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New Helmet From Arai

Posted by Staff

Monday, 04 December 2006

Replaces Astral-X; Features New Less-Is-More Design

The Vector is the newest Arai street helmet. Replacing the Astral-X model, the company says it brings an added 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 wants that extra level of handmade comfort and fit that only an Arai can deliver," said Brian M. Weston, Arai Americas’ Director of Operations.

The Vector’s shape follows Arai’s latest generation, hand-formed "organic" shell design philosophy. The helmet is shaped to conform more closely to the human head shape, thereby making it both look and feel more natural, and "flow" through the air with less turbulence. Arai’s distinctive Hyper-Ridge reinforcement band along the bottom of the Vector’s shell adds reinforcement and shell strength. The company says its experience also shows that strengthening the bottom also helps to significantly lower the helmet’s center of gravity, contributing to a better overall balance and making the helmet rest easier on the rider’s head.

These days there are almost as many "revolutionary" shell-construction materials as there are new helmet brands. But Arai claims its decades of experience, research, testing, comparison and evaluation has led it to conclude that fiberglass-based construction does the best job of 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.

In concert with the shell, Arai’s EPS liner, a hallmark of every Arai including the new Vector, is made like no other in that it is comprised of several material densities molded into a single piece. Arai pioneered this technology more than 20 years ago and to their knowledge are still 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.

Ventilation is handled by four oversized vents: one intake, and three exhaust vents under the rear "wing" diffuser. The two vent controls front and rear are larger for easier gloved-hand operation, and each has three-position settings for better airflow control. The Vector also has a new cheekpad design unique to the model; the pads are simpler and more user-friendly, and can be removed and cleaned more easily. Like all Arai cheekpads, they can be replaced with optional pads of different thicknesses for a more custom fit (an often-copied Arai innovation.) The Vector’s interior is non-removable to satisfy that large percentage of riders who prefer it to a removable liner.

Arai’s new less-is-more Vector is available in 10 solid colors, including several striking Aluminum and Frost treatments; four new Camouflage-graphic colors; and five other new graphic designs. Sizes are XS to XXL, and MSRPs range from $407.95 to $521.95.

Details can be obtained at your nearest full-service Arai dealer, at www.araiamericas.com, and in Arai’s forthcoming 2007 full-color brochure. Find your nearest dealer on the website.

From Arai Americas

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