Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1524889
P126 PRODUCT REVIEWI • OUTSTANDING COMFORT • OUTSTANDING FIELD-OF-VISION CLARITY • GREAT VENTILATION • QUIET AND STABLE IN THE WIND • VERSATILE ONE-HELMET SOLUTION FOR MANY BIKES • MIRROR AND TINTED SHIELDS – NICE! • OUTSTANDING COMFORT • NO PHOTOCHROMIC SHIELD OPTIONS • ARAI RECOMMENDS REMOVING THE SHIELD COMPLETELY FOR OFF-ROAD USE WITH GOGGLES. WE JUST FLIP IT UP AND RUN THE GOGGLES UNDER- NEATH THE SHIELD. WHEN WE DO THIS (AGAINST THEIR RECOMMENDATION), YOU CAN SEE THE SHIELD IN THE TOP OF YOUR GOGGLE VIEW. RIDER ANALYSIS The entire staff at Cycle News has been wearing this helmet and is now very familiar with it. We do a lot of ADV and standard-style bike tests and guess which helmet makes it easy to always have the right helmet on? This one. We even had a con- tributor ripping Indian cruisers in this thing. Despite being an easy choice, Arai has undoubtedly improved upon the very popular XD-4. Every small complaint we ever had about the XD-4 has been addressed with greatly im- proved comfort, ventilation and vision taking the best-of podium for the new XD-5. The now-roomier chin zone lets you literally breathe easier, and the welcomed airflow makes every ride more comfortable. Airflow on the top of your head is better now, too. Nothing beats the face shield clarity improvements, though. It is simply one of the best helmets for vision on the market with virtually no distortion or glare even with the Pinlock installed. Plus, Arai's option- al tinted and mirrored/tinted shields are top-notch and a welcome addi- tion to the lineup. Now, we just need an auto-tinting photochromic option. The fit is making fans across our staff, as well. I'm in between a medium and large for most on-road helmets and the medium Arai fits me like a custom unit after a few pad movements. With their micro- adjustable liner pads and vast array of cheek pad thicknesses. You can likely get an Arai to fit you well, too. When asked for complaints from our staff, I received none other than the shield blocks our goggle-wearing view off-road a bit when we simply flip the shield up. Arai suggests you take the shield off for goggles, which eliminates this issue. In our defense, riding with the shield flipped up is just how it's done in ADV land. Like lock- ing knees, daytime LEDs and drinking cappuccinos, having goggle straps stuffed under a flipped-up shield is ADV high-fashion and shows you're a serious off-road ADV guy/gal. As such, we will continue to do so. In Arai's defense, it's sort of silly to just have a dusty shield to deal with when you get back to the pavement and want to flip it down for some miles. And in our defense, again, where will we keep the shield if we take it off? As you can tell, I'm searching for something to complain about here. After some practice, I can now remove the visor and shield and put it all back together in less than a minute. Arai says, "If it's hard, you're doing it wrong." And they're right. It's fun to have a bullet helmet for street bikes, I guess. But the peak/ visor on this helmet flows air with so little restriction I just think I'll keep it on all the time regardless of the bike I'm riding. The Arai XD-5 is a fantastic new standard for ADV/multi-purpose helmets. Even though we were big fans of the XD-4, the XD-5 is even better. It's truly a great helmet from the most premium helmet brand. You will see me in it often. Jesse Ziegler LIST PRICE: Starting at $839.95 for solid black or white and up to $949.95 for graphics. WEBSITE: https://www.araiamericas.com/xd-5-variation The XD-5 is a little easier to get on and off than the previous XD-4.