Comfort and Brain Protection
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| My son on a ride and discussing helmets |
This past fall it was time to replace my Arai Profile helmet. I had enjoyed the comfort, performance and durability of the Arai Profile for several years. I had no complaints and was planning to replace it with another Arai helmet.
When I started looking I called my Bell Qualifier into service. The Bell is a great helmet, but the road noise is noticeably louder and airflow less evident. It is an adequate backup helmet, but I wanted another helmet with low road noise, good airflow and was comfortable.
Earlier in the summer my blog and I had developed an affiliate partnership with Dainese and AGV. To my surprised, about the time I was to beginning to look for a new helmet, Dainese/AGV sent me an email providing me with an affiliate "perk." I was provided with an affiliate partner 25% off code for one item!
Well, with that "perk" I had to at least look at the options available to me. I looked at all the AGV helmets, read professional and amateur reviews and visited some shops to try on some AGV's. After quite a bit of research and though I decided to order the K1 Rossi Mugello helmet.
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| The AGV sitting on my VFR |
Disclosure
It is important to note I did receive a discount, but I am under no pressure or agreement to provide a review of any kind, especially no agreement or pressure to provide a positive review. The following are completely my honest thoughts of the helmet.
Riding and Testing the AGV K1
The Mugello paint scheme is from the 2015 MotoGP season. It is clearly a Valentino Rossi helmet, the number 46 is prominently displayed on the crown of the helmet and a smaller 46 is on the right side of the helmet. The silver, blue and neon green make the helmet highly visible.
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| DOT approved K1 Rossi Mugello |
At 1,600 g/3.527 lbs. it is one of the heavier AGV street helmets, but when I wear the AGV it does not feel as heavy as the Arai Profile. When riding at a spirited pace the rode noise is low, but maybe just a little louder than the Arai Profile. I use Bose earbuds plugged into my Sena 20s Bluetooth communication system and listen to my music. I noticed no difference in the music volume between the Arai and AGV helmets.
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| The Sena 20s works great |
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| The AGV micro-opening system is very useful |
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| Contoured base profile increases safety |
The interior cheek and crown pads are removeable and washable. They are made with a dry-comfort fabric. They are comfortable and soft, although the Arai interior fabric was softer. On first ride I found the comfort to be on par with the Arai. T
he K1 uses a standard double D helmet strap, but the helmet is not what I would call "standard."
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| Comfortable and removeable interior pads |
One aspect I like a lot better than the Arai is the easy of exchanging the visor. At the time of purchase I also ordered a tinted visor. I use the tinted visor during daylight savings time. The visor mechanism is intuitive and works smoothly during the visor exchange.
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| The visor exchange system is quick and smooth |
Final Thoughts
I like the K1. It is comfortable, provides good airflow, has superior visibility and keeps road noise on the lower end. I love the contoured base and the spoiler on the back of the helmet. The paint job is very visible and my favorite so far, but I am a Rossi fan.
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| Photo from Motorionline |
Have now purchased and used three really good helmets. All three I would wear on a multiday trip with no reservations, but how would I rank them?
1) Arai Profile
2) AGV K1
3) Bell Profile
A high quality helmet is worth the investment. What has been your favorite helmet? Let us all know by leaving a comment.
