Helmet ....for Africa - Arai Tour X or flip up
 

Hi all,

I am planning a trans africa trip in October and want to be offroad as much as I am onroad. Has anyone had any experience with the Arai Tour X - MX style with Visor, I would take googles too - and how hot does the flip up type get ie. through Africa. I like the idea of having my face exposed when chatting to folks but dont want to be overheating on the road / trails. Your advice and opinions would be welcome...

Cheers
Mark

Hi

I use a Carberg just1 when touring, It is excellent value for money £89.99 in the BMF last year. They have a new model out which has a retractable tinted visor etc but costs more.

This was fine to use on the piste in conditions of 30degs +. They are great when you just flip the front up getting on ferries, one less thing to carry. Also great at road blocks as they can see your face.

Have also used my Arai quantum 3 which is great for on road, but found it too hot for overlanding.

Cheers

Julio

I *very* seriously considered getting a Tour-X last year. It seemed to me to be the perfect compromise.

...but when I saw the quality of Moto-X lid you get for 100-150GBP, and bearing in mind the difference in weight (and the possibility of damaging a helmet while overlanding) I went for an MX helmet.

Although I also have a Bell M-5 (auto-racing style road helmet), I find that in the spring / summer I much prefer the MX lid (mine's an Acerbis).

The problems you get at sub-90mph speeds are over-rated, especially if you wear earplugs. I've worn mine on faired (XT600 3AJ) and unfaired (XRL650) and found it fine.

...And that;s without considering the fantastic peripheral vision you get with an MX lid, the great ventilation, and the flexibility of being able to use goggles. It took me a while to get used to them, but now I love my Scott Deserts.

When it's *really* hot and you're on roads, you can even wear wraparound sunglasses and an MX lid - as cool as an open face but with loads of protection.

The Tour-X is good, but it ain't that good. For the money you're much better off with an MX lid and 200GBP in your pocket.

HTH

And of course the Caberg has a conversion kit so that you can use it as an open face with a fitted peak, so have the choice of using goggles when it suits you. I think it's got some sort of Motocross helmet standard for this (the only flip top that had one at the time, I think?)

I was thinking of getting the Arai - but at £360 GBP + the cost of new visors? (the bloke in the shop laughed when I asked him how much new visors were). I've looked at other flip tops. The Schuberth is supposed to be really noisy (ask Sean Kelly - who has just returned from a BIG trip). The Shoei Synchrotech is good - but £260 GBP is the cheapest I could find - lighter than the Schuberth + the features are slightly better I think.

At the end of the day I think I'll stick with my Caberg - it's a good bargain, and let's face it I can buy 3 or 4 of them compared to the price of an Arai - and I'm only taking things I can afford to lose/get stolen/break & replace...?


[This message has been edited by Fuzzy Duck (edited 31 May 2003).]

Thanks for the advice guys,

I was thinking that the £300.00 for the Arai was alot of dosh, I think POB has the right idea, save money and get a normal MX lid, its alot of dosh for a visor, only trouble with an MX lid is when it rains..?

Hi, I have an Arai MX3 helmet here in Australia. It is great in hot weather as it is very light in weight and very comfortable to wear.The peak keeps the sun out of your eyes. Combined with a good pair of goggles (Oakley) you will have no problems with dust or rain. Yes, it is expensive but if it saves your head/life then its worth every penny. Paul

Whatever helmet you choose don't forget your custom earplugs to avoid tinnitus - ther's a another thread on this somewhere.

fwiw I'd vote for flip up - I've tried both (and there's no way i'm going back to a full face for long distance stuff) and would recommend a Shoei Synchrotec.

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Jerome

http://www.fowb.co.uk

What does a Caberg look like? Is it decent quality? The only affordable flip ups here seem to be the Nolan, and my pointy chin wont fit in the (Very expensive) Shoei. I was contemplating taking both open and ful face helmets to avoid the expense ( I own these already). But 90 pounds with an open face conversion sounds pretty good.

They're OK quality - afterall they're only £100 - I've had mine a year, use it every day and it's starting to look a bit tatty (but I don't exactly look after it).

I reckon it's worth the 100 notes. I think next time I'll get the Shoei - but for a BIG trip into the unkown I'd rather take the Caberg.

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Fuzzy Duck
(I'm quackers about bikes)

Has anyone tried the Shoei Hornet? I'm trying to decide between that a Syncrotec and the Nolan N100 or HJC Symax. Torn between the goggles option or flip-up convenience.

I have used a Shoei Syncrotec on the road for the last 3 years. It was purchased faily cheaply form one of the stalls at the Bol D'Or, Le Mans, France. It is very convenient for a spectacle wearer, but the visor persistently leaks in heavy rain, and it is fairly noisy - ear plugs are essential. I would not consider using it off-road, or in high temperatures.

I am going to Morocco in September, and have recently blown some hard-earned dough on a Tour Cross. I took it to Crete, where last week I was trail riding in over 40C. with a cool head! I had removed the visor and was using Oakley goggles with a quick release system. For me, it was worth the money!! But YMMV.

Bought a Caberg a few weeks and it's brilliant. Before I bought I was a bit dubious as I had always stuck to Arai and Shoei. The new Caberg flip lid has everything I can think you would want. The flip down sun visor is very useful, saves you hvaing to buy a tinted visor.

I find that when I use my Lazer flip-up helmet on a dirt road, a fine layer of dust builds up on the inside of it. After a while it starts becoming a nuisance and I have to stop to clean the inside of the visor. It only happens when following traffic on dusty roads, so isn't too much of a PIA for me. The benefits of my flip-up helmet are too great for me to worry about a bit of dust. I would definately choose a flip-up lid over a Tour-X.

Just a few words about MX helmets with visors and Road Helmets with Visors.

I find that if you are overlanding for several months/years a MX helmet and goggles is an excellent combo. You have a sunvisor to protect you from the sun. Excellent ventilation and peripheral vision.
You should get one of those snap on nose guards for the goggles. THey protect from sunburn, rain and bugs/sand etc. They come in 2 sizes, one to cover your nose/cheeks and the other to cover your face and mouth.
You are able to carry many different goggle lenses ie. tinted clear etc. THey take up no space and can fit inside a book to protect them.

THe road helmets with visors are difficult to store the spare visors, and can be damaged easily and are difficult to find spares in many countries. These helmets tend to be a bit heavier than MX which can make a difference at the end of the day.

I used a 'Shoei' 'VFX R-2' with 'Progrip' goggles on our recent disasterous trip. Great lid, Light and very comfortable. The goggles were light sensitive, which saved having to change them for varying light conditions, again excellent. There's nothing wrong with the helmet or goggles, there just filthy from use on trails.

I've just bought an 'Arai' 'Tour X' and I think it's even better than the 'Shoei' It is, without doubt, the most comfy helmet I've ever had. The neat thing is you can use the visor or goggles, so for RTW or any trip with various terrain it would be ideal. My only critism is that it's heavier than most dirt bike lids, but as it's so comfortable you don't notice the weight when it's on. I'd always avoided Arai as I thought they were more of a fashion statement, especially, among the 'Race Rep' brigade, which I still think they are, but there also great helmets.