Team-BHP - Which Helmet? Tips on buying a good helmet

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnkurS (Post 3627040)

Coming back to Sharp though, I personally find it difficult to understand the testing methods (as you said - unclear) and therefore unsure of whether high Sharp ratings should be given equal importance as a DOT/ECE/Snell.

The one thing is - I really wouldn't differentiate between a Sharp rating of 3 vs 5 - I don't understand the measure!

Yup, that's what I said in earlier post - the ratings are not fully objective, what we're left with is to interpret the colors as green = no injury , yellow = minor impact felt , and so on, until red/black = severe injury.

Another interesting observation - left and right scores are not all identical : some helmets have left side rated (say) green, right side yellow. Asymmetric scores should be a clear indication of inconsistent quality.

500 KMs report on the MT Axxis. The more I use the helmet, the more comfortable it gets of course. I think it's breaking in nicely and is fitting my head quite well at this stage. Very light weight, snug fit, the breath deflector keeps fogging at bay most times and I have taken out the cheek pads to clean - easy to clean and refit. The helmet does not or at least, has not been prone to buffeting in the wind, and I ride a naked without a flyscreen. No pressure on the neck whatsoever during my rides so far.
For the not so nice things, the list topper is the fact that when I put it on, it sometimes ends up scratching my forehead on the right side. I got it the first time I was putting it on, which left a scar and now I'm extra careful, but it still does that. Need to find the offending part and maybe clip it with scissors.
Would've like to have better peripheral vision too. I know it's a full face helmet and that range of peripheral vision in a FF helmet will never be equal to that without one, but this feels kind of like wearing horse blinkers at times. Maybe I'll get used to it.
The other main grouse is the wind noise and ventilation. This was discussed in the riding gear thread as well and seems to be due to poorly designed ventilation inlets. Even closed, the vents let in air. I also heard a squeaking noise coming from the right side today in moderate speeds. Nothing I can't live with, but it does irritate at times.
Also found a couple of examples of poor finish on the shell when I was cleaning it, which again are not prominent and can be lived with. This was disappointing to find - for the amount of money paid, I would expect better quality from an international brand. Well, it seems quality in India means import.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheel (Post 3631277)

Ricci, I am off from riding gear scene, but have heard Bell to be damn good.

BTW, which make and model are you considering? Does someone sell Suomy/Shoei?

I haven't decided yet on any brand or model as yet, but among Shoei , my current preference is for GT-Air. I also liked some the Qwest, RF1100, RF1200, and X12 series. Among Suomy, none of the graphics really clicked for me. Not in a hurry to buy - funds for one and the MT is quite new. Schuberth seems to be one of the most underrated makes.

Yes, Bell helmets are quite nice, but like any brand, different models are rated different and can have some sizing differences.

www.sbkstore.in sells Shoei, Arai, Suomy , Bell and others, including AGV, Nolan/Xlite, Schuberth, Shark, Airoh , Scorpion, Speed and Strength.

Performanceracing.in sells mainly Arai , AGV.

Quote:

Originally Posted by barcalad (Post 3637462)

Guys, I'm looking for a good pair of gloves in XXL size for myself in Bangalore. Shouldn't be too costly, and must be reasonably priced, comfortable and have a good grip. Nevermind the brands. I just want something decent enough to invest. Please list down the details of the vendor too. Do advise! :)

Check out 'Let's gear up' in HSR layout. They have something called TBG which appears decent (3-4 K). DSG, Cramster, Rynox, Aspida (Spartan), Rjays etc. etc fall in 2-4 K budget. All are more or less same in terms of quality and have similar discomfort issues, but bearable and you can use them for couple of years or so depending on how much you ride.

On higher end anything above 5K I do like HD for their touring gloves, Knox is awesome, surprisingly a few A* models are good, Joe Rocket, Scorpion, Revit, Icon etc. etc. All are available online.

Usually its good to try out and buy. Be careful though and check the pair thoroughly for feel on the finger tips, it shouldn't hurt in between nail and skin (very common problem). And the dye shouldn't leak onto your hands because of sweat. They're tough to get rid of for couple of days.

Some sizes like XXL, Small or XS are difficult to find in shops, do check on phone before you go.

Happy hunting :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by barcalad (Post 3637462)

Can't tell you coz its a personal fit that'll matter most. Like Rakesh said, make sure it's comfortable when you try it on. At the cost of repetition:
- a gauntlet will typically be more comfortable on long rides, say about 3+ hours of non-stop riding
- I personally prefer light padding but strong abrasion resistance on the palm. For me, medium / heavy padding on the palm tends to lead to pulling on the fingertips of the hand, thereby making things painful. This is especially true for the clutch hand
- try to make sure the protection on the 1st knuckles is flexible. Hard protection will hurt the knuckles in traffic conditions
- leather would be a preferred option for gloves. In my experience, leather usually is more supple and comfortable and has good abrasive resistant qualities.

In terms of cost, a leather gauntlet may be available from 2.5k onwards. For short riding, a short glove will be a good option too.

I use two different gloves, a short textile for city rides and a leather gauntlet for longer rides. Let us know what you end up choosing.

BTW - probably better suited to the riding gear thread ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by rakesh_S (Post 3637528)

Let's Gear Up was always an option for me. They're the reputed ones in this segment, but then I wanted to try other vendors too. Not going for online shopping on this one as XXL is a rarity, and thus scouting for one will be a major headache. I'll update you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnkurS (Post 3637547)

I'll going for a gauntlet most probably. It satisfies my requirements. I'll discuss more about this with you privately.
No short gloves for me. Always followed the coveted (and logical) rule of riding with full gloves, because I'm riding a motorcycle and not kickboxing. :D

Note : Mods, do be kind enough to publish my query and their replies to the 'Riding Gear' thread as I posted on this thread by mistake, having not read the thread title properly. My bad.

Guys need help! I have bought a MT Axxis helmet couple of months back, and it seems to be solving every purpose. However, I would like to replace the clear visor with tinted or iridium visor. Which one is better? I have heard iridium ones are prone to scratches and not so useful in the night riding conditions as compared to tinted ones.

Where can we get these visors and how much would they cost approximately?

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatienceWins (Post 3619685)

2. Its noisy at high speeds. It will scare you to go above 80 sometimes

3. The cheek pads take time to break, and your ears would be pressed against them, and not enclosed within. Keeping earphones will be painful

>> I get ear pain with MT Axxis helmet. The pain was so bad on a long ride that I was forced to take breaks in between. I think it is because of the shape of MT Axxis - not curvy on sides.
I do not face ear pain with AGV or LS2.

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Ah! Till date, I was thinking something was wrong with my ears or helmet :Frustrati. I have a MT Axxis and off late have been having terrible ear pain. On a recent ride to coorg, especially on the way back , I had to stop every hour as the pain was unbearable! Now I understand the reason for the same. Hope the cheek pads break in soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mafioso (Post 3639058)

MT Axxis helmets are brilliant and i own one myself. Tainted visors loose their coating over a certain period of time. And it clearly saves you the trouble of having to use an sunglass inside the helmet. Particularly if you are wearing a balclava (seriously, get one of those too). So a tainted visor are really good. But DO NOT use them at night. MT helmets like various other helmets have a convenient way to remove and attach another visor with zero effort so frequent changing of visors should not be a problem. I vaguely remember reading something about carrying two visors while on long journeys. Will send you the link if I can find it.

Now, MT does not have exclusive replacement visors in the market as of now. But ask for CROSS helmet visors which will cost about INR 700 give or take a few 100 bucks. They are a perfect replacement.

Ride safe.