Helmets (again!) What have you got?

[craig76]

I've been re-reading the discussions on here about helmets and the upcoming SHARP rating system and I thought it would be interesting to see what helmets people use currently, why they bought it initially, it's good and bad points and would they buy the same again or recommend it to someone else. And lets be brutally honest with the flaws as well as the good points.

I'll start off.

Nolan N84 bought for £100 from Hein Gericke. The pic shows the version with N-COM system. Mine is the discontinued model without N-COM, hence the discounted price. Has some nice features over other lids in the same price bracket. The flip down tinted visor seemed a good idea in the shop as I was using black tape at the top of the visor on my last lid.

Plus points - Pinlock anti-fog insert is great, as is the Microlock ratchet chin strap as it can be fastened very quickly and easily, even with thick winter gloves on. I'd want both on any helmet I buy in the future. Lining is good quality and is removable/washable. Breath deflector and chin curtain included. Still a good fit after 8 months/6000 miles. Sun visor can be removed if needed and the helmet used with the standard visor only if required.

Minus points - The sun visor is good but you're looking through what is effectively one visor on top of another, slightly distorting the view in certain light conditions. When in the raised position, the sun visor tends to gather debris underneath and must be removed to clean. Contrary to magazine reviews, it does whistle slightly but only when fully raised. It may also contribute to slight turbulence when performing lifesaver checks at motorway speeds. Still better than the tape solution though.

Overall - Not perfect, but for £100, it's a good buy. I'd consider the updated version if the N-COM kit was in as part of the deal.

[Bamaboy]

I just bought a new low budget helmet KBC TK8 for about $150.00 (I live in Brazil) It is Snell and DOT rated and seems to have a big success rate in the states. It is comfortable and the noise level is bearable at high speeds. I think it will do the job, of course I do not want to test it!

I chose the KBC over an HJC that looked better but was not more comfortable.

[PocketHead]

This is my MX/enduro helmet, haven't decided yet if it will be suitable for an adventure ride (can get pretty heavy after a while)

[kentfallen]

Mines a NITRO N800V costing £79 in 2006. It's a very good helmet in my opinion and in Decembers edition of the Ride magazine came 18 in their tests beating many other helmets costing more than £300! The NOLAN N102 came first and this only cost a mere £178. Proof indeed that the most expensive is not always the best buy.

Pockethead, what make of helmet is that MX lid above? It looks nice...

[Caminando]

People often say spend as much as you can on a helmet. They assume more cash means better quality. However there is no evidence for this, except that the very cheapest scooter helmets area bit flimsy, though correctly designed for a purpose.

My compromise is to buy a helmet at around £100 - a Caberg, which I like. But I'm not into the common illusion that more dosh = a better helmet. And look at the scandal over ACU stickers on helmets - a complete corrupt scam, conning people that a helmet was top quality.

[Alexlebrit]

Mine's a Marushin X-Moto

At 1400g it seems light enough to me, and not only can you remove the lining to wash it, you can also take off the peak to have a full face helmet or the visor to have an enduro style. It came with the tinted visor you can see here, which it says isn't homologated for road use and a clear visor which is. There was a nice lined helmet bag in the box too with a matching visor bag (nice touch). The chin strap is quick release but I can work it fine with gloves, and the price was €149 or about £110.

I can't tell you what it's like on a motorbike though, I've only used it in off-road buggies, but it doesn't seem to whistle and vents well (OK I'll admit I did do a few test runs up and down the hill on my push-bike).

Oh and it comes in XXS (52cm) to XXL (64cm) so it fits my fat head.

EDIT: I did consider the X.01 from GIVI when I was helmet shopping - you can swap bits and pieces over to have something highly vented to highly protected.

I only tried it in the shop but it seemed well made, but I was suckered in by the more enduro look of the Marushin.

[PocketHead]

Originally Posted by kentfallen

Mines a NITRO N800V costing £79 in 2006. It's a very good helmet in my opinion and in Decembers edition of the Ride magazine came 18 in their tests beating many other helmets costing more than £300! The NOLAN N102 came first and this only cost a mere £178. Proof indeed that the most expensive is not always the best buy.

Pockethead, what make of helmet is that MX lid above? It looks nice...

It's a one industries Kombat helmet, cost $250AUD (about $220 USD)

[Bamaboy]

Just tested the feel of my cheapy KBC TK8 on a 220 km trip today.

Results

1. Noise level: Pretty Quiet except for some small whistling sound coming from the left air vent, when I put hand over it, the noise stops. It could be annoying on a long trip but I forgot about it and it seemed to not exist any more.

2. Comfort: Tight fit and comfortable except it pushed my cheeks together in the front too much. I have a fat face. I can just barely put my sun glasses on.

[craig76]

Originally Posted by kentfallen

The NOLAN N102 came first and this only cost a mere £178. Proof indeed that the most expensive is not always the best buy.

That's interesting as I've considered buying one of those. I like Nolan's but what put me off the N102 was the reader feedback given on MCN's website on leaking visors. Do you have a web link to this article?

It's a good point regarding cost as there's a few £300 helmets (OGK in particular) taking a fair amount of criticism in magazine tests. While high cost doesn't guarantee it's the best, I'm also a big believer in low cost does not necessarily mean good value for money.

It would be good to hear from more people who have lids at the top end of the price range.

[brittman]

Hi i just spent weeks looking and trying helmets on,i have always used open faced helmets and this time wanted a full face.
I tried the hjc scorpion arrai and shoie,i ended up with the shoie rf1000 it was lighter than the others is very quiet and has good ventelation .the main thing was i could change the cheek pads.
I have been riding with it a couple of weeks and love it it is alot lighter than my open face ones and the vision is great.i feel a bit more safer for some reason.i also can where my sunglasses with comfort and my headset and mike work great in it. The price was $325 most iv'e ever spent on a helmet but i think it was well worth the money.comfort and weight and it was matt black same as my bike.


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