AMCN was recently given a sneak peek at the new Aeroblade 5 helmet from Kabuto, and first impressions are it’s a top-shelf helmet that won’t set you back a top-shelf price.
AMCN Editor Chris Dobie recently met with Kabuto’s Executive Director Hiroki Kimura, its operations manager Ryohei Wada, and the man charged with distributing the helmets in Australia, Chris Lynis from Moto National, to discuss the company’s latest offering. Mr Kimira and Mr Wada had travelled from the Kabuto head office in Japan to proudly present their newest helmet.
The good news for fans of Kabuto helmets is that the key points of the popular Aeroblade 3 helmet have been carried over to the Aeroblade 5, with ventilation and excellent visibility just two of its major selling points. The helmet is also extremely light thanks to a smaller and thinner A.C.T EVO shell that does not compromise safety. With a price point that Chris Lynis believes will be under the $500 mark, it’s sure to be popular with everyday riders. According to Mr Wada, aerodynamics and wind noise have also been improved on the new model thanks to extensive testing in Kabuto’s own wind tunnel.
With another hot Australian summer on the way, a light and well-ventilated helmet is a must for long-range rider comfort to significantly reduce fatigue and concentration loss.
The Aeroblade 5 will be available in sizes XS, S, M, L, XL and XXL, with four shell sizes. Trying on the range, we discovered the large was the most comfortable fit, where usually an XL would be the size of choice.
Four designs and six colour schemes will be available in Australia: Yajiri (spear), Reida (raider), Matte Black, and Akiyoshi, which is named after Suzuka 8 Hours winner Kousuke Akiyoshi.
Expect the new helmets to begin arriving in stores before the end of the year, and look out for a full evaluation test of the Kabuto Aeroblade 5 in an upcoming issue of Australian Motorcycle News.
Did you know? If you are wondering what happened to the Aeroblade 4, it never existed. Ryohei Wada explained that the number 4 is unlucky in Japanese culture, so the company decided to skip straight to number 5.
Kabuto Aeroblade 5