HJC’s high-spec sports-touring helmet, released in 2017, impressed me a lot in the 2000 miles I spent with it on my bonce.
The RPHA 70 is not perfect, with some issues that I’ll get to later, but the riding experience is mostly very reassuring.
Comfort is always a very subjective issue, but the RPHA range of HJC lids seem to offer a near universal fit. The customer reviews on Sportsbikeshop’s site give the RPHA 70’s comfort a resounding thumbs-up, a verdict I can only concur with.
It delivers put-on-and-forget levels of comfort with plush padding and a soft anti-bacterial liner that cossets the head. There’s room inside for spectacle arms without faffing around removing slices of foam, as you need to on some helmets.
Taking out the lining is simple, taking five minutes with no prior practice. That was slowed slightly as the rearmost popper in each cheekpad had escaped their mountings to stay fastened to the EPS liner, but it’s dead simple to rescue them and slot them back into their rightful place on the cheekpads themselves.
The cheekpads have emergency release tabs, which is an important feature to many riders, and foam inserts fill recesses designed to accommodate intercom speakers… until you want to put speakers in there and can pull the inserts out to make room.
The light weight afforded by the composite-fibre shell reduces strain on the neck, and generous ventilation means plenty of air flowing in to keep thing cool.
The top vent is an absolute doddle to use even with the thickest winter gloves and it makes a significant difference to the internal temperature.
The main chin vent is similarly easy and is also effective, though the same can’t be said of a smaller vent at the base of the chinbar. This is operated by an internal slide switch and I lack the dexterity to operate it while riding.
In addition there are front-facing vents either side of the crown, though I can’t tell the difference between having them open and closed. This is not an issue as the other vents do an impressive job of drawing in enough airflow to regulate temperature on the inside.
The visor change is excellent – one press of a lever and it’s off, with subsequent replacement just as easy.
Thankfully, in recent years the RPHA 70 has come equipped with a Pinlock anti-mist insert rather than the inferior Skipfog insert used when the helmet was first released, and when I first tested the helmet. It's much better for the change.
I have another issue surrounding the visor, and more specifically its two-stage locking process. The larger silver tab at front and centre secures the visor against the seal, and pushing a release button on the lower surface releases it so I can lift the visor. So far so easy, but…
In addition, there’s a horizontal slide switch that firmly locks the visor against the seal. The switch is so small that it’s easier to accidentally operate it than to deliberately do so. I’ve managed it on more than one occasion and found myself feeling trapped inside the helmet, which is quite an unpleasant feeling.
If you don’t know about the slide switch, or have forgotten in the panic to get the visor up, a mighty shove against the silver tab will release the lock, but it takes enough effort to feel as though the lifting tab is vulnerable to breaking.
If you do plump for a RPHA 70 – and there is plenty to commend the helmet for – then practise operating the little slide switch so you remember it’s there and know what to do if the occasion ever arises that you need to release it.
Now the Skipfog experiment has been consigned to history, that lock issue is my only mild complaint with the RPHA 70, which was otherwise an excellent companion.
The internal sun visor is excellent with good coverage, a strong tint and an easy operation via a chunky slide switch under the rim on the left-hand side of the shell. It’s also anti-mist treated, which sadly isn’t all that common on bike helmets.
With superb levels of comfort and an impressive build quality, the RPHA-70 is a strong option in the sports-touring class.
Photography: @VERSTOMD
Vision
The visor itself offers good field of vision, mounts well and has a recess so the anti-mist insert sits flush for better clarity.
Ventilation
It’s a sports-touring helmet and it brings in a plentiful supply of air to keep the ride comfortable without increasing noise significantly.
Fit & Comfort
I’m usually a medium but sometimes need a large (Scorpion, Shoei, Schuberth). In this HJC I’m in a medium and it fits a treat, with cushy padding that’s softly lined. It’s a snug fit with no hint of a crush.
Build quality
The mechanism for the internal sun visor was sticky to operate in the early days, but that has eased with time. I’ve also knocked off points for the needless, fiddly and annoying slide switch that locks the visor down hard.
Features
Now it comes with a proper Pinlock rather than a Skipfog insert it’s got the full-house of features we would expect from a sports-touring helmet.