I'm a big fan of good-looking motorcycle helmets, and not just because I maintain a portion of my brain to pretend I'm the late-great Joan Rivers. No, because at the end of the day, if your helmet looks good, you're more likely to put it on, and that'll save your life.
But I'm torn on HJC's RPHA 60.
Not because the helmet looks bad, it doesn't. It's a good-looking helmet by itself as a plain-Jane thing. I'm having trouble because of the new livery the helmet company just dropped. See, it's Red Bull-themed. Specifically, it's the Red Bull colorway, the signature Red Bull bull, and includes a small track map for Spielberg, i.e., the Red Bull Ring. I'm not the biggest fan of sponsorship liveries, and Red Bull just ain't my team—go Aprilia, go Ferrari. But this one goes so damn hard, I sort of love it.
Honestly, I haven't picked up a new helmet in a second, and this might change that.
Let's first talk about the helmet itself, as it's HJC's premium dual-sport lid, which is also an interesting choice to emblazon a track map onto. The RPHA 60, obviously, meets or exceeds both DOT and ECE standards, and utilizes the brand's Premium Integrated Matrix EVO construction methods, which basically boils down an incredibly lightweight helmet, but still tough as nails. Moreover, the visor was designed so it's more aerodynamic, which HJC says allows for better stability at high speeds.
Fully removable and switchable cheek pads are standard, so you can get the best fit, and there's an internal sun shield, too. What's cool about the sun shield, however, is you can change the angle of the shield to get your perfect fit, as well. HJC also says that it's compatible with the brand's 2nd generation SMART HJC system, which is its Bluetooth comms.
It also comes with a 5-year warranty, which is always nice to have these days. But let's get to the meat of the story, and this just drippy livery.
The colorway is Red Bull blue and hot red, the Red Bull bull across the temples and onto the top of the helmet, with a small Red Bull branding on the cheek of the helmet. Honestly, I'd just take that part off if I could, because it's the only thing I don't like. But the bull, the colors, and how they lay across the motorcycle helmet's shape, oof. That's fire.
As for price, according to our friends at VisorDown, HJC says the RPHA 60 Spielberg will set riders back €599 ($700-ish). Unfortunately for me—maybe fortunate for my bank account—I can't figure out whether it's coming to the States or not. But, man, does this helmet just look dope. Someone either at HJC or Red Bull give me a call, I need this in my life. I'll even consider switching teams.
