HJC i71 Full-Face Helmet—Gear Review

H, J, and C, three letters which, when viewed in conjunction with motorcycle helmets, inspire confidence and peace of mind knowing you’re safe and protected no matter what the road, trail, or track throws at you. Those of you who’ve read my work would be well aware that I’m a huge proponent of investing in safety—be it in terms of riding skills, gear, and motorcycle maintenance. That said, you’d also know that I hold HJC to such high regard, that nearly half of my helmet collection consists of models from the Korean label. 

HJC Philippines through Triumph JT Marketing so kindly provided me with an HJC C10 not too long ago, a helmet I’ve grown to love and even deem more than worthy as a rightful successor to the CS-15 in HJC’s entry-level lineup. You can read all about it in the link below, but for today, let’s move up HJC’s model range and take a closer look at their newest touring helmet, the i71. For those of you unaware, the i71 is the successor to the i70, a popular, middle-of-the-road touring helmet. So, how does the all-new i71 fare? 

Design and build

First impressions with the i71 were, as is the case with all HJC lids, thoroughly impressive. I couldn’t help but draw similarities with the incredibly popular (and expensive) Shoei GT-Air. Yes, the HJC i71 has a similar vibe in that it’s contoured lines and numerous vents give it a much more premium look and feel—much fancier than its P12,800 price tag would suggest. On top of that, the matte black finish my helmet came in felt well-done and durable. 

In comparison to the HJC i70, the i71 is clearly a leap forward in terms of build quality and fit and finish. The vents open and close with precision, and the visor mechanism is supple and precise. I did, however, sigh when I saw that it was designed exclusively for the HJC Smart Communication system, as I’ve been a long-time Cardo user. However, after some brainstorming, I managed to fit my Cardo PackTalk Black with ease. 

Interior and Fit

Moving on to the inside of the helmet, it’s clear to see that HJC is looking to punch above its weight class, or rather, price bracket. The pads are voluminous and feel very snug on my face. For reference, I’m a size Large on all HJC helmets, and in the case of the i71, this is also true. It’s worth noting, however, that this helmet is more of a long oval head shape, so you may want to consider sizing up to account for this, especially if your head shape is more intermediate to round oval. 

Being the touring helmet that it is, the HJC i71 is fitted with a drop-down sun visor. A nice thing to note is that the drop-down visor is adjustable in terms of how far away from your face it drops down. So, if your nose is pointier than others, you can move the visor forward and not have to worry about your nose rubbing against it. Last but not least, the i71 is outfitted with a quick-release micrometric buckle, making wearing and removing the helmet incredibly easy. 

Performance and safety

Given the fact that the i71 is from as reputable a manufacturer as HJC, there’s no denying that the helmet has been constructed to exacting standards. For reference, the i71 is compliant to the latest ECE R22.06 standard. As such, overall build quality is much better, because each size corresponds to a single shell size. In case you weren't aware, the revised standard, ECE R22.06, gives more weight to the rotational force brought on by collisions. 

As a consequence, the EPS liner has been improved, and shell and helmet sizes are matched exactly to guarantee that the safety of the helmet is maximized for that size. In the case of the i71, this is probably why the helmet looks and feels much more compact than its predecessor. It’s also surprisingly lightweight, tipping the scales at just 1,700 grams in size Large. 

In terms of on-road performance, the HJC i71 is incredibly quiet in the city, so much so that you don’t even need to wear earplugs. On the highway, however, the helmet lets a little bit of wind noise in, so a pair of earplugs could still be useful, especially if your motorcycle of choice is a naked bike without any wind protection, as is the case with me. 

The verdict

It goes without saying the HJC continues to improve on its products year by year, and the i71 is no different. It’s hard to imagine that the i71 is still just the mid-tier offering from HJC, as it’s clearly built to a much higher standard than its predecessor. Overall, the i71 could very well be the best all-rounder helmet from HJC thanks to its versatility, ventilation, drop-down visor, and relatively lightweight build. Given the fact that it’s compliant to the latest ECE R22.06 safety standard means that it’s one of the safest lids in the market, too. 

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