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-   -   Which Helmet? Tips on buying a good helmet (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/ride-safe/19699-helmet-tips-buying-good-helmet-226.html)

MT revenge 2 comes with a D ring fastener, no? Per the video below, it does. No internal SV either. Costs a shade under 8k

https://youtu.be/5u5g3ND1Ho8

Thank you so much Cyborg! I really love the thump and the suave nature of the bike.

I am little paranoid buying about buying helmet online due to fitment issues. So, I went to my local fancy helmet shop to try the helmet, they only have stock of EXO 390. They don't have stock of the 490 sadly, and will not be getting replenishment until late January.

After hearing me repeat my earlier comment verbatim, they asked me to go with a helmet that has Double-D rings and is at least 4-star rated by SHARP. Yet to get one, looking for other options as well.

Picked up an Axor helmet a few days ago from Soul Riders in HRBR layout in Bangalore.
Interestingly, bang opposite to Soul Riders is Motonation.
I asked the gentleman running the store if it was a big problem having competition right in front, he nonchalantly said it actually helps him Motonation helps to draw the crowd and a large majority end up buying from Soul Riders.

As I had noted earlier, I was looking at a low-cost temporary helmet to serve me for a few days. It cost 5k
(Apologies for the baby blanket!)










DOT/ECE Certification



"Features & Benefits"







Large air vent



Notch to lift the visor



Pinlock



Sunshade



D Ring Fastener



Some safety stickers & a tiny spoiler



Bag it came in

Used it for a day, and it is LOUD.
Would definitely need to use ear plugs if anyone wants to use this as a permanent helmet/brand.

Is the loud noise an issue across the range? I was checking Axor Apex, will give it a pass if it is going to be loud. My other choices include Bell Qualifier and, Scorpion EXO-490 (as suggested by Cyborg).

Please use earplugs for any helmet you buy. Qualifier is known to be a noisy lid as per reviews. Are new stock of Scorpion available now? LABS website only has visors listed!

Ride safe,
surjaonwheelz

Any reviews of fellow BHPians using SMK helmets themselves? I'm thinking of buying one for regular daily office runs, which is about 25kms, inside the city itself. All suggestions are welcome. Am currently using a SOL helmet, which should be retiring soon as I've had it for a few years now.

I've had a bad experience so far with SMK. I had an MT earlier and I would pick an MT anyday over a SMK. The issue I'm facing is with the shell size in sizes S and M which are the same; as a result it is causing extreme distress on the top of my skull and I'm unable to wear it more than 30mins at a stretch.

Unfortunate experience, sorry to hear. Thats one negative point to SMK till now. I'll probably double/triple check the size before (if and when) I plan to go ahead with the same.
I've burnt my hands with MT once, quality issues, wind noise, et all. I'd probably go for the exact same design with SOL as my current lid than switch to MT.
In fact, I sold my sparingly used MT (the same one mentioned above, used barely 30 times in 2 years) to a friend just last week. Took a decent hit in terms of value but preferred to move on rather than sulking over something as it just lies around.
:Frustrati

Brands like SMK and Axor are getting decent reviews from owners these days. For the price, these are pretty good helmets.

A helmet company sharing a shell between sizes is nothing new. The reason that you are facing a lot of pain after 30 minutes is likely because you have bought a helmet with the wrong shape for your head and hence you are getting major pressure points. I wouldnt blame the helmet for that. Try and sell off the SMK helmet and get something else that fits you better. The right helmet will ensure that you can ride for hours on end.

My SMK Twister will complete 5 years of ownership tomorrow. In these years I have used it for approx 50K km in city riding as well as for touring. Here are my observations.

1. The visor mechanism has failed at least 3 times and every time I had to replace the visor to fix it. Issue - some piece of glass would break where the visor is attached to the helmet in such a way that if I pull the visor up while riding, it would automatically drop down. Basically the visor wouldn't stay open.
2. The black plastic parts like the breath deflector has started breaking into pieces. I frequently find black shards in my hands if I accidentally hold the helmet at those plastic points. This started happening recently when I started using my helmet after it was stored in its cover for almost a year of no usage.
3. The pinlock anti-fog visor does its job brilliantly.
4. There is wind noise at speeds greater than 70 but it's nothing that you won't expect from a helmet at this price point.
5. The fit was always very comfortable, never experienced any kind of pain or discomfort even after riding for 14 hours a day.

It was a decent helmet 5 years ago for 3.5K. I think Axors were not available at that time. Only THH, Kranos & MT were available around that budget based on my experience exploring my neighborhood shops.
I recently bought an Axor helmet for 5K and after using it for 3 months I find it to be superior to SMK in every aspect except maybe the field of vision.
Based on my experience I will prefer Axor over SMK any day.

I am in the hunt of getting a new helmet in the coming weekend. My budget is in the 5k-10k bracket. I go for touring and long rides once in a while and usually commute to office as well (offices are shut now due to COVID). My requirements are a double D ring fastening and a anti-fog visor would be a great add-on since I use spectacles :/ I am currently based in Kolkata.

With the ISI certification mandate there in place, can someone guide me on the best helmet that I can pick up in this range? It would be also great if I can have recommendations on stores in Kolkata.

Axor would be your best bet in my opinion, they even have a carbon fiber version within that budget. Unlike MT they come with a pinlock insert by default. However, pinlock will not keep your spectacles clear, only the visor, you will still need to crack it open a few mm. For helmets, best to google moto gear shops around you, find a couple of reputable ones, and go test out the lids directly, then buy. You can't go wrong between Axor and MT, plus plenty of choices too in graphics, add-ons like internal sunvisor etc. I believe only Axor has ISI certified lids already available, MT does not, but personally I wouldn't bother too much about that.

I bought a Thunder 3 SV today from Powersports (Motonation earlier) - It now comes with an ISI sticker. It is however just stuck beside the DOT certification and can be removed by hand.

My head size is 58. I found the large more comfortable for my head shape than the M which was a tad too tight for the upper portion of my cranium.

Dear BHPians,

I need suggestions to buy helmet online.

Background:-
I tried looking for modular helmet online and zeroed down to SMK Gullwing size L from Motocentral.in. The sole reason for selecting SMK was that, being made in India, spare parts availability will not be a problem. There are many brands mention in the thread which have just vanished from the scene (at least online)
However I found the SMK too tight on the ears and a bit too heavy (~1800gms). It gave me headache and neck pain. Hence returned.




Usage:- City rides max 30 mins/15 kms
Type:- Full face and modular/ Flip-up
I wear specs, looking for a specs friendly, flip up helmet
Weight:- anything south of 1500 gms will be great, not an absolute criteria though
Budget:- 5k-10k, can extend for lighter modular helmets.

Suggestions for any reliable online store are welcome. I know its best to try in at store but that's not an option for me.

Thanks and regards