THE ARAI STORY:
20 years ago, there was a big difference in helmets, so it was much easier to separate the good from the bad. Today, although more helmets look the same, there can still be a major difference between them. For example, people look basically the same on the outside. But this tells us nothing about the person on the inside. It's the same with helmets. They're all round, hard and shiny. And most carry many of the same certification standards that have now become the only way for many to judge a helmet's worth. However, even though these helmets may carry the same decals certifying that they passed the minimum criteria for a given standard, it doesn't tell you anything about what's inside. The fit, the comfort. The quality. But Arai is different. Arai designs the best helmet we can for comfort, fit, and a host of other criteria. Then we submit it for safety standards acceptance (which we pass with room to spare). In other words, Arai designs its helmets first for you, the rider — and second to pass a standards test. Some helmet companies have their priorities wrong and do it the other way around.

A HISTORY OF INNOVATION:
Over 50 years devoted solely to the advancement and innovation of helmet design and safety. Because of our many design innovations, Arai helmets have actually been exhibited in art museums.

FAMILY PRIDE:
Mr. Hirotake Arai, a hat maker by trade, started his company over 65 years ago. He was a craftsman, a perfectionist - and a motorcycle rider. Today, his son Michio "Mitch" Arai, another lifelong rider, runs the company. And Mitch's son, Akihito, is now the third generation. If your family name was on your product, how well would you make it?

HANDMADE:
Every Arai helmet is virtually 100% handmade. Each craftsman signs the helmet shell along the way. And every helmet is hand inspected at least three times during construction. Not every hundredth helmet, or every tenth one — every single helmet.

THE PURE PURSUIT OF QUALITY:
The only helmet company we know of with a single quality standard for all its helmets. No "special one-off" helmets for our A-list racers. Every Arai built for every rider has the same singular devotion to quality, comfort, and fit. (In the words of "Mitch" Arai,: "How can you say one person's head is worth more than another's?")

UNMATCHED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION:
American riders have ranked Arai Helmets Number One in customer satisfaction in all seven J.D. Power and Associates Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Studies! Seven years in a row, no other helmet company has ranked higher than Arai.

UNMATCHED REPUTATION:
Arai isn't only the choice of countless motorcycle champions and racers — including all four U.S. MotoGP riders. Arai auto-racing helmets dominate the F1 grid, chosen by new champion, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen in second, and four of the top five drivers ... Sebastien Bourdais, winner of the last two ChampCar championships ... IRL Indy cars' Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti among others ... And NASCAR® heroes like Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Mark Martin, Greg Biffle, and Jamie McMurray. Quite an accomplishment for such a small company. There must be a reason.

THE BEST WARRANTY:
The first helmet company to offer a full 5-Year Limited Warranty — 12 years ago! Only recently have a couple others extended their warranties past one year. (How many cheaper helmets can a typical rider go through in the lifespan of one 5-year warranted Arai?)

BUILT FOR THE RIDE:
An Arai doesn't just feel good for an hour or so. It's made to feel good all day — and to keep feeling good for years, long after cheap helmets have become loose and shabby. You can't always see the reasons why, but they're there: lower weight from proprietary aerospace fiberglass. Lower center of gravity and better weight distribution to reduce fatigue. Softer multiple-density liners materials that conform to your head shape. Ventilation systems that work - extremely well! Superb scratch-resistant face shields with less distortion. There are no "minor" parts of an Arai helmet. Every part is interrelated. The result: You feel good and you want to keep riding.

SAFETY STANDARDS:
No one can predict the angle, severity, speed, obstacles or conditions of a crash. Arai's emphasis is on the broader potential, not the minimums required by some standards. But despite this level of protection, Arai helmets still maintain super-soft liners for all-day comfort and fit, not to mention better performance across the broad potential of impacts, from minor to severe.

FROM MR. MICHIO "MITCH" ARAI TO AMERICAN RIDERS:
We believe no helmet manufacturer in the world makes their shells the Arai way. We craft all of our shell designs by hand. Then we use the most advanced five-point laser scanning system, combined with the latest CAD/CAM software, to copy, to completely reproduce exactly what our craftsmen have created to a level of detail never before achieved.

Arai does not let the computer design or alter the shell. We design it. We hold it and look at it; we feel its lines and aerodynamic flow. We believe that this is a more natural, organic way to design shells because there is nothing 'organic' about a computer screen.

A computer extrapolates what it thinks it needs to complete the helmet design. But because computers are not human, they treat helmet design and the human skull as a 'mathematical' problem. They do not understand the infinite variations of the human skull pertaining to comfort and fit. Arai does. Thank you.



Did You Know...?
Arai Helmets Facts, Features, Benefits


. Did You Know: Arai Helmets have been ranked "Number One in Customer Satisfaction in all Ten J.D. Power and Associates Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Studies, including the new 2008 study.

. Did You Know: The Arai RX-7 series was the single highest-rated helmet by far in the entire 2003 J.D. Power and Associates study.

. Did You Know: The Arai company has devoted over 50 years solely to the advancement and manufacture of helmets - resulting in a history of innovation in the face of imitation.

. Did You Know: Although a worldwide company, Arai is a relatively small, family-owned business still run by the Arai family. It was founded by Mr. Hirotake Arai, a motorcyclist and, ironically, a second-generation hat maker. It is now under the guidance of Mr. Michio Arai, the founder's son.

. Did You Know: 50 years of helmet-making experience gives Arai the unique ability to combine old-world, handmade craftsmanship with the most advance concepts in materials, ventilation, comfort and fit. (Craftsmanship like hand-fit multiple-density foam comfort liners; advancements like Arai's new lighter, stronger SNC - Structural Net Composite - shell construction.)

. Did You Know: Arai is the only helmet company we know of with a single standard for its helmets. Arai comfort, fit, finish and quality are not compromised to fit a retail "price point", which is why Arai has no price/quality tiers. Each helmet is built to a single standard of quality that applies to all Arai helmets. So the Arai helmets worn by our highest-level world racers are the same ones you buy, not just in the paint design. (In the words of Michio Arai, current president and son of the founder: "How can you say one person's head is worth more than another's?")

. Did You Know: Every Arai helmet is hand-inspected for quality at least three times during construction. Not every tenth helmet, or hundredth one, or thousandth one - every single one.

. Did You Know: Arai was the first helmet company to offer a full 5-Year Limited Warranty - 10 years ago! Only recently have a couple of others extended their warranties past one year. How many cheaper helmets will a typical rider go through in the lifespan of a 5-Year warranted Arai?

. Did You Know: Arai's own internal Snell standards are so high that its helmets are subjected to twice the number of drops required by Snell for a helmet to absorb and withstand potentially harmful G-force impact loads passing through the helmet and into the head. (Arai believes it's not enough to simply meet Snell requirements, but to exceed them while maintaining the highest levels of all-day comfort, fit and low weight, center of gravity, and balance.)

. Did You Know: Arai is the only helmet with the full spectrum of world-caliber competitors at the highest levels of international motorsports competition. Even more amazing, Arai dominates the racing grids in Formula One and Champ/Indy Car auto racing, as well as being chosen by such Nascar® heroes and champions Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Mark Martin, and Daytona 400 winner Greg Biffle. And isn't it interesting that every current American MotoGP racer wears Arai? Quite an accomplishment for such a small company.


Fit Return Policy:
Your purchase of an Arai helmet comes with a one-time, *NO-HASSLE, NO-FEE HELMET RETURN (return freight pre-paid) exchange option.

If, after receiving your helmet and test-fitting it in your home (never having removed the tags, shield film or actually using it for a test ride) you can return it to the place of purchase, within 5 business days after receipt, for an exchange to either another Arai size and/or model.

The helmet must be in absolutely brand new condition, returned in the original box with all the original paperwork and packing.

The cost difference, should there be any depending on model and/or design change, will either be refunded (in the case of a less expensive replacement) or charged (in the case of a more expensive replacement) to your credit card.

You must confirm with the place of purchase prior to the return, as to what that difference in costs might be and approve it, as well as to make the arrangements for the authorized return.

Note that the dealer has final say as to the condition of the returned helmet, as well as any and all charges relating to damage, missing parts and/or cost differences in the case of an exchange



Importance of Fit:

After many years of listening to rider feedback, we have found that satisfaction with a helmet - any helmet - starts with your understanding the importance of fit. Most importantly, understanding how proper size and fit affect how a helmet performs during everyday riding, and how uninformed purchasing decisions can affect that performance.

While getting the proper size and fit on something as important and personal as a helmet can occasionally even be difficult in person in a store, this difficulty can be greatly compounded when your only contact is via phone, fax or email and there is no hands-on, in-person help with the fitting process. Which is why, with little or no actual firsthand knowledge at your disposal on how to size and fit a helmet, Arai sincerely encourages you to not make this decision lightly. (Any price savings are soon negated by having to wear a helmet that feels and fits wrong every time you put it on!)

1. MEASURING: Have someone measure the circumference of your head with a cloth measuring tape – available cheaply at any fabric store - taking special care to measure at the largest circumference (i.e. where your head is biggest; typically at just above the eyebrows, around the head to include the largest “bump” at the back of your head.) The tape must be pulled tight, and the measurement taken.

2. SNUG VS. LOOSE: A helmet that slips on easily may offer an initial impression of comfort and proper fit, but after time can become too loose and move around on your head, allowing more wind noise to get in and also causing more discomfort and fatigue as you struggle to keep your head from getting buffeted in the wind. Like a properly-fit pair of shoes, a helmet needs to settle in over time, so be sure to consider this “relaxing” of the interior when buying your new helmet. Your initial fitting goal, then, should be for a snug fit.

3. FACIAL FIT: This is a common problem with riders who have a full face, jaw, or cheeks because it often results in the mistake of “fitting your face” instead of your head, and choosing a larger size in order to get the helmet on past your face. The problem is compounded again because in a mail-order/Internet purchase there is no in-person helmet fitter to help. Remember, first get your correct head size (Step #1 and link). You’ll yell and scream the measured-size will never fit, but respectfully, we’ve heard that before. When you order your helmet, consider ordering one of Arai’s optional thinner-cheek pad sets for your model. Swap the pads to the thinner ones. Bingo!

4. SIZE COMPARISONS: The helmet size you’re wearing now doesn’t count in ordering a new helmet. A previous or current helmet in the same brand, model and size - even if an Arai - may not offer the same fit as a current model or size you’re considering. Why? The natural evolution of design and the use of new materials can affect – and alter - the size and fit of a new model. Arai offers several interior shapes to give you the most possible opportunities to find one that best fits your head shape. How can you determine which is best suited for you? In general, Arai interiors for the North American markets are based on an oval shape orientation (somewhat longer front-to-back and a little narrow from side-to-side). Our models then vary slightly based on that general Oval shape to accommodate a much wider fit range LONG OVAL (very long front-to-back, very narrow side-to-side). On this end of the scale, we have the new Profile model, offering additional forehead room for those who find that most helmets have pressure points in the forehead.

INTERMEDIATE OVAL (a little shorter front-to-back and a little wider side-to-side). This next fit package comes in our RX-7 CORSAIR model, which begins the shift from oblong towards round.

ROUND OVAL (even a little shorter front-to-back and a little wider side-to-side). This last fit package is shared between our Quantum-2 and Astral-X models. However, because the Quantum-2 has a fully removable liner and the Astral-X has a non-removable head liner, side-by-side fit comparisons can reveal a personal preference for one over the other.


Customer Service Satisfaction Rating:

J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Arai Ranks Highest in Customer Satisfaction With Motorcycle Helmets for a Tenth Consecutive Year Overall Satisfaction with Helmet Industry is at its Highest Level to Date

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., June 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Arai ranks highest in satisfying motorcycle helmet owners for a tenth consecutive year, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Study(SM) released today.

The study measures the overall satisfaction of motorcyclists with their new helmet by examining 11 key areas: quietness; ventilation/air flow; de-fogging; face shield ability to keep wind out; face shield ability to resist scratching; ease of replacing face shield; scratch resistance of shell; color/graphic design; weight; ease of fastening the strap; and comfort/fit. Arai, with an overall index score of 819 on a 1,000-point scale, performs particularly well in comfort/fit and face shield's ability to keep the wind out. Shoei follows with a score of 816 and receives high ratings in comfort/fit. Icon ranks third with a score of 806, improving by 71 points from the 2007 study.

The study finds that overall satisfaction with motorcycle helmets has increased
to an average of 761 in 2008 -- up 26 index points from 735 in 2007. All 11 measures of satisfaction improve in 2008 and are at their highest levels since the study's inception in 1999. Comfort/fit, ventilation/air flow and color/graphic design are the top three measures that most impact overall satisfaction.

"Manufacturers continue to improve on the key attributes that have the greatest impact on overall helmet satisfaction, maintaining the upward trend that began in the 2002 study," said Tim Fox, research manager of the powersports practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "Across the industry, satisfaction with all 11 attributes improves by approximately the same amount, indicating consistency in efforts by manufacturers to enhance overall satisfaction."

The study also finds that the helmet industry as a whole improves with regard to perceived value for the money spent on a new helmet, with all brands receiving higher scores in perceived value in 2008, compared with 2007. Helmet owners who spend more money for a helmet perceive a higher value for their money than those who spend less.

The 2008 Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 5,386 purchasers of new 2007 model-year motorcycles who provided information about their most recent helmet purchase experience and helmet use. The study was fielded in September and October 2007.