Arai Vector 2 helmet

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Smaug
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Year: 2013 PCX150
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Arai Vector 2 helmet

Post by Smaug »

I just got this yesterday. (https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/ara ... eon-helmet) This will be an ongoing review thread. For now, it's just first impressions; I haven't even ridden in it yet.

I'm in an HJC CL-15 now, size L. Shoei Large fits me too. (I had an RF-800, 10 years ago)

Pulling it on is pretty hard. It wants to pull my ears off. Once on though, it is just snug. I'll see how it goes. One of the selling points to me is that it is shaped for an intermediate oval head, but the pads can be opened up and there are pre-segmented part of the foam that can be pulled off to fit a round oval head. (which I think I may be) Hopefully, that will help it seal out the wind around the sides better than the HJC does.

Venting seems a lot more .... engineered.

The shield is an order of magnitude better engineered. It seals tightly and it has brow vents, which I think will keep me cooler. Its tab at the lower left has two purposes:

1) Pull it outward/forward to unlatch the seal and flip it up, or
2) Slide it to the right to engage the "de-mist" option. It cracks it just a bit and holds it there.

Compared to the Shoei shield design, it is much more complex and harder to change shields. I'm not sure this makes it better. I don't wear glasses, and I usually keep the dark smoke shield on my HJC, but it is easy enough to swap out that I would put the clear one on for nighttime riding. I may just use sunglasses with the Arai.

I also have an LS2 helmet, and the quality is horrible, compared to HJC, Shoei and Arai. I didn't want to take a risk with Shark, Icon, etc.

I considered a Nolan modular, but they are in the same price as Arai, but with complaints of mechanical problems and the drop-down sun shade being optically incorrect.
-Jeremy