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Arai Condor Black Frost Helmet - Bob Pickett goes for the understated look with Arai's matt-black step up from budget level helmet. Is he happy? We're not too sure…

Arai Condor Black Frost - subtle it certainly is... but is it any good? If you look at the Arai range, the Condor tucks into the lower end of their price range; rather like the Arai RV that previously took care of my noggin. So as we're looking at the same end of the range, I think it only fair to do a bit of comparison while reviewing the Condor.

If you look at the kit I've reviewed for Motobke.co.uk over the last few years, you'll notice I tend to go for the understated look. I don't need some flashy, dayglo apparel to advertise myself. And the Condor Black Frost fits this criteria perfectly. The matt black finish gives it that look that makes it stand out in a quiet, look once and not notice but look again and think "Hmm, that is a nice effect" kind of way.

The quality of finish is something that always impresses me with an Arai - and the Condor scores here as well. Perhaps the matt finish isn't as lustrous as the deep glossy one on the RV, but as long as I don't do anything dumb like brush against brickwork, it should stay looking good for ages to come.

What really impresses me with this helmet is the weight distribution. That might sound boring and utterly anorak, but think about this; the Condor weighs the same as my previous RV at approximately 1450 grammes. But due to the vastly improved way the weight is distributed, it feel like a much lighter helmet - and if you're covering long distances, then that is going to make for a much more comfortable and less tiring riding experience.

Add the above to the superb comfort levels - first put on, go "Ow, that is really squeezing", then take off and put on again and think "Ooh, that seems better already". It just adjusts to your head really quickly and continues to hold you close from there on in. I know my previous RV was still hugging in a firm, but comfortable way after four years and the Condor looks like it will continue that feeling of comfort aligned with just the right level of grip, five months into its' working life.

And the Condor came with the superb Pinlock visor attachment (thank you nice man at the J&S stand who fitted it for me). If you take a look at the review elsewhere on this site, you'll see we raved about Pinlock - and for good reason. It never mists up. I've tried. I've gone out in the coldest, wettest conditions I can find, doing my best to breathe all over it… and it stays clear. Thinking about visors, this leads me into peripheral vision - and the Condor is good, very good in fact. The RV didn't provide such a wide range of view, which led to the odd uncomfortable surprise - but the Condor gives me all the view I need.

So far, I've had nothing but good words to say about the Condor. So are there any downsides? Sadly, yes. The venting is a letdown. The exit venting is fine (one on top of the head and another at the back) seem to do the job of allowing air to circulate nicely. But the inlet venting is poorly positioned. The one on the front top of the helmet is perfectly placed… to gust air down your forehead and right into your eyes. I simply cannot use it. If I do need to let some air in, I use the two point adjustable chin vent - OK, this scoops air up and over my mouth (and really is supposed to be to circulate air over the visor), but I find this a far less obtrusive and uncomfortable option.

I have not opened up the visor vents on the Condor. But I used to use these on the RV when things got hot (referring back to Kevin Turner's review of the 05/06 version, he found the visor vents gave him problems with contact lenses - I'm a fellow lens wearer and never had any trouble on that score).

And it is noisy. Much noisier than the RV and, it has to be said, noisier than some much cheaper helmets I've owned over the years. I get the feeling the top vent has something to do with this. If you tip your head at the wrong angle and it seems like the collector on top of your head just gets air rattling around inside it - and decent speeds it sometimes feels like air is still being forced in, even with the vent closed.

Verdict: Overall, I'm happy enough with the Arai Condor. It is comfortable to wear - I've ridden in it for close to six hours without feeling uncomfortable. It makes me feel like my head is being looked after. But I just wish they'd improve the position of the vents and see if they can do something about the quality of the soundproofing.

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