When I try to explain to the average cager why it is that I require the most outrageous helmet possible, I hear Madea in my head. “She don’t see us? You see me? Yes, I see you, you see me? Yeah, I see us sitting here looking like two big Barneys!” I can tell you’re shocked to hear I love the attention. I love to be seen. I refuse to be a big Barney!
Okay fine—I do it for the safety aspects. In the same way that loud pipes save lives, an insane helmet graphic draws attention to me and keeps me safe! My logic is infallible, trust me—just go with it; I’m a professional.
Still not enough reason to choose one of these badass lids? In all seriousness, not only do all these helmets look incredible; they’re of great quality and will provide a high degree of comfort and safety. With those things in mind, I went hunting and came up with some of the best-looking graphics on helmets for the 2022 riding season.
Note: With the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic, helmet production and design has slowed down significantly. As such, some of these helmets are holdovers from the 2021 list, although all efforts have been made to find as many crazy/zany/loud helmets as possible.
Icon Airform Warden
- Price: $225.00
- Type: Full Face
- Head Shape: Long Oval
- Weight: 3.8 lbs
The Airform lid from Icon is a seriously badass piece of kit. Borrowing plenty of cool tech from the more expensive siblings in the Icon roster, the Airform is perfect for the urban sport rider looking to stand out.
For this year, Icon has 6 insane new graphic options for the Airform lineup that have been added to the impressive 21 total Airform choices available. I love the Warden graphic. The blue pops and is a perfect backdrop for the ferocious winged raptor in motion.
It also comes with a sick purple visor, plus a clear visor—and of course, a drop-down internal sun visor.
We have worked closely with RevZilla, Amazon, and 2Wheel over the years to provide our testers with products to review. They are all great partners and unique in their own ways, so make sure to check out their prices. Please don’t forget, we may get a commission if you buy from them.
HJC RPHA 11 Carnage
- Price: $599.99 to $604.99
- Type: Full Face
- Head Shape: Intermediate Oval
- Weight: 3.12 lbs
- See the HJC RPHA 11 Pro review @ wBW
Naturally, I would never suggest you ride like an extraterrestrial parasite, but I firmly believe if you drop this Carnage helmet on your head it will form a symbiotic bond with the wearer and give them super-human abilities. Deal with that, Spiderman!
On top of that, the RPHA 11 is one seriously good helmet, with a reinforced fiberglass shell, multi-layer dual density EPS foam, and DOT and ECE certifications. It also has emergency cheek pad releases—something both myself and the rest of the staff here at BadAss think is a great safety item that should be in all helmets.
Just in case you are not a Marvel fan, HJC also has a graphic for you from DC Comics.
We have worked closely with RevZilla, Amazon, and 2Wheel over the years to provide our testers with products to review. They are all great partners and unique in their own ways, so make sure to check out their prices. Please don’t forget, we may get a commission if you buy from them.
AGV K1 Dreamtime
- Price: $289.95
- Type: Full Face
- Head Shape: Intermediate Oval
- Weight: 3.64 lbs
- See the AGV K3 review @ wBW
I call this the entry-level to becoming Valentino Rossi. The K1 Dreamtime is one of many #46 emblazoned lids of awesomeness and will help you feel just like the MotoGP G.O.A.T.
With styling cues directly from the uber-pricey Pista GP RR models worn by Rossi, the K1 is an excellent intermediate oval helmet for daily riding. AGV incorporated many of the wind tunnel-developed features of the race-spec helmets, ensuring the K1 has excellent ventilation and sightlines.
Slap the Dreamtime on your melon and channel your inner Valentino.
We have worked closely with RevZilla, Amazon, and 2Wheel over the years to provide our testers with products to review. They are all great partners and unique in their own ways, so make sure to check out their prices. Please don’t forget, we may get a commission if you buy from them.
Arai Regent-X Jungle 2
- Price: $709.95
- Type: Full Face
- Head Shape: Intermediate Oval
- Weight: 3.55 lbs
- Read the Arai Corsair X review @ wBW
Arai is a top-level brand delivering top-level protection for your melon. The Regent-X uses Arias’s new Peripherally Belted Super Complex Laminate Construction shell design (say that 5 times fast) to deliver both performance and affordability.
You also get Arai’s obsession with safety built into the helmet, not that you would notice right off due to the sick graphic. Its redesigned opening makes it easy to put the helmet on or take it off, and this helmet is Snell certified.
We have worked closely with RevZilla, Amazon, and 2Wheel over the years to provide our testers with products to review. They are all great partners and unique in their own ways, so make sure to check out their prices. Please don’t forget, we may get a commission if you buy from them.
Shoei X-14 Norick 4
- Price: $899.99
- Type: Full Face / Motorsports Certified
- Head Shape: Intermediate Oval
- Weight: 3.62 lbs
- Read the Shoei X-14 review @ wBW
The Shoei X-14 is a premium helmet for the racing crowd. From the inside out every aspect of this helmet is about performance. Ultra stable at speed, with great optics, and excellent ventilation.
This graphic pays homage to the Legendary Japanese racer, Norick Abe, by replicating his helmet from his final year (2004) in MotoGP. Sadly Norick perished in a traffic accident in 2007.
We have worked closely with RevZilla, Amazon, and 2Wheel over the years to provide our testers with products to review. They are all great partners and unique in their own ways, so make sure to check out their prices. Please don’t forget, we may get a commission if you buy from them.
Scorpion EXO-R1 Air BlackLetter
- Price: $429.95
- Type: Full Face
- Head Shape: Intermediate Oval
- Weight: 3.28 lbs
- Read the Scorpion EXO-R1 Air Bautista review @ wBW
The EXO-R1 is a premium racer lid with the fit and feel of a more expensive helmet from brand names that carry more weight. It proves itself on track for stars of the MotoGP and World Superbike Championships, and it will prove itself for regular riding too, at a price point that everyone can afford.
Scorpion includes their unique AirFit cheek pad inflation system. Basically, it is the Reebok Pump for your face (age check). AirFit makes it easy to create a truly tailored helmet fit.
We have worked closely with RevZilla, Amazon, and 2Wheel over the years to provide our testers with products to review. They are all great partners and unique in their own ways, so make sure to check out their prices. Please don’t forget, we may get a commission if you buy from them.
Fly Racing Street Revolt Matrix
- Price: $179.95
- Type: Full Face
- Head Shape: Long Oval
- Weight: 3.7 lbs
On a budget? Must have a Snell rating? Does your inner badass need more than just basic black? The Revolt Matrix is the perfect choice for you.
This is a helmet great for all-around riding, on sport bikes, cruisers, or touring bikes—no matter what you need, this helmet gets it done. Constructed with a durable and lightweight polycarbonate/ABS shell and a dual density EPS liner, the impact absorption it offers will be up to the task.
My choice is this slick Iridescent look.
We have worked closely with Revzilla, Amazon, and 2Wheel over the years to provide our testers with products to review. They are all great partners and unique in their own ways, so make sure to check out their prices. Please don’t forget, we may get a commission if you buy from them.
Simpson Ghost Bandit Sandbox
- Price: $499.95
- Type: Full Face
- Head Shape: Intermediate Oval
- Weight: 3.46 lbs
- See the Simpson Speed Bandit review @ wBW
One of the coolest styles in all of helmetdom is the Simpson Bandit! If you love the look of a Simpson Helmet but want the creature comforts of a touring helmet, the Ghost Bandit is for you.
The Sand Camo graphic will surely keep you hidden on high-speed desert runs, but the Ghost Bandit lid has the luxuries to keep you comfortable. A dropdown sun visor, provisions for a Bluetooth system, and great ventilation are all highlights of this lid.
We have worked closely with RevZilla, Amazon, and 2Wheel over the years to provide our testers with products to review. They are all great partners and unique in their own ways, so make sure to check out their prices. Please don’t forget, we may get a commission if you buy from them.
LS2 Spitfire Spark
- Price: $119.98
- Type: Open Face
- Head Shape: Intermediate Oval
- Weight: 3.15 lbs
Maybe it is my impatience waiting on the release of Top Gun 2, but I love these fighter pilot inspired graphics on the LS2 Spark helmets.
The thermoplastic shell and dual-density EPS core are light and comfortable, meeting DOT specs. I am also a fan of micro-adjusting chin straps, so thank you LS2. The Spark also has a slick pull-down sun visor, which yes, keeps the sun at bay, but its primary function is to nail the fighter pilot look (obviously).
Now go buzz the tower while screaming inside your helmet, “Yeeeeehaw, Jester’s DEAD!”
We have worked closely with RevZilla, Amazon, and 2Wheel over the years to provide our testers with products to review. They are all great partners and unique in their own ways, so make sure to check out their prices. Please don’t forget, we may get a commission if you buy from them.
Nexx SX100 Big Shot
- Price: $259.95
- Type: Full Face
- Head Shape: Intermediate Oval
- Weight: 3.55 lbs
Well, if you’re looking for a helmet to make a personal statement with, this one does it pretty well. It does quite literally make a statement: “Riding like a big shot.” The perfect helmet, I think, for someone doing some sport touring or riding around on a cruiser.
Adding in the sun visor and having a pinlock ready shield at under $300 also makes this a bit of a bargain. Fully DOT and ECE compliant, it’s also a safe choice to keep your skull covered in flesh, unlike the skeletal paint job!
We have worked closely with RevZilla, Amazon, and 2Wheel over the years to provide our testers with products to review. They are all great partners and unique in their own ways, so make sure to check out their prices. Please don’t forget, we may get a commission if you buy from them.
Bell Qualifier DLX MIPS Devil May Care 2020
- Price: $279.95
- Type: Full Face
- Head Shape: Intermediate Oval
- Weight: 3.57 lbs
- Read the Bell Qualifier DLX review @ wBW
There’s something about a graphics job that makes this helmet look like the front of a P-51 Mustang that’s come back from a hell of a dogfight—and it just screams awesome. Having that graphics job on one of Bell’s MIPS helmets means you’ll look great and be safe.
The Qualifier DLX builds upon the original Qualifier helmet and adds in the MIPS anti-rotational safety system, a new wind collar to reduce air and road noise, and much-needed integrated speaker cutouts for Bluetooth comm systems.
We have worked closely with RevZilla, Amazon, and 2Wheel over the years to provide our testers with products to review. They are all great partners and unique in their own ways, so make sure to check out their prices. Please don’t forget, we may get a commission if you buy from them.
Shark Skwal 2 Nuk’Em
- Price: $289.99
- Type: Full Face
- Head Shape: Intermediate Oval
- Weight: 3.8 lbs
Firstly, I must point out that the Shark Skwal 2 base helmet, and all graphical variants of it, have something built in that I personally think is a great addition: LED lights. As Shark themselves say, it’s “to assist in SMIDSY avoidance.” (SMIDSY = Sorry Mate I Didn’t See You). Add to that these explosive graphics, and if someone doesn’t see you, they might need to see an optometrist.
There are 4 LEDs up front (two forehead, two chin bar) and 2 LEDs out back (integrated into the rear exhaust and spoiler). The battery pack is built into the liner, so it doesn’t press against the EPS foam or against you and is recharged via a micro-USB port in the rear neck area of the helmet. Shark claims it will give you 5 hours constant or 10 hours blinking LED time.
We have worked closely with RevZilla, Amazon, and 2Wheel over the years to provide our testers with products to review. They are all great partners and unique in their own ways, so make sure to check out their prices. Please don’t forget, we may get a commission if you buy from them.
Icon Airfame Pro Beastie Bunny
- Price: $390.00
- Type: Full Face
- Head Shape: Long Oval
- Weight: 3.6 lbs
Icon does honestly seem to be a company that has some of the most varied and interesting graphics on their helmets, this Airframe Pro model included. The graphic makes me think the “Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog” has leveled up. This is the most badass pink helmet going. Take my money; I need one.
The fact that the graphics are applied on a carbon fiber shell only adds to the “must own” factor of this helmet. The aerodynamically-sound, handmade composite shell has been designed to promote stability in the sport riding position.
Crown, lateral, fore, and aft padding components allow for the possibility of 27 fitment combinations in a single shell—double that of the Icon Airframe’s competitors.
Now get this helmet on your head and you will be safe from the holy hand grenade.
We have worked closely with RevZilla, Amazon, and 2Wheel over the years to provide our testers with products to review. They are all great partners and unique in their own ways, so make sure to check out their prices. Please don’t forget, we may get a commission if you buy from them.
Scorpion EXO-R420 Illuminati 2
- Price: $179.95
- Type: Full Face
- Head Shape: Intermediate Oval
- Weight: 3.88 lbs
- Read the Scorpion EXO-R420 review @wBW
It’s time to fly through the streets like a member of some shadowy cabal. There will be little doubt as to your power, and mystical abilities. Yes, the Illuminati is real! Riding with this helmet will surely impress everyone on the street. No? You don’t believe me? Whatever; it’s still a cool lid.
What you can believe is that this helmet, at this price point, is fully Snell M2015 certified. What that should mean to you is that this is a helmet that can be taken on the track without a single doubt. Good ventilation, emergency cheek pad releases, and a quick-change visor system just add to the safety and satisfaction of taking this helmet to the track or twisties.
We have worked closely with RevZilla, Amazon, and 2Wheel over the years to provide our testers with products to review. They are all great partners and unique in their own ways, so make sure to check out their prices. Please don’t forget, we may get a commission if you buy from them.