Review: AGV Corsa Velocity Helmet

Top-tier racing helmet adapted for everyday use on the street.

AGV has released a brand new model for its claim of the upper-echelon racing sector of the motorcycle helmet market. The AGV Corsa priced at $849.95 offers street-friendly features such as quick-adjusting vent valves and tunable comfort features that the track-dedicated version (the $1400 full carbon fiber Pista GP) lacks. Over the summer in the Californian heat, we’ve been street and track testing the all-new Corsa model in the Velocity white/black/red paint scheme and have discovered a real race-bred piece of safety equipment with plenty of amenities appreciated for street use.

Exterior Construction - AGV Corsa

The AGV Corsa shell is comprised of three different types of composites (carbon fiber, fiberglass and aramid) woven together to create the “SSL” (Super Super Light) shell exterior. The shell also integrates venting ducts that perform extremely well with the minimalistic interior lining and cushioning. Unlike the Pista GP that utilizes clumsy rubber plugs to block airflow when unwanted, the Corsa has traditional sliding valves that enable opening and closing of the venting system on the fly. The Corsa also features a rear diffuser that while extremely functional when cutting through the air, is anchored to the helmet shell by three plastic screws designed to easily break off in a crash reducing protruding surfaces of the helmet that can get hung up when sliding across the ground.

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The visor system on the Corsa is rather unique as well. Locking the visor in the closed position is accomplished by a centered latch on the upper portion of the chin bar on the front of the helmet. Opening the visor can be executed quickly with either hand as a result of the centered release button. A completely redesigned lock and release mechanism enables extremely simple visor swaps as well. Spring-loaded and locking levers on each side disengage the latch on the pivoting mechanisms allowing the visor to slide right out of the pivot points without having to fight with the visor and worry about breaking fine components.

Interior

Comfort and fitment were obviously high on the engineers’ list when designing the Corsa. In order to achieve the proper fit, AGV offers intermediary sizes such as “Small Medium” and “Medium Large” to ensure a wider range of shell sizes are available to riders.

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Furthermore, pre-cut padding pieces are included with each helmet to tune the fitment to each rider’s unique head shape. These foam pieces are easily slipped into pockets in the removable liner to add pressure to the cheek/ear area as well as the upper, rear portion of the head. The two strips of padding that run from front to back along the top of the rider’s head can also be adjusted outward or inward by repositioning the Velcro anchors in the upper liner. Like most helmets these days, the microfiber interior liner is also fully removable and washable.