Xtrem is the hard-edged graphic family in this range, and the white version is the brightest of its three — white and red worked over black in a layout built entirely from straight lines.

1350 grams, and why that is the headline

Light helmets used to mean expensive helmets. Thermoplastic formulations like HPTT have narrowed that gap considerably, and 1350 g at this price would have been a premium figure a decade ago.

🔵 Composite and carbon shells still go lower, at several times the money.

HPTT shell, three shell sizes and ECE 22.06

The EPS liner is the component that actually protects you, and it does so by crushing — converting the energy of an impact into permanent deformation of the foam.

🔵 It works once. That is why every manufacturer, LS2 included, says to replace a helmet after any real impact.

No independent safety rating — and the trap that goes with it

🔵 Roughly one helmet in ten on sale in Europe carries a SHARP rating. The Rapid III is one of the nine that does not.

Its predecessor did, at 2 stars of 5, and that result is not being transferred to this page — the shell and the homologation standard both changed.

About the Xtrem white, black and red graphic

Angular graphics have a genuine functional property that flowing ones do not: they create hard edges, and a hard edge is what an eye locks onto. A smooth gradient across a shell gives the eye nothing to fix on and is read as a single soft object; a set of sharp boundaries between light and dark reads as structure and registers faster in peripheral vision. That is why high-contrast angular liveries turn up on emergency vehicles rather than airbrushed fades. Here the white areas supply the value and the black gives them something to sit against, which is the right way round. 🔵 The white will show fly strike and motorway film, and the red is the most UV-sensitive element on the helmet, so keep it out of prolonged direct sun. Wash it wet and dry it with a soft cloth. Against the other two Xtrem finishes the difference is entirely base value, and it is the whole decision. This is the one with a real road advantage; the petrol version is the one that stays looking clean; the grey version is the discreet one. All three share the same angular layout, the same helmet and the same price.

What this helmet does not have: an internal sun visor

🔵 A tinted visor is the usual substitute and it is a real one, provided you accept the swap. Changing a visor on the Rapid III is a tool-free job of about a minute at the roadside.

Remember the legal limit: tinted visors are daylight-only in most of Europe.

Chin and top intakes, channelled EPS

🔵 The chin curtain is removable, and most riders take it out in July and put it back in October. Leaving it fitted year-round costs a little airflow and gains a lot of quiet.

Wind noise itself is unrated here — nobody publishes a measurement for this helmet.

Anti-fog — prepared for, not supplied

The visor itself is scratch-resistant and changes without tools, which matters more on a helmet with no internal shield — a visor swap is your only tint option.

🔵 Anti-fog: prepared for a Pinlock 70 MaxVision, not supplied.

Lining, closure and everyday comfort

Everything that touches your head comes out for washing, and everything that comes out is available as a replacement part.

🔵 Over five years that matters more than the fabric name on the label.

Where it sits in LS2's range

Where this helmet sits against LS2's FF817 Challenger II: the Challenger has an internal sun visor and one intake path; the Rapid III has two intake paths with channelled EPS and no shield.

🔵 Different priorities, similar money.

Care and replacement parts

The chin curtain and breath deflector are the two parts most often removed and then lost. Both are available separately, and both are worth keeping with the helmet rather than in a drawer.

🔵 Visors, pads and linings are stocked as well.

In the box

• LS2 FF820 Rapid III helmet — Xtrem, White, black and red (HPTT shell)
• Clear outer visor, fitted
• Chin curtain, fitted and removable
• Breath deflector, fitted and removable
• 🔵 No internal sun visor — this model does not have one
• 🔵 No Pinlock insert — the visor is prepared for a Pinlock® 70 MaxVision™, which is sold separately
• 🔵 No second visor and no intercom — both are separate purchases

Size guide

If the helmet is snug at the crown but loose at the cheeks, thicker cheek pads will fix it. If it is loose at the crown, the helmet is too big and no pad will save it.

🔵 Cheek pads are available in several thicknesses.

Specification

• Model — LS2 FF820 Rapid III
• Part number — 168201102
• Colour — Xtrem — White, black and red
• Homologation — ECE 22.06
• 🔴 Safety rating — none. SHARP has no entry for the FF820, Rapid III or Rapid 3 (brand list checked directly). The 2-star result under „FF353 Rapid" belongs to the previous-generation helmet — different shell, different standard — and is deliberately not carried over. No ADAC or Certimoov result either
• Shell — HPTT injection-moulded thermoplastic; three shell sizes (2XS–S / M–L / XL–3XL)
• Weight — approx. 1350 g (±50 g), mid-size shell without accessories
• Sizes — 2XS to 3XL (eight sizes)
• 🔴 Sun visor — none. This helmet has no drop-down internal shield — unlike LS2's FF808 Stream II, FF811 Vector II and FF817 Challenger II. It is most of the reason it weighs 1350 g
• Visor — clear outer visor, scratch-resistant, tool-free change
• 🔴 Anti-fog — prepared for Pinlock® 70 MaxVision™ — the insert is NOT included. The pins are fitted; the lens is a separate purchase
• Ventilation — chin and top intakes feeding channelled EPS, with rear exhausts — two intake paths, one more than the FF817. 🔵 Assessed from the published construction; no independent airflow measurement exists
• 🔴 Wind noise — left unrated — no independent measurement is published for this model
• Retention — ratchet buckle
• Interior — hypoallergenic, antibacterial, fully removable and washable. 🔵 No branded wicking fabric (no COOLMAX or X-Static) and no magnetic wind deflector — both appear further up LS2's range
• Included — chin curtain and breath deflector, both fitted and removable
• 🔴 FIM homologation — none — a road helmet, not eligible for FIM-sanctioned competition
• Serviceability — visors, cheek pads in several thicknesses, complete lining, chin curtain, breath deflector and vent covers all available separately
• Replacement guidance — after about five years regardless of condition, and immediately after any impact

• 1× helmet
• Carrying bag
• Reflective stickers