Once upon a time there were really only two options if you wanted a truly top-notch helmet – Shoei and Arai. For years they had the best paint schemes, via their racer associations, and the best build quality on the market by a country mile. They also had the prices to match of course, but back in the day a stunning Shoei GRV John Kocinski replica, for example, was something to really aspire to.
Things have changed in recent times though, as technology moves on and becomes cheaper. Now there are a lot more than just two to consider, which means the choice you make is even more personal than ever before. Oh, Arai and Shoei still hold court at the top of the table, but now they have others right alongside them such as Shark, AGV, X-Lite and so on. All their rivals have earned their stripes through superb product, meaning that development on nearly every brand is busting forwards at a more than respectable rate. Okay, prices for this cutting edge tech will mirror that development curve (and Brexit is adding more than a few quid to those RRPs too…) but it also means their cheaper versions are also very good, as that technology dribbles down throughout respective ranges.
However, this month we’re looking at the top-end for sports and track lids, the ones we all really lust after and the ones you really want on, should head kiss tarmac. Here’s a selection of the very best!