Showcase: Visordown's Top 19 helmets of 2009
New product showcase from Visordown
AGV Face
This wild-looking homage to the untouchable Valentino is limited to a run of only 2,500.
Superlight construction and a dynamic shell shape make it feel like you are hardly wearing a helmet.
The head aperture is tiny considering it’s a medium, though once on it feels great. The visor mechanism does feel a little flimsy but seals well when closed.
For Vale fans only.
Price: £499.99
AGV K4 Eco Spec
AGV K4 Eco Spec
This helmet is just gorgeous. I spent a good half hour just turning it round, undecided on my favourite aspect.
The pink doesn’t scream council estate bird, more feisty Japanese Manga chick.
The angular styling of the vents gives real attitude. The internal padding is okay but not overly deep so make sure you get the fitting just right.
The pads are removable and washable with a Dry-Lex hygienic treatment.
Topped off with a visor that is anti-scratch and anti-fog - you can see the gubbins on the visor mechanism giving a flush line. Seriously sexy.
Price: £159.99
Airoh Force Way
Airoh Force Way
Deep chin bar and small visor aperture won’t be to everyone’s liking, though the price will.
The graphics are fairly aggressive, as is the shell shape. The breath deflector is a little flimsy but works well.
All of the features and the general feel of this helmet sits well with the price tag, until you look at the RST which is £70 cheaper.
It has an integral sun visor, operated from the side of the helmet. A little clunky, but it performs well.
Price: £170
Arai RX7-GP
Arai RX7-GP
The RX-GP utilises the very best of everything, from an adjustable spoiler on the back to reduce drag to the peripherally belted SNC (Structural Net Composite) shell.
It has a wider visor aperture for better vision and pop-out cheek pads. The most expensive, but detailed and designed to such a high standard the rest simply cannot match.
Price: £589.99
Arai Tour X3
Arai Tour X3
Putting a proper visor on a MX style lid seems such a simple idea, but it works really well.
The peak will annoy you if you spend to long on the motorway, where it takes on the properties of a kite, but round town or behind the screen of an adventure bike this helmet rocks.
You get a great view of the road, unobtrusive movement and aggresive styling.
The padding in the forehead feels too thin and the fit is finnicky. Make sure you try before you buy.
Price: £354.99
Arai Viper
Arai Viper
If you’re looking for quality but don’t want your helmet to scream race rep this is the one for you.
For 2009 you get the new three vent rear duct, improved breath deflector and six different sizes of interior padding.
The vents are more fiddley than we would expect but overall the feeling is one of quality and style.
There are 25 colour variations to choose from, not cheap but a well-finished lid for the older rider.
Price: £429.99
Bell Daytona Carbon
Bell Daytona Carbon
Bell have more racing heritage than any other helmet manufacterer.
The 100% carbon-fibre shell has an intricate weave of high quality carbon and a fancy shape.
The vents in the chinbar are huge and are controlled from inside the chinbar, rather than outside.
A lot of thought has gone into the design and features on this but it’s hard to connect with.
It has all the features you would want and a healthy price tag, but just doesn’t feel as good as it should.
Price: £449.95
Bell M4R Mugello
Bell M4R Mugello
Looks good but as soon as you pick it up you will wonder why it costs what it does.
The opening for your head is much too big and once in, your head doesn’t feel cosetted by the lining like all the other helmets here.
You can change the size of the interior padding to suit your head, which we definitely recommend.
The styling is good: the visor is 3.2mm thick and has a UV filter with a great mechanism. It can also be prepared for tear-offs.
Price: £279.99
KBC Magnum Mugello
KBC Magnum Mugello
KBC keep up their tradition of whacky paint for 2009.
The Magnum feels bulky in your hands and on your head. The vents are capable but hard to use, even without a glove on.
The visor has a quick release system and does work well, can’t quite work out why the visor has dimples, but it does and they look cool.
It passes strict SNELL helmet tests and feels really robust.
If you like the thought of wearing a bottle of Sol beer on your noggin this could be your ideal helmet.
Price: £139.99
Lazer LZ6-M26 spec Che Guevara
Lazer LZ6-M26 spec Che Guevara
Part Two of the film is out soon so be up-to-the-minute in this revolutionary number.
The white is the colour that rocks, the design and pattern is lost on the black model.
This is a £70 helmet so the lining is suitably cheap, while the finish just feels flimsy – the side pods look as if they’re going to flip off from new and the buttons feel as if they might have a predilection for flight, in particular the front vent.
One for those who want the latest thing. At this price, you can afford to chop and change.
Price: £69.99
Nolan 602 Stoner
Nolan 602 Stoner
The carbon-kevlar composite shell makes this feel superlight, without feeling cheap.
Subtle paint doesn’t scream world champion and mirrors the tombstone-toothed Aussie to which it pays homage.
The features are well thought out and easy to use. Except for the visor. The opening tab is bang in the middle, so when you ride with it open your attention is drawn to something 5cm away from your face.
A comfortable place to put your head though. One of the few helmets that has a washing machine friendly interior - nice touch.
Price: £339.99
Nolan N62 Pulsar
Nolan N62 Pulsar
You might not like the paint job but the quality of finish on this helmet is superb.
The vents are easy to get at, the shell shape is great and the visor change easy enough for a one-armed monkey to handle (not tested).
The weather trim around the visor opening stops anything getting in, and the lining is removable and washable. Perfect.
Priced around the lower end of the Nolan range but retains the features and quality of the brand. Definitely worth a look, also available in blue.
Price: £154.99
NZI Spyder 3
NZI Spyder 3
This is a brilliant helmet for this price sector.
Built-in Bluetooth is a brilliant idea, as are the huge vents that you just have to click to open or close.
The shell looks huge from the outside but it’s easy to look over either shoulder with it on.
Tear-offs work with the visor, which comes treated against misting but still did.
The styling might not be to everyone’s liking but we loved it.
Price: £289.99
RST Fusion
RST Fusion
An amazing helmet for the money.
The shell shape is almost identical to the Shoei, and the paint quality belies the price.
The fit is comfortable but little details give away the cheapness: the seat-belt fastener and the flimsy visor mechanism are terrible.
But, it still has ACU Gold approval, fully removable lining and twin scoop vents that work, although they are hard to use.
In this price bracket nothing touches the Fusion for style, which if you’re a teenager or on a budget makes all the difference.
Price: £99.99
Shark RSF3 Colors
Shark RSF3 Colors
Wild design but it just works.
Those multi-coloured lollipop stripes really grow on you.
The vents look imposing but have small inlets with buttons that are fiddly even with my child like hands.
The padding is sumptuous, reaching to the corners of my mouth which improves high speed compression from the front chin bar. Washable removable padding, as you’d expect.
It’s a deeply satisfying shape and a black visor would top it off nicely.
Price: £199.99
Shark RSR Indy
Shark RSR Indy
The Shark Indy is brimming with features that more than justify the asking price.
The visor is 3mm thick, when it’s fully closed this helmet is incredibly quiet.
The visor mechanism is easy to use, as are the vents.
A carbon-aramid shell is availble in multi sizes, so is the internal padding. With a mirrored visor these helmets look awesome, although peripheral vision is limited.
Beware having a black visor on one of these at night - due to the thick visor you will be virtually blind.
Price: £349.99
Shoei Hornet Sonora
Shoei Hornet Sonora
Designed to cash in on the growing adventure market, the Hornet is perfect for those that want the motard look but aren’t the fit of an Arai.
The features are almost identical, though the visor works a little better on the Shoei. It fits really well and doesn’t obstruct you from looking over your shoulders.
The paint and finish is to a high standard while the lining is really comfy. The studs to attach tear-offs to the visor is a nice touch.
Price: £375.00
Shoei XR1000 Camino
Shoei XR1000 Camino
Stunning design from Shoei for 2009.
The fit on the XR1000 is perfect for those with a rounder skull. The vents are a little small but the action is smooth, and they are easy to operate when wearing gloves.
The visor opens high enough not to obscure your vision and shuts firmly enough to trap out wind blast. The shell shape on the XR1000 is beautiful.
While the X Spirit is the top of the line Shoei this model is worth a look.
Price: £380
Shoei XR1000 Camino
Shoei XR1000 Camino
Stunning design from Shoei for 2009.
The fit on the XR1000 is perfect for those with a rounder skull. The vents are a little small but the action is smooth, and they are easy to operate when wearing gloves.
The visor opens high enough not to obscure your vision and shuts firmly enough to trap out wind blast. The shell shape on the XR1000 is beautiful.
While the X Spirit is the top of the line Shoei this model is worth a look.
Price: £380
