The HJC RPHA 70 ST is a well thought-out and carefully designed helmet. And it looks pretty cool too! The visor change is excellent – one press of a lever and it’s off, with subsequent replacement just as easy. It delivers put-on-and-forget levels of comfort with plush padding and a soft anti-bacterial liner that cossets the head. There’s room inside for spectacle arms without faffing around removing slices of foam, as you need to on some helmets. complete with ALL tags in place, helmet bag, manual, protective plastic on visor and any other associated parts supplied.

Childrens helmets are available in a variety of sizes depending on the Manufacturer, but they are generally : It scored just above average when the European version of the RPHA 70 ST was tested by the UK SHARP testing labs (see here for 4 & 5 star rated helmets) but it is universally praised for its comfort and quietness. The RPHA 70 is not perfect, with some issues that I’ll get to later, but the riding experience is mostly very reassuring. For reference - I wear a medium Shoei RF-1200, and it fit's absolutely perfect. The medium 70ST was pretty darn close to the same fit. I tried on a GT Air I before buying the RF, it almost ripped my ears off just trying to get it on/off. Once on, the GT Air fit good, not quite a good as the RF. If the ear issue wouldn't have been there, I probably would have bought the GT Air. A poorly fitting helmet may not only be uncomfortable, more noisy and may move around when riding if too big or give headaches etc if it is too small, it is also dangerous. A helmet simply will not protect or perform as designed if the head inside it is not snuggly fitted against the impact absorbing material inside the shell.Note, in Europe the RPHA 70 ST drops the ST (Sports Touring) and is sold as the plain RPHA 70, though it’s the same helmet. All in all, the RPHA 70 ST is a great all-rounder that owners seem to be very well pleased with. Alternatives to the RPHA 70? In addition there are front-facing vents either side of the crown, though I can’t tell the difference between having them open and closed. This is not an issue as the other vents do an impressive job of drawing in enough airflow to regulate temperature on the inside.

Obviously, it’d be great to see a top SHARP test result so we know it’s gonna protect your noggin. Helmet Noise But now the RPHA 70 ST has been on the market for a while, owners give the ventilation nothing but praise – saying you can really feel the ventilation on your head, really keeping your head cool on hot days. Now, we don’t want to over-promise here and you should still expect to wear ear plugs if you buy an RPHA 70 ST, but we didn’t find a single opinion other than along the lines of ‘damn, that’s a quiet helmet’. Ventilation With the RPHA 70 ST, these top vents are actually both intake AND exhaust vents. Bizarre. The switches on the top/size vents are also there to help regulate, not only the amount of cold air entering the helmet but the amount of warm air exiting it too. HJC call it a ‘wire type’ sun visor meaning (I think) it’s more controllable – not just giving the options of either fully up or fully down but allowing you to drop it down as much as you like.Another thing to bear in mind, is that a helmet in say size Medium from one Manufacturer may fit completely differently to a Medium from another Manufacturer. Therefore we would always recommend travelling to a dealer to try a number of different brands to get the perfect fit for your head shape. There’s also the Octar, the Dipol, Grandal and Lif graphics – most available in at least two or three different color combos. Of course, impact resistance is only one half of the equation when it comes to an effective crash helmet (with energy absorption being the other half) and if you look at the SHARP safety tests covering HJCs you can see they’ve a mixed bag of results.

On the inside, you’ll find the usual removable/washable lining that you find in all but the cheapest helmets (and increasingly even in the cheapest of the cheap helmets!) and you’ll also find a glasses groove to help riding in shades and glasses more comfortable. Same Grandal design as above but this time in green. It’s rare that we come across a particularly quiet helmet. Usually, one person’s quiet helmet is another’s noisiest helmet they’ve ever used! The RF-1200 does sometimes try to scrape the top of my ears if I don't remove it juuuust right, but the GT-Air was brutal. I had to look in the mirror the first time I took it off, it felt like it had torn both ears off the side of my head. It's definitely on the narrower side, at least where it matters most for comfort for me (the ears).

Sizing - Please Note : These Helmets come up on the small side, so if you are in between sizes we would suggest trying a size up. Helmet city are not responsible if the helmet does not fit. MOMO Our Helmets are sent out in Brand New boxes, items clearly damaged in transit should not be accepted as once signed for, are accepted as delivered complete and undamaged . Helmet City cannot be held responsible for any damage discovered after the item has been signed for. The internal sun visor is excellent with good coverage, a strong tint and an easy operation via a chunky slide switch under the rim on the left-hand side of the shell. It’s also anti-mist treated, which sadly isn’t all that common on bike helmets. South Korean helmet maker, HJC, has been producing motorcycle helmets for about 45 years now, and are known for providing decent quality, affordable crash helmets. Some Brands have specific Medium sizes, for example Roof, which can give a very accurate fit if you are that size, for example :

They’ve also designed it so the switch is further forwards and easier to reach (much better than on the top/rear of the helmet) and made the slider nice and ridged so it’s easy to operate in gloves. We were initially pretty cynical about the venting arrangement – thinking could well be a cost-saving exercise (easier and cheaper to manufacture/fit intake and exhaust vents at the same time). If you want a great brand, you could try the Shoei Ryd (only available after Spring 17) – or for something more tried and tested, how about the Shoei GT Air– it’s a great helmet with some excellent features, only let down by a SHARP 3 star test result.But the word on the RPHA 70 ST seems to be pretty unanimous. This is one helluva quiet helmet. it sounds like HJC has worked some kind of alchemy with the aero and padding because not only is it reportedly one of the quietest helmets around, but that noise doesn’t seem to increase even when the vents are open. With its chunky mouldings and and aero-influenced spoilers, the HJC RPHA 70 looks about as modern and purposeful as any helmet on the market today. The cheekpads have emergency release tabs, which is an important feature to many riders, and foam inserts fill recesses designed to accommodate intercom speakers… until you want to put speakers in there and can pull the inserts out to make room. If you are generally happy with the fit, leave the helmet on for a good length of time to ensure it is not pressing in places that are not immediately apparant. If a helmet is really pressing on your forehead this can sometimes cause a headache over time so it may be worth trying another size or brand.