Tour X helmet by Arai
 

Dear all,
having just been admireing Arai's Tour X helmet in a local HG shop I was wondering if any readers have used one, The idea of a moto-x lid with a visor seems great as I find that I need to stop in order to remove goggles. Also the fact this lid has a peak is an advantage over a Flip lid. The big down side of course is the £300 price tag as this helmet can get stolen or damaged just the same as a £40 lid.Can anyone recomend this product as worth the money.
Cheers. Les.

IMHO the Tour X is the best helmet I've owned. It's extremely comfortable and the ventilation is superb. For road riding or a mixture of road/off road it's a great lid but, if you intend to ride mosly off-road you'd be better with a MX helmet which would be cheaper and lighter.

This is from our club news letter.
I think it is the same as the Tour X
John

PRODUCT REVIEW:
Arai XD Helmet Test
submitted by Mike Barnes
First off, let me tell you what this helmet is not: It is NOT a street/road/touring lid. This [helmet] is aimed at people without the good sense to stay on pavement. With that out of the way, let me tell you what it is. To do that, I will backtrack to last August.
I signed up to do the Nez Perce ride put on by the Idaho BMW club. This ride is 4 full days of off pavement exploring through the central Idaho backcountry. If you have done much dirt riding, you may know that the average full-face street helmet soon becomes a convection oven when pressed into strenuous dirt duty. I have a motocross helmet for those off road day rides, but they are not fun at all on long stretches of highway riding.
So I did the only logical thing. I brought both helmets. I strapped the dirt lid on top of my duffel on the way up to Lolo, and the ride back home from the Stomp. The street helmet got the same treatment all week in the dirt.
Now this didn’t work out too bad, but the extra helmet took some abuse bouncing around all week fastened to the duffel with its chinstrap. I had to hold it under running water and knead the lining to get all the dust out of the fabric.
Enter Arai’s XD! The second generation of their dual
sport/adventure touring/schizophrenic helmet.
I rode with someone who used the old style and was intrigued by the possibilities. When the new helmet was released, I bit. This is a top of the line (read expensive)item, but I have always considered that to be the last thing to worry about when protection of my few remaining brain cells is at stake.
I have been wearing Shoei helmets for quite some time now and the Arai is different not only in function but feel. It is plusher than my HJC dirt lid, but a far cry from the Shoeis.
The general concept is to make a helmet that has a flip up face shield like a street model, but has enough room to wear goggles and be equipped with a visor to deflect the suns rays as well as roost from Jimmy Lewis’ rapidly departing rear knobby.
I have fitted mine with quick release goggle straps that allow the goggles to be rotated to the back and fastened out of the way. When I hit some off road that will get me breathing hard, I flip up the visor, bring the goggles around and off I go.
The real test came on a 4-day trip to Death Valley to hang with the crazies from the ADVRider board and ride some dirt.
The ride down and back was fairly cold, with the at 20 when I rolled out. This helmet is noisier than my Shoei RF800, but not that much worse than an X-11. It is actually quieter that the old duotec flip up. It seemed about the same for warmth with a little better airflow inside the visor which helped keep fogging to a minimum. The visor does not seem to catch as much air as I was expecting. At speeds up to 80 on an unfaired bike, it was not an issue.
Coming back into a fierce headwind, my head did get thrown around more than with a street helmet. The Arai comes with a set of side plates that allows dismounting the visor for road use, but I have not found it necessary so far.
Bottom line? It is not as comfy as my X-11 and not as light and airy as my dirt lid, but for combined usage it is a winner.
On a final note, I have seen pictures of a similar model from Shoei, but I don’t think it is available in the US.

John,

I saw some pictures of the Shoei lid in a UK magazine 'Motorcycle Sport & Leisure' at the begining of 04. I was interested as I usually find that although Arai road helmets fit better than Shoei's, strangely Shoei MX helmets fit fine. Apparently the Tour X is based on a road lid which is probably why it does fit me so well. The Shoei version hasn't made to the UK yet either. The magazine article quoted a price of £245, which about £50 cheaper than the plain colored Tour X and the same price as Shoei's own VR off-road lid.

[This message has been edited by mcdarbyfeast (edited 04 February 2005).]

I'm using this lid currently (trans-america, 6 months) and I also hesitated because of the price-tag.

However, so far I'm really impressed with it. The only downsides are it's noisy and the 'beak' is liable to catch any cross winds (considerable here in South America) which gives your neck-muscles a good work out. However any moto-cross lid would have these issues and if I was motivated enough I could remove the beak.

The construction is usual Arai quality and the fit extremely comfortable. It's not a problem to slip on and off (if comparing to a flip-up helmet). Overall I'm glad I've not got my street lid and also that I don't have to put goggles on and off (as with my old moto-X helmet).

good luck.

I ordered one today from the local dealer after trying one on. This site is a great recourse for info like this since equiptment tends to get used and abused more than most. Just wanted to say thanks to all.

------------------
John

Thanks For all the positve feed back. Ive just taken delivery of a Tour-X and I hope that it will be as duel sport as my bike and I.
all failing I'll post a reply to let you know.
cheers. Les.

I've had mine for 2 months now (Motard Silver) and have the following 2cents to add:

It works fantastic off-road and even on-road as long as you stick to legal speeds. I'm a rather tall guy and catch a lot of wind. The peak sometimes force my head down when riding very fast. All I usually do is adjust it slightly upwards and everything is fine again.

It's not the quietest helmet around but it has nice indentations in the upholstery for my ears to rest in.

So in short... It can wear down your neck-muscles and damage your hearing if you use it at speed...
But it looks great! Very gnarly and imposing. Have one fitted with the dark-tint visor and intimidate your fellow road users!

I've owned a Tour-X for about a year now and for my type of riding (overlanding and dual sport/trail) I can't fault it. My previous lid was an Arai MX helmet (can't remember the model) and perhaps unsurprisingly find the Tour-X much more comfortable on the road. It feels a little heavier than the old MX lid but not too heavy.

For me the big advantage of course is that if, for example, you're heading down to Africa in winter you'll be comfortable on the cold European stage and then you can switch to goggles when you reach the sand. Real versatility.

Yes, they're expensive but I wouldn't like to have a trip spoiled by uncomfortable headgear, and you can always ask for discount when you buy it...

Les, your email is bouncing - please correct your email address in your profile - link above. Thanks, Grant

If you want to use goggles, is it necesary to remove the visor?, or do they fit if you only flip-it open?

Dear MexicoMac,
In reply to your question I have found that I can wear goggles with this lid by simpley flipping the visor open, though to remove the visor completely is very easy and will only take a minute and a coin.
I´ve been wearing my Tour-X lid now daily for 2 months and cann´t fault it.

I have just completed a trip (6,000 miles in 7 weeks with the tour X helmet. I found it comfortable, but in heavy cross winds in the desert plains can cause neck ache due to the peak causing buffeting.

It is an excellent helmet and worked well in torretial rain and 42 degs in the desert. It also good that you can remove the liner to wash it.

Personally, I missed the convenience of my old flip up lid for speaking to people, takings pics and police road blocks.


Cheers

Julio

I’m not going to regurgitate any of the helpful opinions everyone else has already raised. Instead, I would like to comment on the materials and weight of the Arai Tour-X (Arai XD).

The Arai’s outer coating seems to be made from a softer than usual layer. I can only assume that the almost clay like layer absorbs energy during an impact. My helmet has multiple nicks, scratches and gouges. Most of this damage is being caused not by falling from my bike but the slightest of grazes against trees, doors and floors. My previous three helmets (1 Nava and 2 Sharks) were immune to the damage that plagues my Arai so. The Arai damages easily and great care must be taken not to ruin the paint and surface.

It is not a heavy helmet but relatively heavy for a MX-style lid.
The chinstrap secures using double-D rings… very safe but a pain to undo with gloves when you have to talk to the local constabulary. I’d prefer a quick release clip.
The visibility is very good. Although the view is narrowed by the peak set to the lowest position. Good luck getting a camera to your face though… you will have to remove the helmet if you want to peer through a viewfinder. Rather invest in a compact digital with a large, clear LCD display.

I purchased the XD on my last trip and almost cried when it gently rolled out of my tent and received three nicks. The outer shell is definitely soft and fragile. The fit is also inferior to my Shoei which is far more comfortable. The medium is too small, the large too large, and i have to wear a bandanna for a proper fit. Apart from these faults, the visor and its visibility are excellent. At high speed it handles as one might expect a motocross helmet would. I would have to say the Arai XD receives a 6.5/10 from me.