilation panel in the chin bar to direct air towards the mouth and visor, plus there’s a single crown vent with a (slightly tricky to find) small opening slider behind it.

That top vent is supplemented by the two brow vents inset into the visor itself.

arai debut blast hi viz yellow crash helmet side view — After a hi-viz version? This one’s the Arai Debut Blast yellow

All these vents channel air through the helmet shell and through into internal channels to circulate air around the head – exiting out of the dual helmet exhausts to be found under the rear spoiler and the couple near the collar.

According to owners, it seems the ventilation’s about average.

You can feel some venting around the scalp though the chin vents send air more towards the face than the rear of the visor.

Thankfully, the visor’s supplemented by the included Pinlock anti-fog insert, so you should be good for all-weather riding without the visor getting fogged.

Visor

(more about visors)

The Arai Debut shares its visor tech with some of Arai’s most expensive race-ready helmets, such as the old RX-7 GP and Chaser V helmets. It’s what Arai calls their SAI max vision visor.

Having said that, they’re mostly obsolete models now so you’re getting slightly last-gen tech with the visor in the Arai Debut.

But it does mean the visor is pretty wide for improved peripheral vision, and it’s Pinlock ready allowing it to take the (supplied) Pinlock Max Vision anti-mist visor insert.

arai debut crash helmet in diamond black rear view — Ever popular Diamond gloss black Arai Debut

Like all Arai’s, there’s a visor lock on there too – so close the visor and it’ll auto lock – push up on the locking tab and it unlocks and opens the visor.

A few owners grumble about this mechanism as it can be fiddly to use – especially in thick winter gloves.

However it does also allow you to crack open the visor for a bit of extra ventilation. And quite a few owners rate the visor system for providing a ratchet-free operation that’ll still let you ride with the visor open at reasonable speeds without the visor slamming shut.

The only other grumble – but this is broadly an Arai wide issue, not just for the Debut – is that the visor can be tricky to swap out.

It’s a slower system than most other brands and requires those side pods pulling off. And a few owners reckon you feel like you’re about to break something when you try and refit it.

It’s OK once you’ve done it a few times, but more than a bit disconcerting when you haven’t!

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

Arai has cut costs a bit with the lining of the Debut.

While the cheek pads are removable from the helmet, the rest of the comfort liner is fixed in place. So, if you like to wash your lining regularly, you’re gonna struggle with the Debut.

The cheek pads are contoured (Arai’s FCS or Face Contour System) to improve comfort around the sides of your face, and it has a comfy brushed nylon inner.

But while Arai has cut costs on the Debut’s internals, Debut owners don’t seem to mind.

Everyone we came across rated the fit highly and said it’s a very comfortable helmet with a plush feeling lining.

So I guess while it might be a lower-end liner for Arai, that still means good quality and really comfortable.

Looks & Graphics

The Arai Debut was initially released with just a handful of plain colours – blacks, whites, gunmetal and whatnot. But you can now get it in a range of slightly funkier designs.

arai debut motorbike crash helmet flag italy rear view — Arai Debut in Italian Flag design

That includes some Flag colour schemes – UK, Union, Italian – as well as the Legend range that features a Soltire or St George flag. There’s also a couple of colour options in the Blast and Blaze graphics.

And if any more are released, you should be able to find them by clicking the links to our recommended retailers below where you’ll be taken straight to their Arai Helmets pages.

Best places to buy an Arai Debut?

Please click below to visit the Arai Debut helmets page at our recommended store. 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 Debut Video

Here’s a quick 1m30s look over a pair of plain Arai Debuts from J&S.

Other stuff – weight, audio, warranty

A medium sized Arai Debut weighs around 1.5Kg which is lighter than most helmets in Arai’s range and about average weight for a fibreglass helmet. So weight shouldn’t be a problem – and a couple of Debut owners even reckon it feels light weight when you’re wearing it.

There are speaker pockets inside the Debut and we found one owner who found fitting his Cardo Scala headset was really easy and the speaker pockets were deep enough so they couldn’t feel the speakers.

One of the most common comments we found is that, even through the Debut is Arai’s entry-level helmet, the build quality is still excellent. Materials used and the quality of the paint is consistently praised as being excellent and one of the main reasons people love their helmet.

And which is undoubtedly one of the reasons Arais come with a generous 5 year helmet warranty from date of purchase (or 7 years from date of manufacture).

Good Alternatives to the Arai Debut?

OK, here’s some great alternatives: full face helmets available for around the same money or less than the Debut but with proven performance and safety levels.

Shark Spartan Kraken motorcycle helmet side view — Shark Spartan Kraken

First up is the full carbon version of the cool Shark Spartan 2 – that’s a SHARP 4 star safety rated and light weight full face helmet with pinlock in the box as well as a drop down sun visor.

hjc-fg-st-motorcycle-crash-helmet-punisher-graphics-side-view-visor-up — HJC FG-ST

Or there’s the HJC FG-ST. This is a great all rounder helmet that’s been rated a maximum 5 stars for safety, comes with a Pinlock and sun visor and is a ton cheaper than the Arai.

shoei-rf-sr-or-ryd-matt-black-side-view — Matt black Shoe RYD

If you’re wanting a helmet with the same kudos as the Arai, then the Shoei Ryd is an excellent SHARP 5 star rated helmet that’s got EQRS and well liked by most owners. It’s got great build quality too and is available for around the same as the Debut.

LS2-FF323-Arrow-C-Solid-Carbon-Crash-Helmet — LS2 Arrow-C

If you’re after a helmet for a sportsbike, you might want to take a look at the LS2 Arrow (especially the lightweight carbon version). It’s SHARP 4 star rated, has a class A optically correct visor with Pinlock and really good all-round vision for your sportsbike.

Best places to buy an Arai Debut?

Please click below to visit the Arai Debut helmets page at our recommended store. 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).

Other full face helmets?

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