NHK Helmets, an Indonesian helmet manufacturer established in 2017, has now entered India. The company sponsors a number of Moto2 and Moto3 riders, and its helmets have been worn by Moto2 world champions Rémy Gardner and Tito Rabat in the past. These helmets were briefly sold in India before the pandemic, but sales stopped due to the rule that all helmets sold in India must be ISI compliant.
NHK is now back with ISI certification and sales are expected to start by end-January or mid-February. These helmets are imported and distributed in India by Chennai-based 69 Designs, run by former racer Sarath Kumar.
The company will be coming to India with four models, including a new model called the K5-R, which is made out of polycarbonate and is the most affordable with prices starting at Rs 4,999. Despite its low entry price, this helmet will still have premium features like anti-fog pinlock lenses, double-D ring fasteners, and a removable and washable liner.
The next model is the GP-R Tech Street, designed to look like the GP-R Tech helmets used by racers. It uses a polycarbonate build instead of fiberglass which makes it cost around ₹8,500. One made of fiberglass costs around ₹32,000.
Both the GP-R Tech Street and Race helmets are available in a range of stunning graphics, including a dedicated graphic to Indian racing legend Rajni Krishnan. Rajni captured his 11th National Racing Championship in 2022 at the age of 42, beating many riders half his age. He is also the first Indian rider to make a dedicated helmet replica available for sale to the public.
There are a range of sizes available across the different models and the GP-R Tech helmet will also be sold in a dedicated children’s size. The timing is good, with mini-moto racing for the youth starting in India in 2022.
The fourth helmet is the GP-R Tech Race made in carbon fiber. It has been designed to celebrate Remy Gardner’s Moto2 World Championship win in 2021, and is limited to 499 units worldwide. It costs around ₹36,000, and the company says it plans to bring more carbon fiber NHK helmets in the future.