Product review: Arai Pro Shade System – Introduction

Arai Pro Shade visor

I’ll be honest – until the point Vikrant showed up with my Arai helmet, I wasn’t aware such a system existed. However, once I thought about it, the Pro Shade system made a lot of sense. You don’t have to pack two visors, you can ride into the night (or set out before dawn) without having to worry about stopping for a visor change on the way. Sunglasses are all well and good, but do you really want glass on the inside of your helmet during a crash? They also don’t agree well with frequent tunnels. In the winters I usually set out for office before dawn, so this is an important addition to my helmet. The Pro Shade visor attaches in the same way as any Arai visor, and has a simple pull-out-to-change-position mechanism.

It is designed to remain stable even at speed, even in the ‘up’ position. I’m not sure I’m going to like the graduated effect of the visor with the tinted bit down; on the other hand, all new things require an adjustment period. Arai must think this really works, because it costs Rs 8000 to order in India, and that’s a fair bit of cash. The Pro Shade promises to make my life simpler – let’s see how well it delivers on that.

Photography by Kapil Angane