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Edstevens
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - 02:37 pm: | 
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Jlnance Yes, the Caberg Justissimo is DOT certified. Another poster commented on some helmets having weak latches - the Caberg latches are made out of metal, not plastic. Good to hear from you just wish I were tall enough to ride that Uly. |
G234146
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - 08:13 pm: |
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I saw them in Europe and they are sweeeet! the face flips back so it transforms kinda like the Caberg ; Rhyno pictured on this string. but it flips to the back of the helmet.
see if this link works:
http://www.roof.fr/ |
Kurosawa
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - 10:18 pm: |
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Someone posted that a buddy got whacked in the side of his flip-up and the hinge busted his head. This makes sense. The helmet will flex right there and the hinge will get driven into the skull.
Now someone is going to argue. Look, in all things, being smart and being stupid is a matter of risk management, weighing benefits against risks. Like when someone runs a red light to gain 30 seconds on his way to work, well, what would he get paid for those 30 seconds more he'd be at work (that's the gain), versus the workdays he'd lose in the hospital, medical expense, pain and suffering, vehicle totaled, possible funeral expenses if he gets t-boned by a bread truck?
Sorry about that, but what I'm trying to say is when I went shopping for a helmet, before I read about that guy's friend having his head broken by the hinge, I saw the structural weakness (it sticks out like a sore thumb) and for the risk, all I could figure out is that you can drink a coke or smoke a smoke without taking off the helmet. I think I can be bothered to take off the helmet considering the consequences of having a hinge pounded into the thin bones of my skull. |
Diablobrian
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - 10:35 pm: |
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The Europeans do have some of the coolest lids. However for my part, I will only
wear a "proper" full-face helmet. Add to that I would never buy a helmet without
trying one on first to see if it fit my gulliver, and I don't see an "exotic" lid
in my future. I still like looking at them though.
Hi, my name is Brian and I'm a gearaholic. |
Blublak
| | Posted on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 09:03 am: |
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(in unison) "Hi Brian".. Oh and there is no sane person that will try and cure you of that affliction.. 
As far as helmets go. I have two Arai RX-7 Corsairs. One for street, one for track. I really like them, 'custom' fitted by a good dealer so it fits correctly and changing the shield is now a really simple process, with practice it can be done in seconds.
They work really well. As far as safety goes, I tested one earlier this year (the 35mph head into large stones in drainage ditch test)and it did it's job flawlessly. They are DOT/SNELL/EU if I remember right. So they pass all the major tests (each is different) and have all the benefits you want in a good helmet. The only things I can say bad about them is they will cost you a fair penny (but my safety is worth the extra money)and I think they are a little louder then other lids. But hey, small trade off for all the pluses. Ear plugs are cheap (until I had a custom set made) and it's all good while I'm out riding. |
Firebolt1203
| | Posted on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 05:21 pm: |
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The tests that a Helmet goes through for Snell certification are drop tests and chinstrap tests. They also try to penetrate the helmet with different kinds of anvils. There is one drop test where they see how much the front chin bar flexes with a 5kg weight in the helmet I think to simulate a head. I think the max the chin bar is allowed to flex is 6mm, I have seen alot of the locking mechanisms on helmets and the only Metal locks were a KBC. I doubt that even the KBC can pass the snell test. I used to work at Cycle gear and ive tried on every helmet we carried multiple times. I personally have a Shoei RF1000, great aerodynamics for trips above 100mph, and the shell is a composite of kevlar carbonfiber and fiberglass. The beneifit of these composites is that they absorb more shock than the old polycarbonate plastic shells, there for requiring less foam inside and making for a lighter more durable helmet. Most of youre high dollar helmets have these type shells and are well worth the money. Look at some other brands like Suomy and AGV(if its good enough for Valentino it good enough for the rest of us). Another good helmet as far as bang for the buck is the KBC VR2 its a full face but is uses a similar carbon kevlar composite and has a removable liner, it doesnt have quite the quality of a Shoei or the like but for 200 bucks for a solid color, you cant beat it. Also Mat Mladin races wearing a VR2. Just my 2 cents |
Wantok
| | Posted on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 06:37 pm: |
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I recently had the requirement of a new lid and so did a fair amount of reading which left me a little more knowledgeable but no more enlightened.
1. Chin Injuries; apparently the most common vector for fatal injury is where the jaw is forced back and up into the brain. This pretty much rules out open face helmets and poses a design challenge for flip-ups.
2. Snell and Flip-ups; apparently there are two issues. Firstly, that the flip-up hinges and latching mechanism pose a risk if they are struck and then provide a focus for force to be transmitted to the skull. Secondly, the design must provide sufficient strength in the hinges and latch(es) so as to be comparable to a full-face.
Flip-ups have been around for a fair while; the first I saw was a BMW helmet in the early 80’s and I am not aware of one ever having been granted a Snell approval.
3. Helmet Approvals; Now, this is a really tricky area. See http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/motorcycle_helmet_review/index.html
I would say that if you can find a helmet where the exact same model, (i.e not a tailored US market model), passes both Snell and ECE standards, then that is probably a good sign.
4. Fit; Really, Really, Really important. The liner must sit in intimate contact with your skull, this allows it to absorb the maximum amount of energy.
5. Care; Treat your helmet like a friend that may one day make the ultimate sacrifice on your behalf.
My 2 cents bought at Shoei XR1000, (RF1000 in the US market). It is Snell M2000/5 approved and according to Shoei data, (see Tech info link at http://www.mcleodaccess.com.au/cat/shoei.html), it passes snell at 150G’s; around half of the maximum allowed force.
It fits like a glove  |
Missin44
| | Posted on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 07:09 pm: |
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1. Most important, forget the bells and whistles, get on that fits.
2. Get quality. |
Dannyzuko
| | Posted on Friday, May 26, 2006 - 12:25 am: |
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I think I'm going to go ahead and avoid the flip up helmets. I like the KBC VR2. Its cheap and seems like it's well made. How are they as far as wind noise? The Shoei RF1000 is nice, but big increase in price over the KBC. I guess it all depends on what I can find around here. I don't want to have to order one without getting the right size. I just might have to. Not a lot of choices for helmet shopping in this area. I'll se what I can find this weekend. |
Odie
| | Posted on Friday, May 26, 2006 - 01:40 am: |
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Anybody heard anything good, bad, or indifferent about Zox helmets? The Spectra in particular?
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Wantok
| | Posted on Friday, May 26, 2006 - 01:45 am: |
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Danny,
See the article. ‘The Lid Test’ at the link http://www.mcleodaccessories.com.au/cat/hjc.html, if available in the US, HJC seems to build a couple of good budget options and in Australia they are Snell 2000/5.
Cheers |
Tunes
| | Posted on Friday, May 26, 2006 - 05:41 am: |
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After owning damn near every brand helmet made, my current lid is a Scorpion Exo-700... and so far, in my opinion, the best. I think I still have my old 10lb, open-face Bell around here somewhere...  |
Aesquire
| | Posted on Saturday, May 27, 2006 - 08:31 am: |
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I just bought a Suomy spec 1 R Bostrom replica, I'll let you know how I like it after todays ride.
I run a HJC Symax modular. I like it, but there is a bit more noise than I like ( hence the new Suomy ). I agree that the modulars are maybe less safe than a full face, but for sure better than a 3/4 lid. They are very nice when you wear glasses.
Webbikeworld like the HJC Symax, BUT I bought it because I could try it on & it Fit. Fit is far more important than colors or cost. The local shops have a fairly poor selection, & I'm hard to fit. Try before you buy.
All the lids in the local H-D shop are black or chrome, the Arai's, Shoei's, etc. are across the parking lot in the older, Furrin bike shop. ( same company, different buildings.) So.... sometimes I park the Cyclone in front of the Honda's, sometimes I wear Joe Rocket & look at StreetRods. lol |
Aesquire
| | Posted on Saturday, May 27, 2006 - 06:02 pm: |
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200 odd miles later....
The Suomy is a bit noisy, and when the top vents are put in the rush of air off the top of a S3 fairing, they rumble a lot. Roared really. Lucky me my normal position is in cleaner air. There is only a little drag on the neck when turning head in wind stream, and the Suomy is stable to over 100. No bad lift or twitches. ( on a closed course only, right? )
It's really Light.
The shape ( XXL ) is good for me, & the chin bar is below my chin. The Blue Iridium shield is fairly dark, I was in drizzle or under clouds till a few miles from home. Too dark for safe night riding.
The graphics are very flashy & well done.
The top vents are fixed, with really good airflow through the lid. Should be very good in Summer.
The chin vent blows into the mouth area & along the shield, I wanted to raise the shield at stop lights to avoid fogging.. Drizzle didn't bother me. I didn't get a downpour, but I think you'ld get wet. ( A couple pieces of tape would solve that I'd think. )
A nice lid, but maybe not worth retail unless the graphics were important to you. A bit Loud.
Also, It's really light.
(Message edited by aesquire on May 27, 2006) |
Buellerx
| | Posted on Saturday, May 27, 2006 - 07:40 pm: |
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I would read this before buying
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/motorcycle_helmet_review/index.html |
Xb12rider
| | Posted on Sunday, May 28, 2006 - 06:31 pm: |
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I chose a vemar helmet ece cert convinced me it is a race lid so it is noisy and build quality rivals the best of them and I got it for a good price on extremesupply.com. |
Chainsaw
| | Posted on Sunday, May 28, 2006 - 09:23 pm: |
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Dannyzuko: Regarding the KBC VR2
Look for a red spring clip on the visor locking mechanism. This is an upgrade from the original breakage prone one. (fill out those helmet warranty cards boys and girls)
I've replaced no fewer than 4 face shields on mine in a year, had one break yesterday too, even on the 'new & improved' rachet, although I may have had one of the tabs broken by the original mechanism.
The plastic 'L' tab on each side of the visor breaks off in the racheting mechanism, typically left side first, then right side some time later. I'm getting close to having spent more on shields than the helmet itself!  |
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