Our gear: the Held Masuda Fibreglass helmet

I gave the Gaffer a sideways glance as he asked me to put to one side my Held ST-6 full carbon helmet and use the Held 'Masuda'. I love the ST-6 and was reluctant, at first, to try out the sub-£200 helmet. 

However, as it appeared from the box I was immediately impressed. Held have an Italian designer on board now and the looks are great!

Held Masuda: German quality, Italian design £199.99

 First impressions:

Very comfortable, way beyond it's £199.99 price tag. A great fit, made perfect by the integral cheek pump system which allows you to pump it up to provide a PERFECT fit.

Held have improved on the integral sun visor too- pops back up with a single touch on the button. I was particularly impressed with the no-tools visor change, practiced a few times to get it right, now I can change it like a TT pit crew (!)... Certainly beats messing around with the visors on certain other brands, and busting a few side pods on the way...

Next to the chin- the cheek pump system. Big one to pump, little one to release air

Easy on-off visor change system

After testing:

I've now ridden over 600 miles in the Masuda and it's comfy as anything. The removable cheeks pads (which I've washed once already) and the Outlast lining (designed to regulate temperature) work well to keep the lid fresh as a daisy :) The investment by Held in the lining pays dividends too in terms of comfort on longer rides.

If you've never used an integral sun visor give it a go- perfect for the in-out UK sun and more importantly you can ride on into dusk without having to change visors / take your shades off!

Integral sun visor, breath deflector and plenty of air vents

 
Don't ask about wind noise as such- I ride a naked Cafe Racer and it's noisy! All I will say is that I also have an Arai and a Shark and the Held Masuda is no noisier!

I like the slightly smaller shell size as well, suits me and doesn't make me look like I've got a goldfish bowl on my head.. ;)

Really impressed too with the paint, nice chevrons on the top (see below) and i've washed it a dozen times or more with warm, soapy water and it still looks like new. 

 
All in all it's a great lid, with a price tag that offers exceptional value. Here's the official specifications:

• Washable cheek pads
• Clear, scratchproof visor
• Air-vents at front & chin
• Quick release ratchet chin-strap buckle
• Clear lacquer
• No-tools visor change mechanism
• Choice of 2 shell sizes for a perfect fit
• Clear, dark tint, silver & purple iridium visors available
• Inc. sun visor
• Pinlock ready visor
• Integral pump system

You can see more of the Masuda and the colours available on page 246 of our online catalogue: