need helmet(s) - suggestions?

i need some advice.

the shoei i had fogged up, was a bit tight around the ears and was
black. i then bought a white/red off brand at the roadrider parking
lot sale and it does not fog up, but it was a bit large and noisy.

i've sold my bike and the guy wants two helmets with it. sooo, i need
a new helmet for me - suggestions welcome on type and place to buy it.
i'm thinking $200 max. i heard good things about the Arai rx-7-rr4.

i also need a replacement helmet for my kid for around town errands.

help - what and where (i'm cheap ? i ride daily and am planning a
trip to seattle in one months time ...

ferenc

 

thats a $500+ helmet. For your price range, check out the HJC CL-14
model. My kid has one and its a very nicely made helmet. I wear an
Arai Signet/GT, which I paid $300 for at a Road Rider parking lot sale,
these are normally more like $400.

but, helmet choice is very much a matter of personal fit. if you say a
shoei was tight on the ears, that implies you have a wide head... Arai
helmets, especially the RX7 and Signet models, are designed for narrow
heads. Shoei tend to be wider. fancier models have replacable pads for
custom sizing, but these parts cost more $$.

 

A lot of helmets are too narrow for me too. I recently got a KBC (i forget
the model name) just under $200 and it's surprisingly good for the price.
Good padding inside, removable/washable pads, breath deflector, not too
hard to remove the faceshield, etc.. Pretty decent overall. I've never found
a helmet to be truly quiet (never spent $700 on one either, of course but
it's no louder than any arai or shoei I've worn.

eric

 

The extra money for the Shoei RF1000 was worth it to me. Go to
road-rider and see what fits. IGnore the pricetag, just see what is
comfortable.

You want comfortable, and you want a quick change visor and a spare
tinted visor.

You get what you pay for.

 

The Arai is expensive ... $450+.

I have a Shoei RF1000 that I'm happy with. It was about $300 at Road
Rider.

For < $200, look at HJC and KBC. Still safe, but lacking some bells and
whistles.

-B

 

proper fit is important - are there any useful studies done by govt.
on helmet performance? the only one i found was on
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/comply/fmvss218/2182.pdf
which indicated that the kbc tk-9 failes (not clear what labeling
failure means though).
hmmm,
ferenc

 

I KNOW ferenc is going to break down and get a topcase, if not
he will have a tankbag. Commuter bikes always have enough storage
that having the spare visor always on hand is easy.

Additionally, most of the "click in" visor interfaces have a
smoother mounting point -> lower noise.

 

+ quiet and low-buffetting in the wind (if you ride any distance)

At best.

 

Tinted visor vs. Sunglasses is a personal choice - but either way, at
least some of the time you'll have to store something which is easily
broken/scratched.

Sunglasses are easier *for me* to store - and somehow my visors attract
gravel and armored bugs so after any lengthy trip need replacing... the
clear ones are cheaper than the tinted ones.

OTOH: it sure is nice not to have sunglasses on - there is one less
thing to fog up, one less thing to pinch my ears AND I don't have to put
up with vibration from the temple-piece of my sunglasses transmitting
noise through my (thick) skull to my ears. It is clearer, more comfy
and quieter when I ride w/o sunglasses!

 

i hear (from branden l.) that concord cycle gear (mike solis) is the
guy to look for for a good price. i plan to go there sunday with my
son and try some helmets. it does not have to be name brand, as long
as it has the approvals (dot sufficient?)

the poignant part about going there is that that's where i bought a
helmet for my son from joey lott, the week he did a 12 oclock and died
on 680 on his way to work ...

as far as the glasses are concerned, apparently the uv does not go
through my current visor, and my eyeglasses do NOT tint in sunlight,
so i usually either flip up the visor for a minute, or put on my
prescription sunglasses. the helmets i've had so far are not as easy
to change out as eyeglasses.

as far as a tank bag is concerned, i'm thinking of going to see greg
olson (who also has a dl650 vstrom) at http://www.casporttouring.com.

i don't know when the next road rider parking lot sale is, but i need
a couple of helmets within a week. when i called there, they did not
know, but said something about talking to management to get a discount
(commong practice???).

thanks for the tips,
ferenc