[Porschefire]

Here's Jay Leno's version on how to choose the right helmet. Good watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ovd3KGu6BgU

Mods, kindly delete if this has already been posted here or elsewhere.

[himanshumodi]

Originally Posted by coolrain

The shop's name is Probiker. AVOID IT UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES. The owner is a young fellow who has the gift of the gab & makes the most of it for his personal gain.

He doesn't have gift of the gab. He is just an overbearing loudmouth.

Anyways... I visited Probiker and Planet DSG. I liked one at Planet DSG which was a good fit, but it was silly heavy.

I also liked an LS2 helmet at Probiker. It was a modular helmet, which I couldn't put on, or take off without lifting up the jaw. While on, it was comfortable, undoubtedly, but the fact that the helmet just wouldnt come off without lifting the jaw, was something I wasn't comfortable with. Probiker guy told me that LS2 helmets do not come in a size larger than "L". I find that hard to believe. Damned LS2 website isn't opening for me to confirm. Any inputs here?

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

Here's Jay Leno's version on how to choose the right helmet. Good watch

Good watch indeed!

Most helmet sizing and buying videos cover the basics that are there in this video but here; they also cover another important part of the equation - Helmet fit is customizable

The most important bit is that a helmet must give you firm and even pressure around the circumference of your head. If its too tight in the face, you can swap out cheek pads with different densities of foam and really fine tune the fit

[VW2010]

If its too tight in the face, you can swap out cheek pads with different densities of foam and really fine tune the fit

Lot of the slightly higher end ones come with these customizable pads. Allow some burn in for the helmet as well. If you are inbetween sizes i would actually choose the lower size though the standard advice is opposite.

I decide to choose the quietest helmet vs the best airflow helmet. And i wont mind adding an additional helmet based on weather condition to have a slightly airy helmet.

I look for fit around the ears and nose more. Check for the space you have between Nose and visor after wearing it. This is crucial because you end up getting the funny itch on the nose if the space is less

You spend these days close to a lakh on the bike. Budget for a GOOD helmet and not the 300 rs one.

[Porschefire]

Hello All!

Got my Shoei GT Air Exposure TC10 yesterday. Ordered it last week from Marcin, a Kawasaki dealer here in Poland. He stocks Shoeis, AGVs, Schuberths, Arais and other local brands. My budget was EUR 400-450, finally settled for the GT Air which cost me EUR 550. Expensive, yes. But then this is one of the best helmets out there from safety point of view and as one of the members here told me, you really can’t put a price on your head! I think of this as a good investment for the next 3-5 yrs (god forbid for any ugly incidents. touchwood!).

The Helmet

The GT Air is basically a Sport touring helmet with an internal dark visor that eliminates the need to buy an additional dark visor. It was hard for me to choose the brand and the model but Marcin assured me that I am investing in a good, tried and tested product. Next up was to choose the graphic which was highly confusing to say the least! I wear a matt black SOL which honestly makes me invisible on the road since my bike, boots, jacket and helmet are all black! I loved the Wanderer TC5 which is matt black with a white and red stipe but decided to buy a contrast color this time so that I’ll be more visible on the road. There were many many options to choose from and I decided on the TC10 because of its minimalistic and classic red, blue white and black lines. It is a size S and DOT rated only and not Snell also because of the integrated visor. The box included an anti-fog pinlock visor, couple of manuals, breathguard, chin curtain, silicone oil (to lubricate the moving parts), carry bag and some stickers. I also bought an additional dark smoke visor for EUR 50 as spare. Marcin threw in a cleaning cloth, keychain and stickers as freebies.

The Fit

I currently have a SOL which is a size M. The Shoei is a size S. The fit is a little too snug now and it will give away 10% after a certain usage. The helmet weighs in at 1415g and not that heavy. I can comment further on the real world aspects only when I use it on the road when I'm back in India.

Alternate Brands considered

AGV - Marcin had only K3s on display and I wasn’t sure about it. While being a lot cheaper than my budget, I never read any positive reviews about them. The graphics were loud (which I quite liked to be frank) and the Rossi replicas looked absolutely smashing. Marcin said he can procure a matt black GT Veloce but I wasn’t interested. Corsa and Pista were out of my budget.

Arai – There were 5-6 helmets (Chaser Vs I think) in solid white, grey and black on display. For some reason he advised against it as he had received complaints from his customers apparently and told me he would stop stocking them once those were sold. I honestly was surprised and couldn’t figure the exact reason. I did not dive into too many details and decided that my next helmet would be an Arai.

Schuberth S2 – I like Schuberth for their minimalistic design. These helmets are manufactured in Germany and are DOT-ECE approved. Was interested in the fluo yellow and probably would’ve bought it but Marcin only had a size M. The next lot would arrive only in July when I’d be back in India.

Shoei - The RF-1200 is both DOT and Snell rated and is sold as NXR in Europe. It is cheaper and inclines more towards sports which will be helpful if you are a track junkie, which I am not. It is supposedly a little noisier but a very good package at its price. I’d have picked this one but unfortunately, Marcin couldn’t procure it only in the next lot.

revzilla.com and fc-moto.de were the two websites I referred to while making the purchase. The Air is slightly cheaper at $605 on Revzilla.

Some pictures -


Shoei Goodies!


Anti Fog pinlock visor included in the box. It is effective when riding in cold or wet conditions.


User manuals, Silicone oil and breathguard.


Helmet cleaning cloth, key chain and a sticker as freebies.








The black lever to deploy the internal visor.

[AWD]

Dear bikers, Im a new entry to the biking world, stepped in with a RE Classic 350. Ive gone through the entire thread but the sheer info. has left me sort of confused. Im looking for a good quality head gear to start biking. Prime concern is safety & protection.

I checked a few brands like Vega, Studds Ninja 3G, LS2 FF286, etc. Basically I would prefer a modular flip up helmet. About Studds Im not sure about its crash protection, is it adequately safe ? Would like to restrict the budget to 5K.

Major part of riding is going to be within city @ slow speeds. but since heavy vehicles make way into the city roads also, the conditions are almost similar to highways.

Are RE helmets good enough ? Or just some designer stuff !

[anilp]

Originally Posted by AWD

I checked a few brands like Vega, Studds Ninja 3G, LS2 FF286, etc. Basically I would prefer a modular flip up helmet. About Studds Im not sure about its crash protection, is it adequately safe ? Would like to restrict the budget to 5K.

Are RE helmets good enough ? Or just some designer stuff !

From a safety standpoint, modular helmets are a bad idea. Go for a full face helmet.

Skip LS2 since there are too many fakes in the market. In your budget, you can look at MT which has a couple of good options. If you can extend it to 7.5, you can look at an HJC.

[AWD]

But the modular I want to get would be a Full Face modular, with flip up mechanism. I read reviews of LS2 modular full face flip up helmets, most wearers seemed satisfied.

Oh thats sad to know about fakes circulating in the market, I had selected a new model launched, chances are that fakes of newer models also appear ?

Ok will check out MT.

[the VTEC guy]

Originally Posted by coolrain

The shop's name is Probiker. AVOID IT UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES. The owner is a young fellow who has the gift of the gab & makes the most of it for his personal gain. I have bought stuff twice from his shop in the past at exorbitant prices. Have heard a lot about him taking novices for a ride by selling fake stuff. I am sure a lot of esteemed BHPians from Pune would agree with me.

Originally Posted by himanshumodi

He doesn't have gift of the gab. He is just an overbearing loudmouth.

Agree. Had similar bad experience with Probiker. Try Planet DSG, Moto101 and for LS2 visit Laxmi auto on JM road opposite Sambhaji park. Laxmi auto has a huge variety of LS2 helmets.

[himanshumodi]

Originally Posted by anilp

From a safety standpoint, modular helmets are a bad idea. Go for a full face helmet.

I agree on your view with Modular helmets. But I really think face structure is weird. Modular helmets that fit beautifully well are impossible to wear with their jaws down.

Am I exhausted with my never ending helmet search!

[AWD]

Update: Grabbed a LS2 FF350 Tron Matt Black helmet & a Vega Boolean Escape Modular Flip up Helmet. LS2 would be a regular full face & Vega will fill in the flip up role.

Hope Ive made "safe" purchases. Though not the kind off stuff which may interest the enthusiasts in this thread, but should be ok w.r.t. a start in City conditions.

[himanshumodi]

Got a ls2 open face. I was not too keen on a flip up helmet, and full face helmets of any size of any brand were just not getting through without uncomfortable wiggling. This helmet feels nice and safe. And should do well for my purposes. Bought it from laxmi auto

[VW2010]

I agree on your view with Modular helmets. But I really think face structure is weird. Modular helmets that fit beautifully well are impossible to wear with their jaws down.

Its the price point that makes this a tough decision or an easy decision. I would advice getting a full face for all the best reasons.

The open face and half faced or even the modular ones may not serve the purpose when need unfortunately comes to us.

Get a good full size helmet.

[himanshumodi]

Originally Posted by VW2010

Get a good full size helmet.

For now, have taken an open face LS2 helmet. More than the money, it was really the fit. Just couldn't get any full face helmet anywhere! I will be on the lookout for a good full face helmet! Maybe I will have better luck when I am in Mumbai!

[Turbojc]

Originally Posted by Rachit.K.Dogra

Got a New Helmet, Bell Vortex BS-54.

Hello sir! I came across your post while doing a bit of research about the Bell Vortex, which I'm planning to buy. I've got some doubts about the helmet's sizing. My crown measures in at around 57.5 cms, which is a medium according to Bell's sizing chart, but since I lie on the chubbier side, I'm not sure if I have to get a medium, or a large, just to be on the safer side. Could you please tell me more about your helmet's sizing and fitment? Thanks!