Airoh, the helmet manufacturer, hosted us in the factory, in the province of Bergamo, to reveal the secrets of its success.
It's Antonio Locatelli in person, founder and owner of Airoh, accompanied by the whole team, to welcome us and accompany us to the factory where the helmets that protect us and the most famous pilots, like Tony Cairoli, herlings, Locatelli, Prado, Jarvis, Holocombe, Cerutti… just to name a few".
1A state-of-the-art facility
Going in order of "technological" importance, it is necessary to speak first of all of wind tunnel which Airoh has decided to equip to be one step ahead of everyone. Locatelli SpA is in fact the only Italian company to have one "in house" and moreover with the power needed to test its products up to 210 km / h.
A considerable investment but which amplifies the value of "research and development" which in Airoh is at the center of all production. It seems easy to "generate" a helmet, but I am not kidding when we are talking about at least 18 months to make a new model.
2How a helmet is born
Summarizing 18 months in a few lines is a feat, I don't want the Boss.
We start from the rough model, which is handmade by a specialized model maker, who spends hours, days and weeks defining the "draft", while in the office next door they study, create, modify, perfect components, materials, mechanisms, drawings .
From the “handmade” model, we move on to the three-dimensional study, where the measures, symmetries and shapes are corrected. In parallel, the 3D printer makes other components, all under the supervision of the engineers and the Boss. I can't imagine how many passages a helmet has between these three sections. They lose their minds, but they save yours!
Having defined the prototype, complete with interiors, mechanisms, visor, air intakes, we finally arrive at the wind tunnel, where the most anticipated verdict is issued.
The system allows you to analyze only the flow of air around the helmet, in the various positions and inclinations (which may vary according to the type of motorcycle, of position, of driving style), but also the internal flow and the temperatures "in motion". The goal is to study the stresses, comfort, sound insulation, waterproofing, and discover any design errors.
3From Italy to the rest of the world
A very long process, as I had anticipated, both for the search for perfection of the staff and the owner and for the numerous passages of the product from one department to another before it is "approved", tested, homologated, and placed on the market or in track.
This policy and the plant we visited demonstrate the seriousness of the Bergamo-based company, the desire to grow, in terms of quality and safety. In fact, the final step is from "the one who breaks everything" or the engineer in charge of safety tests, both for CE homologation and for DOT (for helmets destined for the American market).
4REV 19 and the 4 STlle SHARP
Airoh's success is therefore not only "on the head" of the best riders on the MXGP or Moto2 tracks, but also and above all in the awards they receive, such as the 4-star SHARP (Safety Helmet and Assessment Rating Program) assigned to the REV 19 helmet.
Sharp's evaluation criteria are very strict and, being able to obtain a result like that obtained by REV 19 by AIROH, is synonymous with a guarantee for a truly efficient and safe product: the level of protection offered, in the event of a crash, was excellent in the front and rear, very good on the side.
REV 19 combines the full-face version with the jet version in a single, dynamic and modern model, capable of adapting to any driving condition and to any need for safety and comfort. The 2-in-1 model, in thermoplastic, integrates the best of both helmets, such as the extra Wide visor for better active safety, the retractable sun visor, Stop Wind and predisposition for mounting systems Bluetooth.
The convenience of the REV 19, from a touring point of view, is represented by the flip-up which allows a 180 ° rotation of the chin guard, thus passing from the protection of the full-face helmet to the "cool" but still protective touring Jet helmet. In fact, we remind you that the REV 19 enjoys the double P / J homologation.
FOLD EAT TRAVEL
