ARAI’S EGG-SHAPED SHELL Why does an Arai helmet look and feel like an egg? Besides sharing one of the strongest shapes in na- ture, the round, smooth properties deflect objects away from the shell, minimizing energy that could oth- erwise be transferred to the rider’s head. Arai calls this “Glancing Off.”
While a state-of-the-art automobile helmet is highly labor-intensive to produce, its motorcycle counterpart presents a greater design challenge. “These days, car racers are well-protected,” said Michio Arai. “Motorcyclists will always be more exposed.” Regardless of their status in the sport, racers don’t receive special treatment. “Formula One drivers and MotoGP racers always use production helmets, not special shells,” emphasized Michio Arai. “The interiors can be customized, of course, just like a customer’s helmet.”
Arai has continued to manufacture auto-racing helmets, the latest-spec models featuring smaller eyeports and four- wheel-specific details. At the pinnacle of the sport—Formula One and its feeder classes, as well as IndyCar—a carbon-fiber shell is mandatory.
Arai began working with carbon fiber in 2005, sourcing raw materials from the commercial airline industry. “Carbon fiber is lighter,” admitted Michio Arai, “but it is more complex, and manufacturing is difficult. Every piece of the shell must be meticulously laid by hand.”
As a result, one Arai shell expert can only build one carbon-fiber shell per day. “For destructive testing, we had to make many shells,” said Michio Arai. “If you make 2,000 helmets, but you destroy two dozen of them, it’s not a very good business model.”
Whether the user is a sponsored racer or a road rider, the experience should be identical. “I never want to see any differences in our helmets or the treatment of our customers,” said Michio Arai. “We never do anything that might reduce protection for the rider.” To that very point, in 1977, Arai instituted a second shell inspection that continues to this day. Each shell is checked for thickness and weight, and discrepancies are noted. “We could do this much more easily and less expensively,” he said, “but at a potential cost in protection.”
If you make 2,000 helmets, but you destroy two dozen of them, it’s not a very good business model.
THE ARAI SHIELD The Arai face shield not only protects the rider’s vision, but also contributes to the helmet’s round, smooth, and compact shape. The curvature of the shield is not constant, and varies along the shell. This contributes to the helmet’s “glancing off” ability, and Arai’s priority for protection.
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