| Author | Message | ||
     Rodclement |
Hello everyone! Looking for recommendations on a a good, quiet helmet in the $300 or so range. I am using the Bell Revolver and while I love the look and feel of the modular helmet, the noise levels are too high for longer riding days. Thanks in advance! Rod | ||
| Luftkoph |
look on web bike world they do a lot of helmet testing with noise levels one of their criteria. | ||
| Hughlysses |
+1 on web bike world. Also figure out what shape head you have and buy a helmet to suit- they tell you what shape (oval, round, long oval, etc.) any make/model of helmet is. | ||
| Thejosh |
Yeah, modulars are awesome, but noisy. Earplugs help! Josh | ||
| Pontlee77 |
Revzilla has reviews on a lot of helmets if you do a search for what you' re looking for as Revzilla to the search. and for sure you will find it. A friend says Schuberth are the best about noise level, but i cant be sure i have a bigger head than him. | ||
| Ulynut |
In my experience, the Scorpion EXO 400 has been, by far, the quietest helmet I've tried. And you can get one for about 60 bucks on sale. D.O.T. and S.N.E.L.L. approved. That being said, it fits my head perfectly, which is why it's so quiet. Get a helmet that fits your head, and make sure it's D.O.T. approved. You don't have to spend big money to get good, quiet protection. | ||
| Pons |
I've had two HJC flip up helmets. Not the fanciest helmet out there but I have two points. One is a very good friend got blind sided by a car when he was parked on the side of the road and the lock mechanism kept the face of helmet closed like it's supposed to and no head injury. Second they're pretty comfy and quiet with good ear plugs and the right windshield. Just my two cents worth. | ||
| Mad_doctor |
I've got the Scorpion EXO 900. It is modular. The latch works great, noise is MUCH quiter than an HJC. I still ride with either ear plugs or Ipod. it has good vents when it gets warm out, plus it converts to a 3/4 helmet when I get the flh out. Modulars are great if you wear glasses. | ||
| Crusty |
There used to be an ad that said, "Never wear a two hour helmet on an eight hour ride". That about sums it up. The right fit is extremely important. If the helmet is shaped for a long oval head, and you've got a round oval head (or vice versa), you'll be miserable after only a short time. If the helmet is too noisy, it will make your ears ring, and can cause permanent hearing loss. I wear glasses, and prefer a modular helmet. I've got a Nolan X-1002 that fits me like they used my head for the mold. It is a bit noisy, though. If I had the money to burn, I'd jump for a Schuberth C3. I tried one on at the New York IMS show, and fell in love with it. Supposedly, it's the quietest Modular helmet available. I loved the fit and many of the features that were designed in. I'd buy one in a heartbeat, but there's no way I can afford seven hundred bucks at this time. It's on my list, though; right after my Aerostich suit. | ||
| Someday |
I don't care how quiet the helmet is SUPPOSE to be ...wear earplugs and save your hearing. | ||
| Bike_pilot |
Def need earplugs with all helmets. Also, note that some third-party's noise testing is pretty much useless as noise is highly dependent on how the helmet fits your head and how the air flows around your bike and your body. For example, my Bell Star is super-quite on leanded-forward bikes like the TL1000S and even the wife's Monster. It is a bit noise on sit-up-straight bikes like the Uly and the dual sport bikes. Of course it could be very different if you run a windscreen, are a different height, have a different shaped head etc. I tried a few Schuberth lids, they seemed well built, but were unbelievably heavy. Don't remember which models they were, this was a few years ago. Personally I won't wear a modular as I'm not willing to take the weight or safety penalty. Just my preferences. I generally go for a light, good fitting full face with quality laminate construction. | ||
| Towpro |
In recent years I owned the N-102 modular (version before bluetooth adapter came out. I loved that helmet, but it was noisy. then I upgraded to the N-103 (Mail Order). You would figure they are the same design correct? WRONG. The N103 was the noisiest helmet I ever owned. It was quieter to ride without a helmet then with this one. Plus after some time I realized it fit different, my chin was crowded in the front so bad you had to hold the back of the helmet with one hand in order to get the front part to lock down. Plus my nose kept hitting the rubber flap at the bottom of the viewing opening, and the flip down (internal) sun screen felt like it was cutting my nose off every time I flipped it down. My local dealer (Revzilla) stocks every helmet out there.I tried on every modular helmet known to man. The only one that felt close to fitting was the $chuberth helmets, but no way I wanted to afford one. I finally got tired of the N103 noise so I went back to dealer. She looked at my head and said "long oval" and brought out the Aria Signet Q. Wow, I never knew a helmet could fit this well! Very Quiet compared to ether Modular I owned. and it had more air flow when the vents are open. In fact I think the air flows better in the Aria then the modulars even with the face open! | ||
| Rodclement |
Thanks everyone! Lot's of great info here and resources! I have a lot to consider and think I am going to try to make it to Revzilla and try as many helmets as I can before I buy another one I don't care for again! Rod | ||
| Smokey3644 |
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/n olan-n90/ Check out this review on the Nolan N90 mod helmet, one of the quietest. I'm sold on the mod, I ride using both the full face and mod depending on which bike I'm riding but prefer the mod. | ||
| Buewulf |
try as many helmets as I can before I buy another one I don't care for again! +1 on trying them out. But you really need to try them on the bike you ride most if at all possible. I had ridden a friends ZX-6R once using his helmet and was impressed with how quiet and well ventilated the lid was, so I bought the same model. Sitting straight up on the Uly (as opposed to the attack position on the Ninja) though, it is loud as hell and doesn't vent along the top of my head too well. Picking the right helmet is certainly a challenge. Good luck! | ||
| Towpro |
A good sales rep will show you how different helmets are designed for different riding positions. What kind of bike you ride should be one thing you tell the sales pro. Rod is fortunate to live near the "Holy Grail" of helmet stores. He plans on going tomorrow. Myself and several of my friends have bought helmets from this place in the last 6 months or so. I feel his head will be be in capable hands  . | ||
| Seanp |
Shoei Qwest. Excellent helmet, quiet, comfortable, and the visor locks closed or open a bit. I replaced an EXO-700 with the Qwest and it was a great investment. | ||
| Skifastbadly |
Buy a pair of Etymotics for a hundred bucks, use them with your favorite MP3 player. The only downside I can think of is you don't want to be on the Uly when Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild" comes on if there's a cop around. | ||
| Pons |
@ Skifastbadly, thats what I wear. If not I have a set of ear plugs of the same design. They work really well! | ||
| Uly_man |
Always use ear plugs unless its just a 5 min ride to the shops. Find the type that suits you best though. I found heavy helmets like my old BMW one hurt my neck on longer rides and only use ones 1500g or less now. The same helmet will not always work at its best on different bikes. My HJC FG worked fine with my XTZ750 but caused head buffeting on the Uly. I now use a Aria Quantum F and get no buffeting at all even at 120mph. Good ventilation but you do need ear plugs and costs a lot of money. Its hard to advise on helmets as the variables are worse than tyres. I would say start with a light, 1500g or less, helmet with good ventilation/ no visor misting, good side-to-side vision, double D ring chin strap, comfortable fit and a layered, not a plastic shell, build. After that is how it works with you and the bike. Aria helmets are hard to beat though, if one fits you and they now do a lower price range which is just as good but without the removable lining. | ||
| Judotrip |
Icon Variant!!!!!! The Uly goes faster with the Urban Assault Helmet!!! | ||
| Rodclement |
OK...the deed is done! I have been properly fitted at revzilla and came home with a Shoei RF1100 Diablo Divinity in size large. What a difference! I tried probably 10 helmets including the Quest mentioned, the Scorpion line, the Arai line, and the AVG line, all great but this model fit my head better. Some notes about properly fitting a helmet, my other helmets were all extra large and I thought I was right, I wasent...also the head shape and riding position makes a real difference and making a trip to go somewhere proper to buy a helmet is worth the time, its your head after all! I wear a LG wireless Bluetooth headset while riding and now I can hear music and even answer phone calls since this helmet is light years more quiet that the bell I was using before. (Please no discussions on listening to music, not the purpose of this thread). Riding the hour plus way home was a pleasure! No head shacking, no loud noises or wind noises, great airflow, and my sunglasses fit easely, what a difference! Thanks again everyone and towpro, thanks for the emails! Rod (Message edited by rodclement on October 18, 2011) | ||
| Johnboy777 |
To my way of thinking, more import than a quiet helmet is one that fits your specific head shape, A. And B., that flows air well. I bought an Aria Vector based on how it fit my freakishly large XXL head, as well as, on how the reviews said it flowed air. The Shoie i had gave me a hot spot on my forehead after an hour or so. But there again, that's because of my head shape. I am one of those that think that a higher price doesn't necessarily buy you better crash protection. If it fits well, you'll keep it on. I think, rain resistance is an important aspect too. Wind noise? I wear ear plugs. .. | ||
| Towpro |
It's a great place ain't it Rod? I need to keep my credit card away from there | ||
| Dynasport |
I wish I had a place locally I trust as much as you trust Revzilla. I did have a guy help me at the local Cycle Gear a few years ago that was pretty helpful. I ended up buying a Shoei RF-1000, which is all I have bought since. Since it is not made anymore, I'll have to try the process again next time. I have been thinking modular recently. They seem really convenient and I have read several threads of people who crash tested them with good results. We'll see. | ||
| Towpro |
Dynasport, I really do believe you can still get great service at some dealerships, but they still can only fit you into what they have in stock. The big advantage with going to the Revzilla showroom is they sell so many different manufacturers and models of helmets they are sure to have a profile that fits just about anybodies head. Plus their sales force is knowledgeable on how to fit helmets. | ||
| Bike_pilot |
One thing with modulars, that hinge mechanism, even if it stays intact in a crash, isn't going to collapse and absorb an impact like the foam in a normal helmet. I just can't see how it'd be anywhere near as safe as a standard full face. Doesn't mean you shouldn't wear one, just don't kid yourself into thinking there's not a safety trade-off. | ||
| Buewulf |
I wish I had a place locally I trust as much as you trust Revzilla. Me too. I have only owned three street helmets over the last 10 years (used DOT rated dirt bike helmets prior to that!). Two of the three (a Nolan and an Arai) were purchased at dealerships, and I had someone "fit" me. The Nolan was a size L, and the Arai an XL. Neither ended fitting quite right, and they were both expensive. I ride with a Joe Rocket carbon fiber helmet now in size M. It fits securely, maybe a hair on the tight side, but it still isn't blissful. The shape of my head doesn't quite agree with the contours of the helmet well enough, and the helmet performs best visibility-, noise- and venting-wise when in a sporty riding position (which the Uly doesn't have). I am tired of these $500 experiments. | ||
| Crusty |
One trick that I use when looking for a new helmet is that I go to the IMS show in New York City each winter.I try on every helmet that interests me until I find the one that fits right. I note the Make, Model and Size, so that when it's time to buy, I can go shopping on the internet and find the best deal. Sometimes, I've had my heart set on a particular helmet before the show, only to find that it didn't fit quite right. Last winter, the helmet that fit right, and really impressed me was the Schuberth C3. On the other hand, my wife didn't like the fit of the Schuberth at all, but loved the Shoei Multitech for the way it fit her. Every head is different; it's a nice way to find what fits. | ||
| Rodclement |
It is great to have all these options in front of you and ready to try! I had my mind set on a Scorpion 500 due to the features and good reviews but it just didn't fit right on my head so I had to pass. Had I not tried the other dozen helmets, I might have bought the Scorpion and would think it was good, but once you try so many different helmets at once, the difference becomes apparent! Another good thing with revzilla is price, very competitive! Willingness to help was also out of this world! Worth the trip! Rod |
