What's the more common type of helmet?

What do you guys typically wear, helmet-wise, when street riding?

I'm thinking that a MX style helmet with the visor would catch a lot of wind and strain your neck at highway speeds? Is this even an issue, or am I overthinking things?

It depends on whether or not you keep your head angled downward so the visor won't catch the wind to begin with, and probably starts with what your view of what is and is not acceptable.

I've used motocross helmets on lots of dual-purpose bikes for upteen miles without trouble.

I also use an MX style helmet. It works great for back roads, city and whatnot. However once on the freeway you really notice how un-earodynamic it is. At speeds over 70 mph mine gets pretty loud and buffets quite a bit. The strain on the neck is not too bad if you keep facing forward at the correct angle. If anything I would say noise is a bigger issue. When on the autobahn I keep the bike pinned to 75 mph for some very long stretches and it does get a tad uncomfortable, but totally liveable! Done several trips where I spent 500 km at 75 mph so it is manageable


So it totally depends on the type of riding you do. Under 70 mph, there's no real problem with an MX style helmet, and even over 75 mph it's acceptable.

If you get the chance to try the helmets before buying it, give it a quick ride over 70 to check the noise level. That would be my main concern

I am currently wearing a Fly Trekker dualsport helmet. Very little lift or buffeting due to the visor. The design lets a lot of air flow through the visor to prevent lift. The shield is nice but I can also wear goggles if I chose. It's a nice helmet.

mx helmets are noisy and get a lot of air to your face. Ok on the hottest summer days with some ear plugs in. A nice tight fitting street helmet can be quiet enough on its own though at speeds under 65 to not need ear plugs. I own 2 of each kind. Im usually in my snuggest fitting best insulated street helmet because i hate ear plugs. I havent worn my dirt helmet since last summer. Ive ben wearing my street helmet off road too. its not fashionable but visor up is great when no one is in front kicking up dust (i wear glasses so not as worried about bugs etc...).

That's why a dual sport style helmet is so great, it's a cross between the two. I am partially deaf so I wear ear plus regardless of helmet type because I can't afford to lose what little hearing I have. But even with street helmets you should be wearing ear plugs, don't kid yourself into thinking because they are "closed in" you don't need hearing protection.

I just never got used to the goggles...gotta a new decent set, and they just didn't work out after a few tries.
I'm definitely prefering the safety glasses/visor combo...though I'm hard on visors it seems.
Ditto on the Fly Trekker, after a couple weeks, I still like it, despite some minor quirks...the price was right and is a decent helmet.

M/X helmet and goggle are GREAT.

I never wear anything but anymore.

The visor only catches air if you look up at a plane or bird or something. Why would you do that?????


I have tinted goggles and clear goggles. Easy to change depending on night or day. Take up less room than a molded shield.


I absolutely love love love the m/x and goggles.

It just feels right.

You're on a dirt bike with street tires.


HOOLIGAN!!!!!!!!!!

I use a street helmet for street & highway rides. Very quiet & less wind drag.

I would only consider using a full-face helmet if I was going to be super-slabbing it for hours on end, or the weather forecast was for heavy rain and I had to ride bike somewhere.

Rain sucks in an M/X helmet.


But I've spent hours on end on a long supermoto ride chasing KTM's and Husky's at elevated speeds in an M/X helmet and never had an issue.

It's up to each rider to decide.

The M/X helmet and visor is not an issue.
Personal preference.

In cold weather, I love my old gmax dual sport, with chin, and nose pieces, double layered shield...heh, maybe it was a sleddin helmet.
My new trekker seams much breazier...better for the summer I hope.

I use my snowmobile helmet now but I am thinking of upgrading. My old Zox is DOT approved, but it's not a premium helmet by far. And when using it on a bike, the wind noise is just too loud and it might not give me the protection I need (but how do you test that?)
I personally prefer a modular helmets. It might not fit the Dual Sport scene but I don't really care. My next purchase could be one of these:



Just have to find some $ and a store that actually sells them in my neck of the woods. I prefer test fitting it first so buying it online is not a good idea. And we get shafted if I order it in the US.

I have a dualsport helmet. I can't stand the goggles. When I am on the trails, the visor is up. I have safety sun glasses on all the time whether on the road or trail, visor up or down. I've had no problems with head shake or pull or whatever. The helmet is a little noisy on the road. It is an Arai XD-3.

Delta_T wrote:

I use my snowmobile helmet now but I am thinking of upgrading. My old Zox is DOT approved, but it's not a premium helmet by far. And when using it on a bike, the wind noise is just too loud and it might not give me the protection I need (but how do you test that?)
I personally prefer a modular helmets. It might not fit the Dual Sport scene but I don't really care. My next purchase could be one of these:
Just have to find some $ and a store that actually sells them in my neck of the woods. I prefer test fitting it first so buying it online is not a good idea. And we get shafted if I order it in the US.

I would discourage from a modular helmet. When you lift up the nose you have a noticeable amount of weight up front and it tries to nudge the helmet forward. plus it's useless at anything but city speeds (again if open it catches a lot of wind)

This is just the experience I've had with one. Maybe there are some that are quite good and have a light front end (this was the biggest issue for me), but then I'd think you have to cash out extra dough.

I know what you mean, they are bulkier. But the one I have now is a modular and it doesn't seem to bother me much.

The best thing to do is just try them out and get a feel. An alternative could be a Shoei Hornet-DS

I use a fox V1 MX helmet for 90% of my riding these days. The visor is great for keeping my face from getting sunburn and the extra airflow is nearly a requirement in Houston. The visor only bothers me after an hour plus @ 80mph or better. Since I normally take back roads and cruise at 60-65 it's a rare day that I wish it weren't there.

I do have an Arai Profile that is used in the colder weather, long highway rides, and in the rain.

D28NY wrote:

What do you guys typically wear, helmet-wise, when street riding?

I'm thinking that a MX style helmet with the visor would catch a lot of wind and strain your neck at highway speeds? Is this even an issue, or am I overthinking things?

This is spot on. I have about 10 or so lids,MX,Street full face/open and sled.For street only its full face,dual sport/off road is MX type. Short track is full face street. Cold weather is sled with heated double shield.

I have all 3 styles of helmet. When I bought the bike, I thought there was no way I'd wear a normal full face street helmet. Then I went on the highway and changed my mind. Thought the dual sport style (Icon Variant) would be better, slight imrovement but still not great.

So now if I am intending on just going off road at 80km/h or less, I take my dirt helmet and goggles. If it's going to be a mix of short highway and off road, it's the Variant. Any extended highway riding, no matter what I plan to do when I get where I'm going, I take the street lid. If I were to only own one, it would be the street helmet. I'd rather be able to use the others 2 all the time, but they make highway riding unenjoyable. On a calm day, or riding with the wind they are ok. Head wind is hard on the neck, and cross winds make me feel like I should be watching ping pong.

I just wear a street helmet on the street..... I did try a dirt helmet, but yeah, too much wind noise.

It's raining today so I wore my Arai street lid for the first time in probably 1K miles. The exhaust is considerably louder with the street helmet than my mx helmet, like it's resonating inside of it...

The wind noise is lower, but I'd rather have wind noise than the deafening exhaust sounds I "enjoyed" on my commute this morning.

Wow, lots of great info. Thanks, guys.

I really like the look of that Shoei Hornet DS helmet. Looks like a perfect mix.


I guess now I have to take a trip to a local shop that stocks lids and try a bunch on.

Shoei Qwest and DS Hornet here. Depends on the type of riding. For a lot of highway and commuting, I use the Qwest as it's pretty aerodynamic and meant still for an upright riding position. For trail riding and hooligan antics, I go with the hornet. My MX I save for the desert.

I have three helmets, full face street for long rides or just going to work. An MX helmet for when I go on trail rides and an icon dual sport helmet for when I really don't know what I'm going to do, works well on my other bikes too.