Arai Urban-V helmet in modern grey

The Arai Urban-V helmet may not be coolest open-face on the market, and truth be told it doesn’t come in a very exciting array of colourways, but it is, without doubt, the safest and most sophisticated, classic, full-jet helmet money can buy. And that, of course, is largely because it is an Arai. Arai tests its helmets to a far higher standard than is required under ECE 22-05; the company’s in-house test regime even includes a penetration test. The shell, which comes in three sizes, is the same peripherally-belted shell that Arai uses in many of its sports and race helmets. Inside, the helmet has a multi-density eps.

Unlike most open-face helmets, the Urban-V has a proper venting system, for hot-weather riding. Cool air enters the helmet under the forehead through three inlet vents. This air is pulled through the helmet via channels in the eps.. Negative pressure is generated by three Venturi vents in the neck. And this negative pressure draws heat away from the head, again via holes in the eps.

As always with Arai, the finish is immaculate. These helmets are made on the same line in Japan as all other Arais; it takes some 18 hours to make one helmet, during which process it gets inspected by the quality-control team on no less than five occasions. Around the edge of the helmet there’s a sewn-in leather trim. All the interior parts are removable and washable. Importantly, the cheekpads can be swapped for pads of different sizes for custom-fitting. The helmet fastens by means of a D-ring, and you get five poppers on the forehead to take a full visor or a peak.

The Urban-V is the ultimate open-face helmet if quality and safety are your benchmarks. You can spend more on an open-face helmet, you can find cooler graphics, but you’ll never find a better fitting, more comfortable or safer one.