Some people want smaller helmets, like Jessica Dunn’s Proteus three-quarter folding helmet, or no helmet at all. However, Arai is bucking the trend and making larger helmets. Their new three-quarter helmet for this year is the XC and the XC-RAM. The abbreviation standing for Extended Coverage, it is in contention to be the largest three-quarter helmet ever produced and extends the lower portion more than three centimeters further forward on each side than traditional three-quarter helmets.

Available in four colors, the XC, and the upgrade model, XC-RAM, were designed for more comfort in a safer helmet, says Arai. The larger full-face helmet styled cheek pads are removable and washable. The padding at the rear of the neck is also vented to help dissipate heat buildup. The only place the XC is thinner is at the attachment for the face shield. The attachment covers are mildly sleeker than Arai’s previous three-quarter helmet. The XC has the same ventilation ports as the RX-Q line in the front as well as the rear.

The higher priced XC-RAM offers considerable improvements over the base XC model. In addition to the large removable and washable cheek pads, and the vented neck padding, the rest of the interior is padded with a removable and washable Dry-Cool moisture-wicking liner.

The enhancements are not just on the inside, the outer helmet also has a few nice features. The XC-RAM uses the ventilation ductwork from the Corsair V but includes larger vent toggles. The same slimmer face shield attachment covers are on the XC-RAM, but for further aerodynamic improvement, the top of the helmet has been fitted with a Fixed Air-Wing. Basically, a nifty spoiler to prevent the helmet from lifting off your head at high speeds.

Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to order your copy of the 2011 print edition of Inline Performance Magazine HERE at half off the cover price for a limited time.

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Helmets are large rigid structures that are difficult to cram into most portable luggage for easy carrying. This is due in large part to their unique function of not changing volume size when being impacted from external forces. Full-face helmets take the most volume, but three-quarter helmets generally take nearly the same space.

As an innovation project candidate for the Australian 2011 James Dyson Award, the Proteus folding motorcycle helmet offers a solution to the storage and carrying problems. It starts as a normal three-quarter helmet, but through a new folding system is able to reduce its volume by 20% when not being worn. This is intended to allow it to fit in most standard sized backpacks.

The visor and mount had to be redesigned to allow the sides of the helmet to fold inward to the space a head would otherwise occupy. The protective layers of the helmet were based on the recommendations of the Australian safety standards for motorcycle helmets. This includes an expanded polystyrene foam inner shell, a lining made of a pliable material that hardens on impact, and a polycarbonate resin outer shell.

No word on colors or anticipated pricing, but even if Jessica Dunn’s entry does not win the award, you may be able to see similar innovations introduced by helmet manufactures in the future.

Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to order your copy of the 2011 print edition of Inline Performance Magazine HERE at half off the cover price for a limited time.

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Graham here for another update of our Essential Stuff section. Last week, we showed you Sedici’s Monza motorcycle jacket, and this week we bring you the other half with Sedici’s Monza motorcycle pants.

Like the jacket, the Monza pants are made primarily from leather, ranging from between 1.2 and 1.4mm thick. While I opted for the stealthy-looking matte black option, the pants—and jacket as well—are also offered in red, white or blue color schemes for those who want something a little flashier.

For added protection and comfort while riding, the seat area uses two layers of leather, which are augmented by a memory foam coccyx pad to keep your tailbone in one piece if you go down.

Full leather pants can be hot and stuffy while riding in hot weather, but Sedici solved this problem by adding perforated leather above the knee area and stretch fabric around the crotch and on the insides of the legs.

While all this does work great to keep you cool, in colder weather it can actually keep you too cold, especially during long stints on the highway. On the positive side, I got stuck in the rain more than once in these pants, and considering that they aren’t sold as rain gear, they kept me decently warm and cozy and were no worse for wear after they dried out.

As mentioned last week, the Sedici also offers the Monza jacket and pants as a one-piece jumpsuit, but since I prefer pleasant, mellow rides rather than horrifying mountain blasts, I chose the practicality and flexibility of the two-piece version.

But in case you are someone who appreciates a good blast through the twisties, the Monza pants include plastic sliders below the knees that are held in place by Velcro and are easily changeable. Additionally, the knee area features CE approved armor, just in case. And, if you decided you want the added protection of a jumpsuit, the pants include zippers that can be sewn on to most any motorcycle jacket.

Whether you opt for the pants and jacket separately or the one-piece, you’ll only be set back about five hundred dollars, making the Monza line an affordable way to get some serious protection.

Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to order your copy of the 2011 print edition of Inline Performance Magazine HERE at the pre-order price for a limited time.

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Hey guys, Graham here with an update for our Essential Stuff section with a review of the Sedici Monza motorcycle jacket. These are actually made by the folks over at Cycle Gear. After years of peddling other people’s gear, they have decided to come out with their own super affordable line.

The jacket is actually just half the Monza set of riding gear, matching pants are available as well—stay tuned next week for that review. Because I’m tall have a hard time finding a one-piece jumpsuit that fits
properly, I opted to go for the two-piece, pants and jacket route, but Sedici also offers the Monza set as a one piece suit if that’s more to your tastes.

The Monza jacket is primarily leather, between 1.2 and 1.4mm thick. While the jacket doesn’t have hard plastic back and chest guards like some more serious outfits do, it does have additional padding in the front and back for protection. The shoulders are also capped with plastic armor, as well as the elbows. A big plus in my book is the pre-formed moldings for the elbow pads, which makes it more comfortable to keep you arms in the riding position.

Even though the jacket is sold separately from the pants, it does include zippers that can be sewn onto any pair of motorcycle pants, giving you nearly the protection of a full suit but offering more flexibility and practicality—I often find I want to ride with the jacket, but not bother with specialized riding pants. Who wants to walk around school or work all day wearing leather?

The jacket is vented up the entire length of the inside of the arms, but personally I found this more of a drawback than a plus. For me, riding in the chilly Bay Area air, the vented arms actually keep me too cool, forcing me to wear long sleeves under the jacket—but we’ll see, maybe the summer heat will change my mind. Luckily, the jacket features a zip-out, quilted satin liner that can be removed when the temperatures rise.

Whether you prefer to ride with pants and a jacket or a jumpsuit, Sedici’s Monza line is well worth a look.

Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to order your copy of the 2011 print edition of Inline Performance Magazine HERE at the pre-order price for a limited time.

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Hey guys, Graham here with a quick review of Alpinestars’ S-MX 5 riding boots for our Essential Stuff section.

The S-MX 5 Waterproof boots shown here are actually just one of three versions of the S-MX 5 boots that Alpinestars offers. In addition the waterproof model, a largely similar but non-waterproof version is also available, as is a women’s version. Listed for $250, the S-MX 5 Waterproof version is still the most affordable, full-height road and track boot offered by Alpinestars, although if you never ride in the rain, you can save yourself about 30 bucks by sticking to the regular versions.

When it comes to features, the boots offer the standard faire that’s come to be expected of street-bike focused boots like these. The construction is a combination of leather and synthetic materials, while the mostly smooth rubber soles offer solid grip on most sport bike pegs, and a decent grip on the ground when it’s time to dismount and walk around.

As with most riding boots, the S-MX 5s include plastic armor for the heels, ankle, and other vulnerable parts of the feet. There are also plastic toe sliders, although avid track day riders will lament the fact that they are not removable or replaceable.

Slipping on the boots on is easy, thanks to the long zipper on the side that’s complimented by Velcro flaps that are designed to work with motorcycle pants.

On the road, the boots work great, keeping my feet warm, cozy and protected regardless of the weather outside. Even in the rain, they kept my feet nice and dry even while the rest of me was not.

The only gripe I had was that while the smooth rubber soles probably work great for street bike pegs, on a enduro or dirt bike, they don’t grip the spiky metal pegs (or the muddy ground) as well as a purpose-built dirt bike boot would.

But for an all around boot, the S-MX 5—especially in waterproof guise—are a versatile and affordable option that riders can grow with.

Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to order your copy of the 2011 print edition of Inline Performance Magazine HERE at the pre-order price for a limited time.

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