Flip-up helmets - Good/bad?

I first heard that about 12 years ago, when I bought my first Arai - they
were the most expensive helmets at the time, with equivalent rated Shoeis
around £50 cheaper - I tried the Shoei, and it felt awful, so I bought
the Arai, which was a perfect fit.The salesman siad "you either have a
shoei or Arai head"

So, I went to try a couple of flip-ups on Monday, a Schubert for £360,
which felt heavy,cumbersome and generally uncomfortable, and a Shoei,
which was either really tight on my cheeks, or too loose.
The saleman said "you've got an Arai head!" - things havent changed for
many years then.
Alan.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Champ

Thank you, Mr Beeblebrox.

 

There is an uncanny resemblance in style now you come to mention it..

 

"I don't know, I've only just got here meself"


Hmmm, that's not going to work; suppose I'd better mug up on HHGTHG...

 

I think one of the points made about the /additional/ dangers of flip
fronts is when up there is increased mass higher up (more than a normal
open face would have) has a different, and less desirable, effect on the
wearers neck.

I have a friend whose face/chin/jaw/teeth was seriously mashed when he
hit the floor wearing a normal open face.

IMO it's a risk management thing. If *I* was that bothered I'd always ne
in a car.

 

sweller said

HHGTTG HTH

MM?

 

do you really think he would have been better off wearing an open-face
lid in that situation?

 

H2G2

H*T*H.

 

I think I should have finished the sentence, but I can't remember how it
was going to end. Happily I hope.

 

An aquaintance was killed in a 'hit and run'. The police could not work
out how his BMW flip up helmet (is that the System 4 ?) managed to come
off. None of the straps or catches were broken. I think I'll steer
clear of them until mysteries like that don't crop up.

Richard

 

Dave Swindell wrote

Oh Bollocks. Effing hearing nazi's. I said BOLLOCKS.

If I were to ride every day I might wear them, but I don't.

I hate ear plugs and never wear them. Nasty waxy dirty things ;-)

Cheers,

Paul.

 

Richard Savage says...

A few days ago I was shown a carbon fibre BMW full face helmet. One
from their official accessories range, with a tiny little BMW badge
under the visor mech each side. I am told this lid retails for about 800
quid, but this may be wrong.

http://www.bmw-
motorrad.com/com/en/specials/sportintegral_helmet/sportintegral_carbon.h
tml

I have never seen a more flimsy structure on any helmet in my life. I
hate AGV Ti-Techs because I have seen them crack around the chinbar when
being handled in the shop, but this was noticeably flimsier than one of
those and had an alarming amount of flex throughout the whole shell. The
interior was cheaply made, using an inferior quality material. When I
started to ease a cheekpad out, so I could inspect the inner structure
of the shell, the whole interior literally fell into the centre of the
lid and the polystyrene liner was moving around. The visor mech is
external pivot with a large screw showing, this needs to be undone to
remove the visor. The visor locking mech is a little metal stud that
locates in a hole in the visor when closed. All very, very crude and
reminiscent of an old Stadium Lynx my mate had in 1980.

It really was just about the worst fibreglass or carbon fibre composite
shelled helmet I have ever seen, and that includes cheap stuff from the
70s and 80s. All it had in its favour was the weight of about 950
grammes, but what use is a low weight shell when it won't hold your head
together when needed.

Avoid.

 

<snipped>

Yes, this model retails for £800. When I first spotted one in my local
BMW dealer, I picked it up and almost put it into low orbit! It
probably doesn't weight much more than some cycle helmets. The
quality-related "issues" you have identified don't give much
confidence in the product, however. Very "un-BMW".

On a plus note, BMW have just started to market their "Contur Plus"
boot with EN 13634 approval. Nice to see the industry axis powers
beginning to break ranks!

 

Paul Varnsverry wrote :

I had been toying with the idea of a flip-front, to replace my FF which
had become a little loose fitting. Today I picked up an Arashi....

It seems generally a little quieter than my FF, but has a slightly
annoying whistle at speed. Less road noise, less engine noise, so other
noise may be more prominent.... It doesn't seem to mist up, all round
vision seems to be better, it also seems not to try to lift quite so
much at speed. Surprisingly it is lighter in weight than my FF and has
a more comfortable lining.

One bad point I noticed was the jaw level vents seem to be quite
fragile/poorly designed.

 

How do you fit your pointy head in a helmet?

--
Phil Kyle esq.

http://philkyle2003.reachme.at/

"That's not cheese, it's the product of an unwashed foreskin."

- Craig "I like cheese" Oldfield

 

Be still! and revere P.Kyle esquire, who blessed us with their presence on
27 Jul 2004...

Does Harry's helmet flip up?

--
The Reverend Parson Peter Parsnip
VISIT ME ONLINE AT: http://peterparsnip.blogspot.com/

"Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with
the rod, he shall not die." -- Proverbs 23:13 (AV)

 

go@fish (Vicar Peter Parsnip) wrote in

I don't think it does, that's why he's such a bitter old ****.

--
Phil Kyle esq.

http://philkyle2003.reachme.at/

"That's not cheese, it's the product of an unwashed foreskin."

- Craig "I like cheese" Oldfield