Best Helmets ?
Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 155
Likes: 94
From: New Jersey
Quietest helmet is shoei. Don't go cheap. I had shoei's forever. Bought a Bell, a lot of wind noise. I also have the hard wired headset. I can have a phone conversation at highway speed and the only problem is that it doesn't get loud enough for me to hear (Bell helmet) but they hear me fine.
Good skid lid will run you $500-650's
Good skid lid will run you $500-650's
wow amazing advice!
Well having never worn a helmet here is what i want it to do
Be able to answer the phone with bluetooth and hear music from my system on the harley (not have to listen to it through the bluetooth)
I think a half helmet would be better for that but i notice not many halfs have a drop down visor. Is that uncommon?
I would think that long rides might be best with a modular so you get some of the best of both worlds, is this generally true?
thansk so much all
Well having never worn a helmet here is what i want it to do
Be able to answer the phone with bluetooth and hear music from my system on the harley (not have to listen to it through the bluetooth)
I think a half helmet would be better for that but i notice not many halfs have a drop down visor. Is that uncommon?
I would think that long rides might be best with a modular so you get some of the best of both worlds, is this generally true?
thansk so much all
Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 155
Likes: 94
From: New Jersey
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 2,046
Likes: 314
From: Denver CO
Modulars' are a great option. Opening when you want to talk or drink, closing when you want more wind protection. The caveat is that they are still rated as a 3/4 helmet in most cases. They are also noisy when closed compared to a full face helmet which are much more quiet. I have the Sena 10S and they have worked out great. I cannot imagine riding with my wife without it.
Last edited by Kermie; May 10, 2017 at 10:47 PM.
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,487
Likes: 156
From: boston
I have 2 shoei helmets, the neo tec modular for touring and cold rides and rj platinum for rides around town or long day rides in the warmth. Both are great and very comfortable. I use the Sena SMH 10 comms to communicate with my passenger, wife or daughter. can make phone calls or have phone read me my texts. I can play music from my phone also. I have the Sena SM10 bluetooth connector so I can hook up my stereo and ipod so I can listen to the game or playlist. All works great.
I have a Nolan N104 Absolute and it quickly jumped to the top of the list of all helmets I have worn over the years. Modular, drop down sun shade, comes with pinlock lens, great vents. Went with their Ncom system that is made to fit in the helmet with nothing attached to the side of the helmet. The Ncom plugs right into my RGU, music is clear, I can hear phone calls fine and the person calling never realizes I am on the bike cruising 75 down the highway.
Your best bet is to find the manufacture or model that fits your head the best as all helmets are made to fit certain head shapes better. When you find one that fits snug but you can go all day with no pressure points on your head from the helmet then its great, the Nolan N104 does that for me.
As far as certifications DOT, SNELL, ECE etc.... Basically DOT is a minimum standard and it is self compliance meaning the helmet manufactures test the helmet themselves. In other words I don't put much faith in the DOT certification.
In the US SNELL is a private firm that test helmets and its voluntary meaning in the US a manufacture does not have to have a SNELL certification to sell. A lid with SNELL certification is going to be safer than DOT. My issue with SNELL is it requires to impacts to the helmet in the same spot and then the liner is tested. As a result SNELL leads helmets to being to rigid. By having the helmet to stiff or rigid per SNELL testing you end up with helmets that make you more prone to preventable head injuries in low speed crashes.
http://www.michaelpadway.com/gear-an...et-you-can-buy
I much prefer the ECE testing on my helmets as it more closely resembles what can occur in real world crashes. In addition for SNELL a sample of helmets are sent in and if they pass they model can carry the SNELL sticker throughout the life of that particular models production life which is often many years. ECE requires 50 sample helmets of a model to be tested and passed before the model is offered to the public, then that model has to be retested yearly to keep certification. ECE is the accepted standard in over 50 countries and is the standard standard for every racing association including the AMA.
Here is some good reading on the subject
http://www.michaelpadway.com/gear-an...et-you-can-buy
http://lanesplitter.jalopnik.com/eve...hel-1733731498
Here is an interesting abstract that was written years back and commissioned my Motorcyclist Mag which took a look at the various certifications.
Their conclusion
http://www.msf-usa.org/downloads/ims...mets-Paper.pdf
In short pick a helmet that has the features you want, that best fits your head shape. Go with the certification you feel the most confidence in, for me that is the ECE certification
Your best bet is to find the manufacture or model that fits your head the best as all helmets are made to fit certain head shapes better. When you find one that fits snug but you can go all day with no pressure points on your head from the helmet then its great, the Nolan N104 does that for me.
As far as certifications DOT, SNELL, ECE etc.... Basically DOT is a minimum standard and it is self compliance meaning the helmet manufactures test the helmet themselves. In other words I don't put much faith in the DOT certification.
In the US SNELL is a private firm that test helmets and its voluntary meaning in the US a manufacture does not have to have a SNELL certification to sell. A lid with SNELL certification is going to be safer than DOT. My issue with SNELL is it requires to impacts to the helmet in the same spot and then the liner is tested. As a result SNELL leads helmets to being to rigid. By having the helmet to stiff or rigid per SNELL testing you end up with helmets that make you more prone to preventable head injuries in low speed crashes.
Many top experts in the motorcycle helmet field are highly critical of the Snell standard, because it causes helmets to be too rigid. They point out in particular that the ability to withstand two hits in the same place has nothing whatever to do with real world crashes. By making the helmet too rigid, instead of softer, many preventable head injuries occur in more common lower impact accidents. Some experts seriously recommend not purchasing a Snell certified helmet, particularly since Snell upped it standard a few years back. I discussed this at length with an MD who rides motorcycles, and his response was to purchase a European helmet, because it was softer. Given that this issue is so well known, it seems reasonable to expect change in the not too distant future.
I much prefer the ECE testing on my helmets as it more closely resembles what can occur in real world crashes. In addition for SNELL a sample of helmets are sent in and if they pass they model can carry the SNELL sticker throughout the life of that particular models production life which is often many years. ECE requires 50 sample helmets of a model to be tested and passed before the model is offered to the public, then that model has to be retested yearly to keep certification. ECE is the accepted standard in over 50 countries and is the standard standard for every racing association including the AMA.
Here is some good reading on the subject
http://www.michaelpadway.com/gear-an...et-you-can-buy
http://lanesplitter.jalopnik.com/eve...hel-1733731498
Here is an interesting abstract that was written years back and commissioned my Motorcyclist Mag which took a look at the various certifications.
Their conclusion
Since the function of a motorcycle helmet is to reduce impact-caused
acceleration of the head, it stands to reason that one should choose a helmet
that minimizes peak acceleration. This topic was well illuminated in Motorcyclist
magazine (Ford, 2005). Motorcyclists are the fortunate beneficiaries of
significant improvements in helmet performance in the last decade. However,
helmets qualified to DOT and DOT+ECE provide better protection as measured
in these laboratory tests than helmets qualified to BSI and Snell.
acceleration of the head, it stands to reason that one should choose a helmet
that minimizes peak acceleration. This topic was well illuminated in Motorcyclist
magazine (Ford, 2005). Motorcyclists are the fortunate beneficiaries of
significant improvements in helmet performance in the last decade. However,
helmets qualified to DOT and DOT+ECE provide better protection as measured
in these laboratory tests than helmets qualified to BSI and Snell.
In short pick a helmet that has the features you want, that best fits your head shape. Go with the certification you feel the most confidence in, for me that is the ECE certification
Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 532
Likes: 21
From: Louisville, KY
Can I ask how the RJ Platinum fits? True to size? Looking at getting one but nothing locally, in stock. I have in the past worn Harley half helmets that are XL but according to how Shoei says to measure, it recommends a Large.
