Grey_Matter
New member
In light of my most recent helmet purchase I thought I would take a few minutes to give you all my first impressions of my new Arai XD Helmet. For some back-ground on the why of my helmet purchase you can see the thread I started in the Clubhouse called ÔÇ£Do I need a New HelmetÔÇØ. http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4242
I have had the new Arai XD for a total of 4 days & have ridded with it a total of about 250 miles. So these are very much first impressions. The only other helmet I have owned has been an Arai Quantum so my thoughts are for the most part in contrast to the Quantum.
I also believe pretty strongly in Fog City face shield inserts. I used these in my Quantum & installed one in my XD. I have not had any problems with fogging on the inside of my face shield so this is a moot point.
Note: This picture does not show the slight fade to dark grey/black around the mouth vent & tip of the visor. In addition my helmet has an additional air vent on the top center. They may have changed the model & not updated the picture on the Arai web-site.
Pros:
ÔÇó Cool factor. This thing is a very good looking helmet. The silver to black fade paint is awesome.
ÔÇó Materials & finish are first rate.
ÔÇó The full helmet liner & cheek pads can be removed for washing.
ÔÇó More open feeling. This helmet makes me feel less claustrophobic.
ÔÇó Wider peripheral vision.
ÔÇó More air flow around face.
ÔÇó Better ventilation.
ÔÇó Visor is nice on dark mornings as the sun comes up.
ÔÇó Fit, the XD seems to fit my head a little better that the Quantum did. I have a XXL size melon & it has been hard finding helmets that fit me well.
ÔÇó The face shield & visor can be removed for either serious road use or dirt use with goggles.
ÔÇó Many face shields options are available. I ordered a dark smoke & a second clear.
Cons:
ÔÇó Price, it cost about $500.00. This is a BIG negative as far as I am concerned; the price will keep this great helmet off many heads.
ÔÇó More air flow around face. This morning it was very cold & foggy. If I would not have had my windproof face mask on it would have been very cold indeed.
ÔÇó A screw driver is needed to remove the face shield and/or visor. This is not too big of a deal but compared to removing the face shield on the quantum it takes more time & you do need a screw driver.
ÔÇó Removing & re-installing the cheek pads was a little harder than with the Quantum. Not sure why, both systems seem to be identical.
ÔÇó Face shields are not stocked in high quantities. Almost every MC shop has face shields in stock for the Quantum. I had to special order spare face shields.
ÔÇó Face shields are expensive at about $45.00.
That is just about it for now. If you are in the market for a duel sport helmet I can recommend it. I still think a ?¢ grand is a lot to spend on a helmet. But in the end I think my head is worth it.
I have had the new Arai XD for a total of 4 days & have ridded with it a total of about 250 miles. So these are very much first impressions. The only other helmet I have owned has been an Arai Quantum so my thoughts are for the most part in contrast to the Quantum.
I also believe pretty strongly in Fog City face shield inserts. I used these in my Quantum & installed one in my XD. I have not had any problems with fogging on the inside of my face shield so this is a moot point.
Note: This picture does not show the slight fade to dark grey/black around the mouth vent & tip of the visor. In addition my helmet has an additional air vent on the top center. They may have changed the model & not updated the picture on the Arai web-site.
Pros:
ÔÇó Cool factor. This thing is a very good looking helmet. The silver to black fade paint is awesome.
ÔÇó Materials & finish are first rate.
ÔÇó The full helmet liner & cheek pads can be removed for washing.
ÔÇó More open feeling. This helmet makes me feel less claustrophobic.
ÔÇó Wider peripheral vision.
ÔÇó More air flow around face.
ÔÇó Better ventilation.
ÔÇó Visor is nice on dark mornings as the sun comes up.
ÔÇó Fit, the XD seems to fit my head a little better that the Quantum did. I have a XXL size melon & it has been hard finding helmets that fit me well.
ÔÇó The face shield & visor can be removed for either serious road use or dirt use with goggles.
ÔÇó Many face shields options are available. I ordered a dark smoke & a second clear.
Cons:
ÔÇó Price, it cost about $500.00. This is a BIG negative as far as I am concerned; the price will keep this great helmet off many heads.
ÔÇó More air flow around face. This morning it was very cold & foggy. If I would not have had my windproof face mask on it would have been very cold indeed.
ÔÇó A screw driver is needed to remove the face shield and/or visor. This is not too big of a deal but compared to removing the face shield on the quantum it takes more time & you do need a screw driver.
ÔÇó Removing & re-installing the cheek pads was a little harder than with the Quantum. Not sure why, both systems seem to be identical.
ÔÇó Face shields are not stocked in high quantities. Almost every MC shop has face shields in stock for the Quantum. I had to special order spare face shields.
ÔÇó Face shields are expensive at about $45.00.
That is just about it for now. If you are in the market for a duel sport helmet I can recommend it. I still think a ?¢ grand is a lot to spend on a helmet. But in the end I think my head is worth it.