Product Review: HJC RPHA 11 Carbon helmet

This is my second RPHA 11 but the first of the Korean company's latest carbon range, and what a stunner it is.

The finish and graphics on this, the Bleer model, are absolutely faultless, and the subtle dark grey highlights and gloss carbon weave are stunning.

It’s got a super aerodynamic shape and that combined with an incredible 1250g weight (my kitchen scales agree), make it feel like you’ve got practically nothing on your head, helping make it more comfortable to wear for long days in the saddle.

The build quality is very impressive and having owned two HJC helmets previously I can attest to that; my four-year-old one is showing almost no signs of wear.

Apart from the looks, one thing that really sets this apart from the herd is the amount of ventilation it features. You can direct bucket loads of air into this lid from its multiple chin, brow and head intakes. Cleverly positioned exhaust vents (particularly under the rear spoiler) also help suck that air through the helmet. This is quite simply the best-ventilated lid I’ve ever had on my noggin. In fact HJC describes it as the “airiest” helmet on the market, which pretty much sums it up even if that isn’t a real word.

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Even though this is HJC’s top of the range sports helmet it’s still perfectly suitable for everyday road use and to enhance that further this model is now compatible with the Smart HJC bluetooth communications system developed by HJC in partnership with SENA. There is a battery compartment built into the rear of the liner and a recess in the chin bar for a microphone, as well as pockets for earpieces. The external control unit is very aerodynamic and, along with the battery compartment, features glowing LEDs when in operation. Very Tron-like.

This model also comes with a dark visor featuring tear-off ready posts and a pinlock. The visor hinge mechanism is quite simple and I swapped from clear to dark in about fifteen seconds without even looking at the instructions.

Straight out of the box the fit was a bit of a tight squeeze but, after a few hours, the padding moulded itself perfectly to my small-size head and it’s now spot on.

Price is super competitive with an RRP of $899.90 for the solid colours and $949.90 for the graphic versions.

Which ever way you look at it that’s hundreds of dollars cheaper than its main rivals in this material. All up I can’t speak highly enough of this helmet’s quality, features and fit. To see the full range go to mcleodaccessories.com.au.