Arai themselves pitch their long awaited entry into the retro helmet market as 'old school cool, without the compromises' and it is fair to say they have nailed their own brief. For their debut “modern classic” lid Arai have channelled 80s looks with a nod to the aggressive naked and streetfighter style. The Rapide has a clean, minimalist shape with handsome contours in place to hide clever, multi-stage air channels that run both over and around the shell. This stringently tested shell is formed using a smooth PB e-cLc (Arai’s often lauded Peripherally Belted Laminate shell) to give it impressive strength while shedding precious weight at the same time. The helmet has obviously passed ECE approval. As standard this lid comes with Arai's VAS-V Max Vision clear visor combined a pin-lock insert to achieve a crisp field of vision and eliminate fogging. The visor mechanism itself is situated lower to give additional length across the temple regions in a bid to smooth the overall profile, increasing 'glancing off' energy and optimising slide performance. Also in place is a 3D moving latch system borrowed from Arai's F1 helmet, which is their most intuitive, one finger operated system to date. You don't have to be a longstanding Arai fan to love this lid, but those who find themselves dipping their toes in the retro full-face market will find it a smooth transition from their more technical race helmets.