Motorcycles BS Thread 2.0

Glad I'm not the only helmet snob out there. I've owned Suomy, Bell, Arai, and Shoei.

The best fitting and most comfortable helmet I've ever worn was the Suomy Spec 1R-Extreme, circa 2005. Holy God it was amazing, but I had to replace it to meet regs. Second favorite? The Bell Star from 2010. I almost went with the Race Star before buying my current Shoei, but my size was backordered for months at the time. Arai was nice, but really didn't fit the shape of my head well.

I have tried on a few other manufacturers, notably Shark and Scorpion. I was pretty impressed by both, especially the bang-for-your-buck value of the Scorpion. If I wasn't such a pretentious asshole and insist on buying top dollar helmets, I'd rock a Scorpion. Wasn't too impressed by AGV, but it's been years and didn't another company but them a little while ago?

 

The built in sunshades on the modulars are awesome but there are a couple of caveats. One of the Iron Butt riders was involved in a relatively minor accident wearing one and had the sunvisor down at the time. Sadly his visor fit a little too close to the tip of his nose......Let's just say it took a little off the tip. That ended up being among the worst of his injuries so if buying one pay attention to the amount of space between that added visor and your nose. Make sure the lever to put it up and down is easily accessible and the action smooth. Also if putting a com unit on make sure the 2 items can coexist and function. I bought my g/f a Bell Revolver modular and we use the Sena SMH-10 coms and the lever for the sun shield was just barely in front of the com unit. She hated it because she always had trouble finding the lever for the visor. Replaced that helmet with a HJC Symax 3 I think it is. Sun shield lever is on top of her head now and she loves that. Much more user friendly. On my Shoei and Schubert both are easy to use and play well with the Sena.

I tried on a Shark but their modular I felt was too heavy. No one near me handling Scorpian and I hate buying a helmet without at least trying on one of tier models even if not the exact one I want. AGV I think has had some nice stuff recently but again no one local to me. I really want one of the Arai Isle of Man lids but way out of my current budget considering it would just be a display lid.

 

I had a similar experience with my RF-1200. I realized I was riding with my chin up and that affected air circulation. Once I tilted my head down, I found the sweet spot. The RF-1200 is less bulky than my RF-900 but also seems a tad louder with wind noise.

 

Arai fit is really adjustable but they do have 3 distinct shells designed specifically for different head shapes. I was fortunate enough to have a former flat track racer now Arai sales rep hook me up with my mine. He took the time to remove cheek pads and liners and install other sizes and we spent close to an hour getting my fit perfect. That was the most time I think I've ever spent trying ANYTHING on but it proved well worth it for what I was about to spend. Once we had it down to exactly what I needed he ordered me the graphic I wanted. Took about 6 weeks to get my helmet. Perhaps you need to find a better dealer.

 

I've adjusted my helmet like you have, but haven't found that sweet spot yet. I'm not keen on buying a new helmet considering this one is a little over a year old, so I'll continue.

Perhaps. Most of the local shops that I trusted have over the years closed down. Now it's primarily chain dealerships. There is one place but it's a hour away, and I wasn't going to invest the time considering that I know other brands that fit me well. It's definitely good that you have a dealer that knows what the hell they're doing because helmet fit is everything.

 

One of my favorite designs.

Yep, my argument is always, why have a head if you don't have a face.

 

I saw a study once that detailed cranial injuries of motorcycle riders, and one of the most frequently damaged areas is the chin & jaw.

 

I spent roughly 16 years working a second, part time, job at a Harley Davidson, Buell, and Triumph dealership where I had bought my Buell. Around the time when PA was dropping their helmet law I had a regular customer, Harley enthusiast, who kept telling me how he just couldn't wait for the law to change how he'll never wear a helmet again. Being that I'm an employee there I keep my personal feeling to myself though I always wear a helmet. About 2 weeks before the new law takes effect dropping the requirement I see this guy looking at new helmets. I approach and ask if he needs help and he tell me he needs a new lid. Puzzled I ask about why he's now rethinking the position he's been so adamant about practically since we've met. He excuses himself and walks out to his car then returns with his half shell helmet he always wore. On one side roughly in the area of your temple there is about a 3/4" chunk of stone impregnated in it and just slightly protruding through the EPS foam inside. He has a small scratch on his head. He'd gotten bumped, very lightly at an intersection by a car when the driver had lifted their foot off the brake and had fallen over on the shoulder of the road. He realized right then just how horrific something so small could have turned in to and that he could have suffered a skull fracture or permanent brain injury from something that was not even his own fault. Never once did I say "told you so" I simply helped him pick out a new helmet and told him I was happy he was still around to ride again.

 

I have a real like for solid foods......Perhaps too much so in fact.

 

You must be doing something wrong then. Mines never fogged up, and I am often closing vents because there is too much air going through

 

I don't know about that. Is this how I'm supposed to wear my helmet?

 

How often do you ride in humid below 40 degree conditions though? Does it get cold in california? We are supposed to get a few inches of snow here today

 

snow monday here supposedly. going to try to build the backyard fence this weekend before that happens...

 

Never. It’s one of the 2 only good things about living in California. Good weather year round, and legal weed.

 

Awesome, good luck with bringing it back to life. In my youth I've run over my own calf when my foot came off the peg, flipped it backward (several times), etc. Lot's of great memories too - drifting it in a loose corner was great fun.

 

Those were so much fun but jeepers did I get dumped off the back or pulled off by my foot going under the back tire a lot. Pretty sure I had the 70 and then a 110, if I remember right.

 

So I was shoveling some tire tracks in the driveway before the girlfriend got home so she wouldn’t slide down the driveway when I got a dumbass idea.



Spent the next ten minutes riding circles in the cul de sac and up and down the street. I couldn’t get the thing to lose any grip, I was amazed. Such a riot. Can’t wait for it to snow again and go for a longer ride around town




This makes it a snow bike now, right

Edit: short video from my instantgram

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGtd_mYnEDT/?igshid=1bfv6ri5o3fya