Hi all,
I've been riding for 38 years and have always owned really nice full face helmets.
Owned Bell Star helmets originally, then moved to Shoei helmets and wasn't impressed.
For years after, I always bought Arai Signet helmets.
Now they are $500 or more, and that's just ridiculous.
A friend who has also been riding for 4 decades suggested I try one of the Nolan full face helmets where the front opens up like a clamshell.
I'm looking for other ideas.
Am I crazy not to spend so much on an Arai?
I want a Snell helmet, that's light, low wind noise and is safe and well built.
It will be white for visibility by others.
I'd love to hear what others use, particularly adidas, gsJack and the other moderators.
Thanks!
Trwhouse
If you know the Bell fits well, try an RS-1 which is the current model down from the Star. It fulfils all of your requirements. I recently moved from Arai to Bell and am very happy, especially after fitting the photochromatic visor.
http://www.bellhelmets.com/en_eu/powersports/helmets/street/rs-1 (http://www.bellhelmets.com/en_eu/powersports/helmets/street/rs-1)
I don't know what brand my helmet is, I got it at Harley Davidson on clearance so its glossy black with the namesake. It's like a modular without the jaw piece and has a tinted visor built in so when sunny I can slide it out. Putting sunglasses on in a helmet just got annoying. I love the design and lightness but you do hear the wind a lot. For under $150 it was a deal to me. I think I've seen a shoei or hjc (whatever that 3 letter brand is) on craigslist exactly the same just not HD up. Just throwing it out there.
Arai helmets are definetly worth it. I have a Vector 2 and looooove it. Also check out Shark helmets, AGV, Nolan like you said and Icon. I threw this up in a thread but I'll put it here and this will show you why Arai is pretty good and how customizable they can be to protect you the best.
I just finished shopping for helmets. I really liked the look of the new hjc helmets rpha and fg-17. I ended up getting a bell star and am happy i did.
I ride with a Shoei X- eleven. I got a good deal on it. No way I could pay the normal price of $600-$800 for one
I started with Bell RT open and Bell Star full face helmets back in the 80s. Had a HJC symax flip face 10-15 years ago that I replaced with a Shoei RF-1000 that I used for 7 years and was/is probably the best I've had.
Bought a HJC IS-33 a couple years ago an open face with built in shield plus internal sun shade that I use most all the time now, sounds like GI JOE's hog helmet description above. Think it's a good trade off for me now since my head only turns half as far as it used to and the wide panoramic view of the open face type takes advantage of my still excellent peripheral vision.
(http://www.gs500.net/gallery/data/500/HJC-IS-33-Anthracite.jpg)
Big helmet thread from 2 years ago:
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=55531
Buy the Arai. Its only your head ;)
They are light, comfortable, quiet, safe and very very well made. You already know that though... :icon_lol:
I ask this and only this question: What helmets to do you see pro motorcycle racers wear? Not some cheap brand, or something that folds in half. And they dont have to worry about being hit by cars....... Think about it.
How about going back to the Bell Star? I just picked up a Bell Star for this season and love the helmet so far. Light, great visibility, noise is about average for a full face helmet I would say. And those 'transitions' lenses are fantastic! Every manufacturer should offer them as an option.
Quote from: Twism86 on June 19, 2013, 08:25:12 AM
Buy the Arai. Its only your head ;)
They are light, comfortable, quiet, safe and very very well made. You already know that though... :icon_lol:
I ask this and only this question: What helmets to do you see pro motorcycle racers wear? Not some cheap brand, or something that folds in half. And they dont have to worry about being hit by cars....... Think about it.
True. But how many of them buy their own lids versus them being given to them for sponsorship?
i used this buying guide to give me an idea of what i wanted. I am a noob compared to you though so you might know what you want more out of a helmet. This was my starting place and I bought the best helmet i could afford. Shoei GT air Journey.
http://www.revzilla.com/best-motorcycle-helmet-guide-2013
the helmet i bought
(http://images3.revzilla.com/product_images/0048/1047/shoei_gt_air_journey_helmet_detail.jpg)
You guys are out of my league...i've got 3...an kwv, a shoei and a 'budget' vega ultra...I find the shoei pinches my cheeks far too much. My favourite is actually the cheapie vega ultura...nice and light, dot4, snug but not pinchy...plus if it gets a bit scratched due to handling, I don't mind so much as the shoei. Lids in south africa are insanely priced though...so that probably influences my choice more than anything else...
Quote from: Gorilla on June 19, 2013, 10:58:37 AM
This was my starting place and I bought the best helmet i could afford. Shoei GT air Journey.
the helmet i bought
(http://images3.revzilla.com/product_images/0048/1047/shoei_gt_air_journey_helmet_detail.jpg)
I'm guessing unmarried & no dependents.... :thumb: :icon_mrgreen:
My wife would make me sleep in a $600 helmet...outside...in the rain...without a blanket...
In other words, it wouldn't be fiscally responsible of me to spend that kind of dough on a lid. I did, however, recently justify spending 1/3 of that amount on a clearance Shoei Qwest....but only b/c I needed to replace a poorly fitting helmet.
I just wrote up a review on my current helmet... some folks have brought them up on the forum in the past, but to my knowledge its a first for this forum... Reevu Rear-View helmet.
(http://i1069.photobucket.com/albums/u477/BockinBboy/null_zpsee32a1ff.jpg)
Here is my write-up. http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=64696.0
- Bboy
I guess I just dont see $500 being a lot for a helmet. Yes the pro riders dont pay for theirs but I dont see how that makes a difference. We all here have a bike (or bikes) as a secondary vehicle which means we all have some extra money to throw around, or at least save a little extra over time for quality protection.
Quote from: Twism86 on June 19, 2013, 01:29:28 PM
I guess I just dont see $500 being a lot for a helmet. Yes the pro riders dont pay for theirs but I dont see how that makes a difference. We all here have a bike (or bikes) as a secondary vehicle which means we all have some extra money to throw around, or at least save a little extra over time for quality protection.
And frankly, that's exactly why there are many manufacturers who each produce items at different price points. :thumb:
I would also note that quality protection can be obtained at some of the lower price points. Bell makes Snell 2010 approved helmets at a sub-$200 price point. Are you going to argue that a properly fitting $180 Bell helmet (DOT and Snell approved) will not protect as well as a $500+ Arai? It may not have all the same bells and whistles, but safety standards are safety standards for a reason.
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i defeintely bought mine for the bells and whistles! and yes unmarried no kids
Hi folks,
Thanks for all the ideas.
I have more to ponder. :)
Best wishes,
Trwhouse
Probably the best inexpensive helmet out there is the Scorpion EXO series of helmets. That is if you are on a budget. If not. Arai as usual.
-Anthony
Quote from: The Antibody on June 19, 2013, 06:20:53 PM
Probably the best inexpensive helmet out there is the Scorpion EXO series of helmets. That is if you are on a budget. If not. Arai as usual.
-Anthony
I agree, I have a scorpion exo 400 very basic helmet fits great and was affordable.
The cheaper helmets may meet the relevant standards and save your skin as well as most of the more expensive ones but they tend to be heavier, have worse ventilation and or aerodynamics and cheaper material on the internals. This is not a universal truth but it is true often enough to be a consideration, especially if you ride frequently and for longer distances than a 20 or 30 minute commute.
When I look at a helmet the first two things I consider most important are fit and then weight. Ventilation, ease of use of the visor and colour follow. I wish I could put aero/noise up higher but you can't test that without riding and the same helmet can be more or less noisy depending on the rider and bike.
As with most purchases these days, I tend to spend a bit too much time on the web researching the options and reading the reviews before making a shortlist of items to try on.
At the end of the day I'm happy to spend $400 or so on a helmet. Of course I'd prefer to spend $200 and I can't justify helmets at $600+ as I don't race the bike the advantages over $400 helmets are generally to do with racing. That said I do have a rather expensive helmet for the many times I do take my car on the race track.
ive got a scorpion exo 700, i love it. had an HJC before and comparable the scorpion is extremely quiet, fits very well vents very well and i crashed in my previous 700 the helmet performed extremely well. saved the side of my face and head i got up without even a headache. i would recommend them to anyone.
Quote from: Banzai on June 20, 2013, 04:39:19 AM
The cheaper helmets may meet the relevant standards and save your skin as well as most of the more expensive ones but they tend to be heavier, have worse ventilation and or aerodynamics and cheaper material on the internals. This is not a universal truth but it is true often enough to be a consideration, especially if you ride frequently and for longer distances than a 20 or 30 minute commute.
Trade-offs. Lighter weight materials, more aerodynamics, better ventilation...all things that cost more to develop and utilize in manufacturing processes, and thus raise the cost passed on to the consumer. But if you're looking to get into the hobby cheaply, it is still possible to do while obtaining items that will keep you as safe as the high-end equipment. I'd say if you're just dipping your toe into the motorcycle riding pool to see if you like it, buy used and/or cheap. Then, if you decide you like riding, upgrade. I would much rather see someone wear a cheap safety-approved helmet than no helmet...at least, someone I somewhat care about.
On the other hand, if you're the type of person who buys a brand new bike and all the "right" apparel to go along with it (read: hipster), only to decide that you're so terrified of the bike you sell everything within a year, go for it. That's just more money flowing through the economy. :D
Check out this crazy new helmet, no chin strap!
http://vimeo.com/61179198
Quote from: CrownSeven on June 20, 2013, 10:02:46 AM
Check out this crazy new helmet, no chin strap!
http://vimeo.com/61179198
crazy. Hopefully the safety is up to snuff
Hmm. Curious. I wonder how this works for paramedics in the event of a crash. I'm thinking that it might be quite complicated to remove while immobilizing the head when the risk of a neck injury is present.
Quote from: jdoorn14 on June 20, 2013, 02:34:08 PM
Hmm. Curious. I wonder how this works for paramedics in the event of a crash. I'm thinking that it might be quite complicated to remove while immobilizing the head when the risk of a neck injury is present.
Watch the video all the way through... they cover that
Wow just wow! Aussie invention too either that or great Aussie salesman
Quote from: oz353 on June 20, 2013, 03:30:06 PM
Quote from: jdoorn14 on June 20, 2013, 02:34:08 PM
Hmm. Curious. I wonder how this works for paramedics in the event of a crash. I'm thinking that it might be quite complicated to remove while immobilizing the head when the risk of a neck injury is present.
Watch the video all the way through... they cover that
Silly me. Typically once a URL is provided, all the rest is forgettable information in most vids. I stopped watching the first time with like 15 sec left.....just before giving the most crucial information.
I would still want to see testing results showing that the latches aren't going to pop in the event of an impact.
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