Rennie Scaysbrook | May 16, 2019
Arai has taken their Corsair-X and chopped the front off to make the new Ram-X for everyday commuting.
As one half of a Corsair-X, the new Ram-X fits Rennie like a glove.
One of my all-time favorite helmets is the Arai Corsair-X. This is Arai’s number-one track helmet, but it’s become my go-to for pretty much any form of riding, be it ducking down to the shops, canyon riding, racing, or even touring.
A few years back, Arai altered it by bringing out the CT-Z, which was mostly a close replica of the Corsair X but with the chin bar chopped off and a peak added to make it a commuter/scooter helmet. I’ve got one of those as well, and love it just as much as the Corsair X.
As the CT-Z had been around for a while, Arai has decided to change it up a touch and bring out this Ram-X open-face lid. This new helmet essentially copies the Corsair-X/CT-Z design and oval head shape construction, and Arai has used what it calls the Z-Compound resin, a collection of proprietary resins Arai claims creates a stronger and lighter shell than the competition. Furthermore, Arai has used its ubiquitous single layer, multi-density EPS liner, just like in the Corsair-X.
The inside of the Arai Ram-X is basically a straight take from the Corsair-X.
However, to call the Ram-X a direct copy of the Corsair isn’t exactly true—the shell construction was developed from the Quantum-X and Signet-X full face helmets, although the vast amount of detail with the new helmet is devoted to the new shield system.
Arai’s created a new VAS-Z System, which does away with the two screws and plates that located both the CT-Z’s visor and peak, and allows the pivot point to be lower and the shell to be smoother. A smoother shell means less chance of it catching on something if you crash, something Arai has been championing for years given the shape of their helmets have hardly changed in half a century.
The Ram-X uses Arai’s Pro Shade twin-lens system so that you can have both a dark and clear lens. Arai refuses to construct a helmet with an internal drop down dark visor as they believe it affects the integrity of the helmet, so this is a system you’re stuck with if you want the best of both worlds.
The new shield system on the Arai Ram-X has a lower pivot point than on something like the CT-Z, which allows for a smoother shell around the temple area.
The Ram-X offers excellent ventilation with four exhaust ports (in orange).
In riding, the Ram-X feels exactly like the Corsair-X, just with half of it missing. I’m not an enormous fan of any open-face helmets, as even the best of them don’t offer the kind of protection a full face will give, but the Ram-X strikes a balance of comfort, looks, and protection well.
At speed, the Ram-X doesn’t buffet or move around, and as the insides are modeled on the Corsair-X, there’s a large free area around your ears. No part of the helmet is squashed against your ears, which makes long-distance comfort much better than many other open-face lids I’ve tried.
I’m not a big fan of the Pro Shade twin-lens system, as it looks a little naff and I’d rather have a single color lens, but the system works well for what it is. Eventually, this system will go away as everyone will run auto-tint lenses like on the Bell Helmet range, but that’s still a way off for Arai.
This is for sure a premium product at $679.95, but as mentioned, you’re getting one half of Arai’s best racing helmet for your money. CN
Summing up the Arai Ram-X Helmet
- Derived from Corsair-X
- Fabric doesn’t squash your ears
- Airflow around the crown is excellent
- Not a fan of the Pro Shade twin-lens system
- A tad expensive for an open face, but you get what you pay for
