Ok so just for interest and curiosity, what did we all get for Christmas 2025? I'll start it off..... My wife is an excellent cook and nearly spends as much time in the kitchen as I do in the workshop, so I bought her an etched handmade knife for her birthday. She's now returned the idea with a knife I pointed out from the same bespoke manufacturers, Stuart Mitchell from Sheffield, as a Christmas present to me. What a lovely surprise and a nicely made unique knife. Already in service on the Boxing day Lamb
I was lucky enough to get a bit of a windfall this Christmas and have ordered the helmet I have been obsessing about ever since it came out......it will be worth the wait, delivery expected in March....
No need to tell you what i got as i get every day and i have posted about the Honda. My Darling Tracy just keeps saying just get it.
Good old Amazon - looks pretty good, and won't get any serious use as it's only for a few weekends away each year!
A great choice, it has the same theme as my helmet, the history behind the graphics is extremely interesting, and there is a huge cult following in Japan. My younger son has a really good knowledge of the history and customs. I saw that helmet at Motorcycle Live. Shoei does a personal custom fitting service at a number of retail outlets, from memory it works out around £50, but it seems well worth the money. I hope you really enjoy the helmet. Personally, I prefer the Shoei helmets to those of Arai any day.
I saw it at Motorcycle Live too and liked it even more . I have tried Arai helmets on but my head shape is just wrong for them; the XS is massive side - to side on me in Arai even thought it is on paper for the same size head circumference as a Shoei XS. I am certain I will enjoy it, thank you .
I've got 2 Arai helmets. The latest is flawed because the visor opening mechanism is far too fiddly, which means I usually ride with it cracked open so that I can open it fully when I stop (at lights, etc) without a struggle. Also switching visors is ridiculously complicated. It's Arai being unnecessarily clever. Unless they change the visor issue I won't buy another one.
It will be four when this one arrives, expected end of Feb / start of March. First full price one I have ever ordered. I did notice several days after I ordered it that Sportsbikeshop had dropped the price by £125....so I emailed them and they have refunded me the difference which is very good of them.
Funnily enough, the friend I met up with yesterday has recently got an Arai (the beautiful Taka Nakagami rep the I have loved for years!) and she was telling me that she had real difficulty opening the visor as it was so fiddly.....
Excellent choice! I, too, have both along. I was stuck in a remote place with a flat rear tire (and riding 2-up). Those would have saved me from hours of working out a remedy.
It depends what she actually means by "fiddly"? Stiff? Has she dripped the silicone oil (little bottle supplied with helmet) on the hinges, literally dripping wet with the stuff? It makes a significant difference and opening/closing of the visor is so much easier.
