Akuma V-1 Ghostrider Review

Over the years very few helmets have inspired one of those "holy #$@%" moments where no matter what I just had to have one. I mean once you've acquired some decent gear, your bar rises a little bit in what you are willing to part with your own money in order to own. The helmet I am reviewing today, is one of those few that for us, is simply a must have at any cost kind of helmet. You might have come here looking for cheap motorcycle helmets but what you're going to find is a very cool motorcycle helmet.

The helmet I am referring to has been out for a little while so it's not like it's hot off the press or anything but it is one that I recently was able to try in person. You can probably already tell, I liked it...a LOT! Akuma motorcycle helmets have a line of "military themed" helmets and this one is called the V-1 Ghostrider. The Akuma V-1 Ghostrider helmet was designed by a guy by the name of Kerry Harris, who is the president of Integrated Helmet Technology and who also happens to be a former U.S. Navy pilot.

Akuma Ghostrider Impressions

The second you pull this thing out of the box you know that this helmet screams cool. We all know that safety and function are the real reasons to buy a helmet but if you're going to be parting with your hard earned money, then you might as well at least get a helmet that exudes cool at the same time as protecting your noggin right?

The paint job itself is the first thing that you notice that screams cool but this helmet has a few more surprises to boot. The detailing is amazing and one of those details is a surprise in the exhaust vents at the rear of the helmet.......red LED lights that light up when you hit the switch!

How cool is that, your own little pair of afterburners in the exhaust vent, just like watching a jet take off from an aircraft carrier. A small switch under the chin bar turns the vents on and off. This little gadget alone has enough cool factor to want the helmet, combine that with the paint job and you already have a kickass reason to buy this helmet.

The Akuma isn't done yet though as IHT (Integrated Helmet Technology) also incorporated a forward facing LED light into the helmet as well to be used as a MAP light or key finder, what have you. It's cool, so use it for whatever you want to. I should also note that these gadgets do not noticeably increase the weight of the helmet either as the Akuma Ghostrider weight is similar to other helmets in this class. If you are one of those practical people who can't buy a helmet because it's cool, then rest assured that these LED afterburners will make you more visible at night.

So we agree that that the Akuma Ghostrider is a cool helmet but that won't matter much if it is horribly uncomfortable or you aren't willing to wear it. The best helmet in the world is useless if you don't wear it. I think this might be one of the best looking helmets I have ever laid eyes on but I really wouldn't consider it cutting edge anywhere else. That isn't a bad thing, but you can buy a lot of helmets that are comfortable and work well so rest assured that the Akuma Ghostrider does that as well.

Akuma Fit and Finish

I didn't do any measuring of the V-1 and nor do I have access to the size diagrams but the helmet appears to be somewhat neutral fitting and should fit a wide variety of heads. I personally wear an XL and my head is oval shaped so some helmets simply do not fit my head well, but the Akuma V-1 Ghostrider fit no problem at all. I was pleasantly surprised.

The sizing appeared to run true and my XL example fit me well. The V-1's liner is quite soft, comfortable and best of all, removable. The quality of it felt to be quite average and comparable to other helmets in this price range. The fabric liner is also designed to wick away moisture, although I usually wear a skull cap or a helmet liner when I ride. It gets hot in Georgia and I sweat, a lot.

Akuma Ghostrider Visor

The V-1 that we were able to test drive was equipped with the Akuma dark smoke visor and I assure you that it is dark. They mean it. They also have Photochromatic (darkens with sunlight), iridium and clear visors available if the dark smoke doesn't suit your taste. I didn't measure the visor but it felt quite solid and durable and maybe even thicker than your average visor.

The visor closes snugly and provided a clean, tight seal against the eye port. I really dug the dark smoke visor combined with the killer graphics scheme. It just screams cool and I need all the help I can get there.
The visor removal system is quite similar to that on my Shoei helmets. You first raise the visor, pull down on the loop and the visor comes right off. Installing can be slightly tricky to get everything lined up but after a few tries you will quickly get the hang of it.

Akuma Venting and Air Flow

There is no question about this simple fact, the V-1 flows a lot of air. When I say a LOT of air, I mean a lot of air and in a hot climate like Georgia, the more airflow the better. I don't know why or how it does it as the venting system appeared to be pretty standard to what a lot of fullface helmets are doing these days.

The top vent is a sliding vent that you move either forward or backwards and you have no scoop to catch the air. Two intake vents adorn either side on the top of the helmet and I think these exhaust out the rear. IHT cleverly designed these intake ports to look like the intake and exhaust vent on a jet fighter.

The chin bar has another intake vent that can be opened or closed with a sliding vent. This vent flows air up and onto the riders face and the back of the visor. The facial air flow definitely felt good on a hot summer day but you need to get used to the volume of air flowing onto you, some find it annoying while others find it to be a blessing.

Cool Factor "Afterburner" Lights

I already mentioned the cool factor of the two red LED lights in the exhaust vents on the rear of the helmet but just so you know how it works. There is a tiny on/off rocker switch up under the chin bar that allows easy access and will not be in your way. A quick tap of the switch and the LEDs kick on and give that afterburner effect. If you aren't familiar with LED lights, they will barely be noticeable in the daylight but at night, you can see them for quite a distance.

The lights are powered by a small electric recharger and power cord. The instructions that came with the helmet instruct you to charge the batteries for no more than two hours at a time. I can't honestly tell you how long the batteries will last as we haven't had the test helmet for very long. I use LEDs in a lot of other things and they seem to last a long time. They really draw barely any power.

Noise Levels

I would expect that a helmet that flowed the volume of air that the Akuma Ghostrider does, would be a noisy helmet but that simply wasn't the case. It was surprisingly quiet and quite comparable to other helmets in this class.

One of the keys to controlling noise is to get the fit right and that was the case with my V-1. This helmet fit me snugly at the XL size and this doesn't allow for any odd air flow or whistling noises to develop. The vents produced a moderate level of noise as you would expect but it wasn't annoying and quite similar to normal helmets. I really expected that all the funky vents and gimmicks on the Ghostrider would produce a lot of noise, but that simply wasn't the case.

Akuma Ghostrider V-1 Summary

As you can tell from the tone of this review, I like this helmet. It looks awesome, it fit me well and it carries both DOT and ECE 22-05 certifications so you know that it isn't just a beauty queen. The Ghost Rider is available in either a matte or gloss finish and our example was the gloss version. Akuma was kind enough to include UV protection in the gloss finish in order to protect that amazing paint scheme.

Akuma might not be one of the big name brand helmets but it pegs the cool factor and the fit and function was as good as or better than some of these bigger name helmets so you can't beat that, especially considering the price. The only thing that you may want to consider is whether you are cool enough to wear this helmet.

You will be the envy of your riding buddies and that is never a bad thing if you ask me. Just roll the throttle and show em your "afterburners."