Arai Concept-X
The new Arai Concept-X Full-Face Helmet, like with the new Urban-V, Arai seems to be building up on it“s previous success with its more retro style helmets, like the Arai Defiant-X. However, just because the helmet looks a bit simpler and retro, doesn“t mean it doesn“t have a few interesting quality features. Not to mention the much more aggressive looking chin bar. With the Arai Concept X Helmet, you“re getting both retro and modern aspects which give this helmet the unique aspects of both, which make it, in a nice way, hard to date. Coming in at a recommended retail price of about 579 euros, or about 630 US dollars and will compete with the AGV X3000, Shoei Glamster, Bell Bullit Carbon, Bell Eliminator and the HJC V90
Shell
The shell of the Concept-X is made of AraiĀ“s Super Fiber Laminate construction, which is stronger than fiberglass, while still staying pretty light. To prove it, this helmetās got a E22-05 safety rating as well as Araiās in-house testing. Another interesting aspect is that Arai always tries to focus on safety. Their helmets are actually round and smooth to try and actually direct the impact away so that the helmet will glance off of any surface, rather than absorbing the impact. The shell is available in only 1 shell size and only supports two sizes, which is a disappointing result for such an expensive helmet from a big brand. Then again, these retro helmets do usually come with less frills, so thereās the tradeoff. Nonetheless, the helmet comes in weighing about 1506 grams in a size M.
Ventilation
For ventilation, this helmet may not look like much, but it actually has a fair amount of ventilation to offer. Weāve got two visor vents that you can flip up or down, which help preserve that round profile while giving you some air on the face and blowing air into the entire helmet. Thereāre 6 chin vents down that you can control with a switch on the inside. So in this case, Arai was really focusing on keeping that retro look by keeping the main shell as classic as possible.
Visor
If we take a look at the visor, then we do have some nice features. First, it doesnāt have a Pinlock lens in the box. This helmet has a VAS-V Visor system. The VAS stands for Variable Axis System, so as you open the visor, the pivot point also moves. This visor is also meant to improve safety by sitting tight against the shell, giving it that same round profile. It also has a nice locking system to make sure it stays shut when youāre riding. The visor should also give you a good field of view and is a bit more complicated than the RX7-V to remove. Itās held in place with plastic screws which means you need extra equipment to remove it. Also, with screws, thereās always the potential to lose them. It seems like this style with the screws may have been chosen for more aesthetic reasons as well as bringing the visor mechanism closer into the shell. With regard to user-friendliness of removing the visor, Araiās other helmets like the RX7-V are much simpler and need no tools.
Liner
This lining is removable and washable. Itās of Araiās high quality material with mesh around the interior. The lining is actually really soft, so it is comfortable to wear helmet. The lining can be removed. You canāt remove the cheek pads, only the inner liner. This also means you probably canāt have a communications device inside the helmet very easily either. This helmet doesnāt have EPS grooves, but it does have those hidden vents that move air around the helmet. The liner looks good, youāve got some mesh on it and space for air to move through.
General Features
A last few points. For noise isolation, this helmet works pretty well though those vents on the visor will probably affect it. To finish up with the Concept-X, this helmet comes with a double D-ring closing system. This helmet – like all Arai helmets – comes with a 5 year warranty, which goes to show Araiās confidence in the helmetās quality. As far as retro helmets go, the Arai Concept-X is a great retro helmet thatās bringing you a nice blend of modern and retro stylistic features as well as great protection. Weāve got Araiās round head shape without any bells and whistles to give you that classic look while on the bottom thereās the more modern aggressive chin bar. You could see the Concept-X as trying to go after the AGV X3000, while bringing more ventilation.
Summary Arai Concept-X
Helmet type: Full face helmet
Shell material: Fiberglass
Visor: no pinlock, VAS-V Visor
Weight: 1506 grams
Lining: The lining is removable, washable (the neck roll doesnāt come out)
Ventilation: 2 visor vents, 6 vents
Certification:Ā ECE-22.05Ā certified
Extra: Retro style helmet



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