Flip front or fixed full face helmet?

Hi
Had a bmw system 5 and now a Shoei mutitech ( latest version).
Both were excellent helmets.
I have a Starcom digital comms system with helmet installed speakers.

I find I am having less of a need for a flip up helmet. ( just not using the feature any more really.

So I am thinking of going for a fixed full face.
Will , In your opinion, this provide a MUCH less noisy enviroment or just a minor improvement?
If the change is only slight, I won't bother until change over is necessary.

Any recommendations?( OMG can't believe I just asked that ) ? How about an Aria?
Fully appreciate what fits best etc etc scenario, just looking for general real world use feedback.
regards
paul

i have an arai profile. fits great for my head shape, and i don't have a problem wearing it for hours. definitely feels like a quality helmet. however, i do find its noise level to be higher than hoped for an expensive helmet. i was using a borrowed shoei RF-900 before that was much, much more quiet, but it didn't fit my head shape well. i ride a R12RT so putting the windshield up reduces the noise, but i prefer it down in the summer. of course ear plugs help greatly, and i don't find the noise much of an issue with my plugs in. without plugs it can be annoying. just my 2 cents.

GH

I have the Shoei RF-1000 and the Shoei Multitec and for all practical purposes, there is no noise difference. I wear earplugs and ride a K75 with full fairing.

Shark

I just got a Shark, when it in the 80's in Michigan it is humid. I like to have the chin up in traffic, makes it much cooler. I had other helmets, but found this much quieter that my old helmet which was modular too. I has a good warranty too.

Helmets are like motorcycles you have to find one that fits you and your riding style.
I was not in a hurry and tried many helmets before I found the Evoline, and I am happy. I have not yet added a communication system buy tried on in dealer and believe it would work.

Arai Profile

It is amazing how many people search for a helmet because of the style and price, rather than what fits their head.

I learned from experience how miserable it can be on a long ride to have an ill fitting helmet.

I have always purchased a size large in my previous helmets, HJC and Shoei. I was intruiged by the Arai line, so I went to the dealer to try them.

I bought the Arai Quantum 2, size large, at my dealership last year, just a few days before the Johnson City BMWMOA Rally. I thought the helmet fit just fine in the dealership. I had ridden about 200 miles on the way to the Rally and was on the Blue Ridge Parkway, when I experienced squeezing pain in my forehead. We stopped at an overlook and I would have flung that helmet over the mountainside, but I had no replacement.

When I got to the Rally, I stopped by the Arai booth and had them check it out. It turned out that the large size Quantum 2 was not the proper helmet for me. Based on the measurement by the folks at the Arai booth, I needed an Arai Profile in size Medium.

They traded the Quantum 2 for a Profile in the correct size and I rode the rest of that weekend, pain free and have continued to do so.

I get noise from any helmet I have worn, but I wear ear plugs, so that takes care of the noise.

insertdisk said:

Helmets are like motorcycles you have to find one that fits you and your riding style.

Click to expand...

...wise words there.

pch123 said:

Hi
Had a bmw system 5 and now a Shoei mutitech ( latest version).
Both were excellent helmets.
I have a Starcom digital comms system with helmet installed speakers.

I find I am having less of a need for a flip up helmet. ( just not using the feature any more really.

So I am thinking of going for a fixed full face.
Will , In your opinion, this provide a MUCH less noisy enviroment or just a minor improvement?
If the change is only slight, I won't bother until change over is necessary.

Any recommendations?( OMG can't believe I just asked that ) ? How about an Aria?
Fully appreciate what fits best etc etc scenario, just looking for general real world use feedback.
regards
paul

Click to expand...

I have owned (and currently have both styles), used and taught with both the full-face helmet and the modular (flip-style) helmet.

I find that while the non-flip full-face helmets are a bit quieter than modular, it is not a "stop the presses" must-have difference.

My advice - wait until it's time to replace your existing lid (for me, every five years), then get a quality full-face.

Buddy of mine uses Arai (even ordered one painted with the British flag when he rode Triumphs), but spends a wheelbarrel full of cash for the same quality and crash-worthiness I get with, say an HJC.

It's your money though.

Good Luck.

I wear an HJC SyMaxII (flip up w/internal sun visor) and am very impressed and pleased with it. It fits my head shape well, has good fit & finish, and the sun visor is a nice second mitigation measure (in addition to prescription sunglasses) when riding into the sun. Yes it would be nice if it was quieter, but I ride an R12RT and simply raise the windshield as needed to reduce wind noise. I find that flipping the chin bar up allows me to put the helmet on and take it off without having to remove my sunglasses. Its also nice to leave the helmet on with the chin bar flipped up for quick fuel stops, its a bit cooler and seems to feel less confining.

The only helmet that has ever fit me perfectly has been the Arai, after custom fitting in person by a trained individual. This, I cannot find at ANY dealer, no "local" ARAI dealer has fit me perfectly either... Just the big rallys, etc. That said, I still wear my Scorpion, because I bought it new & have had it less than a year & it only hurts after a few hours... Next helmet though, WILL be a custom fit ARAI.

Which oil do you think is best?

http://www.newlaunches.com/archives/hello_kitty_engine_oil_yes_its_for_real.php

Buy what feels good and what you can afford...simple as that...

FatChance said:

Which oil do you think is best?

Click to expand...

Since when are we suposed to add / change the oil in our helmets? I haven't changed the oil in my HJC ever!

I have a full face lid but I am "flip-up" curious.

IMHO, the crux of the issue is that a helmet is bought to protect the ol' melon. I steered away from flip-front helmets because I was not entirely comfortable with the notion that the mechanism would survive an incident without unlatching. It was just something I couldn't get past.

Since that time I have been curious about how the technology has progressed and have found that (a) the designs seem to be more substantial, and (b) I'm tired of removing my helmet to fuel the bike. So I tried a friends flip-front helmet (HJC of same head size but different head shape) and found that I really liked the flip-front feature!

However, I did notice several things: (1) the view port seemed to be a bit narrow side-to-side, cutting-off a bit of peripheral vision, and (2) the helmet seemed to be a wee bit noisier (low frequency) than my full face. The peripheral vision thing was not really a problem as a standard head turn allowed plenty of lane-change visibility; it was more of a "format change" than anything else. The additional booming could have been due to my differently-shaped melon trying to fit into that helmet. In any case, I could kill the booming by some windshield adjustments of the RT.

In the end, I tried on a number of flip-fronts to get the right head-shape fit and size. This is a very necessary process and one that is not without its frustrations. However, I finally landed on one and ordered it in Hi-Viz.

This is such a subjective process that time needs to be invested in making sure you get the right shape and size, and that you feel comfortable with the basic level of protection and the features.

YMMV (Your Melon May Vary!)

THEO said:

This is such a subjective process that time needs to be invested in making sure you get the right shape and size, and that you feel comfortable with the basic level of protection and the features.

Click to expand...

Which one did you end up going with? I have been using a Scorpion EXO-900 for about a month and a half now and I really like it! I had been using a custom-fit Arai Profile, but found it unbearable behind the RT's shield in warm (90+) weather. I initially had some reservations about the latch security as well, but after using it, I am pretty confident in its safety and security. Plus, the flip down sunscreen is a big bonus. I can also wear a pair of small earbud style headphones under the helmet without too much discomfort, which is something I could not do with the Arai. Probably the biggest complaint is the noise from the top vent when it is open, but overall I am pleased with this purchase and actually plan on wearing it year 'round now. Anyone looking for a used Arai?

cscatola said:

Which one did you end up going with?...{snip}

Click to expand...

Same as you -- Scorpion EXO 900 is Hi-Viz Neon.

Greenwald said:

I have owned (and currently have both styles), used and taught with both the full-face helmet and the modular (flip-style) helmet.

I find that while the non-flip full-face helmets are a bit quieter than modular, it is not a "stop the presses" must-have difference.

My advice - wait until it's time to replace your existing lid (for me, every five years), then get a quality full-face.

Buddy of mine uses Arai (even ordered one painted with the British flag when he rode Triumphs), but spends a wheelbarrel full of cash for the same quality and crash-worthiness I get with, say an HJC.

It's your money though.

Good Luck.

Click to expand...

Thanks for addressing the question. I am aware of helmet fit issues etc. What I asked you answered. I gather the difference is minor in noise, so I will wait until I need a new helmet and then change over.. Yes and choosing, based on fit, feel etc... Something I have done for 40 years..
Thanks mate
best regards
Paul

pch123 said:

Will , In your opinion, this provide a MUCH less noisy enviroment or just a minor improvement?
If the change is only slight, I won't bother until change over is necessary.

Click to expand...

Paul -- As others have mentioned, there are SO many variables impacting helmet noise that what one reports as quiet another discards as excessively noisy. Case in point: back in my Triumph Tiger days I bought a Schuberth Concept C2 because others said it was the quietest modular on the planet. Not so for me! It sounded like the exhaust pipe was routed up inside the helmet and the volume -- even with earplugs -- was intolerable.

I switched to a cheap HJC which was quieter in that I didn't hear the amplified exhaust anymore, but the wind noise was significant. Then I tried a Nolan N103. I like the helmet for everything BUT the wind noise, which is loud enough at 55mph to leave my ears ringing if I don't wear plugs.

The Nolan fell apart at the JC Rally last summer and I sent it directly to CIMA (the importer) for repairs which they did promptly and at no cost. But I needed another helmet for the ride home to Vermont, so bought an Arai XD3. I personally, with my rig, find this helmet significantly quieter than any of the modulars I've tried up to about 65mph, at which it's about the same noise level. It's also by far the most comfortable helmet I've ever put on my head, but that probably has more to do with the shape of my melon matching the helmet.
Pete

1) Get a helmet that fits YOU correctly.
2) More money gets you more/better features (venting is significantly different between brands & models)
3) Regardless of how quiet the helmet is, wear ear plugs.
4) If you go with a modular, be sure the latch assembly parts are metal, not plastic.

Scorpion Helmets

i purchased an EXO 700 full faced helmet last year in Hi Viz when my old Shoei was shoeing it's age. I instantly fell in love with the helmet. I was so impressed with the quality, feel, price and oh yes the color that i just purchased one of their EXO 900 modular helmets as well.

For the money and comfort i love them both. i find, now that summer months are here though, i am using the 900 helmet quite a bit. Stuck in traffic, driving through the village i live in, paying tolls, pumping gas.. it's quite convenient.

What can i say.. i am partial to the hi viz color.