[Thamps]

Originally Posted by MaheshY1

Imagine, we have a lot of green area on the left, where any helmet will keep you safe. On the right, we have a big red area, where nothing is good enough. Then, there's a narrow strip in between where a Snell outperforms a DOT or an ECE outperforms an ISI.

Simple probability logic makes it very unlikely for us to end up in that strip, let alone towards the right of that strip where we can say that the Snell saved us while the DOT wouldn't have. So, I've grown to appreciate the comfort and convenience of well-made helmets rather than just their safety rating.

Instead, I focus on keeping my skin and joints safer. Even in parking lot falls, it's very easy to twist your ankle. Hitting the asphalt at 40kmph is not even close to life-threatening, but a low-side will hurt for many days more days. So, I value a comfortable pair of riding pants, boots, gloves, and jacket more than a fancy helmet. With the greatest emphasis on boots followed by pants. That's why I happily spent more on 1 pair of Dainese boots than Scorpion and Bell helmets combined. And the boots have done a fantastic job so far and held up well with the abuse. Total paisa vasool!

Going by that logic, why spend on a Dainese boots when you can get the same protection from the likes of TCX, Falco for half the price. After all, in case of boots either it has torsional flex protection or it doesn't. same in case of heel, ankle, toe protection, etc. The boot can be Level 1 or 2 certified. I think there wont be much of a difference in the transfer of force from one brand to another unlike in case of helmets in which shell size, material composition, EPS Density, shell size, shell shape plays a a major role in the transfer of G Force to the head. To each his own i guess..
I think simple logic does not justify separating helmet certifications into three simple strips without any empirical data supporting the same, especially at a time when old standards are being disproved and helmet regulations are being upgraded to safer standards.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

The store is AutoQueen in Cochin and they do have M sized Airoh GP550s. I might drop in there tomorrow or day after for some other stuff, I will check the colour schemes that are available and update this thread. Yes, they do ship to Bangalore. Other TBHPians in Bangalore have ordered stuff from AutoQueen, which was couriered to their homes. Let me know if you decide on the GP550 and I can help you out.

P72NX, congratulations on your upcoming Triumph. These are the helmets that are available in the medium size here in Cochin. Personally, I like their glossy helmets a lot better than the matte ones.

Once you check out the other options in Bangalore, let me know if you are interested in the Airohs.

[P72NX]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

P72NX, congratulations on your upcoming Triumph. These are the helmets that are available in the medium size here in Cochin. Personally, I like their glossy helmets a lot better than the matte ones.

Once you check out the other options in Bangalore, let me know if you are interested in the Airohs.

Wow! You are awesome!
Thanks for this.
The Blue gloss looks the best among the three easily. I was hopeful they would have the Black-Red.

I will keep you posted. Thanks again

[shovan]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

If you are looking at a top of the line helmet, keep an eye out for the Caberg Drift Evo Carbon and HJC RPHA 70 (sold through Spartan partner stores), Airoh GP 550 (sold at High Note Performance or their retail stores) and the Scorpion helmets (Lazy Ass Bikers). All are solid options. I will suggest that you pick up what you can, while you can, if you get a helmet that fits you well.

Hey I’m in a similar place, have to take delivery next month but still haven’t managed to finalise on a helmet. Usage is going to be weekend rides to start with and then to be explored since it’s my first big bike. I went to lazy ass bikers here and tried all the available ones in my size (57-58) but need to figure something else. Was considering the following:
1. AGV K5
2. AGV K6
3. HJC RPHA 70
4. HJC F70
5. Caberg Drift Evo - Autoqueen

So far it seems as though there’s no place in Bombay which still have these Any recommendations between these or where I can find them?

[pjbiju]

Originally Posted by RiderZone

Is it just me, or is the Shaft shell significantly larger than the MT one? Or are they different sizes?

Both the helmets are quite identical in the overall size with the Shaft Pro being slightly bigger. I have added an image below with a comparison of the overall dimensions

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

...
Thanks for sharing, it does look well built. I agree with surjaonwheelz, the helmet bag is a really nice touch! I believe this isnt ISI approved, is there an ISI sticker on the back?
...

No. There is no ISI sticker. So will non-ISI helmets be no longer available in India? I thought helmets meeting DOT or ECE standards will be allowed to be imported.


Helmet picture source is https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/338614465713619803/

The Shaft Pro shell size is slightly bigger and that could be the reason I felt it to be more comfortable to wear than the MT. All the measurements are taken with a ruler and a carpenter's square. So it may not be very accurate.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by shovan

Hey I’m in a similar place, have to take delivery next month but still haven’t managed to finalise on a helmet. Usage is going to be weekend rides to start with and then to be explored since it’s my first big bike. I went to lazy ass bikers here and tried all the available ones in my size (57-58) but need to figure something else. Was considering the following:
1. AGV K5
2. AGV K6
3. HJC RPHA 70
4. HJC F70
5. Caberg Drift Evo - Autoqueen

So far it seems as though there’s no place in Bombay which still have these Any recommendations between these or where I can find them?

shovan, I dont know where AGV helmets are available in Bombay. Maybe other Bombay / Pune TBHPians can help you with that.

HJC and Caberg helmets are imported by Spartan Pro Gear and sold through their partner stores. You can check the list of stores in Bombay here.

Airoh helmets are available at High Note Performance (online) or Autoqueen (Cochin). Im not sure if there is retailer in Bombay.

Originally Posted by pjbiju

No. There is no ISI sticker. So will non-ISI helmets be no longer available in India? I thought helmets meeting DOT or ECE standards will be allowed to be imported.

Yes, that is true. After 1st of July, no new non ISI helmets can be imported. It looks like Rynox got the batch of Shaft helmets in June, just days / weeks before the deadline.

[Thamps]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Yes, that is true. After 1st of July, no new non ISI helmets can be imported. It looks like Rynox got the batch of Shaft helmets in June, just days / weeks before the deadline.

What about SMK?will Studds be able to sell those here?Will there be no protests or appeals from retailers and importers?any idea?

[P72NX]

Visited Motonation in JC Road today
The below are available in size M
All last pieces. Display piece is what they will sell.

The Caberg fit was more snug than the HJC

Caberg Evo Drift:





Caberg Evo Drift





HJC RPHA 11





The HJC/Caberg station (with one MT. I think MT Carbon)



Bottom row (L to R) - Caberg Tourmax, Caberg Duke 2
2nd Row from bottom (L to R) - HJC C70, Caberg Evo Drift
3rd Row from bottom (L to R) - HJC CS 15, HJC RPHA 11, Caberg Evo Drift
Top Row (L to R) - HJC F70, HJC C70, MT Carbon (?)

[IshaanIan]

Just an update for those who are interested about the Axor Rage Carbon helmet, but before I outline my personal experience with the product in store I'd like to give a bit of background as to why this need arose and how:

I had a very bad accident back in 2019 and the urge to ride has vanished for me since. I still want to go riding every now and then but it is only an occasional feeling and for the most part I am content sitting in a car waiting for the rest of traffic to move these days. Since this is the case for me now, I ditched the plan of replacing my trusty old X-Lite X-802 R with its modern counterpart and decided to spend less since I would not be using it as much. Thus the need arose for a lightweight, cheap, made in India (because of our import duty restrictions) lid with double D-rings and an ECE certification sticker. No extra gimmicks like internal visor since I wanted the helmet to be as light as possible. The helmet could not be a polycarb one because they only get as light as 1450-1550gms if one is particular about an ECE sticker (companies like SOL sell lighter polycarb lids but only with a DOT sticker). For me the lightweight aspect is a must since it would be replacing the X-802R which was the lightest track certified lid when it was launched, so even an extra 300gms would put a lot of strain on my neck if I were to ride for more than 20 minutes. Thus when a bhpian had mentioned the existence of the Axor Rage Carbon, my interest was piqued.

The Hunt:

I sent an e-mail to the company and they replied with the address of a warehouse in Hyderabad. Since it was far from where I lived, and they did not provide any phone number, I did not want to risk driving all the way there for nothing. So I began calling up helmet stores in the city. Found a few shops and informed them I was coming to check the product out.

In Store Hands-On Experience:

The first thing that struck me was the interior liner material; it was plusher than anything I had experienced in the sub 5k category (this lid is based on the existing architecture of a polycarb Axor Rage helmet that retails at about 3-4k). Through friends I have seen MT helmets and LS2 helmets and this definitely felt better which was a big sigh of relief for me since that was potentially going to be another sore point when downgrading from my X-Lite. I am not saying the padding felt anywhere close to as good as the 802's but that it was better than other cheap helmets that I had the opportunity to checkout, was encouraging. It had sufficient padding on the straps and on the chin curtain and it atleast did not feel noticeably bad to the touch.

I was also intrigued to find out that Axor has an integrated pinlock insert stuck onto the visor. Have never seen this before but again was relieved to know that I wouldn't have to let go of another convenience factor. Replacement visors are also quite cheap at about 300-400rs so I would no longer have to feel bad about scratches.

The helmet felt heavier in-hand than my X-Lite but also felt lighter than other helmets in the store. The sticker on the back says 1290+-50gms which I shall verify soon.

The only major sore-point which I felt was the visor mechanism. It takes effort to crack open and feels clunky to move around all in stark contrast to the X-Lite's mechanism which allowed one to operate the visor easily and smoothly and place it nearly anywhere with just the strength of one finger. But I suppose this a very minor gripe considering it costs only 7900.

Buying:

The stores only had M or L in stock and since my head measures in at 56 I needed an S. The attitude at the stores was quite annoying some were pushing me to take the M or L or whichever they had in stock saying that it is a limited edition helmet blah blah. I called up Axor's customer care number from their website and was told that I can have the helmet replaced if the size does not suit me, but that I will have to bear the transit costs. So I have finally decided to order it online through Axor's website itself. Ordered size S, shall see if it fits well.

Stay tuned for reports on the noise isolation, venting ability and quality of visor seals, once I finally get the helmet.

Oh and for others considering this lid, it does come with an ISI sticker too just incase the cops are actually that anal about these things in your city

[Accelro]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Just an update for those who are interested about the Axor Rage Carbon helmet

I hope you are doing well after now after your accident, I am in a similar boat in regards to the search for a better helmet and while going through this thread my interest was piqued for the Axor helmets, so will await your review/impressions on the helmet! Cheers

[RiderZone]

Update on the Scorpion 1400 carbon pinlock fouling issue. I had emailed LABs, and Dhaval responded asking for additional photos and videos, which I sent. In the end, he couldn't do much without physically looking at the helmet, and asked me to ship it over, which is understandable. I decided not to do that, if the helmet gets damaged in shipping, that'll be 30k wasted for a 3k part. No pinlock for this guy then. Below is a video of the problem in case anyone's curious.

Just a reminder of what the problem is here, look at the black rubber seal around the eye port. With the pinlock installed the visor is too fat, and the pinlock rubs against the seal. That seal is usually covered with dirt and grime, that scratches the pinlock and makes it useless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL4_RAndbDU

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Thamps

What about SMK?will Studds be able to sell those here?Will there be no protests or appeals from retailers and importers?any idea?

These SMK helmets are designed in Italy and manufactured in India. Some of them have the ISI approval already. Im not sure if all their helmets have the ISI approval though.

[hiren.mistry]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

These SMK helmets are designed in Italy and manufactured in India. Some of them have the ISI approval already. Im not sure if all their helmets have the ISI approval though.

I have the SMK Titan and it does not have an ISI sticker., Quite surprising actually.

[neil.jericho]

I dropped into DJ Helmets, Cochin and found some popular ISI rated KYT helmets. Feedback from friends of friends is that these are quite good and IIRC some of them are using this helmet on the track. The carbon finish helmet feels a big lighter than the other ones but they all have the same listed weight. The graphics are race inspired and are pretty attractive as well.

Corsagram also had a big bunch of KYT helmets and Suomy, but I didnt get in to check the Suomy lids. Around 18K price is what they mentioned.

[OmV]

I am trying to get a helmet from the US through a friend (hand carried). The dimensions seen online are 17x13x13 inches. This may be the packaging carton dimensions. My friend reported his suitcases are 12 inches deep. I am worried that a tight fit in the suitcase plus rough handling by airline staff should not result in a crash test for the helmet. Any insights?
I am also looking into getting a carry case and asking him to literally hand carry it. I would like to avoid this as he has his hands full (literally) with 2 young kids.

I am sure folks have hand carried helmets from overseas, what is the deal with customs -if any.

The helmet is a HJC RPHA 11 PRO (size XL) in a specific color format which will go well with my bike. I was unable to find this in india plus the price differential is pretty decent. I have tried this locally and fits great.

---Omkar