Arai Helmets: Dual-sport Helmets

About Arai

Arai’s founder, Hirotake Arai, was originally a hat maker and a hard-core motorcycle enthusiast.

Back in the 1950s when Mr. Arai was a young man riding his motorcycle, there were no helmet manufacturers in Japan. And as Japan was a closed market, it was very difficult to obtain a proper helmet. Knowing the risks of riding motorcycles firsthand, Mr. Arai knew he wanted a good helmet for his own protection.

Arai is still a small, family-owned company driven by the same mission through three generations—three generations of riders. We at Arai are motorcycle enthusiasts. We ride. We build each Arai helmet as if we’re creating it for one of our own—a brother, a father, a husband, a mother, a sister.

R75 SHAPE

Each hand-built Arai helmet shell incorporates a continuous curve radius of at least 75mm, making our shells round, smooth and strong. There are no exaggerated protrusions or hard sharp angles in the shell. This aspect is a foundational basis for Arai shells, which we call R75. This R75 characteristic describes a shell shape that is rounder and smoother, which is better suited to deal with the unpredictable nature of impacts coming from any direction. It also mitigates rotational energy, which we call M.O.R.E. (Mitigation of Rotational Energy). By focusing on R75, Arai gives you M.O.R.E.!

The Snell Foundation helmet test standard has been highly respected in the industry for more than 60 years. The test, influenced by actual accident data, is performed above a specified test line. Note the similarity of Arai’s R75 “Round, Smooth, and Strong” engineering standards to the Snell requirements for a strong helmet shell. That is a baseline for us—the starting line if you will.

FUNDAMENTAL SHELL CONSTRUCTION

By sandwiching Arai’s specially developed AR Mat between two Super Fiber preformas, or birds’ nests, we can achieve greater strength with minimal material—similar to a honeycomb laminate material—which results in a weight reduction while significantly increasing strength.

ONE-PIECE MULTI-DENSITY EPS LINERS

Our one-piece multi-density expanded polystirene (EPS) liners are made by hand, not machines. We developed these complex liners so we can fine tune impact energy absorption in all areas of the helmet as needed, while keeping the size as compact as possible with uniform thickness. Depending upon the location of an impact, the area that absorbs the impact energy can be very small. For example, the top, sides and back are relatively large areas with ample surface area to disperse energy, whereas the forehead just above the eye port is quite narrow by comparison. That’s why our one-piece EPS liner integrates different densities according to the volume and position of each area of the helmet for maximum protection. This liner technology developed by Arai enables us to create a compact shell structure that’s both strong and light. There are 10 EPS densities to choose from, and depending on size there can be up to 4 densities in one shell. With up to 5 shells to cover all sizes of a model the possible combinations add complexity to our manufacturing process, but result in gains in protection.

RACERS PUT OUR HELMETS TO THE TEST

From MotoGP to Formula 1, Arai is chosen by many top riders and drivers, and this offers us a wealth of feedback at the highest levels of racing. Many F1 drivers and top-level motorcycle racers use standard Arai sizes. Just think of it, standard Arai sizes are good enough for world championship contenders to perform at their peak under the most extreme race conditions. These are exactly the same size helmets customers can buy at Arai dealers – with micro fitting options included in the helmet as well!