Helmet advice! | GTAMotorcycle.com

Helmet advice!

Callel

Callel

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Im planning on getting a better helmet within march/april. but i was hoping to get some people comment on the helmets they own or have owned, maybe share the model of their helmet and say the pros and cons? i think as of right now my budget allows me to spend max 450. but feel free to talk about more expensive ones! maybe there will be a sale ;)

post some photos of your badass helmets if you want! :D

btw. i like full face helmets, feel safer :p
 
Typically, the higher the price, the more features and comfortable it is.

I heard Arai helmets are really nice but are usually $500+ but there are a few on sale now for $300-$400ish:
http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforu...PannonTech-50-off-Vector-Profile-RX-Q-VX-PRO3

I have had a shoei (forgot what model) and a scorpion exo-1100. - And a CKX helmet I got for $50 at a show 3 years ago (I only used it for the training course for my M2... It sucked, heavy, loud/whistling wind noise, no ventilation, etc ).
My shoei felt lighter than my scorpion but my scorpion had an internal sun visor which came in handy cause I go out in the middle of the day where the sun is beaming on you and went back home at night.
Both of them had an option to crack the visor to reduce the amount of fog or let the air in which I feel is a huge +.

The scorpion had a pump for the cheek pads which was completely useless.

Also its best to get a helmet that fits your head and not just for the features the helmet possesses.
 
If you can still find one the HJC RPS-10 is an awesome helmet, extremely comfortable, much lighter than my Joe rocket RKT-1500, the visor has a central locking system which is super easy to lock or crack the visor with gloves on, and it comes with a pinlock visor which it the absolute best for dealing with fog. I picked mine up from sturgess cycle in Hamilton, the mugello graphics for 239+tax. It is also Snell 2010 rated

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how are those icon varient helmets? i feel like they would let in a TONE of air, and be a little distracting on the highway?
 
If you're a stickler for maintaining a clean surface, a matte finish will be a paaain in the a**. That's about the only bad thing I can say about the Shoei Qwest I have (which is obviously available in gloss). That, and only the cheek pads are removable. Lame.
 
Honestly, I have tried HJC, Scorpion, Z0X, Icon, Shoei & Arai. The HJC fit my head really well and had built in sun glasses. It was a great looking helmet and I paid around $170 for it. Even though i upgraded to a shoei due to wear and tear on the HJC, it was a great all around helmet. You should go to the upcoming Bike show in march and try on a few helmets to compare prices and comfort levels. With a $450 budget you could pick up a really nice helmet such as shoei or arai at the bike show without a problem. If you want, you could also pick up a Flat coloured helmet for around $150-180 and use the rest of the money to get a really cool custom paint scheme.
 
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I got a Shoei RF1000 really comfortable very aerodynamic. Good ventilation too. Recently got an Arai Rx-Q haven't ridden it yet obviously but the fit is nice. I've tried a lot of brands in the store and most of them really felt uncomfortable and just I don't know just doesn't feel right. There were some that felt like the lining was a bit rough. Shoei and Arai gets my vote.
You can get a Shoei for $300 now I think there are some good deals out there just gotta look ;).
 
Shoei RF1100 a ferrari compared to my low end Icon. I bought it used for $300, retail is somewhere around $550. I took all the padding out and washed it. Nothing wrong with a clean used helmet.
 
cheepo ZOX. nice and light. lots of airflow. used it for a couple of summers. earplugs needed as the nice and light and airy-ness also meant very wind noisy.

Scopion EXO 1000. nice fit. internal flip down sun shade. not too good in summer. not much air flow. very noisy (wind) and you get strong neck muscles as it very heavy.

current is a Shoei RF1100. i really like this helmet. nice fit. visor not only closes but also pulls into the helmet when closed for tighter seal. very quiet helmet. dont need earplugs ..except
in summer with vent open. still quieter but long hwy rides better with earplugs. with vents open it really lets in alot of air. i got a no graphic all white color. figured if i am getting a helmet for
warm weather white is way to go. plus i read white makes you more noticable in traffic. also helmet weight wise it is very light and comfy to wear all day

i considered the Qwest but i found the rf1100 a better fit on my oval shaped head.

Shoei RF-1100.jpg
 
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my last 5 helmets have been arai's (2 Corsair V, 2 RX7 rr4, 1 quantum/f). my current Corsair v cost me just under $800 all in. it's a lot of cake, but it fits my head great. my only complaint is R&R the visors..you get used to it..sort of..but you'd think they could design a better system. i've never had a problem, but some people have complained about the side pods coming off as well. the rx-q is also a great helmet and fits similar to the Corsair V at a lower price.

i also bought a bell vortex for the track. it's very comfortable, but i get bad wind noise in my right ear. it's tight going on so i'm not sure if it's pulling my ear plug out or what..regardless, it's annoying and hopefully i can get it straightened out this year. the visor removal/install mechanism is awesome. very easy. I had a HJC (older model) and it was like someone was driving a spike in my forehead, but i don't think they make a bad helmet.

regardless of what you get, don't let the price be the deciding factor if at all possible. save a little longer and get what fits you the best.
 
As with everything you get what you pay for... I not saying a $100 helmet won't protect your head. The more expensive ones are often lighter, less noisy, for example the shoie I have has a visor lock, and a clip to hold the strap, not essential items but nice to haves. The elastic loop to hold my strap on my cheaper helmet became useless and the stupid strap would flap in the wind. It's those little things that make a difference. Most importantly go for fit and feel, when you try on the more expensive ones you'll notice right away some difference.
 
Suomy Apex from GP Bikes $350'ish for (in my opinion) most comfortable and affordable helmet I have ever owned. I would rate the interior padding/comfort 2nd next to Arai RX7's, but it's lightweight and vents great (never experienced fogging in rain, dry, humid or any weather conditions).
 
I started off with a Scorpion EXO 750 ($250). It was great until it started to fall apart around the 1 year mark. Luckily I was on my way to pick up a Shoei RF-1100 ($500) when the Scorpion turned almost useless. What a world of difference in weight.
 
bskin said:
I started off with a Scorpion EXO 750 ($250). It was great until it started to fall apart around the 1 year mark. Luckily I was on my way to pick up a Shoei RF-1100 ($500) when the Scorpion turned almost useless. What a world of difference in weight.
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You can get the EXO1000 for $100 these days.

EXO1000
Heavy but you shouldn't really notice when it's on your head. Built in retractable sun visor is cool. Cheek inflator can help with fit a little but isn't a major feature.

Shark RSR2
Light. Strong. Thick visor. Not the greatest visibility. Awesome liner. Really loud. Huge vent lets lots of bugs in and catch the wind and throw your head around a bit.

Shark RSX.
Basically the same as the RSR2 but liner isn't quite as nice and the vents are better IMO in that they let less crap in.
 
Suomy Vandal. $299 and incredible lid if it fits your head
 
As others have stated, go for fit and comfort first, features and price second.

Xuryfluous said:
If you can still find one the HJC RPS-10 is an awesome helmet, extremely comfortable, much lighter than my Joe rocket RKT-1500, the visor has a central locking system which is super easy to lock or crack the visor with gloves on, and it comes with a pinlock visor which it the absolute best for dealing with fog. I picked mine up from sturgess cycle in Hamilton, the mugello graphics for 239+tax. It is also Snell 2010 rated
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Yes! If it fits your noggin and is comfortable, you can't go wrong with the HJC RPS-10. Every bit as good as Shoei or Aria, in my opinion, for a lot less dough. Don't worry if you can't find an RPS-10, the model has been replaced by the HJC RPHA-10, which is essentially the same with some new graphics and about the same price. This one doesn't look too offensive to my eyes:

2012-HJC-Rpha-10-Cage-Helmet.jpg


FWIW, the RPHA-10 is worn by Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies in MotoGP:

mc1.jpg


mc1.jpg
 
I crashed in the HJC RPS-10 in 2011 at AMP, smashed it good enough to crack the EPS lining (thats doing it's job)...

Didn't even get a headache, or any other head related problems (besides what I was born with)
 
Bell RS-1 for me. Excellent ventilation, stability and a comfortable micro-fleece liner. Other features: magnetic strap retention, quick change visor, visor lock/crack lever, availability of photochromic visor. I also crashed in this helmet and it held up just fine.
Dave's got them on sale at Competition Cycle right now.
 
I love bells photocromatic visors. I really hope other companies start coming out with their own versions soon

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