P66
FEATURE
I
n 2001, then 500cc World
Champion Kenny Roberts
Jr. gave me my first new
Arai, an RX-7RR3. It was a
replica of the black and blue
eagle scheme he'd adopted in
1999 and, as a stupid 18-year-
old, I promptly used it to com-
plete my first racing highside a
few months later.
That lid copped a fair
hammering, taking the paint
mainly off the left side where
I slapped the tarmac. The
rear and also front suffered
some serious gravel rash as
I tumbled down the road, but
at the end of the accident the
only thing that was sore was
my bike and my wallet. It was
impressive to me, even then,
how good that helmet stood
up to the crash.
It stands testament to the
brand that by 2015 there has
ARAI CORSAIR-X
Arai's top-of-the-line helmet has just
been overhauled for the first time since
2008–this is the new Corsair-X
Quiet,
comfortable
and with that
classic Arai
style – the
Corsair-X is a
worthy addition
to the range.
only been one upgrade of that
RX-7RR3 helmet (the Corsair-
V, released in 2008). The new
Corsair-X is thus the latest re-
sult of an evolution that began
in 1977 with the original RX-7.
While many of the world's top
helmet manufacturers have
progressively altered the
shape of their lids, Arai has
Refining
The Art
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
