AGV Corsa R review
We’ve been putting some miles on AGV’s new road and track helmet
Visor
The visor on the helmet is an Optic 1 visor with a Max Pinlock (120) included in the box. The visor is a very substantial bit of kit and is noticeably sturdier than other makes of visor when held side by side. It’s thickness, 4-5mm, adds to its weight a little but also increases rider safety in the event of an accident.
The visor mech is a little tricky to get the hang off at first, you have to align the visor-mounted mech, and the shell mounted pivot, before it will click into place. Not a massive issue but, it had me scratching my head for a few minutes the first time I tried it!
As a nod to the race-bred heritage of the lid, the Corsa R comes with tear-off strips included in the box. I fitted them – in the name of journalistic integrity of course, not because I’m childish – and found them relatively easy to fit, with good optical clarity when in place. That said, my trudge along the M1 doesn’t really call for tear-offs, so they are sat in the box at home – waiting for my MotoGP contract to come through!
The visor has an extremely wide and deep aperture, that gives you a great field of view, both sides, ahead and down to the dash. Quite often track oriented lids will give great forward vision when tucked in but restrict you field of view in the blind spot or make looking at the clocks tricky. The AGV is almost un-sporty in the way that it doesn’t give me any issues, even on the head-down-H2.
Noise
At motorway speeds the Corsa R is a noisier option than say a dedicated touring product but not massively so. You don’t get massive amounts of low-frequency rumbling at motorway speeds, in fact that side of the its performance is spot on. It’s the large vents mounted on the brow that whistle when your head is in certain positions. Closing the vents goes some way to helping this, although in the summer months that could cause issues. The best solution is a set of foamy earplugs or a louder exhaust to take your mind off it!
Vents
As mentioned above, the brow vents on the Corsa R are extremely large and do a brilliant job of channelling air into the shell and around your head. These are joined by a slightly smaller centrally mounted brow vent and chin vents – all of which are easily operable thanks to large and easy to find sliders. The rear of the helmet also has two ‘always-open’ exhaust ports, mounted just above the rear spoiler.
The biggest compliment I can give to AGV regarding the vents is that you can feel every vent doing something, not like some lids where you struggle to tell if the vents are even open.
Waterproofing
With large vents and winter weather, you’re going to get the odd droplet of moisture entering a helmet and the Corsa R is no different in that respect. What is impressive with the helmet is the excellent visor sealing system, which is a full circumference large rubber seal. It fits so snuggly against the visor it’s impossible for any moisture to get through – even when running the visor seal beneath a tap!
The performance of the Pinlock if some water does get in through the vents and into the lid is brilliant. In the time I’ve had the lid I’ve ridden in temperatures as low -6°C, through winter showers and snow and have never once experienced any visor fogging or misting at all.
Fastening
The Corsa R has the tried and tested double-D ring fastening method, with a popper to retain the excess strap and prevent it flapping around. The inside of the strap is lined with the same Ritmo material that lines the cheek pads and means a comfortable yet close fit, even when done up tightly.
Verdict
I had a number of pre-conceptions about the Corsa R, mainly that I thought it would be a hardcore, track helmet, only good for an hour or so on the bike. But I’ve been completely won over by its styling, excellent vents and bad weather performance. Not only that, peripheral vision and interior comfort offered by this, supposedly lower budget, remake of a Pista GP, is as good as anything else I have tried.
For those looking for a lid that allows the dynamics of a Pista GP without so much of the expense, the Corsa R is a no brainer. But for those overlooking this helmet thinking it’s too focussed and track minded, don’t let the looks fool you – get to a showroom and try one on.
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
