Picked up first bike today (1999 GS500E) (Pictures)

[b00stin4days]

That yellow is da chit 

Thanks suzuki Stevo! 

[b00stin4days]

That helmet has good review on Amazon which is a good sign.  But realize that people's perception of the product is influenced by its cost - if it cost $500 or even $200 the stars might drop off as the bang-for-the-buck decreases.  As a new rider you should get some coaching on helmet sizing, people tend to choose helmets that are too big if left on their own.  You can either go to a local motorcycle gear store or look online for some info on helmet sizing.  A helmet that is too large can compromise your safety.  A helmet that is the right size might feel far too tight until you get accustomed to it.

There is a chance that if you buy through Amazon or eBay you will end up with a counterfeit product.  Best way to avoid this is to buy a reputable brand and if the product arrives and it doesn't look exactly like the photos, if the materials or construction don't look spot on, or if it has strong odors or flimsy face shield etc send it back.

As for a specific recommendation I bought an AGV K3 with the Dreamtime graphics and I am very pleased with it.  I had purchased a cheap helmet at first.  It had good reviews but lots of wind would come whistling past the visor while at speed and was intolerable.  It had less padding and was loose on my head which I learned later was not ideal even if it was nice and comfortable.  Another criticism I had was that the chin strap was a pain to deal with, the D-rings would flip around and get all sideways and not cooperate.  These are little details that become more important when you start riding with any regularity.

Note that the cheap helmet had 4.5 stars yet is basically garbage compared to my second helmet which cost twice as much.  So the stars don't tell the whole story.  If you buy this Duke helmet I hope it is a good product and also lives up to its safety claims.

Thank you for the detailed response! I actually went to a gear store before class today to try on some helmets. Turns out the guy there thinks that a Small is the best size for me. Even though it felt tight on the cheeks, he said a good fitting helmet should provide an even pressure throughout the whole head and the cheeks will loosen when the helmet is broken in. The medium was more comfortable because it was looser but he had me turn the helmet hard to the side and he said it moved too much. He genuinely seemed concerned for my safety and seemed very knowledgable. I believe I will go with a size small.

Also, As for the Duke helmet, it does have many good reviews but out of the bad reviews, it mentions a lot about the wind coming in through the vents. I will have to do some more research, thank you!

[rscottlow]

That helmet has good review on Amazon which is a good sign.  But realize that people's perception of the product is influenced by its cost - if it cost $500 or even $200 the stars might drop off as the bang-for-the-buck decreases.  As a new rider you should get some coaching on helmet sizing, people tend to choose helmets that are too big if left on their own.  You can either go to a local motorcycle gear store or look online for some info on helmet sizing.  A helmet that is too large can compromise your safety.  A helmet that is the right size might feel far too tight until you get accustomed to it.

There is a chance that if you buy through Amazon or eBay you will end up with a counterfeit product.  Best way to avoid this is to buy a reputable brand and if the product arrives and it doesn't look exactly like the photos, if the materials or construction don't look spot on, or if it has strong odors or flimsy face shield etc send it back.

As for a specific recommendation I bought an AGV K3 with the Dreamtime graphics and I am very pleased with it.  I had purchased a cheap helmet at first.  It had good reviews but lots of wind would come whistling past the visor while at speed and was intolerable.  It had less padding and was loose on my head which I learned later was not ideal even if it was nice and comfortable.  Another criticism I had was that the chin strap was a pain to deal with, the D-rings would flip around and get all sideways and not cooperate.  These are little details that become more important when you start riding with any regularity.

Note that the cheap helmet had 4.5 stars yet is basically garbage compared to my second helmet which cost twice as much.  So the stars don't tell the whole story.  If you buy this Duke helmet I hope it is a good product and also lives up to its safety claims.

Thank you for the detailed response! I actually went to a gear store before class today to try on some helmets. Turns out the guy there thinks that a Small is the best size for me. Even though it felt tight on the cheeks, he said a good fitting helmet should provide an even pressure throughout the whole head and the cheeks will loosen when the helmet is broken in. The medium was more comfortable because it was looser but he had me turn the helmet hard to the side and he said it moved too much. He genuinely seemed concerned for my safety and seemed very knowledgable. I believe I will go with a size small.

Also, As for the Duke helmet, it does have many good reviews but out of the bad reviews, it mentions a lot about the wind coming in through the vents. I will have to do some more research, thank you!

First of all, congrats on your bike! That thing looks great!

As far as helmets are concerned, and gear in general, really...check out webbikeworld.com - they have a ton of super detailed reviews. I did some reading there, and on motorcyclegear.com (which also has some good deals on gear) before I purchased anything. I ended up buying my helmet locally, and ordered my jacket and gloves online.

[b00stin4days]

That helmet has good review on Amazon which is a good sign.  But realize that people's perception of the product is influenced by its cost - if it cost $500 or even $200 the stars might drop off as the bang-for-the-buck decreases.  As a new rider you should get some coaching on helmet sizing, people tend to choose helmets that are too big if left on their own.  You can either go to a local motorcycle gear store or look online for some info on helmet sizing.  A helmet that is too large can compromise your safety.  A helmet that is the right size might feel far too tight until you get accustomed to it.

There is a chance that if you buy through Amazon or eBay you will end up with a counterfeit product.  Best way to avoid this is to buy a reputable brand and if the product arrives and it doesn't look exactly like the photos, if the materials or construction don't look spot on, or if it has strong odors or flimsy face shield etc send it back.

As for a specific recommendation I bought an AGV K3 with the Dreamtime graphics and I am very pleased with it.  I had purchased a cheap helmet at first.  It had good reviews but lots of wind would come whistling past the visor while at speed and was intolerable.  It had less padding and was loose on my head which I learned later was not ideal even if it was nice and comfortable.  Another criticism I had was that the chin strap was a pain to deal with, the D-rings would flip around and get all sideways and not cooperate.  These are little details that become more important when you start riding with any regularity.

Note that the cheap helmet had 4.5 stars yet is basically garbage compared to my second helmet which cost twice as much.  So the stars don't tell the whole story.  If you buy this Duke helmet I hope it is a good product and also lives up to its safety claims.

Thank you for the detailed response! I actually went to a gear store before class today to try on some helmets. Turns out the guy there thinks that a Small is the best size for me. Even though it felt tight on the cheeks, he said a good fitting helmet should provide an even pressure throughout the whole head and the cheeks will loosen when the helmet is broken in. The medium was more comfortable because it was looser but he had me turn the helmet hard to the side and he said it moved too much. He genuinely seemed concerned for my safety and seemed very knowledgable. I believe I will go with a size small.

Also, As for the Duke helmet, it does have many good reviews but out of the bad reviews, it mentions a lot about the wind coming in through the vents. I will have to do some more research, thank you!

First of all, congrats on your bike! That thing looks great!

As far as helmets are concerned, and gear in general, really...check out webbikeworld.com - they have a ton of super detailed reviews. I did some reading there, and on motorcyclegear.com (which also has some good deals on gear) before I purchased anything. I ended up buying my helmet locally, and ordered my jacket and gloves online.

Thank you! I will check those sites out now.

[hydraulix]

If you're still looking at helmets, I'd check out an EXO-410 or EXO-500 from Scorpion - the 410 is Snell rated which is why I got it (cheapest Snell helmet I could find at $129), but the 500 is $99 at motorcycle superstore and I thiiiink it's only missing the snell rating because they don't approve of the internal sun visor. I know it sounds spammy recommending one specific brand in my first post here, but I'll be begging for carb help soon enough... 

[cWj]

but the 500 is $99 at motorcycle superstore and I thiiiink it's only missing the snell rating because they don't approve of the internal sun visor. 

For the 500 at MS: $89.99 for the plain gloss black, white or silver & $69.99 for the "Heritage" closeout in X-small. I'd check their Amazon store, too. I found sizes there that weren't shown on the MS site.

Good helmet, good ventilation, sunshade is a nice feature. It'd be nice if the smallest shield opening was just a detent instead of a locked position (a bit difficult to find the lever on the side at speed). It seems a bit loud to me and the helmet is a bit "deep" (both, I believe are the costs of that nice sunshade). Good hat for the price. I bought two.


oops. threadjack.

[b00stin4days]

Thank you for all the helmet advice! I ended up going with the BILT Fusion in matte black with a light tinted visor. I picked it up at my local Cycle Gear for 69.99 + an extra 17 for the visor. Originally the helmet is 119.99 (currently is online as well). Rode around for the first time today, a little chilly, but put 33 miles on the new bike. LOVE the bike, a little less powerful but its definitely fun. As for the helmet, very comfortable but coming on and off has seemed to irritate or like scratch my left upper cheek. I can live with that, I might be putting it on and taking it off wrong 

[cWj]

Start with the back first. Use straps to pull it on pulling out on straps as you pull down.

It shouldn't be abrading you face, though. You are completely allowed to practice putting on/off the helmet as well as wearing it around the house. It can help break the pads in and, well, is just kind of one of the joys of Motorcycylism.

Try it for a while. Consider going up a size if it remains uncomfortable.

[lucas]

You can open the helmet up a little by grabbing the straps and pulling the outward while you put it on.  That might give you the extra room you need for your cheeks.

I have to do that otherwise my ears will catch and get folded over.  Which is annoying.