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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-293.html)

I did consider going down the import route but I don't want to be stuck here for parts when I eventually need them and then paying extra customs duties on everything. That's why I was leaning towards stuff that is easily available within the country.

Hi all - I am in the market for 2 full face helmets - one for me (Large) and another for my 16 yr old boy (Medium). Until recently, I had a HJC CS15 (Martial) and a MT Gallant, both sold now as they were 3 years old. Due to the current ISI homologation issue, we only have Airoh (select models), LS2 and other local brands. I don't seem to like the Airoh's aesthetics and not sure about the LS2 as well.
I ride a Ninja 1000SX, if money were no object, I would have tried for one of the big 3s - Arai, Shoei or Schuberth and even then I am not sure what is still available in India.

Any other recommendations from anyone? Please also note I have ordered a Cardo Packtalk Edge and I am being told the great sound quality from the JBL speakers the Cardo comes with also needs a decent helmet, else, may not be able to realise the good sound the unit is capable of. Thanks.

May I know what parts are you anticipating frequent changing?

Not to brag but over the years I have used Shoei GT Air, Arai Quantum ST Pro, Schuberth C4 (all for Multistrada that I rode for 50000 kms) and recently (after getting my S1000R) got the HJC RPHA12 & Shoei X SPR Pro.

The only spares I have needed are:

1 visor for GT Air & ST Pro each ( it was more out of my curiosity that I wanted to use a race visor on the Arai than the usual visor just to avoid the eye brow vents)

1 set of cheek pads for GT Air.

So it's not like things break every fortnight and you'll have to keep wanting to replace spares. :Shockked:

"Shoei GT Air, Arai Quantum ST Pro, Schuberth C4"

Surely! These three helmet Brands have lasted me more than 7 years, no changing anything. Always bagged when not on my head, no scratches, and looked new till retirement :)

The usual suspects - Visors and liners. Nothing else needs replacing periodically.

Those are easily available, buddy!

You don't need to get them that often unless your visor breaks etc.

And when you need them

1) look for generous friends who are travelling & willing to carry.
2) Look up Facebook and find a group called BMTFT https://www.facebook.com/groups/BMTFT
Find a "Top contributor", Check for references, order to his/her place and have them bring it back (they charge a small premium that you can talk about/negotiate before placing the order)
I have gotten some stuff from folks here. :Cheering:

Recently, I got to check out the newly launched Airoh Spark 2 helmet which retails for Rs 24,800. This is an ECE 22.06 certified sports touring helmet with a large drop down sun visor and an easy to use micro rachet strap. I know a lot of riders prefer the Double D ring system but for me, while touring, the micro rachet system makes life really easy for a rider.

One interesting design element of the helmet is that the chin vent is controlled by pressing (and not sliding) the flap on the chin. This took me some getting used to but on the go, it will be a simple, non-fiddly mechanism that helps the rider control the air flow, even if he / she is wearing gloves. The helmet's padding is plush, as it should be for a helmet that costs Rs 25K. I do like the sleek aerodynamic shape, as well. While browsing through the Highnoteperformance site, I found that only 5 colour schemes are available, and none of them really boast of attractive graphics.


What I couldnt avoid noticing was that as the visor was moved up and down through each step, there was a tiny bit of flex in it. Now, most riders will probably not pick up on this and even if they do, it may not be something that will impact a buying decision. That said, I didnt find the same flex in the visor of the original Spark which I compared side by side with this helmet.

For Indian motorcycle enthusiasts that are looking for a sports touring helmet in the Rs 20+ K budget, there arent all that many options to choose from. Overall, the Airoh Spark 2 comes across as a good offering in that price range and could be a logical choice for people looking to upgrade from their current (sub) Rs 10K helmet.

Just a few days back on the same thread, i was harping on about how the LS2 storm 2 FF8* series is the best value for money and i will keep it until the Airoh bug bites me and here you are with a product that is somewhat just outside a price range, that most of us would be somewhat comfortable with. Which retailer did you go to ?

Hello Guys.

I am in my early forties and looking to get back into biking. Will be buying a Duke 390 for now before I get into bigger nakeds in 2 - 3 years. Will be using for office run once a week and weekend 200 -300 km runs.

I am looking for a modular helmet which is light, has the minimum safety specs, good airflow and minimal noise at a budget around 20k or less. Any suggestions ?

I am considering buying the FF805 as my next helmet. I heard a lot about it being "noisy".
Although, how would it fare against my basic Axor helmet? Will it feel like an upgrade in terms of wind noise?

I want to record my rides with my voice, using an action camera and mic inside the helmet (for me, not for YouTube). When I try to do this in the Axor, the audio gets too distorted at cruising speeds (80+) due to wind noise. I am hoping a better quality helmet would fix this issue.

Hi everyone,

I'm in the market for a new helmet in the ₹15K +/- range. I've been using an MT Revenge Binomy for over five years now—it's served me well, but I think it's finally time to retire it.

I'm looking for recommendations from brands like MT, LS2, Airoh, etc. I'm not inclined towards Axor, KYT, or THH. One issue I had with the MT Revenge was the limited field of view, so for my next helmet, I'm prioritizing:

1) Improved FOV

2) DOT/ECE certification at minimum

3) Comfort for long rides (quality liners, good wind noise management)

4) Availability of spares

5) Effective ventilation

I'm based in Delhi NCR and would prefer to walk into a store and try the helmet on before purchasing, but I don’t mind buying online if necessary.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Go to Ankur (Bikoholic) in Noida Sector 104. He will have options for you. I'd suggest a LS2 Vector II or LS2 Storm II or Airoh Valor.

I was looking to move on from my Axor Rage Warfare Carbon helmet for 2 primary reasons:

1. Better safety => ECE 22.06 lid, emergency release cheek pads
2. Better noise insulation => The Axor was noisy and more so with the big slab of BluArmor attached to the side

I really wanted a Shoei GT Air 3 but I realized that I will have to shell out an extra premium to import it into the country. And also for any spares and stuff.

With a long ride approaching, I decided to buy the LS2 FF805 for around 30K. I feel it is a significant improvement in noise levels compared to my previous helmet. @night_eagle has the same helmet and we realized that the BluArmor issues at high speeds have drastically reduced. We credit it to the better sound insulation leading to lesser noise being picked up by the microphone.

That said, you still need to

• reduce wind buffeting on the helmet => I have installed touring windscreen
• absoutely wear earplugs => I use loop quiet 2 earplugs

I haven't used Axor so cannot compare between the two. I had shark earlier, so that is my only reference. I am using Noise ear plugs, so to me, the noise is lesser, although at more than triple digit speeds, it does seep in.

Is 35k+ the better segment than 25k+ for those upgrading from budget helmets? Or am I missing something?

Browsing the specs of the Airoh Spark 2, I thought 25k for what is essentially a plastic helmet- that too only in 2 shell sizes- is atrocious. Airoh doesn't seem to have anything but plastic and carbon fibre composites. So their budget plastic helmets seem to take mid-range prices and high-end carbon fibre helmets don't seem to be available here. But this atrocity seems to be the case for most of helmets in this segment, whose manufacturers don't deal with fibreglass composites (except for LS2, who do).

This is confusing to me as even 15k+ from LS2 come with fibreglass composites, the FF811 in particular with 6 shells, with the common sizes (S, M, L, XL) getting their own shell! So, even if there is a world of difference in the quality of foam and liners used in the 25k+ helmets, the better fitment on helmets with multiple shells, EPS and liners, should take the priority, shouldn't it? Not to mention, they're also lighter.

With such VFM in fibreglass helmets, it seems to me that there's every reason to skip the 25k segment and save-up for a 35k+ one. Or is there such an exceptionally good 25k helmet that offers better/similar value than/to the 35k+ ones?