Arai Vector 2 review. For other motorcycle crash helmet reviews, visit our All Crash Helmet Reviews section or our Only SHARP 4 or 5 Star Helmet Reviews section.
Summary: A middle of the range (though still pretty expensive) Arai with a fiberglass shell, fully removable lining and wider than average shield aperture. A great all rounder that’s comfortable, has good ventilation and average noise suppression.
The Vector 2 is now discontinued, but the last time we checked there were deals to be found at Amazon. Please click below to visit their Arai Vector 2 helmets page – and as always if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
The Arai Vector 2 was launched as an updated replacement of the popular Vector helmet. It was designed to be an update on the previous version, making a few improvements in key areas based on user feedback.
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The Vector 2 is middle of the price range for an Arai. Like most Arais, the Vector 2 has a fiberglass shell and is DOT certified in the US and ECE 22.01 approved if you buy one in Europe.
And like most other Arai’s, it’s also been Snell certified which means it meets Snell’s rigorous safety standards so should perform well in an accident.
It’s worth noting that the rear spoiler on the Vector 2 is actually stuck to the outer shell so that in an accident, it’ll fall off so the integrity of the helmet shell should remain intact.
Arai developed the Vector 2 with a slightly wider shield aperture to improve peripheral vision. It also has a locking mechanism on the shield that allows you to either lock the shield firmly shut or keep it cracked open – and owners say it works well. The Arai shield-removal system is also very good. It has a lever at one side that releases the shield and it’s simple to slot a new shield back in – probably a 20-30 second job it total to replace the shield, once you’ve got the hang of it.
Helmet fitting is all important when buying a new helmet (see our crash helmet fitting guide) but since we’ve all got slightly different shaped heads, you can sometimes find pressure points when wearing a new helmet. To overcome this, Arai have been pretty clever. The interior of the Vector 2 is multi-density polystyrene (designed to protect the head against rapid deceleration in a crash as well as direct impacts that make it through the outer shell). However, they’ve also included a couple of 5mm strips in the polystyrene that can be ‘peeled off’. These correspond to the areas users have most problems with – i.e. the temples and cheeks. So if you buy a Vector 2 and find it’s a little tight there or doesn’t wear in as much as you expected, you can tear off these strips and that will give a bit more space. Folks report these are really useful and can result in a helmet that’s nigh-on a perfect fit.
The interior in general is pretty comfortable with people reporting you hardly notice you’ve got a helmet on. It’s the usual high-quality Arai brushed nylon affair and is fully removable and washable.
While it’s a great all-rounder generally, one area the Arai Vector 2 excels in is ventilation. Like most of the premium helmet makers, Arai understand that ventilation is key to making usable crash helmets – keeping the head cool in hot weather and the shield fog-free in cold & wet weather. The Vector 2 has the usual chin and forehead vents and both are fairly easy to use with gloves on. At the back of the helmet, there’s two small side vents which are always open, but there’s also a vent inside the spoiler on the top of the rear of the helmet. In this case, the spoiler is designed to create a vacuum in the vents which has the effect of creating a slight suck within the vents. This means if the front vents are open, then air is not only pushed through from the front, but pulled out of the rear. The overall effect is very good with riders who ride in hot areas saying they can ride all day in 90+ degree weather without any problems.
The Vector 2 is now discontinued, but the last time we checked there were deals to be found at Amazon. Please click below to visit their Arai Vector 2 helmets page. And if you buy from them, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Noise is reportedly about average. I think most riders tend to use ear plugs these days which means you’ll not really have a problem with the Vector 2 in practice. A couple of reviewers commented that they bought the Vector 2 because it was particularly easy to use with their glasses.
Overall, the Arai Vector 2 is a nice helmet with good features. Arai has a long established reputation for good build quality and has produced some of the best selling crash helmets over the years, culminating in a range of helmets that can generally be relied on to perform well. The Vector 2 is no exception – it’s well featured, available at a decent price point and has that all-important Snell safety certification. Well worth a look.
A review from the Helmet center including an on-bike review:
If you’ve found this Arai Vector 2 review helpful – or if you’ve owned an Arai Vector 2, we’d love to hear what you thought about it – please let us know in the Comments area below. For other motorcycle crash helmet reviews, including other Arai Helmets, visit our All Crash Helmet Reviews section or our Only SHARP 4 or 5 Star Helmet Reviews section.
The Vector 2 is now discontinued, but the last time we checked there were deals to be found at Amazon. Please click below to visit their Arai Vector 2 helmets page – and as always if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
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Summary. The Shoei Multitec is a well-built, easy to use and well thought out flip up helmet that’s only let down by its average SHARP safety rating and the fact that users think it’s noisy.
People like it because: typical great Shoei build quality, good ventilation, convenience of a flip up, simple controls, good for glasses-wearers.
People don’t like it because: it’s noisy, slightly heavier than full faced equivalent.
Flip up (or modular) helmets can be really convenient. It depends on what you need to do when your helmet’s on of course (I tend to just leap on the bike and head off) but some people have need to talk to people, kiss children, ask for directions, slot on glasses (without removing chunks of ear/hair) and so on. They like the freedom that flip up helmets offer. So, for them, Shoei designed the Multitec.
Shoei has built its reputation by producing solid, reliable helmets. They feel right, look right, make the right sounds when you open/close them or buckle them up. And the Multitec is no different – users love the build quality of the Multitec. The flip up front clicks satisfyingly when you lock the chin guard closed. The visor ratchet clunks satisfyingly and the shield stops just where you want it when you want it to. It does most of the things you want under your control, not controlled by the wind or position of your head, which is more than we can say for some helmets.
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However, that’s not all the story. The Multitec is DOT/ECE 22.01 approved of course but it only scored 3 stars in the SHARP motorcycle crash helmet safety test (not Snell tested). Which is about average. However when you’re paying decent money for a top brand, it’s a little disappointing – and more than disappointing when your helmet fails to protect your noggin when saying a close ‘hello’ to your local curbstone. Shoei proclaim that the helmet’s constructed with a multi-layered organic fiberglass and multi-density shock absorbant interior. Well maybe they ought to take a look at the way some of their competitors make their helmets, becasue both the Lazer Monaco and the Roof Boxer Classic score 4 out of 5 in the same test. Also, the chin guard popped open 17% of the time during the tests on the Multitec, which has got to be a bit of a worry!
But enough of this grumbling. You’ve decided you want a flip up helmet, you like Shoeis and you like the look of the Multitec. So what’s it like?
Well, provided you get the correct fitment, owners do like their Shoei Multitecs. The interior is comfortable, there’s some handy channels for the arms of glasses, and the cheek pads are removable with different sizes available should you need to customise the fit a little. There’s also a couple of spaces for speakers if you need to use an intercom. The ventilation is by chin and forehead vents and both seem simple to operate easily and are effective – with a single exhaust vent to the rear at the bottom of the helmet. They’re generally up to the job of cooling in the summer and demisting in the winter (mostly, though one or two people reckon they’re a bit feeble for this). Both controls can be easily operated with gloves on too (hurrah!). The Shoei comes with a Pinlock anti-fog insert so even if the vents turn out to be a bit too gentle, this keeps the shield mist-free (double hurrah!).
The flip up front is simple to operate too. A single BFO red button sits front and centre. Press it and the chin guard and shield swing up. Pull the guard down and it clicks home with a reassuring metal thunk. What else? Well, there’s a few other extras supplied – a whisper kit adds a skirt around the neck and chin should you want it – to reduce draft and noise (bless you!). Seems to work reasonably well. However, many owners do complain that, despite Shoei’s best efforts, the Multitec is a bit of a noisy beast. Now, I have to say that in my experience, the noise of a helmet is mostly judged by the helmets you’ve been using before. A person who’s been riding with a paper bag on his head will probably think a $10 helmet is the last word in safety and quietness. Having said that, there’s enough people moaning about them for us to be pretty certain they can be noisy. It probably also has something to do with the aerodynamics of the specific motorcycle as well as wind catching on the exterior shell – but it’s safe to say it is noisier than your average helmet.
The shield is typically good – like most Shoeis. Their shield mechanism means that it stays exactly where you put it. And should you want to replace the shield, it’s real easy. Shoei’s is one of the best shield fitment mechanisms. There’s also a little locking tab on the left hand side which will keep the shield locked shut if you want it to – or cracked open a little if you push it forward. Simple and effective.
Other Stuff. The Shoei Multitec has two helmet shell sizes and is available in XXS to XXL. It’s got a double D ring fastener, which are fine (though I personally prefer their seat belt style fasteners because I’m lazy) and it’s available in mostly plan colors (see the color schemes here on the Shoei Website)
Overall, the Multitec is a pretty decent performer, though nothing exceptional. It’s got intuitive and simple controls and has good build quality, although that doesn’t necessarily translate into a safe helmet, as shown by its average SHARP score. It has good ventilation, is comfortable and the flip up mechanism works well. If you want the functionality of a flip-up and can find one at our target price point (and are a bit hard of hearing so won’t notice the wind noise :-)) it’s probably worth a shot.
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If you own a Shoei Multitec or any other helmet, we’d love to hear what you think – please add your thoughts to the comments box below.
For other motorcycle crash helmet reviews, visit our All Crash Helmet Reviews section or our Only SHARP 4 or 5 Star Helmet Reviews section.
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Check out these marvellous fetes of engineering. They’re undoubtedly entirely bonkers and impractical, but once they were dreamt up, these blokes had the bottle, means and skills to make them happen. And more power to them and their kind is what I say. Not sure I’d want any of these but the world’s a more fun place because they exist. All hail the bonkers bike builders!
First off, some guy from the UK who took an 8 liter V10 engine from a Dodge Viper and built a bike around it. He’s since ridden around 4000 miles on it. Looks a bit of a handful through the bends but more than makes up for it with that glorious muscle car sound!
Next is an awesomely crazy 48 cylinder bike. Looks like they’re something like Kawasaki KH engines but I could be entirely wrong. Not sure I’d fancy riding that in anything less than an asbestos suit mind.
Now for another Viper engined bike – the Tomahawk. The RRP for this one is about $500,000 apparently. Quite a lot for a bike that doesn’t look like it actually goes round corners!
And finally, how about a motorbike that’s designed to crush cars? Now you’re talking…
If you’ve seen a video of a bike that’s even more amazing than these, please post a link below.
And don’t forget, if you’re after a new crash helmet soon, check out our crash helmet reviews.
Helmet Reviews: Suomy Vandal. For reviews of other motorbike helmets, see our All Helmet Reviews section or just SHARP 4 or 5 Star Helmet Reviews.
Summary: Suomy Vandals are medium priced, SHARP 5 star-rated motorbike helmets (that’s the top score), that are light weight and comfortable. They’re also noisy and their visor mechanism is a bit suspect. Very safe, well liked but flawed.
People Like it Because: they love the Suomy’s range of graphics, it’s surprisingly light weight, it’s comfortable and finished to a high standard.
People Don’t like it Because: it’s noisier than most helmets; fitting or changing the shield is incredibly fiddly.
Suomy helmets have always been pretty eye-catching. I guess it’s mainly because they’ve produced some bonkers and in-your-face graphics in the past. But this Suomy Vandal helmet is also getting noticed because people are saying it’s surprisingly light weight and well finished. So here’s all you need to know about the Suomy Vandal before you make your decision to buy one or move on – taken from reviews, forums and comments around the internet.
The Suomy Vandal is a full faced helmet from Italian manufacturer Suomy. They’ve got a reasonably high pedigree in that they’ve a deal with Ducati to provide their riders with helmets and they do provide helmets to some reasonably high profile riders – the most recent being Max Biaggi (and the slightly less recent being Troy Bayliss and James Toseland). I guess it gives you a modicum of comfort knowing some of these serious racers trust the brand to keep their head safe.
And if you’re interested in buying a safe helmet, we think the SHARP test gives a good (and easily comparable) idea if your helmet’s going to perform well in an accident, and the Vandal scores a maximum of 5 stars, which is very good going, meaning independent testing has found it to be right at the top of the pile.
Having said that, it’s constructed of polycarbonate which tends to have a shorter life span than other helmets made of materials like as carbon fiber or fiberglass. And though all helmets need to be treated carefully so as not to damage the integrity of the shell, polycarbonate shells are a little more prone to damage.
Though not as light weight as some of the more expensive helmets, polycarbonate helmets can feel light and many owners of the Suomy Vandal feel it’s incredibly light. In fact, it’s one of the main reasons riders tend to choose it over their other helmets.
The Vandal tends to fit people with rounder head shapes and the shell is manufactured in two sizes (which is pretty typical; only manufacturers like Arai or Shoei tend to produce more than 2 shell sizes) although despite this, it’s available in a wide range of sizes from 53-64 cms. There are also a couple of lining and cheek guard sizes available if you find it too tight or loose, so with a bit of fiddling, you should be able to get it to fit OK for most head shapes (but always make sure your helmet fits correctly).
Most riders reckon it’s a really comfortable helmet though. The only real downside when riding is that pretty well everyone reckons it’s noisy. It’s a subjective area with much depending on how quiet your previous helmet has been – but the fact that more or less everyone complained means you can be pretty sure it’s noisier than the one you’re binning off. Having said that, they also reckon that it’s not really a problem if you wear ear plugs.
The visor is the one area everyone moans about. The visor itself is OK. It’s scratch resistant (obviously) and coated with an anti-fog layer which some people reckon is pretty poor (there are reports of having to crack your visor all the way up to 70 MPH on cold or wet days to keep it clear) but most ‘standard’ visors with or without factory anti-fog coatings tend to suffer from this at least a little. A decent anti-fog insert or Pinlock will cure pretty well all these problems.
No, the main problem with the visor is that it’s a nightmare to fit or change. It’s got a twisting fastener which tends to either confuse the hell out of you or fall apart (or both). Like most helmet visor systems, they tend to be a bit confusing until you’ve got the hang of it, but the Suomy system is moaned about generally and has got to be one of the worst. If you do try one on or are considering buying a Vandal, it’s probably worth getting the shop to show you how to change it. That way you learn how to do it properly and if they damage it, they’re not breaking your helmet!
Here’s a hot girl talking about her Vandal. Note: all Suomy Vandal owners look like this 🙂
And if you’ve seen the video above, you’ll know another great feature of the Vandal is that you can squeeze your pink iPhone into the chin guard to record stuff while you’re riding! Sorry, what?!
Anyway, onto the vents. People reckon that the vents are a bit fiddly with gloves on but generally provide OK ventilation. The forehead twisty vents are particularly fiddly so tend to get set then left. There are some issues with it not providing enough ventilation onto the visor when riding on cold/damp days and there are also some problems reported, including by hot girl above, of the visor not ratcheting properly so it’s tricky to keep it cracked (which usually solves the misting problem on most helmets).
Other stuff: the Vandal has double-d ring fasteners (necessary if you want to take it on the track). It’s got fully removable pads and lining so you can wash them. The finishing is said to be good (same with pretty well all Suomy helmets) and folks like the range of colors and designs available.
Conclusion:
We’d rate the Suomy Vandal as average. If you’re after a mid-priced helmet that’s light, offers some of the best protection around and you like the designs, then go for it, it’s not a bad helmet and you’ll probably be happy together. However, if you’re after a really safe helmet helmet, check out our safest crash helmets section – or if you’re after something for the track, take a look at our reviewed sportsbike helmets.
For reviews of other crash helmets, see our All Helmet Reviews section – or click the brand name at the top of the page.
If you’ve used a Suomy Vandal, we’d love to hear what you think – please share your views using the comment box below. Thanks!
Summary: the original flip-up dual homologated bad ass Roof helmet. Comfy, quiet, quirky, 4 star SHARP tested, quiet(ish), mean-looking and surprisingly practical.
- SHARP 4 Star tested (out of 5)
- Fibreglass shell
- 1.68Kg
- Sizes XS to XL
- Target price $199 (depending on color)
I love Roof crash helmets. I especially love the original Boxer Classic. I love them for their uniqueness and that fact that Claude Morin was bold enough to design and produce such an avant guard helmet in the first place. And I love them because they just look so cool. I might not own one (I do own a Desmo tho!) but I reckon they really are fantastic looking things.
The Roof Boxer Classic (or just Boxer when launched in 1995) is a fiberglass dual-homologated jet-style crash helmet. At least, the shell of the helmet is fiberglass while the chin guard is epoxy. The dual-homologation label means that it’s approved to be sold as both an open face and a full faced helmet and the SHARP testing tested it in both settings to give it its 4 star rating (out of 5).
Apart from looking good, the Boxer works pretty well too. It’s generally regarded as both a good performer with the chin guard up or down. The chin guard secures to the helmet using distinctly low-tech press-studs but users reckon they work pretty well, once you get used to them. For those of you who haven’t seen a Roof Boxer in action, the chin guard and visor are separate, meaning you can unpop the studs and rotate the guard all the way to the back of the helmet and still keep the visor in place to shield your eyes. It’s very unique, very cool and works well.
There you go – here’s a picture of the Roof open.
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Ventilation shouldn’t be a problem on a jet-style helmet, but the chin piece doesn’t have any vent holes in it so many users keep the chin bar cracked to allow air in when using it with the chin guard down. It’s a wee bit noisier than your average full faced helmet but the Boxer Classic is similar to many other flip up helmets in terms of wind noise (i.e. generally worse than full faced lids but acceptable).
Users also reckon that the visor (anti scratch and anti fog) gives a deceptively good field of vision. They also like the general level of finish and comfort of the helmet. The lining and cheek guards are removable and washable too.
Some users who have come to flip-up Roof crash helmets from full faced helmets reckon that once you try them, you’ll never want to go back. I reckon it’s very much dependent on where you ride (winter in the UK anyone?) but there’s a lot to be said for the enjoyment of being freed from that chin guard on the occasional steady summer jaunts, though like anything in biking, dropping your guard like that (no pun intended) leaves you more vulnerable.
Most buyers seem to be sold on the look of the helmet. If you want the best performing helmet in terms of safety, comfort, ventilation etc. etc. you’ll probably opt for one of our five star full face helmets. However, if you’re after something different at a good price point and with a good level of safety, we’d heartily recommend giving the Roof Boxer Classic helmet a go.
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Here’s a genuinely amazing helmet that’s come from those (not so) crazy Swedes. In response to a new law making it mandatory for cyclists to wear crash helmets in Sweden, a couple of designers training at Lund University decided they needed to make something a bit more user-friendly. So they decided to try and make them invisible! They studied air bag production and triggering mechanisms and created this fantastic inflatable crash helmet that hides in a fashionable (so they say!) collar/snood/scarf affair, only to inflate in 0.1 seconds to protect the head during an accident.
The airbag has a small black box that contains accelerometers and gyros which detects the types of motions that precede a range of accidents and triggers the inflation of the helmet. The crash helmet itself is made from an abrasion-resistant nylon which the makers say is good to protect against a number of impacts within the same accident. Check out them testing the helmets in their testing facility in the video below.
If you’re interested in buying one of these helmets, visit http://www.hovding.com/
For other interesting videos, check out our Fun Stuff section.
