Arai Tour XD-5: Versatility Via Evolution
The delivery of my new Arai Tour XD-5 suffered the usual calamity of Spanish mail: lost, then found, then lost, then found again. Opening the box and getting my first glimpse of the Discovery Blue color scheme and that first whiff of new lining erased my frustration and gave rise to the joy of a brand-new helmet. It felt like Christmas.
Lightweight and stylish, the Tour XD-5 has all the attributes of Arai’s hard-earned reputation for quality construction with an emphasis on comfort. Although regarded as an adventure helmet, Arai markets the Tour XD-5 as being equally adept for on-road/touring use.
The Tour XD-5’s chin bar has been widened by 5mm to make pulling it on and off easier, while the nose deflector provides more room to accommodate goggles. One of the major modifications is the VAS-A visor (borrowed from the RX-7V street helmet), which was adapted to maximize the helmet’s ability to disperse impact energy over a larger surface area. The sun visor, rear spoiler, and raised forehead logo will also detach upon impact to help avoid snagging and twisting the head.
The face shield can be changed without tools. This is a welcome addition over older versions that required a screwdriver or coin. Also, the sun visor can be removed if the occasion calls for it. To secure the shield without the visor, however, still requires a screwdriver. The face shield is Pinlock-ready to accept accessory inserts.
A visored helmet for touring greatly reduces sun glare, which is especially beneficial when riding directly into afternoon sun. The aerodynamic openings of the Tour XD-5’s sun visor provide generous airflow and avoid trapping at freeway speeds, which can cause buffeting. The face shield has a clasp that firmly secures proper sealing, yet is easily snapped open with a flick of the raised thumb nib—even with gloves on.
The routed guides for raising and lowering the face shield provide smooth operation with secure closing, as well as a dependable fixed open setting. You can adjust the opening of the shield to suit airflow, but there are no dedicated grooves to guarantee the hold. Arai provides a range of accessory face shields beyond the standard clear one, including semi and dark tint, as well as blue, green, red, and silver.
The Tour XD-5 provides airflow from four manually operated three-position vents on the external chin bar, interior chin bar, rear foil, and crown. They feed from a forehead induction located in the logo. Air wraps the head, providing an efficient flow over the neck, along the temples, and over the scalp. The chin bar vents are easily operated with gloved hands while riding, whereas the crown and rear vents take a little practice to master.
The inner chin vent drives air directly to your mouth and helps considerably with defogging the visor. In crosswind situations, there was some slight turbulence that created a thumping on the ears, but I could rectify that by altering the vent settings. The shell, styrofoam inserts, and interior padding provide decent noise suppression. You can remove the interior for washing or replacing, with cheek and temple pads allowing for some adjustability for optimal fit.
The bottom line? The new Arai Tour XD-5 is a versatile helmet, the easily removed sun visor transforming it from ADV to street mode fairly effortlessly. The helmet is equipped with prominently marked emergency release tabs. The Tour XD-5 continues the successful lineage of Arai’s X-series, the improvements refining an already proven design with more functionality and ease of use.
Arai Tour XD-5 Helmet
$949.95
Sizes: XS-XXL
14 color options