Arai XD4 long-term review: best adventure helmet?︱Cross Training Adventure

Personal experience, want to dramatically reduce wind noise in the XD4….look up ‘chin curtain’.

Tried to include brand and part number in a prior comment but must be breaking some rule because comment didn’t post.

I did the $10 one.

Ive just bought a xd4, has anyone had success with installing speakers? Sena or other for those longer kms

What bikes were you riding in this video?

Arai XD4 for 2 years now. impossible to replace if you wear glasses, because it's (near) perfect. Ive traveled in many different situations and I had no issues whatsoever. About the price I´m a true believer on the thesis that you should always spend has much money as you reasonably can afford on helmets, the price of a new brain is.......

I'd be interested to know what helmets your esteemed colleagues all use....

What helmet are you wearing in this video?

Why the Suomy MX Touter is not on the list? Are you still a fan of it?

Been running an XD4 for a couple years. I literally will not buy another model of helmet unless the distributor gives me a loaner helmet of another model to test ride for at least a week, seriously the xd4 ticks all of the boxes but I am in a hotter climate so maybe that's why.

It must be just me but I find the bottom of the visor is in my eyeline when open

I'm still waiting for an honest wet weather review. Lots of helmets suffer, especially without pinlock. Does it properly defog the shield? Is fog a problem? Some reviews claim the shield doesn't clear water well.

Bought this helmet back in April but I must admit that I am far from impressed. I think its too noisy and I have a weird draft around my right eye. Dealer does not do anything about it, so I think I might be heading back to Shoei.

I tried the Arai XD4 in my hunt for a quieter Adv helmet to replace my ageing Klim Krios. The quality is top notch, thing is like a work of art. Also ridiculously comfortable interior, like putting your head inside a pillow.

However, I found it to be rather loud and buffety at highway speeds. It would also fog up almost immediately at lower speeds in cooler weather, despite all the venting. This is the DOT/Snell US model, which might be different from the ECE one. I ended up selling the Arai and keeping the quieter, lighter, and better vented Krios. The Klim definitely feels much cheaper, but it’s honestly served me well and hasn’t had any issues over 5 years and tens of thousands of miles of adv riding.

The biggest disappointment with Japanese helmets to me is their refusal to innovate. Moto helmet technology has come so far over the last decade, but they’re sticking to tradition. In 2022, for $600+ I’d really like to see MIPS at minimum.

I have an XD4 and I get what I describe as a 'thrumming' sound from the visor which is really annoying. I put a windshield extender on my KTM1290R and the issue was gone when behind the wind protected area. Otherwise no complaints, bought in Oz for A$850

I have 3 XD4's they are not quiet at all, Goggles only fit into the L/XL shells and then they are tight, replacement face shields are $$$ if you can find one, face shield open settings wear out quickly, , they chip and scratch very easy, the cheesy plastic vent covers fall off easy and break, are very cold in winter, they are very expensive. ..............The good is they are the coolest in hot weather, have great settings on face shield openings, very lite weight, probably safe in a crash, bill is adjustable, and best of all is how they handle the wind when you turn your head at speed.... I have a Shoei Hornet as well it does not handle the wind as good as the XD4, is heaver, face shield openings suck, bill does not adjust up and down, is hot in summer, goggles don't fit in it ether (M), $$$........... The good it's warm in winter, has great build quality, is much quieter than the XD, is safe............ PS they have changed since they first came out, they came with a bolt on chin bar....

Ah, the man and the reviews I was looking for and respect .

Ive rode with the XD4 for 2+ year now. . .started a bit tight, but broke in wonderfully. love it.

Bauked at the Arai and bought a Nishua Enduro carbon for half the price, very light but lots of noise the visor mechanism I didnt like. Before a long trip a couple of years ago bought the Arai and love it, is super comfortable for long trips, great ventilation and you can just crack the visor which is how I like to ride. You do get what you pay for in this case.

I cannot comment on Adventure helmet.... since I am not into this sort of riding YET! :)
BUT! once again, similarly as your video with the Boots (Gaerne hands down) I also use Arai.
I support quality, R&D and properly paid workers.
I will never support (Chinese,...) child labour with my hard earned money.
Ok back to my Arai experience. I have had sickening road accident in 2019. I was wearing Arai Signet-Q for the time of the crash. It is/was the only helmet that fits my long oval head properly. First impact was directly into the asphalt with the head with speed of approx. 100kmh, I got ragdolled on the road for approx 30m and then thrown into the woods, where I had to had 2nd impact into the tree. There were pieces of tree bark penetrated/stuck into the helmet, from here the assumption. I was on sick leave for 7months. The crash itself was so violent I cannot even express myself.
I fully recovered and started to ride again recently. I bought barnd spanking new Arai Quantum ST which is European version of the Signet-Q and it fits my melon like a glove.
My brand of choice, and it will always be. Arai. No affiliates whatsoever.
Have fun and take care of yourselves out there good people. Cheers from burning Europe!

Very happy with my XD4! Thanks for the review

I ride everywhere in an arai qv pro

I owned Bell when I was young. They made them here in California next my city. Then to Shoei for quite a while now on my 2nd Arai. No China crap for me. Sorry KTM, if a model is made from or in China game over.

I had the buzzing/whistling on mine. Tracked it to the brow inlet scoops. In the centre of the moulded scoop is a little pin. This vibrates at certain speeds. A little bit of tape stopped the vibration. I got the optional side plates for mine so i can ride without the peak for longer rides or when i ride my dedicated road bike. Saved buying a second helmet.

You seem to have a relationship with the team over at FFRC. Can you shed any light on their current business situation? I went looking to purchase their suspension products only to find their website is down, Facebook says they're not trading anymore, etc.

The NEXX Wed Adventure helmet I’ve found to be pretty the quality could be better maybe but Price and intercom is great

I managed to get Arai tour-cross 3(technically is xd-4 for local market) from Japanese online shop for 700nzd , using a forwarding company. It depends what shape of the head you are...

I'm on my third Arai , last two have been XD4. Newest is the Drudi Performance. For hard core off-roading where I know I am going to crash hard occasionally this is my choice. On my big adventure bikes I have been going back and forth between the Schuberth and the Touratech Aventuro Carbon2. They are both great modular helmets, once you go carbon fiber though, you will never go back to fiberglass. I would love to see Arai offer a carbon fiber option, it would be a big seller.

could not afford the $850 price, but also could not afford to ride without supreme comfort, and safety. Love my XD4. Worth going into credit card debt for.

Love my Arai. Only complaint is a strange helmet hair pattern but I just buzz my head for the riding season.

I’ve just had a 100kmh crash after hitting a roo wearing a Arai XD4. Chin smashed into tar road first contact with ground and performed perfectly. Badly scratched but intact. Very happy and have purchased another one. Between the Arai XD4 and my Klim badlands riding gear I basically got up and walked away. Destroyed riding gear so all has been replaced. I’m lucky to have many bikes but the best machine I own is my body and I buy the best gear available to protect it and this crash just proved to me that my decision was a good one.

I am sporting a Rocc 771 for now 4years. It was 200AUD /150€ new, ECE rated, has good ventilation, tinted flip down visor, Large opening for MX googles... It ticked, well still ticks all my boxes.

Love my Scorpion EXO AT-950, very versatile and fits great.

I'm moving back to Aus and after 12 years of various adventure bikes, your videos have made we want to go back to basics and skill up off road from the ground up.

What's a cheap dirt bike I can get in Aus to upskill on? Ideally road legal and fuel injection? Any ideas?

Getting back into riding after a long hiatus, this was my first helmet in quite awhile. Scored an XD4 based on a lot of reviews/comparo reports. While the XD4 wasn't a #1 choice in most comparos, it was consistently in the running. What attracted me to the Arai was the ventilation, which was always a plus point in every review. Living in the Southeast USA, summers are long and hot and humid; the XD4's copious ventilation is like having air conditioning. I do experience the "whistling" sound; scrunching down in the saddle just a bit makes it go away. I think it might be due to the airflow coming up over the short windscreen on the DR's front fairing; I'm going to try raising the windscreen just a bit. As far as noise levels, I have nothing to compare it to, so I used the reviews and comparos; regardless, I always wear earplugs. The other big attraction of the XD4 is it fits my head and is very comfortable. The build quality of the helmet is outstanding; mine ran about USD $700. The helmet I bought (2021) was DOT and Snell certified. My only gripe was the fact the XD4 comes with only a clear face shield. I would highly recommend getting the light grey tinted face shield as it will cut down on glare but not be so dark it compromises late afternoon, early evening rides. My helmet doesn't have pin lock. The visor lock is very good; no leaks. You do have to give a good push to get it to snap shut but you'll hear and feel it fully lock.

My progression was from HJC to Shoei for long distance riding and contemplated Schuberth. Inexpensive helmet for off-highway. There are some interesting qualities for different climates from "other" manufacturers.

I have the XD-4. It has a known problem where the visor optics distort. It’s worst on the periphery and when looking down. I highly recommend people try one on before buying it. For some it’s a deal breaker, for others it’s barely noticeable. I have installed a Pactalk Bold without any issues. The XD-4 also has an extension on the bottom of the chin section which extends towards your neck. This can reduce airflow into the face area which is nice for cold climates.

I've had mine for 5 years and it really needs new liners to tighten up the fit. That's normal for any helmet but no complaints. I use it for road touring and off road and have done 80.000 km in that time frame. Would I buy another, yes.

Oh I must have had two bad XD4’s in a row, twice the top vents have failed and on this one the chin vent has failed, try getting access to that warranty in Australia you get passed around between MCAS and “Arai” aka owned by the same company.

My xd4 fits my head perfectly and just works. I'm not even going to try to find a better helmet

One of the most important comfort features that I appreciate is a thin opening, first notch for the visor that stays there. How is the Arai on this issue?
Thank you,
S

XD4
Been using it for 30,000 km.
Highway, off-road, summer, winter.
The most comfortable helmet I have worn in 40 years of motorcycling.
Persevere with pinlock, they do fit if you take your time.
And if you don’t wear hearing protection on the highway no matter what helmet you wear you’re just asking for tinnitus.

Is there any degradation of protection as a helmet ages?

I've got an Aria XD4. I love it but I will say I do experience wind "whistle" at highway speeds. I will have to try and apply tape like you mentioned to see if I can remedy it. All around I love my Aria, also because of my more "Round" head shape. The removable liners to get the fitment perfect is also something I benefited from.

Keep up the solid, straight shooting videos.

I’ve found the HJC a good fit for me with limited wind noise and around $300. Also works well with camera gear and internal microphones

I have the Shoei Hornet 2, roomate has this XD4 helmet. Try going 80MPH which is the most common speed limit here in the United states, try looking straight up at that speed, then try it with tge Shoei Hornet 2, zero effect with the shoei, whiplash with the XD4. Yes its lighter, but the beak/vissor catches the wind. There is no comparison to how the wind effects it. I have tried both, no thanks ill keep my shoei over this any day of the week. Even if they offered this one to me for $300, nope, ill always keep my hornet again and again. On my 2nd one in about 10 years. Only cause i had a bad wreck and damaged my shoei enough to replace it. Just from my opinion and experience. My roomate regrets buying his after trying mine at 80mph.

I love mine, there is a high pitch humming sound if i look up and to the right, just a resonance thing.
The visor is not long but good to keep the sun off your brow in summer during the middle hours of the day

i use mainly bmw flip ups, over last 30 years, love them. BUT i just bought the new system 7 and GS bmw helmets online from germany and they were both to small.(same size as i usually buy) cant get them here in NZ and i noticed they are now made in thailand. ummmm
i have arai XD4 and arai motox, great helmets to.heavy but quality.
but my go to is the bmw flip up.

pretty sure an XD4 will be my next helmet. rode with a mX9 adventure for a long time and really liked it. took a big hit to the side on a rock on an off and barely scratched it. Changed to another bell helmet for road use it its the loudest helmet i've every worn, so I think I might be done with bell now. one thing I know, is that i'll never ride a helmet without a pinlock shield on it again. goddamn they are amazing at keeping it fog free on cold days.

Not just for adv riding... I have the XD4 and spent 40k miles riding in it, summer and winter. Excellent helmet for city commute and I also use it at the track pretty frequently on different bikes. Behaves extremely well at high speeds. Super comfortable, super wide FOV, ventilation is a dream. Downsides: the face shield is expensive and scratches easily, I had to cut the pinlock insert for installation and the large front vent cannot be fully closed (I have to tape it shut in the winter months)... Sound cheesy, but thanks to the XD4 I will refuse to buy any other brand than Arai.

I guess this is like tyres- everyone has a different experience... I had an XD-4 and it was deafening above 60kmh. Needed neck muscles like Arnie's biceps to stop the wind drag. But I guess this also depends on the bike and windscreen; my experience was on a 790 AdvR. Hated the fact you couldnt remove the internal padding to clean the dust and sweat. Terrible pinlock system and couldnt create a seal. Ventilation was good though. Went a Shoei Hornet next and its so much quieter but, by comparison, ventilation isnt as good, is slightly heavier, and much thicker larger padding around the cheeks.