Best type of helmet for touring?
 

Hi all,

Something important that I haven´t really considered before is what helmet to buy! I have a limited budget but happy to pay for something decent. Right now I am in Chile and will travel with a Tornado 250XR, mostly dirt. What sort of helmet would be best for this? So far looking at Cabergs, as they seem to be a reliable international brand. Also, assuming you buy a decent brand, is safety reflected in the price, or are they all made to a required legal standard, and so one is mainly paying for bells and whistles? I know this could be rather subjective, but any opinions would be great.

Cheers,
rtw

The best kind of helmet is the one you are always willing to wear.
Go to the local shop, try on a whole bunch, and get the one that seems most comfortable, and that you will never be tempted to not wear.

I've tried a lot of helmets, and I always gravitate towards HJC because they fit my noggin very well, have decent ventilation, and are quite affordably priced.

What he said!!
With the exception of I gravitate toward Schuberth C3Pro, and a Shoei Neotec.

Flip front

Shuberth C3 pro with blue tooth connectable to radio, telephone and GPS

Full face

UVEX carbon enduro, as light as a feather and very comfortable

I can really recommend that you try out an X-lite X-551....

I've tried most of the popular adventure helmets and I rate this up with my Arai X-cross. Better if you consider the sun-shield which is FANTASTIC.

Great value, nice peak, pin-lock insert, flip down sun visor....

http://www.revzilla.com/assets/0000/0226/nola_x551.jpg

X-Lites are great helmets! Not sure they are for sale anywhere in S. America? :confused1:

For me, for travel, I prefer a flip-up style helmet. I'm a total convert to this style ... but not all are equal in terms of true safety.

Caberg make a pretty good one from what I've seen/read. Most will depend what is available in Chile ... and prices there are currently outrageous for most imports.

The Flip up is useful when on the road, let's people see you and hear you and allows clear communication when doing business at stops. Saves removing your helmet 50 times a day .... which gets old for me. I don't need a dirt bike helmet and inner visors just turn to Shite after a few months of use ... not scratch resistent .. I never use the one on my Newish HJC. Very poor optics, although the main shield is good.

I've had Nolans, HJC and Shoei, all Flip Up style ... my favorite is my old Shoei Multi-tec (superceded now by the Neo-Tec, even better) The Shoei is very expensive but not much comes close. $$$$

HJC are very good value and work well. I have their top of the line Flip UP. Good in heat, but not as comfy or as quiet as my Shoei. But a HUGE $300 USD price difference. For your fly and ride trip, I'd not spend too much on a helmet unless you plan to carry it home.

BILT Explorer Adventure Helmet
 

After 1000,s & 1000,s of K's it dawned on me, I really needed a lid with a peak and visor, started looking through a few shops while on tour, they were hard to find not to mention expensive! By chance in Tucson I stumbled across a BILT Explorer Adventure Helmet, its light, comfortable, has a tinted drop down sunshield, it's not the worst or the best helmet I've ever owned but for $99 on sale, I bought it, hit the road, after a day I gave the old lid away, zero complaints :thumbup1:

http://www.cyclegear.com/CycleGear/T...3199_200897_21

Or go for the Discovery Adventure on sale for $69.99 :thumbup1:

http://www.cyclegear.com/CycleGear/T...43193_59409_21

A peak style helmet is nice riding into Sun, but on my flip ups I simply put a strip of elec. tape across the top of my visor. Works well most of the time, except when Sun is very very low in the sky, in which case a peak won't work either. Also, dirt bike/hybrids are quite noisy compared to flip ups. On long days ... quiet is important to me. So ear plugs a must ... but if your helmet is quiet to start, means less fatigue at end of day.

Since you were touring in my country, I'll assume you're not familiar with Cycle Gear, it's history or Cycle Gear's In-House Bilt and Sedici brands?

In general the news about Cycle Gear is not good. Cycle Gear source the cheapest of the cheap Chinese gear. It truly is a question of "...you get what you pay for". Old cliche, yes, but in this case somewhat relevant .... as it's your HEAD that is at stake. :eek3:

Many many Chinese made helmets these days ... quality varies widely. Some OK, some crap. Unlike Australia, USA doesn't extract import duties for imports. (or very little) In Oz you lot wisely collect duties. If the USA did ... we might have things like teachers paid a living wage and roads that weren't in serious disrepair. Result is I'm guessing even Chinese crap helmets are expensive in Oz? Dunno?

I've tested BILT gear and (generally) its some of the worst gear I've seen in 20 years. Only held and tried on their helmets, never rode in them. On the surface, they're just barely OK. (compared to more expensive brands)

With the other gear (jackets, pants, gloves, boots) mostly fall apart in 2 to 3 months of daily use. Will the helmets be any better? I wonder how much the Chinese pay to get the CE license?

In USA it's mostly NOVICE riders who shop at Cycle Gear. Experienced riders know better ... and will only buy certain things there. (not In House brands created by Cycle Gear, cutting every corner along the way).

I'm really a cheap bastard ... :smartass: but with helmets I'm willing to spend a few bucks more. I've also spent the day at the SNELL foundation helmet testing center (Sacramento, CA) where I watched and documented helmet testing procedures for an entire day. Learned a lot about helmet construction, materials and durability.

Two major Japanese companies take helmets very seriously and do their own very rigorous testing .... and have done for 30 years: Shoei and Arai. I'm guessing they've learned a thing or two over the decades ... and I doubt they're sharing any of these secrets with the Chinese or Koreans. They have their own proprietary testing procedures ... and don't share these either, not even with the guys from SNELL foundation.

HJC (Korea) are the largest helmet maker in the world. About 80% of their product are really cheap helmets. SNELL guys said that early on HJC products were terrible ... but since about 2000, HJC have made significant improvement, rising to nearly the quality and technology of Shoei and Arai.
(among their more high end models)

The SNELL guys have visited ALL major factories ... including in China. They go every year on factory tours. They know more about helmets than anyone except perhaps Shoei and Arai, who, IMO, are the helmet masters.

But money is money ... so buy what you can afford and ... good luck! As you probably witnessed riding in the USA, about 25 of our states have NO hemet laws ... and many many riders ride SANS helmet. :smartass:

http://patricksphotos.smugmug.com/ph...-KvwWT4N-L.jpg
One of about 6 tests helmets go through at SNELL.

I like you have long pockets and short arms. Most on here are brand savvy and have more that a fair idea of what constitutes as good gear or have the foresight to do the research on a given item/s. The BILT is DOT approved, IMHO I think it's a great budget lid and at Cycle Gear I got good service and great value for money. It's also light years ahead of the innumerable lidless, totally blinded by their rights to buy or wear a lid. No great loss if and when it all gets outa shape and lets face it, why spend a motza on gear when life expectancy is limited by an astounding lack of common sense.

Hi, as a newbie here and with limited touring experience I would not want to agree/disagree with the practicalities of a lid when touring. This is something I will be finding out for myself over the next few years.
I did once speak with a retired helmet supplier to Hein Gericke (Motorcycle accessory shop no longer in business) and he told me something that I’ve always remembered.
1) When buying a helmet always try it on first. Never buy without trying it on. Different lids for different head shapes. I personally find Arai, Shoei and HJC lids fit me but AGV and Schuberth are uncomfortable.
2) Aside from race replica’s and fancy paint schemes you pay for what you get. A lot of expense in a lid is in research and development.
3) Never ever buy cheap (Aldi/Lidl/Chinese etc.) They are cheap for a reason. When did you ever see professional motorbike riders using cheap helmets…they want the best available for their head for those high speed/high impact crashes
4) Always try and buy a helmet with a D ring fastening system and not a buckle system. D rings are less likely to fail than a buckle system (His own words were physics over function)

Ride safe!!!!!

I've tried various helmets over the years and prefer Adventure style )off road with a visor) to all else- just personnel preference.

But...

Also tried varies 'price-categories' and after having settled on an Arai, I now understand why it's more expensive. Normally I replaced my hoods 12-18 months because the padding starts collapsing, various bits are breaking, the seals around the visor aren't working so well anymore etc.

My Arai is now going on 3 years and everything still works on it and it still fits as snug as the 1st time I got it. Personally I'm sold.

Other budget lids you can look at:

• Acerbis
• Airoh

IMO: avoid BMW- overpriced and they're not worth the extra money.

As for price vs. quality- in Australia we're only allowed to use 'Aus/NZ approved' helmets (which is a ridiculous sticker on the back that add $400 to a good hood). Even $150 hoods display this sticker, which means they conform to the minimum safety standards. However, some very expensive helmets don't have these stickers and therefor by law does not conform. You can still cop a nice fine from an unfriendly copper even though you spent a a k or more to protect your nuggin.

So- I agree you get what you pay for, but also check your country's minimum legal requirements before spending the money.

Me too ... I hit an Armco barrier then took a flyer over the rail and off a cliff ... free fell 200 ft., (66 meters) landed on my head in a rocky creek bed. Mild concussion. My $700 Arai saved my life, no question. (but LOTS of other body damage) ... but my head was ... more or less ... OK ... although I did forget how to speak Spanish for a year!) 2 year recovery.
My conclusion? Good helmets matter.

The USA has the DOT (dept. of transportation) and ALL helmets must have DOT approval. Fairly low standard. Shoei and Arai (and many other high end helmets)also have SNELL approval sticker ... which is USA only standard that is similar to the British Standards specs and MUCH better than DOT or EU CE approval which is "pay and get rubber stamp: CE APPROVED".

But much has changed lately on what is "best" in a helmet. Recent crash test have turned upside down all previous Data and SNELL for one, have totally changed their standards and testing procedures. Turns out Arai and Shoei were too stiff, not compliant enough and some cheap Chinese helmets actually performed better in certain types of tests. But don't give up your Shoei or Arai just yet. There is LOTS MORE to all this.

If you are riding a lot of gravel, a peaked helmet. One with a visor helps if you ride tar as well. Don't get a dark tint or you will see nothing at night.

Whatever brand fits your head. I have a square head so asian helmets don't fit my coconut. They pinch my cheeks or my head, depending on size. That rules out shoei and arai. The uvex enduro fits me well. It is relatively cheap for a quality helmet. The peak is a bit flimsy. I also have a nolan x551. Great helmet but can mist up. For road riding I have a schuberth full face. Quietest helmet but unlike the peaked ones, the visor will drop down at over 80 kmh. So it is terrible for gravel.

Peaks are great for sunshine.. However, they are noisy. You deffo need earplugs if you haven't got a big screen.

Everyone should wear earplugs anyway...

Or listen to music on your ipod :innocent:

Never ever tried this....

Doesn't it make you go deaf ??

All that wind noise and loud music...

Serious question..

You're correct Ted, listening to music while riding can be hazardous for your hearing. But depends on listening level and type of ear bud or headphones used.

Ear buds can cut wind rumble and protect from that ... but if you crank up the Tunes to be able to hear the music over road noise ... well that's where damage can occur.

Ear buds sit IN the ear canal and pretty much seal off the canal. The speaker driver ends up in close proximity to your ear drum. If you crank the volume to overcome road noise you may ... OVER TIME ... do damage to your hearing.

Some use in helmet speakers. These are less damaging as are further from ear drum. But riders with this system tend to really crank UP volume to hear the music properly ... so also result in damage.

The smart rider will insert ear plugs ... then use over the ear phones on top of that. Does it work well? No. You're hearing is safe but the sound sucks. :rofl:

Not sure of the answer here ... and I'm a sound man by trade, so I should know. But I don't.

I see many riders using ear buds and tell me "oh, no problem, my hearing is fine!" Uh huh. Come back in a year and lets do a hearing test. It takes years and hours and hours and hours of loud listening to do real, irreversible damage. Once those little Scilia fibers surrounding your ear drum are disturbed, you first will lose very high frequencies. Next you'll have trouble understanding conversation in a loud bar. Next, the mid range begins to fade away and you miss a lot of what is said.

All this happens naturally over time as we age. It affects some more than others. But there is NO QUESTION that loud listening does damage if you're overexposed to loud music ... or low frequency wind rumble from riding without ear plugs. Both will make you deaf ... eventually.

The Japanese did extensive and rigorous testing on this back in the 80's during the "WalkMan" Craze. Thousands of Japanese students were losing their hearing. And guess what? In those day most used "over the ear" phones, not in ear Ear Buds like today. The Ear Buds are far more dangerous as they SEAL the ear canal (no venting) and they place speaker driver close to ear drum.

I ride a KTM with arrow pipes. What more music than that do I need? :mchappy:

Granted a few hours at 140 kmh plus without earplugs and my ears are ringing, but more from the wind noise.

I splashed out and bought some custom moulded earplugs, with the tiny little speaker gadget thingys that send sound up a curly tube into the moulds.

Best thing I've ever done.
Knocks out most of the wind noise and [HD] engine noise, and I run the MP3 player at about third of the volume I used to.

I feel much better at the end of a long day on the road.

Loud pipes will never hurt your hearing. Wrong frequencies and proximity is too far from ear drum and well filtered by even a mediocre helmet.

What does the damage is LOW FREQUENCY WIND RUMBLE. Plugs knock a lot of that down. The trick is finding comfortable plugs that you can wear all day without soreness or sensitivity.

I use Howard Leight Laser Lite plugs. Best I've found among at least ten brands I've tried and tested ... and for me, very comfortable ... AND you can still hear things like Horns, Sirens and even some conversation ...although all muted quite a bit.

Even a very quiet, quality helmet like a top of the line Arai or Schuberth, you can still get some low freq. wind rumble at speed. Some windshields can make rumble (buffeting) worse, causing more damage.

Take Care!

Agree with you there Mollydog, I find the low screen on the DR and my Arai XD3 generates quite a bit of wind noise which is tiring on a long days riding, but I prefer peaked helmets. I already have some tinnitus from shooting small arms/rockets/ tanks in the military, so am a bit more careful these days to use earplugs, with a scala rider headset earpiece mounted in the helmet for radio/mp3/listening to the wife nagging me.


Ive slid 100 + feet on my face at 80 mph/130 kmh on asphalt in my old Arai Tour Cross (Euro model of original XD) and have no problem investing money on a quality lid.

Figure out your head shape and go from there, Arai make shapes for most peoples melons, but buy what is comfortable and as good quality as you can afford. Snell standards change every few years, so a cheaper lid that meets the M2010 standard MAY be a better buy than a more expensive lid that only meets M2005, but it still has to fit properly.


http://www.smf.org/home


Mollydog, that was one hell of a tumble down a cliff!

The common knowledge tells us that Arai and Shoei have two different head shapes ... but in recent years I think they've both come to sort of the "middle" on this. (Shoei thought of as "long, narrow head, Arai more a round head.) Modern versions of both seem to fit me well. If Arai made a helmet like my Multi-tec ... I'd buy it.

Like you say, try them all on ... leave on a while. If you get "hot spots" you can often depress the inner foam liner with your thump ... this helps a lot for Hot Spots and fine tuning comfort.

Snell Foundation - home

Maybe would have been better if it was a tumble ... but it fact it was a free fall, according to CHP who wrote up report. All my buddies assumed I was dead. I was very lucky to have survived.

My buddies stopped, looked over the guardrail, down into creek bed where I landed. Then I got UP!!! (and fell back down! :eek3:) It took 15 minutes just to get to me. Luckily there was an access road fairly close. Paramedics carried me to an ambulance then to waiting chopper. 2.5 years later I was back on the bike. Best news is I remember NOTHING of the crash at all ... natures way of saving us from bad memories. ... and I did go to heaven, briefly! :mchappy:

Highway 36 is one of the best roads in the country ... but never get cocky .. like I did.

I just bought a Neotech. While it fits very well, it is noisy from the front vent while onmy KTM 990. My Multitech was much more quiet.

My vote is still pending on the Neotech, but I love love love the inner sun shade.

My two cents worth......
 

Arai XD3/XD4 if it fits your head shape.

Pros:
1. Excellent, excellent, venting in hot weather.
2. Breathable head liner.
3. Fairly quiet.
4. The visor is good in bright sun, just tilt your head a little to block it out.
5. High quality removable pads and head liner that can washed many times without falling apart.
6. Availability of replacement parts.

Cons:
1. Cost.
2. Cross winds, but the visor can be removed.

:cool3:

If your visor is down (i use full face helmet) then very little wind noise, on my last trip i mostly listen to music on my MP3 on long stretches.

I have only been riding just over a year however for work i have to have full medicals including ear tests, my hearing has always been the same level since my fist medical 10 years ago apart from slight loss in my right ear but this was because of my previous work occupation where i was exposed to high noise levels

I will carry on listening to music on long boring stretches but if my hearing was to be effected this would present itself at my next yearly medical and then i would know why

A good helmet does make a difference. Also, if no shield on the bike ... that's usually quieter with less buffeting too. :thumbup1:

If you listen at LOW levels ... you'll not do too much damage ... but I find that hard to do. Also, road speed makes a BIG difference. If you can keep it under 60 mph on a calm day ... you shouldn't get too much wind noise ... so listening level can be fairly low.

Hearing loss is very devious: Sneaky, slow and subtle ... until it's not and then one year you're tests show you're not hearing high freq's anymore!!! or lost 50% of them. doh

Once that happens ... lose the music because next up will be mid range freq's ... which most affect understanding of speech. :eek3:

Lose the mid range and you're an instant Deaf Fookin Geezer everybody just assumes is retarded or has had a stroke. Not a nice place to be boys. Save your Ears!

(semi deaf sound guy talking here ... way too many gun battles on set) :confused1: :confused1: Huh? Was 'dat?

:smiliex:

Shoei
 

Has anybody got an opinion on the Shoei J-Cruise helmets ?
I am not really a full face person so these appeal !!!

Thanks
Paul

In the end I went with a Shoei GT AIR. It was expensive but only one I could find that felt right. Fits like a glove and is very comfortable. Hardly notice its on but really appreciate the quietness and the sun visor is great, esp as you can just lower it a little to take the edge of a low sun. now I never go anywhere without earplugs and I find a bandanna around my neck cuts out wind noise near completely.

Ted; I tried the mp3 thing but was a PITA to get the cables and buds to sit right, and having to pull over and take off gloves, etc to change track also, so after a while judt went back to earplugs. I found it was a distraction and disconnected me from my surroundings.

Molly; you say a windscreen causes more noise and buffeting or less? I thought it was other way around!

Windscreens can go either way. If the design is just right, and set perfectly for your height, then they can be quieter.

But many times they are noisy and cause buffeting ... and in this case they can be noisier than NO shield at all. So it's tricky getting the right shield at the right height and angle to work on your bike. It's all fairly subjective as well.

I've struggled on many bikes to get the right shield and then get it set to be quiet for me. I've been through 4 shields on my 1050 Tiger ... never have found one that's much good. On my Vstrom (90K miles) I found the Holy Grail and got a quiet shield. The BMW guys go insane with this issue ... and spend hundreds and hundreds trying different shield solutions. It's a whole long (and very boring)topic on many forums ... thank god not so much here.
(we've better things to do I guess!)

If you fit a shield, just make sure you set it up so it can be adjusted on several planes. (forward, back, angle and height) can be a bit of a nightmare. (I am a pro audio guy so am picky about wind noise)

good luck bier

Hmm, interesting! Was debating getting one for my tornado but perhaps the cash is better spent elsewhere.

Shields are good in Rain and Cold. But I HATE them trying to ride down a dirt road ... especially one with ruts where reading the terrain is crucial.

But when it's below freezing or raining, tucking in behind a nice shield is good.
But do you want a big "barn door" style shield on that little bike? Some like it.
I saw this in Thailand. If the shield is optically perfect then you can see through it pretty good. If not ... it's like riding on LSD. :smartass:
(l like LSD)

I also am not fond of a shield in HOT weather as it blocks cooling air.

On the DR650, guys buy the cheap National Cycle Shields and take them off and carry them off road, bolt them back on when needed. It's very quick and simple on some shields.

Looking down at your front wheel instead of look up and look ahead are we? LOL! Just teasing.

Ja, a tall screen does hinder vision on technical dirt. Then again, the reduction in wind and noise at high speed is a plus on long days and much less tiring. Just tall enough to deflect wind past top of helmet is fine for me. Amazing how not much height is required to achieve that.

Shark evoline series 3... if it fits your head.

The helmet is one of very few flip fronts that are legal and comfortable to ride open face. It has a built in sun visor. Also, fitting intercom is easy. The helmet is easy to operate. But it is expensive...

http://www.shark-helmets.com/images/...9250EBLK-1.JPG

before you blame the shield for buffeting ,try removing those mickey mouse earred mirrors,was the entire cause of buffeting on my Buell.

Flip up, you can communicate with people better when you stop for directions . Sun shield as per above or others ( schuberth etc) is gtreat for varying sunlight, tunnells etc). Some flip ups can be noisy so try a few.

http://www.jmcorp.com/media/helmets/..._n44_group.jpg

nolan n44, customize as you like:scooter:

I guess that Nolan would be OK if you don't mind carrying around all the extra bits and pieces? (screws, nuts and bolts) :helpsmilie:

I won't ride with open face helmet. Chin bar please! :thumbup1:
I've seen unprintable scenes from accidents involving open face helmets, like the woman I met at a BIG Harley rally...half her face ...missing :nuke: :nono:
She'd already had 9 operations ... more reconstruction to come.

I like a flip up option for travel. Some like an internal pull down tinted shield. These are good ... until they get so scratched up you can't see through them ... about a month of travel. Most not very scratch resistant, don't last long. Had them on both my former Nolan and current HJC Symax ll. Useless.

I prefer high quality sun glasses and a piece of elec. tape put across the top of face shield. Simple, works pretty well.
bier

This seems like a good solution! With and internal sun visor, you'd need to keep the helmet ventilated. In the UK, where we're not always blessed with warmth :thumbdown: I've used an internal visor when it's really sunny but quite chilly (so kept vents closed, etc) and the second I breathe the sun visor fogs up and I can't see a thing! Useless! For me, Arai's the way to go. By far the most comfortable, well fitting helmets I've ever owned, and allegedly the safest on the market. This does mean that they don't have some of the features of other helmets, but if it saves my head in crash, I won't care will I?! :thumbup1:

With the greatest respect to your valued opinion, the "top shelf" helmet manufacturers waste huge sums of money on expensive (glossy) advertising and professionals are paid silly money to wear their brands of helmets. Expensive does NOT always equate to increased protection and thats a FACT borne out by SHARP tests in the UK where sub £100 helmets have blown away "top shelf" helmets costing 4 times as much. I remember that a £70 helmet was awarded the full 5 stars whereas Arai's most expensive helmet crept home with only 3 stars....

I realise it's not just about protection and that comfort, build quality and lovgevity come into play....

I use a MT Flux "system" helmet which cost me £90. I picked it after trying on 20 or so alternatives including some costing £400 plus. I can afford to buy top shelf helmets but merely prefer to buy a bargain. :D
Finally, I can assure you that Aldi/Lidyl often sell some pretty awesome biking bargains. I can also assure you that many mid-range (and above) helmets are made in (wait for it)..... CHINA! Many companies base themselves in Europe but farm out manufacturing to Chinese companies. I understand many of these helmets are also made in other developing economies. Reminds of of Triumph Bonnies which are now made in THAILAND (mines an original Hinkley made carbed 790). Mine has a metal tank badge not an inferior plastic one. I'm not saying that Thai made bikes are bad bikes (they are excellent), what I am saying is that often Chinese made goods are of excellent build quality and in the case of lesser known helmet manufacturers are often a great bargain.

Certainly some good points. Regards the Sharp results, I'd be curious what helmet standards they developed and what tests they do. I know previous British Standards testing is said to be very good, highly regarded world wide.

Results can often be skewed depending on what tests are used and how they are evaluated. I spent a day with the SNELL people in USA, interviewed the principles about testing, the Japanese, the Koreans ... and of course the Chinese. Won't go into that here ... suffice to say, you are correct, the Chinese are making much better product than 10 years ago. Problem is:
There is NO regulation
Govt. are totally corrupt, so hard to know what is going on!

Despite this, the products have got better. :thumbup1:

I would not equate the Triumph/Thailand story with how the Chinese helmet market has evolved.

Very different, IMO.
I've visited Hinckley twice, had detailed discussion with execs about Thai operations. Amazing quality coming out of Thailand! :thumbup1:

The big difference is: TRIUMPH RUN Thailand directly ... hands on with real Brit engineers/managers there IN PERSON .. setting things up, double checking quality control ... on and on. I'd say: Job Well Done! (Triumph owner here)

Do you think Italian AGV send anyone to China to monitor helmets made with their name spray painted on them? :rofl:

Many Chinese made helmets all come from the same factory ... about 100 different brands ... all same helmets with some small detail differences, colors/graphics, vents moved around, features added and such. All same helmet!

In China ... it's open season on Get Rich Quick. :helpsmilie:

But I hear what you're saying about overpriced helmets and good value ones.
But honestly, you can't really feel safe with an open faced helmet? Can you?
Do you think your invincible? :smartass:

Seriously, I wish you could have been with me when I meet a woman at a Harley event about 10 years back. (no, I'm not a Harley guy, I'm press)

If you could have seen her face ...you might change your mind about open face helmets. I hope you haven't eaten ... but just imagine ... half her face ... was GONE. She'd had about 6 operations, more to come. So sad. Drunk boyfriend dumped her off ... she landed face first. Not Good. You just had to see her. Gives new meaning to the term Chin Bar ...
she had NO CHIN.

Sure, I rode open faced for years in my youth. Rocks, bugs and
rain biggest downside. But a face first landing could bring bad result.

My flip up Shoei Multitec works well, all the advantages of open face, all the safety of full face. bier

This is something which is often overlooked by those of us who are in the habit of preaching to others (with limited funds) that they MUST buy "premium" "expensive" "top-shelf" helmets. The top five "premium" helmet makers spend millions every year on vastly expensive "glossy" advertising and pay the well known racers to wear their product. The costs here are passed onto customers with increased helmet prices. It follows that many lesser known helmet manufacturers are able to pass their savings on by offering their products much cheaper. Of course if you have the money to buy "top shelf" helmets then that's perfectly fine, what does annoy me is those out there who deride others not in a position to do this. The UK SHARP tests have proven that cost of helmet does NOT always equate to increased protection in a crash. Finally, the difference between a cheap helmet and an expensive one MIGHT result in being a vegetable instead of being killed. The point I'm making is that in very serious collisions, a helmet regardless of cost isn't going to save you.

I think I remember Jamie Whitham (ex superbike racer. . Now eurosport commentator) saying he would wear a frying pan for a lid if the sponsor paid enough. . .



So far into my current rtw trip my shark evoline has been great. . . Full Face when I need it and great for riding through town or to aid communication. . . .

The all the kit all the time brigade may not be happy with am open face lid but it makes perfect sense at times. . .Just be sensible and accept your own risks. . .gosh I even ride in jeans sometimes

;-)

best Helmet?
 

Well, as said before the best helmet is the one your wearing, with a proper chin strap, when the inevitable happens.

but seeing as this is a bit of a pole, for me:

IMO full face is a must - I crashed pretty hard in a full face years ago and it made the difference between a medivac and riding out. Conversely, my sister had a similar (but much slower) high side in a quality 3/4 helmet, banged her jaw, and consequentially had to have about 12 root canals to repair broken root stems from the shock. It pretty much ended her riding career, and I'm convinced with a full face lid she would have forgotten about the whole thing hours later.

that being said, I hate having to take my helmet off every time I stop for a photo, or to talk with someone briefly so a 'flip front' style full face has been my compromise for years. Is it as safe as a non-flip front type? Definitely not, but way better then no chin bar at all.

After years of various HJC, which fit well and IMO are well made, I decided to treat myself to a Shoei Neotec and love it. I'm not as impressed with the flip down sun shade as I thought I'd be, but the venting, fit, and overall utility (nice positive locking chin bar) are excellent. Even though i do quite a bit of 'off road' type touring, I have never tried a dual sport helmet with a peak and goggles. I like riding with my visor up (unless it is raining) and sunglasses on to keep bugs out of my eyes. I try not to ride close enough to anyone that dust is a major issue, I'm not racing right? And if my eyes/ nose are getting clogged up, so is my airfilter!

Now on to the earplug debate - I wear earplugs unless i'm doing consistent slow speed (under 60km) riding. I prefer the rubber finned cone to the squishy expanding type.

One of my chief pleasures in life is listening to recorded books (and music occasionally) while riding, particularly on long Hwy sections. For this purpose I use a set of Comply NR-10i 'noise reduction' earphones. These are basically a medium quality speaker embedded in a squishy expanding ear plug. They block out similar amounts of wind/ bike noise as a pair of regular ear plugs, and allow me to set my phone/ Mp3 player at a moderate (not damaging) level. Pure nirvana!

I don't use them when in traffic or other places that require a higher level of awareness, but for riding on the open hwy they are great. My personal theory is that riding with ear plugs is safer because your not being overwhelmed by sound blast, and can focus more of your attention on the sense (sight) that will more likely save you.

YRMV

:D:D:D
Neotec! Good choice. I own a Multitec and Neotec will be my next helmet.

I'm not fan of any flip down sun visor I've used. I also have a HJC Symax ll and the flip down tinted visor is worthless,
very poor optics/clarity, scratches easily.

Note that the Neotec (and Multitec too) have steel parts in their flip up chin bar. And if I know Shoei ... they've tested the chin bar seriously in crashes.
If they say it's strong ... I believe them. HJC? Hmmm .. not so sure.

I've hit the ground lightly a few times on my Multitec ... no problems with anything. Dirt will foul the flip up lock mechanism but washing clears it right up. Overall a great helmet in my 60K miles riding in it. The interior is now wearing out after 7 years use. I'd buy it again. Quieter and more comfortable the HJC SyMax ll. (very highly rated HJC helmet)

Any good tips on sourcing good audio books (ie cheap!) ??

Studies PROVE you ride better with ear plugs in. Better concentration and focus, lower heart rate, lower rate of breathing and over all more relaxed which will have you making better decisions and riding BETTER.
EAR PLUGS: Only Way To Ride!

No arguments about earplugs - I'm still on a quest to find the best balance between efficiency and convenience with them though. In the meantime I've just bought a box of disposables on eBay to be getting on with.

Maybe I've just not experienced enough of what the world of auditory inserts has to offer but trying to find something good enough to cut out high levels of road noise yet still allowing intercom err ... noise (from my wife :rolleyes2:) to get through isn't something I've succeeded in so far.

Re cheap audiobooks - my local charity shops often have a reasonable number of tape based ones but you'll need an old Walkman to play them. TPB has a good selection of digital ones :blushing: (so I'm told, anyway).

Try Howard Leight ear plugs.

Howard Leight | Ear Plugs

I've used them all and prefer the "Laser Light" one. Soft, comfortable all day, very good attenuation, not expensive.
Howard Leight | Laser Lite Earplugs

NOTE: Remember ear plugs are disposable. Most won't work once they've gotten wet. Toss them out, don't bother trying to dry them out.

Rolling the plug down to a skinny tube is important for getting them inserted far enough to achieve MAX attenuation. Every Ear canal is different, I lick the ear plug tip before insertion. The moisture allows it to go in easily.

Clean hands for doing this. Once plugs are dirty ... toss them out.

Now about $30 for a box of 200 pairs. (they've gone UP!)

http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

Oh, no problems with disposables working so well that the world of sound drifts away totally, taking every raucous rattle and wearisome whine with it. They make my 125 Suzuki sound more like a Hoover than a crackly two stroke - and very pleased I am with them (in a Yoda-ish kind of way :rofl:). In fact they're so good that I've wondered about taking lip reading classes.

It's getting the balance between that and being able to hear stuff from the intercom speakers at any sort of reasonable road speed that I've not managed to achieve. Put the disposables in correctly and it cuts the speaker volume to the point where I often can't hear it. That's ok for music, where near enough is good enough (I can sing along to fill in the rest) and I don't use sat nav sound directions (even in the car), it's just rider - pillion stuff that's the niggle.

Leave the ear plugs out and the intercom is fine but that really only works for short trips. On an all-dayer I need the plugs - or some ear protection anyway. I've got a collection of helmets and while some are louder / quieter than others enough wind noise gets through all of them that it's just a matter of degree rather than good / bad. I've tried other, not so good, plugs of various types in the hope of getting a balance and it is possible but then I'm conscious of the extra assault on my ears and the higher levels of stress that goes with it.

Btw, I read somewhere that ear plugs are illegal in California - is that the case or just an internet rumour?

There is some reference to wearing "ear phones", but very rarely enforced for motorcyclists wearing hearing protection. Other states have similar restrictions,
not enforced much in Western US.

Tip for intercom: Leave one ear plug in one ear not fully seated (pull it out a bit) ... This should allow enough sound to get through to hear intercom without sacrificing too much wind noise protection.

Experiment with this until you reach a good balance ...

... or get a booster amp for intercom and a better speaker so you can hear even with plugs fully inserted. bier

audio playing earplugs
 

Yes, I agree that the Shoei probably has a better chance holding together (and saving your face) in a crash then most flip lids. I'd at least hope so for $600. I used to be a cheap helmet snob - thought expensive helmets were all about fear mongering and paying for advertising, not real safety. Now I view the extra money as well spent just for comfort.

Audio books - I have a subscription to audible which gives you one download a month for a reasonable fee. I'm just trying that out. Not cheap, but convenient. there are lots of ways to download audiobooks for free via torrent 'file sharing' sites (just like movies). These require some investigation - i have friends that use them for everything, i do a mix of pay & play as well as 'sharing' downloads, when I have the time and am organizing for a trip. Audible lets me download a new book while having a coffee or meal, so very convenient..... and now this is really :offtopic: maybe a new thread just for this discussion :smile2:?

I would prefere any cheap helmed as i dont have to worry about it when i go hiking or ride offroad through tree trunks and so on...