What helmets are you guys using?

SuprSi

I'm in the market for a new helmet, preferably flip-up but not restricted to. I currently use an open-face one, which leaves my face quite chilly in the winter as you can probably imagine!

I've done a bit of searching online and I know that I need to try on any helmet before buying, but I wanted to see if there were any popular recommendations that I should be checking out.

bbbbb

First helmet was an Airoh flip-top. Handy with glasses.

Now have an Arai RV (basic black Arai helmet), a little lighter and quieter than the Airoh (plus Arai have an excellent reputation).

Tomohawk

Don'y buy one from Lidl or Aldi.
Buy a branded one from a real motorbike shop instead (or online to save money).
Spend between 150-400 euros.
Convince yourself to buy a full face helmet as they offer far more protection in an accident than an open face lid. I got rid of my own open face helmet after enough persuasion from fellow vespa scooterheads. If you're gonna be serious about riding, then be serious about your helmet!!

(ps we don't really have the climate for open face lids, t'aint california ya know)

echomadman

I think the whole more expensive = more protection arguement is a bit specious to be honest, but i'd rather not open that can of worms here.
I have a Shiro flip front helmet and its very convenient (i wear glasses) but its a bit noisy and I got paranoid about the front coming off in a crash so i bought a fullface caberg V2 helmet.
Its got an integral flip down sunvisor which is brilliant in summer (obviously) but is also a godsend on winter mornings and evenings when the sun is right in your eyes.

murphaph

It's a Takachi TK30, £38 off eBay, you measure your head with a tape measure and order appropriately. I had no problems with this and the helmet has been perfect for me. It has full EU approval and critically it has the British Motorcycle Sport Gold Sticker. You don't have to spend a fortune for a safe helmet, though sometimes a more expensive helmet may provide advantages such as lower weight or whatever.

Idleater

echomadman wrote:

I think the whole more expensive = more protection arguement is a bit specious to be honest, but i'd rather not open that can of worms here.

I think you are quite correct in saying this. The best helmet for you is NOT the most expensive one on the market. Instead the only helmet that you should wear is the one that is the best fitting and most comfortable on your head.

Go to a bike shop and try on all the different brands. Arai, Shoei, AGV, Suomi etc etc. They all have different interior shapes and sizes. You will pretty soon find the one that fits you best. Remember too that you have to look from shoulder to shoulder so the helmet should not hinder that.

After you have found the Make/Model/Size, then you can go online and find it cheaper if you so desire.

L.

saobh_ie

I have a Schuberth C2, mines bright red. It's a seriously expensive piece of kit with lots of bells and whistles. In principal I agree that after a certain price the protection offered by lids does not improve, they all aim to comply with the same standards.

If you want a flip front however the more expensive ones are better in my experience. The one I have cost wait for it... four hundred and eighty euros... but I love the wind noise protection, the lack of buffeting, the flip part operating mechanism, the anti-fog visor, the vents, and most importantly the fact I could spin over two lanes of traffic head over heels, reach dizzying four meter heights and lane on my head, on concrete, and get up immediately without a headache.

It’s comfy too. Lots of ear room, great for comms. Suits my glasses too.

And as others have said, don't listen to anyones recommendations it that brand or model doesn't fit your head.

Krusty_Clown

I have a Schuberth Concept (predecessor to Saobh's C2)...
Excellent flip-up lid (this is my second one), with drop down sunshade etc. etc..

It's a hell of a lot cheaper than the C2, if you buy online from Heine Gericke (think mine was around the 165 mark (paid around 300 punts for the previous one!). Sizing will be a problem though. I wouldn't buy online, unless I had tried on the same model previously in a bricks and mortar shop.

sutty

I have my-self a Arai RV Black



Have it 3 years now and it really needs to be replaced. So looking for a good one that has some nice features.

Echo where did you get yours/how much? I like the internal sunscreen

Garibaldi

Black Arai Tour-X. Bought it at the bike show in the RDS a coupla years ago from Ernie Coates (Belfast). The saving over what the Irish shops were charging at the show was around €200. :eek: Nice, surprisingly quiet, and light lid. It'd probably look a bit strange if you weren't on a trailie/super motard though.

madrab

mine is an AGV Deamon V lid

nice & comfy

omb0wyn5ehpij9

I have an arai rx7 cosair helmet and i love it. Got it at the bike show last year, they retail between €725 - €750 in shops, and the cheapest Irish stand selling it was selling it for €650. But i found a stand off a shop up north and got it for €500 Here's a pic of it:

echomadman

sutty wrote:

I have my-self a Arai RV Black


Echo where did you get yours/how much? I like the internal sunscreen

er from some ebay store, i cant remember which one.
I went and tried on a few cabergs in local shops, found them comfy, then bought one for half the price online.

Hotblack Desiato

Tomohawk wrote:

Don'y buy one from Lidl or Aldi.

They all meet EU standards. The most important thing is to get one that fits you and suits the type of riding you do.

I bought a Lidl open face lid, great for the hot summer days, EU approved and only 40 euro.

The rest of the time I use a Shoei XR800, due for replacement but I'd get the latest XR without a hesitation, top quality lid and good value all things considered. My head fits Shoeis but not Arais.

tk123

I had a Roof Boxer but it was crap when it was windy - the wind would really catch it and blow your head around. I now have a Caberg Justissmo - it's got a flip up front but it really locks into place when it's down(unlike the boxer) and it has a the flip down sun visor like echomadmans. If you are going to get a new helmet - go to a few shops, pick what you want and get the right size and but online - my helmet was over €100 cheaper inc p&p from the UK

japanpaul

I have a Shoei RFD2 full face black helmet. Cost about E200 but well worth it. It has great noise reduction so don't need ear plugs most of the time.
You also said your face was cold. The best accessory I have bought for my bike has been a Dainese black balaclava for E25. Keeps you whole head and neck nice and warm. Scares people if you take off your helmet outside banks though:o

Rene Artois

If you're looking for a flip-up get a Nolan, they're as a good as Shoeis and a tad cheaper.

Whatever helmet you chose, make sure the flip-up release button is not on the front of the helmet but rather on the side.

Kazujo

Have an Arai astro J at the moment, comfy and quiet the chin spoiler helps to get chin and neck protected form the wind.

Just wondering if anyone has compared noise levels between something like an Arai to the Justismo. I still wear ear plugs with the Arai but I spend 90% of my time on the motorway.

scorphonic

nereid wrote:

Go to a bike shop and try on all the different brands. Arai, Shoei, AGV, Suomi etc etc. They all have different interior shapes and sizes.
L.

Absolutely right, Its all well and good getting a description of the helmets from people here. At the end of the day the correct helmet is the one that is affordable and most comfortable to wear..its all down to the size and shape of your head! Only Shoei helmets fit my overly sized head...Good luck with it!:D

opus

Arai Quantum f, very pleased with it. Probably been replaced with a new model by now cause I've had it a few years.

Farls

I use a Shoei XR1000 I think it is. Just picked it up a few weeks ago...spent 300 sterling on it but worth every penny, its a limited edition paint job on it so it looks the biz but the comfort is second to none and the noise levels are excellent. Big thumbs up.

scorphonic

Farls wrote:

I use a Shoei XR1000 I think it is. Just picked it up a few weeks ago...spent 300 sterling on it but worth every penny, its a limited edition paint job on it so it looks the biz but the comfort is second to none and the noise levels are excellent. Big thumbs up.

I second that. This is a great helmet to get...hardly any noise...great anti mist cover on the visor...plus a superb ventilation!!:D

Eye

Got my brainbucket almost 2 years ago now, it's a KBC VR-1 Limited Editon Smoked Chrome with matching silver iridium visor (for when the weather is in it)
photos just don't do this justice :-\

http://www.roadbikegear.co.uk/sei/s/1334/55.jpg

SuprSi

Eye wrote:

Got my brainbucket almost 2 years ago now, it's a KBC VR-1 Limited Editon Smoked Chrome with matching silver iridium visor (for when the weather is in it)
photos just don't do this justice :-\

http://www.roadbikegear.co.uk/sei/s/1334/55.jpg

That's a cool looking helmet. I tried on the Shoei XR at the weekend and it fits nicely, but Bikeworld only have it in two colours and I'm not mad about them so I think I'll look online. Going for €350 - is that reasonable?

Jelvon

using a black Roof daytona at the mo , got me the black visor for it aswell

jelv

SuprSi

echomadman wrote:

er from some ebay store, i cant remember which one.
I went and tried on a few cabergs in local shops, found them comfy, then bought one for half the price online.

What local shops did you try these helmets on? I like the look of their new Justissimo Mirage but I'd obviously like to try it on before buying.

http://www.caberg-helm.com/home.aspx?xL=e&xM=prodotti&xSM=@@@@apribili&xP=Justissimo+mirage_gpdnsijeaocbkut_XS+S+M+L+XL+XXL_abcd&xPC=

echomadman

SuprSi wrote:

What local shops did you try these helmets on? I like the look of their new Justissimo Mirage but I'd obviously like to try it on before buying.

http://www.caberg-helm.com/home.aspx?xL=e&xM=prodotti&xSM=@@@@apribili&xP=Justissimo+mirage_gpdnsijeaocbkut_XS+S+M+L+XL+XXL_abcd&xPC=

damn thats nice, They local shop in ennis carries some cabergs, and meskells in limerick has some justissimos that i tried on ages ago, those cabergs fit my head well so i gambled that the VII would be ok aswell

art

Just got myself a Dainese helmet with bluetooth microphone/speakers embedded. Excellent with a pillion having a similar set up, real easy to keep in communication. Plus I can hook the phone up to answer calls and so on. Comes with an anti-fogging strip to add to the visor and a little chin guard thing and a nose guard thing - which I've ended up just pulling off for the moment while I get used to the thing in general.

Looks like this:
http://www.dainese.be/en/moto/helmets/images/small/airstream_course_bluetooth_151_titanium_soft.jpg

SuprSi

Nice helmet, but aren't they something like €500? I saw them in Bikeworld the other weekend and was impressed by everything except the cost!

art

SuprSi wrote:

Nice helmet, but aren't they something like €500? I saw them in Bikeworld the other weekend and was impressed by everything except the cost!

yeah, you are right: there's one at 500 (mine) and another at 350, so they are very costly. But its all down to the bluetooth bit which I think makes the price more acceptable. For example, a good intercom system will cost between 250 and 350 euros and they need wires, separate headsets, plus a main unit, usually stuck under the seat.

Whereas the bluetooth system is pretty cool - I just went up to Skerries on the motorway Saturday and, bar one stretch of road where the wind really picked up, we were able to hear each other and talk no problem. Plus, no wires means if we get off the bike we can still talk with our helmets on etc. And then there's the whole hooking up a phone or a bluetooth enabled mp3 player which I haven't tried yet but that's something extra too!

So when you factor all that into the cost (assuming you want an intercom system, of course - which I do because I carry a passenger most days) then the price is more understandable?

coyote6

I use a Z1R full face w/ vents (forget exact model, it's in the garage and I'm lazy and its cold outside!). I like it but at high speed w/ cross wind I sometimes get some head wobble. There was an article last year in Cycle World or one of the US mags about helmets. It was a well researched article that detailed some research on actual impacts. The results indicated that the high end helmets may not protect you as well as some of the "softer" cheaper ones. A lot of people here in my area (Harley riders) dont wear helmets (think they're Jesse James or Hells Angels or something) I wear one (and leather up) because its just so darn embarrassing to have your brains falling out. Ride safe.

Ozzy

Hey lads, nice helmets(!)...
I was just wondering though, I don't know if you've heard or not but there's a myth that says wearing a motorcycle helmet will make you go bald. So what do you guys think, myth busted or what?

What? 'Off topic', you say? Wait!.. uh... here's my Schweinhunde KFC-1 http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00076VQZ0.01-A1Y5N2SFT000AD._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg


(Good advice coyote6!... Did you know Ireland has the highest fatality rate for motorcyclists in Europe?:()

cutepape

Bought a Bandit XXR in Flat black and I like it cause of the great fit for my head and the look.

The Simpson helmet was way to expensive for me..

http://www.bandithelmets.com/xx/BanditXX_mattschwarz.JPG

Tree

ive got a silver Nitro, bout €80 worth of helmet, comes for 70 in black,

used to have one of black ones but when the visor fell off while driving coz the clips died it was cheaper to buy a whole new helmet (clips are €30 and visor €35) no problems if you dont abuse the visor and clips though

art

coyote6 wrote:

I use a Z1R full face w/ vents (forget exact model, it's in the garage and I'm lazy and its cold outside!). I like it but at high speed w/ cross wind I sometimes get some head wobble. There was an article last year in Cycle World or one of the US mags about helmets. It was a well researched article that detailed some research on actual impacts. The results indicated that the high end helmets may not protect you as well as some of the "softer" cheaper ones. A lot of people here in my area (Harley riders) dont wear helmets (think they're Jesse James or Hells Angels or something) I wear one (and leather up) because its just so darn embarrassing to have your brains falling out. Ride safe.

Might it be this one? Its a bit US orientated but its still a good read for anyone looking to buy a hlemet anyway.

http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/howtobuyhelmet/

coyote6

That's a good article but the one I was speaking of is at

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/hatz

and the title is Motorcycle Helmet Performance: Blowing the Lid Off. It's a good read.

Trx

anybody got any views on HJC helmets. I have an open face black one and i find it excellent.

Shad0r

Arai are the only helmet I'd wear...As a chap I used to know (he is HUGE into racing bikes) said to me when I asked him how much I should spend on a helmet to get a decent one:
"How much is your head worth?"

At the time I figured that my head was worth alot so I bought the most expensive helmet with no fancy graphics, my local bike shop sold. It was a plain black Arai. It was pretty pricey if I remember correctly but I've never regreted spending that money...specially when I crashed my bike with it on.

SuprSi

Here's a good review of a HJC flip-up helmet.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/Reviewed-motorcycle-products/hjc/symax/

Anyone know anywhere in Dublin that sells them?

The Doktor

I would have never thought of trying one.. but.. I tried on a Nolan n102 at the weekend, and found it really comfy. Anyone have one? and what u think?
Currently have an Arai RX7 and like it a lot, but i wouldnt mind tryin a flip up for a change.

Idleater

Shad0r wrote:

"How much is your head worth?"

This is quite correct because the more money you pay for a helmet the greater proportion of it is spent on R&D into safety and comfort features. However, the overriding factor has to be that the helmet must fit correctly, and you should be able to move and tilt your head without impairing your vision.

I remember back a few years, Michael Schumacher decided not to wear the standard F1 Bell helmets because the Schoei ones fitted him better. There was uproar and he was sued by Bell because they thought he was implying that their helmets were not safe enough.

I believe Schumacher pointed out that all the helmets adhere to the same standards so the safety rating was not the issue, fitting was. He won.


L.

BaldiePablo

I have an Astro-J, Astro-R and an AGV Rossi Rep .... The Arai are 14.7BILLION times more comfortable than the AGV for my big head !!

Harley Man

When I wear one it's a Vega half-helmet, but that's in the US. When I move this summer to Ireland, looks like I'll have to wear one all the time. It will still be my half-helmet. Hopefully there is no restrictions on the type of helmet I can wear.

Tree

just have to conform to EC standards as far as i know

saobh_ie

Harley Man wrote:

When I wear one it's a Vega half-helmet, but that's in the US. When I move this summer to Ireland, looks like I'll have to wear one all the time. It will still be my half-helmet. Hopefully there is no restrictions on the type of helmet I can wear.

Braver man than I. I can't imagine that being pleasant at all over here, if in fact that is what you mean by a Vega Half helmet, in summer, when its not raining you'll be taking billions of bugs to the face. Imagine it gets pretty cold at speed too.

Harley Man

Love the bugs! Between skeeters, bees and an occasional grasshopper, it's always interesting having your face exposed to nature. Aside from that, when I haveto wear a helmet I prefer half helmets because I get to protect my skull, but also maintain my peripheral vision. I may change my mind when I start getting a few chippings kicked up at me.

Over here we have a DOT rating, but it is equivilant to EC.

NiSmO

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murphaph

NiSmO wrote:

This post has been deleted.

Maybe here! If you're near Newry of course you could spin up and get it yourself.

NiSmO

This post has been deleted.

sticker

Ginger

Have this one

http://www.v-s-j.com/helmets/800(11).jpg

Bought it because it fitted my noggin and is yellow which can be seen. Mine is the clear visor. Very comfy..