Arai SZm Helmet

Created 16/01/03 - updated 14/03/04

I have used the SZ helmet for over ten years now and its my favourite helmet. This is the latest version, the SZm, new for 2002. The main difference between this version and previous versions are the vents in the shell. Including the original visor vents this makes six vents in total, the perfect summer touring helmet.

Aria SZm

Vents:

There are six independent vents, two in the visor feeding through to the shell, then two front and two rear in the shell. The shell vents snap open and closed easily with your gloves on, the visor vents are more difficult and are better set with the helmet off. Having ridden in the rain with the vents closed for some hours, no rain got through. At 60mph with all vents open it feels like a mini tornado on top of your head, you definitely won't suffer a sweaty head with this helmet!

Front vent snapped open, you can see the drilling through to the interior:

Interior view showing the vents. Air is free to circulate around the top of the helmet thanks to the slotted pad in the middle.

Visor removal:

Removing the visor for the first time can be daunting as its a good tight fit with no visible external fittings.

Here's how to do it. Place the helmet on a table facing you and raise the visor to its fully open position.

Hold the visor as shown above and pull outward at the bottom with your fingers and upward at the same time. The visor will click up one more notch.

The visor is still attached. You finally click the visor off by pulling the visor side pieces away from the helmet.

Visor replacement:

The visor will only snap back on if you offer it up in this position, with the white showing. Press it on with a snap, then click it downward to lock it in place.

Visor Care:

Visors cost a lot of money, you can keep a visor in good, scratch free condition if you take a little care.

Don't ever rub it dry with your glove while riding e.g. to remove a fly, put up with it till you stop. Some times you do need to remove water droplets from your line of view, do so very lightly DON'T rub. Every time you wash it, try to soak it a little first to loosen the dead flies and muck. Use lots of hot water with washing up liquid. Don't rub it hard. When it's clean, rinse it and dry it with a fresh clean tea towel, even if you have to take one on holiday to do so. On odd occasions you will find a bucket and sponge in the café, motorcycle park. Just be careful of what's in the bucket and what's on the sponge, as it often gets dropped on the ground. On a trip I usually clean the helmet and visor at the end of the day so its ready for the next adventure!

Problems:

The only problem for the UK buyer may be colour choice, currently the UK distributor Phoenix Distribution don't supply the two blue versions, LA blue & silver blue, but since buying mine I  have found the full range of colours available here at Suzuki Ireland currently listed at €350 or £230.

The Arai SZm has a double curvature visor, i.e. it's permanently curved to fit the helmet but it's also slightly curved top to bottom and will not lay flat. With that in mind, it's probably difficult to fit a smoked insert i.e. the fogcity type.

Arai SZm smoked visor

14/03/04

The Arai SZm smoked visor, it doesn't look very dark does it? but while using it last year, I never felt the need to put sunglasses on.

Unfortunately it doesn't come with the black visor holders as shown in the picture above, their extra at £14:99!

Visor holder removal:

You can use the visor holders from your clear visor or buy spares and fit them to the smoked visor, ether way this is how they come off.

Pull back the white L shaped piece to the unlocked position, there's a little catch that holds it in this position while you remove the holder from the visor.

With the latch unlocked, pull the holder up ward then backward off the bottom slot. Replacement is obviously the reverse

All in all, I'm glad I bough it now, It does seem very expensive until you compare the price with a good pair of sunglasses, then it just seems expensive :-)

Phoenix Distribution Arai's UK importers

Smoked visor part no 11089 £44:99 (it's the same number for clear or smoked)

Visor holders  part no 11086 £14:99 (you can use the ones with your clear visor)

Total £ 59:98

Prices as of 14/03/04

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