Desperately need to buy a new lid as my ancient Arai is in urgent need of replacement....but as usual finances limit my options!

I've been looking at AGV S-4's (£130) & Stealths (£160).

Just wondered if anyone has one or has worn an AGV before?

Or is it worth stretching to £200 for the budget Arai Condors/Shoei Raid II's?

Cheers.
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88 NSR250 R2J (work in progress!) & 05 Aprilia SL1000 Falco

I have an AGV it fits a lot like an Arai. The wife wears it now and I bought another Arai. I think there is no substitute for and Arai. if it were me I'd save for the Arai. You will be happier in the long run.
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i agree, stick with arai, well worth the extra. last years as well.

richie

Arai every time. Nothing I've worn before or since comes close for quality and comfort and crashing !!!
What sums them up for me is that I can wear it alllllll day, take it off on the drive when i get home and it feels like I never had it on...does that make sense !?!?!

Dave.

I've bought AGV's for the last 10 years (3 lids) and love em. They just fit me better than an Arai. I really wanted an Arai RX7 when I was a yoof. After 4 months of courier work I though I deserved one, so headed of to the Ally Pally show with a wad of cash. Having tried it on, it just didn't feel right. I tried an AGV and never looked back.

Arai are probobly the best in the world, but if they don't fit.....they don't fit.

True racer38 ! I've heard people say you're either an Arai or a Shoei head. Try before you buy and if there's any pressure at all anywhere on your head then leave it well alone. If you can feel it after a few seconds then after a few hours you'll be in agony !

dave.

i use kbc helmets out of all the crash helmets ive had and there have been a good few none have lasted as well as any of the kbc helmets ive had and for the money as well the new vr2 is about £140 with removable liners ect ect

I`ve had Arai, Shoei & AGV lids. All good.
I like the AGV helmets. I`ve still got the (numbered) limited edition Max Biaggi replica a sponser gave me years ago. He said, "no one else will have one of these". At the next meeting, loads of racers had them!
I had an X-vent later, which I destroyed at Brands last year!
I tried on a few of the cheaper lids before Christmas & was disappointed really. They all felt like crappy buckets compared to the better quality more expensive stuff.
I decided on a couple of plain silver Arai Condors in the end. You can really notice the difference. It`s good to get back to Arai quality again.

I have an Arai Quantum, I recall being told the RX7 was a different shape to the Quantum (for the European market models, incidentally Arai tells us the shapes can vary across different geographical markets, for the same helmet model!!??). The info was the RX7 was more straight & narrow, and the quantum more rounded, if you catch my drift.

I'm not sure what the latest Arai model is just below the RX7, but this could be again a slightly different shape, could be worth checking for someone with a non-RX7 shaped head.

My Quantum is a Cadalora Rep, so many years old now. The Arai marketing spiel says you should replace a helmet every 4 to 5 years.

Has anyone ever found their top quality Arai to suddenly reach its sell-by date, and break in half in the event of an impact????

It looks like AGV are producing some high quality lids now, I never considered Shoei because of that seat-belt type chin strap, have they gone to a Double D ring yet??
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Rich
MC21 Track Bike / RS250 NF5 'Spencer', NX5 'Cadalora' & NXA 'Aoyama' / RS500 / Two Brothers Racing RC30

You can find Shoei XR1000's (that's a £350 lid) on ebay for under £200.
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Please do not PM me technical questions, if you can't find it on the Forum start a thread

I find ARAI and AGV to fit very simular. My brother runs an ARAI and i run a AGV. Mine is a X-vent Rossi replica.
The AGV is nosier than the ARAI. Id pick the ARAI over the AGV, except i love rossi lids and they are AGV

Also the AGV visors are probably the easiest to change in my opinion.

And yes, you are either a shoei of a arai head. I agree on that 100 percent !!!!!
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Winning isn't everything, but loosing isn't anything

My Shoei X11 took a good hit to the face shield from my front tire (as I came over the top of the bike), plus took a goot hit to the tarmac a couple times at about 100 mph. Remember the entire crash, plus the rolling, getting up, checking myself out, and jogging to get out of the impact zone.

Suckes I destroyed a Kato memorial helmet, but it did it's job. Bought another X11 to replace it.

The best helmet to buy is the one that fits you the best, and is the best overall helmet you can afford. Buying a helmet just cause it's an Arai doesn't do you much good if it doesn't fit right. If you get the better Arai, Shoei, Suomy, KBC, AGV, etc. helmets your getting an excellent helmet. Buy the best you can afford and fits your head the best and you should be okay.

As a side note, my Kato helmet was nearly $700.00, I got a Bostrom X11 brand new for $300.00. Same helmet, different graphics. I like close out deals
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Charles Gallant

My two pence worth

In this day and age its hard to buy a realy bad lid, its all down to the conifidence level you have in a brand.

I have had the pleasure of once or twice licking the asphalt face down and have never had any brand last better than the other cause once you crash its bin time anyhow for the lid. Honest no filler here.

I have tried many brands was once lucky enough to get Shoei brand for free but the only one I spent my own cash on was Simpson for the runs down to the chip to lok double hard, but the only brand i paid real money for was Suomy. Very light better fit and wind noise than arai and shoei and crashed very well. Everybody I know that had Arais allways had problems with trim falling off.

Buy the one you like the look of and if it costs 200 stretch to 300 cause its your head in there. Brain injurys dont go away.
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Farting is funny

you definately need to get to a show - or a gew shops and just try them on... price certainly isn't necessarily directly connected to quality..

i have crashed in agv, arai, kbc & nitro.. the only difference i found was the replacement cost between them to be honest - and obviously the latter two were cheaper... i was amazed at the comfort and quality of the nitro lids..

i've been kncked out twice - once with an arai and once with a KBC in very similar incidents - i genuinely don't think there is a BAD lid out there now - obviously except the 30 quid plastic scooter helmets..

get one that fits perfect, looks how you want it - and fits your budget - better to buy one you can afford to replace than save up for teh arai and be forced to stick with it - even after a minor spill

Cheers for the comments guys.

The AGV I tried at the NEC last year, but it was such a quick try I can't even remember what I thought of it.

I'll pop over to Fowlers & Hein Gericke in Bristol to try a few on. HG have AGV Ti-Tech's for £199.99 which sounds cheap?

Would never have even condsidered Nitro, KBC etc....maybe worth a look?
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88 NSR250 R2J (work in progress!) & 05 Aprilia SL1000 Falco