Nobody doubts the fact that, right now, all the growth in motorcycling is coming from the adventure sector, and the reasons for this are manifold.

The adventure bike is the bike that can do anything. You can commute on an adventure bike; in fact, there's probably no better kind of bike for the job. A modern adventure bike is a lot of fun if you just want to go out for a quick blast at the weekend. And, of course, if you have ambitions to travel further afield, there's no bike more capable of covering the ground, more comfortable to be in the saddle of, or more able to cope with a mix of terrains.

These days, it is a near-daily occurrence here in the shop for somebody to announce that they have just gotten rid of something like a Panigale in favour of something like a GS; and that they therefore need new kit, top to bottom.

Now the truth is that every genre of motorcycling is imbued with its own styling cues. If you've got a sportsbike, you will want a one-piece leather suit with an aero hump and knee sliders. If you've gone custom/retro there will normally be thoughts of a riding shirt, an open-face helmet, some Red Wing boots perhaps, and a pair of jeans that end halfway up your calves. And there is absolutely nothing unusual in people wanting to look the part; to dress in a way that is in keeping with the kind of bike that they have decided to ride. We all do it.

Of course, we know why so many people believe they need a peak on their helmet. It's all tied in with the romance of adventure, and the notion that by inclining your head you can reduce the glare of the sun. And indeed if you do one day find yourself in the Serengeti as the sun is about to set across the savanna, then a peak might come in handy to block the orb's blinding aura.

The reality for most adventure bike riders, however, is that a peak on a helmet is just a fashion accessory.

The problem is that, however well designed, a peak will always disturb the air as it passes over the top of the helmet. Impede this smooth flow of air, and you will increase buffeting, instability and noise. Ultimately, this is distracting and tiring. And so all of these factors will detract from our ability to ride safely over long distances.

And so what we hear a lot in the shop is people justifying their wish for a helmet with a peak. And what people talk about most is the ability of a peak to cut out the blinding effects of a low-sitting sun. And we would not deny that a peak can be useful in this regard. Turn east or west directly into the sun, at the wrong time of day, and you can be temporarily blinded. And on a motorbike that can be dangerous.

It's a problem that is made more acute by dint of the fact that most, (most but not all), adventure helmets are not equipped with a sun visor. In many situations, that glare would be much reduced by flipping down a helmet's internal sun visor. Yet even a sun visor, it has to be acknowledged, will not always block out the sun. Raising your hand in front of the visor will temporarily do what a peak does. But there is another way.

Run a thin strip of tape along the top of the external visor. Incline your head forward, and it will do exactly what a peak does. This is, after all, how racers have always adorned their helmets, in situations where speeds made peaks simply unwearable.

So often when I come across what I would call proper adventure riders, those who ride huge distances, and who find themselves in far-flung corners of the world, I note that they are riding in flip-lid helmets rather than what is traditionally known as an adventure helmet.

And to me this seems totally logical. It's certainly what I would wear were I lucky enough to get out of the shop for long enough to circumnavigate the globe. The advantages are many; the disadvantages are few.

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