Talk about targeting your demographic. Arai claims its rider research shows that Americans have longer, narrower head shapes than riders of other nationalities. The company calls its Signet-Q helmet “The American Helmet” not because of its distinctive stars-and-stripes graphics, but because it was specifically designed for American heads and the American market. The Signet-Q’s interior fit is more elongated front to back, giving more room in the forehead area; the fit is also more narrow side to side.

Full details about the Signet-Q design plus a video interview with Arai’s legendary Bruce Porter can be seen in our article here.

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Arai has a new model helmet for 2013 called the Defiant. Based on the RX-Q the new helmet, shown here in Base Orange Frost, is meant to appeal to the motorcyclist who desires urban-aggressive styling coupled with Arai’s reputation for safety and comfort.

More than just a styling exercise, the Defiant boasts new technologies unseen even on the company’s flagship Corsair-V helmet. Inside the Defiant the exposed areas of the cheekpads and neckroll feature Arai’s water-repellent Dry-Max material that prevents water absorption in wet conditions. The new IR Neckroll pad has been reshaped to flow more air to the bottom of the helmet at lower speeds. Continue Reading »

Former 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz headlines a star-studded group of racers taking part in a parade lap during the 2012 Isle of Man TT.

Schwantz leads the group of six racers, past and present, selected by helmet-maker Arai to take part in the parade lap of the Isle of Man’s Mountain Course. Schwantz has visited the Isle of Man before, but this will mark his first closed lap of the circuit.

Joining the 1993 World Champion will be fellow American Randy Mamola, former TT racer Phillip McCallen, former British and World Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson, eight-time TT winner Ian Hutchinson, and MotoGP racer Cal Crutchlow. Continue Reading »

Dubbed the Carbon Fiber “Refund,” and just in time to prime consumers to spend their tax refunds, online motorcycle apparel retailer RevZilla.com is running a sweepstakes to give a way an ultra-pricey Arai Corsair V Race Carbon helmet with a $3999.95 MSRP. Merely subscribing to the company’s YouTube page, RevZillaTV, will enter subscribers in the contest.

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Arai retained the top spot on J.D. Power and Associates’ 2011 U.S. Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Study, sharing top honors with Icon.

The J.D. Power and Associates study measures the customers’ satisfaction with their helmets. Brands are scored on a 1,000-point scale generated from 11 different attributes: quietness; ventilation; de-fogging performance; face shield wind protection; face shield scratch resistance; ease of replacing face shield; shell scratch resistance; color and graphic; weight; ease of strap fastening; and fit and comfort.

Arai is back on top for the 13th consecutive time, tied with Icon with an overall score of 852, well above the industry average of 788 (a new record high in the study’s 13-year history). According to J.D. Power and Associates, Arai rated well across all 11 attributes, especially fit and comfort and face shield wind protection. Icon rated high in color and graphics. Shoei, which rated second in last year’s study, dropped to third this year despite increasing its rating and performing well in ease of shield replacement.

The study also found some other interesting trends. Customers are more likely to buy helmets over the Internet than ever before, with 23% of helmet owners purchasing their headgear online, compared to just 20% in 2010. The average helmet purchase price was $209 in 2010, a small increase from the industry average of $206, and the $203 average from 2007.

The Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Study also re-affirmed data from J.D. Power and Associates’ latest Motorcycle Competitive Information Study: motorcycle riders are an aging demographic. The median age of a new helmet buyer is 48, a consistent increase from the 2000 study.

J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Study
Brand	2011	2010	2009
Arai	852	836	830
Icon	852	826	806
Shoei	831	827	815
Harley-Davidson	800	815	790
Scorpion	800	785	782
Industry Average	788	784	766
Bell	781	777	722
Nolan	774	758	752
HJC	761	757	738
Fulmer	759	769	730

Press release after the jump.

Related Reading
2010 JD Power helmet satisfaction study
Customer Satisfaction Down in 2010

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