Aria brought the first dual-sport motorcycle helmet to the market back in the late 90’s.  So it is no surprise that the XD4 is one of the best, if not the best dual-sport helmet on the market today.  Aria has been plainly improving on their original design, making the XD series helmets one of the most versatile in the industry.

The Aria XD4 is one hell of an amazing dual-sport helmet.  Set up to be everything you need in an off road helmet, coupled with the ability to hit the highway at over 75 mph without having to remove the peak visor.

We tested the Aria XD4 on highways, freeways, dirt roads, as well as around the city. The XD4 did a great job over 1,000 miles, across 4 states, in temperatures ranging from low 30’s to the mid 80’s.  We did have some issues with the XD4 fogging in cold weather with rain.  This of course would be solved by adding the optional Pinlock system to the lens.

The Aria XD4 Solid Dual-Sport Helmet comes with an industry leading 5-year warranty.

If you are looking to spend $600+ on a dual-sport motorcycle helmet, the Aria XD4 is an excellent choice.  The Aria XD4 has been chosen by many adventure tour riders, and is leaps and bounds above the BILT Explorer Dual Sport helmet we tested.  The XD4 dual-sport helmet sets the standard for comfort, technological ingenuity, and safety for this type of motorcycle helmet.  We did like a helmet that has a MSRP of $619.95 should include a Pinlock system in the box.

The Aria XD4 Solid Dual-Sport Helmet was far superior to the Explorer Adventure Dual-Sport at highway speeds.  The ventilation on the XD4 was good enough that even without the optional Pinlock system on the lens it fogged up only minimally in cold rainy weather on the highway and around the city.

The dual-sport design of the XD4 does not allow it to compete with the other modular and sportbike helmets we tested when it comes to noise, uplift, and buffeting. The XD4 is leaps and bounds ahead of the BILT Explorer in regards to aerodynamics.  But even with the peak visor removed, the shape of the chin bar causes it to catch the wind at high speeds making it uncomfortable over long distances.

It was very quit at low speeds inside the helmet.  At highways speeds it was noticeable more difficult to hear GPS direction through the Sena Bluetooth system.

The Aria XD4 Solid is packed full of features for a dual-sport helmet.  Most notable the peak visor, which is functional at speeds over 75 mph.  The XD4 is the only helmet we tested with a built in chin curtain.  It was also the best suited for off road ridding, with a reasonable easy lens removal process.

The Aria XD4 was lacking a built in sun visor, as well as it did not come with a Pinlock lens system included in the box like all of the other helmets we tested.  Even though Aria does offer an optional Pinlock system for their lens as an add on purchase, we feel that a motorcycle helmet that costs over $600 should include one with the original purchase.  The lack of a sun visor is understandable because a pair of goggles would maximize the off road capabilities of this helmet.

The safety and comfort of the Aria XD4 Dual-Sport Helmet is top notch, up to par with any of the other helmets we compared. The shell of the XD4 has a fiberglass-based construction, and is the only helmet we tested that meets SNELL specifications.  Aria has been perfecting their proprietary aerospace fiberglass technology for decades to create some of the lightest, best-built helmets on the market.  Aria is additionally the innovators of the Emergency Cheek-Pad Release design, making removal of the XD4 from an injured rider much easier.

The internal liner is comfortable over long distance rides.  The FSC (Facial Contour Support) cheek and temple pads are designed to make the XD4 completely adjustable, adding even more comfort and versatility into this helmet.

XD4 Dual Sport Helmet

The Arai XD4 is world renowned for being the one of the best ADV touring helmets on the market and one of the few that achieves a Snell M2010 safety rating. The XD4 incorporates all of the same great qualities found in Arai’s other helmets including the comfort liner and cheek pads that feature 5mm peel-away pads that allow riders to tailor the fit. The shell of the XD4 has also been aerodynamically tuned and, in concert with the removable floating peak visor, funnels air into the redesigned vents, improving overall ventilation and mitigating buffeting at speed.

The XD-4 is the helmet of choice for many hardcore ADV enthusiasts and sets an industry standard for comfort, quality and safety.

Features and Benefits

• New shell shape for better aerodynamic stability at higher street speeds, works in concert with the high-flow peak and new side cowl vents
• The shield stays low when it’s raised allowing the peak to be mounted lower, resulting in better aerodynamics and a better appearance
• The shield system is also designed for the shield to be used in combination with the peak, alone without the peak, or with the peak and no shield, as desired
• Arai’s trademark Brow Vents have been added to the XD-4, giving the XD series the final piece of the ventilation puzzle
• The XD-4 has an all new Chin Vent Design with more intake ports, this along with larger sculpted side cowl vents help improve ventilation efficiency as well as helmet stability at higher speeds
• New FCS® (Facial Contour Support) cheek pad design adds just the right amount of pressure when needed while being worn, but seamlessly “gets out of the way” when putting on and taking off the XD-4. Another example of Arai’s attention to all aspects of fit
• Innovative Dry-Cool® lining material
• New exhaust ports added to the top diffuser vents nearly double the airflow
• Emergency Cheek-Pad Release design created specifically for motorcycle helmets
• CLC (Complex Laminate Construction) shell utilizes Arai’s proprietary aerospace fiberglass technology to achieve a strong flexible shell in a light weight package
• Certifications: DOT; Snell
• Warning:Peak/visor is not suitable for high-speed use. Air striking a side or main surface of the peak may cause difficulties in returning the head to a forward and/or level position.