Alpinestars has come a long way since Sante Mazzarolo crafted his first ski and hiking boots in 1963. Called Alpinestars, the English translation of Stella Alpina – a local flower found in the mountains surrounding his northern Italian base – the company quickly expanded into making boots for motocross riders. World champion Roger de Coster wore the Italian company’s products, while road racer Kenny Roberts used Alpinestars boots as he raced to the 1978 500cc Grand Prix world title.
Still a leading boot specialist throughout the 1980s, the company branched out to make other forms of motorcycle clothing in the 1990s. Its rise has been meteoric over the past 25 years. Carlos Checa rolled out of pitlane wearing Alpinestars branded leathers in 1999, marking the start of a success story which today sees it as one of the leading companies in protective motorcycle clothing. Today’s company clothes some of the world’s top motorbike racers, including Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia, as well as making suits for Formula One racing drivers.
Until recently the only kind of protective clothing not offered by Alpinestars were helmets. In 2019 they put their first motocross helmet on sale, to critical acclaim, and last year factory MotoGP stars Jack Miller and Jorge Martin raced head-to-toe in Alpinestars gear – debuting the new Supertech R10 – Alpinestars’ first attempt at a full-faced road type helmet.
Now the production version is on sale for ordinary riders to buy, although with a price starting at £849.99 (single colour) and going up to £999.99 for versions with racier graphics, it sits right at the top end of the market, being a good chunk more expensive than even Arai’s RX-7V Evo and Shoei’s X-SPR Pro – both of which start at £699. It comes close to AGV’s Pista GP-RR in the ultra exotic stakes. For a first attempt at a helmet for road riders, the R10 is aiming high.
The Supertech R10 was officially launched in the UK at last month’s MCN London Motorcycle Show, where 2023 MotoGP runner-up Martin was on hand to promote it. It is certainly very track focussed, and it would be a surprise not to see some less hardcore Alpinestars helmets introduced in the not too distant future, with more affordable prices and features aimed more towards everyday street riders.
Part of the reason for the cost is the use of carbon fibre in the multi-layer construction of the Supertech shell. The helmet itself has been comprehensively developed in a wind tunnel, with lateral winglets incorporated to improve the aerodynamics and stability. There is also a choice of two detachable spoilers, with ‘standard’ and ‘race’ options providing different aerodynamic characteristics, the race set-up claiming a drag reduction of 4.5%. Another neat design touch is a small recess in the shell shape, which is said to reduce the risk of the wearer’s collarbone being broken in the event of a violent fall, while the unusual visor shape has been develop to offer the rider improved side vision.
Alpinestars is offering six sizes, from XS to XXL, with four different shell sizes and an expanded polystyrene liner made up of eight different sections, with the crown section being adjustable to help riders find the fit that works best for them.
The strap uses a traditional double D buckle system, with the cheek pads featuring an emergency release system, while the visor has a metal quick release system and comes with an anti-fogging Pinlock device, as well as a race-style tear off. It is distributed in the UK by Oxford Products, which means it should be available from plenty of dealerships.
