Top Motorcycle Helmets: Arai, Shoei and Bell

Helmet choices abound, but three manufacturers stand out: Arai, Shoei and Bell. Arai motorcycle helmets are built on a foundation of personal touch. Their protective features are a given. The real story is the choices riders have for matching helmet design to personality. Arai has managed to successfully merge the concepts of safety and fashionable. But the single most important distinction between Arai and other manufacturers is that Arai helmets are almost completely handmade. No other manufacturer can make that statement.

Shoei motorcycle helmets are known for their blending of comfort and performance. Each helmet model is available in ten different forms. Shoei also produces different sizes that are designed to fit Americans, Asians and Europeans. Riders with relatively smaller heads often look to the Shoei helmet line to find a more perfect fit (which makes the helmet safer). No helmet leaves the Shoei facilities until it has passed a complete battery of rigorous test. Finding a defect in workmanship with a Shoei helmet will almost certainly be a fruitless endeavor.

Bell motorcycle helmets are easy to identify by their shape and the distinctive company logo. Helmets are made in a full range of styles, from flashy to minimal, from sleek to classic. Barring a major accident, you should expect your Bell helmet to last a lifetime. In addition to their road helmets that are great for motorcycle touring, Bell also manufactures motocross, open-face and street helmets.

Motorcycle helmets are definitely the most important safety accessory out there, so important that it’s difficult for me to call them an accessory. They are more like a motorcycle essential. But the protection helmets provide doesn’t mean they have to be utilitarian. With today’s materials and design processes, there is almost no limit to how stylish and customized these helmets can be.