My helmets are old

Both my Arai and Shoei are over 7 years old and I think its time for a new lid. How about some input on favorite brands. Reason I ask is the cost of Arai and Shoei is high, but it's all I've ever worn.

Anyone with experience with the Bells and Icons would be appreciated.

Thanks

larrydk said:

Both my Arai and Shoei are over 7 years old and I think its time for a new lid. How about some input on favorite brands. Reason I ask is the cost of Arai and Shoei is high, but it's all I've ever worn.

Anyone with experience with the Bells and Icons would be appreciated.

Thanks

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There is good reason they are expensive. I had good luck with a Nolan when my head hit a wood guard rail post. Side of the helmet was caved in with multiple cracks in the outer shell. ER doc told me he was shocked looking at my helmet that he couldn't find anything on the CAT scan that even indicated I had a concussion. I did have some LOC on scene.

I had real good luck with a Shoei, saved my face as I tumbled, but did not have a direct fixed object strike like the Nolan.

helmet thoughts

I have a Schuberth C2 which I really like, but its impossible(almost) to get spare visors for. If visors ere readily available, it would be my only helmet.

I also have three others. I have a full face RF1000 Shoei. It is simply a great helmet and visors and parts are available everywhere. Its comfortable and quiet, but lacks the flip up of the C2.

I have a Shoei Multitech which does have the flip up, but no sun visor like the C2. Its also a bit heavy and does not have the airflow that the RF 1000 has. In the mountains of Colorado, it would be fine, but here in Florida, its HOT.

I also have a Nolan 102 (a gift, thank heavens). It has the little built in amplfier and ear phones and is really neat looking. It does have the flip up and the sun visor. Unfortunately, I found it is also poorly made in many respects and is noisy. The earphones and amplifier are useless at highway speeds because the helmet is so noisy that I can't really hear anything out of them. There is also an issue of having to "recharge" the helmet every four or five hours since the little lithium battery doesn't hold up well. The volume controls also have some reliablity issues. Overall, as a helmet, it is on the low end of average, maybe even poor. Given the technology issues and the overall cost to buy one, it seems to me to be a poor choice for the long term.

I guess, all things considered, I'd probably buy a Shoei RF 1000 or a Multitech again. The others have issues. I agree with Bob, there is a reason for the cost of the Shoei and Arai helmets. They have no compromises with quality anywhere.

(by the way, I think the Arai and the Shoei are equal, but I had fit issues with the Arai so I have never had one. There is no doubt about their quality).

I just faced the same issue, as my wife's and my helmets were 7 YO or more. I selected another Shoei to replace my Shoei (have had 3), but selected an HJC for the wife to replace her Shoei. Both have the same safety ratings. The Shoei (TZR, I think) is far noiser then my old Shoei. The wife's HJC is quieter then her old Shoei and my new Shoei. The helmet lining material is nicer in the new Shoei, then the HJC. If I had it to do over again, I'd have purchased an HJC for myself and saved $120.

Brian

I haven't tried one but have read many good reports on Scorpion helmets. When my Arai is due for replacement I will at least try one although it will be tough to find something that fits as well as the Arai. When it comes to helmets, tires and oil there is no right answer, everyone has their own fit and requirements!

Cliffy did a nice review of the Scorpion Helmet over on the Rounder's forum.

Icon Mainframe and Aliance

I have an Icon Mainframe, and before that I had the Icon Aliance. I bought an Arai XD but it didnt fit right so I'm back in the mainframe.

I like the Icon. I like the designs and the venting is good on the mainframe (better than the old aliance). Also the quick change face shield is awesome compared to the lousy arai system. Its the most comfortable helmet for me, and has nice space where your ears are so wearing earplugs is a breeze with No pressure on the ears.

Hope that helps. To be honest I really wanted an Arai, but I just cant give up the comfort of my current helmet!!

z1r

I have a shoei rf-1000 and a Z1R that i bought last year.The s is quieter,but weighs more than the z.The z was only $120 plus 20 for a dark shield.I use both of them about the same amount.

I have an HJC CL-Max, and I love it. It sits very comfortable and the venting is great. For anyone who wears glasses the possibility to open the chin bar makes it easier to put your glasses on and you can use it as an open-face helmet on beautiful sunny days.

klrobins said:

I have an Icon Mainframe, and before that I had the Icon Aliance. I bought an Arai XD but it didnt fit right so I'm back in the mainframe.

I like the Icon. I like the designs and the venting is good on the mainframe (better than the old aliance). Also the quick change face shield is awesome compared to the lousy arai system. Its the most comfortable helmet for me, and has nice space where your ears are so wearing earplugs is a breeze with No pressure on the ears.

Hope that helps. To be honest I really wanted an Arai, but I just cant give up the comfort of my current helmet!!

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i just went from an icon alliance to an aria astral x. some comparisons

the arai is much lighter than the icon
the icon is much quieter than the arai
the arai has much better venting
the icon has a much more simple sheild removal system
the arai is, i feel, is made better than the icon. the icon was very prone to chipping and looked really beat after 2 years also the visor latch system broke at the end of last season.
the icon was cheaper, but i got the arai for just a little over 200 bucks with shipping, which is WAY cheap

Caberg

FWIW; I just spent 5 days/1900 miles in a new Caberg and loved it. The helmet was cool in South Texas, dry in Oklahoma and light in the crosswinds of Kansas. I was very pleased. Fortunately, I didn't find out if it can take an impact.

HJC all carbon

Anyone have the HJC all carbon helmet? Looks very light.

thomasseigler said:

FWIW; I just spent 5 days/1900 miles in a new Caberg and loved it. The helmet was cool in South Texas, dry in Oklahoma and light in the crosswinds of Kansas. I was very pleased. Fortunately, I didn't find out if it can take an impact.

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was it the model with the internal sun visor? If so, opinion of it please???

henzilla said:

was it the model with the internal sun visor? If so, opinion of it please???

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I have the Justissimo model with the internal sun visor. I also have the N102.

They both have some very nice appointments, but I prefer the Caberg. It is quieter, and if you have the face shield flipped up, you can still use the sun visor. On the Nolan, if you flip up the face shield, you also have to flip up the sun visor.

I wore the Nolan on my trip to SoCal last year. I was on my Guzzi Breva and the wind just knocked my head all over creation. I took a much shorter trip a couple weeks ago on the same bike, but was wearing the Caberg. Much less buffeting. It was suggested that the external shade visor causes a lot of turbulence. I think they might be right.

The better half also has a Justissimo, an N 102 and a Schuberth C2. He prefers the C2. Says it is more comfortable, and quieter then the other two. I'd like to get a C2, but since I already have three helmets (add a Shoei full face to the list) I can't justify the $$ yet.

Thanks flymymbz,
I have both Nolan 100-E and the 102-E w/sunvisor. I retrofitted the sunvisor on GF's Nolan 100E after she had worn it for two years or so.. she immediately reported a lot more turbulence and the sensation of air leaking around shield...it has since been removed!

I am going to try the Caberg Tuesday...thanks for the info. I like the sunvisor features of the Caberg, the Nolan is adequate, but for reasons you mention ,not ideal. The visor flips down when not wanted, or up when not completely locked in down position...did that make sense?
I got beat up with buffeting on the nek'kid R with the small sportscreen...

Round Heads

for both the wife and I, and the best fitting helmet (IMO) for 'round' heads is the SHOEI RF-1000. I have one in Bordeaux red (my 05 GS was red; would really like to have the yellow now - oh well...), the wife has a graphic one. Maybe a little on the pricey side, but we're talking about the noggin!

Schuberth wouldn't fit my fat head. Caberg struck my chin before latching (I guess I could have cut into the foam padding, but didn't think of it). The local beemer dealer was not enthusiastic about the Nolans. Something to do with the latch setup.

The Shoei multitech fit my head, has good ratings, and seems more quiet than my old beemer concept (one of the earlier ones). I just bought an irridium shield for the Shoei. Spendy, but really good results for both glare and heat.

For my wife, I will buy a Caberg when I can again find one. They fit her fine, and I like the internal sun shield.

Gary

Railbender said:

I haven't tried one but have read many good reports on Scorpion helmets. When my Arai is due for replacement I will at least try one although it will be tough to find something that fits as well as the Arai. When it comes to helmets, tires and oil there is no right answer, everyone has their own fit and requirements!

Click to expand...

I have a Scorpion EXO-700. It is comfortable, fits me well ,and the visor really is fog free. It's a bit noisy, but it cost about $170, so I could buy a set of earplugs and still not come close to the cost of an Arai (actually I could buy enough earplugs to last the rest of my life). You can also buy some pretty cool replacement liners if you like that sort of thing. I have no idea how it compares with other makes when it comes to the crunch.

I, too, have the Justissimo. The internal visor was my favorite feature on my ride. It was off and on rain for a lot of it and the sun sheild was perfect for the brief periods of sunshine. Looking into a low sun angle still meant wearing optics, but for most times, the shield was great. I use ear plugs so noise is nonexistent. As for comfort, that is the main reason I bought the sucker in the first place. All the other helmets I tried on and took off, but this one I put on and talked to the saleman waiting for a "hot spot" to make itself felt. Never happened. Not even after 11 hours in the saddle.

I also liked the 'instant comfort' of the Caberg. My only beef with it is the cheek pads were too fat. Squeezed my cheeks in so much I bit the inside of my cheek twice.

So, I removed the pads, took the foam out of the covers, and shaved off about 1/2 of it. It still fits nice and snug, but I can chew on a mint and not end up biting a chunk of cheek flesh off.