An insight into Arai

Q: What kind of bikes do you ride?

A: At the moment I own a Triumph Speed Triple and I can also use the Ducati my father, Michio Arai, owns. Nice thing is we have several different brands and models available at the company, that’s why we have experience on many types of bikes. 

Q: How does it feel to be the manager and owner of such a great and famous brand of helmets?

A: Michio Arai is president of the company. My function is that of managing director. As the third Arai generation, I am getting more and more involved in our family business. It’s a very dynamic company and it is just very exciting to work here. This is a true family operated company with dedicated people and it’s the team that makes it the leading premium helmet brand it is today. A position we achieved by focusing only on developing and producing helmets.

Q: Could you please explain how the Japanese culture and heritage influence your helmets?

A: Hirotake Arai, my grandfather, was an enthusiastic rider himself. He started to make helmets for his own use and this is still the idea behind our production today. At that time no fiberglass motorcycle helmets existed on the Japanese market. This philosophy, of making helmets as if for our own use, is a rich heritage from my grandfather. This passion lives on in the dedication of the people that make our helmets today. It’s not just work. They really feel responsible for what they are creating; a premium helmet, handmade in Japan.

Q: How R&D looks at Arai? 

A: Again, we develop new models and technology with the purpose of using them ourselves. This is always top of mind: develop new products offering even better protection. After all, that is the real purpose of a helmet! 

An advantage for our R&D department are the many years of experience and know-how, we have gained from our long history in the business! The result is for instance the R75 shape technology, of a rounder, smoother and stronger out shell, which has proven to offer better performance. Both my father and I are deeply interested and personally involved in R&D. 

Q: What does it take to invent a new safe helmet model from the beginning till the dealers shelve?

A: The start of a new model is always the shell, aiming to improve protection through a rounder, smoother and stronger outer shell, which diverts and glances off impact energy. We are rich in experience, history and knowledge, through our many years in racing and every other aspect of the helmet scene. All this knowhow is used for the development of a new helmet. It has to exceed our extremely stringent in-house standard. 

Wind tunnel testing, shape testing, strength of the new shell are all part of this development process. As we are riders ourselves, we also take part in the on road testing, to make sure it offers the fit and comfort Arai is famous for under real world circumstances.

Q: How last year earthquake influenced your business?

A: We were situated quite far from the epic centre and we did not experience serious problems. We could continue to supply products to our customers.

Q: How do you cooperate with riders (racers)? Do they have input in your helmets?

A: Our racing involvement in MotoGP and WSBK is very important for Arai. But also in F1, as more than 50% of the drivers are wearing an Arai helmet, including the world champion.

We do use the feedback we gain in racing, because of the extreme conditions on the track. We use this feedback to develop and improve our products. A good example of this is our Facial Contour System (FCS). This was tested with racers to improve their comfort and fit at extremely high speeds, in order to maximize their concentration on racing. After receiving satisfying feedback from racers, we implemented this FCS on most of our motorcycle helmets. 

In addition, we have a very direct contact with our consumers through our touring and after sales service and of course our own input and feedback, as many of our workers are keen motorcycle enthusiasts themselves.

We make no difference between helmets for racers or consumer; both use the same helmets as both need the same protection. 

Q: Which way do you think the motorcycle market is going and how will it look in 10 years? 

A: The way motorcycles are used is changing, just as the purpose they are bought for. But one thing all riders have in common is that they enjoy motorcycling and the awareness that head protection is of great importance. Riders understand and acknowledge these facts and give more importance to it. They will be looking for, and demanding the best possible head protection. This is reflected in the models we are offering.

Q: Of which helmet model are you especially proud of?

A: We are truly proud of every helmet we make. But we constantly improve our capabilities to make even better helmets in the future and to improve the satisfaction of our consumers and ourselves!