Type of helmet
 

For an overland trip through Africa, which would be the best type of helmet to take? Full-face with visor, MX style, flip-up etc. Any advice?

Hai,

I would absolutely go for a flip-up. When it's very hot, just open it. When you need to ask directions, just open it.
When it's dusty, close it. When it's cold, close it.
etc... etc...

Good luck with making the choise.

by the way, there is a lot if discusion on witch flip up is best. You can find it with the search-function.

Maarten

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- www.maartensworld.tmfweb.nl -

I agree with Martin, flip-up is best. Apart from the reasons he mentioned people are often friendlier if they can see your face. A biker with shades and a closed helmet is found to be intimidating by some local people - they can't see your face or your eyes.

regards

George

I'm planning a similar trip and have gone for a flip-top. The Caberg lid I've got lets you easily remove the chinguard - turning it into an open face (you can get a kit that makes it a bit more durable).

Sadly the chinguard decided to come loose when I was riding through the Peak district last week - no real problem - but make sure you keep the screws tight!


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Fuzzy Duck
(I'm quackers about bikes)

I would LOVE to have a flip up helmet. Problem is, I can't find one that fits. I think I've tried them all, too. They all seem to pinch my forehead. They seem to be tighter up there than standard full face helmets.

Kurt

Kurt, don't be afraid to take a Dremel to the styrofoam - 1/8" works wonders. I've gone from unwearable to perfect in less than that. Don't overdo it, be careful, and any difference in safety is minimal - especially when most manufacturers use one shell size for two or more sizes, and make up the fit with more or less styrofoam.

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Grant Johnson

One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Hi-Ya
Been on the road through Africa for 7 months now. Started with full face but ditched it for MX style with goggles (mask) in Dakar - full face too damn hot! Even with full face or Flip-up visor up, got stung by sand, insects etc. etc. A good MX style helmet with a good pair of goggles (Oakley ?) with spare lens should see you right for years. keeps you cool but never cold. To avoid "fogging" of goggles during rain, treat them with "visor Clear" type treatment!
Good Luck
Andy

Speaking of flip up helments. What is the advantages of a flip up over a regualar 3/4 helment with a face shield? I have heard that after one bounce the flip up portion breaks off and leaves you with no protection anyway. Anyone ever put their flip up to the test? How did it hold up?

Heard different things. Personaly had a positive experience with a Caberg about 5 years ago. Crashed with it after a car had run into my side. It held well.
But also heard from a BMW system helmet were the front came off when it hit the ground. Wasn't ideal...

At the moment I have a Nolan system and I am not happy with it. I am considering the Schubert system (with heated viser against fog in the winter) or the Lazer Revolution (like the idea of the face mask against fog and cold).
Who can give me a comparisation between the two? How muc are they? Experiences?
Planning to use them year round.

Howdy,

I use the Schubert Concept Helmet for 3 years now. It is perfect for me. The BMW helmets are made by Schubert.

See http://www.schuberth.com/index2.htm

I have a lazer flip front which is very comfortable and I have to agree with the thought that people are friendlier if they can see your face.

WARNING ON FLIP UPS
While racing La Vuelta with Ricardo Rocco, I saw him crash in a brand new HJC flip up. The cheap plastic chin bar came right off and he banged his nose pretty badly. I believe he also had a mild concussion as he could not remeber the next hour or so.

I do not know if other brands are better, but I would definitely NOT get an HJC flip up. Treat it as an open face helmet that happens to keep the wind off your face.

I will keep my full face Shoei, thanks.

On a positive note, Ricardo is doing well (and his crash moved me up to 2nd place and a $1000 prize!).

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Back on the road again.

sogear.com

the caberg flip-up now has a built in slide down sun visor, that you can use with the chinbar on or off. im thinking of getting one. i think shuberth do something similar, but alot more expensive.

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dave

My girlfriend tried buying the latest Schuberth flip-up in Berlin a few months ago. The smallest size was way too big, despte what the shop owner said. The slide down sun visor was a very loose fit in the helmet & the overall quality left a lot to be desired. She had set her heart on this helmet but settled on a Shoei Raid, considerably cheaper, better fit & ventilation. Also easier to get parts for?

Steve

I'll throw my 2 pence into this discussion. Note that I have toured with full-face, flip-up, MX and dualsport helmets.

The arguments for flip-ups seem to centre around ventillation and presenting a friendly face;

Ventillation: so it gets hot and you flip up the chin piece in order to let some air in ... and then face plant onto a rock. Ouch! Personally I've never understood why people ride with a helmet without chin protection. Apart from saving your face in an accident they also stop stones and insects impacting on your face as you ride along.

Friendliness: people are much nicer to you if they can see your face. I agree with this point, which is why when I pull up outside a shack in the Atlas mountains to ask for directions I kill the engine, take my helmet off, get off the bike and actually talk to the person. If you're such a rush that there's no time to stop, then I think people will speak to you no matter how you're dressed, or they won't.

Personally I wear an Arai Tour-X, a sort of cross between an MX lid and a full face. In the rain and cold it's got the practicality of a full face helmet, and in the heat and sun it's got the ventillation of an MX lid. I wear tinted goggles with it in hot dusty environments, and in the rain of the UK I use it like a regular full-face helmet. I find it to be well built, well ventillated and comfortable, but I haven't crash tested it yet.

<center> http://www.araihelmet-europe.com/En/...lugrey_big.JPG </center>

On the build quality front, you get what you pay for. Of course a £100 flip-up is going to rattle itself to bits on the first corrugated African track. But other manufacturers are now catching up with Shoei and Arai in this area.

How much money is too much to spend on the protection of your head?

Parting shot: the most important thing about a helmet is comfort. It doesn't matter if it cost the earth and has a host of gadgets, if it gives you a migrane every time you put it on you won't give a toss what the locals think about you.

Ride safe, Iain.

[This message has been edited by iswoolley (edited 27 November 2003).]

I agree with Iain.

I too have an Arai Tour X. It's the most comfortable lid I've ever owned. The vents are great for hot weather and if required you can wear goggles with it.

For our trip this year I had a Shoei VFX R2, MX helmet, another great lid, but too much noise on fast roads. I still use it for trail riding.

At work I use a BMW System 4. It feels very cheaply made and is not especially comfortable. I wouldn't recommend riding with any 'Fliptop' in the open position, they're not designed to be used in this way.

I had the same problem, but i have some cool friends that chipped in and got me the tour-x, and now on the road and testing it I agree with iswoolley, this is the best helmet i have ever owned, the visor is great on the road and the peak is awesome when riding into the sun, something to seriously consider when you are on the road for extended time..., i have goggles with tinted lenses for the dirt and my sunnys and visor for the road.... to know what i do now and had my mates not chipped in i would still go for it, it is alot of money but you will be so happy you bought it... i am presently in south morocco going from london to cape town and already chuffed to bits, but just my opinion and obviously everyones budget doesnt allow for it, i ubderstand that, hence why my mates surprised me with it, thanks again to them...

safe travels guys...

I know I'm going out on a limb here but I almost always wear my Arai SX open face helmet with deep visor. Last year I rode across the US, which included Death Valley when the daytime temperature reached 118f. I much prefer the freedom, excellent vision and fresh air (OK, drafts) with an open face helmet. I also think it's important to have a white or silver helmet to reflect away some of the heat. Quite why black is such a popular colour baffles me. Last summer I rode down to the Pyrenees with the thermometer touching 100f, so I'm convinced the Arai SX is the best helmet for me.

heya guys,

open face depends on your travels ie amount of offroad, i am currently in merzouga dunes in morocco, and bit the dirt coming off the top of one of the dunes, i have my arai tour x and had a mouthful of sand, open face well i wouldnt want to think about especially if i was on the rocky terrain ) i agree about the colours, i have white and its great..

safe travels all

Was there not a recent thread about a woman (Amelia?) crashing in South America whilst wearing an open face? I believe a broken jaw was one of her injuries.....

I crashed (one of many, steep,learning curve etc..) in the 80's, fortunately wearing a full face. I hit a rock in the grass with my chin bar. I only realised this afterwards when I saw the 50mm long & 3mm deep groove on my chinbar. This alone convinced me of the need to wear a full face. I also wore nearly 2mm of the bottom of my chinbar whilst "surfing" on my chest down the road after being flung over the handlebars on another occasion.

It's one thing having such an accident in the UK etc, with quality medical aid, family & friends nearby to help, another thing to have this happen in the middle of nowhere with limited assistance etc.

Steve

Yes, Amalia (UK) crashed in Bolivia with an open face - broken jaw and more. Lois Pryce, who was with her and also wearing an open face, went looking for a full face the next day. (I had tried to convince her when she was here in Vancouver on her way south, but failed.) Too bad it takes a serious accident to convince people.

See Amalia's story in the Travellers Stories section. She could use a little cheering up too!

FWIW, I think ANY kind of full face is good - the differences are minor in the protection area, but they are all vastly superior to an open face.

Of course going by my experience an open face is fine. Despite numberous crashes racing, including an over 110mph over-the-bars roadracing crash, I have yet to scrape up a helmet. In fact in the 110mph one, I never even marked the helmet at all, despite the bike bouncing end over end right beside me as I slid and tumbled. Totalled the bike, my leathers, gloves, knees... but I didn't need the helmet at all!

I wear a full face always anyway...

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Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
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One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

I thought my response to the open helmet idea would provoke a response. If I might come back though. One of the main reasons I almost always wear an open face helmet is that on long rides, especially if it's hot, I often get drowsy, and dangerously so. I do stop often and I do these days, drink far more cool water, but I think I'm one of those people, a 'wilter'. This even happens with the open face helmet but much less so owing to the far better ventilation.
I've been riding for over 35yrs and have used open, full and flip-up helmets, and still come back to the open face. To me it FAR, FAR better that I have good ventilation and stay alert and concentrated, rather than have to fight a daily battle in hot weather to stay alive.

Both my wife and I have the Arai RX-7's.
we have found it has the best venting of any of the helmets we have had, full face and flip-up's. We also have found that in the heat it is cooler with the visor down.
John

Am on the moment of looking for a new helmet after 7 years riding with the BMW System 3. I use the flip quite a lot, so thought of buying the ROOF helmet because you can put the chin part completly to the back. Had a few falls (no major)in OZ and NZ. Also one in Belgium but never one where my helmet touched the ground. But after reading this it makes me doubt again. Maybe keeping my System 3 for travelling and buying the ROOF helmet for home-work. Somebody any experience with the ROOF helmet?

I have been using ROOF Boxer for 4-5 years. The helmet has some strong and weak points.

Strong :
Its solid. My friend got hit by a soccer-mom (Oh gee officer, I didnt see him comming, my sidemirrors where kind of blocked)) 80 km/h and got pretty badly injured. The doctors said that if it wasent for the quality of the helmet, he wouldnt have made it. The helmet took a serious beating, but the front-piece (nor anything else) disintegrated.

Weak
It becomes a lot bigger after 1 years use.
It takes in the wind in such a way that my cheak gets pushed upwards, resulting in a very stiff neck when I try to work against it. Above 125 km/h is a real pain.
Its kind of hard to get the visor locked in such a way that it keeps the rain out.

Im, looking for something new....
Maybe Arai Tour-X

Hi all
can prescription glasses be worn with goggles?

thanks

safe and pleasant journey safe and pleasant return

paddy

Yes, you should be able to wear your prescription glasses with your goggles, I used to do this all the time when I was skiing. If its cold and rainy, you will most likely have a big problem with your glasses fogging up under the goggles. I could never deal with that...

Dave

Several of the goggle companies make goggles specifically for riders who wear glasses. These goggles are slightly larger in diameter over the surface which fits against the face, allowing more clearance for the glasses. The lens sizes are the same as those in the regular goggles (at least they have been for the Oakley goggles I've used).

There are also goggle makers who make goggles with prescription lenses built in - they cost a lot more, of course. I don't recall any brand names, but I've seen these advertised in dirt bike magazines. These would avoid the fogging of the lenses of the glasses (since the rider isn't wearing glasses), which can indeed be a problem.

Mike

If you know your size, save some pennies on Arai x tour;

http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...sPageName=WD2V

Matt