Cycle News

Cycle News 2023 Issue 37 September 19

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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In the early 1950s, our founder had a passion for motorcycles and created a prototype helmet for his own personal protection. That modifi ed industrial helmet was the fi rst motorcycle helmet created in Japan. During those early days, there were no standards or any established procedures and practices for motor- cycle helmet design, particularly with respect to protective features. Such protective features, including absorp- tion materials, are necessary to soft- en the impact to the rider's brain from violent impacts with the ground or obstacles. The solution our founder developed was the EPS liner. Along with being lightweight, it remains e ective at impact absorption from the extreme temperatures of -20C to 50C— well outside the range of the normal human condition. In the late 1970s, Arai resolved to create a helmet with unrivaled head protection. What Arai developed was the industry renowned EPS liner. EPS liner technology that is for more than just absorption. The skill to create this liner is essential for achieving a more uniform thickness and the ideal egg-shaped form of an Arai helmet. Based on the data from countless drop tests, the zones of each di erent density have been carefully refi ned. This is done for each shell size within each helmet model. Where impacts must be dealt with in the narrow forehead area of the hel- met, the bottom portion of the EPS liner (left pho- to: blue portion of the lin- er) has a di erent density incorporated. This denser section helps prevent the liner from being too thick. The fi nely tuned balance of EPS densities in Arai liners is not something that can be seen once the helmet is assembled, but such a hidden attribute is among the many details that Arai consistently pursues for the improvement of impact performance. When taken out on the road or track, even a helmet as highly regarded as an Arai may be faced with situations where it can be overwhelmed. No helmet can protect against all possible impacts. Acknowledging this harsh reality is tough. But this reality motivates Arai to always pursue advancements, even if small, to improve rider protection. It is that constant pursuit of gains in protection that spurs us to make helmet the way we do. Arai itself is the accumulation of all things that may lead to strengthen- ing our helmets. S C A N T O S E E T H E VA L U E O F A R A I V I D E O S C A N F O R W E B S I T E

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