Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Ride Safe (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/ride-safe/)

-   -   Which Helmet? Tips on buying a good helmet (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/ride-safe/19699-helmet-tips-buying-good-helmet-184.html)

3. MT Stinger - MT has reduced the supply of the next model, the Stinger priced at Rs. 5250/- (Minimum stock at stores)
4. MT Targo - Heavy as suggested Rs. 5750/-
5. MT Thunder 3 SV - Sunvisor with 4 star sharp rating Rs. 6250/-
6. MT Blade 2SV - Earlier blade was discontinued now back with dual color interiors (liners) Rs. 7999/-
7. MT Rapide - Fiberglass shell at 1300 grams Rs.10750/- Super lightweight and slim profile that would pass by as a Mugello, understated!

I'm also not a fan of internal sun visor (SV)

I tried all off the above yesterday! Mugello is a good starting point but not that great build-wise. I was sold on the Rapide and at a point and was considering buying it, seriously! But somehow gathered myself to buy the Axxis Draken (X Road Red Gloss) the cheapest of the lot.



I also considered Shiro helmets, SH-821 Rs.3750/-, SH-881 Rs.4740 & SH-890 Rs,5750. Yes they are back with a tie up with Rynox gears I suppose and have flooded their dealers but the visors are not yet available. They are not listed on their website also.

The Axor Apex (Vega Auto's Italian supply) was too aggressive for my liking in terms of looks and that clear spoiler was the last thing I needed. (Eventually when the helmet falls from hand it's the first thing to break) Also at Rs.4994/- you're left with wanting for more.

On Neil's suggestion I tried the HJC CS-15 priced at Rs.7,000/- (Prices increased by 500 for latest graphics) I was not too impressed! This 6k to 8k range I was constantly in favor of the Rapide, so I didn't like any thing in comparison to it. Also I was not prepared with the 10k options with other lids in the HJC, Airoh, Scorpion Exo range.

I settled for the Axxis Draken. It's designed in Europe but made in China (the reason for its affordability) by MT for developing nations in South America, Asia etc. It shares its visor with the MT range of helmets. Rs.1000/- for the clear one and Rs.1100/- for the darker ones. It's pinlock ready max vision visor (Rs.1750 for pinlock insert). Tipping the scales at 1500 grams.
Only thing I missed that I wanted was speaker pockets! But my current lid also doesn't have one and I totally forgot that it has speakers installed inside it. You get used to it.

My current lid was glossy in a dull black and gray shade. The surface graphics started cracking after 3 years of use and you can see in the pic below.



I wanted a matt finish this time but the shine off the gloss finish and ease of maintaining it lured me again! Also there was not much options other than Orange in matt finish!



I'll give a detailed review of the ventilation after long enough usage. So far it's snug and feels fine on the head, no pressure points. My prescription glasses slide in smoothly. View is very good. There's a whistling sound on keeping the top vent open. The chin vent is effective.

I had to buy a helmet to revive this thread!:D

Cheers,
surjaonwheelz

Curious AP. Why?

I picked MT Revenge over MT Blade for the 5-star Sharp rating, but the internal dark visor is the only one thing I miss.

Have it on my Vega modular that I use for local errands in scooter.

After frequent use the internal visor develops scuff marks and since the part is not replaceable you'd have to live with it, after a point you think about leaving the visor up and ignoring its existence but by then it would have developed enough clearance that with every hump you jump the visor drops down on its own.

Mine was the MT Blade Gen 2, the one without the NFC patch.



Another unrelated issue was the feeling that you're riding with horse-blinds on, peripheral visibility was a serious issue on the MT, switching to Bell made a world of difference, visibility, ventilation and mass centralization wise.

Not a good idea to use a below par helmet even if you're on a scooter, the wreck that totaled my MT happened when I was riding a scooter, which also got wrecked in the process.

Decathlon cable locks are dirt cheap and get the job done, if you're worried about someone nicking it.

Ride Safe,
A.P.

Agree. In addition, if the coverage is not full then you're left with a bright lining below the sun visor (SV). This can be very disturbing on a bright sunny day! I've experienced this in the Studds Shifter.

I simply avoid internal sun visors as I've prescription glasses. You don't need multiple refracting surfaces in your vision (it's totally my personal view)!

Instead I've 2 visors, till now I had the mirror and clear visors for my Axor (Vega). If you're home by sunset it's the dark visor else the clear. I prefer this setup or a clear visor with power sunglasses! Though internal sun visors has its own merits in long rides!

Coming to the safety point of view it has been discussed in this thread earlier on how the space (cavity) for the retracted SV reduces the shells strength & integrity. I'm no expert to comment on this. As far as I remember SNELL doesn't certify helmets with internal SV. Anyways, it makes no sense for a SV on a racetrack!

Ride safe

surjaonwheelz

Thanks to surajonwheelz who has resurrected this thread from its recent silent past! The debate on internal sun visors is quite interesting. I never believed in buying a helmet which had one till I purchased my Nolan N86 about 4 years ago. The internal sun visor in that is a real life saver, especially in our hot summer months. I love using it while touring and the quality of the visor is really good which means no vision problems even when viewing through my specs + intenal sun visor + visor. Safe to say that the Nolan N86 made me a convert to the internal sun visor world. My other helmet is Shark Race R Pro and I purchased a separate tinted visor for that but its a hassle to carry 2 visors and having to stop and swap them while riding. So if you have 2 helmets, I feel one should have an internal sun visor for the sheer convenience of it.


That said, the internal (not cheek) padding on my Nolan N86 has started to wear out and getting a replacement from the US costs around Rs 3,500. Also the pin lock visor needs to be replaced. Being 4 years old, Im not too sure I want to plonk down that much money on the Nolan N86 though I really like the helmet a lot. The MT Thunder 3SV seems to make a lot of sense for my minimum 4* SHARP rating criteria. The other option is the really nice HJC IS17 (rated 5*!!) but Ive been seeing some reports of the IS17 suffering from a faulty ratchet mechanism which results in the internal sun visor moving up and down while on the go. HJC has rather interestingly updated their lineup, the IS17 has been replaced by the new i70 (with a better internal sun visor system) though that hasnt been SHARP tested yet which is always the problem with new helmet releases! AGV's 4* SHARP rated K3 SV is ridiculously priced at Rs 23.5 K onwards. Meanwhile Im trying to source the internal padding for the N86 here in Cochin to extend its life by a year so it be used for local pottering around town duties.

On further consideration, spending that money on a helmet with one year left in its lifetime was not a smart option. So the Nolan gets relegated to short rides within the city for the next 12 months or until the padding gives up on me completely.

I tried it out but faced some pressure points on my forehead with both the large and extra large sizes. They probably have the same shell. A nice helmet but its not for me.

The new HJCs will come to India in 3 - 4 months. Hopefully by then some of the new models should be SHARP tested as well.

DJ helmets in Cochin has a discount sales going on for the last few weeks through which they are trying to get rid of some old stock of helmets. The AGV helmets were imported in Q1 of 2017 and have been in their original packing till now. Some of the HJC helmets that were available are even older. The 2 year old AGV K3SV helmets were being sold for Rs 14,000 instead of the price of Rs 23,500. Finally after some deliberation, I decided to pick up the AGV K3SV Glimpse helmet for the price of Rs 14,000. The helmet gives me a 3 year life (as compared to the full 5 years that a new K3SV would) but the cash outflow is a lot less as well :) Overall the helmet is quite nice and the drop down sun visor is quite handy. I'll share a more detailed perspective after I clock a couple of thousand kilometres on it. The sun visor isnt as dark as some of the others that Ive seen in HJC and Nolan.



The HJC FG ST is another good helmet with an internal sun visor at the Rs 16,000 (or maybe its Rs 18,000) price point but the models I could find were 3 years old and being sold for Rs 12,000 after discount. Between a new HJC FG ST and a new AGV K3SV, the HJC is the better deal for sure!

Seems a very good buy, if you compare it with the new MT KRE SV which retails at Rs. 13,500 new. K3 is a proven product and has found many buyers in India.

The summers in India is not the best season to buy a new lid though!

Ride safe,
surjaonwheelz

Guys, I wanted to know if wearing prescription glasses inside helmet is safe or not? I wear glasses inside my full face helmet all the time and i'm a bit concerned if my half frame glasses are safe or not. Really wish we had something like powered helmet visor

Also, I currently own a SPG kranos helmet 2.5 years old (DOT and ECE certified), I will be upgrading to a 600-900cc class soon and wanted to know if my current helmet is adequate or not (I never exceed 120kph). If a helmet upgrade is not something i can delay till early next year, Suggest one in a budget of 8-9k

Safe for the glasses? No. I've broken the stalks of 3 pretty expensive glasses till date, while trying to wear them inside the helmet. My solution was getting a cheap frame with thick stalks for 100 bucks and getting power in them. Been working for a year now without any issue.

Safe for your face? I should think yes, provided you're riding with the visor down all the time.


Looking at the innumerable small scratches on my helmet visor, I don't think they'll last long on roads like ours. Every time I go out for a ride, I hear atleast 2-3 small stones flying into my visor.

The safest bet for bikers who need prescription glasses would be contact lenses. Completely hassle-free.

I am not concerned about breaking my spectacles. I am concerned about the possibility of broken glasses penetrating my eyes in a crash. I don't want to lose my eyes. :D

I also tried contact lenses, but they are a huge hassle.

Isn't that a possibility with broken pieces of the visor too?


Can you please elaborate further? Asking because I was thinking of getting contact lenses to use when I'm riding.

The pros and cons of lenses IMO are:

(+)No need to remove them first before taking helmet off.
(+)No need to worry about them breaking. Glasses on the other hand, can break and I don't know how I'd be able to ride back home without glasses.
(+)No issue even if it's raining. On the other hand I have to stop every 10 seconds to wipe my glasses.

(-)Might forget to take them off after the ride and go to sleep later, considering the fact that I do the same with my glasses too. Bleak possibility, but one nonetheless.

No. There’s a difference between glass and polycarbonate

I'm sorry, but I was talking about polycarbonate glasses the whole time. That's what everyone uses, or so I thought, since I've never used glasses made of actual glass.
We were talking of the glasses shattering, which is why I asked about the visor since in my case they're made of the same material.

Biggest problem i face is the hassle of applying and removing them on daily basis. Cleaning, keeping them safe, dripped in lens fluid. Apart from usual dryness.


On the other hand, advantage of contact lenses is that you don't have to go through routine of:
1. opening helmet visor.
2. Removing Glasses and keeping them somewhere where they wouldn't fall off.
3. Removing helmet.
4. Putting spects on again

Can someone please tell me which models from HJC I should consider in the 6-8k range!

I'm seriously looking at MT Thunder 3 - However can't seem to find one in my size + graphics combo!