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Meet the Holly Golightly of helmets. Not the character, but the style that Audrey Hepburn expresses so spectacularly in that Breakfast at Tiffany’s movie poster. The black Givenchy dress is as simple and stylish as the shape of this helmet, and the cigarette holder is the little kick on the helmet’s lower back. Even the sparkle of the jewellery she’s wearing can be seen in the impressively high gloss of HJC’s V30 Carbon. And just like the iconic character, the helmet wears no labels.
Almost. There is a small metal HJC badge on the left side, plus some small stickers which are kept unobtrusive and easy to remove. There are no brand or compliance stickers to spoil the cool, plain carbon fiber look. It’s a worthwhile reminder that the latter, previously ubiquitous stickers are not legally required; their regulatory function is served by a small patch sewn to the retaining strap.
What is important about the look of the V30 Carbon is that it represents a step in the direction of stylish but nevertheless functional motorcycle wear. Have you ever wondered how many people – women, especially, but also men – are put off by current clothing that is lurid or simply either too unflattering or too impractical?
Take a look at the way women are represented in motorcycle and especially scooter advertising or general media. It is not what I would call practical. Take a look at Audrey Hepburn again, in Roman Holiday in her shirt and skirt. Admittedly, Gregory Peck’s suit isn’t especially an ad for road safety either. And on the contrary, Marianne Faithfull manages to combine allure and safety in her leathers in Girl On a Motorcycle.
But usually, the clothes that women riders or pillions wear in ads or movies are totally inappropriate for riding. They have to be in order to present a conventionally attractive image. This means that, in real life, women riders are not going to look like the ads if they want to be safe. Women are not stupid. They can see this dichotomy, and they respond by either wearing the flash, impractical but stylish clothes anyway or by doing the best they can – usually not much – with what bike gear is available.
There is no need for that. A few manufacturers have made attempts to design flattering motorcycle clothing which is also safe, but it seems like that’s an uphill job. To be fair, past safety padding has almost been disfiguring and materials rated as safe have not been rated as beautiful. But that was then, this is now, and brands like PandoMoto are making the most of the materials available now. Thin but effective safety padding is being introduced by other manufacturers too.
But men like to look stylish, too. For some of them that means resembling their racing idols, but other are simply keen on projecting their idea of style whether they are riding or after they climb off their bike. The V30 Carbon goes a long way towards that.
The all-black but shiny look of the V30 works well. (Photo HJC)
It is more than just a looker, too. According to my kitchen scales, my Extra Large helmet, which I presume is made with the larger size of the two shell sizes, weighs a tiny 1009 grams and according to my iPhone, that’s an equally tiny 35.59 ounces. Despite its lightness, it has a slide-away visor and is trimmed in leather and a little bit of suede. The visor can be replaced and part of the lining is removable for washing. The liner is made of SilverCool, a well-established anti-bacterial material. The helmet also has a micro buckle, which I suspect is slightly heavier than a pair of D-rings.
A multilingual owner’s manual is in the box and provides information about care and cleaning. Oddly, it does not mention the helmet’s weight. I could not find any reference to that on the HJC website, either, hence the kitchen scales.
This promo photo for a scooter tries… and gets it so wrong. (Photo Lambretta)
As well as being light and well-made, the V30 Carbon is quiet. I don’t like to make claims like that because it is so difficult to predict how a helmet will perform under different circumstances (including different heads), but on this one you can see and feel why it is quiet. The liner cups your head a little like a pair of over-the-ear earphones and cuts down significantly on noise. The visor, often a source of noise on other helmets, is quiet as well.
Economist Milton Friedman was fond of saying that “there is no such thing as a free lunch,” and while I am not fond of his work and attitudes in most ways, I agree with him there. The cost of the lunch in this case is the cost of the helmet. The HJC V30 Carbon costs A$549.00, which is currently US$370.84 or C$496.30 when converted straight across. That’s at the upper end of the range of open face helmets available in Australia, but considering the materials, quality and appearance (as well as the lightness) of the V30 Carbon I would say it is easily worth it.
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