Helmet Reco Needed

[White Dog_imp]

Can some nice person recommend an economically-priced full face helmet with minimal wind noise? I have a Shoei Qwest that is driving me crazy with the constant roar. The noise is coming from the face shield area, as I have the wind blocker in place and feel no air underneath. I ride behind a PS2 and had it about as high as it would go but no help. In fact it was so high, the wings to block air on the hands were higher than my handlebars, rendering that part of the shield ineffective.

[Jeff the CB CBX guy_imp]

Minimal wind noise and economical don't normally collide in the same sentence. Arai is the quietest. My experience.

[kmoney_imp]

Shoei RF1200? The Air-GT is quieter, but too expensive to be considered economical. If your current Quest fits well you probably have a Shoei head shape and may want to stick with the same brand. You see solid colour RF1200's on discount quite often.

[White Dog_imp]

Minimal wind noise and economical don't normally collide in the same sentence. Arai is the quietest. My experience.

I agree. I wore an Arai for 10 years until the insides fell apart. New ones are very pricey, but had I known the Shoei Qwest was going to be so noisy, I would have looked more closely for a deal on Arai. I may try taping the face shield shut and see if that helps.

[Jeff the CB CBX guy_imp]

That worked for me in the past. Or try a felt strip(s)

[Rebel73_imp]

10 years? Just fyi, the recommendation is to replace a helmet every 4-5 years. The impact resistant materials break down over time.

[Rocky_imp]

I don't think there is such a helmet that offers comfort and quiet at the same time, but Arai may come the closest - for a price!
I settled for HJC helmets which offer good value, fit, comfort and protection for the price, and have been wearing them for many years.
I always wear E.A.R ear plugs anyway so it doesn't really matter that much how noisy it is.
Not everyone likes or can stand ear plugs, but you have to protect your hearing.

[the Ferret]

Just out of curiosity, have you ridden the bike without the windshield on to see if the helmet is still noisy? My brother has a Qwest and loves it. He says his is very quiet, but both of his bikes are basically naked with no windshields. He doesn't wear ear plugs either.

I wear HJC's and can tell you they are not the quietest, either on a naked bike or behind a shield, but they fit me well.

[jrns_imp]

I don't think there is such a helmet that offers comfort and quiet at the same time, but Arai may come the closest - for a price!
I settled for HJC helmets which offer good value, fit, comfort and protection for the price, and have been wearing them for many years.
I always wear E.A.R ear plugs anyway so it doesn't really matter that much how noisy it is.
Not everyone likes or can stand ear plugs, but you have to protect your hearing.

Hi Rocky- we have similar tastes in motorcycles and helmets ...lol
I have the same feelings on the HJC ...comfortable, and economical. It fits the shape of my head perfectly- plus I like the sleek look. Very aerodynamic and quiet.
I have the Spark-that has the integrated drop down sun visor, it also has 2 working vents for cooling, 2 stage closing- 1 that allows a small amount of air to flow on hot days and a tight seal when on the highways or on cold days.
I'm really happy with it and highly recommend it. All for under $200 (Canadian- that's about $140 US funds- pretty good deal).
Cheers,

[redbirds_imp]

The modular HJC doesn't work for me because of my head shape. This has led to me staying with Nolan as they fit perfect even if a bit noisy and heavier than some competitors.

Riding without the Puig screen, there is far less noise but still not as quiet as I would like. I cannot wear ear plugs. I've tried most every type including the ones you heat and mold. My ears ache within a few minutes. Some manufacturer should design a helmet with a built in ear muff system, akin to what I wear at the gun range. This should include an exterior sound pick up that allows you to hear alarms, horns, sirens and such.