First, hello and thank you for providing a message board.  I bought a repair manual through the main site to show my appreciation.

I just got my first bike , an 01 gs500, last week.

I need to get a good new first helmet.  I'm looking at either a scorpion exo-400 or a HJC ac-11.  
i've realized i need to get some opinions on which helmet will work better with my head shape before i mail-order one.  i tried on a shoei rf-1000 and another style of hjc (the one where the whole face tilts up), and an arai at the local cyclegear and they were great.
the kbc vr-2 was absolutely awful for my head shape.

With that in mind, can anyone reccommend either the exo-400 or the ac-11?

i'll also be picking up a joe rocket meteor jacket and gloves.  i hope my wolverine steel toes will work OK for boots.


And for the record, i "fell over with" my bike at 0 mph today, so i busted my cherry early.  no real damage to me or the bike, just my pride and such.  I was making a rt turn while going uphill.  the road to the rt was uphil the other direction (so the road was kinda funky).  i was going really slow and just stalled out and didn't get my foot out in time.  i consciously layed the bike down as gently as i could and did a stylish ninja-roll on the pavement away from the bike.  i was wearing helmet, leather gloves, long sleeves, steel toes, and jeans.
glad to get that off my chest.

Search All Terms for "Steel toed."  Then Search for Scorpion, then Search for HJC.  You'll get plenty of info.

Fit is the most important thing in a helmet.  Put on the smallest helmet that fits without physical pain.  You shouldn't be able to move it by grabbing the back and pulling as if you were taking it off.  Wear it for 20min.  See if it still fits.  Scorpion fits me great, HJC doesn't, so I wouldn't be surprised if one of the two turns out to be a better fit for you.

Yup...  What she said.

Go to a Moto store and try on all the helmets...  All the helmets?  AAAAALL the helmets.


You'll find one that fits.

thanks for the info so far.
that's the problem- they don't have the helmets i want, so i'm reduced to asking here.  i know that's not the best way to do it, but i was hoping to get some input on which brands are similar.

Roadtrip...

You REALLY don't want a helmet that fits wrong.  You'll be 20 minutes into a ride and dying to take it off.

No Good.


It's worth the time and money for a helmet that fits...  Then, when you find it...  Don't let anyone touch it!

We can recommend until our faces turn blue, but fit is all it comes down to.  IMO, Snell-rated and fullface, and travel where you have to in order to find a selection that allows you to try on many brands.

Quote from: RoadstergalSearch All Terms for "Steel toed."  Then Search for Scorpion, then Search for HJC.  You'll get plenty of info.

Don't forget 'Joe Rocket'...some interesting results there.

Quote from: RoadstergalFit is the most important thing in a helmet.  Put on the smallest helmet that fits without physical pain.  You shouldn't be able to move it by grabbing the back and pulling as if you were taking it off.  Wear it for 20min.  See if it still fits.  Scorpion fits me great, HJC doesn't, so I wouldn't be surprised if one of the two turns out to be a better fit for you.

I spent at least 2 hours trying on helmets/jackets when I picked up my bike.  Try on every model of helmet to find the right size for each model, find one that feels "right" then walk around and try on jackets (still wearing the helmet!)  Try on every jacket in the store (twice).

fair enough, point taken.  i won't try to take the easy way out.  thanks.

Quote from: BadgerTry on every jacket in the store (twice).

THEN go sit on a similar bike to your own and make sure it still fits right...  Combo with gloves...

The most important thing in my mind when looking for a helmet is fit and full-faced. For me, the Shoei RF-1000 is just awesome. You can pay cheaper, but the venting system seems unmatched and the padding can be removed, washed, and adjusted.