Arai’s Rapide helmet is coming to the UK in 2020 – and we’ll get the full range of eyecatching colourschemes to choose from.
The Arai Rapide is based on a model that’s been available in Japan for a while as the Rapide Neo and it blends Arai’s safety-first approach with styling that’s every inch a cry back to the 1980s.
It takes on Arai’s signature rounded shell that’s designed to ‘glance off’, which means it spreads impact forces over a wider area so the impact energy isn’t concentrated in one area of the rider’s head.
Ventilation runs through channels in the impact-absorbing EPS, and while there are no obvious vents on the forehead, the eyebrow vents that bring in air through ports on the visor are designed to do a lot of the work.
Six meshed chin vents help avoid fogging of the visor, but they can be closed using a switch on the inside of the chinbar. The Rapide will also have a Pinlock insert so those chin vents shouldn’t have to do too much of the demisting donkey work.
A plush inner liner has been treated to keep it fresher for longer, as well as both temple and cheekpads that can be reduced by 5mm to give a more comfortable fit for the rider. The cheekpads can also be whipped out while the rider is still wearing the lid, in case paramedics need to get the helmet off quickly and smoothly following an accident.
When the Rapide arrives in the UK in late 2019 it will be available in a series of plain colours that work with most modern retro bikes. But there will also be tantalisingly bright retro 1980s designs for those who want to buck the sober trend.
Three of the colourful paintschemes are dominated by the ‘HA’ logo, which is a throwback to the very origins of Arai when founder Hirotake Arai first manufactured lids under a brand after his own initials.
Expect UK prices to be £449.99 for the plain black, grey or white schemes and £529.99 for the graphics, with a size range of XS-XL.