Retro motorcycle helmet review 

"BIlly- Say hello.." " Hello my name's Billy."

Finally someone who actually compares the retros face to face! I've been doing research for quite a while and this is seriously refreshing. I especially appreciate you bringing up the effects of each helmet in the rain, (no we don't all live in SoCal). You've hit all the main options and gone into great detail, including the AGVs issue with chin exposed. Subscribed!

I've had the Arai Rapide for 12 months now and I really like it. It's incredibly comfortable for me (Arai have always fitted my head well) and I like the retro looks without sacrificing safety and practicality. Ventilation is good, the brow vents flow air though the inside of the helmet to exit ports at the back pretty effectively.

Thank you for these insights and reviews! And most of all, thank you for being honest and straight forward with your opinions! Well done!!

Thank you for the nice presentation. You made me smile when you said that some of the helmets were only suited for going for a bacon sandwich Sunday morning. In 1978 I bought a cheaper version of the AGV X3000 and have used it on trips with my girlfriend as passenger from Denmark to Monaco on my Suzuki GT550 and to Milano and Venice on my Moto Guzzi 850 California. I'm still using that helmet. As you said, the visor isn't sealed, but you don't get any rain in as long as you are moving. When you learn to pack a scarf up under the helmet, the noise is actually less than in many modern helmets. I never have to use earplugs.

I've had a Bell Bullit, Biltwell Gringo and Nexx XG100. The Bell and Nexx have had a lot of riding time, the Gringo was bought and used for a couple of weeks until I decided it was shit (I have nothing positive to say about it) The Bell is lovely with the massive opening which makes it easy to see but it is noisy and a bit damp in the rain and I found the chin protection was a bit too close to my chin but you do get used to it eventually. Most importantly it did protect my head after a car pulled out in front of me when I was going about 50mph (walked away with a couple of bruises) which is why I replaced it and went for the Gringo to save money. After the Gringo mistake I would have gone back to the Bell but money saving was still important so opted for the Nexx, which I think is the best of the 3, I'd love the wide opening of the Bullit and it does fog up quite easily but an application of an anti mist spray sorts that out, as long as you don't drop the helmet while applying the spray and putting a big dent in it when it hits a sharp corner of the coffee table. No crash review of the Nexx thankfully. As a side note, I don't think the Gringo is road legal in the UK or at least it wasn't when I had it a couple of years ago (it didn't have a European safety test but did have the American version), that may have changed though.

As a short guy I totally appreciate the moment when you got the stool haha. I gotta keep one handy. I'll be damned if my freinds look cooler than me in my Instagram feed!

You guys make great vids! It was enough to convince me to come over a couple of weeks ago with my huge head to purchase a Schuberth c3 Pro. I've done a few hundred miles with it and i love it. Thanks guys

Great video i have been considering getting a retro helmet for use when riding my bsa goldstar 650 watching this i will stick with my agv k3 and admire my original Griffin clubman cx sitting on the shelf great in its day thank for some very useful information

Fun video I love all the helmet talk with demonstration I have a Triumph bonni and retro helmet is a must!! I went with Torc T 1 which is a great blend of these helmets 2023 Cheers mate Ca USA

First time viewer! Chris got you my sub right away! Hes like an Alan Partridge for motorcycle gear!

Brilliant review lads. Love the honesty! Love the Hedon too but it costs £750 now! 😮

SMK Helmets Retro Series, Great bang for the buck retro looking helmet 👍

Thank you. I found your review very educational and informative. It is great that you are prepared to pick a winner and not pander to your suppliers.

Davida Koura undeservedly forgotten! Thanks for video.

Just want to say, what top notch reviews and info

Weird, I'm brand new to riding and I went in to a shop and tried on nearly every helmet and the Bell Bullitt was the only one that was comfortable

Probably the most honest revew I ever had chance to check :) Tnx

I have two bell bullets and your right a uncomfortable, I have a x300 agv which is a cool helmet, it is a very small looking helmet and very comfortable lid. Bit noisy and no transitions visor or pinlock but great helmet, far superior to bell bullet.

Where’s the Shoei? They have one out now

Nice video/post gents. It was Sheen that drilled the hole to smoke his tab! Pointless lids really.

I feel like, the Biltwell Gringo helmet is for more the vintage Harley chopper guy. Those guys don't care too much about modern features. The visor could fall off and they would just go with sunglasses.

Nice. Suggestion - would have been great to hear about the safety ratings as you went.

Harry Potter and the professor doing reviews-bang on hilarious

Excelent review, accurate and useful! Also I learnt few infos I ognored about Agostini and his helmet ;)

Arai did move away from the side pods some years ago with the F1 inspired GP-5X which looks very good as a retro helmet especially with the Roland Sands Design graphics and if you check out the Sharps safety score is one of the safest motorcycle helmets ever made. It's just a shame they don't make it anymore.

Great, honest reviews, I like the way ML call it how it is, not sucking up to manufacturers. Be great if you gave a price point for all the products as you review them, not just the highest and lowest. The AGV X3000 has a pocket to store the removable vent, so you shouldn't lose it.

Maybe next time, could you give an indication of price?

These guys are crazy knowlegeable, I feel like i just heard two Technology Professors discussing the merits of retro helmets, haha.

It would be nice to discuss safety features. After all, we don’t wear helmets for any other reason but safety. They are not hats.

I love the Barry Sheene replica helmet, I saw him a few times in the 70's.

You should work on a TV, if you don't already. Awesome presenting style.

The best is nexx. Very very good helmet..

There is a little pocket for the vent seal inside the helmet for the AGV X3000

Lovely video. Which helmets would you recommend for BMW R9T now, in 2023?

It was Barry Sheene who had the hole in the front for the cigarette.

I love the flat part looks on Blauer

I think it's a very long stretch to call the Arai helmet "retro". Retro obviously means something different to you than to me.

Where is Simpson? Retro helmets without that iconic brand...

I've got a bell custom open face lid, with lovely Chemical Candy paint design. It's a beautiful helmet, and comes in a lovely retro holdall. Unfortunately it doesn't really fit my head, and it's difficult to wear sunglasses with. I think maybe you've either got a Bell shaped head, or you haven't. In the end I got a Daytona open face instead, which fits much better. It's plain gloss black though, and looks much cheaper than the Bell (it did cost 50% less, to be fair). Interesting to hear your take on the Arai visor covers. I have owned only one Arai. It cost me over £400 twenty years ago, a lot of cash then. It was a very light lid, but boy was it loud! And, just as you mentioned, those visor covers were a real pain and did break in the end. Which is why I never bought another Arai. Oh, I've still got the Bell if anyone's interested in it? It's a medium :)

Very informative!

I still have my 90s Arai, which is similar to the grey one in the video, is it still legal?

Wow! This is helpful.

Great video guys.

VERY cool helmet it's a rare breed i love the styles kinda space age you couldn't of PICKED a better poster of the best motorcycle raceing MOVIE EVER SHOT I HAVE WATCHED IT SO MANY TIMES LOVE IT LOTS OF PEOPLE SAY THE SAME THING

Did you try one of the Torc helmets? Looks like the Bell, 200 us dollars for the fiber?

PUT IT ON !!!

On the AGV my visor seals though its probably a later version. has a bead all around edge of seal. The vents work all the time when the visor is open and only in the summer would you remove the rubber strip. You failed to mention is a pocket along the edge of the left cheek pad to store said piece of rubber. You failed to mention the leather detailing on the exposed pads. My chins not exposed and besides wear a neck tube so would hide it anyway. You obviousy never tested it as rated one of the best for low wind noise. External exhaust vents make noises. Lack of ear speaker cut outs. Apart from Simpson crash helmets never had vented slots in the chin bar.

Excellent video, a lot of others just try and sell you each helmet, lots of information in this video thanks

An actual honest review pointing out all the pros and cons 🙏🏽

Great video! What is the brand and model of the brown leather jacket hanging on the rack to the left in the video!?

Thank you for this video, very informative! Do you have an opinion on the Torc T-9?

Swell he said it most of these helmets you pay for the name, l can not see many beginners pay big bucks for a helmets l own some expensive helmets l found the builtwell gringo does the job very nicely and a good looking retro for every day riding l use it as a open face for summer

Great video.

retro these are modern with a 70s ish paint job, i thought the retro look is 1940s50s and 60s to match 3/4 belstaff cafe racer leathers and engineer boots not 70s

Great video👍

Agv x3000 has been discontinued get them while you can I’ve got 2

Please review BEON retro modular helmet

Vintage sports bikes are still 😎

Great video Chris. As always vehicle knowledgeable, however, please get your facts right when it comes to the world's greatest pilots. That is a Barry Sheene replica not Agostini!! The clue is written on the back of the lid. It was also Sheene who drilled his chin bar for a fly smoke... I think you should rerecord this, otherwise the comments will be full of irate fans correcting you!!! Lol!! Still the best motorcycle outfitters on the planet..!

Viper do one as well, not sure how good it is....

Can you list them so I can save them on my notes

not everyone - i wear sports bike gear including 'nobbly gloves' - cos they are going to save my hands if i com off, oh and a full face helmet - cos they are the safest - and i ride a sports bike and i believe there is still a lot of us out there!!!

No Davida or Simpson ?

should update to include hjc v90

SO why not bring in the Urban Helmet from Brazil? Been thousands of miles on it and it's great.

I have a long oval head. Which is better for me the Bell Bullit or the Agv 3000? Thanks

I dont think the Nexx has a round fit. I religiously wear Shoei helmets and cant wear Bell. My Nexx fits well in the head but a little tight in the cheek bones.

18 minutes just to tell us how un-retro that Arai is. Arai designers probably thought that they are making a retro helmet if they paint it in plain colour. For me AGV x3000 all the way, by far more comfortable and reasonably well ventilated.

What about Torc and Viper helmets?

That Bell in that exact color scheme would give you the ultimate Jeffrey Dahmer look. Add your pair of light smoke sunglasses and you are all set up. 💀

The silver and leather helmet is the best looking one for a vintage motorcycle but none of them got a great review. The Arai logo is hideous.

Did the retro riders hate ventilation

Which helmet is smaller in shell size, agv x300 or arai rapide neo?

It's too bad the Arai isn't DOT approved and isn't sold in the US...

Whats the colourway of that Nexx GX100R?

Bell bullitt not for more than 100Kmh

I'll just slip into my high heels.... brilliant 😁😁

I've owned a Lazer, LS2, Arai, Bell, HJC, KBC and RXT - The LS2 and RXT fit best yet they were cheap junk while Bell and Arai were better quality overall. The HJC was absolute garbage made of the poorest materials known to man. Non of them are quiet nor do they offer decent let alone noticeable ventilation during a hot Australian summer. Lastly, it's so easy to drop a helmet by accident and dropping a $1000 lid is far more painful than dropping a $200 unit. These day's I expect little from any helmet and therefore buy what feels best.

the Hedon helmet is the stupidest priced helmet for what it is ..... nice helmet but no way i'd pay that price

in some parts of the world you can buy a motorcycle for the price of the hedon

Cool video but I can hear the camera man heavy breathing on the left earphone. Have him step back or breathe quieter

最舒服的是biltwell

The gringo is really designed for their Bubble visors IMO, they fix pretty much all the complaints and the gold tint looks amazing. The Agostini replica agv is beautiful I did hope we'd get a smoking chin bar in the sheene tbh.

You forgot Origine Vega Helmet

I think its ok to look back at style but definitely not safety.

So what's the name of that Arai?!

Lovely Hemp.. Heh...Helmets 😆👍

ARAI Defiant X is the answer

Where's Shoei JO?

You should always 1. Put the stuff on 2. give an estimated price of the products you're reviewing.

Best "retro" helmet ever = Qwart Phoenix !!

Hey look, we have 6 bad helmets.

So retro helmets basically suck. Luckily I have only worn Arai helmets for 25 years!

So if you buy one of these helmets you will be miserable because your head will boil to death in the summer because all of these don’t have proper ventilation and be blind while it steams up when it rains because they all leak, and all of them are nowhere near as safe as a modern helmet. Just buy a modern Arai or Shoei, I guess if you have to go with style over substance the retro Arai is the only one that will save your life.

hello billy

Why do people have to look like Wallace out of Wallace and Grommet selling anything old looking.

The best retro helmet is to wear the original Bell Star from the 70’s. And the best retro bike are “real” old bikes.

Viper f656

👍🏽👍🏽