Latest helmets for adventure riding?

[paulj]

What is haute coiture in the world of helmets for the fashion conscious Adventure Rider these days?

I have a trail riders helmet but this requires goggles for wet weather and highway use, and a flip top Shoei for serious highway use (hopelessly heavy and impracticable for adv riding).

I would prefer a clipon visor or other with good peripheral vision and not too heavy or complicated. Open face with sunnies on a nice day is great

What is the word these days?

[bart]

Lots of info over here:

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/113896-Adventure-Helmets

The Shoei seems popular. I'm very happy with mine. :yes:

[gav24]

Been here before....:corn:
the summary of the HUGE previous thread on this very subject was....
1. either shoei hornet or arai tour x for those who want quality and can afford them (I have an arai - 2nd hand but awesome)
2. The safety / ventilation of a new but cheaper helmet is better than that of a 5 or 10 year old arai or shoei - maybe not build quality though.
3. Always try one on if you can as fit is not the same across brands
4. Try before you buy and look out for distortion in some of the adv visors as they have to bend alot sharper around the mx style chin piece than on a pure road helmet.
5. Helmets are cheaper from abroad. - BUT see notes 3 and 4.
6. Some designs were thought to be 2 fugly for anyone but GS1100 riders to wear in public!:sick:

da dah! - done! - the end!....hmmm :shutup:

[.chris]

http://images.motorcycle-superstore.com/ProductImages/OG/2009-Arai-XD-3-Helmet-Fluorescent-Yellow.jpg

The colour pretty much covers how awsome it is.

Personally I got the BMW Enduro helmet, cause it fitted better.

[Eddieb]

http://images.motorcycle-superstore.com/ProductImages/OG/2009-Arai-XD-3-Helmet-Fluorescent-Yellow.jpg

The colour pretty much covers how awsome it is.

Personally I got the BMW Enduro helmet, cause it fitted better.

That is truely awesome!

[bart]

Weren't the yellow ones for demo's only? Looks pretty sharp anyway, if you're into bling.

[young1]

If you are thinking of the Shoei Hornet like I have. My only piece of advice.. Try riding with it on in a cross wind, they catch the wind something horrible. As bad as having to hold it with my hand to give my neck a rest.

[Taz]

At the budget end of the scale is the Zeus 2100B. I bought one of these off emoto last year for around $189. It's a very good helmet, fairly quiet, and the visor opens fully so it's out of your feild of vision when open unlike the HJC's etc. Recommended A++.

Taz.

[Eddieb]

At the budget end of the scale is the Zeus 2100B. I bought one of these off emoto last year for around $189. It's a very good helmet, fairly quiet, and the visor opens fully so it's out of your feild of vision when open unlike the HJC's etc. Recommended A++.

Taz.

+1 I've been very happy with mine.

[LBD]

http://images.motorcycle-superstore.com/ProductImages/OG/2009-Arai-XD-3-Helmet-Fluorescent-Yellow.jpg

The colour pretty much covers how awsome it is.

Personally I got the BMW Enduro helmet, cause it fitted better.

Maybe it would pass as a hi Vis vest alternative....:shutup:

[paulj]

Many thanks for the advice and links ... looks like it is a pig inb a poke selection thing tho ...

Any comments on these? Should have good peripheral vision - http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Helmets-clothing-footwear/Helmets/auction-353758706.htm

PJ

[Crisis management]

My 0.02c.....

Full face or nothing, I have smacked the bars several times off road and anything other than full face would see me spitting teeth,
peripheral vision...turn your head,
visor, really good for keeping the sun out or wear sunglasses and don't put up with the cross winds, buffeting & wind noise.

I just use a road full face but would use a Hornet when replacement time comes (but I do have shoie head).

[NordieBoy]

At the budget end of the scale is the Zeus 2100B. I bought one of these off emoto last year for around $189. It's a very good helmet, fairly quiet, and the visor opens fully so it's out of your feild of vision when open unlike the HJC's etc. Recommended A++.

I've got a modded 2100b and get really bad wind noise between my shoulders and the bottom of the helmet.
A foam MX neck protector filled with soft foam stopped the noise.

I only use it if I feel the modded open face Oxford isn't going to cope.

[Taz]

Many thanks for the advice and links ... looks like it is a pig inb a poke selection thing tho ...

Any comments on these? Should have good peripheral vision - http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Helmets-clothing-footwear/Helmets/auction-353758706.htm

PJ

Those scream "I'm a hairdresser please take me from behind now!!!" more than any helmet i've seen :shutup:

[Oscar]

Those scream "I'm a hairdresser please take me from behind now!!!" more than any helmet i've seen :shutup:

I can truthfully say that hairdressers and buttsex is not something that has ever come to mind when I am looking at motorcycle equipment....do you spend a lot of time in Ponsonby?:buggerd:

[wysper]

The colour pretty much covers how awsome it is.



That is a very cool looking helmet. I am rather partial to yellow and black as a colour scheme though.


http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Helmets-clothing-footwear/Helmets/auction-353758706.htm

PJ

I love the way they have put authentic in quotation marks LOL

[dino3310]

+1 I've been very happy with mine.

+2... most awesome

[paulj]

Those scream "I'm a hairdresser please take me from behind now!!!" more than any helmet i've seen :shutup:

Wheeeee - well I don't fit that catagory - but the MX'rs helmets with their garishly painted lids ain't too macho either! They tend to scream "I look cool but I've really got a wee peepee".


My 0.02c.....
peripheral vision...turn your head,


Peripheral vision and turning your head - kinda defeats the purpose of peripheral vision - typically I ride in towns with the flip top flipped up, which really helps and I want a Adv helmet that either does the same or has better side vision.

On on - thanks for the feedback - I'll get something nasty and cheap - if it don't work out, I'll bin it and start again.

[Crisis management]

Peripheral vision and turning your head - kinda defeats the purpose of peripheral vision.

How good is your peripheral vision?

The reason I suggest turning your head is two fold:
Firstly, the reason I wear a helmet is for the protection it can give and that means a helmet with limited visibility out of it to maintain the strength of the helmet around my head. I will concede I have a habit of lying down on the ground so maybe better riding skills may be usefull but I seem somewhat challenged in that department and have to live with it......(There is no need of photographic evidence, Cary).
Secondly, peripheral vision is a bit over rated, it's a secondary function of eyesight and provides a glimpse of things happening around us rather than a clear image. Me, I want to know what's going on around me on the road rather than find out that flash of yellow actually is a Peterbuilt on a side street. Turn your head and let your eyes work properly.

[pete376403]

HJC CL-XS works for me. What other people think it looks like is irrelevant. I haven't put it to the ultimate test yet (I seem to land on anything but my head)
Expensive enough to convince me it will probably work as intended, cheap enough to scrap without a second thought if it get bashed hard
http://www.motomail.co.nz/estore/style/hjheclxs.aspx

[Crim]

FFM Matrix - only comes in black though (unless you want skulls on your helmet) - cheap as chips - quite comfy, bit noisy but nothing ear plugs don't fix (and I reckon noise comes with peaks?)

http://www.forbesanddavies.co.nz/products/92-helmets/3072-ffm_matrix_adventure_helmet.aspx

[.chris]

How good is your peripheral vision?

The reason I suggest turning your head is two fold:
Firstly, the reason I wear a helmet is for the protection it can give and that means a helmet with limited visibility out of it to maintain the strength of the helmet around my head. I will concede I have a habit of lying down on the ground so maybe better riding skills may be usefull but I seem somewhat challenged in that department and have to live with it......(There is no need of photographic evidence, Cary).
Secondly, peripheral vision is a bit over rated, it's a secondary function of eyesight and provides a glimpse of things happening around us rather than a clear image. Me, I want to know what's going on around me on the road rather than find out that flash of yellow actually is a Peterbuilt on a side street. Turn your head and let your eyes work properly.


I think its more about visibility than peripheral vision. Almost any helmet pretty well blocks your peripheral vision but by moving you eyes you can easily see quite a bit of the helmet and the wider that opening is the more you can effectively see without having to move your head. But of course the larger the window the more protection is removed.
I notice a pretty big difference between my bmw enduro helmet and my road one (agv s4), but it is more about the shape of the chin part of the helmet. After riding heaps with the bmw when I go to use the road helmet it feels very closed in, but it is more about the downward visibility than to the sides. I really don't think I would like to wear my road helmet off-road riding at all. I need to be able to see the stuff I am going to run into/over, without seeing it where is the fun part?

[Shadows]

Those scream "I'm a hairdresser please take me from behind now!!!" more than any helmet i've seen :shutup:

Like, totally!

[Ocean1]

I think its more about visibility than peripheral vision.

Airoh S4: http://www.forbesanddavies.co.nz/products/92-helmets/3112-airoh_s4_adventure.aspx

Best visibility I've come across. Light weight, very good quality. Slightly noisy for road touring.

[paulj]

Well - now I don't have to make a decision - get them all in the one helmet!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjAXGLwtCok&feature=player_embedded

[Phreaky Phil]

Well - now I don't have to make a decision - get them all in the one helmet!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjAXGLwtCok&feature=player_embeddedI havent seen one in the flesh but I chased up some reviews and It didnt get any good reviews. Shame, because the concept is good.

[Phreaky Phil]

Airoh S4: http://www.forbesanddavies.co.nz/products/92-helmets/3112-airoh_s4_adventure.aspx

Best visibility I've come across. Light weight, very good quality. Slightly noisy for road touring.
Our dealer in NP doesnt have the S4 in stock. Does anyone have one of these or seen one in a bike shop ?

[Crisis management]

Our dealer in NP doesnt have the S4 in stock. Does anyone have one of these or seen one in a bike shop ?

I've looked at it and second Oceans comments, riders all noted a high noise level, I'm really paranoid about noise so didn't look further. Nice helmet to wear tho.


Chris, have a look at how your eyesight works, we have excellent vision in a very focused area, if you want to see everything you need to be moving your head.

[Phreaky Phil]

I've looked at it and second Oceans comments, riders all noted a high noise level, I'm really paranoid about noise so didn't look further. Nice helmet to wear tho.


Chris, have a look at how your eyesight works, we have excellent vision in a very focused area, if you want to see everything you need to be moving your head.
Interesting, Web bike worlds review said on unfaired bikes they were one of the quietist helmets they had tested but were a bit noisy on some half faired bikes so I guess it depends on what ya got.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/airoh-helmets/

[dino3310]

even with ear plugs all i hear is Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump.
took the plugs out and now the Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump sounds even better.:woohoo:

[Phreaky Phil]

even with ear plugs all i hear is Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump.
took the plugs out and now the Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump sounds even better.:woohoo:When I get my Big Bore kit all i'll hear is
THUMP THUMP THUMP
:woohoo:

[bart]

Funny about the peripheral vision thing. I had 4 helmets (since binned 1), 2 road, 1 offroad, and an adventure. On the horizontal, they were all virtually the same. On the virtical, the road ones gave slightly less vision, but honestly, there's FA difference.

For me, the big plus with the adventure jobs is the ventilation. You get the visor like a road jobby and the breeze like an offroad one. Only downside is the slight distortion as Gav said.

[Crisis management]

Airoh S4.....I had a brief look at the specs again, 1400grams? My Shoei (road) is 1350 and my Shark (off road) is a couple of hundred lighter again, how heavy is heavy?

Just curious, as the more your head gets bounced around the more tired your neck adn shoulders get, and in my case, that's when it turns to shit.

Right, off to mow the lawns, clean the cars, service the bike, spray the weeds then , if it's still daylight, off the the sandpit.

[Phreaky Phil]

!400 g seems fairly light. Heres a link to WebBike Worlds Helmet Weight Chart

http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/motorcycle-helmet-weights.htm

[Waihou Thumper]

!400 g seems fairly light. Heres a link to WebBike Worlds Helmet Weight Chart

http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/motorcycle-helmet-weights.htm

It is and because of the nice fit, the S4 seems lighter still! Compared to the Tour XD I have from Arai, this is very light composite helmet made for riding long distance.

[Phreaky Phil]

I have just arranged to have the Airoh Rep bring some S4's to our Dealer in NP for a look next time he is down. About half the cost of the Shoei or Arai. They just need to fit right !

[Crisis management]

Those helmet weights make interesting reading Phil, I wasn't aware they varied so much.
Look forward to your opinion of the S4.

[Ocean1]

Interesting, Web bike worlds review said on unfaired bikes they were one of the quietist helmets they had tested but were a bit noisy on some half faired bikes so I guess it depends on what ya got.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/airoh-helmets/

Sorry dude, been away. You can configure them several ways, some of which involve bits of plastic clipped to strategic areas. If you don't get them right there's noise.

Get hold of these guys: http://www.vroom.co.nz/ and see if they can help you.

Edit: Helmet noise can really only be compared with the same bike / dude. The airflow and turbulence issues make each combination unique.

[ADVGD]

I've got the S4 and love it, priced well, lightweight, great vision, and looks pretty sharp. With my bike setup I do not suffer from wind noise some S4 owners comment on :)

[NordieBoy]

With my bike setup I do not suffer from wind noise some S4 owners comments on :)

The noise is speed related :D

[Eddieb]

I thought the S4 was a different construction to the Shoei, Arai etc. I can't remember the specifics now but a salesmen in Melbourne recommended I didn't get one due to the potential speeds I could be coming off at on the 950 and how the helmet would handle higher speed impacts due to it's method of construction.

[NordieBoy]

I thought the S4 was a different construction to the Shoei, Arai etc. I can't remember the specifics now but a salesmen in Melbourne recommended I didn't get one due to the potential speeds I could be coming off at on the 950 and how the helmet would handle higher speed impacts due to it's method of construction.

He didn't point you toward the more expensive helmets did he?

[Taz]

The noise is speed related :D

Low blow mate. Broken bikes don't have no speed :shutup:

[Eddieb]

He didn't point you toward the more expensive helmets did he?

No :) he didn't try to sell me a more expensive one. I had made it clear I was checking them out cause at the time I had never seen one in NZ, and his other helmets werent cheap enough to be worth buying one and taking it home.