New Helmet

I bought my X a couple of months back, but still have an old 'regular' full face helmet, which is getting a bit old & smelly
I want to replace it, but have never used a motorcross style helmet. Was thinking along the lines of something like this: http://www.ghostbikes.com/products/Helmets-Motocross-Helmets/1445-hjc-hq-x-carbon-motorcross-helmet.html Ghostbikes are a UK company with excellent delivery & customer service.
How does this type of helmet work on the street? Are there major wind/noise problems? Aerodynamic lift? Will I freeze my a$$ off in winter? Are goggles a PITA?
Thanks for any feedback!

I have a Fox V2 Pilot, same basic setup as shown with that HJC. I don't wear my street lid anymore. For noise, it's a bit noisier than my street lid...but then I have a stereo system in it now, so instead of wind I hear tunage. Wind lift...I will get that hitting high speeds and looking up, that's it. I didn't find it any colder than my street lid in cold weather; actually the street lid would fog up...with a good set of googles, it's not a problem. As for the goggles, I don't find them annoying at all. The main thing is fitment with the lid. It should be a fairly snug fit; I've always gone with the old rule I was told by an MX racing bud that if you are wearing an MX lid, chew gum and you should be grazing the inside of your cheeks when you chew. If you don't connect with your inside cheeks, it's too loose. It means the cheek pads aren't snug enuf. You should be able to shake your head and the helmet shouldn't move. Everyone has they own way of fitting, this one works for me.

If you are mostly riding street...stick with a street helmet. Or at least look into the Dualsport helmets. I have a couple of friends that use them and wouldn't wear anything else. Get to the trail and can pull the shield off and wear goggles.

*If I'm going to ride around town I always use my street lid over the dirt one.

I like to have the option of both. I wear both.

When commuting I don't wear goggles, but rather skiing-type (big frame) sunglasses and I never get over about 50MPH (and that is for very short, traffic light-to-light, distances).

When it's colder I use the FF helmet and crack the visor (sometimes having to raise and lower it when slowing) to prevent fogging.

IMO, strictly speaking for dusty off road, there is no substitute for an MX helmet and goggles.

Having said that, I have the Arai XDs for combo applications.

Personally I don't like wearing a motocross style helmet on the highway (it's noisy and the visor catches the wind), I have both a street style and a motocross style for depending on what type of riding I'm doing.

I am in the market for a new helmet as well, I had a bit of a wreck this week and my helmet is all gouged out and the visor is broken off. I like the moto helmet because I ride most of the time off road and dont find it to be bad off road.

I just dont have a big shop with lots of selection where I live, so I am not sure where to go. I would like to try some helmets on but that might not be an option. my last helmet was a thor, and I like the looks of the new thor helmets, but havent seen one in person. just wondering what helmets other riders have had good experiences with


oh and in case anyone was wondering, the bike is ok and I am sore but happy I was wearing full protective gear

Thanks a lot for all comments - I'm now even more confused!
Anyway, I rather liked the look of the HJC, carbon & all, & the sale price looks tempting. Most of my riding is commuting/blasts round twisty minor roads near my place, although I regulary go 70 - 80 mph for short distances. This is what concerns me most regarding wind lift & comfort.

Hi Mash100:
When choosing a helmet... It's like poking a stick into a bees nest.

This is just one article of hundreds worthy of your time if interested: Just one more reason to consider an Arai or Shoei over the rest.

I ride with the Arai XD-3 and its aero lift at speed is the best (least lift) of the dual sports. Its exterior visibility is one of the best as well. I had a rider who caught up to me in a later afternoon period while ridign across VT saying the darn thing was flashing him like a mirror reflecting sunlight off the bill. I highly recommend visibility and thus the Arai XD-3 in a solid color - Silver or White is the best thing going right now. The Shoei Hornet DS on the other hand is ever so slightly more comfortable and easier to buckle up with similar on/off-road utility.

I did a short write-up on the visibility of helmets improving ones chances on the road with a statistic I thought was worth repeating... The most interesting item came from a paragraph in the in the HURT report from quite a while ago. Wearing a bright color vs. drab or black helmet reduces your chance of being clipped by a 4-wheel cage by 37%. This is just with a change of helmet color!

While an HJC CL-15 Road helmet can be had for 1/10 the price of a Hornet DS or XD-3 from some E-Bay vendors, try one on for a good spell before taking it on the road. There are other dual sport helmets here in the US (I saw one of them at the 2010 Chicago International Motorcycle show but I forgot its name) and it was garbage.

Whatever helmet you decide to own and wear (DOT is a given here in the US), make sure it meets SNELL 2005 or the new SNELL 2010 specs and as always, wear it.

Bike riders beware; helmets can and more than likely will save your life

Sorry I could not be more helpful with the Off-road variants as I have only ridden/reviewed the Dual-sports with an emphasis on the road.

Be safe out there.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG

Hi Wayne/xcel,

Thanks for all the information.
In the UK, all helmets must meet EU regulation (22.05 I think), similar to US DOT regulation. The next step up is ACU 'Gold' certification for racing - most lids, including mine, meet this. On top of that there is the SHARP star rating system (optional), which tests lids even more rigorously & awards a maximum of 5 stars. Goggles & visors must also have a European CE approval stamp on them, & police DO check all this quite regularly.
The 37% accident figure regarding dark coloured lids is very surprising & quite scary - is this to do with cagers pulling out from junctions/side roads??
Much as I would like a Shoei or Arai, my budget won't take it at the moment!

There are only two situations when a Moto-X helmet sucks.

1) Temperature is below about 35 degrees

2) Extended freeway riding (why would you do that on a wr250x/r anyway....)

I love the Moto-X helmet. It makes the whole SUMO experience that much better.

The only time the visor becomes a wind problem is if/when you make the mistake of looking up.
Like if you see a big bird, or helicopter or something out of the ordinary. Keep your eyes on the road and it's really no problem. Fortunately the wr isn't fast enough to make the Moto-X helmet dangerous.

motokid wrote:

There are only two situations when a Moto-X helmet sucks.

1) Temperature is below about 35 degrees

2) Extended freeway riding (why would you do that on a wr250x/r anyway....)

I love the Moto-X helmet. It makes the whole SUMO experience that much better.

That's what I was hoping you would say!

Ultimately the best option is to have two helmets. A full-face and a moto-x.

I have both, but the full-face collects dust 95% of the time or more.

Oh yeah....I forgot the third problem with the moto-x.


Rain.

A full-face helmet is hands down a million times less painfull in the rain.

motokid wrote:

Ultimately the best option is to have two helmets. A full-face and a moto-x.

I have both, but the full-face collects dust 95% of the time or more.

Oh yeah....I forgot the third problem with the moto-x.


Rain.

A full-face helmet is hands down a million times less painfull in the rain.

I try to avoid rain at all costs, which can be VERY tricky in the uK!
I am turning into a pretty good meteorologist, as I check satellite, radar & weather forecasts from several sites before going to work! Slightest hint of rain, I take the car.........

I have a THOR and it's a GREAT lid. The venting and fit are as best as it gets. Although the Shoei's are about the same.

Here is a great price on that exact model (SVS4 - now replaced by the newer 'Force' versions which are about $400 (USD).

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Thor-SVR4-Blue-Helmet-Medium-/230313316009?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Apparel_Merchandise&hash=item359fbe4ea9

I'd buy this one but I'm fighting addiction (helmet whore).

I also have the 'White Star' version of the Suomy Spectre and it is also a very nice helmet. Immaculate finish and same ( at least equivalent) great fit and venting characteristics of the THOR.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-SUOMY-SPECTRE-MATTE-FLAT-BLUE-MEDIUM-MD-HELMET-/260600340081?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Apparel_Merchandise&hash=item3cacfd9e71

Both these helmets visors are fluted to reduce lifting. ...but at high speeds you're going to get what you get relative to speed.

I would highly recommend either of these lids.

Yeah, I looked at the Thor stuff. Its pretty pricey this side of the pond though. Sadly, I had a big 'moment' of style over substance ..... I'm not sure I can resist the HJC carbon lid, teamed up with some nice goggles which also happen to be UK/EU road legal, according to Ghostbikes customer services: http://www.ghostbikes.com/products/Off-Road-Gear-Motocross-Accessories/1406-ariete-terra-motocross-goggles.html
I think I'm getting closer to spending what's left of my credit card before it melts

UPDATE:
I just ordered this: http://www.getgeared.co.uk/STREETFIGHTER_Vented_Integral_Motorcycle_Helmet
Hopefully it will arrive by end of week. I thought about the MX lid, but the thought of rain & bugs & general lack of cash put me off.
Will do a review when I've done a thorough test maybe next week....

Road test results:
Lid is MUCH quieter than my Nitro NVX750. Ventilation is excellent - chin guard protrudes almost as far as MX style lid. Vision is good. Visor is smooth action (they even greased the hinge pivots!). Lid is very comfortable. Anti-fog very effective. It seems Streetfighter is a German brand, & pretty big over there. Build quality VERY good. Meets EU legal standards, but no mention of DOT approval, so not sure if its legal in US......
Oh, & 'Getgeared' turned around delivery really fast.
Recommended

Looks like I am too late to help, but I have the street version of that HJC helmet and love it for hot weather. You can check it out here http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/hjc/fs-15/

I think I am going to have to pick up that off road version too.

keith_mahoney wrote:

Looks like I am too late to help, but I have the street version of that HJC helmet and love it for hot weather. You can check it out here http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/hjc/fs-15/

I think I am going to have to pick up that off road version too.

Yeah, I did think about this, but the MX version was half price offer, & I couldn't afford/justify to the missus the expense of the street version
Anyhow, the 'Streetfighter' works pretty good - only complaint is its quite a chore to clean dead bugs/tree sap etc. from mat black finish....
Also, I just bought one of these: http://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/23959 leather on shoulders/arms, great ventilation & top quality armour, including back protector.
What do people think of kevlar jeans? Are they as good as textile or leather for street use? I have heard mixed messages about abrasion resistance. Thoughts??

Ran my new Shoei Hornet through the paces tonight.

There is a slight drawback I should pass along. If you do not like peaks and insist on removing them, the Shoei Hornet is not for you. With the peak off, goggles on and visor up, there is a LOUD whistling noise at 30 mph and up. By loud I mean ... high pitched, you have to be fu**ing kidding me, please make it stop ... loud. At 30 mph! Picture someone blowing a whistle in your ear.

So, with the peak off the Shoei DS does not function as true DS helmet. IMO with a true DS helmet you should be able to have goggles on and the visor up or down at will.

The good news is, this problem disappears completely with the peak on which raises the Q of catching wind.

The small peak catches no wind until you hit 65 mph then very very little to 75mph (5'11", laminar lip).

Of course if you turn your head you're gonna get tugged.

So with the peak on she's a keeper.

I ran a semi-street helmet for years and hated it for offroad as the visor was too short and the plastic shield was prone to scratch from the dust. I use a full MX helmet now for the street with either sun glases, goggles, or both (glasses inside goggles). A mirrored goggle lens may be better for me rather than the sun glasses. I like the MX helmet for street use much better. Its also more fun to look like some sort or rebel or fantasies about running the Dakar.

The new DS helmets seem neat and I'm interested, except I predict the same issue with scratching the shield.

motokid wrote:

The only time the visor becomes a wind problem is if/when you make the mistake of looking up.
Like if you see a big bird, or helicopter or something out of the ordinary.

A recent experience when a crow took off from a fence post.