Helmet Preference

I know I'm going to hear it for this, But bought a IV2 Modular candy red helmet from Amazon to start with. Its an XL and is a little tight. I have a balaclava that I like to wear when it is cold, so I've been trying to find a nice 2xl at a reasonable price without sacrificing safety. Most of the larger helmets don't have as much padding to accommodate the larger size. Me and my Big Head!!
 
I use a Sparx S07 fullface helmet. They are based out of So-Cal and their moto is "built by riders for riders." About $100, comfortable (major reason for the purchase), two visors (tint and clear), noise level not bad but I still use ear plugs, not aero dynamic but with a front cowl on the bike it turns into one.

 
Wow, a lot of features and a nice looking lid for not much money. Personally I have never even heard of them.
 
After trying on a variety of helmets I ended up with a Shoei XR1100, it offered the best fit and to date I am very pleased with it, certainly the features are far more that I have ever experienced before with previous helmets. I like the ventilation system, the pinlock was awesome in the wet and cold during my run in period in the North Island and the range of accessories is good. The only negative I have is running a full tint visor means that in the evening and night I have to change to a clear unit. I did try the Shoei with the flip down sun visor but it wasn`t for me for a variety of reasons, so am going to try a half tint in the near future and see how that performs.
 
I recently replaced my 7-year old Arai Vector with another Arai, the Signet-Q. I have a big, long-oval head, and this thing fits just about perfectly. At $550 bucks, the Signet is a step above the Vector II, but not quite at the top-of-the-line for Arai.

I also tried on the RF-1200, which would've been my first Shoei. I really, really, REALLY wanted to like it, but the shape just wasn't for me. Nonetheless, it's an awesome helmet, and worth a try for anyone with an appropriately-shaped skull.

The very first thing I noticed about my new Arai (and especially with the RF-1200) is how much lighter helmets have gotten in recent years. The difference is amazing, and it fully convinced me that buying a new helmet every 5-7 years really is worth it. $550 bucks spread over 7 years is about 20 cents a day. I can live with that.

For anyone this applies to: Go ahead...ditch the cheap stuff and treat yourself!
 
ingobohn_imp said:
Yes, 5 years is the usual recommendation. But it depends on many factors like "do your ride 1000 miles in 5 years or 100000?", "is the helmet stored in a dark place or in full sun light?", "is the helmet made out of fiber, or other sort of plastic?" etc.
Nevertheless, I plan to exchange my current helmet (Schuberth C3) with a Schuberth C3 pro in spring next year.
+++ UPDATE +++
"Spring next year" (i.e. 2014) is already :P gone, but now this spring (i.e. 2015) I bought a new helmet. As my preferred Schuberth C3 pro still costs 600 EUR (no price reduction within the last 2 years), I decided to go for a cheaper but nonetheless trustworthy other helmet brand/model. 2 different German motor cycle magazines issued articles recently where flip-up helmets were tested. The best "value for money" helmet was the HJC IS-MAX II. The helmet convinced the testers in both areas, crash test and noise measurement. The helmet is a real bargain compared to the much more expensive other test candidates (most expensive one: Schuberth C3 pro and Shoei Neotec). It costs only 220 EUR incl. pinlock visor.
And: the test results showed that in both areas mentioned above the HJC is equal or even a bit better than the Schuberth.

I ordered the helmet last Saturday (my preferred color in my size was not on stock) and will get it the next days. As soon as I have some kilometers of riding experience with my new helmet, I will report.
 
Big fan of HJC helmets. Think I have 9..open face, 3/4, modular, and full face, both IS and non IS.
 
Yes, thanks Ferret - I corrected the wrong spring year, 2015 is correct! :)
Well let's see how I am satisfied with HJC. My last 3 helmets were all Schuberth. But some colleagues and friends here also have HJC helmets and are happy with them, so I hope HJC and I will get good friends. ;)
 
I got a Shark Evoline 2 a few years back. Love it. Can ride it as a 3/4 or full face at full speeds without worrying about aerodynamics of a modular flipped up. Short of just buying 2 helmets I am not sure how I will ride with anything else in the near future.
 
I've had a number of different helmets, almost all full-face. Over the past several years I've been very happy with various Bell helmets. In particular, the RS-1 fits my head nicely, is relatively quiet and I enjoy the photo chromatic shield. A have a Bell Vortex that I wear on occasion because it allows me to wear my eyeglasses with relative comfort; something I can't do with the RS-1. The photo chromatic shield fits both the RS-1 and the Vortex, which is nice. But the Vortex is on the loud side. And until I had a seamstress re-sew the interior liner, it would leave a lasting impression on my forehead. The Bell Bullitt is also on the loud side but is quite comfortable and accommodates my eyeglasses the best out of the full-face helmets I own. The field of view from the Bullitt is great. I recently purchased and have been wearing a Biltwell Bonanza 3/4 helmet which I'm enjoying. It's incredibly light and the airflow is something that took some getting used to. I'm using a straight face shield with it.

We're almost at two years old with this thread. Let's keep it going!
 
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