“Ah, you’ve got one as well,” says ABR’s James Oxley, cheerfully nodding to the HJC RPHA 60 that’s sat next to me. “Brilliant, isn’t it?”
We’re stopped for lunch, amid a day of riding the 2026 Honda Transalp 750 E-Clutch. It’s only now that I realize he and I have the same lid, despite the fact I’ve seen him wearing his on a number of occasions.
Blame the huge variety of graphics and color schemes in which HJC bedecks its adventure-touring helmet, I suppose. The company likes to offer its helmets in a multitude of flavors. James’ is in the Solid graphics scheme, and “semi flat sand beige” color; whereas mine sports ‘Quid’ graphics and a “MC47SF” colorway. At present, there are 17 different colors/styles of RPHA 60 to choose from; that will probably increase at some point.
The point, though, is that this is the helmet of choice for a guy like James, who has access to all the adventure kit you can imagine. To some extent, that’s all you need to know. Sure, I like the helmet, but, also, the editor of Adventure Bike Rider likes it.
What makes it so good? Let’s get into that.
HJC RHPA 60 specs
| STARTING PRICE | £469.99 |
| MADE IN | Vietnam (No. 133 on the Democracy Index) |
| SAFETY RATING | ECE 22.06 |
| SIZING | XS-2XL |
| WEIGHT | 1600 grams (size M) – Roughly 50g less with peak removed. |
A little background
South Korea-based HJC has been making helmets since the mid-1970s. The internet tells me that HJC stands for “Hong Jin Crown,” and that the company started out as a clothing manufacturer – Hongjin Enterprises – that then took over a failing helmet business – Seoul Helmet – in 1974. That enterprise became Crown Helmet, then something something something and now we have HJC.
HJC is one of the major players in both North America and Europe – thanks in no small part for its reputation of offering affordability and quality.
The RPHA series of helmets – which many people strangely pronounce as “Arffa” – is HJC’s top of the line range. They are not cheap, but they still tend to be more affordable than comparative helmets from, say, Shoei or Arai.
The adventure-touring-focused RPHA 60 first arrived in the UK in autumn last year. I’ve been using mine since about that time – first putting it to the test in November 2025, when I spent a week riding the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Mana Black in India.
Fit, comfort, and interior
Straight out of the box, the RPHA 60 has an air of real quality. It definitely looks the part in terms of adventure touring and comes with an additional ‘long smoke’ tinted visor if you live in a place sunny enough that the combination of clear (external) visor and (internal) sun visor isn’t enough. More on the visors in a bit.
HJC says it uses a proprietary “Premium Integrated Matrix” of high-strength resin and “special fiber tissue” to create a lighter shell. I am not clever enough to understand the particulars, but certainly it’s true that the helmet is noticeably lighter than most.
Inside, you’ve got a fully removable liner that HJC says is made of anti-bacterial, moisture-wicking, quick-drying fabric. It and the removable cheek pads are all washable. Apparently the cheek pads are interchangeable across all helmet sizes, so you could theoretically tailor your fit with some clever mixing and matching. The challenge comes in getting hold of those extra cheek pads. Searching the internet, I’m not able to find a vendor that currently sells them.
Fortunately for me, the fit of the RPHA 60 is excellent. Better, in fact, than I’m used to with HJC. I’m a fan of the company’s lids but it’s always been the case that their fit has been pretty snug; helmets take a while to break in. My RPHA 70, for example, really only got comfortable after about 1,000 miles of wear.
Not so with the RPHA 60. It was instantly comfortable – something I was thankful for since I had no break-in time before travelling to India. The helmet performed brilliantly there: light and comfortable enough that I never really noticed it. Indeed, I was often happy to keep it on at short stops because it helped keep the sun off. To that end, the lining handles sweat with ease and dries quickly enough that I don’t remember ever putting on a wet helmet.
The helmet has also performed well in the climates of Britain and Europe. I’m always happy to throw it on.
The gimmick (ie, the removable peak)
I’ll admit that I think the peak on an adventure helmet looks cool, but I also tend to think they are silly and unnecessary. Like a grown man wearing a replica jersey to a football game, or anyone in Britain wearing cowboy boots, having a peak on an adventure-touring helmet smacks of playing dress-up.
At speeds above 50 mph these peaks turn into sails, placing tremendous strain on your neck as you fight against the wind’s efforts to twist your head off like some sort of throwaway character in ”Invincible.” Fortunately, the peak on the RPHA 60 is easy to remove. There are small bolts on each side of the helmet – removable without tools – and a release button in the top vent housing.
Another argument against keeping the peak in place is the fact that the part that connects with the vent housing inherently blocks some air intake. And when the main visor is fully up, it disappears slightly under the peak, making it just a little tricky to find with a gloved hand.
Lastly, the peak is pretty flimsy. But, as I say: it does look cool. As a moto-journalist, I tend to install it when there are photographers around and keep it in my bag at all other times.
A multitude of visors
In addition to a standard clear (external) visor, the RPHA 60 also comes with the so-called “long smoke” tinted visor I mentioned above. Both visors claim to offer 99-percent protection against UV light and come with an anti-scratch coating.
The quirk of the tinted visor, however, is that it is shaped differently to a standard visor, with a section that pulls down over the front vent. It looks cool, but makes the front vent a little difficult to operate.
And, as I say, it’s really only relevant if you live somewhere that’s consistently very sunny. Southern California, perhaps. For those of us living in the United Kingdom, the internal sun visor is good enough.
In fact, it’s very good. HJC has developed a system that allows the visor to shift forward 10 mm as it is brought down. This means that it is able to drop down lower than other sun visors, which would otherwise bump into your face. A lower sun visor means more coverage. The coverage with the RPHA 60’s sun visor is so good that it covers pretty much the entirety of your field of vision. You will forget that you’ve got the sun visor down.
Speaking of the field of vision, it’s excellent – better than what I’m used to with the sport-touring helmets I normally wear (which I feel are pretty damn good).
An included Pinlock antifog insert helps ensure the clarity of that field of vision. Unfortunately, only one comes in the box, despite the fact that you get two external visors. So, you’re forced to choose – or to buy another Pinlock insert. That’s something you’ll probably end up having to do, anyway. I find that Pinlock inserts don’t seem to hold up as long as they used to.
One thing to note: this helmet clearly isn’t designed for aggressive off-road riding. The presence of an internal sun visor should clue you into that fact. Another clear sign is that you may struggle to wear goggles with it. The shape at the rear of the helmet is designed to improve aerodynamics. It is a shape that would likely cause goggle straps to slip.
Ventilation and noise
HJC says that its “Advanced Channeling Ventilation System” offers “three intakes and four exhausts.” The company appears to be counting the face section of the helmet (ie, the bit that’s protected by the visor) as an intake. By that reckoning, there are, in fact, four intakes: the big hole where you put your head, the big hole that you look out of, an adjustable vent at the chin, and an adjustable vent at the crown of the helmet.
Whatever the case, the RPHA 60 is airier than, say, my Shoei Neotec 3, which means it’s well suited to warm-weather rides. I don’t ever remember being hot in the helmet when wearing it in 35ºC+ heat in India.
The other side of the coin to being airy, however, is that the RPHA 60 is louder than a more road-focused helmet. That’s not to say it’s too loud. With a set of good ear plugs in (which you should be wearing anyway) it’s not problematic.
Cue obvious Amazon affiliate link for Honeywell Howard Leight Max Protection ear plugs. That’s what I use; I buy ‘em in packs of 200. They’re pitched as “single use” but I find they’re good for a number of rides. A pack of 200 will last you a few years, even if you ride as often as I do.
Meanwhile, with the vents closed, the helmet isn’t so airy that it can’t be worn in British weather. I have ridden in a few downpours while wearing the helmet and there was no leaking.
Fancy stuff
The RPHA 60 is built to seamlessly integrate with a number of HJC’s “SMART” Bluetooth communications systems. Kudos to HJC here for making the helmet compatible with three of its systems. So, if you have a set-up from a previous HJC helmet you can simply switch it over.
Compare that with the Shoei Neotec 3 I reviewed recently. My biggest moan about that helmet was the fact that it does not accept the comms system from the Neotec 2. As far as Shoei is concerned, buying a new helmet means also buying a new comms set-up.
Here, though, the RPHA 60 will work with the SMART 11B, the SMART 21B, or SMART 50B systems. I’m afraid, though, that I don’t have any of those systems and HJC didn’t send me one to test. So, I’m not able to tell you how well any of them work within the RPHA 60 context.
Unrelated to communications is a safety feature that’s common to almost all HJC helmets these days: emergency pull tabs. These small red straps allow paramedics or other medical professionals to quickly remove the helmet’s cheek pads in an incident. That gives them a better chance of removing your helmet without upsetting your neck.
An affordable helmet you can trust
I mentioned earlier that I have long been a fan of HJC helmets. That affection stretches back at least to 2016, when I crashed while wearing an HJC RPHA 11. I hit the road at roughly 70 mph and rolled about 300 feet – my head making contact with the tarmac several times.
A decade later, I’m still here, here telling you about it. So, I know from personal experience that HJC helmets – especially its RPHA range – can be trusted.
True, there are certain elements (eg, the slightly flimsy peak) that explain why the RPHA 60 is more affordable than some other competitors, but when it comes to the core purpose of a helmet – protecting your head – HJC’s products are sound.
Verdict
The HJC RPHA 60 is a helmet that I’m very happy to recommend. It’s lightweight, comfortable, looks good, and comes from a company that has saved my life in the past. What more could you ask for?
That said, I don’t love that the helmet was made in Vietnam, rather than South Korea – where RPHA helmets used to be made.
And I’ll admit that its ‘adventure’ qualities are a little more for show than practical use. That’s fine. It’s still a good-looking helmet with the peak removed – one that offers good ventilation and an excellent field of vision. Albeit with the trade off of being a little noisier than a dedicated touring or sport helmet. If you ride an adventure-touring or touring motorcycle – and don’t mind a little extra wind noise – it’s an excellent choice.
Other gear worn in photos
– Weise Navigator jacket
– LS2 X-Master jacket
– Richa Atlantic GTX gloves
– Aerostich Elkskin Competition Roper gloves
– LS2 X-Master pants
– Sidi Taurus GTX boots
– Richa Oberon WP boots
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