CBRWorld.net

Ok, I'm in the market for a helmet. What I'm looking for from you, the forum members, is this: From ACTUAL experience, what is the favorite helmet that you have owned, and why? pros and cons please.

rf-1000 'cause it fits my odd shaped head. They also have tons of styles and they come with extra stuff(breath guard, chin screen.)

But does it really matter why I like it? I picked my helmet 'cause it fit my price range and all the above,NOT cause someone else liked/recommended it. Your choice should be your choice, NO?

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F4i '04 ylw/blk - Resurrected in all black with a jardine high mount

get a helmet that fits your head... thats it.  if u WANT to spend the $$ on a quality helmet, it will def be more comfortable and last longer than the less expensive brands. 

ex.  200$ KBC helmet last me 6 months until it stretched too much to be safe for my head.  it was too small to begin w/ and then much much much too big.  however, my first 500$ Arai's lasted over 2 years and felt exactly the same as the day i bought it.  it was destroyed by some vandalism, so i got another.. but ya, in that respect, the Arai's were cheaper.... 1 Arai over atleast 2 years, compard to a KBC every 6 months??  ez choice.

plus, good/expensive helmets are just constructed much much better.  lighter, shell is smaller, material is more comfortable, the venting actually works, visor locks in place, liner is completely removable, washable, and replaceable, etc etc etc.

if Arai didnt fit my head, id get a Shoei... and if i had the extra money id buy an RX7 instead of my Quantum2... but u kno.  on a side-note, i recommended a Scorpion to my friend and he really likes it.  its pretty nice for the price, much better than most of the other brands. 

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Naked 93' F2...... RIP -- 04/12/07
04' 600RR Black - currently stuck between track and street usage
- Brembo Master, Sato's, & Ohlins out back

i started off with an arai, but i think in my newbness it wasn't quite a fit for me (too large maybe). my bell got rung when i highsided at 10-15mph one time. it was a nice graphic quantum/f Phoenix too. bye bye nice helmet. :(

so.... fast forward 5 years later.... SUOMY Spec-1R or Extreme are my lid of choice. I actually still have my SUOMY Gunwind which fits great (plus I had it for a steal new!). I had to use a racer bud's helmet when I forgot mine at the last race, and the Spec-1R and Extreme are awesome fit for my head. I probably would fit an Arai again if I change the pads to slightly larger size on the Medium. I have a Barros Extreme on order/on the way or a light blue flower fade.

now... the more important question: why SUOMY? the lining is awesome. I think only Arai lining that is as silky smooth. Since I've been lid shopping recently, I tried a Shoei top of the line but the lining was very disappointing coming from Suomy and Arai. Heck it the lining was on par iwth my two KBC VR-1s! Severly dissapointed, but lucky for me I'm not a Shoei head. One thing on the Extreme and Spec-1R is the visor clarity. It's light night and day from my Gunwind and my KBCs. Light years from my Arai Quantum/f. I was truly sold on Suomy's visors that hell, i can probably see that inch of space to squeeze my fat butt stuffing someone! LOL

bang for buck.. KBC VR-1s. I love these two helmets for what you get on the price, and they were my replacement helmets after my Arai for a couple of years. Lining is not quite silky like my SUOMY, but great for day-to-day use (especially for my scooter). :) I'm unsur how the lining and fit is for the newer VR-1s, but great thing is the no-tool visor change. Much easier than my SUOMY or Arai, ever!!!! But it is a loud helmet. I have to wear earplugs on that thing vs. my Gunwind.

I just tried on a Shark today as I was waiting for paperwork on my new ride. But they didn't have a medium to try on of the same model (can't recall which). But the lining was good, and although a size L, I think I might fit a Shark. Now if they just respond to my racer support request application.....

I won a Scorpoion EXO-400 at Laguna Seca GP. Was OK fit, but not as silky lining also. I think it's a fine helmet myself, but I had too many and I needed race tires. So sold for a very fair price to a newb! :)

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"Leaders are like tea; put them in hot water to find out how strong they are." Anonymous

From actual experience, I reccommend both Shoei and Scorpion.  I have never worn an Arai helmet, but from what I have heard, you can't go wrong there either.  These reccommendations seem to be popular among other riders in this thread as well.  Ultimately, you need to go to the store and try each of them on and see which one fits you best.  One manufacturer's large is another manufacturer's medium.  As far as bang for the buck, Scorpion is the way to go...they ranked third in JD Power's Helmet Ratings...right behind Shoei and Arai.  Scorpion is definately in good company to be compared and ranked so closely to Shoei and Arai, but at a smaller price.  If you went with Scorpion over say Shoei, you would definately save some $$$, but you would also have a heavier helmet that was not as comfortable.  Scorpions are still comfortable and relatively light weight, don't get me wrong...but it is not as comfortable or light weight as a high dollar Shoei or Arai.  I have had my Scorpion for about a year and a half and it has worn very little, I can get another six months out of this helmet, easy!  From personal experience, when I do get another helmet, even though I love Scorpion, I will probably spend a few extra $$$ for the comfort and light weight of the Shoei.  Basically, Scorpion is a high quality helmet just like Shoei or Arai, they just put less emphasis on weight and comfort--which is why they are able to put a quality helmet on the market for under $200.

I have an HJC cl-12 that i have had for going on 4 years now.  It's not stretched at all and still fits my head real well.  the outside took on some scratches from normal wear and tear but other than that the helmet has held up good.  I think this is a $200+.  Far as comfort, i've tested shoei's and they are like heaven on my head compared to the hjc.....but if i don't have a shoei to compare it too my HJC does just fine.

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2002 silver/red f4i
Two bro's slip on
painted windscreen

What do you think of Marushin helmets? Anybody had one of those? I'm thinking of getting one because the designs are awesome, but I wouldn't want getting a bad helmet with just great looks.

As far as comfort goes, my icon alliance ss is great. I havent crash tested it yet but I suppose thats a good thing. My only real complaint with the helmet is that I got the matte black color and it shows scratches very well.

On a side note I have the gold visor, and it fogs up like a mofo in the winter.

midnightthumper:

On a side note I have the gold visor, and it fogs up like a mofo in the winter.

a fog city insert will do you well. i had to put one on my suomy gunwind cuz i get fogging at trackdays early in the morning.

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"Leaders are like tea; put them in hot water to find out how strong they are." Anonymous

Whats a fog city insert ?

The first helmet i had was a CMS helmet. Pretty cheap and nasty really but i thought it was OK not having really tried anything else. It was the only one that would go on my head at the shop where i bought my first bike. It was also probably a size too big and floated a bit when i was going fast. Fogged up badly. Crash test result... Brilliant !! I went head first through the side of an older real metal 4WD and smashed the door and pillar in with my head and shoulder at 70km/h. Just had a bit of feint bruising across my forehead from the experience.

Second helmet was HJC AC-11, and it fits probably the best i have found for my head. I tried on every helmet in town and it won hands down for fitting. Liner is a little rougher than i'd like, but the visor seals nicely and its not too noisy that i have to wear earplugs. Also has breathing room in front of the chin bar. Comes with the nose guard thingy and a bag too. I now have two nose guards and helmet bags since i came off again and banged up the first one. Was good enough for me to replace it with the same. I have however unfortunately decided that my head is somewhere between sizes L and XL

Arai and Shoei i found to have a beautiful finish, but too stuffy for me and the wrong shape for my head. I do wish they fitted though, cause they feel really nice.

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-'99 CBR600F
-SS Brake lines
-Polished Rims
-Standard Shiny Micron Exhaust to match shiny wheels

fog city description link - http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/visors/fog-city-progrip.htm

basically, a little strip that creates an air pocket between the visor and the insert, thus preventing fogging. one thing i realized is smudges are hard to remove via plexus or honda cleaner spray. at the last race, i swear i couldn't remove stuff and thought air/water got in with seal break somewhere. but once i got home, soap and water did the job. 'sides, it's rare i have to clean the inside of the visor.

Yeah.. when I bought my F4 in San Diego, the owner threw in a bell. Ewww... that was so rough on my silky smooth cheeks. I had to put on moisturizer 4x/day for weeks! LOL j/k

There are plenty of helmets out there to try aside from the two big gorillas - Arai and Shoe - with Suomy chasing them down. I'd really like to try a Shark, but I have a Suomy Barros on the way already.

Now if I can jsut avoid getting a new dirt helmet also! Them 60% sales are so tempting!

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"Leaders are like tea; put them in hot water to find out how strong they are." Anonymous

First Helmet - HJC CL-SP - came with the Ninjette.  Went down going about 30ish MPH - scratched the visor a smidgen, but the helmet itself didn't take any damage.

Second -  "Vega", not sure of the model or anything.  Got this one so I could use the HJC as a spare (was a tight-fitting medium, the Vega in large was better) - went down at around 50 mph, head hit hard - I literally bounced off the road once, hitting shoulder-and-head first, but only had a slight headache afterward.

Third and current - HJC CL-15 (I think that's the right name) - another large.

The Vega was ok, but falls short in comparison with the HJCs.  My fave is the SP, but it fights too tightly.  The HJCs have a wider field of vision than the "Vega", and that thing fogged up like crazy, even in non-fogging weather.  The 15 came with an "anti-fog" visor, does great until I'm in too-cold weather or foggy areas, and was about 80 after shipping from newenough.com

New helmet for 80, I'm not going to complain.

That's my bit of minor experience

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05 Ninja 250,
Preparing for CBR goodness... someday

ok. thanks for all your input. it's exactly what I was looking for. Decision time. I have tested the shoei and just submitted my dealer app for scorpion. I have used, and currently own an HJC CL-15 Draco. It will be for sale as soon as I make a decision. It was used 3 times before the snow started falling. so it is going to come to this: Shoei or Scorpion. I'm a dealer for Fulmer, HJC, Joe Rocket, Shoei and hopefully soon, Scorpion. I'm leaning toward the scorpion for the drop down sunvisor, I wear glasses, but, that could all change when I actually wear one too. I'll keep you posted...

Thanks again guys, it was valuable info.  

RF1000...cause it was affordable, light and got some pretty good reviews...speed addict cycles has really good prices on Suomy lids too

I love my RF-1000 because: the ventilation works really well, it fits snuggly, and looks nice.  I'll give Arai a try for my next helmet.