Arai XD 4 Helmet Review

[AndrewMember]

Well i finally picked up my new helmet today after months of scrimping and saving and ultimately trying to hide the expense from my usually supportive wife. 😆

My current(last) helmet was a Suomy i purchased back in 2002 and it was getting a bit thin in the cheek pad department as well as copping a few bashes over the last decade. Top helmet though and would definately consider buying one again as an enduro helmet. Back in the day, i think it was around $450 or so?

I could read from the Arai brochure but the main reasons i went for the Arai XD4 were:

Reputable and proven design
Lightweight compared to some of the competition
Emergency tab system to remove cheekpads in case of accident
Number of air vents = 7
Comfort

It also has a gimmicky ‘airflow spoiler’ that pulls down and retracts at the front for colder weather. We’ll see how that works as time goes on. :blink:

I tried a few other adventure style brands including the AGV which i didn’t know existed until the other day. Each of them had their pros and cons but ultimately i chose the Arai.

I’ll post up how it performs over the coming months and am looking forward to taking it out on its maiden trip to ‘Cameron Corner’

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[Dwayne OMember]

very trick mate

Looks a tad Stormtrooperish even :laugh:
Should last you a good while that quality product

[simon burkeMember]

Nice one Ace :cheer:
can’t beat an Arai
Bol :woohoo:

[peteMember]

Nice one Ace, looks sweet mate.
Are you wearing goggles on the Camerons ride ?

The new helmet is just needs a TK sticker on it :dry:

PTW

[Nick JacksonMember]

I’ve always been an Arai fan Ace ( road and Adv ) and never been disappointed , I think you’ll love it

Nick

[AndrewMember]

EAGLE`02 wrote:

very trick mate

Looks a tad Stormtrooperish even :laugh:
Should last you a good while that quality product

Hmmm…my wife mentioned the stormtrooper thing too :laugh: :laugh:

I am starting to wonder…BMW…stormtrooper(Starwars)…maybe i have a subconcious Ewen McGregor want-a-be thing happening here??? :S :S :whistle:

Anyone in for a ride to Mongolia???

:laugh: :laugh:

[AndrewMember]

pete the wulf wrote:

Nice one Ace, looks sweet mate.
Are you wearing goggles on the Camerons ride ?

The new helmet is just needs a TK sticker on it :dry:

PTW

Cheers mate…yeah will be taking the goggles. Apparently they fit well with the visor?? Suppose i’ll find out.

Might leave the sticker off this one(for now) please :S :S

[peteMember]

Ace wrote:

EAGLE`02 wrote:

very trick mate

Looks a tad Stormtrooperish even :laugh:
Should last you a good while that quality product

Hmmm…my wife mentioned the stormtrooper thing too :laugh: :laugh:

I am starting to wonder…BMW…stormtrooper(Starwars)…maybe i have a subconcious Ewen McGregor want-a-be thing happening here??? :S :S :whistle:

Anyone in for a ride to Mongolia???

:laugh: :laugh:

Yep, you have definitely turned to the dark side :ohmy:

PTW

[GregMember]

Looks good Ace, it seems a new model is it? As for the Ewen McGregor want-a-be thing :sick:

TB

[AndrewMember]

Yeah, a couple of small changes but basically the same.

I’ll take it for a run on the weekend and get it to mould to my bulbous head. :laugh:

[AndrewMember]

After riding over 5000klm in 10 days on the Tri state tour with a couple of the Bulls, i thought i was qualified enough to give my opinion on the new Arai XD4 Explore helmet i just purchased, so here it is:

I have to say that i was initially disappointed with the helmet as i rode from the Cental Coast to Gloucester. To me it seemed heavy and by the time i reached Maitland, my neck was actually sore. :angry:

I put this down to wearing my motocross helmet for years and the added weight of all the adventure comforts were definately noticable. By the end of day 2, i was well and truly used to it and didn’t give it any more thought.

Another disappointing thing was the supposed non-distorting visor…NOT. This is something that i didn’t get used to and found it to be a pain in the ass for the whole trip.This is a big negative and something Arai need to address.

I would be interested to hear if any other XD4 owners have had the same issue?

Well thats all the negatives…on a more positive note:

* Safety features – While i didn’t need them, it was comforting to know that the helmet was of high quality, conforming to the most stringent of standards and having additional features such as the removable cheek pads(for medical assistance etc).
* Cheek pad and head adjustment – The Arai comes with a removable layer of 5mm foam on the cheek pads and top of the skull for micro adjustments. I found i had to remove the cheek foam for the best fit.
*Vents, Vents, Vents – There are air vents everywhere on the Arai. While the temperature wasn’t extreme on the ride, i could notice the small adjustments so i can only imagine how effective they are in extreme heat and cold.
*Visor – The peak on the Arai is relatively long compared to some of the other brands. This was never an issue when riding at speed and found it very effective when travelling into the sun in the morning and evenings.
*Removable liners and vents – Like most helmets, the XD4 has removable liners for cleaning. In addition though, you can remove the entire cheek pads and top vents for cleaning and maintenance.
* Appearance – I reckon most helmets these days look pretty good, especially some of the graphic designs on the MX style helmets. For an adventure helmet, i think the Arai has the goods. Personal opinion only. Looks become very important when your riding sucks like mine does.
* Comfort – While i said it took 2 days to get used to the weight of the new helmet, the actual comfort was excellent from the time i put it on, and it only got better once it bedded into the shape of my noggan. This is by far the most comfortable helmet i have ever worn.
*Noise – Hmmm, the jury is still out on this one. The helmet is dead silent if you stand up over the bike screen, but there is some noise when you cop the buffeting effect of the wind. I used earplugs from Trangie to home and i think that will be my tactic now regardless.

So to summarise:

I hesitated spending the $800 on the helmet but did it anyway thinking that it was at good 5-8 year investment. I read all the reviews and did the comparisons and my conclusion was that the Arai was best for me. I also tried on a few other brands but the Arai just felt more comfortable to me.

The visor is only one issue i have with the helmet, but it is a major issue and something Arai need to address.

Am i happy with my Arai…you bet….Would i buy another one…definately…

[Jeffrey SmithMember]

I should pay someone to go to bike shops for me, I am sure it would be cheaper then going myself. :blush:

I went down to get some tyres for the Tenere and ended up buying the$800 Arai XD4 while I was there, exactly the same as yours too Ace

[Jeffrey SmithMember]

Used my new XD4 helmet todaay for the first time and I must say I am happy with it. Much quieter than my other ones and comfortable too.

No sign of the distortion through the visor you mentioned either Ace, maybe you should look at getting yours replaced.

[AndrewMember]

Good stuff mate. Yeah I have to say I like my helmet more and more every time I ride. Mind you, I still have distortion in the lense. You might be right, I might need to replace it but I am getting use to it.

Apart from that, it’s faultless.

Enjoy mate. I look forward to hitting the trails with you upon your return.

[WayneMember]

ACE, I’ve noticed some distortion in my visor as well but can’t pin it down

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