Arai RX-7 Corsair

At the top of the Arai pile comes the RX-7 Corsair, and at £500 you'll be paying top dollar too. Yet thousands of riders still do every year.

Why?

Well plenty of top racers wear them, and at circa 180mph every weekend they can't be wrong. A great endorsement if ever there was one.

They also look mint. There are one or two gaudy designs, sure, but at least that's all - unlike Shark, for instance.

Now I don't do details when it comes to protection - all I know is that they're gold-stickered and legions of people swear by them. I also know that I once binned it in a Quantum-F, smacking my forehead with some force off the Tarmac, and the lid - and me heed - survived. A bit of the shell came off the lid, but that was it.

When comparing the RX-7 to the QF (which I still used for a couple of years after the crash), I've noticed that little has changed. Not to the naked eye, that is.

There are eight vents in all (there were seven on the QF) - three in the top/front, two at the back, one in the chin bar and two in the visor. The visor itself still locks firmly and the change mechanism with the thumb-levers is still the same. The flappy end of the double D ring strap also still secures to itself with a red plastic press stud.

The rubber breath guard above the nose is a little shorter and the pull-down wind deflector below the chin bar is more 'fitted', but that's about it, really. To my eye, anyway.

The finish is superb, giving this lid an expensive feel - which is just as well given the price tag. I have a Colin (Edwards) Replica White (as opposed to Black), and the paintjob is stunning. The orange is blinding but not in excess, the white brilliant and the black is subtly sparkly, giving the design that extra dimension. On top of that is a thick laquer which, as I have already discovered, gives excellent chip protection when you clatter your keys against it, for instance.

Oh, and it's feather-light to boot. Not literally, obviously, but you get the idea.

Inside is just as plush. The removeable/washable cheek pads are firm without being restrictive and there appears to be more room around the ears than the QF, ensuring that you don't feel any more trapped in the lid than you actually are.

At speed, though, this lid is as noisy as Arais are reputed to be. The side pods and numerous vents are the cause of the whistling and rushing, but as you should really be riding with earplugs in anyway, the only time you'll notice is when you're already going corned beef anyway.

Ventilation-wise, the RX-7 is excellent. The three vents at the front are the equivalent of a car sunroof so cool air is forced through and out of the two vents at the back. The chinbar vent scoops up a little more than the QF and the visor vents keep your face cool when the warm weather threatens to give your mush the sweats.

But in the colder weather they're too good. If you don't close your vents quick-sharp when setting off your head is guaranteed to freeze in a jiffy.

But, whereas the noise and head-freezing are the inevitable by-product of good design, there are three problems. They're not deal-breakers by any means, but they should be mentioned.

The first is the cheekpads which curl up at the pointy ends (at the bottom) whenever you pop the lid on, which is annoying. They can be easily adjusted but they dig in unless you sort it out straight away.

The second problem is the visor-change system. It's fiddly and, especially when the lid is new, it's nerve-wracking. A little lever inside each side pod has to be pushed out with the thumb, resulting in a sharp cracking noise which immediately makes you think you've broken it. This is especially-so when the system hasn't worn in, and it takes some force - and plenty of time-consuming practice - to do it properly.

Finally is the vent buttons at the front, which are way too small (the back ones are manageable left/right levers). Trying to press them open or closed is guess-work with sausage-like gloved fingers because you just can't tell what's going on up there. Arai really should take a look at this and come up with a better design because not knowing if the vent is open or not at low speed on a hot day is irritating as hell, when the only way you'll find out is at higher speeds when the wind speed increases and your hands should be on the bars.

Nevertheless, there's no getting away from the fact that the Arai RX-7 Corsair is everything it's cracked up to be. Not only does it look the part with the Arai badge and top-notch paint job, but it feels luxurious and comfortable when occupied - which is half the battle when choosing a lid.

Me likey. Me likey lots.