Ah, the smell of jet fuel as I spool up the turbine and twist the throttle and accelerate through the air.

Wait, wait, wait. OK so I wasn’t flying a real Apache helicopter but I was wearing the new Apache helmet from Akuma. Apache helmet? Akuma? What? It is completely understandable if you’ve never heard of Akuma helmets before as they are still new to the market; but I promise you that this isn’t going to be the first or last time you hear about them.

Kerry Harris started Akuma in 2005 after leaving the Navy and a career flying the P-3 Orion. He had modified a motorcycle helmet while stationed in Japan and like they say, the rest is history.

What makes Akuma stand out from all the rest of the helmet formations is the Integrated Power System or IPS. At the heart of the IPS is a patented rechargeable battery that powers the front and rear LED’s. We’ll get into that in a bit.

But enough about the company; what about the helmet, isn’t that why we’re here? Right you are so lets get down to business.

My first impression upon opening the box was of the graphics….to put it bluntly…they rock. The helmet is in a flat finish and feels like it is almost coated with a thin layer of rubber…no it won’t bounce (at least I don’t think it will) but the graphics don’t feel like graphics they feel like part of the helmet. They not only feel different but look different and give the helmet a style all its own.

The overall design of the helmet is very rakish and aggressive with a large “diffuser” mounted to the top and rear of the helmet. This diffuser serves a few different purposes, one of which involves the aforementioned LED lights, but we’ll get to that in a minute (the suspense is killing you isn’t it?).

Picking-up the Akuma Apache helmet did highlight one minor drawback to the current IPS system; weight. I weighed it against 3 other helmets that I had laying around to get an idea how it compared:

Akuma Apache = 61.5 ounces
HJC CL-14 = 60.5 ounces
KBC VR2 = 59 ounces
Arai Profile = 55 ounces

I actually notice the weight when I pick up the helmet but hardly at all when I’m wearing it which means that the helmet is well balanced.

The interior of the Akuma Apache is fully removable and washable. The helmet is what I would call a medium oval and should fit a wide range of head shapes. Oh and the interior liner is hypoallergenic for those that have sensitive skin. On the plushness scale I would rate the Apache about a 7 (out of 10). It is only slightly less plush than my Arai (and 8) and about equal to what HJC puts in their helmets.

Riding with the helmet shows just how good a design it is with minimal buffeting at speed and very little buffeting when looking left or right while riding. I would say noise level is comparable to the Arai Profile…maybe a little louder but not by much. Airflow on the Apache is somewhat lacking though.

You get a ton of air that blows around your chin and jawline but none of it seems to be coming in through the chin vent. The vents on top of the helmet tell the same tale; good looks with very little airflow. Now I’ve been spoiled by my Arai Profile so let me clarify this; the helmet flows about the same amount of air as my older HJC and KBC do so it isn’t some non-air-flowing aberration.

Each design that Akuma sells seems to be built on a different helmet chassis and other styles have received great reviews on airflow so it seems this issue is Apache specific.

By now you are probably wondering if I am ever going to talk about the LED lights, right? OK, OK, I’ll talk, I’ll talk.

The calling card of an Akuma helmet is the aforementioned Integrated Power System which is put in the helmet to power the LED lights. At the rear of the helmet, nestled into what look like exhaust ports, are two red LED’s that can be set to flash or constant on. A cool idea and one that not only looks different but will grab your attention when in the flash mode, especially at night. The design of the Apache helmet and the placement of the lights does limit their effectiveness somewhat however if you ride a sportbike and are bent over.

The other light that Akuma puts into the Apache (as well as other models) is the white LED mounted on the left side of the helmet interior. This light comes in very handy for those evening rides where you may need to read a map or inspect your bike. You can also use the light to read in bed without disturbing your partner…..although you sitting in bed with a helmet will probably be disturbing enough. Oh and remember; don’t use the forward facing light while riding with the visor closed.

The lights are turned off and on by two push button switches mounted inside on the chin bar. This is a handy place to mount them as you can easily reach and operate them even while riding and wearing gloves. The downside to mounting them in the chin bar is that, if you are like me and grab and/or carry the helmet by the chin-bar you will constantly be pushing the buttons and turning the lights on and off. This is more of an inconveniance than anything else but it is worth mentioning. The jack to plug the powercord into is hidden behind the left cheekpad for easy access. I’ve run the lights a total of 3 hours so far and have yet to plug in the IPS for recharging.

Aegis shield

Along with the Apache helmet, Akuma sent me one of their new Aegis visors to try as well. This visor is a gold iridium color and according to Akuma ” actively repels water, bugs, oil, and dirt”. There is much magic and technology afoot here and some of it is top secret so we’d have to kill you if we told you how it works exactly, but rest assured it does work. Cleaning the visor is as simple as using warm (not hot) or cold water, mild soap, and a soft cloth (microfiber works great too).

The first time I rode with the visor on I had a big fat juicy bug decide that life wasn’t worth it any longer so he threw himself in front of a speeding bike. I was only a minute from home so I got to wipe the poor bug off while he was still juicy.

A little water (no soap) and a microfiber cloth and with one swipe the bug was gone. No smearing, no residue. I have even tried leaving bugs and dirt on the visor for a few days so that they harden and still the visor cleaned-up without any problem and only by using the cloth and water technique (I have yet to need soap).

The Aegis visor is very, very dark, much darker than any other tinted visor I have ever used, so riding after (or even near) sunset or before sunrise is not recommended. Really folks, trust me on this, I’ve tried it and it is not fun.

That point brings us to the last item about the helmet and its visor mounting system. If I could change one thing about this helmet it would be the shield mechanism. It involves pressing a lever and giving a decent tug to get the visor off, which isn’t bad, and it requires lining up a small tab into a small hole followed by a forceful press down to get the visor back on.

Now none of this is too hard with a clear shield…..took me about 30 seconds to completely take off and put on the standard clear visor. The issue comes in when putting on a tinted visor; in this case the Aegis. It literally took me 5 minutes of swearing to FINALLY get the Aegis visor in place. The problem is the little hole that the little tab has to go into…..you can’t see through the Aegis visor to see where those two pieces line-up. I’m sure with practice I could get it down to the 1-2 minute range but it is still a pain to deal with; especially when, unlike other tinted visors, you really can’t use the Aegis visor in low light conditions.

The Akuma Apache helmet retails for $429 dollars and the Aegis visor will run an additional $55.

So it is the helmet worth the money? Well that is for you to decide but it does offer features that you won’t find on other helmets no matter what the price point. The LED lights and the graphics do get a lot of attention and since all Akuma helmets are both DOT and ECE 22-05 certified, you aren’t giving up protection for good looks.

Akuma also makes other very cool looking helmets (the Stealth is my personal favorite) at different price points so finding one that fits both your budget and aesthetics should be easy. Head on over to Akuma Helmets and check out all of their offerings.