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

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sebring (Post 5052463)

Did you pay duty? I had hand-carried my Nolan as well. It's open face

No sir, never paid a dime as customs,on any of the helmets or riding jackets that i have recieved through hand carried luggage,no hassles whatsoever.Infact for my ninja 1000 2018 my sister hand carried the Vance & hines urban brawler slip on exhaust for a landed cost of approx 19k Inr where as people here were paying dealers 40k for the same that time.

Thank you. It is indeed a very good helmet, if the use is limited to the function that it is intended for, i.e off-roads and medium speed runs. I use it for suburban commutes on and off and it performs very well. It is light on the head, feels balanced, fantastic air flow as it has an open form factor plus I use sunglasses with it.

It holds up well upto speeds of 90 kmph, with not much in the way of buffeting or lifting up. I cant say how much of that is thanks to the tall windscreen and deflector of my bike tho'. Triple digit speeds might be uncomfortable in this helmet, but then it is not meant for those kind of rides.

Cheerio!:)

Quote:

Originally Posted by alphadog (Post 5058072)

How is the wind noise at around 90 / 100 kmph ?
Manageable with ear plugs or too intrusive ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitinkbhaskar (Post 5059960)

How is the wind noise at around 90 / 100 kmph ?
Manageable with ear plugs or too intrusive ?

Hi Nitin

At those speeds, there is significant whooshing wind noise past the ears, but no uncomfortable howl or whistling. So yes, it is manageable with ear plugs. I tend to use ear plugs if I am out for a longer ride, regardless of which helmet I use and I feel it is a good practice, to prevent long term hearing loss issues.

Cheerio!:)

Quote:

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious (Post 5049884)

Or anything better upto a 6K INR budget? Preferably with an internal visor and as quiet as it can get in the budget

Quote:

Originally Posted by shifu (Post 5049923)

I think you are pretty much in MT helmets range. They seem to be the safest. I bought a Thunder SV (with sun visor) for around 5.5k from Spartan Pro Gear.

https://www.spartanprogear.com/produ...v-board-helmet

I second Shifu here. For your budget, the Thunder 3 SV series from MT makes a lot of sense. Comes with an internal sun visor, the main visor is pinlock ready as well. Price though is 6.6k at present!

Quote:

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious (Post 5049884)

Between the Axor & SMK models in the budget segment, which is better?

Or anything better upto a 6K INR budget? Preferably with an internal visor and as quiet as it can get in the budget

I brought the Axor Apex, have done about 4 ~400 kms rides to/from Bangalore on super highways and really liked its performance in 1) high speed ~100kmph cruising head stability even with cross winds
2) very good internal visor, used all day during those rides.
3) Pin lock and anti-fog works really well in rain
4) good air vents
5) absolute rain proof
6) dot and ece certified.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chipcruiser (Post 5041986)

2. There is also another reason for it. I am not able to understand how to get the Arai in a trustworthy manner. Performance racing told me that one of their RX7V is a 2019 manufacture - maybe that is why it was 75K was others were 87K. I feel like if I have a bit more experience on what I need I can pick up the Arai in Europe/US/elsewhere when I travel in the post Covid world. That way I get to experience it as well before buying.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Odeen12 (Post 5045626)

Hey i think PRS does procure from a European source. Which mostly caters to the intermediate oval form. However if you purchase from Japan or i think most Asian markets, the same Arai RX7V is labelled as RX7X. Which might have the Asian form factor may be.

With what i know the difference in the model name stems from Snell ratings. Which is a racing safety requirement.
RX7X same helmet, same build quality, but goes through a Japanese safety rating system.

Ordered one recently. And once i have it on my head, will post pictures here!!

Cheers!! :)

I recently picked up a Arai RX 7X Isle of Man TT 2020 from Malaysia.
From my extensive research before buying I found out the following:

1. The RX 7X is known as RX 7V in Europe and is ECE rated. In the US and Canada its known as the Corsair X and is DOT rated. They are all the same exact helmet, handmade in Japan, same shell shape and size.

2. ALL Arai helmets (except the open face models) sold worldwide are Snell rated, regardless of regional requirements such as DOT, ECE and SHARP.

3. The price of a Arai helmet is nearly double in US and Europe when compared to prices in Japan and Malaysia. This is due to two things - firstly the cost of getting a helmet DOT or ECE certified and secondly the need to place the helmets in a top of the food chain price point.

So if anyone is planning for a Arai my suggestion is to buy from Japan or Malaysia if its possible for you.

Performance racing Mumbai is the official importer for Arai in India. They source the helmets from Europe as they sell RX 7V in various graphics.

I am going away from home and won't be riding my bike for 2-3 months at least. Now I am worried about storing my helmet since these 2-3 months will see lot of humidity due to rain leading to mould formation on the padding. I have tried storing it in the nylon cover that came with the helmet but it didn't help last year. It's not very difficult to remove the paddings and wash it thoroughly but I was wondering if there is a certain way I can store the helmet to avoid this inconvenience?

While searching the web I came across this piece:
Storing helmets in humid conditions

Has anyone ever tried this? How effective is it? I have a few of these silica packs lying around so I think I will give this a try.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheStig (Post 5065236)

Performance racing Mumbai is the official importer for Arai in India. They source the helmets from Europe as they sell RX 7V in various graphics.

Hi Stig, can I check with you, if you found this info from Performance racing? I met Arai executives in 2019 and they told me they do not have any official importer allocated for India.

If Performance is sourcing the helmets from Europe, then they are possibly a retailer or a distributor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by no_fear (Post 5068300)

They might be a retailer or distributor. All the helmets they sell have a sticker on them which displays the name of importer, date of import and the MRP. I did speak with them in early 2020 when I began my search for a Arai. I was told they were the only ones importing Arai helmets in India.

I read in the previous pages about the good reviews on Lazy Ass Biker. I too would like to share a similar experience.I had been on the look out for a new lid for some time and was closely following the FIM Regulations,public spats between Snell and FIM on the same,new separate SNELL Regulation for ECE and DOT Helmets etc.Its a rabbit hole once you decide to go down that path lol:
We have a few choices from the likes of Airoh, KYT, LS2, MT, Scorpion in the range of 20-35K which can be stated as close to FIM Regulated ones (though the models are same as listed in the FIM Site, i seriously doubt whether an LS2 arrow or MT KRE which used to sell under 20k would be the same lids worn by GP Riders). Truly FIM Regaulated ones like top of the line Arai and AGV shells were way beyond my budget. I had read reviews of Airoh GP lid, Caberg Drift Evo and Scorpion Exo R1 and was circling between these models. Then last week, a video from Fortnine dropped on Best Helmets of 2021 and this made me pull the trigger on Scorpion Exo R1 Air.
I had contacted LAB through Whatsapp and they were really helpful regarding the shipping terms and availibility of models. I ordered a size small(55-56cm) and they advised me to size up to Medium(57-58cm) as this model runs a bit small. I did the same and the helmet reached in 4 days to Trivandrum. The helmet was manufactured in June 2020 and imported in Jan 2021. It is made in China.The fit was snug and the quality of the helmet is amazing. It also ships with a dark visor and pinlock as extra. I had ordered the lid in matte black for Rs.32999/-. The graphics versions retails for 36-38k.
My headsize is 56.5 cm and i used to wear an HJC-CL-17 small (56-57 cm) and an SMK Stellar Med (57-58cm).Both of these fits me perfectly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thamps (Post 5072223)

The helmet was manufactured in June 2020 and imported in Jan 2021. It is made in China.The fit was snug and the quality of the helmet is amazing. It also ships with a dark visor and pinlock as extra. I had ordered the lid in matte black for Rs.32999/-. The graphics versions retails for 36-38k.

Congratulations Thamps! I am sure you must have also read the previous pages where it’s clearly mentioned, posts about purchased helmets have to be accompanied by photographs :). Please comply.

Cheers