Arai helmet vrs Icon

[randy]

I have worn Arai helmets for about 20 years now. I currently have a profile model. I spent most of an hour with the Arai manufacturer rep at the Atlanta show. Tried on the signet Q and RX Q in various sizes.

 

A friend commented that he use to wear Arai but now has an Icon helmet and it comes in a long oval shape and fits him very well.

 

Are there other riders on the board that have worn an Arai and Icon helmet than can comment, thanks

[moshe_levy]

I borrowed an Icon once. I can't imagine comparing an Icon to an Arai in terms of comfort, frankly.

 

-MKL

[Sil]

I had an Arai and just got the Icon Airframe Carbon RR. I have worn it twice but will report on it when it is broken in. I am a long oval and can say it fits me well, but I am getting some hotspots, likely because the helmet is not broken in yet. I remember the Arai taking a while to break in as well. I can say this for it though, it is the lightest helmet I have ever owned and my neck thanks me for that.

[Guest Kakugo]

I have worn Arai helmets for about 20 years now. I currently have a profile model. I spent most of an hour with the Arai manufacturer rep at the Atlanta show. Tried on the signet Q and RX Q in various sizes.

 

A friend commented that he use to wear Arai but now has an Icon helmet and it comes in a long oval shape and fits him very well.

 

Are there other riders on the board that have worn an Arai and Icon helmet than can comment, thanks

 

Don't bother unless you are in the market for a cheaper helmet to use around town.

Icon is a "budget conscious" brand (which is different from "cheap"). And it suffers from the same issue as all other brands of that kind: wear it for more than half an hour and it's anything but comfortable. For me it's mostly a combination of two factors: lining material and ventilation. Neither is nowhere close to Arai.

The only two brands I can wear all day without issues are Arai and OGK Kabuto. If you are on the market for a (slightly) cheaper alternative to Arai I suggest you the later.

[OoPEZoO]

I wore a flat black Icon Domain for over 4 years and 80k+ miles. Most of that was commuting duty with multiple visor changes per day. I also wore it for many 8-16hr days on the road. I never had any comfort issues with it. If a helmet fits, it fits. If not, its going to be uncomfortable. It has nothing to do with the cost. I could never find an Arai to fit me comfortably. That includes a good hour I spent with an Arai rep at a local dealer trying to properly fit one. They just don't work for me.

 

By the time I was done with the Icon.......the shield mechanism was worn out, the gasket around the shield was torn and no longer sealed tight, some of the snaps that hold the padding in place would not hold, and it was generally just worn out. I thought about buying new pads, replacement shield mechanisms, and a new visor for it, but I couldn't get a Pinlock visor for it and decided to just retire it. I don't think it owed me anything. Overall, I was happy with the purchase.

 

This time around I went with a Shoei RF1100. Overall it is a MUCH better quality helmet compared to the Icon. Everything about it feels better from a construction point of view (I'm sure this is also true of the Arai). It's also much more quiet, but I'm sure all the vents and spoiler on the Icon didn't do it any favors. That being said, I don't think my Shoei is any more comfortable than my Icon was. Its just a better built helmet (at almost twice the cost).

 

I wouldn't rule out buying an Icon again if/when its time for me to buy another helmet. My only hangup about it is the Pinlock visor. I won't buy another helmet without one, and last I checked, they were not available for Icons. That might have changed as it has been a few years.

[RTinNC]

Just my $.02 but when it comes to helmets and most motorcycle gear COMFORT is one of the most important issues. IF the Arai works and it being a high end lid why mess with what is not broken. Stick with what works.

[Antimatter]

Just my $.02 but when it comes to helmets and most motorcycle gear COMFORT is one of the most important issues. IF the Arai works and it being a high end lid why mess with what is not broken. Stick with what works.

 

+1. I had an Arai Signet, which was a nice fit but not very durable. The plastic on the vents crushed easily, and the lining around the bottom of the helmet fell off when the glue failed. Arai was willing to fix the helmet, but that involved sending it back to them and going without for up to 6 weeks during the summer.

 

So I decided to find the best fitting helmet I could with a removable liner for the lowest price. It turned out the Scorpion EXO-400 fit my head just about perfectly, and could be found sale for under $120. As an added benefit, they also sell liner separately, so I own 3 helmets and 6 liner sets. I generally run a liner for a week, then replace it with a fresh one while the former gets washed and dried.

 

Higher end helmets don't have any better protection for your head, so you're paying for the better materials used in the liner and features. I can buy 3-4 Scorpions for the cost of one Arai, and that math works for me. It also means I won't have to have my riding season cut short if my one and only helmet gets damaged or fails.

 

My advice is get the best fitting helmet you can find for the lowest cost. Icon is generally known for more fancy graphics, but if one fits and it works for you, go with it.

[Marty Hill]

Higher end helmets don't offer better protection? Wow, where does this knowledge come from?

[lkraus]

Higher end helmets don't offer better protection? Wow, where does this knowledge come from?

 

"Higher end" depends on what characteristic you are comparing, comfort, fit, protection, noise, price, etc.

 

Results from this UK testing site show that a higher price does NOT indicate greater protection.

[Guest Kakugo]

Higher end helmets don't offer better protection? Wow, where does this knowledge come from?

 

"Higher end" depends on what characteristic you are comparing, comfort, fit, protection, noise, price, etc.

 

Results from this UK testing site show that a higher price does NOT indicate greater protection.

 

Take those test results with a (big) pinch of salt...

[Oldironken]

Just curious, is there some sort of bias i should be aware of with the Sharp web site? I refer to it as a source when considering helmets.

[Antimatter]

Higher end helmets don't offer better protection? Wow, where does this knowledge come from?

 

Back in 2006, Dexter Ford wrote and article for Motorcyclist Magazine called Blowing The Lid Off. In it, he showed that cheaper helmets were as good as, or in some cases, better at protecting the head from g-forces. It got Ford fired as a contributing editor because Arai and Shoei threatened to pull their advertising.

 

As far as I know, all DOT approved helmets use the same EPS liner (the part that absorbs the shock), and the only differences are in the shell (outer layer) and inner liner (comfort). What you pay for with a higher end helmet are better fit, better liner materials, and more do-dads like venting, spacing for intercoms, and integrated sun glasses.

 

To be clear, I'm not accusing anyone or baring my teeth, but does anyone have any evidence that a higher-end helmet DOES provide more protection? If that were the case, I would think it would be all over the internet, regardless of any legal issues it might cause.

[chrisolson]

Higher end helmets don't offer better protection? Wow, where does this knowledge come from?

...

As far as I know, all DOT approved helmets use the same EPS liner (the part that absorbs the shock), and the only differences are in the shell (outer layer) and inner liner (comfort). What you pay for with a higher end helmet are better fit, better liner materials, and more do-dads like venting, spacing for intercoms, and integrated sun glasses.

 

To be clear, I'm not accusing anyone or baring my teeth, but does anyone have any evidence that a higher-end helmet DOES provide more protection? If that were the case, I would think it would be all over the internet, regardless of any legal issues it might cause.

 

Yes, exactly. How can better protection be quantified when dealing with standards. A $150 Snell certified helmet passes the same test as the $600 Snell, yes ? I've not heard of a test that determines that the $600 helmet protects at a rate of 120% of Snell vs. the $150 that is only 100% Snell.