Which full face helmet is quiet?

[vifferman]

It depends SO much on the wind the helmet is subjected to, which depends on your bike's aerodynamics, the collar of your jacket, your height, riding position, etc. After that, the next most important thing is the aerodynamics of the helmet, and how well the padding wround the base seals it up.

My Shoei (XR1000) is quiet aerodynamically, but (however) the shell lets a lot more ambient noise (bike enigine, road noise, etc.) in than my last helmet (AGV XVent) which was noisier aerodynamically.
The only way to tell is for YOU to ride YOUR bike while testing a given helmet. I've had one (1!) offer of a helmet test-ride in 33 years. It sold the helmet.

[MGST]

Ok thanks to everyone for their input so far. I gather that the best thing is to go and try a lot on to find which one fits my ugly head the best, as it seems different brands fit differently, and even different models from the same manufacturer. I think I will start at Motomail in College Hill, looks like they have a good range from 5 or 6 manufacturers, and go from there. Also sounds like I will be staying with the earplugs .

[Edbear]

I'd also recommend a chat to Lindsay at Cycletreads in Takapuna. We bought two Grex RD1's and had them fitted with the Blueant Interphones.

They are very much lighter and quieter than my previous Zeus flip-front! However I found that changing from the GSX-F600 to the Boulevard meant that I no longer use earplugs, either. The cruiser screen makes wind roar a thing of the past!

[MGST]

I take it that means you don't want to spend $800 on a helmet plus visors and shit?

The Shoei XR-1000 is pretty quiet. I found it extremely comfy too. Superb ventilation as well. Best graphics by far if you're into that sorta thing.

You can get a special whisper kit for them which should make them the quietest helmet on the market but at the expense of airflow. Take a look on the Shoei site.

I got a dark tinted visor for $89 yesterday and now it looks the business and I can finally ditch my sunnies.

Apparently the Shoei dealers will let you noise test them (saw it in a Shoei magazine ad). I assume that means you can test ride them.

I don't really know how much a good quality and/or nice/comfortable bike helmet costs. I've got a Bell Sport II extended coverage helmet for motorcage racing which cost $699 at the importers back door some 5 years ago. It is nice and comfortable and good quality - I can't fault it. But it's no good for a bike cos the eyeport is narrow and there is no seal around the eyeport for the visor to keep the water out etc. It's obviously not designed to be used in an open car ( or bike ). So anyway if a decent bike helmet costs ~$800 then so be it, after all, how do you put a value on your life aye?

I looked at the Shoei site you said, and they have got some very nice looking helmets. That XR1000 Kagayama in blue looks very tasty ( with a silver mirror visor maybe? ). And that whisper kit sounds like the go too. I don't think I can get to the shops for a week or 2, busy at home gardening etc, but I will try and come on the 250 ride you have got on 3rd Jan and check out your helmet ( I want to come on your ride anyway ).

[discotex]

So anyway if a decent bike helmet costs ~$800 then so be it, after all, how do you put a value on your life aye?

My opinion (and this is just opinion based on various tests and articles I've read) is that any helmet that meets the Euro or DOT standards will save your brain in the type of accident you would most likely have. Worrying about 200km/h off a cliff isn't why you wear a helmet.

E.g. Fall over at traffic lights. It's amazing how much force you can generate falling just that far. The other one is relatively low speed accidents.

What you get for paying double or triple is part image (if we're being honest) and part features. The top end helmets are (theoretically) more suitable for 250km/h+ on the track as they have better aerodynamics etc.

My criteria is fit, can crack/lock visor, ventilation, visor options (must have pin-lock option), graphics/style.

Oh, mirror is $150 or something mad and scratch real easy which is why I got the tint.

I don't think I can get to the shops for a week or 2, busy at home gardening etc, but I will try and come on the 250 ride you have got on 3rd Jan and check out your helmet ( I want to come on your ride anyway ).

Sweet as. I'm looking forward to it already

[MGST]

What is the visor pin-lock? Someone back a few said they wouldn't worry about it too much for some reason which escapes me, and other people swear by it and say it is a must have.

+1 about meeting the standards. But while the cheaper helmets meet the standards, do the 2 or 3x $$ helmets EXCEED the standards, or still only meet them? I agree with the image / name brand etc thing affecting the price too.

Mirror visor is $165, Tinted $89. Is the darkness level ( for want of a better description ) the same between mirror and tinted?

I know I can ask all these questions at the shops, but some of them have "salespeople" that are purely "salespeople" ie: don't know one bike from another, as long as you leave your cash at their shop. You can't beat a user's opinion ( whether good or bad ) from on the road experience of the product in all conditions.

I'm assuming bike helmets have plastic/polycarbonate/whatever shells? I ask cos cage racing helmets ( decent ones ) are either fibreglass or carbonfibre and are somewhat sensive to careless handling / storage etc.

[RDJ]

Have ridden quite a few years with different helmets (searching for the elusive ''best" allround fullface)

SHOEI XR-1000
smallish fit for the listed size, quite quiet by comparison with Bell

SHOEI Multitec
good fit, noisier than the XR-1000 (well it is a flipup)

BELL
snug fit, but noisy

ARAI SIGNET
nice fit, small for the listed size, very quiet (now discontinued)

ARAI PROFILE
nice fit, good sizing, quietest helmet I've ever ridden with

SCHUBERTH
all noisy, second in noise only to the BELL

of course sizing and fit depends on your headshape

and yes for longer trips earplugs really help.

Good luck.

[discotex]

What is the visor pin-lock? Someone back a few said they wouldn't worry about it too much for some reason which escapes me, and other people swear by it and say it is a must have.

Pin-lock is an anti-fog system. If you've ever used ski goggles that have the two layers to stop fogging just imagine that for bike helmets.

Of course you could perservere with cat-crap, inserts, and all that shit and get fog free too. The anti-fog coating on my HJC worked great for about 4 months over winter then just stopped working. I haven't personally tried pin-lock but it works for ski goggles and people RAVE about it. Getting one for my Shoei this winter for sure.

+1 about meeting the standards. But while the cheaper helmets meet the standards, do the 2 or 3x $$ helmets EXCEED the standards, or still only meet them? I agree with the image / name brand etc thing affecting the price too.

In theory they exceed them. Arai make a big deal about how their helmets are the same helmet (bar custom fitting padding) as you see MotoGP riders wear. Other companies say that's great but you're riding on the road.

One thing is certain, the Shoei and Arai don't flex much if you squeeze the sides in but the cheap ones do. How that effects their performance who knows.

Mirror visor is $165, Tinted $89. Is the darkness level ( for want of a better description ) the same between mirror and tinted?

Mirror is a lighter tint.

I know I can ask all these questions at the shops, but some of them have "salespeople" that are purely "salespeople" ie: don't know one bike from another, as long as you leave your cash at their shop. You can't beat a user's opinion ( whether good or bad ) from on the road experience of the product in all conditions.

I find Mtomail generally good for that. All the staff I've met all ride bikes or scooters and know the gear well.

I'm assuming bike helmets have plastic/polycarbonate/whatever shells? I ask cos cage racing helmets ( decent ones ) are either fibreglass or carbonfibre and are somewhat sensive to careless handling / storage etc.

Real mix between brands and models. Most have specs online.

[Kelem]

My Suomy is farken noisy, fits great..

[Taz]

My shoie actually has vents that work where the HJC I had previously had vents that really didn't do shit. That's one thing you get with a quality helmet over a cheap korean. I suppose Shoei put more effort into R&D than HJC. My hjc would fog it's visor even if it looked like it was going to rain...... I use the HJC to ride to work (as I don't mind it getting scratched up when leaving it in the pack on the bike) and the shoei for touring etc.

[homer]

Just a thought
I notice the most wind noise is depending on how the helmet and the top collar of the dririder jacket sit

If there reasonabley fitting together you dont get as much wind noise
and if the collar is not fully pulled up theres a lot more noise
So it may not be always the bad lid thats the prob

[Dave Lobster]

My 2c worth.

Buy a Shoei or an Arai, depending on what shape head you have.

A helmet that passes basic tests is just that. A basic helmet. There's a reason good helmets are dearer. And it's not because you're paying for the name. I've hit the road at 130mph in an Arai and walked away. I doubt very much that I would still be here if I'd been wearing one that might as well be from the $2 shop.

[PrincessBandit]

My Shark RS2 is pretty quiet and sooooo much lighter than my (cheap)FFM; it has the anti fog visor but much to my disgust my spectacles still fog at times which means lifting the visor to clear my damned glasses. Seriously thinking about going back to contacts, then I could wear decent sunnies as I don't have a tinted visor.
ps still find earplugs make a huge difference though, that annoying high pitched whistle is considerably reduced.

[timg]

Use cat crap or dishwashing detergent on both sides of your specs = no more fogging of the specs. My Nolan has a pinlock insert which works brilliantly but my specs still fogged up. Cat crap or dishwash solves that problem. Cheers.

[PrincessBandit]

thanks for that timg, have seen cat crap on trade me and have plenty of detergent under the sink! Will try them both out.