I have been wearing an old Bell open face helmet since I returned to riding about a year ago. It is one that has been on a shelf in my closet for 20 years. I am in the market for a replacement. If the statistics in David Hough's books are true the most likely part to hit the pavement first in a get off is the chin. Leads me to strongly consider a full face or modular. My worry is that most of the ones I tried on severely limit peripheral vision. Anybody have experience with wearing a full face helmet that allows good side vision? Also I wear glasses and find the modular easier to put on but that is not a deal killer for a solid full face.
Helmets
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There are so many good helmets out now. For ultimate in comfort, Arai is probably your best bet. As you come down the price scale, you'll find many Shoei helmets that have great vision, and are very comfy. I purchased a Shoei for my wife for Christmas on closeout for about 300. Super light, good looking, Snell and DOT certified. Lower still on the price scale, but with good ratings are the line of Scorpion Helmets. Don't let the made in china scare you away on this one. They are a solid value. The EXO 1000 gets high marks for comfort, and the Scorpion I am currently wearing is the only helmet that simply does not fog up, no matter what the weather.
I have a Bell M4 for when I open track. Has lots of vision and clears my glasses, both my regular Silhouettes and my Ray-Ban wraparounds. Mine is SA05 rated for road racing, but they might have one for motorcycle use as well. Very comfortable and both my clear and shaded visors are clear and are hard to scratch.
Shoei also make some higher end helmets that will set you back a bit. When I was helmet shopping, I tried on the Arai and the shape wasn't right for my head. I put on a $600.00 Shoei and it fit like a glove. Cost isn't everything. How well the helmet fits is paramount. I have an array of helmets now. Most of them relatively inexpensive. KBC, Fuel and a few no name Chinese helmets that I have for the ATVs. All of them are fairly comfortable.
As far as peripheral vision, I think that is more of an issue of familiarity than reality. The full face helmets I own, 2 Shoei and one Fuel are fine for peripheral vision. It just takes some getting used to.
Comfort is what really matters. Make sure you try them on a keep it on for a few minutes. If there are any signs of discomfort, try another one.
As far as peripheral vision, I think that is more of an issue of familiarity than reality. The full face helmets I own, 2 Shoei and one Fuel are fine for peripheral vision. It just takes some getting used to.
Comfort is what really matters. Make sure you try them on a keep it on for a few minutes. If there are any signs of discomfort, try another one.
Agree with other posters - the only way to choose a helmet is to try a bunch of them on to see what fits you the best. Each of our heads is different.
Personally I've tried a bunch of Shoei and Scorpion helmets, but ended up with a Bell Vortex helmet because I liked the fit. Maybe it doesn't have some of the bells and whistles of the more pricey helmets, but I really wasn't looking for those.
Personally I've tried a bunch of Shoei and Scorpion helmets, but ended up with a Bell Vortex helmet because I liked the fit. Maybe it doesn't have some of the bells and whistles of the more pricey helmets, but I really wasn't looking for those.
I highly recommend Arai helmets. They are a little costly,but they are very light weight,breathable and very comfortable.
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doesnt get any better than a Arai for me, i agree with the other posters, If its within my means, i wont own anything else ever again. Arai's arent cheap.. but i went from a heavy scorpion to a Arai.. night and day difference.. and the customer service is fantastic. 2 pennies
Hermann
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Have a Arai Quantum. It was $319 a lot of years ago. It has aged well the paint still shiny and no broken parts. Highly recommend. Before I bought the Arai I tried a Shoei and it felt like I had a vise on my head, squeezing my skull equally all around. Worked at a cycle shop for 2 years and folks with large wide foreheads loved Arai's and people with narrow elongated skulls seemed to favor Shoei's.
Originally Posted By: Hermann
Have a Arai Quantum. It was $319 a lot of years ago. It has aged well the paint still shiny and no broken parts. Highly recommend. Before I bought the Arai I tried a Shoei and it felt like I had a vise on my head, squeezing my skull equally all around. Worked at a cycle shop for 2 years and folks with large wide foreheads loved Arai's and people with narrow elongated skulls seemed to favor Shoei's.
That's why it's so important to put the helmet on for a while to see how it feels. When I bought the Shoei, I had tried out an Arai for a few minutes prior and it just wasn't the right feel. As soon as I put on the Shoei, I knew it was for me. Price was pretty much the same for each piece and both products are excellent.
Have a Arai Quantum. It was $319 a lot of years ago. It has aged well the paint still shiny and no broken parts. Highly recommend. Before I bought the Arai I tried a Shoei and it felt like I had a vise on my head, squeezing my skull equally all around. Worked at a cycle shop for 2 years and folks with large wide foreheads loved Arai's and people with narrow elongated skulls seemed to favor Shoei's.
That's why it's so important to put the helmet on for a while to see how it feels. When I bought the Shoei, I had tried out an Arai for a few minutes prior and it just wasn't the right feel. As soon as I put on the Shoei, I knew it was for me. Price was pretty much the same for each piece and both products are excellent.
Don't put a two-bit helmet on a sawbuck noggin...
Anything that has hit the ground in anger or is much over 5 yrs. old should be replaced. You only have one head. There are a couple very good articles in Motorcyclist magazine about helmet design and safety certifications. Probably available online on their website, too.
If you are only going to have one helmet, ARAI and Shoei are great SUPER premium products. Bell still makes a good product. KBC makes what I consider to be an equally safe product, usually for less than 1/2 the price. In some cases (unless paint design/color are your bag) you can usually find three new, both Snell & DOT helmets for the price of one SUPER premium one. If you ride every day this can be a big benefit.
Scorpion is another quality product from what I've heard from people who should know.
Cheers! & Good Luck!
Anything that has hit the ground in anger or is much over 5 yrs. old should be replaced. You only have one head. There are a couple very good articles in Motorcyclist magazine about helmet design and safety certifications. Probably available online on their website, too.
If you are only going to have one helmet, ARAI and Shoei are great SUPER premium products. Bell still makes a good product. KBC makes what I consider to be an equally safe product, usually for less than 1/2 the price. In some cases (unless paint design/color are your bag) you can usually find three new, both Snell & DOT helmets for the price of one SUPER premium one. If you ride every day this can be a big benefit.
Scorpion is another quality product from what I've heard from people who should know.
Cheers! & Good Luck!
Originally Posted By: Norm Olt
Don't put a two-bit helmet on a sawbuck noggin...
Anything that has hit the ground in anger or is much over 5 yrs. old should be replaced. You only have one head. There are a couple very good articles in Motorcyclist magazine about helmet design and safety certifications. Probably available online on their website, too.
If you are only going to have one helmet, ARAI and Shoei are great SUPER premium products. Bell still makes a good product. KBC makes what I consider to be an equally safe product, usually for less than 1/2 the price. In some cases (unless paint design/color are your
bag) you can usually find three new, both Snell & DOT helmets for the price of one SUPER premium one. If you ride every day this can be a big benefit.
Scorpion is another quality product from what I've heard from people who should know.
Cheers! & Good Luck!
I agree, and scorpion helmets are good products and have gotten much better than years past (they used to be bricks) Any helmet is almost better than no helmet, But if you have the $$ and can afford to spoil yourself Arai and Shoei are both great ways to go.
Don't put a two-bit helmet on a sawbuck noggin...
Anything that has hit the ground in anger or is much over 5 yrs. old should be replaced. You only have one head. There are a couple very good articles in Motorcyclist magazine about helmet design and safety certifications. Probably available online on their website, too.
If you are only going to have one helmet, ARAI and Shoei are great SUPER premium products. Bell still makes a good product. KBC makes what I consider to be an equally safe product, usually for less than 1/2 the price. In some cases (unless paint design/color are your
bag) you can usually find three new, both Snell & DOT helmets for the price of one SUPER premium one. If you ride every day this can be a big benefit.
Scorpion is another quality product from what I've heard from people who should know.
Cheers! & Good Luck!
I agree, and scorpion helmets are good products and have gotten much better than years past (they used to be bricks) Any helmet is almost better than no helmet, But if you have the $$ and can afford to spoil yourself Arai and Shoei are both great ways to go.
Originally Posted By: Norm Olt
Don't put a two-bit helmet on a sawbuck noggin...
Anything that has hit the ground in anger or is much over 5 yrs. old should be replaced. You only have one head. There are a couple very good articles in Motorcyclist magazine about helmet design and safety certifications. Probably available online on their website, too.
I think this is the article you are referring to. Highly recommended.
linky
Don't put a two-bit helmet on a sawbuck noggin...
Anything that has hit the ground in anger or is much over 5 yrs. old should be replaced. You only have one head. There are a couple very good articles in Motorcyclist magazine about helmet design and safety certifications. Probably available online on their website, too.
I think this is the article you are referring to. Highly recommended.
linky
The next best helmet for vision is an MX helmet,but if you wear MX goggles with them they aren't any better than a full face.Maybe an ADV helmet can get better to a compromise.I often wear an MX helmet in summer because they are better ventilated...but are not much fun at speed or in wind.
I've got what one would call an "oval" head... and I found that many helmets are made for folks with a "round" head. Many helmets would give me a hot-spot at the top of my forehead, which would in turn lead to a headache. For that reason, I tried the Arai Profile full-face helmet... it was love at first wearing! SUPER comfy along with Arai quality. Yes it was a bit expensive, but who cares? The padding is removable & washable, and as long as I don't do something stupid it should last me for quite a while.
I have an HJC IS-MAX. I wear glasses. Fits my head great; why I bought it. I guess it's a "convertible", the chin flips up. DOT, no snell, that's ok with me, softer foam.
Has a click-down sunvisor, but it's too close to my face so it hits my glasses and I never use it. Wish it had an intermeddiate click before the first lowest one. (make sense?)
Sound muffling is great; above 45 I don't hear my bike anymore really, wind takes over. But I don't feel isolated from the other traffic. Peripheral vision is great compared to being in a cage.
Aerodynamically good going straight into the wind, but rubberneck at 60 and it really grabs the air. Sometimes have to point my chin into cross-breezes slightly. Not sure if it's indicative of most full-face helmets.
Not really knowing what I'm doing, I wandered into a cycle shop to try a bunch on. Some stuff is worth buying online, probably not a helmet unless you want a same-brand replacement.
Has a click-down sunvisor, but it's too close to my face so it hits my glasses and I never use it. Wish it had an intermeddiate click before the first lowest one. (make sense?)
Sound muffling is great; above 45 I don't hear my bike anymore really, wind takes over. But I don't feel isolated from the other traffic. Peripheral vision is great compared to being in a cage.
Aerodynamically good going straight into the wind, but rubberneck at 60 and it really grabs the air. Sometimes have to point my chin into cross-breezes slightly. Not sure if it's indicative of most full-face helmets.
Not really knowing what I'm doing, I wandered into a cycle shop to try a bunch on. Some stuff is worth buying online, probably not a helmet unless you want a same-brand replacement.
My first helmet was a full face Bell! I loved it. The Shoei was great . $129.00 was what they cost when I owned it. Z1R is a comfortable, high rated full face helmet. I now own 2 HJC. They fit like Shoei, just less money. I use the 3/4 IS-33 for daily work commute, the IS max (Modular)for long rides.
Try to buy local, retailers will work on the $$. However I did try on a helmet at a motorcycle shop and upon ring up realized I was buying the floor demo at regular full retail!!! No way. I ordered from some Superstore online.
Over the years I've heard others worry about the side view and when it was time to renew my DOT medical, the nurse would check the peripheral and it seems about the same as a full face. Give that a check.
Try to buy local, retailers will work on the $$. However I did try on a helmet at a motorcycle shop and upon ring up realized I was buying the floor demo at regular full retail!!! No way. I ordered from some Superstore online.
Over the years I've heard others worry about the side view and when it was time to renew my DOT medical, the nurse would check the peripheral and it seems about the same as a full face. Give that a check.
You'd probably recognize the mask if you rode in the southern US. Down here, some folks seem to think its sexier to ride with a bandana around the face than have a 3/4 or full face helmet. Try the movie Wild Hogs to see some guys in action with that kind of costume.
Shoei X12 or RF1100.
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