Nolan N102 N-Com – incredible helmet, fantastic price

[Thumper]

I have been looking at upgrading my FFM flip-up full face for some time now, and when I saw a Nolan N102 in my local bike shop a few weeks back, my mind was made up. Looked good, felt great, could be fitted with N-Com if I felt like chatting to my pillion on long rides and at $599 it was almost affordable.

While googling the N102 to find reviews and do my homework, I came across an internet store imbedded within Ebay (http://stores.ebay.com/iMotorcycle-Store) that listed a range of N102 for US$210 each. I dropped the store an e-mail and asked about the cost of shipping to NZ. The reply that I got the following day was $40. So, US$250 for my choice of N102, hell , that was only NZ$335 at current exchange rates.

Back to Ebay, hit the “Buy Now” button, into PayPal and pay with the Visa card, few minutes later, invoice and receipt arrive in the e-mail, bugger that was quick. Now all this happened on Wednesday evening and as I thought it would possibly take a week or two for delivery I didn’t worry too much about things for the next few days.

The following Tuesday I am in the office and think, “I wonder if I can get a tracking number for the package”. Shoot off an e-mail to the iMotorcycle-Store and within the hour get a reply with the USPS tracking number and a link to the tracking site attached, cool! Off to the tracking site, enter the tracking number and WHAT THE........!!!! According to the site the package was delivered at 11:15am that morning. Pick up the phone and call Mrs Thumper at home, yes, a parcel was delivered this morning.

Got home on Tuesday evening and there was a beautifully boxed XL N102 in stunning Titanium, and yes on checking my credit card statement, I had paid NZ$337.42 six days earlier. That is close to half of what I would have paid at any of the dealers in NZ. To quote Mr D, “The Times They Are A-Changin'”.

The N102 is fantastic, really beautifully built and designed like only the Italians can. The Microlock retention system works a treat and allows the removal of the helmet with one hand with gloves on, the Jet Stream Wing ventilation system is extremely efficient and keeps the air moving without becoming a pain.

The Nolan Fog Resistant system is just bloody amazing; as much as I puff and pant I cannot make the visor mist up. Helmet on and a quick jog up two flights of stairs and the screen was still fog free, roll on winter.

The bonus is the Vision Protection System (VPS). The shading and related anti-dazzle effect of the half height tinted outside visor provides an ideal riding environment. This was tested to the max this morning when travelling south down East Coast road this morning looking directly into the rising sun. One quick flip and the glare was gone. This evening jumped on the Daytona to go home in the dark and flip, VPS gone and clear visor home. With the VPS visor flipped up, wind noise is a little higher but still nowhere as bad as the old FFM.

At $599 the Nolan N102 is a good deal, at under $350 has got to be the bargain of a life time.

http://www.nolan.it/catalogo.jsp?iditem=57&lng=en

[gijoe1313]

Oh curse you! I am so in lust with this helmet - I saw them before ... but now... you have... made it...more wantable...

Oh well, I was planning to get 3 or 4 more helmets...just not 1 so soon!

And on that note, I bought a Zeus flip-face for $400 - I thought that was good! This just makes me dribble and go weak at the knees!

[bmz2]

nice helmet,thats right if your order from the states most times it will be here within the week,i order nascar race jackets and i have them in 5 days, US take pride in their postal service and it works. again dude good buy and a nice helmet.

[Grub]

Looked good, felt great, could be fitted with N-Com if I felt like chatting to my pillion on long rides and at $599 it was almost affordable.

Nasty & I have Nolan N102's with the Basic Comms kit and Bluetooth (those are the controls you see over the left ear in the photo). Here you see it being charged up in my office as we speak

With the Basic Comms Kit, you can plug in helmet-helmet comms for a pillion, plus you can set up a cellphone and an iPod together. The iPod will mute when the phone is answered

This helmet is quiet, has anti-lift, has chin wind guard and the amazing pinlock anti-fog visor system as standard.

Nasty and I ride a lot together so we have the Bluetooth kits for bike-bike comms as well as for our phones. The bike to bike comms distance is about 5-6 car lengths which we very seldom exceed when touring and the quality of the ride is increased a thousand fold as we explore new places and see new things. I can't imagine ever doing without it now. The quality is excellent, no wind noise disturbance, no distortion, perfect clarity out to the full range of the bluetooth. The whole package is designed as an integrated setup which is why I think it works so well.

Normal cost is very very reasonable for a lift-up helmet (you have to love the convenience of that!)
- Helmet $599 (KB special price $535) ... Your price = OUTstanding
- Basic Kit $87 ish
- Bluetooth $385 ish

So for you and pillion, just helmet and basic kit for $622 is a mega-value deal. For you to be able to knock anoher $250 off that is incredible! The Baehr unit costs a couple of thousand bucks just for one bike.

[yod]

I have been looking at upgrading my FFM flip-up full face for some time now, and when I saw a Nolan N102 in my local bike shop a few weeks back, my mind was made up.

bloody hell mate....you've just about sold me already

they are a nice looking helmet - I'm still using my nolan (N37 i think) thats about 15 years old so i know i should have upgraded a while ago and i'd love another

that black graphite is pretty damn nice....hmmm.....

[timg]

Yup, love mine. Great helmet. Highly recommended! TG

[yod]

crikey...theres another store on ebay thats selling them for $190US !!!!!

but they dont ship outside US

[Zukin]

Agree
They are fantastic, we have had ours for over 12 months and they are still good.
I have used my in hot weather (nice and cool with the vents open) and in extreme cold too! No fog

Just dont walk around too long in the rain with the visor up, as the rain gets inside your visor which is a pain with any helmet

I wish I could connect my Uniden radios though, I see they now have bike to bike comms, using the basic kit and a multimedia wire (they list either a K or W wire), but they dont say whether they will connect to a Uniden, and I cant see any images of these wires online to see if they are the same plug

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Yup its the best helmet I have owned over the years and would be lost with out the sun visor as well :-)

Highly Recommended

[NZHog]

Great review & thanks for the link, I was in the process of looking for a new flip,will definately go for this deal.

[yod]

I have been looking at upgrading my FFM flip-up full face for some time now, and when I saw a Nolan N102 in my local bike shop a few weeks back, my mind was made up. Looked good, felt great, could be fitted with N-Com if I felt like chatting to my pillion on long rides and at $599 it was almost affordable.

well...are you happy now?? content?? satisfied with yourself??

hmmph!!

i caved...like the puny human i am....it was there!! it just kept whispering "buy me yod, you know you want to!"....evil bloody helmet...

so i just bought a graphite Nolan N102 off ebay, but you got a better exchange rate than me, cost me a whole $14NZ more than you

[James Deuce]

Can you guys let me know if the visor leaks in the rain? I had an N100E and retired it in the end because I just could NOT get the visor to seal.

[Zukin]

Can you guys let me know if the visor leaks in the rain? I had an N100E and retired it in the end because I just could NOT get the visor to seal.

The visor seals pretty good, but I have noticed that in torrential rain it will eventually get in the top somewhere and drip down the inside (in the middle of the visor), but it dosent run down the visor, it drips down onto the chin guard (if you can follow that )

So to fix that a little I found that by adjusting the sun visor down a notch (and use it like a peak) it seems to fix it

Cheers Scott

[Nasty]

Can you guys let me know if the visor leaks in the rain? I had an N100E and retired it in the end because I just could NOT get the visor to seal.

I have been riding in some bad weather and not had any leaks with the visor ..

[James Deuce]

Hmm. I know it's a small sample, but it sounds like the same old story. 50% of people say it doesn't leak. Everyone I spoke to about my N100 leaking expressed surprise, but it made it impossible to live with in the real weather we have sometimes in Wellington.