VOL. 52 ISSUE 31 AUGUST 4, 2015 P71
WHAT'S IT LIKE?
The launch of the new Arai Corsair-X
was clearly a big deal. The U.S. launch
saw familiar faces like Nicky Hayden,
Randy Mamola and Josh Hayes all
make an appearance at Sacramento's
Thunderhill Raceway, as well as
almost every publication worth its salt
in the American motorcycle industry.
It's been a few years since I'd been
in an Arai, but the feel was immediately
familiar. Despite opening the front of
the helmet up to give the rider a bit
more breathing space, something Nicky
Hayden commented on at the launch,
the Corsair-X still has an ultra-snug fit.
One of the first things I noticed is
there was a lot more space around my
ears. The old Corsair-V used to bunch
up around my ears but the revised
shape and new EPS liner and pads
mean nothing was touching my ears.
I found the only time I think about ear
comfort is if a part of the padding puts
too much pressure on me (like at the
top of my ear), which causes blood flow
to slow and subsequently I get hot. The
new EPS liner of the Arai also put less
pressure on my forehead, making it
immediately more comfortable.
On the track two things stood
out. The first was this new Corsair-X
seemed much quieter and there was
exceptional airflow coming through
the helmet. It was 101 degrees on
the track and hotter in leathers, and
I won't BS and say it wasn't hot in
the helmet, but there was a serious
amount of air flowing through with all
the vents open.
I've always liked the vent system
on Arai track helmets at the front chin
bar and with that, the visor vents and
all three vents on top open, there was
a stack of fast air cooling my cranium.
At speed the helmet was exception-
ally stable. There was very little buffer-
ing, and combined with the reduced
noise and increased airflow, it made
for a very good design.
As I said when quizzed by Aki Arai
when I came in from my first session,
"After three laps I'd almost forgotten
about the helmet and just focused on
riding." A large smile, small laugh and
polite bow from the Japanese gentle-
man indicated he was quite pleased to
hear that. CN
