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.

 

[Rocky_imp]

Most drug stores sell a silicone-type of ear plug that doesn't go in the ear canal. It's a soft gel that you can work with your fingers and spread over the canal. It's slightly tacky and stays in place.
If I'm travelling with people who snore or if I'm in a noisy motel I wear them all night so I can get some sleep.
I don't even know they are there. That might work for you.

 

[White Dog_imp]

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.

When I raise my head way above the windshield, the wind noise gets worse. I don't remember what the helmet did before windshields. I'm not even sure I had the Qwest helmet until after I installed the first windshield. Wish I knew the solution. I read about 8 reviews on the HJC helmets on Revzilla's site and 6 of the 8 complained about wind noise on the helmet I was considering. I picked up some good suggestions so far that I can try before pulling the purchase trigger again. I may look at the Cycle Gear's Bilt Legacy helmet. Good reviews and inexpensive, nice looking graphics helmet. Thanks.

 

[Chapomis_imp]

I found this list to be very helpful when researching helmets. This link is by shape and you can also create a list by weight. Each helmet is further rated by other factors such as noise etc.

Motorcycle Helmet Reviews (Sorted By Internal Shape) | wBW

 

[Verdecken_imp]

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.

When I raise my head way above the windshield, the wind noise gets worse. I don't remember what the helmet did before windshields. I'm not even sure I had the Qwest helmet until after I installed the first windshield. Wish I knew the solution. I read about 8 reviews on the HJC helmets on Revzilla's site and 6 of the 8 complained about wind noise on the helmet I was considering. I picked up some good suggestions so far that I can try before pulling the purchase trigger again. I may look at the Cycle Gear's Bilt Legacy helmet. Good reviews and inexpensive, nice looking graphics helmet. Thanks.

The first helmet I got was a Bilt cause of the price and sunvisor. I got a Shoei RF1200 after that and the difference is night and day. Shoei is much quieter, lighter, and just all around better. I still have the Bilt but only as a backup helmet or for a pillion.


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[CA200_imp]

I am on my second Qwest and just love it, fits me well and at 67 it just gets quieter every year - WHAT WHAT
can you speak up a little-

 

[Chapomis_imp]

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.

When I raise my head way above the windshield, the wind noise gets worse. I don't remember what the helmet did before windshields. I'm not even sure I had the Qwest helmet until after I installed the first windshield. Wish I knew the solution. I read about 8 reviews on the HJC helmets on Revzilla's site and 6 of the 8 complained about wind noise on the helmet I was considering. I picked up some good suggestions so far that I can try before pulling the purchase trigger again. I may look at the Cycle Gear's Bilt Legacy helmet. Good reviews and inexpensive, nice looking graphics helmet. Thanks.

The first helmet I got was a Bilt cause of the price and sunvisor. I got a Shoei RF1200 after that and the difference is night and day. Shoei is much quieter, lighter, and just all around better. I still have the Bilt but only as a backup helmet or for a pillion.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The first helmet I got was a Bilt cause of the price and sunvisor. I got a Shoei RF1200 after that and the difference is night and day. Shoei is much quieter, lighter, and just all around better. I still have the Bilt but only as a backup helmet or for a pillion.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The guy at Cycle Gear told me that Bilt and HJC are one in the same

 

[4 Paws_imp]

I spent $100 on some excellent ear plugs, wish I had done it 30-40 years earlier.
Nice quiet ride now, amazing the difference some GOOD ear plugs make, comfortable fit and quiet enough to hear myself think. Blocks a lot of the wind and road noise and really cuts out the drone.

 

[MikeD_imp]

My Bell RS-1 isn't very loud. I think Revzilla has them on sale right now.

 

[Verdecken_imp]

I don't think they're the same brand, Chapomis. Bilt is Cycle Gears home brand, and it's not sold anywhere else that I know of.


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[White Dog_imp]

I think my Qwest noise has been mostly solved. Based on some of the comments I read, I checked the seal on the top edge of the helmet and found that I could slide a piece of paper between the face shield and the seal on the helmet. NOT GOOD! I then found that the plate which holds the face shield on the helmet is adjustable so loosening both screws allowed movement of the base plate back and down. Did this for the other side, reinstalled the face shield and the air gap was gone. A short test ride and I estimate a reduction of wind noise by 2/3. I can live with that. Thanks everyone.