This Is the First-Ever of its Kind Awarded
Arai has made history by winning the Fedreation Internaitonale de Motocyclisme’s (FIM) first-ever Nicolas Rodeil del Valle gold medal for safety. The award has been given before for “two-wheel racing activities and management of business,” but it has never been awarded for safety equipment to a gear manufacturer like Arai, according to Motorcycle.com.
The FIM has an annual awards ceremony in Monte Carlo, Monaco, in November. That was when Arai was awarded the honor. Michio Arai received the award for the company. He is the son of Hirotake Arai, the current company CEO and company founder. The award was officially given for “achievement in contributions to the safety of many riders and numerous advancements to motorcycle sports over many years.” In other words, Arai makes good and safe helmets.
I’d have to agree with the FIM’s assessment. Arai does make some fantastic helmets. There are plenty of other helmet manufacturers out there that also make great helmets, but Arai is one of the most important ones and continues to innovate each year. That’s why Jim is in Japan right now checking out Arai’s factory. I’m looking forward to seeing what he reports once he gets back.
