In my quest for the right helmet, I've tried a few. I thought I would run down the list of the modern helmets in my collection.

I took a chance on the Torc T-54 GI helmet. Torc makes a lot of the other small brand helmets and their price was worth some exploration.

Pros:
The canvas material is nice. It helps keep the lid cooler in hot weather.
The fit is very good for my slightly oval head.
Typical D-ring strap. Works well, no issues.

Cons:
It's freaking huge. My friends at work said it looks like I had a turtle on my head when I roll into work.



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Giving up on the Torc, I purchased a Bell Drifter DLX It has a little device on the back that grabs the back of your head and prevents the helmet from sliding back in the wind.

I'm still using the Drifter DLX but have ordered a new Bell Rogue (The last in the list below.)

Pros:
Typical Bell quality (except as noted below.)
Very comfortable fit on my slightly oval head.
Although it is thick, the look from the front is narrow which takes away from the mushroom head look. The side profile still shows the thickness, but the flared shape offsets it a bit.
The little speed-dial device works. At high speeds, the helmet does not slide back.

Cons:
The strap sits back on your throat a little. It's annoying at first, but you don't notice it after the first few rides.
Without the ear pads, the straps catch a lot of wind and put the noise right in your ear. It is almost not wearable without the ear pads. The noise is loud and leaves your ears ringing after only a short ride.
The soft lining on the speed dail device rolls up and comes loose. I got a new one under warranty, but it eventually did the same thing. I ended up using two-sided tape to hold the lining onto the speed dial device.



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As a secondary helmet for longer rides, rain, or just windy days, I have an Outlaw Lucky 13. It's a 3/4 retro style helmet. The same helmet comes in a variety of paint schemes. I wanted a Bell 500, but they are just too round and put too much pressure on my forehead.

Pros:
Fits great on my slightly oval head.
Quick-connect latch on the strap is a great feature.
Quiet, as quiet as a 3/4 helmet can be anyway.

Cons:
A little thick and mushroom-headed, but not as bad as some other helmets I've tried. Not quite as thin as the Bell 500, but close.

It's a good all-around 3/4 helmet and is a keeper.



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Finally ready to try something new to replace or supplement the Drifter DLX, I just ordered a Bell Rogue in Matte Black. I'll write an extensive review once I put some miles on it.

The looks are a bit weird when the facemask is installed. Otherwise, It's basically a morph between a 3/4 and half helmet. It gets a lot of great reviews online.

 

Great reviews. Thanks. I tried on the Bell, & a few others in both half and 3/4. I wanted a 3/4 retro look for the times when I want more coverage. I settled on a ZR-1 Jimmy (not a great pic of it below) Fits great and very reasonable price.
Still searching for a good 1/2 helmet. Thinking about an outlaw, perhaps carbon fiber.

 

I have the Rogue and its a very unique helmet. Its nice that it can be worn with or without the mask. When wearing the mask though, expect EVERYONE to look at you. It definitely draws everyones attention to you. Its pretty comfortable but at higher freeway speeds does tend to lift a bit. This is my first open face helmet so it took a little getting used to. The other helmets in my closet are(in order of age): Shoei 1000, Shoei 1100, Bell Star, Bell Rogue and most recently a Shoei J-Cruise.

The rogue is decently comfortable as it comes down around the ears and back of the neck to feel a bit more protective. Getting used to putting on the mask without looking in the mirror took a few times. It is a little weird in that you have to slide it up to get get it off, but just push it in each slot to get it on. That being said its not terribly difficult. Again, this being my first open face helmet I had to get used to a lot more of the wind rushing my face and over my ears(even though covered slightly). I always wear ear plugs though and I could tell this helmet allowed more noise in. There is virtually no airflow above the head though. On hot days my brain is just sweating profusely. Again, Im used to the full face helmets that have tons of air flow through them and over the brain. This is not one of them. I have since procured an underarmor skullcap to put a layer of breathing room between the helmet and my head.

Regarding the mask on the helmet itself, it comes with a removable liner for winter. When I had this in, it was constantly hitting my nose so I pulled it out immediately. The mask itself can be adjusted very slightly to angle up or down. Again, this is something you will need to play with as it doesnt always seem to cover the nose, just the mouth. It does a good job of reflecting a lot of the air around the mouth and I have heard a stone or two hit it and I know it saved my face from a little pain. Overall its a cool helmet but not one I want to wear all the time, mainly just for around town jaunts or to look like a badass when on a slow cruise. Otherwise, I prefer a little more protection and wind resistance.

I just picked up a J-Cruise from Shoei as well. I havent worn it yet but I did try it on and wear it around my house. First thing I can say about it is it fits just like ther other Shoei's I have. Like they say, if you have a Shoei head, you know what size to get. The front visor comes down so low that it makes the helmet feel like a full face. When its down you can also feel very confined and the air inside the helmet is definitely cut off like a full face. What is really nice though is the field of vision. It will be nice to be able to glance down and see my speedo and not have a chin bar blocking it. The slide down internal visor is very trick and is nice and dark too. It comes down farther than some of the other helmets I have tried with an internal visor, which is nice because the bottom of the visor isnt in the field of view. Ill get more detailed on this helmet after a few rides.

 

Yeah, throw your review up here. People like to know more than the marketing hype or online user reviews.

 

Ok, cool. If you dont mind, Ill just add to your thread so as not to waste space on the forum. Gonna go edit my previous post.

 

How about an OSBE Tornado? I kinda like that jet fighter pilot look.

 

Anyone wearing the NEXX X-60? Built in sun shade.

 

Thanks for the pointers on the mask. I'll probably only use the mask in the rain or cold. It rains a lot in Savannah and since the bike is my only vehicle, I get pelted a lot. I'm hoping the mask is something I can click in place when the skies open up, then throw it in my little Bad&G throw-under bag when not in use.

 

Man I don't know how you guys ride with the open face helmets with no face sheild. I couldn't take the constant barrage of mosquitoes, rocks, sand and other road debris hitting me in the face. I caught a june bug in the neck yesterday and it felt like I got stung by a bee. I've always worn a full face, but I've been considering trying something like the shoei j-cruise, figured that would help with the extreme heat we've been having here lately.

 

Funny, I get claustrophobic in a full face. I feel my peripheral vision is reduced and it seems to get steamy. The only full face helmets I like are the Supermoto helmets from Arai. I have one that's 8 years old and still wear it from time to time. It provides extra breathing room, is well vented and the visor area is open more than a typical street helmet. It looks weird on the Street Bob. Right at home on the Supermoto.