New helmets from NiTEK at Indianapolis

When it comes to helmets, there's a lot of choice. For the most part, I've always worn an Arai. They've always fit me well and I just like them. Just how much I like them was reinforced by two years of riding in a Shoei... I know a helmet choice is a personal thing: certain helmets brands fit certain head types better and I clearly have an Arai head.

But my Arai Vector is getting on a bit. It's now over three years old and has done maybe 50,000 km. I don't want to get rid of it but I know I will need to soon as the linings start to deteriorate, and so I've started to look around.

My ideal helmet, I suspect like everyone, would be one that is light and well vented but still gives me a quiet ride and full protection. I ride in the city and the more air I can get to my face, the better. For this reason alone, I've been looking at a modular, though many people tell me not to bother.

My local dealership isn't the best place to look. In fact, choice is not something they really pride themselves on and I'd hate to buy a new helmet online without trying it first. That's one of the things I like about shows like Indianapolis - I get a chance to see what else is out there.

One of the helmet brands that really impressed me at this show is NiTEK. Their tagline is "Created in California, Designed in Milan, built in Shanghai". If your initial impression is "Oh, made in China? Must be cheap" you missed the point. NiTEK helmets look and feel like well-made, high-quality lids.

Design details are everywhere: from the world's first completely flush mounted visor on the Interceptor to the adaptive flow separator on the Diamond modular, which is controlled by wind resistance (in other words, it opens more as you speed up).

For me, the star was NiTEK's carbon fiber helmets. Both the P1 and Diamond models were on display, with a claimed weight of about 1200 grams, they do feel incredibly light.

The best part? They've been making helmets for other name brands for a while and all their helmets are hand-made in Shanghai. For those of you with an eye on price, this means great value. While a Shuberth C1 carbon may set you back some $1350, the NiTEK Diamond in Carbon (their most expensive helmet) sells at an MSRP of $700. And if you value quality, just remember that the reason the Arai costs so much is that that is hand-made, albeit in Japan.

With Coolmax liners (which are all removable and replacable and even come in different sizes), the fit seemed very comfortable from the couple I tried on. Without a full road-test, it's hard to say how well the venting works or how well insulated they are for noise however, there's nothing to lead me to believe it will be a problem. Visors clicked firmly, buttons pressed with an easy yet firm resistance and there's no rough edges to be seen. Hopefully, we'll be able to review one shortly and provide a more in-depth opinion.

NiTEK offer a full range of helmets from the urban open-faced, through "traditional" street helmets and even modular devices with integrated sun- visors. Want an intercom? No problem, there's a helmet line called Torc with an intercom (Blink) built in. Combine that with the carbon options and the great range of colors and graphics, there's something that should be right for most. Look for them both online and increasingly at your local dealership.

More can be found at http://nitekhelmets.com and http://torchelmets.com