Quiet helmets?

Hi folks, long time no post, been a touch busy with the new job, ZZR being
almost written off, needing a bit of mending...

My old Shoei Raid has had it, I think, all the padding's squashed and it's
got noisier over the years (and the tinnitus doesn't help) - so it's time
for a new one

The Raid2 is a different shape, nowhere near as deep a shell and it seems to
have a lot more gaps for the wind to whistle through, so I think it might be
time to look at other brands / models, so...

Any recommendations? I'm after something quiet (I do a lot of miles, and
getting home deaf with a dentist's drill in my ear despite the earplugs is
getting me down), good ventilation / anti fog visor, in
fibregalss/kevlar/carbon rather than ABS and fairly light - a flip-down sun
visor would be good, too! Silver-grey to match the ZZR would be nice - and
it would go with the Grey Power Ranger outfit!

I've had a few recommendations for the Schuberth fullface range, having
tried one on I think the wrap-around-the-neck curtain at the bottom would
help, but open to suggestions!

Cheers,
Dave H.
(The engineer formerly known as Homeless)

"Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men" -
Douglas Bader

 

<snip>

£200 Arai "whatever it is called this week", in black

better EAR[1] plugs

[1] e.g. EAR Neons SNR36
www.atsite.co.uk/p-11413-e-a-r-soft-yellow-neons-ear-plugs-pack-of-250.aspx

 

"wessie" wrote ...

Exactly what i use at the mo, unless I've got earphones in (the ones I have
are as good as earplugs, as far as wind noise goes, and the music's a lot
better) - I get the EARs given to me in bags a few hundred now & then as I
work in noisy environments (data centre machine rooms).

The Arai's I've tried haven't been that good a fit with my oddly-shaped head
though - well made, reputedly very safe, but uncomfortable within about 5
minutes... and they seem to leave a lot of room for the wind to blow around
my ears - the bonce like a cannon ball causes that, I suspect?

Dave H.
(The engineer formerly known as Homeless)

"Rules are for the obedience of fools, and the guidance of wise men" -
Douglas Bader

 

Freak

Arais fit me perfectly. You must be some sort of sub-optimal being.

 

"wessie" wrote...

That'd be the troglodyte heritage with the high-impact skull, and a head
that's wider than it's tall )

Got to admit that Arais fit the more feminine girlies well, though...

Dave H.

 

Well, Champ & Lozzo whitter on about them, yes...

 

wessie wrote...

'Nuff said.

Dave H.

 

I've been using a Schuberth S1 for the past god knows how many years
and it is a very good and quiet helmet compared to the Shoei XR800 I
had before it. I still wear ear plugs, though. It's getting on a little
after about 100k miles so I really should replace it, so I'll probably
get one of the new S1 Pros...

If you get one, make sure you get one with a Pinlock visor and not the
stupid single glazed one with the "Hi Tech coating", because the latter
is a pain in the arse and doesn't work well in our damp climate. Not to
mention that the coating at least used to come off with annoying
regularity. I've had a pinlock visor for mine for years and it's been
fine.

 

My Shoei XR1000 is pretty quiet, at least compared to the other
helmets I've owned. The most recent of those was a Suomy Gunwind.

 

It's been said before many times, but I'll say it again. You either
have the wrong earplugs for your ear shape, or you're not putting them
in properly. I get virtually zero wind noise at over a ton with an
open-face helmet.


--
Krusty

'03 Tiger 955i
'02 MV Senna (for sale) '96 Tiger (for sale)
'79 Fantic Hiro 250 (for sale) '81 Corvette (for sale)

 

I bet you have silent farts too.
Earplugs may cut the noise by 35dB but that's still loud at 100mph,
though no longer dangerously so.

 

Sometimes, yes.

I don't know what the actual dB is when wearing a helmet & correctly
fitted earplugs, but it most certainly isn't 'loud'.

--
Krusty

'03 Tiger 955i
'02 MV Senna (for sale) '96 Tiger (for sale)
'79 Fantic Hiro 250 (for sale) '81 Corvette (for sale)

 

I've got a Shoei Raid II, which is fine from the noise POV and I use Max ear
plugs which I buy in packs of 200.

http://www.safetysupplies.co.uk/trolleyed/4/index.htm

Works for me, but I think that helmet choice depends upon the shape of your
head. I can't get on with Arai's.

 

This is the main issue, & I think you're right in saying 'the
majority'. If any of the plug is sticking out your ear, or it falls out
when you take your lid off, it ain't doing a lot. In fact I'd go as far
as to say if it's easy to pull out, it isn't in properly[1]. I
frequently pull chunks of foam off mine while trying to pull them out.

[1] Feedlines r us.

--
Krusty

'03 Tiger 955i
'02 MV Senna (for sale) '96 Tiger (for sale)
'79 Fantic Hiro 250 (for sale) '81 Corvette (for sale)

 

Could be because every Arai interior lining is different for every
model. There's an Arai to suit virtually any head, and if you can't
find one that does fit then you're quite probably the result of
generations of inbreeding.

--
Lozzo
ZX-7R P4 (for sale)
CBR600F-W trackbike
SR250 SpazzTrakka,
RD400F, somewhere
I see a bright new future, where chickens can cross the road with no
fear of having their motives questioned