Today I?m going to spill the beans on three new items of riding gear I?ve been getting friendly with. Each piece is pretty stylish and stealthy, in my humble opinion, but it?s the integrated safety tech that stands out with these.

Arai DT-X/Chaser-X Constructed using their ubiquitous, egg-shaped R75 shell shape, the DT-X (or Chaser-X for the Euro set) is Arai?s freshest take on the Swiss army helmet. They claim the DownTown-X excels at commuter duty, works well for extended trips, and can even tackle a track day or two. But is it worth your dosh"
Out of the box and squishing my cheeks, there is little not to like about the fit and finish. The interior padding is soft and supple, and while it isn?t coated in hides from the Rolls-Royce warehouse, the fabric is antimicrobial.
As an added bonus there are peel-away layers integrated into the liner and cheek pads to tailor the fit to your liking. And much like every Arai, there are notched areas to accommodate eyewear?a revelation if you roll with shades.
If you?re like me and enjoy tunes when you ride, the DT-X also has cutouts to allow optimal speaker placement without any fuss. And despite not having a large chin curtain, the noise levels at speed, even on a naked bike, are pretty impressive. I?d still (and will always) recommend earplugs but you can tell the DT-X wasn?t cobbled together by drunks in the dark.

The viewport is wide enough to keep tabs on all manner of woodland creatures plotting your demise in th...