The Vector is the newest Arai street helmet. Replacing the Astral-X, it takes off where the Astral left off and brings one more dimension to the Arai line: a helmet created specifically as a less-is-more design for the rider who doesn't want or need all the bells and whistles. But who still demands the Arai name — and everything it stands for - on the front.

Form always follows function at Arai. An Arai helmet has to look good, but most importantly it has to work. Our people feel good knowing they're making something good for a rider. Flash for the sake of flash is rejected here.

The feeling of an Arai comes from the experience of decades. From the hands, talent, and passion of Arai craftsmen. The results are organic shell shapes, wind-slicing aerodynamics, a lower center of gravity, incredible balance, light weight. And comfort and fit like no other. We do not just build "helmets." We build Arai helmets. We build comfort and protection to the best of our ability for people who ride motorcycles.

Reputation
Arai's quality is so singularly advanced that it reaches the world's highest level of racing, a place so technical, so demanding, that most other helmet makers can't even imagine it, let alone compete in it. We're talking about Formula One auto racing.

Arai holds the unbelievable distinction of being chosen by more than half of the F-1 grid! Including the 2006 world champion and three of the top-five drivers.

One of the benefits of Arai's F-1 involvement that has come down to motorcyclists is that we learned the best way to ventilate a helmet is to pull the hot stale air out, rather than trying to push new air in. (This led Arai to introduce the world's first diffuser-mounted motorcycle helmet, the RX-7 series, one of our most-copied features ever!) The new Vector's ventilation employs these same principles, creating a flow-thru system of exceptional cooling via its four oversized (1 intake and 3 exhaust) ventilation vents. The vent controls are larger and easier to operate with gloved hands, and each has three-position settings for more control of the airflow.

One-Piece Liner
Arai's EPS liner is like no other, comprised of several material densities molded into a single piece. Arai pioneered this technology more than 20 years ago and is still, to our knowledge, the only helmet offering a single-piece hybrid liner and its unique benefit: the direct-fused contact area that each EPS cell shares with it neighboring cells creates a mutual support - as one is crushed under impact, the surrounding cells assist with the energy absorption. (Liner pieces that are simply fitted or glued together cannot rely on such a high-level support bond).

NOTE: Besides the protective aspects of Arai's shell material and single-piece EPS liner construction, there is a major comfort bonus for you, the rider: Arai's Snell-certified liners are so soft and comfortable they can actually conform to your head shape within several days of continued use, minimizing “hot spots,” allowing the most comfortable fit in the best possible (smallest) size that fits you. (So don't loan your Arai to somebody else, or it just might come back fitting them better than you).

Shell Construction
These days, there are almost as many “revolutionary” shell-construction materials as there are new helmet brands. Arai's decades of experience, research, testing, comparison and evaluation has led us to conclude that fiberglass-based construction is best at performing a motorcycle-helmet shell's main job - spreading and dissipating impact energy through strength, structural integrity and impact-flexibility. The Vector's clc (Complex Laminate Construction) shell utilizes Arai's proprietary aerospace fiberglass technology to achieve a strong, flexible shell in a lightweight package.

Organic Shell Shape
The Vector is another example of Arai's organic shell-design philosophy. An Arai helmet shape is created to conform more closely to the human head shape, making it look better, and “flow” better in the wind. And Arai believes this shaping is best done by human hands and experience - not computers. “Computers solve things mathematically. Hands build for humans.”

Hand-formed shapes takes much more time, effort, cost and experience to produce. But because they add to Arai's extra level of unparalleled, handmade riding comfort, we do it. We think you're worth it. Don't you?

Cheek Pads
The Vectors' new cheekpad design lets the pads be removed and cleaned more easily. Yet even though they're new, and unique to the Vector, the pads are simpler and more user-friendly.

They can also be replaced with one of our optional pads of different thicknesses for a more custom fit (another Arai innovation that's now a common feature among almost all other helmets).

“Customized” cheekpads with a finer made-just-for-you fit are another result of the decades of commitment to every nuance of rider comfort by Arai people.

Rear Vent and Ridge
Arai's distinctive Hyper-Ridge reinforcement band along the bottom of the shell adds reinforcement and shell strength. What makes this “minor” Arai feature significant? Many helmet makers reduce the shell material at the bottom of the helmet. But Arai maintains shell thickness to the very edge - and then strengthens it. Why? Because our experience tells us to. And because we don't think it's a good place to try to save a few dollars or a little weight.

Strengthening the bottom also helps to significantly lower the helmet's center of gravity, contributing to a better overall balance, making an Arai rest easier on your head.

Exclusive Brow Vent Faceshield
Our exclusive brow vent faceshield brings fresh air in through the shield and directs it into the forehead area. Arai prefers this method rather than punching extra holes in the critical forehead area which reduces both outer shell and inner EPS liner material where it's needed most.

LRS Shield-Removal
Arai's LRS tool-less shield-removal system has to be one of the most misunderstood shield systems on the planet. But watch racers Nicky Hayden and Kenny Roberts, Jr. swap Arai faceshields on video while wearing the helmet and you see for yourself how really easy it is.

Riders ask us why Arai continues to use side pods when others have gone pod-less? After all, pod-less systems are easier to make, requiring a simple flat surface beneath the pivot point. Yet Arai's experience says that flat spots in the curved shell shape diminish shell integrity, whereas continuing the shell's three-dimensional curve beneath the shield pivot-points (that nobody sees) maintains shells integrity.

Our way is complicated and costly, requires a significant commitment of R&D resources, and is possible only with the experience and talent capable of creating a system of pod components that must incorporate extremely difficult compound curves in order to work with the shell's “natural” curvature. But the Arai Way is about building motorcycle helmets the best way humanly possible. If it were easy, everyone would do it.

Arai Vector Racing Red Helmet
Produced by Arai of Japan