The History of the Legendary AGV Helmet    by Honda of Bournemouth

As a Motorcyclist, you will have definitely come across the name AGV, most probably due to the fact that one of the world's most famous motorcyclists wears them religiously, Valantino Rossi. With the outrageous designs and the iconic number 46 painted on them, they are almost impossible to miss and the 7 time world champion wears them with pride. However the history of the company goes as far back as the 1940's and does not start with the development of what is now known as one of the finest motorbike helmet companies in the world.

In 1946, Amisano Gino Valenza started a company designing and manufacturing leather seats and leather bike saddles and it wasn't until 1947 that they entered the motorcycle helmet market. They started off by experimenting with different techniques to create an innovative helmet which was unlike any other produced before. The popularity of these helmets grew rapidly, mainly in the sport racing world, due to motorcyclists wanting a more specialised and innovative design. The company prided themselves in always striving for something better than the one previously produced and this led to them being leaders in the development of the motorcycle helmet.

AGV helmets made their mark in history in 1949 with the first ever leather shelled, open faced helmet being designed and produced. Previous to this, no other company had designed such a helmet and soon it became an iconic move which was duplicated by other companies. It wasn't until 1953 that the first fibreglass vulcanized helmet was produced which started off the chain of developments leading to the helmets we would recognise today. The first ever fully fibreglass open faced helmet was produced a year later and took the world by storm.

It was the development of the first fully fibreglass helmet which led to the company being asked to help build a downhill ski helmet for the 1km downhill ski speed record. With their expertise, they were able to produce one of the finest ski helmets ever made which catered specifically for this enduring sport. With the success of the ski helmet, AGV transferred these skills into the motorcycle market which culminated in the first ever full faced fibreglass helmet. It was this that became the blueprint for the helmets we recognise today.

The AGV brand has been advertised through the consistent use of the helmets in the motorcycle racing world. These helmets have been trusted to protect the heads of world champion motorcyclists such as Barry Sheene, Giacomo Agostini and more recently Max Biaggi, Troy Corser and the legendary Valantino Rossi. Rossi has even taken to designing his own unique and extravagant styles which are occasionally produced for the retail market as replicas of the original.

AGV have remained such a prominent feature in the motorcycle helmet history due to the fact they continually manufacture products suitable for a variety of purposes from road and city riding to professional racing. They have produced helmets of the highest quality and made them available for everyone to use. For everyday motorcyclists, there are some great helmets available from the AGV S4 range to the brand new AGV Stealth SV with the iconic union flag design. When purchasing an AGV you can be safe in the knowledge that you are investing in one of the best motorcycle helmets the world has ever seen, unfortunately this does not come with the riding abilities of Valantino Rossi.

About the Author

About Honda of Bournemouth: Located on the outskirts of Poole, Honda of Bournemouth offers everything you'd expect from a modern Honda dealership. As well as Honda motorcycles and Honda motorcycle parts, we also sell top quality motorcycle clothing and helmets including a superb range of AGVhelmets.