I have two helmet's; full face carbon fiber victory that i wear on the highway and a shorty polo style ACC (advanced carbon composite) blue/chrome , that i absolutely love!! The shorty matches the colour of my bike, cool, but as for comfort, it's perfect!!
I purchased the ACC online at headtrip helmets, the customer service is great!! I had a small problem with my wifes helmet, manufactures defect. I sent it back and they sent a new one immediately and covered the cost of shipping! I should mention that i live in Canada, so this was a big plus!
The full face Vic helmet is also very comfy and very light! No complaints there!!

 

I have a Shoei RJ Air Platinum for the hiway and a Victory Ghost Flame Shorty for in the city or on hot days.

 

interesting, i assume helmets are optional? is it the same in every state?
in the uk it is compulsory and i have quite a selection (in my voluntary role i also teach first aid and my speciality is motorcycling stuff inc helmet removal). as you say the arais are a good and comfortable fit although not the quitest helmet ever. bmw make a great range of flip front helmets that are super quiet. my current favourite is a schuberth flip front that has 2 visors, one normal clear one and a further one inside that is tinted for the sun, not quite as quiet as the bmw but a fantastic cit with great features. expensive though at £400 ($600 ish).

the piece de resistance though is my open face helmet (for jackpot riding) made in the uk by Davida - http://www.davida.co.uk/styles.php?id=4 i dont know how readily available they are in the us but i have never had such a comfortable or quiet helmet in my life.

do you have a debate over whether to wear a helmet or not? with the death of natasha richardson this week i heard a head expert give/deliver a great analogy. we buy laptops and then get all sorts of latex/padded cases for them to protect them if we drop them. well your brain is a much more complicated/sophisticated computer with no spare parts available should you fall on it yet you may decide to ride without a helmet....... freedom of choice i know but devastating for family if anything happens

 

Most states do have helmet laws. There will always be riders that try to skirt that and wear goofy stuff.

I also have the Schuberth. It was pricey, but it fits well & I like it. I saw a very intersting episode of "How's That Made?" on Discovery(?) and they were at the Schuberth factory and showed their helmets being tested and made. Quite interesting. I feel confident it will protect my noggin the best a helmet can in case of disaster.

I went to wearing a helmet skiing as well. Very sad that brain injuries could have been prevent with a litle bit of forethought and protective gear.

I will always wear gear and a helmet. Others can make their own choice, but I do my best to encourage ATGATT.

 

I have an ACC helmet which I wear almost exclusively now and also a full face Nolan with Bluetooth that I wear when the weather gets a bit too cold.

 

I'm very hard to fit and have yet to find a full-face or "modular" helmet that will work. Of course, it might help if any helmet dealers would stock more than 3 or 4 models and keep some of the largest sizes in stock.

Summer in Las Vegas is just too hot for anything but a shorty and that's what I wear most of the year. When the weather turns chilly, I switch to a 3/4 with built-in face shield. Both are made by Z1R and seem to be of good quality (as far as I can tell, I'm no expert!). The 3/4 does bother me somewhat because it fits too low across my brow, actually touching the top of my glasses. I'm thinking I need to add some padding under the liner to make the helmet sit a bit higher on my head.

While on vacation in Arizona last fall I stowed the helmet and went lidless part of the time. It's a very liberating feeling.

 

I have a Schuberth C1 modular, really comfortable, but you can't breath behind a full fairing bike unless you crack the shield open. Need I say it's my cold weather helmet.

My main rider is a Zox 1/2 helmet, inexpensive and DOT certified, it has a zip off ear/neck curtain that is fitted for headphones. Good ventilation and very comfortable. I remove the visor and use a clear faceshield in the rain.

Presently thinking of going to a 3/4 helmet, Arai is extremely comfortable, but expensive and looks big on my head. I haven't tried the Shoei RJ, I hear there is a new model out this year. Really thinking hard about the Scorpion EXO200, but would like to see one first.

I've had Bell's in the 70's and Shoei's in the 80's.

Has anyone seen the Mimi Cromwell Spitfire Stainless Steel helmet, hand made in Italy. http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=270318592482. I love the look of this helmet, but it has no visor which is imperative to me.

 

I wear an HJC Sy Max II, full face modular with built in sun shield. Since I always ride with a windshield I leave the bottom of the clear face shield open about 1/8" at the bottom for circulation.

 

I have an ACC helmet which I wear almost exclusively now

Me too. Andy saw it and said "THAT'S the helmet you wear ... where's the rest of it". I wear it every time I ride - even in 100 degree + weather and high humidity of South Florida in the summer.

 

I have a half helmet and a full helmet both fulmer.The half helmet is my helmet of choiceand only wear my full helmet when Its absolutely necessary. I am in Augusta Ga and with South Carolina ten minutes away I love to go over there and take the brain bucket off and ride.

 

I wear the Victory Torque and have been very happy with it for hiway and when it's not too hot. I just got the Victory ghost flame 1/2 and have found it to be quite comfortable in town and short hops on the tolls. I do have a real interest in the Shark Evoline and would really like any opinion on this helmet. It's rather expensive,and since it is modular to 3/4 face, and has the standard type visor and an internal sun visor, I see it as a great alternative to one for in town and one for hiway. The swing arm pulls forward and swings back to lock into the rear most part and you really can't tell it's modular. Here's some photo:
http://www.compacc.com/p.cfm/c/1201002/p/21363
It's also been reviewed in several places.
Cheers!
Russell

 

I wear an HJC Sy Max II, full face modular with built in sun shield. Since I always ride with a windshield I leave the bottom of the clear face shield open about 1/8" at the bottom for circulation.

I've been looking at one of the new HJC helmets and ran across this one:

Open

Closed

I've owned HJC helmets in the past and they were fairly comfortable. I like the idea of the hinged lower area for ease of use as well as the pull down sun shield. Here's the specs:

• Advanced Injection molded polycarbonate composite shell
• One Touch integrated SunShield System Patent Pending
• Three Stage Multiple position Smoke tinted SunShield
• 2 Stage Shield Closure Mechanism
• SilverCool removable and washable interior

The HJC IS-Max is the replacement of the popular CL-Max. HJC has improved this flip-up motordcycle helmet by adding a removable interior liner and a retractable internal sun shield. No need to stop and change over to a smoke shield. The sun visor is there whenever you need it.

Has anyone tried one of these? Are they comfortable? True to size? The price I found is $185.

 

I too have 2 hemets that I use. I wear my 1/2 helmet (which is covered in "biker" stickers) whenever I'm riding solo. I'm in Florida & it gets HOT, so that's the most comfortable for me.
When Laura & I ride 2UP, we use our "COMM" helmets which have the Scala Teamset Bluetooth communicators. Hers is a 3/4 HJC & mine is a Fulmer modular. Yeah, it's real hot but I need to talk to her when we're riding & the Scala Teamset is the only one that works for us. (I bought & discarded a "wired" comm set & also a set from Blueant as they would not hold a charge for more than 3 hours).
BTW Florida is a "rider's choice" state but I CHOOSE to wear a helmet.

 

i have 2 HJC helmets that I wear on long trips(out of state) or in very cold weather like this morning(21 degrees at ride in time). Helmets in Wisconsin are required for minors or drivers holding their instruction permits.
My favorite is my FS-10 which has the sunshield. On long trips sunglasses and helmets give me headaches from the pressure on the temples. The sun shield, which I wish was darker, works very well. It also saves me from having carry and extra shield to switch to night time.
It also came with a mouth guard for colder weather and a lower snap on deflector for the colder weather.
Can't remember what I paid for it but it was well under $175 when I got it. I always liked the flip ups ideafor various weather conditions, but never found one that I liked.

 

Aloha everyone!
Hawaii State law does not require riders over the age of 17 to wear a helmet. (But they do require you to wear one during the riders course. ? Go figure.)
I own an HJC 1/2 helmet, my wife and I both have a Scorpion full face helmet, and I currently wear a Nolan open face helmet.
The Nolan by far is the best helmet option for me at this point. It has a tinted visor that protects the eyes from the sun during day riding, and can flip up for night riding. The best feature to me is the strap. It is a simple one step clip on latch that does not require the typical D loop found on most other helmets. Putting it on and taking it off is so much easier. The padding is easy to take out and wash, (Did it once already) and comes equipped with color matching hindge covers if you decide to take both the visor and face shield off and convert it to a true open face helmet. It is also compatible to accept communication with presetear compartments on the helmet. Many colors to chose from. It is the best helmet I've ever bought.

 

I wear an HJC Sy Max II, full face modular with built in sun shield. Since I always ride with a windshield I leave the bottom of the clear face shield open about 1/8" at the bottom for circulation.

I've been looking at one of the new HJC helmets and ran across this one:

Open

Closed

I've owned HJC helmets in the past and they were fairly comfortable. I like the idea of the hinged lower area for ease of use as well as the pull down sun shield. Here's the specs:

• Advanced Injection molded polycarbonate composite shell
• One Touch integrated SunShield System Patent Pending
• Three Stage Multiple position Smoke tinted SunShield
• 2 Stage Shield Closure Mechanism
• SilverCool removable and washable interior

The HJC IS-Max is the replacement of the popular CL-Max. HJC has improved this flip-up motordcycle helmet by adding a removable interior liner and a retractable internal sun shield. No need to stop and change over to a smoke shield. The sun visor is there whenever you need it.

Has anyone tried one of these? Are they comfortable? True to size? The price I found is $185.

Andy, I believe that is the helmet I have. I like it so far, got it in September of last year from newenough.com It may just be my head/face shape but my chin barely touches the inside at the bottom but I can usually rock it around til it doesn't touch. I had that issue on all of the helmets I tried on before deciding on this one. I have an XL size and my last helmet was also anXL from a company named Zeus (I may not have that spelled correctly). I just checked on New Enough and they are $202.
For sizing I went to a local brick and mortar dealer that I had been having my Honda serviced at and tried on helmets of different brands and then sizes. When I nailed the size and brand I went on line, price differnece was minimum of $65 at that time. I did not feel guilty about buying on line.

 

In reference to online purchases, if the dealers carried a better assortment of helmets from various manufacturers, I'd gladly buy from them...unless the price was too out of whack, and that would be an opportunity to show them the prices available for the same product online. Yes, the Internet has changed the way we shop and the dealers need to be aware that we're savvy consumers. I can only guess that the average Victory dealer doesn't buy/sell enough helmets to qualify for the lowest, quantity price discounts. With that said, how about this:

I'm wondering how difficult it would be for a Victory dealer to setup a deal with one of these helmet superstores to stock a one-to-show model of various helmets/sizes. This way, we could try them on at the store and have the dealer place the order for us. They could most likely buy at a lower price than we can get, offer us a better deal, still make a few bucks and not have their money tied up in inventory costs.

Is that too simple, or am I missing something? Would they rather make 40% and not make many sales or 15 - 20% and make a lot of sales? (I pulled those percentages out of thin air and have no idea of the margin on helmets. I'm "assuming" they are a high margin item).

FYI, when I bought this bike, the Victory dealer had three helmets in stock and not one of them was close to what I was looking for.

 

Good idea on the helmet sourcing. I will be at Randy's tomorrow and suggest that to him. He does or did have about 6 different helmet styles when I was there last. Your idea makes sense from the standpoint of the dealer tieing money upin inventory. From the helmet distributor it doesn't because they would probably need to discount the online price to the dealer/reseller to make it viable for the dealer...

 

This is mine. Its a Skid Lid

 

Hey Andy, when they have the helmets to test sizing, will they supply lice spray? O.O
Of course we need to remember no two of anything is alike. If the delivered helmet doesn't fit who eats it? The store or mail back to vendor and pays postage?
It's not that I don't like to buy local but I usually go to bike shows to buy helmets. They always have a vendor or 2 with a couple 100 helmets and I can try till it fits.I got lucky when I bought my EX-100, the local Honda shop had my size and it fit great. For $100 helmet I like it. I loved my Kevlar helmet but could not fine a place try one on so I bought the EX-100. I have an HJC modular full face for the cold weather.

 

Helmets are one of the few items I refused to buy online. I have tried it before and had problems with the fit even after going to a stocking dealer, finding the one I want, in the size I need and then going back home, ordering it and it just not feeling right. The dealer helmet sourcing idea would be nice because it would save the dealer from charging high markups. The places by me are marking them up over 200% and I think it is mostly because they are afraid they are going to have to discount them at the end of the year (especially yearly styles like ICON). I am sure the dealer could work out something like Andy said and purchase the helmet 10% less then we can on the internet then tack 25% on it, that is a fair markup (and maybe alittle high). I would be more then willing to pay 15% more to support the dealer.
Oh to give you an idea of the markup on helmets, two years ago I wanted an ICON Decay helmet to match my 109 I purchased it at a local dealer for $695.00 and I could have purchased online for $275.00... The worse part was the online store and the shop were the same company...lol

 

I wear a HJC RHPA MAX modular helmet and got the wife the Shoei Neo-tech modular. They are very similar helmets but the HJC was $450 and rhe Shoei was $580.

 

I just bought my first helmet after riding 4 years helmetless and had one small scare and the wife demanded me to wear one. I'm not one to argue on that one.. any way I found this one online after a review from a friend... it's a Canadian brand, but also dot approved. It fits great and had a quick release so no fumbling around with a d strap.
Akoury Helmets - Home

 

I just bought my first helmet after riding 4 years helmetless and had one small scare and the wife demanded me to wear one. I'm not one to argue on that one.. any way I found this one online after a review from a friend... it's a Canadian brand, but also dot approved. It fits great and had a quick release so no fumbling around with a d strap.
Akoury Helmets - Home

If you have a good fitting helmet you are well on your way. The most important feature of a helmet is your willingness to wear it every time you go out.

 

Nolan has always been the perfect fit for my headshape. Currently I use the n104. Its a modular full face. I like this one because the face shield is very tight to the helmet in the up position, so no windsail effect. You can ride at highway speeds with it up as a 3/4 if you want, it is actually DOT rated as both a 3/4 and a full face. Only one of its kind like that I believe.

I am going to try out the new carbon fiber Shark Evoline 3 when it releases next month. The Sharks I have tried in the past have been to noisy, but if they can get the noise and weight right the concept is awesome.

 

I always wear a helmet, even in areas where not required by law. Head injury rehab is not fun
General usage is a Bell Mag 9 sena
Touring use a AFX FX-140 Modular Helmet (high-viz)
Local and hot use 1/2 helmet