Jonathan Rea, a six-time Superbike World Champion from Northern Ireland, wears an Arai helmet during competition and this is the Arai Corsair-X Rea-5 full face developed for us. It is the inspiration for the helmet. In his career so far, Ray has some knowledge of the best gear for top level performance as he has 118 wins in his WSB.

Jonathan Rea’s headgear at the Superbike World Championships is the inspiration for Arai’s Corsair-X Rea-5 full-face helmet.I’m sure no one can mistake me for being one of the top pro racers in the world, but I like the idea of ​​wearing a head guard that offers the same protection as a helmet, no matter how great it looks from Rare. caliber rider. Additionally, the Arai Corsair-X Rea-5 is DOT FMVSS 218 and Snell Memorial Foundation Standard M2020D certified.

Visually, the Rea-5 theme is just one of his 20 graphic and color options for his Corsair-X. The Corsair-X has a medium oval fit inside and comes in sizes from his XS (53-54cm) to XXL (63-64cm).

The Arai Corsair-X features vibrant graphics inspired by racing. But this helmet has a lot of charm that is often overlooked.

My head circumference is 60cm according to the Arai size guide, so I chose the L size. They have proven to provide a great, comfortable fit, which is exactly what I like. Her size L in Corsair-X weighs him 3.52 pounds (1598 g) when measured directly on a digital scale with a standard clear face shield on. It’s not the lightest helmet on the market, but it’s middling among the many standard full-face helmets I’ve used. This weight is well within a comfortable range for all-day use.

The shell is what Arai calls his PB-SNC2 design and is made with a proprietary fiber and resin formulation. The company claims its “superfiber” has 30 percent higher tensile strength than conventional fiberglass. A layer of woven Zylon material supports the shell’s crown area, while a layer of lightweight non-woven AR mat sandwiched between layers of superfiber provides strength throughout the shell.

The rear view of the Corsair X shows a number of exhaust vents that help cool the inside of the helmet. This multi-layer construction, coupled with the R75 helmet shape (75mm radius) and impact-absorbing multi-density EPS (expanded polystyrene) liner, not only absorbs impact but also reduces rotational impact force with Arai’s ‘Shine’ design philosophy. The retention system is a traditional nylon chin strap with double D-ring buckles and snap buttons to prevent strap flapping.This nifty case could be a hotbox without proper ventilation. Luckily Arai has this covered with 3 lockable vents in the crown, 2 lockable vents in the front and 1 large vent in the chinbar. All vents have three positions. The shield can also be adjusted to a slightly open position for anti-fog.

Jonathan Ray.

The removable comfort liner has a removable chin curtain to minimize air intrusion into the face of the helmet, even with the vents closed and the shield locked. Moderate airflow is provided when the vent is locked in the half-open position, and substantial airflow is provided when the duct is fully open.

The ventilation flaps can be opened with gloves on, but the opening tabs can be a little difficult to find if you have thick riding gloves. The ventilation flaps do not rattle, hum or whistle in any position, and wind noise inside the case is minimized.

Most of the time I ride with the visor slightly open in the anti-fog position, which results in the visor vents being slightly misaligned with the air intake above the eye port. They are perfectly aligned when the shield is in the locked position. When locked, the shield fits tightly into the neoprene seal around the eye opening and is very secure.

The chin curtain is fitted with its own pivot bracket that can be lowered to act as an airflow spoiler, presumably to reduce drag at the helmet opening. Pulling down on the small bar at the back of the chin bar slides the chin curtain down about three-quarters of an inch from the unfolded position.

The chin curtain is removable and extendable as shown here.

There is one very important feature that is often overlooked. Those are the emergency pull tabs on each end of the chin curtain. Tabs allow the rescuer to quickly remove the cheek pads for easy helmet removal. This reduces the potential for complications from possible neck injuries. However, the pull-tab is small, cumbersome, and completely hidden by the comfort liner, so rescuers may not even be aware of its existence. Other manufacturers that offer this feature create tab loops that are easy to see and grab.

Another interesting feature is what Arai calls the “air wing” on the rear of the helmet, which sits between the vents in the crown. The air wing can be adjusted to 5 positions by pushing the wing forward, so it clicks from one detent to the next. The wings are designed to minimize impact and regulate airflow. However, at my speed on public roads, it doesn’t seem to have any noticeable effect. Perhaps it will be useful during circuit driving and race speed.

Between the rear vents are small air wings in 5 positions.

Shown here in fully deployed position. When I was driving an old Honda CB350F with no windshield or fairing, at interstate speeds, with the airwing and chin curtain fully extended and fully retracted, the top of the tank Whether I rode it upright or face down, the results were the same. The Corsair-X is quiet and I didn’t feel any vibrations.

The Corsair-X Rea 5 features the Arai Pro-Shade shield system that we reviewed in our Arai Signet-X helmet review. Pinlock lenses are also available. How to replace the face shield is described in detail in the instruction manual. No tools are required to complete the task, but the process is not intuitive.

Similar to the face shield on the Arai Signet-X helmet, the Corsair-X’s shield has very small lever tabs that are a bit difficult to open once locked. Signet-X’s experience makes it easier to operate the system on Corsair-X.

The Corsair X Rea 5 helmet comes complete with extensive manuals, special tools, ultralight tinted visor, Pinlock lens and Arai branded carrying case.

The lift tab sits next to the shield latch and has two settings for him, a latched position and a “dehumidify” position. To unlock the face shield and move it to the dehumidifying position at the same time, lift the locking lever once to move the shield up and off the locking pin. In the dehumidification position, the guard remains slightly open at the bottom, allowing air to flow into the eyehole. To open the shield, the shield must be pulled out slightly to reveal the dehumidification position post.

In addition to detailed instruction manuals, adjustable chin guard instruction manual, helmet general instruction manual, Air Wing instruction manual and how to use the included special multi-purpose tool, Pinlock lens user manual , Arai sticker sheet, warranty registration card, silicone lubricant for vents and eye port trim.

The Arai Corsair-X Rea-5 helmet has many features, from precision race-inspired graphics and multiple comfort and ventilation options, to a 5-year warranty and dual safety performance certifications. is provided. For $1,000, you should be getting a lot of features, and this helmet delivers.

Arai Corsair-X Fast Facts

Sizes: x-small to xx-large (53 to 66cm)

Weight: 3.52 pounds (Large shell)

Certifications: DOT FMVSS 218 and Snell Memorial Foundation M2020D

Shell: Multilayer fiberglass; Peripherally Belted – Super Complex Laminate Construction

Warranty: 5 years

Colors: Four solid; 16 graphics

Source: ultimatemotorcycling.com