| Author | Message | ||
     Steveford |
I just ordered an AGV K3 helmet and the damned thing is Made in China. The new Bell full face helmets are Made In China. I don't want a Chinese helmet. I don't want a Japanese helmet. I don't want a Korean helmet. I want one made in either the United States or Italy. Have all of the manufacturers sold out? Disgusted in PA, Steve Ford | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Yes. | ||
| 86129squids |
Steve, Ft's prolly right. After getting over your disgust and accepting things, there are lots of good choices for brain buckets nowadays- light weight would be #1 on my "bucket list"  See if you can scan the Motorcycle Consumer News website for info, better yet, find someone who subscribes... I used to, and they really are thorough. Heck, just shoot an email to them and they could probably help. A high school buddy gave me an OLD Bell fullface from probably the late 70's, early to mid 80's... I held into it as a backup for years. Every time I picked it up and compared it to my most current helmet, it felt like an anvil! My melon is super-sized, so also shall my brain-buckets be. What about AGV? IIRC they carry the Italian flag colors... | ||
| 86129squids |
I do also remember reading recently that Bell has a "new" line of retro-styled helmets- they look like the old 70's first gen buckets, but are thoroughly modern in their build. Kinda cool, especially if you have a vintage ride! | ||
| Steveford |
It looks like Nolan is still made in Italy. I always worried about modular helmets popping open in the event of a crash but I'm sure that idea is ridiculous. AGV is the company that pissed me off so much in the first place. MADE IN CHINA. (Message edited by SteveFord on January 16, 2015) | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
I think Roof makes theirs in the UK. Good luck finding one on this side of the Atlantic though. I only know of them due to my reading British magazines sometimes. | ||
| 86129squids |
Never much cared for Nolan, quality doesn't seem on par with the rest. Maybe the newer ones, but I dunno. Modular? Meh. I cringe/laugh every time I see some dumb-ai$$ riding down the road with the chinbar up... WTF, over?  I'd put the hairy eyeball on any modular's closure mechanism, IMHO not all of them look 100% good to hold on a frontal crash... Good luck- post up what you find! | ||
| 86129squids |
Seems the original brand/makers of the BMW "system" helmets might still be German, they were the ORIGINAL design modular but I can't remember their exact name- Sch-something? | ||
| D_adams |
Not made in the US, but this is one area I don't skimp on. Been wearing Arai helmets for LONG time. http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/320/18453/Motorcycle -Article/How-Arai-Makes-Motorcycle-Helmets.aspx These appear to be made here in the US, but it's not my style. http://www.superseer.com/helmet.asp Same with these. http://simpsonraceproducts.com/shop-by-product/hel mets/motorcycle/ I'm sure there's more out there if you actually keep looking. Those only took me a few minutes of google-foo to find them. | ||
| Chauly |
Schuberth I've had two Nolans, expecting to get another. I like the flip-up, don't ride much with it up, but stopping momentarily on hot days, it's nice to have. | ||
| Steveford |
I just sent AGV a nasty gram - if I wanted a Chinese helmet I would have gone to Wal-Mart. Are any of your helmets still Made in Italy? We'll see what turns up. Simpson is too Darth Vadar-ish for my tastes. I just want a normal full face helmet with some sort of vent system that won't make me look like a geek. I'm sure that the Oriental products are just fine but I don't wish to give my money to China, Korea, Japan or even Pakistan. Bangladesh, maybe... | ||
| Elsinore74 |
Steve, When you find the helmet brand you want, I suggest finding a stocking dealer to try them on. Not all skulls are shaped the same, yet most helmet makers only offer one shape. This usually leads to buyers getting one size too large in order to eliminate pressure points, which comes with its own set of drawbacks. It reminds me of my quest to buy running shoes from New Balance, a company which strives to source materials and manufacture as much of their product in the USA as possible. I couldn't find a model that fit well enough for any distance. But I digress. I hope you find a US or Italian helmet that fits you well. I've tried, but my gourd is as misshapen as an extra from the set of Star Trek. That being said, if you should ever reconsider a Japanese helmet, I suggest looking at Arai. There's a small shop in Lancaster, PA (not sure how far that is from you) called "The Service Pavilion" that the wife and I go to every 5 years or so to replace our helmets. Arai offers a number (more than two, but not sure as only one fits me) of helmet interior shapes. Robert and his staff there are great. Even if you're not interested in buying anytime soon, they can fit you for the shape/size helmet that fits best (including which crown and cheek inserts work best), and keep the info on file should you decide to buy later. We live several hours away, but the expert advice and personal customer service make it well worth the trip. Yeah, about nine years ago, the first time I spent more on a helmet than I had decades ago on my first bike ('71 CB350), I almost shat meself, but riding all day in comfort made it worth the price. Good luck and safe riding! | ||
| Reepicheep |
I have a Schuberth C1 I bought in Germany back when the exchange rate was WAY in favor of the US. It still cost a pretty penny. It was a nice helmet, but it wasn't (IMHO) worth the premium I paid, much less what it would cost in todays $$. Works out well if it is damaged in an accident where another insured driver is at fault though. The "closest replacement" is stupid expensive, so even after being depreciated by 20% or whatever in the settlement, you still have enough to several good but cheaper replacements.  | ||
| Jaimec |
I've worn nothing but Nolan helmets for the past decade. Started with the N100e, then the N103. I added an N43e Trilogy when I got my scooter. You can't beat the price or quality (the N100e was a little "iffy" but the later models are all first rate). For the price of ONE Schuberth C3 helmet you can buy TWO Nolan N103 helmets, or one N103 WITH NCOM bluetooth system installed. A friend has the newer N104 and he loves it. I was looking at the new N44s (replacement for the N43) and sad to say I think they're HIDEOUS. The N104 is a very attractive helmet though. | ||
| 86129squids |
Also- there was one maker recently that had a very interesting graphic: Basically they took the Hurt study results, which showed impact vectors and probabilities, overlaid on the whole full-face helmet! I thought it was kinda cool, made you think more about safety in an almost automatic fashion. Surely that one's Chinese, too, but what the hey. Cool graphic, prolly thought up by someone cool here in the USA... YMMV. | ||
| Akbuell |
2 years ago, I stopped by the Triumph/Ducati dealer in Asheville. Don't go there too much, as it makes my checkbook quiver, but it is a nice ride. Anyway, I ended up walking out with a SUOMY, made in Italy. Nice helmet, fits well and comfortable over a long period of time. Not particularly quiet, though. Might be worth a look. Hope this helps, Dave | ||
| Froggy |
It is quite nice to be able to flip up at times, especially when stopped at a light when you don't get much fresh air with only the visor up. Plus they are easier to take on and off, more convenient overall, I won't go back to a full face for day to day street duty.
While not a ridiculous idea, most modular helmets have sturdy latching systems and hold up fine in a crash. | ||
| Buellish |
What Jaimec said.I had a Schuberth and by the time I needed another,the price had gone way up.I've had a Nolan N102,N103 and now an N104.Ive loved all my Nolan's. What Froggy said. | ||
| Fast1075 |
I am one of those with an alien head shape. Recently, I went shopping for a helmet. Arai does indeed make helmets for "other than round" heads, but they are pricy, and the local selection is poor. I tried on a Scorpion R410 helmet. My head went "ahhhhhhh". It has plenty of room for the speakers from my bluetooth, and it is pretty glasses friendly. It rates high in crash worthiness too. And the the anti fog shield is truly antifog and had great optical qualities. It is not the lightest helmet in the world, but is an amazing fit for me. | ||
| Steveford |
It looks like Bell helmets purchased Bieffe and then they vanished into the corporate black hole. I did not get over my disgust with Oriental helmets - a pox on the slimy outsourcers! I ended up ordering a Suomy and if that doesn't work out I'll go the modular route with Nolan. I've seen Nolan helmets up close and they're well made. Thank you for your input, everyone. In late February I'll begin the search for an American made leather jacket. I bought one of the HarLee semi-sporting ones years ago (proudly made in China) and it looks like it has a terminal case of psoriasis. All of the outer leather flaked away and I take good care of my leathers, too. You got me once but never again. Bates kind of flaked out a long time ago so I suppose I'll be shopping for a Vanson. | ||
| Luftkoph |
nexx made in portugal shark some made in europe caberg made in italy | ||
| Skinstains |
As far as leathers go, take a look at Stone Lake I have one of their sport jackets and it's nice. I have a pair of their overalls for work and they are absolutely awesome. | ||
| Aesquire |
I bought a Suomy Spec-1R a couple years ago and am happy. It was a left over marked $100 off one fall, so I tried it on and.....ahhh. but it was a flashy Bostrom Replica and still over $500..... so I passed. The next year it was marked down another $100 so I bought. I too have a big head ( I can hear the snickering ) and have a hard time finding a good fit. Light, great ventilation, good aerodynamics ( no problem turning the head at over the ton ) and really light. Downsides are you can't control the ventilation, and it's noisy.. it's a different noisy than my old HJC modular, which has some whistles and squeaks, the Suomy just roars...... so wear noise cancelling ear buds or plugs.... meets the tough British specs and quality is good. Flashy as heck with a casino theme. (Message edited by aesquire on January 16, 2015) | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I have an HJC RPHA-MAX flip front, very pleased with it for the price, better than the Shoei full face it replaced. Made in Korea. Found this http://www.superseer.com/index.asp but couldn't find any mass produced in USA. | ||
| Badlionsfan |
Shark is still my favorite helmets, made in France. | ||
| 86129squids |
I had a Shark briefly, was impressed with the specs and quality, but it didn't work with my melon, owie. Frogs, I'm sure you're smart enuf to not ride down the road with the dang chinbar up... I do appreciate the functionality and convenience they offer if used sensibly. Had one of the HD modulars for a while, it worked OK, but I never trusted the closure mechanism, looked tres cheep. Good thread! As far as leathers go, I'll be wearing my Heine Gericke jacket tomorrow on a sunny day ride, temps will be in the mid to upper 50's!!! Woohoo!!!  | ||
| Badlionsfan |
Shark helmets fit the long oval melon like mine amazingly. AGV and Bell are two that I've tried that fit more of a round skull. They're tight on my forehead but kinda loose on the sides. Knowing your skull shape is as important as knowing the measurement. Most every helmet is reviewed on YouTube and the good reviewers will tell you what a specific helmet is made to fit what skull. | ||
| Steveford |
I heard from AGV and their Italian made helmets are the Pista GP and Corsa range from $1399.95 to $999.95. Everything else has been outsourced. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Break out the checkbook. | ||
| Slaughter |
I race Nexx: Portugal |
