What's your helmet of choice?

[Pirate]

I used this site to assist me finding my head shape and size https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/h...oblem.1338421/
That narrowed down my choice by quite a bit and purchased a full faced Arai Quantum X. (Arai doesn't make anything else but full face)
It is my year round helmet.

[GuruSMI]

I own the "GasMan" https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07JWFYN6H and the model from BrokenHead "Hated and Proud" https://www.amazon.de/Broken-Head-Ha.../dp/B07JH22F7F They are a small German producer.
Additionally, I own a (custom) hand made "Darth Vader" https://www.etsy.com/de/listing/6379...-helmet-dotece and also a (custom) hand made AvP Predator helmet https://www.etsy.com/de/listing/6144...r-motorradhelm
For rare days I own a Schuberth C5 https://www.xlmoto.de/product/klapph...pid-PIA-278288

[Jesster72]

We wear HJC Modulars with Cardo comms for superslab days and weather (cooler, rain potential, etc) For 2-lane days with lots of stops (think sightseeing, etc) we wear 1/2 helmets.

[GS1]

I had the Nolan 104 before getting knocked off the bike and it was great and did well for me, now I got the Schuberth C5, it is really quiet and the comms system works well, my wife has the Shoei Neotec full face she loves it

[vito1943]

Wearing glasses, a modular is really convenient as compared to a traditional full face. As I said at the start of this thread I use a Shoei Neotec, but its not practical to use it with the chin bar in the up position (nor does it offer good protection that way). I'm intrigued by the Shark Evo One 2 that is mentioned because of the feature allowing the chin bar to be moved all the way to the rear. Seems that this would allow this helmet to be a year round choice. I hope to get to a shop that carries Shark helmets and try one on, or I might just bite the bullet and order one from Revzilla. With all the positive remarks about Arai, I would give them top consideration if only they made a modular helmet.

[M109Dreamer]

Wearing glasses, a modular is really convenient as compared to a traditional full face. As I said at the start of this thread I use a Shoei Neotec, but its not practical to use it with the chin bar in the up position (nor does it offer good protection that way). I'm intrigued by the Shark Evo One 2 that is mentioned because of the feature allowing the chin bar to be moved all the way to the rear. Seems that this would allow this helmet to be a year round choice. I hope to get to a shop that carries Shark helmets and try one on, or I might just bite the bullet and order one from Revzilla. With all the positive remarks about Arai, I would give them top consideration if only they made a modular helmet.

I have been riding with the Shark Evo Gen 1 for many years and plan on getting another one this year. I think the helmet is the best of both worlds for the reasons you described. There is another company that has a similar modular to the Shark line, LS2

https://www.ls2usa.com/products

I tried them on and the shape didn't fit my head but might be worth a look as they are also a bit cheaper also compared to the Shark.

[BajaRon]

I used this site to assist me finding my head shape and size https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/h...oblem.1338421/
That narrowed down my choice by quite a bit and purchased a full faced Arai Quantum X. (Arai doesn't make anything else but full face)
It is my year round helmet.

Actually, Arai makes very high quality 3/4 helmets. We sell Arai and Arai helmet parts.

Arai_Ram_X.jpg

[Adventurer]

Interesting -- about 1/2 the responses include helmet sound systems (Sena, Uclear, etc). For any ride longer than 2 miles I use fitted ear plugs with my Bell SRT modular helmet. I also have a Bell Qualifier full face helmet with Uclear. Comparing helmets without ear plugs the modular is quieter. I think this is because the final head opening is smaller. Anyway I now ride with ear plugs to save what remains of my hearing ... although my wife says I have a listening problem too.

I actually can hear my coms/music better with ear plugs in than without.

[Cirhere]

Call me crazy but half helmet for me, yeah yeah yeah I know they are not good protection I'll say it again I know they are not good protection

[BajaRon]

I actually can hear my coms/music better with ear plugs in than without.

Yes, this is very true. You can actually hear better with earplugs than without. The longer you ride, the more true this becomes. It also reduces fatigue so you can stay in the saddle longer.

[Adventurer]

It also reduces fatigue so you can stay in the saddle longer.

Agree 100%

[old Timer]

In our experience, both the Schuberth and Arai helmets are top notch. They both make excellent 3/4 and full coverage helmets they both make racing helmets and Schuberth has an excellent modular (flip up) helmet.

[BertRemington]

Adventurer, BajaRon -- thanks for the ear plug note. I'm going to try with-without on my Bell full face with Uclear. Although I only use the Uclear to listen to the Garmin 660 voice navigation and these days I ain't going to new places.

[Gwolf]

Bell 500 most of the time. Real cold or long trips, a Torc full face.

[Pirate]

Actually, Arai makes very high quality 3/4 helmets. We sell Arai and Arai helmet parts.

Arai_Ram_X.jpg

I was not aware they made the Ram X. Interesting...although I still wouldn't wear anything but a full face. I wear glasses and have no issue.

[3Tyme]

I have a Scorpion Exo-Tech, very similar to the Shark and LS2, with the chin bar flipping all the way to the back of the helmet. Only bad thing is I couldn't find it in the United State, had to order from the Netherlands, but I got it in 3 days.

[2dogs]

I have a Scorpion Exo-Tech, very similar to the Shark and LS2, with the chin bar flipping all the way to the back of the helmet. Only bad thing is I couldn't find it in the United State, had to order from the Netherlands, but I got it in 3 days.

So your helmet like mine may not be dot approved. When I bought my helmet the only difference in the safety ratings I could find was in Europe helmets were tested during the manufacturing process. ECE testing. Dot testing in the US was done after the manufacturing process. The conclusion was that the ECE testing likely would catch a defect before it got to the public. Not sure how DOT does its testing today. Maybe it's been changed.

[3Tyme]

So your helmet like mine may not be dot approved. When I bought my helmet the only difference in the safety ratings I could find was in Europe helmets were tested during the manufacturing process. ECE testing. Dot testing in the US was done after the manufacturing process. The conclusion was that the ECE testing likely would catch a defect before it got to the public. Not sure how DOT does its testing today. Maybe it's been changed.

From what I have read the testing is very similar with only a couple of minor differances. I was going to buy a LS2, but they just didn't fit and I didn't care for the Shark. I wasn't sure about ordering, but took the chance

[Fatcycledaddy]

Shark Evo One 2 - both me and the wife.

Same for us, LOVE them.

[RayBJ]

Depending on your head shape, the HJC Modular Carbon Fiber (C90-C) is very light and reasonably quiet for a modular. I wear musician's earplugs that are great at reducing road/wind noise but lets me hear the intercom/music with minimum sound loss. I prefer ratchet clasp over D-ring so I bought the lid from Europe (ECE) instead of the US (DOT) model w/D-ring. Actually, cost was $100 less than US model.

[peterparker]

Shark Evo One 2 - both me and the wife.

+1 on my 1st modular

[slhanks004]

HJC i90 modular for the colder months, and an HJC or Bilt half helmet for hotter months. I live in AZ, and in the summer a full or modular helmet is horrible.

[BajaRon]

From what I have read the testing is very similar with only a couple of minor differences. I was going to buy a LS2, but they just didn't fit and I didn't care for the Shark. I wasn't sure about ordering, but took the chance

DOT has proven it can be a safer helmet spec than SNELL. In real life accidents. A DOT certified helmet was giving riders a better result than SNELL helmets, in many cases.

It's a long story and it depends on the particular DOT helmet. But SNELL was designed around Automotive Racing needs where you are strapped in to a fixed location and your head is extremely likely to hit the same hard part in the same spot more than once. This is a virtual impossibility in a motorcycle accident. This simple fact should change everything. But for SNELL, it did not up until recent years. Instead, they spent money on convincing the motorcycle owner that SNELL was the pinnacle of safety. And nearly everyone took their word for it.

The whole idea of a helmet is to 1- reduce the G-Force to the brain on impact. This is done, primarily, by allowing the helmet to crush, absorbing a great deal of energy before it reaches the rider.

2- The helmet needs to keep objects from penetrating. This 2nd aspect is very important in an automotive accident. But not nearly as much in a motorcycle accident. A hard shell (SNELL) helmet is great in this aspect. But it sacrifices objective #1 to get there. Objective #1 is most important to a motorcycle rider who can safely give up some of aspect #2 to achieve better impact protection.

Making the shell very hard is a good thing on a car application. But it is not good for a motorcycle application. A hard shelled helmet reduces the ability to control G-Force to the brain. SNELL, even after years of evidence that their approach to motorcycle helmet safety needed to be completely revamped, continued to ignore the issue and instead, spent more money on marketing their safety. Especially troubling in the face of hard facts.

The European ECE standard threw out everything and started from the ground up with motorcycle safety in mind. With proven results, I might add. The DOT standard was much closer to the ECE regs than SNELL. Unfortunately, the DOT specs also allow for very cheaply made helmets. But you can easily distinguish the difference in a quality DOT helmet.

After years of pressure, real world motorcycle accident statistics and lab room testing. SNELL has finally been forced to see the light and are making some worthy changes. They might be better off just going with the ECE testing methods. But they have not gone that far.

[RULINGCHAOS]

I just picked up one today. Bilt Nomad modular. My choices were limited based on my huge stupid head. 4X fits well. Like the internal sunshade. Not bad at $129.99 at Cycle Gear.

received_931985904471239.jpgreceived_700348498196527.jpg

[FrogmanDave]

Shark EVO GT