Helmet...

[smokeFJR06]

What's uncomfortable about the full face helmet to you?

Well first is the fact that I can't get one over my glasses and need to take them off, then once the helmet is on I can't get my glasses back on, then there's this side vision thing as mine is greatly reduced, and it seems to place pressure on all parts of my head. They all feel very heavy to me and I just flat out feel out of balance with one on. I'll continue to try some more on there's got to be one out there that fits right. Thanks guys.

What you say here was a ditto experience for me. I bought an HJC Symax and didn't like it. Too heavy, hot, etc. Back in April I tried on an Arai an Shoei RF-1000. The Arai fit me better but I bought the Shoei because it was $100 cheaper and it fit well too. I wore it for a season and it has performed great. I stopped in a bike shop back in August after riding for several hours and slipped on an Arai again. Wow, now I'm thinking of buying an Arai again this spring. If money is no factor, I think Arai makes the best fitting helmets and is super lite weight.

Someone mentioned you were in Wisconsin. If you can, attend the Cycle World Bike Show in Chicago this February. All the helmet makers are there and you can try on everything.

Good luck!

 

[brazos parker]

When I took the MSF course, a lady in the class had a low speed fall...while wearing a bubble-face helmet. She was OK but the clear face shield took a beating. Convinced me I needed a helmet w/ a chin bar.

I bought an HJC flip-face...I wear glasses.

A friend of mine w/ a similar helmet, had a high side at hiway speed. On first impact, the flip-face flipped up. His only significant injuries were road rash to the nose and chin. Convinced me I needed a full-face helmet.

I bought a Shoei RF-1000.

I am pretty satisfied w/ the comfort and fit of the Shoei...seems right for my noggin. Wouldn't leave home without it.

 

[Radical]

Thanks again for all the insight guys. I'm going to hit the Chicago Bike show and try on every one of those suckers. I'll take my wife along, she likes to shop fashion.

 

[FJR919]

+1 on the Nolan flip up. I no longer wear my Shoei full face.

 

[mdisher]

A lot of modular helmets allow you to put the helmet on with glasses. (some don't, I couldn't with a Shoei Synchro that I tried).

But I do it/have done it with both the HJC and Nolan.

As others have posted, fit is everything, which makes buying a helmet over the net hard unless you've previously tried it on elsewhere.

Shoei and other higher end helmets have swappable innerds (cheek pads, etc) to help you get the right fit.

=MD

 

[djsmith1000]

How is the wind noise on the Nolan? I have a Vega and an HJC flip up and they both seem very loud to me, the HJC more so. Is the nolan any better or are you stuck withe extra noise with all the hardware right by your ears?

 

[Big Sky]

All good advice. I switched last season from a Shoei to the Arai Astral - $400. The Shoei was okay but was simply getting old - it was hot, heavy and noisy compared to the newer, lighter, better ventilated Arai, though I was somewhat disappointed with the noise reduction of the Arai. I also had the dealer order the 18 mm cheek pads to replace the standard 25 mm (they also offer 22 mm pads). This was an exchange, not an extra charge. I wear glasses and putting them on and off is not problematic, periferal vision is fine. My wife rode with a Nolan full face for many years and struggled getting her specs on and off. She was thinking of a flip-up when it came time to update, mostly because of the glasses issue. But she tried an Arai Astral after I bought mine and liked it and now has no problem with her glasses. She went with the 25 mm pads.

I, too, am claustrophobic, and get the heebie-jeebies when the faceshield is down. With the bigger aftermarket AHAMAY windshiled on my '03 FJR, I can ride with the faceshield up and open. This is comforting and actually quieter, though I still get the occasional bug splatter.

I have read that the flip-ups may come open in a bad get-off, though I've witnessed one that survived a high side at 30 mph fine, and it took a real beating (as did the rider - broken collar bone, broken ribs, punctured lung, five-day hospital stay - and the BMW 1150 RS - totalled).

Yes, keep trying them until you find one that fits, and getting one that feels a little tight at first will break in and fit well shortly.

Big Sky

 

[user 3386]

How is the wind noise on the Nolan? I have a Vega and an HJC flip up and they both seem very loud to me, the HJC more so. Is the nolan any better or are you stuck with the extra noise with all the hardware right by your ears?

The Nolan flip-up (I just replaced my N100 with a new N102) is louder than a 1-piece helmet, due to the extra seams/hardware corectly mentioned by DJ. I removed the N102's external sun visor...never used it, and it added noise. Nolan supplies color-matched hinge covers for those who remove the visor, so I guess they knew a lot of folks would.

I ALWAYS wear non-prescription glasses (tinted for daytime, or clear for night riding) under my helmet. The Nolan fits my head shape perfectly, but the Schuberth flip-up didn't fit well. Try 'em all on (and leave them on in the dealership for 30 minutes, to detect slow-developing hot spots). For me the convenience of a flip-up is worth the extra noise.

 

[Scoot]

I have a Nolan N100 and love it and highly recommend it. Take note though that they do fit a little small, and if you would normally wear a medium, you would probably want a large. I bought mine off Ebay so it was imperative that I find out what size fit me first. I went over to Competition Accessories and tried some on. Definitely do this before buying off Ebay or any other on-line method. Also, find out, first, if the seller (if it's a used helmet) is a smoker or not. The guy who sold me his on Ebay was a smoker and I am not. It took several months for that smell to go away, even after washing the liner. I don't recomment buying a used one unless it's a money thing, which it was for me. I just couldn't afford $300 for a helmet at the time and I paid $120 for a good used one. 'Course, $300 is a pretty small investment for safety and "life" security. Sometimes we get too caught up in the money thing and don't really take into account the investment. Good luck finding the right one. Incidentally, I wear sunglasses under the helmet and, even though it's tight, I don't notice them once they're in there and I'm going down the road. I put the helmet on with the front flipped up, buckle the chin strap (which by the way, Nolan's chin strap is a quick release type like a seat belt), put on sunglasses, then close front of helmet. Remove in reverse order. No problems. Nolan also has an air dam at the chin to help keep air out. Some does come in though in the corners. It's not much though and has no drying effect on my contacts at all. It's only a problem in cold weather and I wear a balaklava which helps seal up the corners. They also have a removeable breath deflector that helps keep the fogging down to a minimum in cold weather. Ok, I'll shut up now. :guitar:

 

[user 3386]

Just my .02c....I would NEVER buy a used helmet from anyone. One good (perhaps "forgotten") drop, and that helmet may be useless in your next crash. They're designed to survive one severe impact. Sure, you may get lucky, but...

 

[Sherman]

This may be one of my ridiculous off the wall ideas, but here goes.

Would a snowmobile helmet be a valid option for winter riding? They too are DOT certified, but I wouldn't know how to compare them. They have better solutions to the fogging problems included heated shields and and better venting. This has an internal mask like a 3M respirator that vents out the front. And the vent cap rotates to adjust the pressure against the face. Does anyone here have experience with these?