Helmets

[ddavis]

I need a new helmet, and I will be buying one next weekend. I want one that is quiet, and I like the flip up designs. I have been considering the Shuberth concept, despite the weight. (does this thing have spell check?) :oops: Are there any suggestions? :shrug:

[Tourmeister]

does this thing have spell check?

If it did, you can bet Shuberth would not be in the dictionary ;-)

We have a Nolan flip up. Other than the chin strap latching mechanism, it seems pretty nice. The latch is big and bulky and hits right at the adam's apple.

Shoei makes a flip up but I have not tried one on yet.

I saw a Shuberth and the guy loved it. The retractable tinted visor is cool. He said it is very comfortable and quiet. Also, the face shield can pop out forward about 1/4" to let air flow up through the helmet for extreme fogging conditions without exposing your face to incoming bugs.

I'll be in the market before too long myself. My current Shoei RF-800 has over 100K miles on it :mrgreen:

Adios,

[AggieVFR]

You may want to check into the HJC Symax. It is of the flip up design with a fully removable and washable interior, good ventilation for summer riding and a standard strap mechanism like any other HJC or similar helmet. My dad has one and loves it. I've ridden with it before and didn't notice any abnormal amounts of noise. I ride with earplugs though. My Arai seems a bit louder, but it is hard to say. You might want to give them a look. Pretty affordable at $200-250.

[kurt]

The Schuberth did not fit my long oval head as it was very round. It also was sized small. Shoei was the best fit for my head, and of course, the most expensive. I decided to stick with my full face Arai in the end, but still may get a flip-up at some point.

[Dirtrideroader]

I would definitely have fit be your first priority. The flip up is nice if you wear glasses.
I have bought Arai's the last two times. The may not be the quitest, or the best ventilated, but they sure fit my long oval bone head.
After my Bell helmet I had last time, the Arai's are like wearing your favorite cap. Comfortable for many hours.

[ddavis]

My girlfriend has the HJC Symax. I wear it sometimes but, not far. It is too big for my small head, and it is hard to evaluate the comfort when it's flopping around on my skull. The price is right though!

I tried on a medium shuberth saturday and it was too big. The dealer is ordering a small for me to try on with no obligation to buy. Good thing because, they want $450 for it. I found the same on line for $365.

I may reconsider the whole flip up design, for safety concerns. I don't think they are as safe in a crash as a full face, and never having gone down on the road, (plenty off-road) the odds are no longer in my favor.

Some of that concern may be influenced by my fathers accident. (If you care to hear the story, it's detailed in the general forum)

The Arai helmets are nice with plenty of features but, expensive!! :eek:

[kawi jm]

checkwww.motorcyclecloseouts.com they have the Shoei on sale for like $280 I think?. I don't know how good of a price that is, but maybe that will help.

[ddavis]

That's a great deal, but they only had red and blue left. I seem to be running into that with size as well, when shopping the I-Net. :headbang:

Darn the luck! :(

[brd]

I may reconsider the whole flip up design, for safety concerns. I don't think they are as safe in a crash as a full face, and never having gone down on the road, (plenty off-road) the odds are no longer in my favor.

I would never buy an HJC Symax. But they are very popular. I try to discourage people from buying them, but they want one anyway. I guess it's better than a 3/4 helmet.

The first thing that makes me wary is that the Symax does not have the Snell rating. Supposedly it doesn't survive the 3 "drop on the chinbar" test. Well, when I first heard this I thought, you're not going to fall on your chin 3 times before you replace it, so maybe this is acceptable.

Then we had a guy that bought one from our store. He returned it a few weeks later for a new one. He dropped his on the floor and the entire chin bar/visor piece broke off!!!

Think about that. It still boggles my mind that he returned it for another Symax. :pound:

[AggieVFR]

I consider it to be a 3/4 helmet with a nice face shield rather than a full face helmet. They're pretty convenient, especially if you have a cold and need to blow your nose at a stop. :wink: I feel much better protected in my Arai Signet GT though.

[cmartin]

I have dropped my Symax several times, never broke the chin bar. I have had it fall off the seat when bike was parked and hit on the chin bar with no problem.
I think the symax is quiter than the Shoei.
I like my symax better than the Nolan I once had.

The Symax has room for the Autocomm speakers as well.

[hcope1]

Probably too late... but; I currently have a Schuberth Concept, HJC and shoei. My first helmet was a Shoei. None of them compare to the Schuberth. It is truly an awesome product. The lens is so clear it could be glass. It is also very scratch resistant and comes with antifog built in-the sun visor is a nice touch. I use one of the other helmets when I ride solo becaus4 they are somewhat quieter. Bottom lile: if you want a flip face, go with the Schuberth.

[ddavis]

The BMW dealer finally recieved the Shuberth I had asked for but it was too small. I guess my head just isn't shaped for the shuberth. That was a disapointment. :(

I ended up with a KBC Racer 1. It fit like a glove and looks really good as a bonus. I got it from cycle gear in Plano with a 30 day warranty, which is a good thing because, I rode about 4 hours and noticed the vent channels that are held on with 2 sided tape, were not holding. The caps that cover the sides of the visor didn't snap in like they should either. I took the helmet back yesterday and took the good parts off of one and moved them to another. The cheek pads come in different sizes, so I moved them to the good one too. (one had 30mm and the other 40mm)

I haven't had a chance to try the new one but, I am sure I will be happy with it based on my experience last week. :-D

On a side note; I purchased a new pair of Sidi boots, and my Zero Gravity sport touring windscreen will be here tuesday! :dude:

Hey! Where did my pay check go??? :eek:

[Tourmeister]

Which boots?

[ddavis]

The box said "Stivali Strada Tepor" :brainsnap

They are low profile styled boots because, I have been over doing it with flash lately. I like to be seen but, I don't care for the "hey, look at me! look at me!" attitude that certain sport bikers seem to display. I may have crossed that line with the Suzuki racing jacket, and the matching helmet. "Cool" is supposed to be a state of mind! 8)

[kurt]

The box said "Stivali Strada Tepor" :brainsnap
8)

I believe those are the same as mine. Strada Tempor Evo. Great boots if they are, my feet stayed dry for the entire three days of rain endured during the Texas Banditfest back in November. I wish the rest of my gear was that good. I like the fact they don't shout "Squid" like some of the other protective footwear and can actually be walked in for moderate distances.

[ddavis]

I'm glad to hear that. My girlfriend has a pair of Sidi boots, I'm not sure which ones, and her feet stay dry. That's what drove my purchase, even though hers are a different model, and were advertised as waterproof where mine wern't specific about that.

[finoa]

I've had two Shoei Synchrotecs, only helmets I've ever used. I've read reviews that say that they're not the quietest helmets around but I use ear plugs anyway so I have no way to know differently. I really like the convenience of the flip up and the added safety of the chin bar. Although nothing is as safe as a full helment, from the tests I've read online, the Synchrotec fared well. They were a little on the expensive side but I got the first one on sale and the second one when the insurance company replaced the first from the accident I had.

[punk_emo_tx]

uh, ddivis posted this thread in December of 2003

maybe he found a helmet by now

[ddavis]

Sure did! KBC Racer 1, yellow and black. A year and a half old and I'm very happy with it.

[Jack Giesecke]

I wore my old N100 out. I need to replace it. It was quite, I thought. But, I've heard others who thought it wasn't! I recommended it to a friend who had a Schubert and he switched. He said the Schubert was a lot noisier.

However, I have an oval head, too, and after the padding got compacted down some in that Nolan, it hit me in the forehead and back of the head a little too much. I'm going to try the new flip front AFX. I have an AFX Snell I LOVE the fit of. The padding is removable for cleaning, too. The AFX is $119 locally and that Nolan ran me about $200, another advantage. I wasn't completely happy with the Nolan's fit, so I'm going to try the AFX. I can tell you the AFX full face I have is VERY quiet, but that might not be the case with the flip front. I'm set on getting it, though.

[hfpieratt]

Concerning Flip Face helmets:
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/accessoriesandgear/fliphelmets/

Other helmet, and everything else, reviews:
http://www.motorcyclegearreview.com
http://www.webbikeworld.com/Reviewed-motorcycle-products/Products.htm
http://motorcyclecruiser.com/accessoriesandgear/gearfinder/

[turbopiper]

Concerning Flip Face helmets:
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/accessoriesandgear/fliphelmets/

Other helmet, and everything else, reviews:
http://www.motorcyclegearreview.com
http://www.webbikeworld.com/Reviewed-motorcycle-products/Products.htm
http://motorcyclecruiser.com/accessoriesandgear/gearfinder/

I myself have the SCHUBERTH CONCEPT helmet. The best helmet I've ever had. If you wear glasses it is great. One pair of glasses I have have the Titanium Flexible frames, which was a real PITA to put on and try to get over my ears with a regular full face. No need to carry your prescription sunglasses, just flip down the tinted visor.
They do run one size smaller than most, it cost me an extra $25 to get the XXL for my fat melon.
The latch for the flip is on the left side only, so it can be done with one hand. and on cold morning you don't have to worry about the bottom of your chin freezing with the chin padding on it.

FROM THE ARTICLE:
The comfort padding is also removable and washable. A slightly awkward push-button buckle fastens the strap, which is plushly padded.

The guy who wrote this article probably has problems understanding the safety film on airline flights about the lap belt mechanism A.K.A. seat belt.

The best thing that I like about this helmet... no Friggin "D-Ring", I hate them. It is like putting on a seat belt. It has a button you push to unlock and I can latch and unlatch it with my gloves on.
Ted

Oh, and I don't work for SCHUBERTH or get free products from them...

[punk_emo_tx]

My kid has a KBC Racer 1 too. Its his fav.

[pons]

arai quantum a good helmet with good ventilation

[Jack Giesecke]

The Schuberth did not fit my long oval head as it was very round. It also was sized small. Shoei was the best fit for my head, and of course, the most expensive. I decided to stick with my full face Arai in the end, but still may get a flip-up at some point.

I've got the long oval head problem and that N100 Nolan tended to wear a red spot in my forehead on a long ride. I have this AFX Snell full face I'm racing in now and it fits me like a head glove. :dude: The flip up model has the pop out ear foam (for your walkman speakers, okay, mp3 player, to fit better) , the removable foam for washing, and a one hand flip up. The Nolan required two hands. I like the Nolan's shield, very scratch resistant. But, as the AFX I have is a VERY nice helmet for the money and as it fits my head shape so well, I've become an AFX convert and will be buying the flip up version for the street ASAP. It's only 120 bucks retail and Bikebandit has it for a little less.

As far as the safety goes, I wore open face helmets for years, even raced in 'em. Sure, I'd rather have a full face, especially for the comfort, but the flip ups are SO convenient for touring that I'll accept the little bit of added risk to them. It's better than riding without a helmet at all when I want a gatorade on the road or something and I am an eye glass wearer as well. I LOVED the convenience of that Nolan N100. I sorta wore it out. It was four years old. So, it's time for a new street helmet.

As far as that flip down tint shield, when I'm on a really long ride in the summer, I prefer a full tint shield. It keeps my face from sunburning. That flip down tint thing only goes down to about nose level, doesn't fully protect your face from the UVs. I wear glasses that darken in the sun and they're pretty effective as sun glasses without a tint screen on.