Helmet Recommendations

[SICARIO]

Hi there,

Me and my wife are pretty new to riding bikes/ 3 wheels in general. We picked up some starter helmets awhile back and found that they FOG up fairly often. We have tried anti-fog wipes, making sure the air vents are open, but we live in the Northwest so we get cooler/ moist weather a lot. We really want to stick with a full face or modular helmet for our rides, so we are wondering if any of you have recommendations for better results or Helmets with better ventilation.

Thanks.

Forgot to mention my starter helmet is a YUMA

[Peter Aawen]

Look for an accredited helmet (by ECE, SNELL, or AUS/NZ AS1698-2006 or whichever equivalent standard is appropriate to wherever/the country/State you ride in... for the USA, I believe DOT is the 'self awarded' minimum standard that you should recognise, but then, I am Down Under in Australia! :dontknow: ) with a 'Pinlock' anti-fog visor insert or similar (which is effectively 'double glazing' for your visor ;) ) Most of the better name accredited helmet brands have visors available that are suitable. My personal helmet of choice (with a Pinlock visor) atm is a SHOEI GT--Air, but over the years I've run all sorts, including Bell, Nolan, Shark, Arai, AGV, and a bunch more that have all worked well. Good Luck! :thumbup:

[RogerTN]

I use a Shoei NeoTech 2 with the pin lock installed and my wife uses a Shark with the pinlock never had an issue with face mask fogging up. Both are modular helmets and the Shark modular can be retracted all the way to back of the helmet.My wifes helmet is a Shark EVO ONE 2 Lithion.
If you are going to use a Sena communication system. You can get one that is integrated into the Shoei helmet.
Both helmets come with the pinlock anti fog visor so you do not need to purchase separate.
We both had HJC helmets previous and they were good decent helmets but the Shark and Shoei are much better.
They are on the pricey side but are great helmets

Thanks
Roger

[MNF3]

What Peter said, plus try them on! Fit is just as important for safety as it is for comfort, and every brand/model fits a little differently.

[timd35]

I have an HJC RPHA 90 modular with pinlock and have had great success with it. I have not owned a lot of the others so can't really compare but my wife and I, like others have said, went to a store and tried different ones on. She chose a different one due to fit and comfort.

[carbonation]

I've worn Arai forever. They traditionally have a helmet shape that is more oval, and it fits my bucket head.
My wife wears Shoei. They are generally more round shape, and fit her.
The point is to get a helmet that fits. You'll be more likely to wear it every time, and be protected properly.
All helmets are going to fog sometimes, it's just the nature of the beast when sticking a moist container that expels wet vapor inside a plastic box.
My Arai has a nose deflector to direct the vapors to a vent directly below, and cracking the visor about a half inch helps on a cool day.
Top vents front and back create a flow through effect to vent heat. On a smoking day, after a long ride, there will be salt stains at the exit of each vent on the top back of the helmet.
Try motorcyclegear.com . I've purchased a lot from them. Always pleased.

[JimH]

I will second the pinlock having recently purchased a Shoei GT Air II helmet. It works great. Fit is number 1 - also make sure you are buying a helmet for your needs. I watched a lot of video reviews and found out some helmets are for sport riding, some for cruising, etc. Match the helmet with your needs and fit.
If you are serious about gear and safety, quality gear does cost some money but your head is worth it.

[Arcamguy]

Shoei RF SR with a pin-lock anti fog insert. It a full faced helmet that's very comfortable and Snell/DOT certified.

[SCWSpyder]

Another vote for the Neotech Shoei with the Pinlock insert. One item not mentioned is this has a built-in sun shield visor which is fabulous. Instant shade! Also provides extra layer of wind protection if you’re unfortunately fighting dry eye.

[JayBros]

THE most important thing about helmets for you and your wife is that they fit comfortably and securely. Heads, like coconuts and helmets come in various shapes and sizes. A round helmet will give an oval-headed wearer an obvious problem or won't fit properly. IMO, if you go to motorcycle shops or a store like Cycle Gear you should plan on test wearing a helmet at least an hour. I had very good luck with Revzilla and they were most helpful in getting a helmet that comfortably and securely fit my wife's coconut. I don't remember how many we tried and returned before getting the one that best fit. YMMV.

[Jdr00ejr]

You are getting a bunch of great replies. I'll throw in my 2 cents worth. You mentioned "starter helmets" but didn't say brand. Depending on the brand, you may be able to find a pinlock visor for them but not necessarily. We have a cheaper Modular Helmet in our helmet supply that didn't have a pinlock option. I used this from Amazon and find it to do a great job of helping with the fog. It's basically a "stick on" pinlock like solution.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078ZBB88B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Now, I was a half helmet wearing for years and years - and maybe haven't given it up yet - but wore a modular for cold weather and/or wet weather - when they were most prone to fogging. I also ride many days where it's cold in the morning and nice in the afternoon. I finally broke down and spent the "big bucks" on a Shark Evo-one 2 Helmet. It's crashed rated in both closed (full face) and open (3/4) positions. Unlike most modular helmets - when open - the chin bar folds to the back very streamlined - not to the top as a wind sail. It came with a pinlock visor. I think this may be the first helmet that could convince me to be a year round option - and not return to the half helmet. We'll see.

[RICZ]

Hi from a fellow Northwesterner.
I agree with what has been said about fit, various brands favor different shaped skulls, so do try them before you buy. This is why my go-to store is Cycle Gear.
I also have a Shoei Neotech that came with a pin lock and have never used it, even on my coldest rides. That's because I crack open the shield a little and the small air flow keeps it clear. At stops, I flip it more open to prevent fogging. I have never used any anti-fog product on the shield, just polish. It's like turning on the AC in your car to prevent fogging,
Where in Washington are you?

[WisconsinDavid]

I also have applied the WeePro antifog shield to my helmet's visor and it has done a really good job of keeping it from fogging. So for a solution for awhile, without breaking the bank, its a good value. It can be your transition to a better helmet when you find the "one" at a good sale price. Regardless of how much I love a helmet, it gets put out to pasture at the five year mark. Some keep them longer, but I want internal materials not to have lost integrity due to aging/sweat and such... so better safe than sorry with all our safety gear. Ride safe everyone where it is warm and for the rest of us, I sure home Phil the groundhog was right about spring's upcoming appearance. Unfortunately, he had a different opinion of what's ahead than did "Jimmy" our Wisconsin groundhog.

[Revalden]

I use an HJC Modular and it has the pin lock add-on anti-fog screen. I love it and it works very well and it won't break your wallet. I have a "Fat Head" and theirs go up to 4XL which I wear. Not a lot of choices for my size. Cycle Gear usually has several in stock at their stores.

[bhern]

As a fellow new-to-riding person when we got our Spyder, I know where you're coming from, and the one thing I would encourage you to do is to pick the best possible helmet for *you* -- you're going to be wearing it a lot, so it needs to be comfortable as well as meeting all of your safety and functional needs. You've gotten a lot of good suggestions both generally speaking as well as regarding specific features (e.g., pinlock), and the great news is you don't have to spend huge $$$ to meet your needs. FWIW, we both went with full-face over modular, and have been happy with both of them (mine is an HJC IS-17 which has a pull-down sunshield and hers is a Bell with the photochromic/transitions shield; on balance I think the photochromic shield is worth the uptick in price over the pulldown sunshield, which is only adequate). I'm seeing pricing on both models in the $100-$200 range, so we're not talking super-expensive gear.

I figure the next time we shop for helmets, we'll have a clearer perspective as well as a good baseline of what our non-negotiables will be, and in the meantime our feeble brains -- ok, my feeble brain and her superior intellect -- will be well-protected.

[Revalden]

As a fellow new-to-riding person when we got our Spyder, I know where you're coming from, and the one thing I would encourage you to do is to pick the best possible helmet for *you* -- you're going to be wearing it a lot, so it needs to be comfortable as well as meeting all of your safety and functional needs. You've gotten a lot of good suggestions both generally speaking as well as regarding specific features (e.g., pinlock), and the great news is you don't have to spend huge $$$ to meet your needs. FWIW, we both went with full-face over modular, and have been happy with both of them (mine is an HJC IS-17 which has a pull-down sunshield and hers is a Bell with the photochromic/transitions shield; on balance I think the photochromic shield is worth the uptick in price over the pulldown sunshield, which is only adequate). I'm seeing pricing on both models in the $100-$200 range, so we're not talking super-expensive gear.

I figure the next time we shop for helmets, we'll have a clearer perspective as well as a good baseline of what our non-negotiables will be, and in the meantime our feeble brains -- ok, my feeble brain and her superior intellect -- will be well-protected.

Nice Kiss Up there. :thumbup: