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Helmets...

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Vee Dub Nut

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I went down to Action Sports here in College Station to check out the prices on helmets. Im looking at black full face type. The two brands they had the most of where Shoei and HJC. The Shoei retails for 340$ while the HJC it 140$. They are both approved by DOT and Snell. Now two hundred dollars is a big difference for my tight budget. The Shoei has more padding in the inside than the HJC but as for the flex in the helmet its about the same. Im going to be riding a 78 CX500 so no super sport riding for me, would it be wise to spend the extra for the Shoei or is it unnessesary. I understand that my safety is on the line so I was wondering yall's opinion, have you owned any of these brands, how did you like them. Have any suggestions for a Helmet review online? Ive got time to make up my mind, still wrenching on the bike, but I plan to purchase one soon.

Adam
 
On the one hand, there's the adage that goes along the lines of "how much is your head worth to you?" or somesuch...

On the other hand, that's a pretty big difference.

I tend to be flippant with my cash when I have it, so I got a plain ol' white Shoei Z-II a few years ago, and have been pretty happy with it.

Compare the two helmets, and perhaps see if the following differ and/or are worth the extra cost:

* noise levels
* quick/easy visor changing
* removable liner (for destinkifying ;-) )
* comfort

HTH...
 
I think alot of it has to do with how if fits your head. I have had Shoei helmets in the past, and they were always the most comfortable for me. So that is probably what I will get when I get the new bike.

I am sure others on here have similar brand/fit preferences.

From just trying helmets on, the HJC helmets don't seem to fit my head very well. I know from past experience that I can not wear an AGV helmet, my head shape does not fit their helmets at all. I have known people who are uncomfortable in a Shoei but find another brand fits them great. Try on as many as possible, for as long as you can walk around the store in it.
 
I have an HJC AC-10 and like it fine enough. My only gripes with it are that it is noisey once you get above 50 MPH and that the shield attachment assembly is a little flimsy and you have to be careful if you take your shield off a lot (say to chage from dark to clear), it tends to pop up a little when you turn your head while at highway speeds.

Would I get it again, probably. Hard to see how much more the $200 will get you. But it does depend on the model since each manufacturer's model lines vary greatly. The HJC AC-10 (now AC-11) is a very good helmet for protection and has rated very high so not to worry about that.

For my next helmet I will prbably go with a graphics type and unfortunately you pay a lot more for those and it seems there, your money does make a difference. Arai, Shoei and Soumy have about the best quality graphics, but they are also the most expensive. Oh well.

Hope that helps.
 
Adam,
I had an HJC Symax and went to a Schuberth Concept and could not find earplugs good enough to make a dent in the wind noise. I ordered a new HJC CL-14 helmet from www.tonker.com. When I asked them the difference, the salesman said Shoei is made in Japan and HJC is made in Taiwan, however the shell and materials are the same. I dropped $100 on the HJC CL-14 and I am very pleased with the fit, comfort, noise, and most of all price. :-P
 
Well....

You will probably NOT bebuying extra safety-just comfort and convenience. I have used an Arai for the past many years with a lot of satisfaction; however, I just bought a Shoei (they have several models to fit round or long oval heads) Z-1 and absolutely love it. It is far quieter than my Arai! It is so quiet at speed, that earplugs are optional. It is as quiet without plugs as my Arai was with them. I bought at helmetshop.com for $199. :-D
 
Try this site for helmet brand/type comparisons:
http://www.motorcyclegearreview.com

If the two helmets have both the Snell and DOT designation, either of them should provide the same level of protection (all things being equal). That $200 difference is taking into account the varying degree of fit and finish of the helmet, along with proprietary features that the company advertises for its helmets. The extra money spent on the comfort of a helmet can make a big difference when riding long distances. But if you're on a budget, go with the HJC. Just make sure that it fits your head shape by putting it on at the dealership and walking around for several minutes.

In a discussion like this, there's always going to be the line thrown out of "Well, if you have a $150 head, buy the $150 helmet...", but I feel that this view may have to do more with an elitist attitude than anything else (again, if all things being equal and you were just referring to protection). But then again, I've only owned Arai's.

Just my .02
 
I've got an N100 Nolan I really like. It's a lot quieter than my Bieffe's. But reading reviews of it at http://www.motorcyclegearreview.com , the comments were about how noizy it was. Go figure, guess they never wore a Bieffe. :roll: I like it a lot and overall rating at that site was good, lots of variation, though, but most were very favorable. Only thing I don't like about it is the weight, it's heavy as ****.

I guess you have to take those reviews, individual ones, with a grain of salt. That's especially true with helmets because everyone has a different head shape and different preferences in helmets.
 
Mine was a M2R scratch-n-dent special that I bought online. I was only riding passenger at the time, so since it fit well I didn't need too many extras.

Now that I'll be riding up front, things like noise and removeable lining are more important. I'll be looking for a new helmet soon too, and I've learned a lot from this thread.

Oh, and on the graphics - I'd like to eventually paint my own anyway so my preference tends to be with solid colors.
 
I just went from a KBC TK-9 ($150 helmet) to an Arai Quantum ($400 helmet). I think that the Arai was well worth the extra money. It is lighter, it has better vents and it has a better liner.
 
I would suggest going anywhere besides action sports. They tend to be pretty high on their prices and pretty short on service. The only thing they have going for them is that they don't jack up the price when I order my old zuki parts from them.....
 
Fit is everything. If the helmet is snell 2999 rated and has heating and air conditioning, hot and cold running water with a wet bar, but hurts your head, it is not worth 2 cents. Put the helmet on. Some shops will let you take them for a test ride. If not, walk around the shop with it on for awhile and see if any pressure points show up.
I lived with a REALLY nice helmet that hurt my forehead because it had been an expensive helmet and to this day I still get headaches when every I drink too much.
When that one died, I did exactly as I described above and found the shape of the Arai helmets fit my head like a well worn straw hat. Of course I could have guessed that when I looked at the price. They tend to be on the expensive side. But, it is like underwear that are too tight, you tend to not wear them if they hurt. Same goes for helmets.

Hope that helps. Also, if you don't care to develop a relationship with your dealer, you can try them all on and determine what fits best then buy it mail order. Or, since Arai's are no longer available online or mail order, check out ebay.

Good luck. Buy one that fits and has lots of vents. I also would suggest against black. I had a black one that felt like a convection oven in the summer. White is boring, but a lot cooler. Silver is not bad either. Yellow is great, I have been told.
 
mrr1150gs said:
White is boring, but a lot cooler. Silver is not bad either. Yellow is great, I have been told.
Click to expand...

The minor reason I got white was for coolness in the summer. The primary reason was that, just for a second, a cager would think they recognize the pattern of the motorcycle LEO.

Conspicuity: one of my favorite words... ;-)
 
I had this same dilemma a month ago when I wrecked and had to buy another helmet. I ended up going with a shoei rf-900 I found on the internet for $250. As was recommended to me, go by the Triumph dealer in Bryan. They have a wide selection of helmets you can try on, although on their shoei, all they have in stock are larges. While there try not to slip on the drool spots I left next to the Aprilia Milles.
 
I would also caution against a black helmet. One thing our MSF instructor did was make each of us touch a white helmet and a black that had been in the summertime Texas sun for about an hour. OUCH! They were both almost painfully hot but the black helmets absorb way more heat.

With that said I still bought one that had a lot of black on it. Staying with lighter colors will help you be more visible (some yellows seem to jump out more than other colors) and cooler.

With a first helmet I would go for the less expensive one. Just like your first bike you will probably drop it, etc. It's a learning curve thing.

With that said I still paid extra and bought a Shoei. The extra comfort was worth it for me but then again I ride almost every day as the baby Ninja is my primary transportation (other than METRO).

-sbaker
 
No - I don't work for them or own their company stock - but Cycle Gear is a great resource in Houston for helmets. I think they carry HJC in addition to Shoei and Arai. At least that way you can try the various models on and find the best fit for your noggin' in the price range you can afford. Even with Shoei / Arai your price spread can be hundreds of dollars from one model / paint scheme to another.

Things to evaluate:
DOT / Snell approval
Comfortable, snug fit - no hot spots, nose not flattened against screen, won't lift off the back of your head, etc)
Peripheral vision unhindered?
Chin strap design (easy to fasten, comfortable strap)
Relative weight, lighter helmets don't make your neck sore.
Helmet venting for Texas weather
Noise level (unfortunately not readily known unless your helmet dealer allows you to test ride the helmet which CG does by the way)
Replacement shields readily available?

Good luck!

Dave.
 
I went down the honda dealer and they showed me some fullmer helmets with removable liners. The big difference was the flip up front and the traditional full face. Any feelings on the differences? Are the flip fronts as strong as the traditonal full face? Looks like it would be eaiser to get on and off with my glasses. I like the way the fulmer fit around my ears, had a open spot in the padding to keep you ears from being pressed up inside, which tends to hurt mine after a while. Thanks again for the info.

Adam
 
Vee Dub Nut said:
I went down the honda dealer and they showed me some fullmer helmets with removable liners. The big difference was the flip up front and the traditional full face. Any feelings on the differences? Are the flip fronts as strong as the traditonal full face? Looks like it would be eaiser to get on and off with my glasses. I like the way the fulmer fit around my ears, had a open spot in the padding to keep you ears from being pressed up inside, which tends to hurt mine after a while. Thanks again for the info.

Adam
Click to expand...

I love my Nolan flip front, but I'll be the first to admit it's not as strong as a standard design full face. It's a trade off, really. I won't race in it, but I go everywhere on the street with it. I wear glasses and it's very convenient. It is also nice when I want a coke or gatorade on the Wing. I wore an open face helmet a lot with a snap on shield on the Wing for convenience while touring. The flip fronts are a LOT safer helmet than an open face and allow for more convenience.
 
No, the flip up is not as strong as the full face but as Jack writes, its all relative to what you do and it wis a trade off. It most definitely is more protection than an open face, but even then its a matter of choice. Be aware though, that no flip up helmets are Snell approved/rated. I believe I read that this is mostly because they havent figured out the best way to test them yet but just an FYI.
 
That fulmer AFS7 at Greathouse is what I was wearing when I wrecked and it did a decent job of protecting me. After two years though the lining was beginning to get uncomfortable. Also, the ventilation never worked, and if you are riding a bike without a windshield, it will pull up on your chin.
 
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