Carbon fiber helmets have been around for a long time, and they offer a great combination of lightness and strength, as well as the high-tech look of the carbon fiber weave. We?ve seen (and tested) more of them in recent years because improvements in manufacturing have made it possible to produce high-quality lids at a lower price. Premium carbon fiber helmets used to cost upwards of $1,000, but now you can buy them for about half as much.

Scorpion?s EXO-R1 Air Carbon helmet is a perfect example. Its resin-infused TCT-U 3K carbon fiber shell composite weave is said to provide aircraft-grade impact dispersion. Compared to the standard EXO-R1 Air we tested last year, the Carbon version is 3.5 ounces lighter (49 ounces for size medium) and has the same aerodynamic shell that?s designed to reduce drag and improve balance. The Carbon feels really light in my hands and all but disappears when it’s on my head.
Between the carbon shell and the comfort interior is a multi-layer EPS liner designed to absorb impact energy and it has built-in channels to allow air to flow around the head. Scorpion?s Ram-Air intake system sucks air in, which then moves through the helmet and returns to the atmosphere by way of a four-port exhaust spoiler. With a race helmet level of ventilation the EXO-R1 Air Carbon can be a tad noisy, but that?s what earplugs are for. The clear MaxVision Pinlock-ready face shield has an anti-scratch coating and blocks 95% of UV-A and UV-B radiation....