cactus instead. I’ll start there, then: The Defiant Pro-
Cruise is just about the most comfortable helmet I’ve ever worn, and that includes doing a 14-hour day in 90-degree heat with 85 percent humidity. The Comfort Head Liner (fully removable, replaceable and washable) wicks sweat away from the head effectively, and the ventilation helps keep you cool by evaporating that sweat. While I left them in place, the Defiant Pro-Cruise has four sets of 5 mm peel-away layers – two each at the temples and one in each cheek pad. These are the real differences between a low-end helmet and a high-end one: comfort, customization and configurability. From a fit and finish standpoint, the
Defiant is everything you expect from Arai. There isn’t anything that looks out of place, every vent slider works crisply and predict- ably, every seam is sealed, and the paint is fantastic. This is the first matte-finished helmet I’ve ever owned, as well as the first mostly black helmet, but I like the interplay between the black sides and the gunmetal gray center. The pop of the orange stripes is nice, too, though in a perfect world they’d be much wider. The finish has so far proved to be resistant to everyday nicks and scratches and still looks good after several thousand miles of use and many days com- muting to work. There’s not a lot I think Arai could
improve on this helmet, but there is one thing. The strap with the D-rings on it could stand to be an inch longer; getting the strap cinched is a bit fiddly at first and takes some getting used to, especially if (like me) you have big hands. That brings me to another fiddly aspect of the Defiant. Because of how the SAI face shield is designed, it doesn’t open as wide as other brands, which makes it difficult to get my eyeglasses on. What I do is put the helmet partway on, put my glasses on, and then pull the helmet down into position before doing up the chin strap. I won’t get too into the Pro Shade face
shield that comes standard with the Defiant Pro-Cruise; for more info on that, see Ron Davis’ review of the updated Pro Shade in
the September 2015 Owners News. Because of the design of the Pro Shade, Arai had to redesign the brow vents on the face shield. The normal SAI shield has brow vents that rotate away from the face; the brow vents on the SAI Max-Vision with the Pro Shade on it slide up. The sliders work fine, but they’re fiddly and slightly difficult to oper- ate with gloves on. They’re nearly impossi- ble to move with the visor up. There are my three little fiddly com-
plaints, then – the short D-ring side of the chin strap, the narrow opening when the shield is up, and the brow vents. That’s a pretty short list for an expensive helmet. While I’m not planning on crash-testing
this helmet, I will say that I feel very secure wearing it while I ride. It is sturdy without being bulky and feels snug and protective without causing claustrophobia. The standout aspect of the Defiant hel-
met is its ventilation. There are nine intake vents – two on top; two on the brow; and the multi-function chin vent has five inlets. With the chin vent switch clicked to posi- tion one, air flows through the upper (long) slit vent, directing air up across the face shield to prevent fogging (although if you’ve installed the included Pinlock insert, this isn’t terribly necessary). In posi- tion two, the four larger vents open too, rushing a huge amount of air into the inte- rior of the helmet. There’s a mesh backing behind the slits to prevent any wayward bugs from getting in, a nice detail that I really appreciate. Even on the hottest days and in stop-and-go traffic, enough air moves through the helmet to keep me comfortable. Gushing about a helmet that costs more
than $700 isn’t difficult. The Defiant Pro- Cruise is a superb example of a high-end, high quality motorcycle helmet and it cer- tainly bolsters Arai’s record of excellence.
PROS: Excellent and configurable ventila- tion; high quality, tough external finish; incredibly comfortable inner lining
CONS: D-ring side of the chin strap could be longer; brow vents can be hard to manipulate; difficult to don eyeglasses.
October 2015 BMW OWNERS NEWS 25
For BMW MOA Members Only New, pre-ownedor
refinanced vehicle rates AS
LOW AS
3.25% FOR 60 MONTHS
Your BMW MOA exclusive contact is: Ray de Quintal at 800-284-8663, ext. 3040 or 201-546-2928 (cell) or
raydequintal@xcelfcu.org.
www.XCELfcu.org APR*
*APR=Annual Percentage Rate. Rates quoted are subject to change without notice. Not everyone will qualify for this rate. Other terms and rates are available based on our loan underwriting policies.
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