Review | Arai RX-7V Evo helmet

You may be wondering if a helmet really be worth £800 but it’s worth pointing out Arai is no run-of-the-mill brand. Having risen to prominence in the 1980s off the back of endorsement of GP stars like Freddie Spencer and Kevin Schwantz its road helmets quickly earned a strong following equalled only by its Japanese compatriots Shoei. Today, Arai sticks to its traditions with its range of conservatively styled road and race helmets, its elite status bolstered by its purist approach and refusal to offer things like flip-front helmets for its view they can never be as safe as conventional alternatives.
The range starts with the Debut at just over £300 and progresses through Chaser-X, Rapide, Profile-C and Quantic, the Tour-X4 meanwhile catering to the adventure crowd. In its various forms the RX-7V is its flagship product, going all the way up to the track ready FIM and full carbon RC, the latter costing an astonishing £2,800! The RX-7V Evo tested here is a slightly more reasonable £700 in plain finish, or £800 in a selection of racer inspired liveries. Standard sizes range from XS to XL, your tester’s large head requiring a special-order XXXL direct through the UK distributor.

RX7-V Evo tested

Brand loyalty plays a big part in helmet choice, your reviewer having worn Arai products for the last 30 years and appreciating the traditional, unfussy design. Each to theirs on that. This is clearly a premium product, something you get from the moment you open the box, the experience akin to unwrapping a high-end watch given how lovingly packaged it all is, the quality bag it comes in and the extensive package of spares including Pinlock, spare visor, stickers and even lubricant for the moving parts. Nothing plasticky or mass-produced here. The RX-7V Evo’s top billing in the Arai range means it gets the latest and best of the brand’s technologies and materials compared with others in the line-up, meaning a PB-SNC2 composite shell, Arai’s Variable Axis system visor, extensive ventilation channels and combination of pull-down chin spoiler and rear wing design. It’s just as fancy on the inside, with adjustable, washable padding, a strap cover and a neck roll. Fit is always a personal thing but we found the RX-7V Evo very comfortable, and even if it hadn’t been at the outset there’s sufficient customisation that any head shape should be compatible. It’s reassuringly snug yet plush while the 1,750g weight is on par with most rivals without remotely seeming flimsy. Strap fastening is by traditional, tried and tested ‘double D’ ring while the visor attachment and operation can be a tad awkward to open or close with a gloved hand but is something you get used to. If you like swapping visors around the Arai system has a nice, positive fitting system as well. The ventilation system is excellent, with the huge variety of brow, chin and top vents allowing you to adjust the airflow ‘just so’. While some sometimes criticise Arais for being noisy but if you ride with earplugs (as you should) it doesn’t seem an issue while the outer shell, liner and visor have all proven durable and relatively easy to clean, even when ridden through the winter grime.

‘Quality’ is the word we keep coming back to here and even without putting the RX-7V Evo to the ultimate test (we’re thorough, but not that thorough!) it’s the Arai’s key selling point. It may not have all the latest gimmicks like a flip front or pull-down sunvisor but it does the important stuff to the highest possible standard, and with the greatest level of reassurance in the business. Which more than justifies the price.