Whether you ride off-road a lot, a little or not, light, comfortable head gear is a real plus. And, if it can have a little style, that’s not bad either. The Italian-made Airoh Terminator Monster helmet brings those things together in one helmet.
Despite being a full-face helmet with a removable duck-bill sun visor, the Airoh Monster weighs only about 1.06kg (2.3lb). The main factor in the weight is the multiaxial cabon & Kevlar fiber composite shell. A lip extends from the bottom edge of the rear of the helmet, which adds rigidity and the chin bar is contoured to add rigidity up front. The exterior finish over the shell is flawless and eye-catching in the Monster Energy racing livery. The “Airoh” marque is displayed in prominent white graphic across the back of the helmet.
The shell is ventilated by vents at each side of the top of the opening and two small vents inside the opening. Four large vents at the rear of the helmet’s crown and four more under the lip at the bottom of the back edge of the shell extract air flow. Screened openings at the front of the chin bar maximize air flow into the face piece of the helmet.
Much of the interior is light-colored (which may not necessarily be the best choice for use in the dirt), breathable, washable synthetic material that is smooth and not plush like some helmet liners. The liner material makes the helmet slide on and off with particular ease. The interior features the “Airoh emergency system,” which allows rapid removal of the cheek pieces from each side of the helmet using bright red fabric loops that protrude from the bottom of the helmet. Three plastic snaps hold the cheek pads in place. Removal of the cheek pieces makes emergency helmet removal easier and safer; a particular benefit if the helmet is used in competition.
The red tabs at the base of the helmet are for the Airoh emergency system.
The retention system is heavy duty nylon strap with double D-ring closure. The nylon strap is also white, meaning it will get that very used look in a hurry if it is opened and closed with grimy gloves or hands.
Using the Airoh with goggles can be a bit of a snug fit depending on the overall height of the goggle. This aspect is very user-specific, but in my case, I tried three different brands of goggles and found each to be snug a fit over the bridge of my nose inside the helmet, so if you get an Airoh Terminator Monster, it may be helpful to take the helmet along for fit testing when selecting goggles to assure good fit inside the helmet.
The Airoh Terminator model meets Economic Community Europe (ECE) 22.05 helmet standard for safety. It is available from www.Burnoutitaly.com for about $500.