Helmet Choices
 

Hi All,
This is my first post on here, so bear with me! My father and I are doing a trip from Melbourne to South Africa via Asia and Europe next year, and we're just starting to get around to beginning the long road of purchasing.
My background is in dirtbikes and I rode them while growing up, so I've only ever really worn motocross helmets before.
I'm just seeking advice in terms of helmet choice. In particular, I'm curious as to what style of helmet would be most appropriate. We'll be riding through a lot of different environments and climates, and will probably be incorporating a com system. I can see that it's pretty much a choice between the 'Enduro Style' and the traditional full-face style of helmet.
I was wondering if someone could provide some insight as to what would be the more suitable of the two styles for this type of trip, or whether it just comes down to personal preference?
Thanks in advance,
Angus

The Arai Tour-X4 is probably up there as one of the best travel helmets.

I ain't cheap though. If that's too expensive look for something similar.

A peak is really nice to have on sunny days (you'll have a lot of those)
A pinlock visor is great when it rains all day (You'll have a lot of those)
You want a lightweight lid on a long trip. Helps to reduce fatigue.
Removable washable liner (You're gonna stink)
Reputable brand..

The tour-x4 ticks all these boxes. I have the original X1 and used it in all continents over the last 8 years.... It's battered now but still holding up.. I dream of replacing it with an X4


You can get the X-3 model cheaper now the X4 is out and it is still an incredibly good helmet.

When Ted Simon rode his first trip around the world in the mid-1970s, he wore an open face 3/4 helmet so that when he rode into some obscure village, people would immediately see his face and treat him like a human being rather than an unknown stranger. I believe that when he did his second trip a few years ago, he had changed his mind and wore a full-face for better weather protection.

I would say just go to the local moto shop and try on a wide variety of helmets. See what works best for you; helmets are a very personal fit, and what one person likes another might hate.

Helmets vary from about $150 for a budget no-name full-face to well over $1000 for a top-of-the-line Arai. My opinion is that as long as it meets safety standards, one full-face helmet is going to do as good a job in a crash as another. The extra money goes for more comfortable materials for the liner, better venting, higher quality optical plastic for the visor, etc.

If you are going to be riding several hours per day for months, you probably want to spend a bit more and get a helmet you will really be happy with. On the other hand, helmets can be and do get stolen, so I wouldn't recommend breaking the bank to get one either.

With many things in the adventure world it's up to the individual rider, the most important thing is fit then it's up to personal preference.

For our trip next year we chose the Nolan N43 Air (or Trilogy depending on where you live). Because it offers the protection of a full face for main roads and big cities but in the back o beyond we can put the chin bar in our luggage and where it like a traditional trials helmet.

For me a peak is essential. I like to have a visor also. and I wear spectacles. Never yet found a helmet with all of those features but still looking. I do have a full screen fitted to the bike that really helps.

I've probably done over 10,000 miles in my enduro/MX lid and goggles. Not ideal for doing motorway speeds in the rain (although a Buff/scarf/etc over your face helps), but you can get used to it. Much nicer than a normal full face if you're anywhere warm because you don't have to compromise eye protection to get ventilation.

I've never been a fan of the adventure/dualsport type halfway-house lids because they strike me as 'worst of both worlds'. Peak to pull your head off at high speed, and a visor you have to open if it's hot or you're breathing heavily on difficult ground.

(I've also inadvertently caused someone to crash while trail riding because he was riding with the visor up when I overtook him through a rather large puddle. I had goggles on, and forgot he didn't)

There's also the fact that I've been racing the last few years, so had to buy a proper off-road lid anyway - a DS lid would have been an extra, rather than a substitute.

That said, I've not entirely ruled getting one for my US trip next year. The problem there is it's a trip of two halves - the first being the full length of the TAT, the second being a more tarmac based sightseeing jaunt where a visor might be nice.

Can anyone recommend a dualsport type lid which you can wear with goggles for extended off-tarmac sections?

I'm actually also seriously considering a Roof Boxer. They have a reputation for being well vented to the point of draughtiness, so might be fine for gravel roads with the visor down, then use as an open face through the really slow sweaty bits. The latest one is apparently actually tested as a full-face, and you get the benefits of an open face for talking to people, using cameras, etc.

You can wear googles with all helmets. Just remove the visor. I've seen people with TourX (Arai) and Hornet (Shoei) helmets do this.

You can store it in your tankbag. FWIW, when touring I keep a spare visor in my tankbag inside a sock.

I should have added "without removing the visor, just lifting it up".

Not necessarily ruling out doing it your way, but seems like a bit of a PITA (and I don't use a tankbag ;))

Just as well the NEC bike show is coming up. I'll be trying on a lot of helmets.

I think Ted Simon was on to something
 

I used recently an HJC open visor. It lacked the desirable peak and obviously has no chin bar but . . . the ability for locals to see your face is quite a positive.

The Arai XD mentioned previously is a fantastic helmet.

Someone said, fairly recently - with reference to trailbike-riders, I think in RiDE magazine - that trailbikers are afforded a connection with their environment, using wide-view helmets and goggles, that the rest of us [visored road-helmet-users] can only dream of. Something along those lines, anyway.

Personally, I've always preferred a motocross helmet and goggles for both longer and shorter range jaunts. If, however, there's the threat of rain, I would certainly be using a visored helmet. Obviously, you can be quite confident (or not) of a non-rainy few days on the bike, but traversing long distances and multiple climates as you are planning, you can't accurately forcast the conditions for the whole trip, so play it safe.

It may come across as a bit namby-pamby, but I do not like to have rain beating my bare chops at 70mph - no, sir! Strangely, drizzle seems to feel even worse than the bigger stuff and gets uncomfortable very quickly, like tiny pin-pricks over the exposed parts of your face. As for sleet... Well, I'm sure you already know. Goggles are also nastier than a visor in rain or sleet.

The aforementioned Arai Tour-X would be a good purchase, from my own experience. Once you get used to the buttons and levers they are fairly flexible and quite well vented (for a closed-face helmet), and I believe the Tour-X4 has a visor-vent as well (although they're still expensive).

Ensure you get a Pinlock insert for your visor. I could not believe how effective this was as an anti-mist device, presuming it to give probably a 75%(-ish) reduction: so far, it has been total/100%. My Tour-X3 came with one of these, but I don't think previous Tour-X model did. The original Tour-X definitely did not but the Tour-X3 Pinlock-ready visors fit the original model (and, thus, presumably the Tour-X2 as well).

Of course, all this Arai recommendation is useless if the helmet does not fit the shape of your head - or your dad's, of course (I don't know how exact a 'chip off the old block' you are). Mine obviously is, because the Tour-X fits nicely, whereas the X-Lite (Nolan), AGV and Shoei equivalents just don't seem to work, on my bonce.

Some would recommend a flip-face helmet, but I have no experience of these at all, so cannot compare. I do know that they are heavy, though - heavier than a 'dual-sport' (DS) type, and would generally give a smaller field of vision than a DS helmet when closed (much like a full-face road helmet, of course).

DS helmet pros: weather protection (visor and [usually] closeable venting), peak shields against low sun, large field of vision, convertible from visor to goggles (but not whilst riding), reasonable space between nose/mouth and chinbar, less availability of models (although quite a few cropping up).
DS helmet cons: a little heavier than normal closed-face helmet, peak on some designs can drag in wind, converting to/from goggles is a PITA!

Of course, I'm not sure what speeds you're intending to do on what bikes on what terrain - it doesn't sound like you'll be doing mainly high-speed on Kwak 1400s or something, but DS lids probably wouldn't be the way to go for that.

Best of luck, whatever you decide - hope to hear more from you both before you set off.

It works on an Airoh S4. And I have seen people with Arai Tour X use goggles without removing the visor, but have no experience with that helmet myself.
I X-Lite 551 might also work with goggles.

Most of the time I just wear well-fitting safety specs and prefer them to goggles. On long distances or when colder I can still close the visor.

I am now considering a Shubert J1 open face helmet with chin protection and sun Visor.

Thankyou everybody for the breadth of responses! This is a fantastic forum.
Given the nature of the trip that we'll be doing (being on the bike most days for the best part of a year), it's going to be important to get something that has a comfortable fit. The Arai definitely sounds very well regarded, so I will endeavour to try one on during the selection process. I have heard that noise becomes a bit of a factor in this helmet, but I'm assuming that this is something that can be helped with a good set of earplugs/in-ear canal headphones?
Don't worry, you'll be hearing plenty more from us in the next few months, leading up to departure (and possibly post-departure!).

There seem to be more and more dual-sport helmets on the market a I'm see you'll find one that fits your head. I've been using a Marushin X-Moto fit the last 18 months and love it for its versatility, and I can confirm that you can wear googles with the visor still attached. You can also take the peak off and have a slightly odd looking full-face.

I'm now considering swapping for an Acerbis Active/Duchinni D311/Wulfsport (they all appear to be the same lid even though they're priced very differently) because they have all the normal dual-sport features plus a drop-down inner sun-visor.

I had one for 2 years and would say to avoid. It's just an open face scooter helmet with a poorly fitting lump of cosmetic plastic nailed on the front. The bendy plastic and poppers used to retain the chin piece dropped off in no time so in a crash they'd do the same. No more protection than any open face.

I like my open face and aircraft goggles for summer road rides, have used a MX lid when riding more than 20% off road and now have a Fly Trekker that I am getting on well with. The visor on this is cut back so goggle straps don't foul. No need muck about with screws before you switch to goggles, but it is as noisy as a MX lid.

Andy

Sorry, Angus - forgot to mention the noise. I only tend to wear dual-sport or mx/enduro helmets so, in my mind, the Arai dual-sport is actually 'the quieter one'.

Dual-sport helmets are certainly noisier than the quieter road helmets, and the Arai Tour-X seems to be one of the noisier dual-sport helmets. Noise is, however, dependent upon the fit of the helmet around your head and ears, and the characteristics of your hearing spectrum, so one man's quieter helmet model can be another's noisier helmet. Obviously, some helmets are 'just noisier' (for most), though, and I've used the Motard version of the original Tour-X (the best-ventilated but probably the noisier variation of the noisiest version of Tour-X) and the Tour-X3 and, whilst the '3' is reputed to be significantly quieter than the original, I have found them both to be about as noisy, but with the noisy frequencies differently-spread. I've briefly tried the Wulfsport Prima Speed and I think it might be a little quieter and with definitely less peak-lift (for me, anyway - a no-screen rider). Despite being a fantastic lid for the £50 I paid, it's not nearly as good a helmet as the Tour-X (original or 'X3).

You should always use decent earplugs, I'd say 'out of town' (i.e. over 30mph or so) anyway. I would wear them even for 'urban' riding, but some would regard that as 'excessive'. You might have to consider options for attenuating wind-noise whilst allowing for comms between you and your dad ("will probably be incorporating a com system"). I've never used such a product, but others here will surely be able to advise. Look for existing material on the HUBB and/or post a specific question when the time's right - NOT in (ahem!) "Camping Equipment", though.

P.S. Correct parlance for Arai's Tour-X is "tour-cross", not "tour-ex". (Just so the dealer doesn't take the Mick - as I heard at a bike show).

I am currently traveling with the Arai XD-3. It has been a fantastic helmet. A peak to keep the sun out of my eyes. A visor for when it is raining or there are lots of bugs. I can wear goggles without removing the visor, and even close the visor over the goggles. I have a pinlock visor, however the insert needed replacing about eight months ago and I haven't been able to find a replacement anywhere in South America so I consider that a useless feature and a waste of money.

In the past six months I don't think I've closed the visor once. Most of the time I just wear sunglasses as my goggles are not very comfortable. I think I would actually be happier with a full MX helmet, however I've rarely ridden in the rain during this time.

The one change I would make is to add a quick-release to the chin strap so that I can get it off a little bit faster/easier when talking to people. I am tempted also to try a helmet with a flip-up front, but I would miss the peak and good air flow I have now.

I purchased a Shoei Hornet helmet about 3 years ago and quite like it... This helmet fits my head shape {oval} very well... If you have more of a round head shape then another brand would be better... My only complaint with the lid has been shield fogging in cold and humid conditions... I fixed this by installing a pinlock visor... With this helmet I can wear goggles with the shield up or down and remove the peak to stop it from catching wind on long HWY jaunts...

I also use and like the Nolan Flip front and own 2 of them {older and newer gen} which fit a head shape similar to what the Shoei does...The flip fronts offer a lot of real advantages for traveling over fixed chin bar helmets, namely not having to remove your helmet for conversing, picture taking and at border crossings and checkpoints... The helmet also is equipped with a retractable sunshade which is quick to operate... The perceived disadvantage of flip fronts is the chin bar may not be as strong and open up on impacts... I have tested this first hand in an offroad crash where the chin bar took an impact, stayed shut and saved me from facial damage...

I have 2 friends that purchased the Aria XDs {1st and 3rd gen models} and just loves those lids except for the fact that both of theirs have stripped off and lost the vent covers after riding some bushy tracks... You would think that such an expensive helmet would have a better method of fastening its parts to hold up to a bit of abuse...

I recently bought a 2013 Wulfsport Prima Speed - partly for the 'shades' - and wouldn't advise you to buy one just for that 'drop-down inner sun sun visor', Alex.

Riding last Sunday morning with the low Autumn sun mainly to the front-left, I found the thing really rather annoying because the shades didn't drop far enough (meaning that vision was half-darkened, half unaffected). That doesn't sound too bad but it meant that the 'join' was pretty much ON the principle 'sight line'. That also made it rather weird flicking between long- (darkened) and short-range (normal, bright) vsual scanning whilst motoring along the straighter, faster roads.

I guess such a design would work better without a peak, so you could tilt your head down and look 'mainly' through the shades, when required, without the peak blocking forward-vision.

A great idea with poor implementation, I'd say. For me, those shades need to drop about half-to-one-inch further.

P.S. Angus, the "Arai XD", as referenced by the guys in the US, is the same lid that Arai market in the UK as the "Arai Tour-X".

Thanks a lot for the comprehensive answers guys. It's nice to have found a place that offers sound advice and well written, considered responses.
Dad and I will be test riding bikes next week, so I'm going to get the new helmet before then. I've found a place that has the Arais in stock, along with a large range of other stock, so I can see how a number of different products feel on my large head.
It also seems to be the consensus that fitting a pinlock visor is the way to go for anti-fog?
Oh, and yes, they're marketing the Arais as the "XD-4 Explorer" here.
Thanks again!

I have the Duchinni helmet and two guys I ride with have the Wulfsport ones. As far as I can see, unless the wulfsport one's have changed now, the Duchinni is fairly different (I think the Acerbis ones are the same as the Duchinni). The visor on the Wulfsort ones is really not great as it distorts your view massively, whereas the Duchinni one curves less severely and offers good vision, I'd say as good as the last AGV road helmet I had.

Been really pleased with mine so far considering they are of the lower end of the market:thumbup1:

Chris, there's a new Wulfsport Prima Speed for 2013 which looks identical - spot the difference.

http://www.adventurebikerider.com/me...70/Acerbis.png

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Bum, if I'd have waited I'd have saved £45 doh

The new Wulf one is completely different to the old one then :oops2:

I use a flip-up helmet. Nothing like the fresh air on a hot day or riding around towns, then flip it down for faster highways. They're cheap too, my Nitro/GMAC F341-VN cost about £60. They're a bit heavier and noisier than regular full face but I'm used to the weight and I wear custom ear plugs anyway. It has one of those internal sun visors, a nice opening mechanism on the chin bar and a ratchet instead of a double-D, which I prefer. Had mine a couple of years and is still going strong. Will probably try the tourX3 atsome point.

http://www.motorcycle-shop.co.uk/52-...matt-black.jpg

ahh man !! a £60 Flip helmet terrifies me. I can imagine it folding like a cheap Chinese deckchair in any significant tumble.

I don't even trust the £300 flips.

Yeah, it's a common criticism that I hear a lot, but I don't know how well it's borne out by the actual facts. It is 'kite-marked' and meets certain safety standards. I suppose it could be argued that these standards are flawed and there are anecdotal stories of them failing but you make your own choice and try minimise the risks as much as possible... I high-sided in Irkutsk on some wet tram tracks, landing on my head and it was fine. In a 'significant tumble' even the best helmet isn't going to save you from a broken neck or spine.

Well... I went to the NEC bike show, looked at and tried on several dual-sport type helmets, and concluded they were all a bit rubbish. A lot that wouldn't play nicely with goggles, but my main objection was that the stubby little peaks (compared to an MX lid) seem to be just style, not function. I tried the Hornet on, and couldn't see the peak. If I can't see it, it's not going to keep the sun out of my eyes. The Acerbis (and clones thereof) look like they might have a longer peak, but although I think I saw one at one point, I couldn't find the stand again to try it on.

I also established that Threewheelbonnie was right about Roof Boxers feeling so flimsy they may as well be an open face - and that they're a really odd shape that meant when wearing the right size for the top of my head, the chin-bar smacked me in the face before it would close.

Ended up buying a Shark Evoline S3 at a decent discount. Same idea as the Boxer, but seems to actually be executed a lot better - chinbar feels much more solid and isn't held together with poppers, has a second dark visor, etc. Will see how it goes. If I don't get on with it I'll just take an enduro lid and goggles to the US next year.

Well I think I've found my new helmet, although it's not out yet. The Givi X.01 Tourer, which I'm guessing is based on the existing X.01 with its removable chin-guard but given a peak. There are times when I like open face, I think it makes the wearer more approachable but I don't want open-face all the time. I'd looked at the HJC IS-Multi but it appears to have been discontinued, hopefully this will be a good substitute.

http://motorhead.ro/wp-content/uploa...01-900x900.jpg

Arai all the way!!!
 

Ive always used Arai lids simply because of the fit and finish and probably trusted them more because of better branding and advertising but after having a head on collision with a car at 60mph wearing an RX7 GP and caving the roof in with my head I know now that I will never wear another brand,I broke my pelvis and ankle and was black and blue all over but my head and face wear fine and I wasnt even concussed!! Ive just bought a Tour X3 LWD replica for £230 and I cant recommend it enough,ive even used it on my fireblade with no problems!!

Bought my firs Arai Tour X3 a few days ago - I've pimped it out as usual - got it used for £175 in almost mint condition. My first impressions are positive. It's very comfy, more comfy than my new nitro flip up which squeezes my ears. The visor is great with a bright sun, on a normal day it doesn't catch the wind much but it was very windy the other day and my head felt like it was being ripped off. On a moderately cold day it's warm enough but it is generally quite a cold helmet even when the vents are closed. on a freezing cold day its bearable with a balaclava and a neck tube. Ivevheard prople taping over vents which might help I suppose. The double D ring is a PITA as I'm used to ratchets and seat belt buckles, but its getting easier with practice. I believe they come with pinlock as standard but if not get one because they are awesome if properly fitted. I miss having a tint so bought a tinted visor too, not pinlock, I keep the other in a sock in tank bag. It changes quite easily with 4 screws, I used my engine key. Not as quick as my flip-up but not a big deal. It's fairly quiet, especially compared to my flip-up but I wear earplugs anyway, although I have noticed bit of a rumble in certain conditions but again no problem with the earplugs. So I quite like this helmet but I dont reckon I'll be using it in sub zero because its so cold. I don't think I'd pay full price for it, which is still around the £400 mark.

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I have a nexo x-tour, fit my head perfectly. Really happy with that one.

I'm wondering about splashing the cash and investing in an Arai CT-F which could be says to be the best (or worst) of both worlds.


Arai's theory is that the enhanced cheek pieces provide safety in all but a tiny few of accidents. That is of course the theory, how it plays out on practice, who knows?

Holy Smoke, thats freakin ugly eh!!
A flip up lid is a good shout for a lot of situations but yeah they're heavy and compromised.
I've ridden 8hrs in torrential rain in a piss-pot with only safety glasses and a buff on my mush- at the end of it I was suicidal and looked like I'd just had a chemical peel- so an open face for touring is a no-go.
I always end up reverting to my tried and tested Shoei XR1000 with a pinlock insert.

Your nose should be behind the visor which will flex back over your chin. Yet another variation which defies classification, you can't compare that to a ****pot made of leather and cork worn with war surplus goggles that lost some circuit racer his looks in 1970.

The chin section of my Fly Racing lid makes so much noise I'd view the risk to my hearing far greater than the risk to my chin with a jet style. It also proved to be a disaster for misting over the winter, worst of both worlds. :thumbdown:. The colour (bright yellow) is good though and as a summer lid it is nice and cool.

Andy

Its hardly the end of the story.

I have come off my bike hundreds of times. Hundreds. Not once has my helmet ever touched the ground. NOT ONCE.

Automatic reaction is to put your arms out and turn your face, You might break wrists, arms, elbows, collarbones as a result. But thats nothing to do with helmet choice. I have gone thru dozens of sets of gloves, and a had many an elbow patch repair on my jackets ... all from high speed off road offs. Thats from automatic reaction of arms coming out before you hit the ground.

I see track riders coming off all the time as well ... high speed asphalt skating down the road ...

Never seen one faceplant ... they all skid on their asses. Never saw one skidding endlessly down the track on the front of his helmet.

I think you are totally oversimplifying the story and either not understanding or misrepresenting what actually happens when someone comes off a motorcycle.

There may be the rare case where a motorcyclist has an accident and damages his face when wearing an open faced helmet. But the number of motorcycle offs where the result would be different from an open faced helmet vs a full faced helmet would be a fraction of a percent.

Some motorcycle accidents would have the rider faring better if the rider was wearing a bulletproof vest too ... does that mean everyone who doesnt is a redneck?

Most motorcycle accidents the rider would have been better off in a Volvo!

The whole point of riding a motorcycle is to get a richer experience of travel, while accepting its a higher risk activity than volvoing. I accept its a higher risk wearing an open faced helmet than a full face, but I get a better return from travelling that way. A richer experience. At the end of the day, if I wanted to be safe, I would sell the bike and drive a Volvo, and not go tearing across Siberia and Mongolia at high speeds off road, on two wheels, with an open faced helmet.

I also accept that while its a higher risk, its useful to realistic and honest with yourself about quantifying and qualifying that risk. Saying "if you skate down the road your face your nose is going to be grated" clearly does not correlate with my hundreds of times going skating down the road.

Obviously its up to the individual how much risk he or she wants to take vs how much he or she wants to get out of it. But I will say clearly (and I think I speak for all the open faced riders here) that the reason riders ride with open face helmets is because they do get a richer travel and adventure experience by doing it that way.

I think Arai have done just about everything they can to make the safest non-full-face helmet possible short of giving it a chin-piece and calling it a Tour X.

http://www.araihelmet-europe.com/sit...am_WHITE_C.jpg

As you can see, the visor covers the entire face if you happened to land smack on it it would indeed deform to meet your chin, but as Walter points out the natural instinct is to protect your face so even a small turn of the head will result in the cheek-pieces touching down first.

We can thrash out the pros and cons of helmet styles till the cows come home, what I think, is good to see is that manufacturers are spending thousands of hours and a considerable budget making whatever choice as safe as possible.

Of course I do now wonder whether the Arai has created a helmet shape so bizarre and alien looking as to negate a lot of the positive effects of other people you meet being able to see your face.

Until recently I was very anti open faced helmets until someone pointed out that with an open faced helmet you have more visibility so it may well prevent you being in an accident in the first place. I had a nasty off with an open faced helmet whilst out green laning a while ago and I instinctively leaned my head over to protect my face so the side of my helmet got all the impact. As the hubby said:
Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk 2

IMHO, safety factors in helmet design:

1. Vision: can you see what might hit you or does the misted up letterbox on your head give you the same vision as a U-boat captain in an old movie called "Fog in the Channel"?

2. Comfort: After your ride can you function as well as at the start or is the pain across your forehead demanding aspirin, the ringing in your ears wanting a lie down in a quiet room and dehydration making you fancy a night out with Oliver Reeds ghost. Can you concentrate or just sit and there and think death might be ok?

3. Impact protection: Will you laugh about the huge wasp from Mars that turned your visor yellow and gave you a weird pantomine nose, or wear the patch to prove it wasn't funny? Builders rubble? Cigarette butts thrown from cars?

4. Crash protection: Will it stay on, stay closed and absorb the bad energy or break you neck?

5. Colour and Convienience: Does the dayglow paint distract Captain Volvos attention from texting and back to driving, or mark you as a beggers dream? Does making your face visible take so long plod has the ticket written before he sees you as human?

They all balance against each other and only item 4 is tested in a controlled but very basic way.

I find few race solutions work on the road. You don't get tractors turning unexpectedly onto Cadwell park, they stop after an hour, there are no skip waggons spewing out bits of gravel to follow and I've never seen Rossi stop to ask directions from a man with a Kalashnikov.

Andy

I have had lots of crashes too, I had never hit my lid on the ground until...

my biggest 'off' was at 85 ish MPH which resulted in a high side, on landing me putting my right hand down wrecked my right shoulder tendons and so I was unable to stop the rear right side of my Arai Tour X smacking the ground hard, at which point I rolled multiple times, causing a few other injuries, then slid face down for ~30 metres/100 feet on asphalt slightly downhill.

The Arai was not too badly damaged considering, the front of it was wrecked, if id been wearing an open face lid I defintiely would have sustained severe facial injuries too as I was partially conscious as I was sliding and was unable to lift my face off the asphalt.

I was lucky the road was clear and there was not much to hit as I was sliding down the middle of the road, riders at track days do not have kerb stones, street lights posts, telephone poles, walls etc to hit, we do and if you knock yourself out in an initial impact you are unable to protect your head/face.

Its definitely about trying to remove part of the risk, thats why most of us on here are clever enough to wear fairly decent riding gear, I too think a small proportion of accidents result in facial injuries with open face lids. But they do happen.

I dont drive a volvo, but when I get in a car I put a seatbelt on. Likewise when I get on a bike, I ride it fast, but I wear the best protection I can.

All I can say is that I would take a dozen off road crashes over one highish speed asphalt crash anyday and I for one wont be riding with an open face lid. ever.

You choose.....

Theres a difference between Open face and Jet style with a full visor.
The full visor gives a measure of protection that an open face doesn't.

Having done a couple of face plants in my on- and off- road riding career:oops2:, and having read of Lois Pryce's riding companion's accident on their South American trip, I will continue to always wear a full face helmet.

Currently I own:

• MX type helmet (can't remember the brand)
• Vespa open Face
• Tommy open face
• Two Caberg Flip Front
• Roof Boxer
• Shark Evoline

The best overlanding helmet I've ever owned is the Shark Evoline. Together with the Roof Boxer, I think they are the only two flip fronts on the market which are also legal as open face. But the Roof has so many short comings it is too long to list - that helmet just sucks.


The Shark Evoline is for a flip front very light weight, quiet, easy to operate, roomy by the chin, easy to install a com system (I've tried a few com systems and the Scala rider is by far my favorite). The helmet has a flip down sun visor also. If it fits your head, then I seriously doubt you will find a better helmet. I really like the flip front, sun visor and open face features - a must for me. Of course, it doesn't look as cool as some of the other helmets presented here.

Best Helmet in the World - Ever?
 

There's an easy solution to all the points made here - good and bad.

Schuberth J1...

:clap::thumbup1::clap:

Arai X3
 

Hi, I'm new here and yes, this is my first post......I would like to say that the Arai X3 is an amazing helmet for myself. I think that a lot of what needs to be considered is comfort and the Arai, fits my head perfectly. When looking for a new helmet this time around (no bike for 10 years!!! OMG!!) I was thinking budget and tried on a few accordingly......none felt like I would be happy to wear for a few hours at a time and I remembered how my old Arai would feel so good on my head so, off to the "Locked Glass Case" to look at the Arai's.....I cringed when i saw prices......but, once the X3 was on my head......money was no object......that was it....bought. And, I am so happy I did.....I love to put it on, cause I know in 2 minutes....I will have wind in my face!!
If I had to replace I would look to the Acerbis Active......I like the dual shield idea.......wish the Arai had it.
Anyways.....this is a great site with great members. I am dying to travel on my bike every time I come on this site!!
Peace and safe travels everyone!!

XRL GEE