LS2 FF820 Rapid III Helmet – Solid Gloss Black

The same black, with the lacquer left on. Gloss gives the shell's curves something to catch, which is the difference between a helmet that looks plain and one that looks finished.

1350 grams, and why that is the headline

1350 grams, measured the way manufacturers measure it: a mid-size shell without accessories. It sounds abstract until you convert it into load. A head weighs roughly five kilos; the helmet adds around a third of that, and every bump in the road multiplies the lot through your neck. The difference between 1350 g and 1600 g is not noticeable in the first hour and is very noticeable in the fifth.

For context inside this range: only the FF805 Thunder is lighter, and it costs six times as much.

3 shell sizes cover XXS to 3XL. On a helmet built around a single shell, the smallest size carries a mid-size shell's worth of polystyrene: it looks oversized, it weighs more than it should, and the EPS is thicker than the size needs. Splitting the range across 3 tools avoids that at both ends.

About the Solid Gloss Black finish

Gloss black is the classic, and it flatters the Rapid III's shape in a way matt does not — the highlight running along the crown shows off how compact the shell actually is. It also wipes clean in seconds and can be polished, which matt black cannot. In exchange it shows every fingerprint and water spot, so it is the finish for riders who do not mind a cloth in the pannier.

Air in at the chin and the crown

The layout is chin-and-crown, which is more than several helmets a category above manage. The chin vent is the one that clears a visor in cold, wet weather; the top vent and its ducted EPS are what keep your head cool in August. Rear exhausts do the pulling — intakes alone move very little air.

Seeing out

A wide aperture, a hardcoat that survives a glove wipe, UV protection and a double-injection seal that keeps rain out of the gap between visor and shell. Tool-free removal, which matters when a bright afternoon turns into a dark ride home.

The visor is drilled and pinned for a Pinlock 70 MaxVision insert. The insert itself is not supplied — it is part DKS521, sold separately, and we stock it. If you ride through winter, budget for it: an anti-fog lens is the difference between seeing and guessing.

What the ECE 22.06 plaque actually means

Worth a paragraph, because most shops leave it as a line in a table. ECE 22.06 tests up to eighteen impact points where 22.05 tested five, uses more than one impact speed, and — the substantive change — measures rotational acceleration through an oblique drop onto an angled, abrasive anvil.

Straight-line impact was always the easier problem. Rotation is what a real crash usually delivers, and it is what damages the brain at energies a shell survives comfortably. The standard also brings the visor and every fitted accessory into the test, and has been mandatory for new helmets sold in the EU since January 2024.

Holding on

Retention is a ratchet fastener rather than double-D rings. For a helmet you take on and off several times a day that is the practical choice, and it adjusts in small increments so the strap is genuinely tight rather than approximately tight.

The bit you actually touch

A breathable, hypoallergenic, antibacterial lining that unclips and goes in the sink, plus a chin curtain included rather than sold as an extra. The helmet is also prepared for LS2's communication system, with recesses moulded for the speakers.

On noise

Wind noise is the specification manufacturers never quote, because it depends more on your bike than on their helmet. What the helmet controls is the seal at the neck roll, the gap under the chin bar and the vents. A chin curtain is fitted as standard, and it is the single most effective piece of quiet in the box — provided it stays in the helmet after you clean it. The Rapid III is a compact, plainly shaped shell with no sun-visor housing bulking out the sides, which helps — but it is a 99-euro helmet and it does not pretend to be a quiet one.

What it does not control is the airflow leaving your screen. If a helmet is loud on one motorcycle and quiet on another, the screen is usually the reason. Plugs cost a euro and do more than any shell shape.

What it is, and what it is not

Where the money was saved: no integrated sun visor, no Pinlock insert supplied. Where it was not: an HPTT shell at 1350 g, ECE 22.06, three shells across eight sizes, chin and top ventilation, a ratchet buckle and a washable liner. An entry-level price, not an entry-level helmet.

Where it sits in our LS2 range

Eight LS2 full-face models are listed here, and they form a clear ladder rather than a wall of choices. The Rapid III is the bottom rung and the lightest of the lot bar one.

When something wears out

Worth knowing before you buy rather than after: everything on this helmet that wears out can be replaced individually. Liners in all eight sizes seven replacement visors from clear to iridium, the ratchet closure, chin curtain, chin strap cover, nose guard and all three vent covers.

The interior is the part that decides how long the helmet stays honest. Sweat and hair oils break down the foam, the fit loosens, and riders conclude the helmet is finished when the shell is untouched. The full parts list for this helmet is in the FF820 Rapid III Kit.

In the box

• LS2 FF820 Rapid III helmet — Solid Gloss Black
• Carrying bag
• Reflective stickers

Specification

• Shell — HPTT high-pressure thermoplastic, three shell sizes (2XS–S / M–L / XL–3XL)
• Weight — 1350 g (±50 g)
• Sizes — XXS to 3XL (eight sizes)
• Homologation — ECE 22.06
• Retention — ratchet buckle, reinforced chin strap, metal safety plaque
• Visor — wide field of view, scratch-resistant, UV-stable, double-injection seal, quick-release system
• Anti-fog — prepared for Pinlock® 70 MaxVision™ (insert not supplied, part DKS521)
• Sun visor — none on this model
• Ventilation — chin intake, top intake, rear exhausts, channelled EPS, breath deflector
• Liner — maximum-comfort interior, antibacterial, hypoallergenic, breathable, removable and washable
• Chin curtain — included
• Intercom — prepared for the LS2 communication system
• Finish — Solid black, gloss