Arai tops J.D. Power survey for 10th year running

Photo: Basem Wasef

Arai came first in the J.D. Power and Associates Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Study for the 10th consecutive year, the research firm announced yesterday. 5,386 purchasers of new 2007 model year helmets were asked to evaluate their overall satisfaction based on 11 different criteria. Those results are then totaled and helmet brands are ranked on a 1,000-point scale. Shoei, with 816 total points, came a close second to Arai’s 819. Icon came third with 806.
The criteria owners were asked to evaluate are: quietness; ventilation/air flow; de-fogging; face shield ability to keep wind out; face shield ability to resist scratching; ease of replacing face shield; scratch resistance of shell; color/graphic design; weight; ease of fastening the strap; and comfort/fit. The survey does not evaluate safety and did not include all brands of helmet available, a notable exception being AGV/Dainese.

A couple of additional interesting points were discovered in the survey’s data. Overall satisfaction with helmets is up, averages for all 11 criteria are at their highest since the study’s 1999 inception. Also, the perceived value of a helmet increases with its purchase price, in other words, among the respondents, more expensive helmets were deemed worth the expense.

J.D. Power