HJCs V90 Neo-Retro Lid Does Vintage And Modern Right.

Most of you may have heard of HJC helmets, the French motorcycle helmet manufacturer who provides helmets for MotoGP rider Cal Crutchlow. This may lead you to believe that the brand only deals with modern-day helmets, and to an extent it is true. But it recently stepped into the vintage helmet space with the V90. While it retains the essence of a vintage helmet, it’s modern for the most part unlike lids from Bell, Biltwell, Blauer or AGV. 

HJC takes a slightly different approach to blend retro styling with modern-day safety and features. The outer shell is made using advanced polycarbonate composite that offers improved safety while keeping the weight down. Key features on the V90 Modular Helmet include a bubble face shield with a quick-release mechanism and strategically placed air ducts at the front and back for proper ventilation. The XD-14 visor also reflects up to 99 per cent of UV rays and offers a wide peripheral vision.

And since it’s a “modular” helmet, one could easily lift the chin bar and lock it in place to convert the lid into a half-faced helmet. While this isn’t ideal from a safety point of view, some riders do prefer this style. 

Interestingly, the V90 comes with a sun visor that's placed inside the helmet, just like most affordable modern-day helmets sold in India. It's operating mechanism is located on the left-hand side of the visor. The antibacterial lining inside the helmet can be removed and replaced or washed if need be. HJC has also made provisions for retrofitting its Smart Bluetooth communication device.

The V90 is available in a solid grey, black and white colour scheme with six different sizes to choose from. And if you’re wondering, the HJC V90 gets a starting price of $319.99, which is a smidge over Rs 24,000 in India.