SSB Tested: Vemar and Scorpion Helmets
I'll admit it--I'm a sucker for Arai helmets, and for good reason. Arai is generally regarded as the gold standard of high-end headgear, the lightest, rightest helmets with the best fit, ventilation and sound management available.So it says something that my various brand-A lids sat mostly ignored last summer in favor of the new Vemar VSR Chrome. Although Vemar is a new name in America, the Italian manufacturer has been making top-end helmets for more than 30 years--experience that shows in the VSR.
For starters, the VSR feels great on your head thanks to short side skirts and an extra-large eyeport that makes the helmet seem to disappear. A 3.3-pound weight (compared to 3.5 pounds for a same-size, similarly priced Arai Quantum) helps here as well. Vemar wins with the small details, too--the "no-fog" visor is impossible to cloud, ventilation is as good as anything we've experienced and the fit-and-finish (especially the "chrome" paint) is flawless. And the pull-tab visor release couldn't be simpler--it makes clumsy brand-A systems seem Cro-Magnon (really, Arai, it's time for a revision...). Of course, all these superlatives don't come cheap--at $499.95, the VSR Chrome is priced with the best, right where it belongs. At the other end of the price spectrum is the Scorpion EXO-400, another new helmet that impressed us, offering functions and features that seem more in line with helmets that cost twice the EXO-400's bargain, $139.95 price ($60 more gets you the lighter EXO-700 with a fiberglass/Kevlar shell). Featuring a polycarbonate shell with removable, washable pads, the EXO-400 has a no-fog shield every bit as functional as the Vemar's, and a clever tool-free SpeedShift shield-change system that instantly and easily pops off the shield. Bonus: Scorpion helmets are customizable with flashy liner kits (leopard, zebra, camo and other prints), mirrored shields in five colors and chromed SpeedShift twist grips. The Scorpion isn't the lightest, coolest or quietest helmet, but it is among the cheapest, with features that allow it to compete with much more expensive helmets--making it a great value. www.vemar-usa.com; www. scorpionusa.com
Brake It Down
Got blocks with your stoppies? Want blocks with your stoppies? Take a tip from some of the country's top stunters and dial in some fresh brake pads from Ferodo, the pad of choice for Crazy Dan Jackson, Thew Blankstrom, Darius Khashabi and others. For the ultimate stunt setup, our connections inside Ferodo recommend the SinterGrip ST pads up front and Platinum pads in the rear. The SinterGrip STs are HH+ rated (the highest coefficient of friction available) and offer extra-controllable stopping power thanks to an advanced sintered compound that reduces brake drag compared to other HH pads for less thermal buildup and longer pad life. The $54.95 Platinum pads feature 100 percent organic friction material that offers excellent initial brake response and linear, consistent feedback, plus a special zinc-coated backplate to reduce piston sticking and other heat-related complaints, making this the perfect pad for dragging the rear brake during long, slow wheelies. www.www.braketech.com.com
Footgear
Don't let a grimy shift peg scuff up your sporty new kicks--wrap those rascals with ShuBandit's new "Shifter Skinz" shoe protector, which goes around any shoe or boot and protects it from damage during upshifts. Available in six colors with a no-slip shifter pad on the inner surface to improve traction against the lever, the $17.95 Shifter Skinz use an adjustable, industrial-strength hook-and-loop fastener and double elastic straps to fit all kinds of footwear, and come in six colors to match your bike, kicks or both. www. shubandit.com
Shock Therapy
Heat can make you do stupid things, "just this once" stuff like riding without a jacket on a hot day, risking a serious dose of road rash. One way to beat the heat and avoid such dangerous decisions is by donning the Shock Racing "Freon," a fully vented textile jacket with polyester mesh chest panels for max airflow on the road. All impact points on the $110 Freon are covered in high-density Cordura for abrasion resistance, and CE-approved armor throughout protects you from the pavement while a removable liner extends the jacket's range for nighttime or off-season rides. Get more info on Shock Racing jackets at www.shockracing.com, and as long as you're surfing the site, check out its value-packed gloves, such as the "Shorty" shown here. The Shorty incorporates a Kevlar-reinforced palm, carbon-fiber knuckle armor and precurved, vented fingers to keep your little piggies from becoming bacon. The way-cool kit is just $43; for $70 you can have all the same features in the gauntleted, race-ready GP1. Shocking. www. shockracing.com
Head Case.
First things first: This is not a backpack--it's a Helmet Pack, get it? Got it? Good, because Shoei seems especially particular about differentiating its latest cargo carrier from the garden-variety knapsack, seeing how this piece is optimized with features designed expressly for protecting high-buck headgear when you're kickin' it at the bike night or stunt spot. In addition to internal cargo pockets and a removable cell-phone case, the expandable $89.95 Helmet Pack incorporates a helmet-sized main compartment with a padded interior and no-scratch nylon zippers to protect fancy paint and a detachable shield case allowing you to take up to two additional face shields along for the ride. Further increasing functionality are adjustable chest and waist belts to keep the pack in place and "air mesh" back and side panels to reduce drag and lift. www.shoei-helmets.com