Yet Another Helmet Question: Proper Fit?

[newbert]

Yesterday, I bought an HJC IS-Max II Helmet. Before taking all of the stickers off (which would negate my ability to return it to the store), I've been wearing it around the house to check out it's fit and comfort. I have a very large noggin (mostly empty) so getting a helmet that fits well isn't very easy. This helmet fits pretty well - for the most part. Only one thing is uncomfortable, and that is the cheek pads. They push my cheeks in to the point where, if I open my mouth wide, then close it, I have to take care that I don't bite the insides of my cheeks. IOW, it fits fine around the crown of my head (and it's tough finding a helmet that does), but may be too narrow around mid-face. Other than that, it's pretty comfortable.

So, my questions are:

1. Will the fit "break-in" to the point where this tightness around the cheeks will work itself out? (This tightness is only there when the chin bar is down.) If so, about how long does that "break-in" period last?

2. I've seen or read reviews of this helmet that mentions that the cheek pads can be swapped out for different thicknesses. Is that worth pursuing as a solution at the shop, or are the differences in thickness negligible?, or

3. Should I just swap it out for a different helmet that hopefully would fit better overall?

4. How perfectly did your helmet fit "out-of-the-box"? And what steps, if any, did you have to take to perfect its fit for you?

I've tried contact HJC via-e-mail regarding Question #2, but haven't received a response yet, so thought that I'd ask here.

Thanks!

[wyliec]

bajaron is the expert for fit problems, and interior pieces. I had an Arai that was just a little big, and he fitted me with cheek pads and liner. Now it fits perfect. He also carries parts for a few helmet lines.

[SpyderConvert]

I have that same helmet. I replaced an HJC Sy-Max with it because the helmet was going on 6 years of age. I ordered the same size (XL) as the Sy-Max and found it to be extremely tight so I got the next size up (XXL). It fit snugly at first, but after a few days of riding with it, it feels pretty good now. I find that HJC fits me the best.

[Pirate looks at --]

Yesterday, I bought an HJC IS-Max II Helmet. Before taking all of the stickers off (which would negate my ability to return it to the store), I've been wearing it around the house to check out it's fit and comfort. I have a very large noggin (mostly empty) so getting a helmet that fits well isn't very easy. This helmet fits pretty well - for the most part. Only one thing is uncomfortable, and that is the cheek pads. They push my cheeks in to the point where, if I open my mouth wide, then close it, I have to take care that I don't bite the insides of my cheeks. IOW, it fits fine around the crown of my head (and it's tough finding a helmet that does), but may be too narrow around mid-face. Other than that, it's pretty comfortable.

So, my questions are:

1. Will the fit "break-in" to the point where this tightness around the cheeks will work itself out? (This tightness is only there when the chin bar is down.) If so, about how long does that "break-in" period last?

2. I've seen or read reviews of this helmet that mentions that the cheek pads can be swapped out for different thicknesses. Is that worth pursuing as a solution at the shop, or are the differences in thickness negligible?, or

3. Should I just swap it out for a different helmet that hopefully would fit better overall?

4. How perfectly did your helmet fit "out-of-the-box"? And what steps, if any, did you have to take to perfect its fit for you?

I've tried contact HJC via-e-mail regarding Question #2, but haven't received a response yet, so thought that I'd ask here.

Thanks!

I have always been told that if you can chew gum with your helmet on then it is too loose! So you are not too far off with this one. Make sure that the helmet can't turn on your head when you grab the Chin bar. If it is truly uncomfortable, check and see if they make other cheek pads for that helmet. If they don't lose that helmet. I Have an Arai that actually has layers on the cheek pads that you can peel off. Don't know about HJC, but do some reading and check with the place you bought it, and the manufacturer's web site!

[Bob Denman]

I took my IS-MAX out of service last year...
It was a bit tight on me initially, but it did break in!
The helmet should fit snugly, and evenly... pressure points that you only notice now, will give you headaches later!

[PrairieSpyder]

I've bought helmets from Revzilla, and they say the inside will loosen up over time. But it didn't loosen up enough or fast enough for me. Maybe if you all day ever day it would work better. So I look for the general fit. Make sure there's no "hot spots" and the helmet won't pull off too easily. Then I switch out the inside parts I need. For me it's the parts around my ears that usually bother me, so I can switch those out and have a good fit.

[Boilermaker]

I have the same helmet. Don't have any problems except there is a seam in the liner that runs right across my forehead and caused some discomfort as well as leaving a distinct impression on my forehead after removing the helmet. I have depressed the foam behind it with my fingers and there is no discomfort, but I still get a line across my forehead. I am continuing to work on it. Otherwise, I have really liked the helmet.

[jaherbst]

If it is snug it will "loosen" up. If it is tight you need to "spoon" it. What I mean by this is take a regular tablespoon and with the helmet off push the rounded part hard against the parts off the foam liner that are too tight. It may take several times and works very well.

Jack

[Bob Denman]

Does your Princess know that you "spoon" with your helmets?

I'm not judging!

[Highwayman2013]

I have the same helmet in 3X and the cheek pads were tight when I got it but they did loosen up. Cheek pads:https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/...x-2-cheek-pads

[TicketBait]

When I was trying on Shoei helmets, the cheeks were too tight, so the Shoes representative removed the cheek pads, and it felt completely better. I read in one of the threads posted here that if you can chew gum, then it is too loose. That is absolute nonsense, I would go bananas if I couldn't ride and chew gum. I have been in an accident where the helmet played an important part in saving my life. Have the place you bought the helmet remove the cheek pad and then wear around your house like you did for an hour or so, and you will know if is the right helmet. Good luck and let us know the outcome.

[newbert]

I have the same helmet in 3X and the cheek pads were tight when I got it but they did loosen up. Cheek pads:https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/...x-2-cheek-pads

Thanks for all of the responses, guys!

I brought the helmet back where I bought it and he suggested that, before taking the step of swapping out cheek pads, use a foam ball to "push" the sides of the helmet out a bit (thus squishing the cheek pads) overnight to see if that helps.

So, that's what I'm doing for now. I'll try overnight, but if that doesn't help I'll try ordering the smaller cheek pads. If it comes to that, does anyone know of a video showing how to swap the cheek pads out? Yes - it may be easy, but only if you know what you're doing, and I don't.

Thanks for the help with this!

[Bob Denman]

As I recall; everything is sort of held in place with velcro, and some plastic snaps...
Take your time, and you can do it!

[crazycanuck]

Helmet fit also depends on shape of your head. I cant wear anything except for Arai because couple of their models are made for round heads like mine.

[cuznjohn]

i have always had a problem with helmets, i need to trey them on, and can't order them on line. i have a shurbert that most people hate, but for some reason it fits me pretty good. the one i really like is the shark but they don't make them in my size and they tend to run small

[Easy Rider]

No velcro, unless you have helmet mounted speakers.
Plastic snaps come apart with a firm pull.
Lift up the edges around the ears; you should be able to see the snaps.
Easy to remove whole liner because.......it needs to be washed occasionally.

[ARtraveler]

Most have you covered above. Just bought two more Nolan's in the "usual" size. The new versions come with much thicker padding than previous. Makes the helmets seem tighter, but our first ride last weekend resulted in "cozy" fit but not painful. We went about 135 miles.

We also bought the Nolan (n-com) communicators this time. The n-coms are form fitted right into the helmets and there are no external antenna like the others. They are not as good as the SENA we have been using--but the SENA would not attach properly to the new helmets. Less distance and more noise interference than we are used to. SENA still wins in my book.

[BajaRon]

Yesterday, I bought an HJC IS-Max II Helmet. Before taking all of the stickers off (which would negate my ability to return it to the store), I've been wearing it around the house to check out it's fit and comfort. I have a very large noggin (mostly empty) so getting a helmet that fits well isn't very easy. This helmet fits pretty well - for the most part. Only one thing is uncomfortable, and that is the cheek pads. They push my cheeks in to the point where, if I open my mouth wide, then close it, I have to take care that I don't bite the insides of my cheeks. IOW, it fits fine around the crown of my head (and it's tough finding a helmet that does), but may be too narrow around mid-face. Other than that, it's pretty comfortable.

So, my questions are:

1. Will the fit "break-in" to the point where this tightness around the cheeks will work itself out? (This tightness is only there when the chin bar is down.) If so, about how long does that "break-in" period last? - Different manufacturers use somewhat different materials in their padding. But all cheek pads & liners are designed to mold to your personal facial features. To do this they have to be 'Too Tight' to begin with. Time to break in also varies with manufacturer and even between different helmets in the same brand. What I recommend is watching TV with your helmet on. Wives and kids can make this physiologically difficult. But it works very well. If you can sit through an hour of TV programming without getting a headache, the helmet is not too tight. I agree with your salesman. Give the current cheek pads a chance before going to a smaller pad. Most likely the ones you have are going to work out just fine.

2. I've seen or read reviews of this helmet that mentions that the cheek pads can be swapped out for different thicknesses. Is that worth pursuing as a solution at the shop, or are the differences in thickness negligible?, or - This is a worthwhile approach if you are SURE your current cheek pads are too tight. But if a helmet does not fit tightly when new, once you break it in it will likely be too loose. You can get significant size changes with cheek pads and liner. You can effectively change some helmets a full size up or down. (Though you are much better off to get the correct shell size with appropriate padding).

3. Should I just swap it out for a different helmet that hopefully would fit better overall? - Sounds like you're pretty close to having a well fitting helmet. Going to another helmet may fix one issue but create another. I think you are on the right track now.

4. How perfectly did your helmet fit "out-of-the-box"? And what steps, if any, did you have to take to perfect its fit for you? - See above. A helmet that fits perfectly out of the box is not the right helmet for you for the reasons mentioned above.

I've tried contact HJC via-e-mail regarding Question #2, but haven't received a response yet, so thought that I'd ask here. - Good idea!

Thanks!

I am so glad to see someone talking about 'Proper Fitment' rather than 'Comfort'. Comfort is a subjective assessment which varies greatly (in many cases resulting in wearing a helmet 1 or even 2 sizes too large). Proper fitment, on the other hand is an objective assessment and is pretty much the same for everyone. If you want a helmet to protect you, give up on your idea of 'Comfort' and go with Proper Fitment. In the end, once you get used to it, Proper Fitment and true Comfort are the same thing. It may take a bit of time. But once you've worn a properly fitted helmet for a few thousand miles (and maybe sooner), you'll never go back.

Be safe and have fun this summer!

[BUZZARD II]

OK, I have a long oval head with kind of a rounded right angle bend in the right side crown area. I have never in over 50 years of riding found a helmet that fit. Every one I had to modify, mostly that right front/side area.

Years ago I used a grinder to cut away the hard foam. The downside was little foam flakes floating around for the next five years or so. Then I started to use the Jaherbst "spoon method". It finely got to the point that I cut out rounded forms from a 2X4 with a notch cut in the back to compress the foam with a wood clamp. That works really well. And yes, I know it voids the integrity of the foam.

As to cheek compression, I have a Arai XD model that was very snug. I found that jamming in a roll of toilet paper wrapped in a towel sideways was the perfect "tool" for forming the inside soft foam.

Now that I've given you clowns enough ammo for a years worth of jokes at my expense, remember these hints for those hard to fit heads. It's not easy being weird.

[Bob Denman]

Now that I've given you clowns enough ammo for a years worth of jokes at my expense, remember these hints for those hard to fit heads. It's not easy being weird.

It may not be easy; but it does give you the chance to help out foils in ways that the rest of us might not think about.
Besides... you're not weird: you're unique!

[BajaRon]

OK, I have a long oval head with kind of a rounded right angle bend in the right side crown area. I have never in over 50 years of riding found a helmet that fit. Every one I had to modify, mostly that right front/side area.

Years ago I used a grinder to cut away the hard foam. The downside was little foam flakes floating around for the next five years or so. Then I started to use the Jaherbst "spoon method". It finely got to the point that I cut out rounded forms from a 2X4 with a notch cut in the back to compress the foam with a wood clamp. That works really well. And yes, I know it voids the integrity of the foam.

As to cheek compression, I have a Arai XD model that was very snug. I found that jamming in a roll of toilet paper wrapped in a towel sideways was the perfect "tool" for forming the inside soft foam.

Now that I've given you clowns enough ammo for a years worth of jokes at my expense, remember these hints for those hard to fit heads. It's not easy being weird.

You're just not going to find a helmet that fits every possible head configuration right out of the box. Arai used to make the Signet, then the Profile which catered to the Long Oval head better than any other production helmet. Now they make the Signet-Q helmet which is supposed to address long oval heads. You seem to be familiar with the Arai helmet so you probably know this.

The problem is that volume is the secret to better price and better product. Intermediate Oval helmets fit about 60-70% of the population. Round Oval and Long Oval heads share the remaining 30%-40%. There just isn't as much money in these other shaped helmets.

Used to be brands stuck to a certain head shape. That's why you had people saying they had a 'Shoei Head' or a 'Nolan Head'. But those days are pretty much gone. Everyone is gravitating to the Intermediate Oval where the lions share of heads are. Even Arai, who used to pretty much cover the extremes and the middle, are sliding that direction as well.

So, you're going about it the only way you can, short of having a hand made, 1-Off helmet (very expensive). And that is to find a helmet that comes close and do some needed surgery. I prefer the spoon method for modifying the internal foam. It does the least amount of damage, does not remove any material, and allow the helmet to afford you almost the same amount of protection. Chances of taking a big hit right were the modification has been done is small. And the surrounding material is still there to reduce the impact to your head.

[bruiser]

https://www.revzilla.com/common-trea...types=og.likes


This offers some very good advice on fit. Hope it can be opened.

[Bob Denman]

Go the custom route:
Have one made for your "melon"!

MelonHead.jpg