P R O D U C T R E V I E W
P106
Arai's created a new VAS-Z System,
which does away with the two screws
and plates that were affixed to both
the CT-Z's visor and peak, and allows
the pivot point to be lower and the
shell to be smoother. A smoother
shell means less chance of it catch-
ing on something if you crash, some-
thing Arai has been championing for
years given the shape of their helmets
have hardly changed in half a century.
The Ram-X uses Arai's Pro Shade
twin-lens system so that you can have
both a dark and clear lens. Arai refuses
to construct a helmet with an internal
drop down dark visor as they believe
it affects the integrity of the helmet, so
this is a system you're stuck with if you
want the best of both worlds.
In riding, the Ram-X feels exactly
like the Corsair-X, just with half of it
missing. I'm not an enormous fan of
any open face helmets, as even the
(Left) The new
shield system
has a lower pivot
point than on
something like the
CT-Z, which allows
for a smoother
shell around the
temple area.
ARAI RAM-X HELMET
The inside is
basically a straight
take from the
Corsair-X.
best of them don't offer the kind of pro-
tection a full face will give, but the Ram-X
strikes a balance of comfort, looks, and
protection well.
At speed, the Ram-X doesn't buffet or
move around, and as the insides are mod-
eled on the Corsair-X, there's a large free
area around your ears. No part of the helmet
is squashed against your ears, which makes
long-distance comfort much better than
many other open-face lids I've tried.
I'm not a big fan of the Pro Shade twin-
lens system, as it looks a little naff and I'd
rather have a single color lens, but the
system works well for what it is. Eventually,
this system will go away as everyone will
run auto-tint lenses like on the Bell Helmet
range, but that's still a way off for Arai.
This is for sure a premium product at
$679.95, but as mentioned, you're getting
one half of Arai's best racing helmet for
your money. CN
