What makes a great adventure helmet?
For me the priorities are safety, weight, comfort, ventilation, peak design and the availability of accessories, such as tinted visors and pinlocks, and the Arai XD-4 I have been running for the past year ticks all of those boxes.
Arai reckons it doesn’t compromise on safety, and after having watched videos of the hand-constructed helmets, I have no doubt that is the case. As for weight and comfort, the XD-4 isn’t the lightest lid on the market, but I haven’t experienced a sore neck even after hours of off-road riding, and the cushioned liner offers a snug and cosy fit. The XD-4 features the usual array of vents, including open and closable chin vent, top vents, visor vents and exhaust ports, the latter with removable covers for easy cleaning. I have both clear and tinted visors for the XD-4, both fitted with Pinlocks.
I’ve washed the XD-4 liner after several dirty rides now and it still looks as good as new. I’ve also fitted a Cardo Freecom and the speaker pockets make for easy and comfortable fitment. What I haven’t done is run the helmet with goggles, but I have tried a few different goggles in the garage and the XD-4’s wide eye port allows for easy fitment.
The XD-4 is also supplied with extra side covers for the visor, so you can run it without the peak if you so desire; I haven’t tried this either.
XD-4 negatives? Only one, really, and that is you need a screwdriver (or a coin) to remove the peak and to change the visor, which can be a bit fiddly, especially if you drop the plastic screws on the side of the
road or track.
The Arai EC XD-4 ain’t cheap, but if you ride an adventure bike, it’s definitely a worthwhile investment.
Arai XD-4 | $949.95 (RRP)
Colours: Grey (tested)
Sizes: XS-XXL
Cassons