|
|
Iron Butt
Posts: 742
North Orange County CA | Based on my premise in the helmet recall thread, the question is where to turn for a good helmet? What do you guys like and why? I'm getting lost in all the "webbike world" videos.
I have a couple of criteria:
Have to be able to wear glasses.
Want it to be relatively quiet.
Wont wear a half helmet or shorty.
Not interested in x-games syle graphics.
I have also decided that perhaps my brain is worth more than $90.00 (thank god my wife isn't on this board or we would never get past this statement).
Other than that I'm open to suggestions. |
|
| |
|
Iron Butt
Posts: 1117
Northeast Ohio | I wear a KBC 3/4 helmet. Not only is it DOT approved, but also Snell approved (much harder to get Snell rated than DOT). Unfortunately, it is only $50 at JMCorp.com. You could throw me $100 if it makes you feel better. 
I got the woman unit one at Daytona this year from J&M. She liked it so much that I picked up one.
http://www.smf.org/articles/dot.html
http://www.jmcorp.com/KBCTourcom.asp
|
|
| |
|
Iron Butt
Posts: 742
North Orange County CA | ScoreBo:
I guess that was my point and the reason for my question, when melamine is labeled as dog food, can you trust the label? The KBC Magnum Full Face failed 2 of the 4 impact tests, and 2 of 4 penetration tests in the 2008 Compliance Testing and yet was labeled DOT and SNELL approved.
http://nhthqnwws111.odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/docservlet/Artemis/Publi...
So I'm torn, how do you trust a label on a product made in the absence of any real regulatory environment, Bell, one of the most trusted names in the biz is recalling 8000 lids (5 years worth of production). All of which sported DOT stickers.
I've been happy with my HJC, up untill now, but I havent needed it yet either. I don't think any of us want to be the guy that needed a SNELL approved helmet and got a recycled happy meal toy instead. |
|
| |
|
Visionary
Posts: 3204
Memphis | Hey Fred, I have a Nexx Air that I really like. Super comfy and max vents for Memphis summer. http://www.nexx-usa.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idProduct=1715 I know you don't get the heat like we do and if you like that look, the Nexx X-60 Ice is a very cool looking helmet without the big vents. They have a Soft Grey color that would look killer with your SSG. http://www.nexx-usa.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=1722 If you want to go with a 3/4 with the sun visor I think you'd like the Nexx X-60 Tribute. http://www.nexx-usa.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idProduct=1776 The thing I like about the Nexx helmet is the flaps below your ears bend out and make it really easy to take on/off over your ears/glasses. It doesn't seal as tight as a fully molded 3/4 helmet but you don't get the low frequency roar associated with that either. I wear earplugs so "quiet helmet" is a relative term. I've always worn an XL helmet and these fit true to size. They are pricey but very well made. Only helmet I've ever had that someone asked me about that before they asked about the Vision. Fits right in with the Vision perfectly. Radical looks but super comfy. p.s. Click on the "Media" tab at the top of the Nexx pages and you will see lots of pics of the helmets on actual people. Different for sure.
Edited by SongFan 2010-08-12 6:54 PM
|
|
| |
|
Puddle Jumper
Posts: 44
Edmonton, AB Canada | I am currently using a Nolan N103. I tried on about 6 different helmets and this is the one that fit me the best. I just got back from an 8 day ride and found it very comfortable. It is also very quiet compared to my HJC CL Max. I like the inner visor as well as it not only gives you a darker view, but also allows you to keep the main visor open and not get the wind rush on the eyes. |
|
| |
|
Iron Butt
Posts: 742
North Orange County CA | Tom:
How do you like the "micro-metric buckle" vrs the traditional d-ring? Is all that mesh really open area flowing air into the helmet? |
|
| |
|
Iron Butt
Posts: 623
| http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=20034...
263602_263622&viewitem=&guid=2815193e1260a02653514ac1ffc1368e&rvr_id=123876224002&ua=M*S%3F&itemid=200347229380
00347229380
i realy like the blade on longer trips...right price, DOT, comfy.....just a shell for around town |
|
| |
|
Cruiser
Posts: 235
Kincardine, Ontario, Canada | Nolan N43 trilogy with bluetooth |
|
| |
|
Cruiser
Posts: 104
Plainfield Illinois | I have two Shoei helmets, a 3/4 and a Multitec flip up style. I can keep my glasses on and remove either one. Obviously the glasses have to come off to put the helmet on. All Shoeis are made in Japan; none are inexpensive. The Multitec is super comfortable and gives me a secure feeling. As far as I know, none have ever been recalled. I don't believe that a cheap helmet can compete. I have so much dough tied up in my Vision that a few hundred apiece for helmets doesn't bother me. I'm not sayin my brain could be judged to be worth more that someone's brain that is covered with a cheap helmet. It sure is worth more to me though. I don't try to see how many miles I can get out of my tires for the same reason but that's another thread. |
|
| |
|
Cruiser
Posts: 266
Hartland, , WI | Look up thread:
What helmet for a Vision:
I have a plain gray one that matches my SSG...love it...Fighter Pilot flip up lens... |
|
| |
|
Tourer
Posts: 323
Troy, NY | It depends on your head shape. Different brand work better for different shaped heads. I currently use and love the EXO-700 helmet by Scorpion. They come in solid colors. The helmet is very comfortable, quiet and easy to use. I had the Nolan102 that was great but a little noisy and didn't fit great for me head shape.
If I was going to buy a helmet right not, I would be buying the EXO-900 for Scorpion. It is a modular that can be transformed into a 3/4 helmet too. It has a sun visor. My only complaint about the EXO-700 is taking on and off my glasses.
Good luck in your decision!! |
|
| |
|
Cruiser
Posts: 65
| Shark Evoline II |
|
| |
|
Visionary
Posts: 3204
Memphis | Fred, I personally like the metric buckle for putting it on. Super quick and easy. Only downside is you have to take your gloves off to get it off. The release tab fits real flush to the buckle and it takes some practice to find it and release it easily. Kind of claustrophobic the first time you get off the bike and fumble around to find the release. Almost takes a fingernail to get under the tab to release it. The mesh has 4 round holes underneath it (on each side). You can barely make them out on a side view. Two near the rear of the mesh and two right where the mesh splits into a "Y" right near the pivot point for the visor. The holes don't really force fresh air into the helmet. It feels more like it is sucking the heat away from your head with a venturi effect. There are no vents right at the front of the helmet so your forehead will be the hottest part and most likely to sweat on a super hot day. I didn't realize how well the vents worked until I wore that helmet on a 50 degree day. I could really feel it sucking the heat away from my head and in reality it was too cold. On a 95 degree day your gonna feel hot (I don't care what you wear) and you can't really feel the vents "cooling" you off. All they are doing is allowing the heat to escape from your head and you don't get the feeling that you are cooking inside the helmet. You don't actually feel air moving around inside the helmet a great deal or blowing onto your head. I actually adjust the windshield to where the airflow hits the top of the helmet, right above the visor, and I can feel the vents doing their thing. With the Laminar Lip that you have it will be even more pronounced. My record is 125 degree heat index and I survived a 25 mile commute more comfortably than any other helmet I've owned. My previous helmet was a Scorpion EXO-100. The best thing about that helmet is having both the sun shield and a visor. With nearly every other helmet you have to pick one or the other. |
|
| |
|
Cruiser
Posts: 170
Houston, TX | Nolan N-90. Similar to the N-103 but about a pound lighter.
You can see it here:
http://www.extremesupply.com/product/Brand-Nolan-Modular/NOLANN90NC... |
|
| |
|
Visionary
Posts: 2026
Brighton, TN | "My record is 125 degree heat index and I survived a 25 mile commute more comfortably than any other helmet I've owned. "
He said comfortable which is odd, to what he was comparing my riding style with. I would have thought he would have said ".....mile commute with less brain cell torture, with a hint of less nausea, and the heat furnace was on low blow, with light heat than any other helmet...." But I digress.
I use the Nolan 102 and love it, for the spring time and winter. Bought the wife one and it doesn't fit her brain container. I can wear glasses, seems quiet, and basically a flat gray look with no designs. From what I read and understand so far, the Nolan makes one of the best heavy duty chin bars on the market. So, if your looking to protect the chinny, chin, chin. I understand they are one of the best. I have yet to use it in really hot weather, I'm afraid I'd go to sleep from being to warm. I think if I put the shorty windshield on and a full face I might be able to get enough air blowing through it, but I haven't tried that option yet.
Anybody with the shorty shield and a full face, get enough airflow through the helmet?
|
|
| |
|
Iron Butt
Posts: 1117
Northeast Ohio | Tarpits99 - 2010-08-12 6:47 PM
ScoreBo:
I guess that was my point and the reason for my question, when melamine is labeled as dog food, can you trust the label? The KBC Magnum Full Face failed 2 of the 4 impact tests, and 2 of 4 penetration tests in the 2008 Compliance Testing and yet was labeled DOT and SNELL approved.
http://nhthqnwws111.odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/docservlet/Artemis/Publi...
So I'm torn, how do you trust a label on a product made in the absence of any real regulatory environment, Bell, one of the most trusted names in the biz is recalling 8000 lids (5 years worth of production). All of which sported DOT stickers.
I've been happy with my HJC, up untill now, but I havent needed it yet either. I don't think any of us want to be the guy that needed a SNELL approved helmet and got a recycled happy meal toy instead.
Great points. For me, I upgraded from a pudding bowl to the KBC 3/4. Since the TourCom is being discontinued, I will probably be looking at Arai or Shoei next. I have a Nolan n102 and the wind resonates badly in the helmet and is sitting in the box in the basement. It may be too big too. The biggest issue for me is finding a helmet that fits my melon correctly. |
|
| |
|
Puddle Jumper
Posts: 38
| Shoei Multitec or Scorpion EXO 700, 900, 1000. I have the Multitec and EXO 700, Both are fantastic, I do wear the Multitec more for the convenience of the flip up in the summer. The scorpion has got the best anti fog shield I've ever had, it really works, It's my winter helmet because of that.
Edited by BING 2010-08-13 11:44 AM
|
|
| |
|
Iron Butt
Posts: 725
Reno County, KS | BING - 2010-08-13 10:42 AM
I do wear the Multitec more for the convenience of the flip up in the summer.
Do you find the Multitec to be heavy? I was steered away from that helmet by a store salesman because of the weight and because they supposedly weren't great sellers. They didn't have them in stock to fit me at the time and I regret not being able to at least try them out. Especially since there are times that I would like to have the modular function vice keeping 2 helmets for different weather.
To answer the OP:
Some of this will probably be old hat to you...
I personally think you can't go wrong with Shoei, Arai, Nolan or HJC as long as your not "buying blind" on the internet. I have 1 HJC that I no longer wear (it is older than 5 years old, so it has expired) and it was a good helmet that did the job and was (kinda) made in the USA. I have to say that I now own 2 Shoei helmts because of the extreme weather conditions down here. For example, it was 107 degrees down here the other day but during January it rarely gets above freezing. One is the RJ1000 open face and the other the full face (forget the model). Both are the solid platinum color which is fairly close to the SSG Vision I have and has the added bonus of being a good reflector of sunlight in the summer. I use a Scala bluetooth headset that can be swapped around to talk to the ol' lady. She will only wear a half-helmet, which is better than nothing since that is the alternative with her. It has taken me a long time to build a tolerance for wearing helmets since we live in non-helmet law states, so I understand but will wear her down gradually until she is okay with a full face. Shoei is one of the few helmets that I was able to tolerate the extra face protection with. The ventilation is pretty good (which is important for us full-fairing guys) and the field of veiw is great. Arai didn't quite fit my head shape so well and Nolan was just too hard to find but I have heard good things about them. Some things I had to realize when I went helmet shopping was that the padding they come with is generic and many people do not fit the "one size fits all" profile. Most good brands have removable pads now days, so you have the option to replace them with smaller/larger sets. I have replaced the cheek pads in my helmets with thinner ones so that the helmet conformed to the head AND my face. Plus the pads do break in so I actually shaved the padding down and then replaced it as the foam wore down and compressed. In short, that's what works for ME. Another thing that I have done differently is changed to shopping at "several brick and morter" stores instead of online. I was then able to try everything they had on and find what I thought was best. Just like you, I had decided that I was no longer going to waste money on el-cheapo helmets. I mean, what's the point in making an effort to wear one of it hasn't been tested, doesn't work or won't be worn because it is uncomfortable? Not to say that some of the cheaper models won't do the job or are all uncertified but you usually sacrifice comfort at the least.
Just my $.02
-Will |
|
| |
|
Tourer
Posts: 575
Spirit Lake IA "Birthplace of Victory Motorcycles" | Here's another one for Shark Evoline. I know they came out with Series II this year. Excellent helment with internal sun visor and chin bar that flips to back of helmet. Have mine set up with CardoScala Rider BT headset. I love it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6909TmfoSo&feature=related |
|
| |
|
Visionary
Posts: 1484
LaPorte,Tx. | I have two what I call 3/4 helmets, one is the Nolan 42 which is a fine helmet for most warm to cool weather riding. It is comfortable, but fits tight to the ears, so wearing glasses can be an issue. Very good bad weather protection. But I don't wear it much because of the hot weather in the Houston area. I've been wearing a Scorpion 100 for some time now, but you don't want to hear about half helmets. So I've been on a mission to increase rider protection and get a helmet what I can wear in the heat. Last May I saw SongFan's Nexx X60 Air helmet and heard his comments on it, so I've just gotten one and I'm trying it out on my trip this month. I got the Soft Grey to match the SSG and it really is close n color. The fit is pretty good, I have to say it fits my head differently than the Nolan. I believe it runs on the small side. I went by the size chart and got the XL. A couple of trial runs around esat Texas the helmet put too much pressure on my left ear with sun glasses on, so I had to remove a small amount of foam from the ear pocket, used the Dremel tool on it. My wife says my left ear is more "Spockish" than my right. On Friday I left Houston on my trip up north, had the Nexx on and the Scorpion in the trunk. First 400 miles was fine, but by noon it was 102, and I switched to the Scorpion, by 3:30 temperaure was 109 on US 71 in SW MO.  Yesterday, my riding was about 7 hours of temps up to 95 wore the Nexx with no issues. The Nexx visor gives good coverage and it a 60% tint so it is not real dark, but you can option other visors. With the foam modified for my ear, I can wear glasses with no issues.
It has a removable liner so it can be washed. The strap latch is easy, once you get the hang of it. It has a pad on the strap which is nice. For ventilation, it has large cooling vents on the sides of the helmet. What I have noticed is that in order to get good cooling you have to have air flow around the helmet, so if you have your wind screen all the way up, it does not cool well. I have a short sreen and run it down so cooling is at the max. The helmet is DOT plus ECE 22.05 rated. The last thing to mention is this helmet is cool looking. I've only had it out a hand full of times and actually had folks comment on the helmet. Besides the X60 Air there are several other styles, the Chrome is very cool. Good luck on your choice of new helmet. |
|
| |
|
Cruiser
Posts: 77
Virginia Beach, Virginia | Wow, some of you guys have got to be engineers from some of these responses and their detail- I had flashbacks from my old BMW forums! Over the last 15 years I have has the Shoei synchrotec, Arai 3/4, hjc modular, nolan 103, scorpion half helmet with sun visor, and probably others I can't remember. The best were shoei and arai, no surprise, and the 3/4 arai is snell and quieter than anything else I have owned, due to massive padding. Glasses have always been problem, and I solved with new flexible temples-cheaper solution than new helmet! Still believe Arai is one of few moto products that lives up to hype. My $20 worth (I am a lawyer, so nothing out of my mouth only costs $.02 !) |
|
| |
|
Tourer
Posts: 432
Gettysburg, 2008 Tour Premium | Dif helmets fit dif head shapes. I have a round head and unfortunatly Shoei seems to fit best, but they as you can find out they cost. I will say this the face shields for Shoei helmets are great and mine are clear after three years of use. |
|
| |
|
Puddle Jumper
Posts: 38
| bigwill5150 - 2010-08-13 2:21 PM
BING - 2010-08-13 10:42 AM
I do wear the Multitec more for the convenience of the flip up in the summer.
Do you find the Multitec to be heavy? I was steered away from that helmet by a store salesman because of the weight and because they supposedly weren't great sellers. They didn't have them in stock to fit me at the time and I regret not being able to at least try them out. Especially since there are times that I would like to have the modular function vice keeping 2 helmets for different weather.
I don't find it heavy at all. it's stighly heaveir than the scorpion but not much. It's a great helmet, I know several people that swear by them. I'm very happy with it.
Edited by BING 2010-08-20 7:54 AM
|
|
| |
|
Cruiser
Posts: 77
Virginia Beach, Virginia | Bump-having trouble seeing last post- for some reason the thread won't display bing's response.
Edited by Birdneckrider 2010-08-21 6:56 AM
|
|
| |
|
Puddle Jumper
Posts: 21
Indiana | I have an Arai 3/4 with a flipdown shield. Excellent visability and comfortable all day long. Expensive but I'll probably replace it with the same thing next time.
http://www.araiamericas.com/default.aspx?pageid=57#/helmets/moto/sz...
Got mine from here:
http://www.helmetcity.com/page/HC/PROD/arai-helmets/sz-c |
|
| |
LOOKING FOR NEW HELMET
