First impressions of Neotec II w/SRL headset

[RichDoyle]

Heap ridicule if you will for putting out a grand for head protection and sound. In my defense I hadn't bought any other farkles in well over a year

Where I'm coming from: A HJC FS10 full-face helmet with Sena 20S. I'm currently using a National Cycle non-V-stream windshield. I have four others lurking in the barn (this is sad, if you think about it - so I don't).

Stuff I knew beforehand:

- Sena SRL is the most practical headset for this helmet - others are problematic.

- No provision for earbuds.

- When you recharge the headset battery, update firmware, or adjust settings you pretty much need to plug the helmet into the cable. Not practical to remove for this purpose. So your dripping wet helmet goes into the motel room with you.

- SRL is likely pretty darn rainproof - more so than the other Sena offerings.

- The helmet takes reviewer hits for being heavy - just over 4 lb. I weighed my HJC and with the 20S it weighs - voila! 4 lb.

- I'll want to be able to stow the helmet out of sight, as a $1000 helmet is an attractive prize.

I've had occasion now to take it for a couple of rides, totaling about 160 miles, at speeds up to about 80, though mostly around 60 MPH or below. Temperatures in the low 80s. Comments:

- Helmet is very stable in dirty air, such as behind semis and RVs and blasts from oncoming large vehicles on the two-lanes around here. Doesn't seem to react to the turbulence at all.

- Wind noise is still noticeable, but somehow less intrusive. It doesn't emanate from the airflow over the helmet itself once the windshield is sufficiently (not extremely) raised, but comes from various other protuberances on the bike itself and finds its way to ones ears.

- Engine and road noise is now the biggest annoyance, but seems to diminish in effect at higher speeds. Varies with road surface and power required, naturally.

- Speakers are noticeably better than the 20S.

- The SRL components fit completely within the confines of the helmet, externally and internally. Nothing poking out as with add-on systems.

- Helmet can be placed (barely) into a FJR side bag IF one unlatches the chin bar to conform to the angled front of the bag.

- Fits pretty easily into my E460 top box.

- Headset controls are a challenge with gloves on. This isn't a really big deal for me since I mostly interact with my Zumo 590, not the headset. It is also partly a consequence of my ongoing struggles finding a satisfactory set of gloves. It's okay for single-button actions using just one's thumb, but I could foresee a problem with thicker winter gloves.

- Ventilation works great - while moving. Stopped in traffic with the helmet closed up it starts to seem kind of warm pretty quickly. Opening up the face shield or chin bar makes a big difference, of course.

- Sun visor works very smooth and easy, a far better design that the FS-10.

- Chin bar can be easily raised and brought down to be re-latched smoothly with one hand. A challenge with some modular helmets I've had.

- Helmet (Large) is snug. Helmet is new. Duh.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Thanks for that very thorough review.

Pop and I are both running the original Neotec but we are both considering the newer Neotec 2. Mine is really about due for replacement anyway.

Regarding cost, I don't think $1K is excessive considering what you get. While I do firmly believe that any DOT/Snell rated helmet will protect my skull, not all of those helmets are all day comfortable for me. A helmet that is "not comfortable" for a one day ride will become Damned Miserable on a multi-day ride. Wear an ill fitting, poorly ventilated helmet for a two week ride and it will really cut into the happiness of a trip.

A little endorsement for the original Neotec since Pop was helpful enough to crash test one for us:

 

[Niehart]

And if the helmet controls really bother you to much: RC3

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/sena-rc3-3-button-remote

 

[ElectricFJR]

My original Neotec fits easily into a sidecase without opening the chin bar.

 

[Niehart]

The fit in the bag depends on the actual shell size. Both my XL Neotec and XL Neotec II fit in the bags but are tight. My buddy's Neotec Large fits easly into the side bags.

It is much easier to fit the II in the side bag with the SRL than it was with the 20S.

The one thing I really miss is being able to use my earbuds.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

Sounds exactly like my Nolans with integrated n-com comms, except theyre easy to use with gloves on. I dont even know Ive got a helmet on. Not so sure my XLs would fit into a case. Havent tried. Great review.

 

[Mr_Canoehead]

Stuff I knew beforehand:
- When you recharge the headset battery, update firmware, or adjust settings you pretty much need to plug the helmet into the cable. Not practical to remove for this purpose. So your dripping wet helmet goes into the motel room with you.

What else would you do with a wet helmet? Leave it on the bike where it would stay wet and possibly get stolen?

 

[RichDoyle]

The issue of operating the controls with gloves is partly a bit of user training. They're in a different location than the add-on SMH-10 or 20S. And the lower profile of the helmet means the membrane-covered buttons are taking a bit of adaptation to find. Less struggle today.

The other problem I have is I always have to buy gloves that are too long in the fingers in order to comfortably accommodate my thumbs, which are placed in an uncommon location, are longer than normal for my finger length and open to a more than standard angle. So the fingertips always have these loose flaps sticking off the ends

I tried out the FM a bit today. Seems to work fine but I need to try a few of the more troublesome stations.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

I don’t want comms to come out of the helmet unless I’m replacing them. I plug the helmet in. Mine will run all week easily. I must admit, while it shines in every other area, I don’t think the FM does a particularly good job.

 

[escapefjrtist]

...y'all are just trying to make me spend $$$ to upgrade my last Muiltitec. Although it's getting a bit long in the tooth, there's still a couple years life left in it.

I checked out Niehart's Excursion and it was definitely a sweet new lid!!

~G

 

[Intech]

Ditto to pretty much everything Rich said. I always bring my helmet in anyway, so not a big deal. Especially a $1k helmet! Not being able to use earbuds is my only complaint. I wear earplugs now and can still hear my music at speed, but not with any fidelity. I really love the integrated Sena too.

 

[RichDoyle]

OK, mixed reviews on the FM. If I have line-of-sight to the transmitter tower it works fine even at pretty substantial distances. For example, my home is about 26 miles straight line distance to Bend and with no higher terrain between. Bend area stations are fine. As I head North, down into Prineville, however, I go down through a shallow canyon that cuts that off (and gets a bit further from Bend in the process) and reception gets scratchy. By the time I get into Prineville with higher terrain all around, these stations are pretty much unintelligible. When the signals get this weak the static level is marginally higher when riding North, when the right side of the helmet (where the antenna is located) is pointed away from the stations than headed West or South. Presumably my head is soaking up enough of the remaining signal to matter. I won't think much think much think much about that.

Many folks perceive that Eastern/Central Oregon is flat desert. But as many of you know it is pretty mountainous and canyonous (?) where one often loses one or more of cell, FM, and even XM signal. Auto antennae and sound systems are better at compensating for FM signal weakness, but still get somewhat static-heavy in the areas that I encounter all the time.

 

[Niehart]

Flat and borring like the Crooked River Hwy?

 

[NightShine]

I actually quite like the Neotec II / SRL. It rode with me through a 13 state, 2 province, 6,300 mile trip this past summer.

It's certainly one of the quietest helmets that I can remember wearing. Especially with the attention to sealing around the neck. Good ventilation. Sun visor worked just as well as my GT Air. And the modular feature was a welcome plus (much better than "snaking" a bite valve between the tight chin bar of a full face helmet; better visibility when backing up, etc).

There are some Nits. Seemed noticeably heavier than my Shoei GT Air I previously wore. Especially noticeable after the first day or two, but got used to it over the trip.

Options to secure a it without D-rings are fewer. I ended up snaking a cable through the chin bar, but I think I'll cobble up an "adapter" to allow me use my bike's helmet locks.

It takes some practice operating the SRL controls. At first, it was tricky to operate the SRL controls with gloved hands. Consistently locating the two side buttons with the limited touch feedback was a bit difficult, but overcome with some practice. Switching between glove weights required adjusting technique.

The design of the SRL controls mean that it overloads several functions on the the center button. As a consequence, in selecting the phone function (to talk to Siri), it must first stop playing the music streaming from your phone. So if you ask Siri, "What song is playing?" You get the replay, "No music is playing." On the 20S, the streaming music was operating at the time you press the separate "phone" button, and Siri would know the song and give you the info.

I alway carry a handy lithium battery with a USB port as a way to charge consumer electronics. On one 19 hour ride, the SRL ran out of power after 13 hours or so. That's when I found out it doesn't operate when power is applied to its charging port! Rats! Nothing in the literature available from Sena mentions this. I don't remember whether the 20S had that restriction.

Fortunately, after a couple of hours of charging, I removed the cord and it was close to fully charged, and was back with me for the finish of that day/night's ride.


But all in all, I give it a "thumbs up". YMMV.

 

[flars]

Yes, you can use the 20S while it is plugged in for recharging. My wife has to attach an external battery to hers since she listens to music all the time, and her 20S runs out of power before mine does.

With the SRL the unit shuts off when recharging/attached to an external battery.

My problem with the Neotech II is the heat. If the temperature is above 80 degrees here in the South, you MUST open the chin bar to let air in when you stop for longer than a few seconds. It heats up real fast. When moving with the chin vent open and the forehead vent open, it is okay. That chin curtain really blocks air intrusion that usually provides extra cooling.

Also, without the pinlock it fogs up quickly in high humidity or rain/fog.

As far as fit goes, the helmet sits too low on my forehead, so I had to put some neoprene strips above the center padding to raise the helmet on my head. Otherwise, my forehead really complains. And, yes, I bought the thicker center piece for $50 to see if that would help, and it got unbareably uncomfortable across my forehead within minutes - went back to the regular thickness center piece with neoprene above the padding. The helmet is all day comfortable otherwise...but it really gives me a very bad case of helmet hair. Never really suffered from that before.

Of course, I ride long hours in high heat (think 8 hours in 96 degree Iowa heat plus 5 hours in Indiana and Illinois, or 6 hours in 90 degree Florida), so ventilation, or lack thereof, is very noticeable for me. The odd thing is, my eyes really dry out in this helmet, to the point I have to use eyedrops when I stop...never had to do that before. I think there is a draft that flows across my eyes from the chin vent, maybe.

Overall, I like the helmet now that I have it sitting higher on my head. And I use a Sena 20S velcroed to the side.

 

[RichDoyle]

Good to know about SRL recharging and battery life. Thanks. So on longer trips I would figure on recharging each night.

When wifey is aboard we don't do more than 300-mile days anyway.

 

[RBEmerson]

Yes, you can use the 20S while it is plugged in for recharging. My wife has to attach an external battery to hers since she listens to music all the time, and her 20S runs out of power before mine does.

With the SRL the unit shuts off when recharging/attached to an external battery.

[/ trim]

How old is your wife's 20S? Mine will do music for 5-7 hours without a problem. I wonder if her 20S battery is fading.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

Interesting charging info. I had never tried using all the functions of my non-sena comms until a recent IBA ride. I brought a jump pack, ready for in-trip recharging. Then I remembered my garmin harness provided me with a USB port under the rear seat. I ran a couple of hours mid trip plugged into the bike, and that gave me enough of a bump that I had comms for all 21+ hours. Everything was fully functional while charging. As it should be.

 

[Harald]

I accidentally left my 20s on and found it dead when I was heading out for a ride. Those portable phone charging battery packs are wonderful! Plugged a 2foot cable into the pack and the 20s and dropped the pack in my Darien jacket left breast pocket and was rockin out immediately rolling down the road.