[mac13]

The two places I went to see the helmets did not offer any such privilege. I'm not aware if other stores in Mumbai let you do so. It's good that the store in Bengaluru let's you do that.

[alphamike_1612]

Originally Posted by vinuchel

Which would be the most comfortable full face helmet below 5k for a budget rider?
My ride : Jupiter

Might be a weird suggestion, but hear me out.
TVS Racing has a single/double visor ece 22.05 rated helmet on their accessories website. It includes the pinlock 30.
It's the old version of Axor Street. Vega makes these helmets for TVS and they are ISI certified too.
The double visor at 4079 and the single visor at 3749 are the cheapest ECE 22.05 rated helmets I could find.
Considering that yours is a Jupiter, the TVS branding should also not look out of place.

Do note, the weight is 1650g so it's a little on the heavier side, but over a 1 hour ride, I didn't have any neck pain or such.

Would highly recommend these.

Single visor : https://www.tvsmotor.com/shop/mercha...04f7f300905e27
Double Visor : https://www.tvsmotor.com/shop/mercha...0c570cdb2d7f65

[aeeshaan007]

I finally made the purchase of HJC RPHA 70. I got the helmet for 255 Euros as a part of Black Friday Deal. Would get another 40 Euros back if I claim tax while coming back.

I owned an HJC CL ST 2 and always liked the shell design of HJC. The finishing is really good. Has an internal sun visor,D rings and emergency cheek pad removal.

I took size S (old was M).Initially it looked tight but the shop owner said this is the right size. It feels better after I tried multiple times.
I will give a further review once I use it on my ride late December when I am back in India. Until then some images

[hiren.mistry]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

A little birdie tells me that a globally renowned helmet company has tied up with an established Indian helmet company to manufacturer and sell helmets that are made in India. Interesting days ahead.

Thanks Neil, by any chance is that brand Shark? I saw some Insta post by MotoGear Performance where they showed off some Shark Helmets.

Thanks
Hiren

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by NTab

No doubt internal sun-visor is great, but over my few touring experiences, I have realised that one hardly needs them while touring. A good sunglass will do the trick. They also add up 50-100gms which was a trade off I was willing to make.
The situation changes though if the helmet is used for city commuting. Sun-visor can be useful in city runs.

I have purchased this helmet specifically for touring.

NTab, I was very interested to read your thought process on the use case for a sun visor in a helmet. My thinking is just the opposite. If Im in the city, a helmet without a sun visor is not a bother. At the most, I will be riding for an hour, in these conditions. So its not too much of a strain on my eyes. However, while touring, Im probably spending 8 to 9 hours on a motorcycle. On such days, a drop down sun visor is a God send for me.

A good pair of sunglasses is an alternative solution. As is having 2 helmets - one with a sun visor and one without (I have been following this for the last 4 years). However, considering that most motorcyclists reading this will have just one helmet, considering all round usage, I feel a helmet with a drop down sun visor, is a lot more practical to own, in the long run.

Originally Posted by mac13

Lesson learnt that safety ratings aside, the fit is most important. The MT did not give any trouble when trying out at the store. But it's not possible to wear a helmet for 20 mins at the store before a purchase like many helmet buying guides advice.

mac13, this is exactly what I have been advocating on this forum for years. To be honest, most stores will allow you to wear the helmet and walk around with it, for at least 10 to 15 minutes. I usually chat with the store staff or browse through the other offerings, to pass the time, while I wait to see if the helmet shape matches that of my head.

Originally Posted by Entsurgeon

Guys, Any idea where can i get visor, liners and cheekpads for airoh gp500?
Also does a size L and size M have same external shell? Like can size M liners fit on a size L lid?

Entsurgeon, the Airoh GP500 was replaced by the GP550. You wont get liners and cheekpads in India. If you do, it will be really old stock. Look up Motoin or FC Moto and import it yourself.

Originally Posted by hiren.mistry

Thanks Neil, by any chance is that brand Shark? I saw some Insta post by MotoGear Performance where they showed off some Shark Helmets.

hiren.mistry, the name that I heard isnt Shark. I dont want to reveal too much more by way of clues, because the news isnt officially out yet and it might ring a Bell.

[amvj]

Originally Posted by amvj

Today I bought MT Thunder 4 Goblin (ECE 22.06) helmet from Powersports, HSR layout, Bangalore.

A quick update on the Helmet and ear plugs. The MT helmet is quite noisy and unbearable post 70-80kmph. On the other hand, the expensive No noise earplugs I bought from Motousher is painful to my ears post 1hr. I also have a cheaper earplugs (Rs 20) I bought it from a local store and I find I am able to wear it for 2 hrs. This is definitely better than the Nonoise ear plugs.

I wonder how people ride long distances on motorcycles with a noisy helmet and ear plugs are definitely not comfortable to wear.

[alphamike_1612]

I have only recently started using earplugs under my helmet and after much deliberation decided to buy a pair of swimming ear plugs from Decathlon that look an awful lot like the No Noise ear plugs and are quite comfortable. I notice a difference in the noise level but I am not able to quantify it. The reason I chose the Decathlon Ear Plugs was that they have a lanyard that is detachable and prevents the plugs from falling to the ground when you remove your helmet/ balaclava, 3 sizes of ear tips with shark fins and are washable and hence reusable and all thise for a fifth of the NoNoise plugs. (Ofcourse those may be better at reducing noise, I've never tried them on.

Adding a few pictures:


This is the L size plug with the lanyard attached. The sharkfins aren't really comfortable for my ears.


The M size plugs with the shark fins


An added bonus is the case it comes in. It serves as a good carry case to store your plugs in after a ride instead of throwing them into a corner of your bag and then fear ear infections.


While I understand that these plugs were not made for motorcycle use, I have found that they seem to work quite well and fit comfortably.

Originally Posted by amvj

The expensive No noise earplugs I bought from Motousher is painful to my ears post 1hr. I also have a cheaper earplugs (Rs 20) I bought it from a local store and I find I am able to wear it for 2 hrs. This is definitely better than the Nonoise ear plugs.

Do you notice any difference in sound reduction between the No Noise and the generic ones?
If possible, do try the Decathlon plugs.

Cheers,
alphamike_1612

[amvj]

Originally Posted by alphamike_1612

Do you notice any difference in sound reduction between the No Noise and the generic ones?
If possible, do try the Decathlon plugs.

Cheers,
alphamike_1612

Thanks for sharing. There are two parts in my above comment. One is that MT helmet is quite noisy. The other is, these ear plugs cause a lot of pain in the ears if I use them for a couple of hours or more.

Regarding blocking noise, both these ear plugs have adequate blocking of wind noise. Nonoise will let some sound to your ears compared to the cheaper ear plugs.

[Gaur]

Originally Posted by amvj

A quick update on the Helmet and ear plugs. The MT helmet is quite noisy and unbearable post 70-80kmph. On the other hand, the expensive No noise earplugs I bought from Motousher is painful to my ears post 1hr. I also have a cheaper earplugs (Rs 20) I bought it from a local store and I find I am able to wear it for 2 hrs. This is definitely better than the Nonoise ear plugs.

I wonder how people ride long distances on motorcycles with a noisy helmet and ear plugs are definitely not comfortable to wear.

Attachment 2386425

Attachment 2386426

I was discussing this noise issue with one of my friend who is an long time biker and has used multiple helmets, as per his observation helmets with a dropdown sun visor are more noisy, the cavity for sun visor in the helmet shell amplifies the wind noise, i kind of feel there is some logic to his observation particularly when i compare it to my longtime LS2 without the sunvisor.

[Pretorian]

Originally Posted by Gaur

I was discussing this noise issue with one of my friend who is an long time biker and has used multiple helmets, as per his observation helmets with a dropdown sun visor are more noisy, the cavity for sun visor in the helmet shell amplifies the wind noise, i kind of feel there is some logic to his observation particularly when i compare it to my longtime LS2 without the sunvisor.

This is true, last week while riding to BLR and back, my exo1400 felt so loud, I simply couldn't ride without the ear plugs, this is post 120. It had those sun visors, while conveient i'd now prefer something without it and use a pair a good shades. The bluarmor kept me sane with some good soul music.

[hiren.mistry]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

hiren.mistry, the name that I heard isnt Shark. I dont want to reveal too much more by way of clues, because the news isnt officially out yet and it might ring a Bell.

Ting, ting, ting - point noted buddy. I hope the pricing is within reach, i am looking to get myself a new helmet as an upgrade to the SMK Titan. Besides the weight, I have no complaints with it.

[condor]

For folks in KA:

read a news report in the papers that the flimsy cap-style helmets will soon be illegal, and will attract a fine. Good move, IMO.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Gaur

I was discussing this noise issue with one of my friend who is an long time biker and has used multiple helmets, as per his observation helmets with a dropdown sun visor are more noisy, the cavity for sun visor in the helmet shell amplifies the wind noise, i kind of feel there is some logic to his observation particularly when i compare it to my longtime LS2 without the sunvisor.

Gaur, Im pretty certain that a drop down sun visor has little, to nothing, to do with noise in a helmet. The amount of noise in a helmet is usually a function the number of vents in the helmet, the amount of airflow that the vents let in, the quality of the cheek padding, the market positioning of the helmet (for example, a race helmet requires maximum air flow) etc.

Currently, I use a LS2 Storm and an Airoh GP 550. The LS2 Storm has a drop down sun visor and very plush padding. The Airoh GP 550 is a FIM certified race helmet. Without ear plugs, the LS2 is easily the more quiet of the two helmets. I believe it is down to the plusher padding on the LS2 (yes, a Rs 10K helmet with super plush padding is hard to believe!) and the GP 550 letting in a lot more air, while the cheek pads arent too plush.

Conversely, before this, I used an AGV K3 SV and a Shark Race R Pro. The AGV K3 SV had a drop down sun visor. The Shark Race R Pro was a race helmet with super plush padding. Between the two, the Shark Race R Pro was the quieter of the helmets, most likely because the lovely premium padding fit so well against my cheeks, that it barely allowed excess air to come through from below.

[mac13]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

mac13, this is exactly what I have been advocating on this forum for years.

Agree with you completely. I have used a MT Thunder 3 before and it was a good fit. While trying out the MT Thunder 4 in the store, wearing the helmet for a short while did not cause any discomfort so I didn't think much of it. And the ECE 22.06 standard testing is much more rigorous as compared to the older ECE 22.05 that it felt difficult to ignore.

Thankfully the discomfort has reduced a bit and I plan to use it as a sort of beater helmet for short city rides.

[alphamike_1612]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

A little birdie tells me that a globally renowned helmet company has tied up with an established Indian helmet company to manufacturer and sell helmets that are made in India. Interesting days ahead.

Hi Neil, did this birdie of yours reveal if it'll be the same International spec models or new models specific to the Indian market with ECE/DOT/SHARP ratings?

If it's the latter, I wonder how different they would be from our homegrown SMK/Axor, other than having the backing of a big name brand.

On a slightly different brand, SMK (Steelbird) exports the same spec helmets to other countries, so the helmets you find on fcmoto are the same ones sitting in our stores. I was really happy that for once we aren't being treated differently.