Having raced for many years (and crashed many times), I have worn a wide variety of full-face helmets. When I started racing, I would buy higher-end helmets, but after damaging several expensive helmets, the economics of buying less expensive helmets started to make sense to me.
The main difference I found between the high end helmets and the less expensive helmets is comfort. High-end helmets generally fit better, are easier to clean and maintain, and are also built with better materials.
The first time I put on the Arai Contour-X helmet, I knew it was a high-end helmet. It is light, fits my head well, the visor optics are great, and it has a new-helmet smell. Some new low-end helmets definite don’t have the new-helmet smell… The eye-port is wide enough that it doesn’t obstruct any of my peripheral vision, and when in a tuck position, the upper portion of the view port doesn’t obstruct my vision.
For hot day rides, the Contour-X has excellent ventilation; there are two easily-opened vents on top of the helmet, a chin vent, and another vent which is hidden behind the Arai sticker on the forehead area. All the vents are easy to open while riding with gloves on, with the exception of the forehead vent. That one is a little tricky to open with gloves, but it’s easy to close at all times.
The unfortunate effect of having great ventilation is the helmet suffers from a lot of wind noise. I typically wear ear plugs, so it wasn’t until I forgot to put them in that I noticed the amount of wind noise. Always wear your ear protection.
The Contour-X comes with a clear visor, but I bought a dark visor to use during daytime rides. Both the visors have excellent optics, and sealed well when closed, but I find opening the visor to be a little fiddly and often requires a couple tries. The visor detents are solid and allow me to ride with the visor cracked open without slamming shut in the wind.
The Contour-X has several other features that are useful – the ear pockets are large, so if your communication system uses helmet speakers, there is lots of room for them. It also has a well-designed neck roll, which you can use to hide helmet speaker wires.
The paint and finish is typical Arai, that is to say, flawless. My helmet is white, with enough metallic flake in the paint to make it attractive rather than plain. As with most Arai helmets, it has a 5 year warranty, and is DOT and Snell 2020 rated. The helmet also has an emergency release system which can prove very useful in preventing neck injuries if you happen to crash in a manner which requires your helmet to be removed.
The helmet liner is a complicated system, but it is removable and fully adjustable so you can keep it clean and smelling fresh when it starts to get a little funky.
With a starting MSRP of $1,169.99 the Contour-X is an expensive helmet, but the quality and fit make it well worth considering it you are looking for a daily use helmet.
Visit www.kimpex.ca for full details on the Arai Contour-X as well as the complete lineup Arai helmets.
Arai Contour-X Helmet
MSRP: starting at $1,169.99
Sizes: XS to 2XL
Available in several colourways
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