MCN tested these sport helmets for over 30k miles | Here are our favourite ECE 22.06 options

Sportsbikes come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and price points and that’s also true of all sports motorcycle gear, especially motorbike helmets. A sporty lid can complete your look with a sporty leather jacket and racy boots. You might want the latest FIM-approved lid to wear on your Panigale V4 for a track day, or you could need a road-friendly option that works on the Yamaha R125 you ride to college in all weathers.

The aerodynamic shape of a sports helmet also makes it a great option for riding a naked or super naked, too, and the less aggressive sport-touring helmet options look right at home on a sports-tourer with an intercom system to stay in contact with others in your group.

Best sporty helmets at a glance

• Budget option: AGV K1-S
• Professional grade: Shoei X-SPR Pro
• Sports-touring in style: Arai Quantic

So whether you’re chasing lap times, heading out for a Sunday blast, commuting to work or exploring on a longer tour, a sporty motorbike helmet could be the ideal choice.

Here are some of the best we’ve tested recently at MCN – alongside each option you’ll find details of who tried it and for how long and you can find out more about how we test here.

Jump to:

• Best sporty motorbike helmets
• Things to consider before you buy
• Sporty helmet features to look for
• How we test

What to know before you buy

The latest helmet safety standard is ECE 22.06, and all of the options in this list are certified as such. It is still perfectly legal to buy a helmet that meets the previous standard (ECE 22.05) and there are actually some great deals available – but once stocks are gone, they are gone.

As well as the ECE 22.06 standard, you will need an ACU (Auto Cycle Union, the UK governing body of motorcycle motorsport) sticker if you want to go on a track.

Also look for a SHARP rating; this is a government testing and rating scheme that awards up to five stars for safety. Not all helmets are tested so if a lid doesn’t have a SHARP rating, it doesn’t mean it’s no good but a one- or two-star rating usually does.

At the pinnacle of protection are those helmets which have received FIM homologation. This involves passing a series of tests stipulated by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, motorcycle sport’s governing body worldwide, in order to be approved for use at the highest level of racing.

American DOT ratings do not apply in the UK and are not as difficult to achieve as ECE approval.

Key features to look for?

The sportiest helmets (and all Arai models) don’t come with drop down sun visors because on a sunny day on track you simply swap to a dark visor. If you are touring or regularly ride in mixed conditions, you might want to look at a helmet that includes this feature.

Visors must be marked with a BSI or ECE stamp to be road legal in the UK and anything that blocks more than 50% of light is not road legal.

Chin straps are available in double-D ring, ratchet, seatbelt or magnetic clasps, with the sportiest helmets usually opting for the security of the double D-ring.

Make sure you have enough vision out of the top of the visor, too. I’ve worn supposedly sporty helmets before that seem fine when you’re sitting up around town or in a half tuck but completely obscure your vision with your chin on the tank.

Best sporty motorbike helmets

This selection is taken from across the market, everything here has achieved at least four stars overall in our test but they appear in no particular order. If you love your sporty helmet but can’t see it on the list, get in touch at mcn.online@motorcyclenews.com.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to ride a sportsbike to wear a sports helmet?

No, helmet choice really is entirely up to you, what you like the look of and what you find comfortable with the features that you want in a helmet.

Is a sports helmet safer than other types?

Not necessarily, some race helmets will have been awarded additional safety ratings, like FIM or DOT, however these do not necessarily mean that they are safer than any other helmet. All helmets in the UK must meet ECE 22.06 safety criteria, the SHARP star rating is a good way to gauge a helmets safety performance against others.

Why are some sports helmets more expensive?

Some helmets will be offered in race replica paint schemes, often replicating famous successful race riders like Valentino Rossi. These special paint finishes will often be offered at a higher price than a plain or standard colour option. Another factor of price will be the specification level, some will be a little lighter than others, or be signed off for higher level racing. Often unless you race at a higher level, you don’t require these additional safety sign offs.

Can I use a race visor when riding daily?

A visor will state on it if it is not road legal. Most dark or iridium visors will not be legal to use on UK roads. This is because they affect vision in poor light or weather conditions. Yes they look cool and many people will wear them on the road, but be prepared to have a stern conversation with a police officer if you are unlucky.

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How MCN tests sports helmets

At MCN, our team of expert journalists have decades of experience gained over hundreds of thousands of miles in order to provide you with opinions and evaluations you can trust, alongside news of the most significant developments in motorcycling safety gear. We want you to stay safe, enjoy your riding and hopefully look great while doing so! 

We don’t test our kit to destruction; we use it exactly how you do, in the real world and in all conditions.

That means we can deliver impartial buying advice you can rely on. To make it onto this list, sports helmets must have been worn for thousands of miles by our team of experienced testers, show no major flaws, and meet modern safety standards as well as offering decent value for money. 

Each of our expert reviewers tests their lids for a variety of things, both subjective and objective. Factors assessed include the helmet’s conformity to the latest ECE 22.06 safety regulations, what type of chin strap fixture they have, how heavy they are and if they include clever additional aerodynamic properties.

However, we also assess how they fit, their perceived build quality, how quickly we’re able to swap the visor out, what the venting feels like and how comfortable/adjustable the liner is during daily use.

We cover thousands of miles in these lids and regularly compare them with one another in the office, so collectively we’ve built the sort of knowledge base you can trust.

If you can’t see a review against a helmet on this page, it’s because we haven’t tested it yet. These helmets will only be included if we think they’re important and relevant in the market, and rest assured, we will be working on bringing you a review as soon as we’ve done the miles.

Here’s a brief run-down of the star rating system we use, and what each score means:

• 1 star – Poor performance in this category or overall. A helmet with a single star rating has fallen below the expected standard and should be avoided.
• 2 stars – Basic performance in this area or overall. A helmet with a two-star rating has managed to perform to a barely acceptable level and there is room for improvement.
• 3 stars – An average performance in this area or overall. A helmet with a three-star rating has achieved a basic level of performance and is deemed adequate.
• 4 stars – A helmet has performed over and above the accepted averaged in this category or overall. A product with a four-star rating has surpassed expectation and delivered in a particularly impressive way.
• 5 stars – A helmet has performed at the highest possible level in a particular category or overall. A product with a five-star rating has delivered to the highest possible level, impressing the tester with its performance. We would happily spend our own money on it.

To find out more about our kit testing, head to our dedicated page explaining how we test motorcycle products.

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