helmets

Discussion in 'General VFR Discussions' started by bog, Feb 23, 2021.

  1. bog

    bog New Member

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    ok guys, im in the market for a new helmet, im 66 years old and am looking for a quiet helmet, which ones in your opinion have the least wind noise, currently have a 2003 vfr, i have a windscreen which has a total length of 19 inches, i am 5 feet 11 inches, looking for comfort and quiet. bog
     
  2. FJ12rydertoo

    FJ12rydertoo Member

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    Full face or modular? Full face will be quieter on average, but the modular is convenient. And a rough price range would help narrow it down.
     
  3. fink

    fink Member

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    Full face helmet that fits properly will be the quietest.

    Noise is a personal thing being down to head shape. Schuberth are seen to be one of the quietest on the market.
     
  4. bog

    bog New Member

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    definitely will be a full face, i would pay up to 3 to 5 hundred, thanks for the replies
     
  5. FJ12rydertoo

    FJ12rydertoo Member

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    Look for a helmet that doesn't have a lot of protrusions, smooth surfaces will make for smoother airflow
    and will be quieter, a chin curtain also helps a lot.

    Check where the wind blast from the windshield hits you. "Dirty" air off the windshield hitting you in
    the helmet will increase the noise quite a bit. You'd be surprised at how quiet a helmet can be when it's
    in non-turbulent air.
     
  6. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    To a large degree, the quieter the helmet, the less the ventilation. Most of the noise in a helmet is wind be it from the ventilation or turbulence. So the likelihood is, if you get a real quiet helmet, you are likely to have a hotter lid in the summer time. You need to find a line where you are satisfied with the amount of ventilation and quiet that suits your needs. But as mentioned, already, the fit is important. You need to try on a few and walk about the store wearing it for a while to see what you think of the fit. Just understand that a new helmet will fit very tight, but the pas will break in to form to your head to a certain degree.

    I haven't had a lot of different lids. I had an HJC that fit nice and was not too bad sound wise. A Sharke that fit like a small pea in a huge shopping bag. and a couple Shoie. These fit very well, and have quite a good degree of ventilation. But they are noisy so I wear ear plugs any time I am out on the highways.

    There is another one out there that I have been told about: Quiet Ride Helmets Noise Reduction Helmets I haven't tried this one, but apparently there is a cushion that you inflate with a finger pump that seals around your ears and is supposed to be exceptional about cutting wind and road noise. Something for you to consider.
     
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  7. skimad4x4

    skimad4x4 "Official" VFRWorld Greeter

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    A quiet helmet is of course great, but ensuring that whatever helmet you choose, really fits your head shape snuggly is actually the most important thing to sort out first - only then consider noise.

    My advice is to track down a decent motorcycle accessories store with a large a range of helmets in stock. If the shop staff are knowledgeble they may even be able to suggest the brands which suit your head shape best and just as importantly know the ones which do not.

    Never be in a rush to buy a helmet, and don't be embarrased to spend several hours and eventually decide they have nothing suitable and go elsewhere. For a helmet to perform well in its primary task (protecting your brains in any crash)you need something that really is snug and secure when you first try it on. If it is already loose/sloppy it will only get worse as almost all padding will compress down over time and use. However cheaper helmets tend to use poor quality materials which can crush down much quicker and by a lot more, hence that bargain brand helmet may not be such a bargain if it is so loose it comes off during a crash.

    As for noise - most is wind related (rather than the engine noise) BUT it is wrong to assume helmets with fancy aerodynamic shells are the best, the biggest source of noise is usually from the neck seal or more accurately lack of it! So once you find a helmet shape and size that fits well go through all their range to find one with a decent neck cuff which provides an effective seal. At speeds of 70mph + very few helmets will be quiet enough to protect your hearing - so don't forget the ear plugs.
     
  8. fink

    fink Member

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    Agree it more around the neck. I chopped 10cm of my std vfr screen and silence is golden.
     
  9. Neill

    Neill New Member

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    I've never tried them but Schubert's are supposed to be very quiet (as far as a helmet can be anyway).

    You could also look into noise cancelling technology which like likes of Sena etc do.

    Personally I like a properly fitted pair of foam earplugs.
    You've no idea how many people don't use ear plugs properly so assume they dont provide adequate protection.

    Properly worn ear plugs will cut more noise than a £800 helmet could ever hope too.

    Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Tapatalk
     
  10. fink

    fink Member

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    I’m amazed at the amount of folk that don’t wear ear plugs. I’ve been wearing them since the late 80s and my hearing has defiantly been damaged despite using them.
     
  11. whomhead

    whomhead New Member

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    Do you know your head shape? I'm 44, just started riding last year. Not only do I have a big head, but I'm long oval shape. Long oval severely limits your options. I tried on every helmet in every shop within 100 miles of my house. The only one I liked was the Arai Signet X. Definitely have not regretted this purchase, it's an Arai. If Arai is in your budget I can't recommend them strongly enough. I really wanted a Shoei, but they have nothing in long oval....

    There's a youtube channel that does some pretty scientific helmet testing as far as noise and temps go. Was pretty informative for me at least.

    https://www.youtube.com/user/Championhelmets
     
  12. thestumper

    thestumper New Member

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    I will be in the market for a helmet in the relatively near future. I'm trying to get all the life I can out of a Scorpion that, while not terribly comfortable or quiet, fits me well. I have this thing about getting as much useful life out of my purchases as I can. I can't even remember why I bought it, but I must have been on a budget at the time, much as I am now. I've had Shoei helmets that I liked and my absolute favorite was a Suomy a friend turned me on to. I'd get another , but I don't think they are sold in the US anymore. There are things I will buy on the grey market, but a helmet is not one of them.

    I'm keeping an eye on the newer HJC touring-focused helmets - they get good reviews, are reasonably priced, and have the features I'm looking for. I have no place to try one on - all the places that used to sell gear either closed or carry no inventory, so I'll probably have to roll the dice with an online vendor that has a generous exchange policy. If that doesn't fit, at least I can try something else until something works. Hopefully it doesn't end up killing me on shipping. With my luck I'll only fit into the $1000 helmet... or at least that's what I'll wind up telling myself because I really want it :)
     
  13. FJ12rydertoo

    FJ12rydertoo Member

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    Try a Nolan. I bought a Nolan N-105 and love it. It's a modular, fairly quiet (for a modular), fairly light (for a modular), and has
    excellent ventilation. Plus, of course, the flip down sun shield, which I've really gotten used over the years. And the price won't
    break the bank. I got the red fade, and it looks good.
     
  14. thestumper

    thestumper New Member

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    I ended up with a Suomy. Turns out some of the older Scorpions had a coating on the visors that breaks down over time. I had a new one in the original wrap and it suffered the same fate as others I had used - they"crackle" when they degrade and when light hits them at the right angle, they dazzle in a very distracting way. I found this out riding at night - oncoming headlights put on a spectacular light show across my visor. I think it was an anti-fog coating, so it also fogged in the areas where it had degraded. Not cool, and you can't find the old visors anymore, assuming that they didn't ALL degrade. So...

    1) Tried an HJC RPHA 11 - It didn't fit my head. I wanted to like it, and it had all the features at the right price, but it pinned my ears in large and just didn't feel right. Any larger it would have been too big front to back. I returned it, begrudgingly. It's a great lid if it fits your head.

    2) Suomy Speedstar. Yes, Suomy still sells helmets in the US. I had a Spec-1R when they were all the rage and I loved it, so I thought I'd give them another shot. The Speedstar is a Sport Touring rig with an internal sun visor. My Spec-1R was a large so I went with large, but in this model it was way too big. I liked everything else about the helmet so I exchanged for a medium and it's a keeper for the money (Under $400). It's not perfect - it's typical Italian. Beautifully executed w/ quality materials but with a couple of odd quirks that leaving you scratching your head at times. Ventilation is good, but not great. It's a little loud, but it fits my head well enough and the liner is comfy. It's light, and comfortable to wear all day.

    3) Shortly (two days) after I decided to keep the Suomy and rode in it, a friend called. I mentioned my helmet trials and tribulations and he told me his sister had dropped off a 3 year old Arai Corsair RX-7 that she wore 4-5 times before deciding she didn't want a bike anymore. Something about the guy she had been dating that had a bike turned out to be a creep or something... Anyway, frustrated, she gave it to my friend after trying to sell it on Craigslist. The bottom rubber molding had come loose and she said "if you can fix it, I don't care what you do with it". So I stopped by NAPA after doing some research and picked up a tube of 3M super-strength weatherstripping adhesive. And we fixed it. And it fit. Better than anything else I tried. I even liked the graphics. Indeed, as I speculated in my post above, it would be the $900+ helmet that ended up being the best fit. So I'm keeping it. It's a few years old, but barely worn, visors are still available, it comes with three clear that appear to be in nice shape, and I got it for the cost of a tube of adhesive :)

    I'm keeping the Suomy as well - It's a nice helmet and for the money it's nice to have a more touring-oriented option for those rides where day turns into night despite my best intentions. That, plus I'm not going to try to scam Speed Addicts - they are nice people BTW.

    Note: That 3M adhesive is crazy strong. You have to do some light prep but if you ever need to affix anything plastic/rubber to a painted surface, you can't go wrong. Just don't get it on you - it's hard to get off skin and it gets tacky after about a minute.
     
  15. Neill

    Neill New Member

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    I don't know anything about the Scorpions visor woes but I would say always be very careful what cleaner you apply to any visor. Many of them that say they are visor safe just tack that in for marketing.

    The ONLY thing I clean my visor with is water and a soft face cloth. I soak the cloth in water and drape it over the visor for 10 minutes that softens the bug guts and then I wipe them away with the same cloth. Just don't use it on your face after unless you've discovered bug guts are new age cure for aging.

    I started using water only after a Shark visor snapped on me after about 8 months use. I'd used the "right" cleaners on it but they still made it brittle, luckily Shark replaced it for free anyway.

    Anyway enjoy the new lids, wouldn't mind a spare like a Suomy myself if I could convince myself I needed it.

    Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Tapatalk
     
  16. barleymashers

    barleymashers New Member

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    For my last helmet I purchased a Schuberth because of all the reviews and the ability to integrate the communications systems so they don't stick out and look like an aftermarket add on. I liked the helmet, but it did not fit right ( purchased from revzilla ), I got the largest they had ( 2XL ) which matched my measured dimensions range, but it was snug in some places and loose in others. I might have an odd shaped head, but Schuberth is a German brand so sizing is different, I have always felt that European items are snugger than other areas. I returned it and got a SHOEI Neotec which was an XL and it fit fine.

    The SHOEI is quiet enough for my needs, not sure if it would meet yours. My main point though is if you do go Schuberth, check the sizing carefully.
     
  17. Joe IV

    Joe IV New Member

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    My Shoei GT Air 2 is comfortable but the visor is already having issues. Won't lower evenly. Right side stays up 1/2".
     
  18. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    You should reach out to Shoei at their website and see if they can help you our. I had an issue with my SHoei X-rwelve several years ago and they were very good in dealing with me. Turns out the helmet was working as designed and I just accepted that, but in your case, where there is a failure, they may just send you a fix. My GT Air has been good to me for a few years now. Love the drop down dark visor. My outside visor has been replaced which is sitting in its wrapper awaiting a pinlock screen before I switch. That has been on back order for about9 months now. About ready to try one of the stick on anti fog screens for far less money than the Pinlock stuff which sometime may not seal all that well.
     
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  19. Joe IV

    Joe IV New Member

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    There's a You Tube video of a guy with the exact same problem, but it never had a part 2 showing the fix. I'm going to try adjusting one more time before my ride tomorrow. If that's a bust I'll reach out to Shoei. Thanks.
     
  20. Economist

    Economist New Member

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    Can’t you just transfer your old pinlock from the old visor to the new one? The pinlock insert isn’t very hard to move, and the one in my GT-air doesn’t show any wear from four years of use.
     
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