Helmet Recomendations

[Heagachongoose]

Bell is usually my go to. I really like the AGV horizon though. Revzilla has a good price on them now. 

[Wolfman1]

I don't think I'll ever buy another helmet that a) isn't modular b) doesn't have an integrated retractable sun visor.

Seriously, it just makes wearing a helmet so much nicer. My Shoei Neotec is a damn fine lid but for the price, it should be.

The most important aspect of helmet buying is the fit. That impacts your comfort and even safety. All the other things after that are subjective but for me air flow comes next followed by weight (part of comfort) and then noise.

My buddy just bought a Neotec as he always wanted a modular helmet for those quick stops for gas so you don't have to take the helmet off. It fit his melon the best and the integrated visor didn't touch his nose. I was considering the same helmet, just didn't have an extra $100 to throw down for the modular and got the GT Air instead.

Haven't really tried on a Bell. Next time I'm at the Pony I will check them out.

[Wolfman1]

My shoei was so tight that I was questioning if it would even work out... My rf1100 fit great, so I knew the rf1200 would too at some point... Few days of riding and it feels like it was made specifically for my head.. They break in a lot

And yes - some people just can't wear certain helmets... My gf tried on small shoei and it was loose as shit... Tried on xs and it gave her a headache for an hour because it was so tight in the forehead... So she's wearing a scorpion currently

That's good to know. I figured it would break in. Just a little tight getting it on, but I am sure it will feel incredible after a few rides.

[alansz400]

I was in a crash a couple years ago and the insurance company replaced my helmet. I tried on lots of helmets and in the end I picked the Gmax. Seemed crazy to buy the lowest priced helmet when the insurance company was paying but it fit the best and I liked the features. Last Nov. I got hit by a deer and landed on my shoulder and head. My helmet is scratched up and has some deep grooves in it but still in one piece. I also got knocked out and don't remember anything. Not even the life flight ride. I woke up to a chest tube getting pushed in my ribs at the ER. The life flight was due to the blood coming out of my ear. This time I am going to buy a better helmet if I can find one that fits good and has the features I want. So far I haven't found one.

[JustinNck1]

We have been known to run some pretty killer deals on helmets, shoot me a PM if interested. 

If you find what you want, get ahold of Mike. He will hook you up. I just got myself a Shoei Neotec, and it fits awesome. Internal sunglasses is a great feature.

[TimTheAzn]

Definately, but going to Iron Pony to try on gear and then buying it online is bad form. If one already knows their head size, that's a different story.

I will certainly vouch for RD, though. They're great to work with and their customer support is amazing. The Pony is good, but 2.5 hours from my house. If I lived in C'bus, I'd be in there all the damn time.

I'm glad there is 2.5 hours between me and the Pony. I'd spend way too much money.

[Wolfman1]

I'm glad there is 2.5 hours between me and the Pony. I'd spend way too much money.

You got that right! I try to stop at the Pony when I am close to Columbus and usually don't leave without buying something. It's like a kid in a candy store for me.

[TimTheAzn]

You got that right! I try to stop at the Pony when I am close to Columbus and usually don't leave without buying something. It's like a kid in a candy store for me.

More like a drug addict walking into a trap house...

[JustinNck1]

You got that right! I try to stop at the Pony when I am close to Columbus and usually don't leave without buying something. It's like a kid in a candy store for me.

You know you got a problem when you have a collection of the free shirts they give you for spending $150.

[Wolfman1]

You know you got a problem when you have a collection of the free shirts they give you for spending $150.

Lol!! Tell me about it, my wife and kids all have Pony t-shirts.

[redkow97]

I don't want to down-play anyone's real-world experience with any particular brand (Scorpion and Gmax have both been mentioned), but the circumstances of every crash are different.

 

I accept that Pauly no longer trusts Scorpion helmets and Alan probably isn't thrilled with a helicopter ride after an off wearing a Gmax lid, but I do think the circumstances of the crash itself are worth review before making an assumption that another helmet would have offered better protection.  This is especially true when people don't remember the details of their crash.

 

thankfully, every time I have crashed, I have managed to keep my dome off the deck, with the exception of (relatively) minor scuffs and scratches.  I have never lost consciousness in a crash, so I can't say how I feel any of my helmets have faired at protecting against an impact.  What I can say is that virtually every crash is different.  My 30 mph lowsides have never been a head-injury concern.  Flipping over the bars after using Bill's bike as a ramp was a lot more of an issue, but I took most of that on my shoulder.  My 80+ mph lowside resulted in rolling/tumbling across the width of the track in turn 2 at PIRC.  None of those were direct head impacts, but they all provided the risk for a head impact.

 

Virtually any helmet would have been enough for me under those circumstances...  While I really like my Bell Vortex, I preferred the fit of the Scorpions.  Fit is probably more important that price.  /$.02

Edited March 20, 2015 by redkow97

[3.504]

I agree with fit being extremely important.

For a good bit there I was a helmet whore. I had kbc lids, shark, Suomy, icon, answer, hjc, scorpion, and I'm sure a few others. Then one day my local shop became an Arai dealer and I put on a corsair v. I really hated that it fit like it was specifically for me... Because the price is so ridiculous. Now that I own that helmet, and looking back, should have been the only helmet I ever purchased. Riding becomes so much more enjoyable when you're absolutely comfortable. I've spent 16 hour days in that helmet, of which the only way I can tell I was even wearing it is helmet hair.

Now it's the only helmet I'll buy. I don't know what I'll do when they stop making it.

[jschaf]

http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/motorcycle-helmets.htm

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/

Advice worth taking from others as far as going some place to find what fits. What works for me may be awful for you. HJC seems to fit my melon the best. As far as quiet goes,I just wear ear plugs. Foam type. Walmart has them in the pharmacy section. Here are a couple sites with a boat load of info. Nice to see you back Tony.

 

Good links here.  These are where I did most of my research before buying my last 2 helmets (Arai RXQ, Bell RS1)  & my wife's new Shoei Quest from Riders Discount.  Don't be a chump & try on helmets at a brick & mortar then order from a web store. Most of the web stores have good return/ exchange policies so I am told.  I haven't had to return anything to date & have no complaints about any of the helmets I have purchased this way.

[2talltim]

If you dont like Pony's Price ask for a price match. They did on my A* WebGore boots. 

 

Check out Nolan lids too. I really wanted a Neotec but could not swing the price i found the Nolan N90 had all of the features of the Neotec at half the price. The Nolan N104 are super nice too but didnt fit me right.

[what]

My Bell Star came last week, got my first ride with it in on Friday... I love it. I can actually head-check now without my helmet wanting to lift my head off of my shoulders. The anti-fog on the visor works amazingly well, the helmet is nice and bright, hopefully easier to see than my old black Shoei RF1100 and it is amazingly light-weight. The only issue I have is that the cheek pads are pretty tight but I have some $15 replacement pads coming this week that should fix the problem. 

 

I'd be interested to hear how OP's shopping experience turns out. 

 

 

*as for price matching, I doubt they will match a price on a closeout helmet if someone goes that route. My helmet was on closeout since it is a year old and now only has a shelf life of 4 years, but I ended up with about a 60% discount on it from the 2015 model. I do enough shopping for other parts / tires / etc at IP that I don't feel bad about trying on the helmets there and then ordering online. I like to buy local from mom & pop shops when I can but IP might as well be motorcycle wal-mart. 

[Heagachongoose]

Anybody looking for a helmet should look at this information. Testing and results information from the Eouropean say so on helmets. Invaluable. http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/

[Gump]

Anybody looking for a helmet should look at this information. Testing and results information from the Eouropean say so on helmets. Invaluable. http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/

Very interesting that there is little to no connection between cost and the safety rating.

Caberg's got my attention now.

Edited March 29, 2015 by Gump

[mechanic1990]

I tried on just about every helmet in my size at Iron Pony hoping to find a cheaper helmet that would fit my noggin and be comfortable. I have a long oval headshape and struggle to find a helmit that fits me properly and comfortably. As soon as I put the Arai Signet Q on my head I knew that it was for me. I have no regrets! I love the helmet. I bought it in the flat black and bought the dark smoke pin lock visor to go with it.

Originally I wanted a Shoei 1200 but unfortunately it didn't fit my head very well. I think that it is very important to try on helmets before buying to find what fits properly.

[alansz400]

Today was my first ride with my new Shoei Neotec with the pinlock visor. Wow that thing works GREAT. I will never buy a helmet again with out it. The sun shield was perfect also. Not to dark but blocks the sun well. Only problem is the cheek pads are a little tight.  

[Tonik]

Today was my first ride with my new Shoei Neotec with the pinlock visor. Wow that thing works GREAT. I will never buy a helmet again with out it. The sun shield was perfect also. Not to dark but blocks the sun well. Only problem is the cheek pads are a little tight.

Give it some time, mine were tight too. If they don't loosen up for you then you can order thinner ones for about 25 bucks.

Just in case you dont know.....only clean the pinlock with soap and water. Kind of swish it around in the pan or sink. Rinse it off then stand it on end to dry. Never rub it with any thing.

Edited March 30, 2015 by Tonik

[JustinNck1]

Today was my first ride with my new Shoei Neotec with the pinlock visor. Wow that thing works GREAT. I will never buy a helmet again with out it. The sun shield was perfect also. Not to dark but blocks the sun well. Only problem is the cheek pads are a little tight.  

I am in the process of breaking my Neotec in too. The cheek pads do seem tighter than my last Shoei at break-in, but I need more riding time before I decide to go to small cheek pads. My dad's neotec has the thinner ones in and they do make a big difference.

[Shoop]

Tony, Hi - I'm the guy who messaged you this winter about the Windjammer helmet skirt. I got the skirt because my Shoei RF-1200 seemed so noisy and I wanted  to try something to make it quieter. The skirt works well for that but as you said, it's going to get hot in the summer. 

 

I really like the RF-1200. The design, materials and workmanship are great. The helmet is light, flows air well and doesn't catch air in a head check. But it has not lived up to the two main features, according to the sales guy (at Iron Pony), that caused me to buy the RF-1200 even though I went in the door planning to buy a Bell RS-1.

 

The sales guy said the RF-1200 would be quieter than the RS-1. He also said that Shoei had a Transitions photochromic shield - though it was not in stock. This was April and supposedly the shield would be available in July/August. Well, it wasn't available then or in September so I cancelled my order and got a refund. They still don't have a Transitions shield. I hate to start conspiracy theory, but I wouldn't be surprised if the reason was that Bell has an exclusive license. The only other helmet company selling a Transitions shield is Lazer, a european company.

 

The RF-1200 is actually very quiet except for at the neck roll. I am convinced that the design of the neck roll right at the neck strap causes a turbulence that results in a high pitched whistle when  above 55 or 60. The windjammer corrects this nicely and the helmet is now rather quiet. In contrast the RS-1 has a wider neck roll with no silly gaps. It also has a sort of an outer flap that is flush with the bottom of the helmet. I suspect it might not create the same whistle. I have no idea on how well the vents avoid making sounds. 

 

My bike is an FZ6 which has a half fairing and a low windscreen. I THINK the fairing/screen deflects air from my chest but leaves my head/helmet in the flow. I don't feel any turbulence on the helmet. Anyway, your experience might be different from mine if your naked bike doesn't throw air right at the noisy part of the helmet.

 

In hindsight, I wish I'd bought the Bell.

 

Chris 

[JustinNck1]

Tony, Hi - I'm the guy who messaged you this winter about the Windjammer helmet skirt. I got the skirt because my Shoei RF-1200 seemed so noisy and I wanted  to try something to make it quieter. The skirt works well for that but as you said, it's going to get hot in the summer. 

 

I really like the RF-1200. The design, materials and workmanship are great. The helmet is light, flows air well and doesn't catch air in a head check. But it has not lived up to the two main features, according to the sales guy (at Iron Pony), that caused me to buy the RF-1200 even though I went in the door planning to buy a Bell RS-1.

 

The sales guy said the RF-1200 would be quieter than the RS-1. He also said that Shoei had a Transitions photochromic shield - though it was not in stock. This was April and supposedly the shield would be available in July/August. Well, it wasn't available then or in September so I cancelled my order and got a refund. They still don't have a Transitions shield. I hate to start conspiracy theory, but I wouldn't be surprised if the reason was that Bell has an exclusive license. The only other helmet company selling a Transitions shield is Lazer, a european company.

 

The RF-1200 is actually very quiet except for at the neck roll. I am convinced that the design of the neck roll right at the neck strap causes a turbulence that results in a high pitched whistle when  above 55 or 60. The windjammer corrects this nicely and the helmet is now rather quiet. In contrast the RS-1 has a wider neck roll with no silly gaps. It also has a sort of an outer flap that is flush with the bottom of the helmet. I suspect it might not create the same whistle. I have no idea on how well the vents avoid making sounds. 

 

My bike is an FZ6 which has a half fairing and a low windscreen. I THINK the fairing/screen deflects air from my chest but leaves my head/helmet in the flow. I don't feel any turbulence on the helmet. Anyway, your experience might be different from mine if your naked bike doesn't throw air right at the noisy part of the helmet.

 

In hindsight, I wish I'd bought the Bell.

 

Chris 

 

I looked at the Bell helmets, and I have rode with a friend's for 20 miles, and I was not impressed. Maybe I'm weird, but it was just overall noisey and I was kinda taken back about the lack of quality of them. Then I noticed the RS-1 is Made in China, which for a company that used to be so proud of their "Made in USA" kinda pushed me away from them.

 

Shoei needs to get their crap together and get that transitions shield out asap. Rumor was their first batch did not meet their safety standards, so they threw them out and started over.

[Tonik]

 

Shoei needs to get their crap together and get that transitions shield out asap. Rumor was their first batch did not meet their safety standards, so they threw them out and started over.

 

If it isn't instantaneous I will never own one.  The tunnels in the BRP for example are f'ing DARK.....you need to be able to flip to all clear in a heartbeat. Yea, you can flip the whole visor up but I prefer keeping the protection of the clear visor on the outside down and manually flip up the inside sun guard.  From what I saw it takes about 2 minutes to go from dark to 50 percent of dark.  At 150 bucks they can keep them.

[JustinNck1]

If it isn't instantaneous I will never own one.  The tunnels in the BRP for example are f'ing DARK.....you need to be able to flip to all clear in a heartbeat. Yea, you can flip the whole visor up but I prefer keeping the protection of the clear visor on the outside down and manually flip up the inside sun guard.  From what I saw it takes about 2 minutes to go from dark to 50 percent of dark.  At 150 bucks they can keep them.

 

Yeah I agree. I had a tinted shield on when I rode the BRP and i had to flip up the visor, which caused issues with my contacts. Now contacts are gone(Lasik Eye Surgery) and I have an internal sun visor. They should have never took pre-orders if they were going to take this long though.