One day in the mid-1960s on the streets of Tokyo, Michio Arai encountered two motorcyclists, both wearing H.A.-branded helmets. “Those guys were proud to be wearing Arai helmets,” he said, “and that made me happy. I thought, ‘If I keep making helmets, I can do something.’”
A question from a motorcycle-riding journalist triggered a prophetic reply from Michio Arai, now working full-time for his father. “She asked, ‘What do you intend to do?’ She was wearing a Bell helmet. I looked at her and said, ‘One of these days, my helmet will be better than what you’re wearing.’” Michio Arai flew to Sacramento, California, to meet Dr. George Snively, a leading expert in head protection, who co-founded the Snell Memorial Foundation with fellow racers Norm
What Michio Arai discovered surprised him. “Bell was making helmets from fiberglass and styro - foam. We were making helmets from fiberglass and styrofoam. But the way we were making our helmets was completely different from Bell. “We never copied Bell, and Bell never copied us,” he said. “Bell was a respectable company, and I never thought of competing with them. But then I thought, ‘If I’m going to do this, I have to make better protection than Bell.’” Michio Arai labored three months in Arai’s shell- molding department. “I struggled with no results,” he sighed. “One day, one of the shell makers approached me. He said, ‘I can’t stand to see you struggling like this. I will do it for you. You concentrate on the business in the office.’” Different production methods and materials were analyzed. Some were approved, others were rejected. “My father said, ‘Polycarbonate could make production easier. It’s less expensive, and we can make more helmets. I said, ‘That’s a mistake. I don’t want to do it.’”
Benedict and Roy Richter, the owner of Bell Helmets. Snively phoned Richter. Michio Arai recalled the con- versation: “There’s a young fellow here from Japan. He also makes helmets. He’s an interesting guy. You should meet him.” Michio Arai flew that afternoon to Los Angeles, where Richter welcomed him with open arms.
ARAI PROPRIETARY RESIN To make the most of the many materials used in an Arai shell, each chosen for the unique characteristic it contributes to the construction, the resin that holds everything together is critical. Like the conductor of an orchestra, Arai’s proprietary resin brings out the best harmony—in this case, protection performance—of every shell.
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