Track helmets are designed for riders who want to dip their toes into the world of motor racing. It’s a dangerous game so you’re going to need some heavy protection.
We are going to break down the best motorcycle racing or track helmets on the market, starting from the most affordable to more premium models.
Best Track Day Helmet Round-Up
Best Entry-Level Track Day Helmet: LS2 FF323 Arrow
If you’re just starting in the world of track racing, we recommend starting with the LS2 FF323 Arrow.
LS2 is a Chinese motorcycle helmet manufacturer that’s been creating some of the best entry-level biking helmets since its establishment in the late 90s.
This helmet is a feature-rich bargain track helmet that is fit for any beginner starting their track journey.
Design
The designs of the LS2 Arrow are all race-inspired and offer various colours and decals.
You have your usual white on black or blue on white designs, but LS2 has four more aggressive custom designs out there in terms of presentation.
These are the Comet, the Ion, the Matrix, and the Burner.
Three fibreglass composite shell sizes contain a multi-density EPS shock absorber. It also has a double ring fastener, one of the best helmet fasteners that you can find on a track helmet.
The internal comfort lining is sure to become sweaty and dirty the more you race, so you’ll be pleased to know that these linings are removable and washable.
The lining is hypoallergenic, absorbs moisture easily, and most importantly, it’s breathable ensuring that you don’t feel suffocated when riding.
Adding to the safety of the LS2 Arrow is an emergency cheek pad removal system. This reduces the chance of aggravating any neck injuries post-accident.
Noise production is extremely quiet for a budget helmet and will prove beneficial for those who spend their days on the track.
Ventilation
The LS2 Arrow has a two-stage chin vent that has an exterior switch controlling the ports above it.
These are used to demist the visor and prevent your vision from being obscured as well as allow the air to flow into the chin bar of the helmet.
Inside the helmet are breath deflectors that help to encourage the air to flow around the visor.
On top of the helmet are slide vents that can be open or closed with a simple slide. There’s one on each side of the helmet and they are used to pull air through the liner and around the scalp.
Lastly, we get the rear vents which are represented as four exhausts. Two closer to the top of the helmet and the other two near the collar.
For a budget helmet, the ventilation is solid and the LS2 Arrow making use of the dynamic flow-through ventilation is a welcome addition.
Visor
Any good track day helmet needs a large visor aperture. You want to be able to see ahead of you and when someone is coming up on your side.
The LS2 arrowhead offers a large visor opening and offers an A-Class optically correct visor. This means that you will have a distortion-free vision when you are riding.
The helmet comes with a pin lock max vision anti-fog visor but many have found that the standard 3mm visor does a good job at keeping the fog at bay.
The LS2 arrowhead’s visor also has a quick-release mechanism making it easy to pop the visor in and out of place with the press of a lever.
Finally, the visor itself has a locking mechanism to keep it closed when moving at high speeds. The last thing you want is for your visor to shake around when racing.
Closing Remarks
If you are just starting as a track racer, the LS2 FF323 Arrowhead is the best place to start.
They are priced at around $400 making them the most affordable option on our list.
Best Mid-Level Track Day Helmet: Shoei X-Spirit Helmet
The Shoei X-Spirit helmet is what we consider to be one of the highest value motorcycle helmets, offering features from the entry-level helmets but building upon them.
Shoei hails from Japan and is known for producing premium motorcycle helmets for track racers.
Since its establishment in 1960, they have become one of the most popular helmet brands on the market.
Design
The Shoei X-Spirit is offered in two designs.
One is a sleek, matte black design that strikes fear into fellow racers, and the other is a more welcoming and vibrant black and red design.
The outside shell is made from Shoei’s advanced integrated matrix plus material.
This is a composite fibre inside the X-Spirit resin, developed to manage impacts better and help keep the overall weight of the helmet down to a minimum.
This makes it a fantastic lightweight motorbike helmet as it doesn’t weigh you down when you are racing.
Adding to the safety of the X-Spirit is the multi-density absorbing EPS liner, ensuring that your head is looked after during the events of a crash.
This lining is completely removable and washable so you don’t have to ride on the track while wearing a sweaty, smelly helmet.
The lining is customizable in terms of its fit. There’s a variety of different thicknesses of both skull and cheek pads available as well as optional pads that attach around the temple.
There’s a total of four shell sizes, giving you a good variety to choose from until you have found the accurate fitment.
The winglets on the helmet improve stability when riding at top speeds, but these can be swapped out or removed if you wish.
Aerodynamics is key to tracking helmets as stability and speed are crucial when racing.
In terms of performance, there’s 3% less lift, 10% less drag, and significantly reduced yawing action compared to the predecessor.
Ventilation
The Shoei X-Spirit has four main intake vents on the helmet to keep you cool on the inside when riding. There are two on the chin of the helmet, and another two found on top.
The upper chin vents can slide up and down into action, exposing an inlet that draws air inside. This air is then channelled out through the top of the chin bar.
Below these vents is a slider that allows the air to pass through the helmet and travels sideways through the chin bar.
This air is released through outlets located behind the inner cheek pads, cooling it down and reducing the temperature on the side of your face.
The two upper vents on top are dual-action in nature, allowing you to slide the shutters open and closed.
When open, it allows air to flow through to the inside of the helmet where it can circulate through channels in the EPS impact liner, escaping through the exhaust vents.
The exhaust vents are always open and pull that warm air coming into the helmet and releasing it into the outside.
Visor
The visor on the Shoei X-Spirit 3-track helmet adds even more aerodynamic benefits.
There are small protrusions around the ear side of the helmet and are what Shoei refers to as vortex generators.
They move the wind away from the visor surface to reduce the effect of noise around the ear.
The visor works on a quick-release mechanism, taking mere seconds to swap out. It lifts and lowers with tabs located on the left-hand side of the helmet.
If the visor doesn’t seem secure enough, there’s a handy sliding lock on the right-hand side to make sure that the visor is locked in place.
Shoei’s X-Spirit 3 visor has tear-off posts so that racers can put a film across the front of the helmet that can be torn away to remove any dust or obscurities blocking your view.
Closing Remarks
The Shoei X-Spirit 3 is a bump up in price but also a bump up in quality. It offers an advanced ventilation system and excellent aerodynamics that is perfect for intermediate track racers.
These helmets are priced at around $1,000 and are sure to give you a good bang for your buck.
Best High-End Track Day Helmet: AGV CORSA R
Now that we’ve crossed off the best entry and mid-level helmets, we enter the high-end territory. Straight off the bat, you will be seeing some large numbers in terms of price, but the quality backs it up.
AGV is a historic Italian brand that many refer to as being one of, if not, the best motorcycle helmet brand in the world.
They have been producing the highest quality motorbike helmets since their establishment in 1947, and the AGV Corsa R is no different.
The AGV Corsa R is built for track and sports racers who want a helmet with the best ventilation and aerodynamics.
Design
The AGV Corsa R has two colourways. The first is a white and red striped design, and the second is a black, yellow, and grey kaleidoscope.
The overall shape of the helmet is an intermediate oval interior shape and AGV has split the medium size of the helmet into two sizes. A medium-small and medium-large. In total, there are four different shells.
These shells are made of composite fibreglass, aramid, and carbon fibre.
This selection of sizes ensures that the helmet sits on your head and is tight enough to avoid being painful. AGV also has the desire to make a lid that fits everyone.
Having a helmet that more or less matches your head size is safer than one that’s too big or small. It makes for the perfect ratio of EPS polystyrene padding to the size of the shell.
There’s a spoiler on the helmet that reduces the helmet lift and directs the air over the rear hump of your suit.
This spoiler is also designed to break off when in an accident instead of it digging into the helmet itself, adding safety features.
Not only does the helmet’s aerodynamics assist with the hump of your suit, but the bottom of the helmet is shaped in a way to reduce collar bone injuries after a fall.
Ventilation
If you’re racing on the track all day, you need good ventilation.
The AGV Corsa R is known for being one of the most ventilated motorcycle helmets on the market.
The top of the helmet has three large intake vents, all of which have switchable brow and crown placements.
An intake vent is also located near the chin, having a similar switch mechanism to that of crown vents.
These vents bring the air through the EPS lining to keep your head cool when on the track.
Finally, there are some rear vents to help with the removal of any hot air.
Visor
The Corsa R offers one of the most open fields of vision that any track day helmet has to offer. It’s wider than your average track visor, giving you excellent peripheral vision when riding.
The helmet ships with a pin-lock-ready visor as well as a fog-resistant visor, both of which are interchangeable.
These visors unclick from their sockets and you can pop them in and out of place.
The visor itself is strong, impact-resistant, and shatterproof, using metal pieces in the retention system.
It’s a 3.3mm visor making it thicker than your average track helmet, but this also gives it that extra layer of protection during an accident.
Closing Remarks
It comes as no surprise that the AGV Corsa R is the more expensive helmet on our list, but in terms of what it has to offer, you are getting your money’s worth.
The AGV Corsa R is priced at around $,1900 and includes the additional visors free of charge.
If You Enjoyed This Piece, Consider Checking Out Other Blogs:
- Most Advanced Motorcycle Helmets
- Best Dual Sport Motorcycle Helmet
- Best Motorcycle Helmet for Women
- Best Motorcycle Helmet for Cruisers
- Best Kids Motorcycle Helmet
- Best Motocross Helmet Under $300
- Best Motorcycle Helmet for Cafe Racer
- How Much Should I Pay for a Motorcycle Helmet
- Are MIPS Bike Helmets Safer?
- How to Choose a Motorcycle Helmet?
- How Long Do Motorcycle Helmets Last
- How to Check Motorcycle Helmet Expiry Date
- Why Do Bike Helmets Expire?
- Best Motorcycle Helmet Color for Visibility