The HJC RPHA 70 bridges full sport and touring helmets
It is built upon the HJC RPHA 11’s principles
Lightweight, comfortable, safe, at a great value
HJC Helmet Malaysia have also introduced other models besides the RPHA 70 – click here to see more
It’s probably needless to say that motorcycle helmets have come a long, long way to where they are now. But along with that progress, helmets have become sub-divided into many categories for different uses. Gone were the days when a rider could almost wear just one helmet for every application (off-road riding notwithstanding).
Nowadays, you’d have specific helmets for the track, sport-touring, adventure-touring, touring, sport classics, cafe racers, customs, urban riding, and everything else in between.
We’ll pick the first two.
A race helmet should ideally be light, stable at high speeds, and snug-fitting. Comfort is relative, as a race helmet should hold tight to the wearer’s face and head, lest it moves around when blasting down SIC’s back straight at top speeds.
A sport-touring helmet, on the other hand, should provide all-day comfort, good ventilation and also good stability at high speeds. The emphasis for sport-touring helmets is comfort, something which is a compromise in racing helmets.
Bridging that gap is never easy, as the resulting helmet is more often than not compromised for either spectrum. So how? You need both.
Or do you?
Built on the solid foundations of the HJC RPHA 11 race helmet (see here for more), the HJC RPHA 70 seeks to bridge those two concepts into one complete high performance package.
As with the RPHA 11, the RPHA 70’s shell is made from a what HJC calls their “Premium Integrated Matrix Plus (PIM+)” material, which consists of carbon fibre, Aramid, fiberglass and Kevlar; resulting in a lightweight but strong shell. The EPS has different densities around the helmet.
Traces of the RPHA 11’s design philosophies are evident in the RPHA 70’s tall chinbar, aerodynamic shell design, optically correct 2D faceshield with the centrally-located lock (which it shares with the RPHA 11), and interior paddings, in addition to the cheekpads that are extractable in emergencies.
Sport-touring features include the internal drop-down sunshield and large vents on the chinbar and crown (top of the head). The are deep cutouts for the ears, closed off by padding. Remove those pads and you have yourself built-in velcro pads to attach your Bluetooth speakers (I really welcome this).
The cheekpads are thick and tall. There are eyeglass “pockets” on both sides – spectacles wearers will welcome this. The crown pad is also thick and seems to float a couple of milimetres above the inner EPS lining.
Our first opportunity to sample the RPHA 70 was during the ride to Penang to cover the BMW Motorrad Nightfuel event (click here for our coverage and pictures). We rode a myriad of bikes including three variants of the R nineT, S 1000 R naked sportbike, K 1600 GT tourer, and G 310 R lightweight roadster. That means we rode on more bikes without fairing for wind protection.
The BMW S 1000 R was fast! You’d drone along at 60km/h in sixth gear, hit the throttle and you’re suddenly flying at 180km/h. But there was no wind protection. This was where the RPHA 70 showed its mettle. It stayed stayed stable without wobbling around, nor did it felt like ripping our heads off when we turned to the sides. Besides that, it resisted lifting and diving
Sep was testing the BMW G 310 R all the way into Penang (with top speeds close to 170km/h) and he reported the RPHA 70 being stable, too.
The HJC RPHA 70 is also relatively quiet at high speeds even without earplugs, which meant that I didn’t have to turn up my Bluetooth communicator’s volume to full blast, and it’s definitely a pleasant experience with earplugs in.
The sunshield dropped down and retracted quickly when activated via the switch at the bottom of the left chinbar. As with the main faceshield, the sunshield is optically correct, which means it won’t give you headaches from bad vision. My only gripe with the sunshield is that the bottom edges drop ever so slightly when its up, although Sep didn’t encounter this problem.
Airflow through the Advanced Channelling System (ACS) can be described as good and satisfactory. Air entering through the chin vents is directed upwards to the faceshield. A secondary and smaller chin vent directs airflow straight to wearer’s chin and mouth (the switch is on the inside). With the top central vent open, the wearer could feel a cooling stream of air moving past his crown.
We had encountered some rain on the way into Penang, and we thought we’ve come through the worst.
On that same evening, we rode from our hotel at Gurney Drive to the event ground next to the new Penang Bridge, when we got hit by the heaviest rainstorm we’ve ever encountered. There wasn’t even time to close the vents but thankfully, no water got through and the faceshield remained clear as we’ve installed the anti-fog lens which came in the box.
We’ve since donned the helmet everywhere we went, including riding around the city in all weather conditions and times of the day. As with most fullface helmets, the air inside could get a little stuffy on scorching hot days but all one needs to do is crack open the faceshield a little or, just ride faster.
Back to the subject about track usage: Not only does the HJC RPHA 70 comply to the ECE R22.05 standard, but it is also approved by the FIM. Approval by the FIM means the wearer could use the helmet for FIM-sanctioned racing events. That’s unprecedented, as most if not all, FIM approved race helmets are without built-in sunshades.
So, there you go. A real two-in-one helmet at one great value.
HJC Helmet Malaysia telah memperkenalkan model-model terbaru ke rangkaian ekstensif helmet 2017.
Rangkaian ini juga termasuk watak komik Marvel tambahan.
Pastikan anda mengikuti peraduan hadiah mingguan HJC Helmet Malaysia.
HJC has long been known as the helmet maker who produces world-class helmets and offering them at lower prices to consumers.
The Korean helmet manufacturer have tied up with Marvel Comics and Disney Films in recent times, resulting in helmets with rightly distinctive designs and graphics from famous franchises such as Venom, Iron Man, Spiderman, and Star Wars characters Kylo Ren and Boba Fett. Find out more by clicking here and here.
It didn’t stop there and HJC Malaysia showed off a few models and graphics recently
CS-15 “Spiderman”
The CS-15 is HJC’s entry-level helmet which replaced the popular CL-STII range. Comfortable and relatively quiet, the CS-15 range it earmarked for riders who are moving up the motorcycle capacity ladder and want a full-face helmet that doesn’t break the bank. However, in terms of classification, HJC calls the CS-15 a sport-touring helmet.
Features
Advanced Polycarbonate Composite Shell is lightweight
Removable and washable interior pads with NYLEX
Anti-UV and anti-fog faceshield
Quick-release faceshield mechanism
Advanced Channelling Ventilation System (ACS) ensures cooling airflow
Glasses groove
Micro adjustment buckle
ECE R22.05 certification
IS-17 “Deadpool”
With advent of Marvel Comics’ graphics, many HJC and fans of the movie have been asking if there will ever be a Deadpool helmet.
Well, your prayers have been answered.
Shown here is the IS-17 Merc-with-a-Mouth aka Deadpool. The IS-17 is more of a jack-of-all-trades, standing in as the helmet for all riders from the daily commuters to sport-touring to track riding. HJC has invented much in building their own wind tunnel and as a result, the IS-17 is built to be aerodynamic and relatively quiet. The helmet includes a one-touch drop-down sunshield.
Features
Advanced Polycarbonate Composite Shell is lightweight
One-touch integrated sunshield
Anti-scratch anti-UV faceshield
RapidFire Shield Replacement System for ultra-quick faceshield replacement
2-stage faceshield closure system with one-touch centrally-located lock
Advanced Channelling Ventilation System (ACS) ensures cooling airflow
SuperCool interior with anti-bacterial, moisture-wicking fabric
Crown padding and cheeckpads are removable and washable
ECE R22.05 certification
RPHA 70 ST “Grandal”
Want a helmet that’s comfortable, stable and quiet while touring, but also one which is lightweight, stable while blasting down the straight at top speed, and certified for trackdays? You have to choose from either type to fit your requirements but the RPHA 70 ST has bridged that gap. Built on the principles of the RPHA 11 race helmet, the RPHA 70 ST is certified by the FIM for track use, making it the true 2-in-1 helmet.
Features:
Advanced P.I.M. Plus (Premium Integrated Matrix Plus) construction: carbon fiber, Aramid, carbon-glass hybrid fabric for enhanced shock resistance
Anti-fog smoke tinted sunshield deploys quickly
RapidFire system for quick, tool-less faceshield removal and installation
Emergency cheek pads removal
Multicool interior with advanced anti-bacteria fabric provides enhanced moisture wicking and quick drying