Helmets - looking for a new one

[RossKean]

I know, this has been discussed many times in the past but each year , there are a bunch of new manufacturers and models. I am just wondering what people have found lately that works well for them. Recommendations on the best places to buy? A few parameters...

While I value my head somewhat above the protection afforded by the cheapest helmets, I do not honestly believe that highest prices equate to best protection. I would like to keep it under $300, if possible. I think fit, finish and possibly helmet weight are more influenced by price than level of protection.

I have always used a full-face helmet but I am considering a modular (not sure).

It has to have sufficiently recessed ear holes to accommodate speakers.

Internal flip-down sun visor is preferred. I don't wear glasses when I ride and prefer not to need sunglasses. (Eyes are fairly tolerant of bright conditions and the internal shield on my current helmet is sufficient)

I want a relatively quiet helmet. While I wear earplugs, some lids are still fairly noisy.

Needless to say, it needs to be comfortable for all-day use. Less weight is always better. Good ventilation helps, too.

Needs to seal well to prevent (rain) water ingress. Pinlock shield would be nice but not a requirement.

I am currently using a HJC IS-16 but it is getting a bit tired. The fit is pretty good (shape-wise), but does not accommodate speakers; at least not without major surgery. Either an XL or XXL, depending on the style. HJC seems to offer pretty good bang-for-the-buck. Scorpions do not seem to fit me very well. Shoei, Arai and Schuberth are a bit out of my budget range unless I can come up with a smoking great deal somewhere.

Not into fancy graphics. I prefer a solid color. Considering white or Hi-Vis (to be seen; not to make a fashion statement).

I am currently looking at the HJC SYMAX III but I have, by no means, settled on this one.

I have been checking out a few reviews on Webbikeworld.com Pretty good place to get information on specific models as you are getting close to deciding but it does better at pointing you away from a bad choice than providing a list of good possible candidates that fit your parameters.

Thanks

Edit: I have had a look at a thread from last fall...

https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php/topic/160894-helmets/?hl=helmet

 

[garyahouse]

Suggestions no doubt will abound, but if you're anything like me, I'd say that one thing is more important than anything we could say here.

Ya gotta try it on.

Funny thing about helmets. Even the least little pressure rubbing against your glasses or your ear or the top of your forehead, etc, will become a huge irritation after an hour in the saddle. Ride with ear plugs or ear buds for music? Better bring them with you. How they fit under that helmet is important. My custom fitted ear monitors have great sound and are great at reducing external noise. But after an hour... I can't have them in my ears. Something about the way my helmet fits as it squeezes my ears just a bit. Great helmet, but BIG problem. For me, it doesn't matter how great the helmet is if I can't wear the dumb thing with my ear monitors... as they are my favorite part of riding. Love my music. The monitors are great, and fit wonderful... as long as I don't put the helmet on. My Shoei modular fits snug.

But that's just me. Thought I'd weigh in on this subject as I'm guessing you won't hear much about it. Obviously you can get some great deals online. However, ya better head to a brick and mortar store and try 'em on before buying. That's what I did. I bought online once I knew that the Neotec was the one for me. The fit seems perfect. My problem: I bought the ear monitors AFTER I bought the helmet. Wish I would have known to put the helmet on while being fitted for the ear monitors. Guess it changes the shape of my ear canals slightly.

Gary

darksider #44

 

[RossKean]

Thanks Gary

I have tried a bunch of helmets on. Unfortunately, 10 minutes in the store does not equate to 12 hours on the road. I don't wear glasses while riding and I need space for speakers but wear regular earplugs, no earbuds for music. With my last helmet, the initial fit felt great. After a few hours of riding, I ended out with some "hot" spots that became quite painful. I ended out "adjusting" the hard foam by compressing it slightly with the bowl of a spoon in a couple of places. I also changed to a thinner cheek pad.

I am willing to pay a modest amount more to buy from a "real" store instead of online (maybe 10%), but not 30%+. I think its unfair to use the local guys for fitting and then buying elsewhere.

 

[rickysnickers]

I have a Suomy and love it. I had a Shoei before and that gave me a headache after a while. It's a good helmet, but a little on the noisy side. It might be worth checking out.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

I believe weight, fit, finish, and noise are the primary differences between price points as you do. I prefer Nolan. Fairly light (as modulars go). Very comfortable, very quiet. In the winter, when a modular isn't quite as important, I frequently use Shoei. I also use Bell Revolver evos (modulars), but they're not as quiet, and aren't quite as comfortable. The Nolan and Bell's have internal sunshields. The Bell's aren't as slick, but they work. My wife loves her revolver evo, even for long days, but she doesn't ride as much as I do.

I know, this has been discussed many times in the past but each year , there are a bunch of new manufacturers and models. I am just wondering what people have found lately that works well for them. Recommendations on the best places to buy? A few parameters...

While I value my head somewhat above the protection afforded by the cheapest helmets, I do not honestly believe that highest prices equate to best protection. I would like to keep it under $300, if possible. I think fit, finish and possibly helmet weight are more influenced by price than level of protection.

I have always used a full-face helmet but I am considering a modular (not sure).

It has to have sufficiently recessed ear holes to accommodate speakers.

Internal flip-down sun visor is preferred. I don't wear glasses when I ride and prefer not to need sunglasses. (Eyes are fairly tolerant of bright conditions and the internal shield on my current helmet is sufficient)

I want a relatively quiet helmet. While I wear earplugs, some lids are still fairly noisy.

Needless to say, it needs to be comfortable for all-day use. Less weight is always better. Good ventilation helps, too.

Needs to seal well to prevent (rain) water ingress. Pinlock shield would be nice but not a requirement.

I am currently using a HJC IS-16 but it is getting a bit tired. The fit is pretty good (shape-wise), but does not accommodate speakers; at least not without major surgery. Either an XL or XXL, depending on the style. HJC seems to offer pretty good bang-for-the-buck. Scorpions do not seem to fit me very well. Shoei, Arai and Schuberth are a bit out of my budget range unless I can come up with a smoking great deal somewhere.

Not into fancy graphics. I prefer a solid color. Considering white or Hi-Vis (to be seen; not to make a fashion statement).


I am currently looking at the HJC SYMAX III but I have, by no means, settled on this one.

I have been checking out a few reviews on Webbikeworld.com Pretty good place to get information on specific models as you are getting close to deciding but it does better at pointing you away from a bad choice than providing a list of good possible candidates that fit your parameters.

Thanks

Edit: I have had a look at a thread from last fall...
https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php/topic/160894-helmets/?hl=helmet

 

[Fly Bye]

You might want to look at the reviews at webBikeWorld.

They have videos and documentation on just about every helmet made.

 

[Spud]

Check out Scorpion. They fit my head well, reasonably priced, and i've been impressed. I've got a couple and the replacement liners and shields are easy to get and priced ok. Their anti-fog shields work pretty well when new.

 

[RossKean]

Check out Scorpion. They fit my head well, reasonably priced, and i've been impressed. I've got a couple and the replacement liners and shields are easy to get and priced ok. Their anti-fog shields work pretty well when new.

As I mentioned in the initial post, I have tried the Scorpions and didn't find they fit my head very well.

 

[Ptaaty]

Bell RS-1 with transition shield. Look for older graphics to get it for about $200, then add the shield. This has a great double neck roll, high quality material, transition shield is probably the greatest single thing I have every seen on a helmet - game changer for me. It has nice large pockets in the ear area to add speakers, etc. Removable liner. Very nice ventilation and still quiet (relative sense see reviews).

To top it off you can buy the breathbox/winter conversion double shield for a decent price for winter/rain.

I have been exceptionally happy with this helmet and have installed speakers...if anything almost too much space since I had to use both pads to get the speakers next to my ear. Also has very easy to remove cheek and upper liners, you can get different thickness cheek pads to get the fit where you want it. Also has the best shield removal / attach I've ever seen.

I tried out RF-1200, have a scorpion EX700 and a few others. Only think I liked better on the RF1200 was that it was a bit lighter.

Only real con I have on the RS-1 is that the seal on the standard (non winter) shields isn't quite perfect. I still use it during western Washington winters, but once and awhile I get an internal side of shield dribble.

 

[careyh]

I wear the RPHA-Max modular. Light and quite. I have been wearing it for 30K miles. When it's done I'll probably get another one.

 

[Twigg]

For about 40 000 miles I wore a Vega Summit 2. That's about as cheap as you can get. Does the ventilation work? No, none of them ventilate well when you wear a helmet liner. Was it quiet enough? Yes, they are all quiet enough with decent ear protection, and none of them are quiet enough without.

Was it safe? It was DOT and ECE rated ... Helmet ratings do not go higher than that, however much they cost. I could wear that helmet for as long as the ride demanded it, and that was in excess of 24 hours a few times.

So what does the extra $550 for a Schuberth get you? Better finish, a bit lighter, a bit quieter, a few more features, some street cred .... It's a lot to pay.

Now I have a Nolan N91 ... So lets review it.

It is DOT rated. It doesn't carry the ECE sticker, but the one sold in Europe does and it's the same helmet. It is vastly better made and plusher than the Vega Summit. It comes ready for Pinlock shields.

It has the most awesome ratchet strap fastner I have ever had the pleasure to use. It is light enough and it is quiet enough. I think it cost about $230.

When I first wore the thing it felt too tight everywhere ad the cheek pads are not adjustable. It felt like it was squeezing my head right across the front and up to the crown. Then I wore it for 8500 miles in 10 days.

No pain, no discomfort, no problems at all. It still feels like it squeezes a bit, but on the road it just works. By the way, my head measures bang in the middle of "Large" for most helmets.

The speaker placement feels too high and that is something I'll adjust because after 10 days it was hurting the very top of my ears (I wear glasses inside my helmet). The placement of the fittings made it tricky to install the Sena, but once done it just works. The drop-down sun screen is awesome.

I would have rejected it in the store for being too tight. Now I am glad I stuck with it. If it provides anything close to the value I had out of that Vega it will be money very well spent. The Vega was falling apart by the end, but at $90 I am not complaining.

 

[Fontanaman]

I recently bought a HJC FJ-17 which is Snell approved for about $200. I have had Shoe and Arai in the past but the $500+ price tags put me off. I like the FJ-17 so far. It is light enough and made from and advance fiber glass composite shell, not plastic. Good ventilation in the top of helmet too.

I had to buy the 30 mm check pads ($25) as the 35 mm pad were too tight on my face.

I like it so much I got one for my wife. Two helmets for under $400 and Snell rated.

 

[RossKean]

I think I want to try the modular and I know I want to have room to put the speakers for the Sena SMH10.

I don't think that any of the modular helmets carry a SNELL rating. The jury is out on whether SNELL actually offers better protection in the real world. Full face (non-modular) helmets are often quieter and probably protect better in the event of a face plant.

 

[Twigg]

I think I want to try the modular and I know I want to have room to put the speakers for the Sena SMH10.
I don't think that any of the modular helmets carry a SNELL rating. The jury is out on whether SNELL actually offers better protection in the real world. Full face (non-modular) helmets are often quieter and probably protect better in the event of a face plant.

You are correct. No current modular has a Snell rating.

I believe the Snell rating was devised by Arai and Shoei to show their helmets in a better light. It is a controversial standard because to pass the test the shells have to be made very stiff, and there is an argument that less stiff shells better protect your head during a typical motorcycle accident.

Modular helmets struggle with the test because they fail the "double impact in the same spot", a test that seems a bit unrealistic.

The suggestion that full-face helmets provide more protection in some impacts is probably a fair comment. That said, it's a trade-off. The convenience of modular makes longer rides much easier, which has to help reduce stress and fatigue. Over the last few years I have seen a good number of helmet pictures, post crash. I haven't yet seen one where the front of a modular separated from the shell.

 

[Hwy 14]

I would suggest taking a look at the Safety Helmut Assessment and Ratings Program (sharp.direct,gov,uk). This government site tests the quality of the construction, fit of the helmet, and rates each one. It appears after looking at the test results that a number of the more reasonably priced lids are substantially better than the more costly units.

I have a Shoei Quest and although it is at the bottom of the Shoei cost ladder it rates , in safety, much higher than some of their $500.00 lids.

 

[Fontanaman]

I would suggest taking a look at the Safety Helmut Assessment and Ratings Program (sharp.direct,gov,uk). This government site tests the quality of the construction, fit of the helmet, and rates each one. It appears after looking at the test results that a number of the more reasonably priced lids are substantially better than the more costly units.

I have a Shoei Quest and although it is at the bottom of the Shoei cost ladder it rates , in safety, much higher than some of their $500.00 lids.

The Sharp Direct web site is interesting and informative. Thanks.

 

[Goodman4]

I'm with Twigg on the Nolan. I've been wearing the N90, which is the older model of the N91 for over 3 years now and there is a 90% chance I will get an N91 when I replace it. I got my wife one and she loves it, too. I would like to get the HJC modular because it has a LOT of nice features for the money, but there was something about the reviews that scared me off both times. If I remember right, it was bad noise ratings. I love the ratchet chin strap and the sun visor on the Nolans, so yes, my post is redundant.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

Never tried the N90 or N91, but I've run a Nolan N-102 and a Shoei, an N-103 and a Shoei, and now an N-104 and a Shoei Qwest. Except as a spacer helmet, the shoei's excel, for me, in extreme cold weather. They're quiet and comfortable all the time, I just prefer a modular most of the year. The Shoei's are, for me, warmer when it's wicked cold, and while the Nolan's are superbly quiet, in winter crosswinds, the shoei's I've had have been just a little quieter. Good luck whatever you wear.

 

[RossKean]

I haven't tried the Nolan. I have a friend who has the 102 and he hates it. Perhaps its head shape or something. I think I will try one on.