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There are some great helmets on the market and that includes Arai motorcycle helmets with its world wide reputation. In fact once again Arai has scored #1 in the JD Power and Associates Motorcycle Helmet satisfaction studies. That's 6 years running - pretty impressive!

And of course for that quality and the number one helmet on the market you have to be prepared to spend a little more. All those Arai fans wouldn't have it any other way. But for the price a little bit of scrutiny is certainly in order.

There are other helmets that would be comparative to the Arai including the Shark RSR, Scorpion EX-700, or the Shoei RF-1000 all of which are plush and comfortable, and they are priced well. In fact they cost about one-third of the price of the Arai Quantum II.

Arai has three different shells - the round oval, long oval, and earth. They've also recently added the intermediate oval. Arai is the only manufacturer that offers more than one helmet shape and they should be recognized for it! A premium price is worth it for a premium fit. After all your helmet should fit like a glove shouldn't it?

The Quantum II does just that with its earth shape and sizing up to XL. The earth shape has been extremely popular with those that have an earth shaped head. Arai staff are trained to fit your Arai helmet to your head so stop by one of their dealers.

The Arai has great air flow through the chin vent which spills out onto your face. On some helmets it is directed to the back of the head. The front flow is great during the summer months but be warned if you spend much time on your motorcycle during the colder seasons this air can be real cold!

The biggest complaint it that the top vents have tiny rocker switches that open and close and during the colder months when wearing gloves you simply can't feel these little paddles. Gloves make the horizontal strips hard to maneuver too. Winter issues only.

The other draw back is the way the visor is removed. It's a poor system and not nearly as effective as the Shoei release. It's clumsy and has the extra pod to mess with. And it sounds awful when you remove it. But once you get use to it, it's okay.

As you can see the cons are really minimal. The Arai helmets are nice looking, reliable, well built, and they fit terrific. This makes them a great choice. But be prepared to dish out at least $600 and you might want to shop around a bit because there are other brands like Shoei which are available online at a much better price and yet they offer a comparable helmet.

Arai helmets are available only through their dealers and they are not allowed to move their products via the internet. This means they can better keep their prices on the high end.

Arai has a record for consistently providing the best in helmet comfort, quality, and safety and they have been doing that for more than 20 years. And safety is what it's all about right?

So if you are in the market for a new helmet consider an Arai motorcycle helmet but have a look at what else is available online. Then choose what's best for you.