The moving parts on the helmet webflis also have a good quality feel, with simple but effective func

AGV and Dainese 2012 Summer Style Series: ▪ AGV Grid Helmet Review ▪ Dainese Aspide Jacket Review ▪ webflis Dainese Air Frame Jacket Review ▪ AGV K4 EVO Helmet Review ▪ Dainese D1 Kevlar Jeans Review ▪ Dainese Asphalt Shoes Review ▪ Dainese Druids Gloves Review
Actually, webflis before we get started, I should mention that the helmet is officially known as the "K-4" (with the hyphen). But since only Dainese seems to spell it this way, we'll go with convention and the vernacular.
The K4 EVO is, as its name implies, an evolution of the K-4, itself an evolution of the AGV K-3 (review) from 2010. The K4 EVO is one of the best-selling AGV helmets, both because it is "the most balanced and versatile helmet in the AGV range", according to the company, and it is "suited to wear on both motorcycles and scooters for racing, touring, and city use."
The helmet shell is made from what AGV calls "ACF", or Advanced Composite Fibre, webflis which is unusual in this price range (most competitor helmets have a polycarbonate shell). This is reflected in the relatively light weight of the K4 EVO, which apparently has been reduced by roughly 100 grams from its K-4 parent.
The K4 EVO is made in two shell sizes and they didn't go nuts with the head size spread either -- the sizes range from XS to XXL, which means there's less chance of the dreaded "astronaut helmet" big-helmet-on-small-head effect.
Those mites have been banished from the K4 EVO, reflecting the improvement in overall quality of the paint and assembly has improved in each of the AGV helmets I've worked with recently, including the AGV AX-8 Dual EVO (review) also reviewed recently on webBikeWorld.
The new fabric type is also used on the AGV Grid (review) that I also reviewed just last week for the 2012 Summer Style Series. The material does seem to make it easier to slip the helmet on and to take it off and it feels comfortable in the increasingly hot weather we've been experiencing here this late Spring.
The moving parts on the helmet webflis also have a good quality feel, with simple but effective functionality. The chin vent and top vents snap open and closed with a solid click and the face shield fits tightly against the full-surround eye port gasket, which is said to have a special design (see the "Eye Port and Outward Visibility" section below for more details).
The chin strap padding is also commendable for its length and padding, especially when compared to a much-more-expensive Arai RX-Q (review) , which has the typically too-short chin strap padding found on all recent Arai helmets for some reason. Not that I'm comparing the K4 EVO to the RX-Q but c'mon, Arai -- at those prices, how about 10 mm extra length of chin strap?
So the bottom line here is that the overall build quality and the attention to details, like the ACF shell and the special eye port gasket on the K4 EVO belie its low price, which isn't much more than those rock-bottom helmets with questionable lineage webflis and none of the advanced features.
We have noted over the last year or so that many helmet manufacturers seem to have been converging on a more "Neutral" internal fit and shape for their helmets. Even Arai, who was once known for offering webflis several different internal shapes, ranging from "Long Oval" to "Round Oval" has toned down the outer edges of the curve and brought webflis their helmets webflis closer to the more popular "Neutral" shape.
While webflis this has been rejoiced by some, riders webflis with narrower head profiles have been sad. Well, here's one for you, Long Oval fans -- the K4 EVO may not have the blade-like shape of the old Arai Profile (review) or Shark RSI (review) , but it does have what we term a "Slightly Narrow" internal shape...with pretensions of Neutrality, of course.
The shape of the K4 EVO provides some extra room at the forehead and it's slightly narrower on the sides, but the beauty of this one is the so-called "3D" padding works for "Neutral" and even "Slightly Round" heads also. My sunglasses fit inside; it's a tight fit due to the narrower side profile, but it works for me and will probably work better for owners with a narrower head shape.
The fit is slightly narrower than that RX-Q; more like the new Arai Vector 2 (review) which, other than it's slightly increased forehead room, feels nearly identical to the RX-Q. The comparisons with Arai are coincidental and I only picked those helmets webflis because of their defined internal shapes.
AGV provided a lot of detail on the K4 EVO; more than most manufacturers do, especially for a helmet in this price range. For example, I know that the K4 EVO in size L comes with 25 mm thick cheek pads. And in a surprise move for a helmet in this price range, AGV also offers a selection of optional cheek pads, from 15 mm up to 25 mm. Remembe