Kit review: Arai SZ Ram

Arai SZ Ram 111, £324.99 (from £299.99 on MCN shop)

Tester: Simon Relph

Miles covered/time: 2800/Nine months

What’s good?
The SZ Ram 111 is the update to my old SZ/F which has unfortunately passed its sell by date. The Ram 111 is very similar with the addition of the integrated twin vents and exhaust vents, the same style as the RX7, giving it that great look.

• Get the best deal on Arai helmets in the MCN Shop

You cannot beat a new helmet, all fresh and clean, the beauty of this Arai is you can keep it this way as it has a completely washable interior. Part of Arai’s aftermarket service is If you are visiting any of the big race meetings and you see the Arai service truck, they will give your helmet the once over safety check for free.

What’s not?
Since I first got the helmet I had a strange buffeting round the ears, part of it was to do with riding a fully faired bike, which produces quite a bit of turbulence behind you.

On contacting Arai they thought it may have something to do with the removable cheek pads. It turns out these are available in six sizes. By changing to the correct ones for me it has cured the problem.

When you are buying an Arai from a five-star dealer, a full fitting service is available for that perfect fit. The extra vents help with summer cooling but at the cost of an increase in noise.

Contact: www.whyarai.co.uk

Rating: 3/5