Helmet's been nicked... Recommend a new one?

[Snorty]

Not been a good weekend for my biking experience! Exhausts fell off, speedo cable broke, new exhausts failed to arrive, and now my helmet's been nicked!!!

I had a Chris Walker replica Arai Quantum, so it was fluorescent orange and green, which I quite liked, I'd wager it saved me from a few SMIDSYs in my 2 years of having it!

My budget for a new one is pretty low, what would you guys recommend as a replacement? For wind noise, protection, etc?

[mivster]

airoh mattisse triple flip front
just over £100
very good lid for the money
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"I'd rather be riding my motorcycle thinking about God than sitting in church thinking about my motorcycle."

[rac3r]

For lower price range I would say Marushin (5 star rating) or a little more and go for a Shoei XR1100
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Bikes : 2006 CBR125R - 2004 Monster 620ie - 2004 ZX-6R B1H - 2005 Monster S2R 800 - 2011 Street Triple - 2009 Streetfighter 1098 - 2014 ZX-6R 636

[AmirasDaddy]

viper rsv 99 from ebay built in bluetooth which is great for 52 quid and thats including special delivey...

[potato]

How did your helmet get nicked?
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OOOooosshh!

[Teflon-Mike]

Just bought an "Arashi" Classic open face.... £35... how 'cheap' do you want?

Have to say; it's worth it JUST to have on the shelf, 'just in case' (some fucker nicks y'hat!), and at that price, you cant really go wrong.

I actually like open face hats; I like the wind in my face, and not having to take it off all the time! And I HAD to buy one in 1995 when the ACU finally insisted you HAD to wear a lid in trials! But that one is a bit long in the tooth now, so this was its replacement, mainly for when I have the old Air-cooled DT on the road, and it will look 'period' to the bike.

You have to appreciate an open face hat, and accept the fact they dont offer the protection of a full face, or the convenience of visor... BUT...... £35 if it gets you to work and back without getting tugged.... cheaper than the fine.....

AND if you haven't ridden open face, worth it JUST to give it a try.... you might like it!

Personally, tested to just over 60 in Snowie's Pup, I found it comfy enough and stable enough, (open face can get a bit buffety with the peak) and not overly loud. Also surprised (as well as vexed when I came to take it off) by it having seat belt buckle! (That was a novelty on my Shoei twenty years ago!... Spent ages faffing trying to unloop the Double-D that it didn't have!)

So; for super-cheap, 'spare' and suck it and see... worth a thought or three.

On to Full-Face lids: Snowir has been dragging me about the local shops hat fitting for some weeks; Shoeis look good, but still over priced, though not as bad as they were, ditto Arai's, and the competition isn't as far behind them any more.

Only maker to really impress me was Sharke....

I sold these when they were first launched, nie on twenty years ago; they were very light, but not briliantly made, but they were well priced. At the time AGV were getting there act together and succeeding, and it was a £140 AGV that tempted me out of my Shoei for the first time!

But; contemprary Sharkes seem much better made and seem to be pushing the boundires of design; but they are less well priced than they were, and NOT as briliantly made as I would expect for the cost.

HOWEVER..... did buy one.... well actually Snowie bought TWO, both Evolines....... one for her, one for me, but in different designs!

I cant comment on noise or stability yet, she says I have to wait until my Birthday.......

What I can say is that compared to most modern helmets its EFFOF heavy..... not compared to my old Shoei, which WAS a very light helmet..... but back when pipes were still made of lead!

And its a 'flip' face, BUT only one currently approved that you can ride with it in either open of full face possitions....

This was the 'clincher' apart from the fact it was a very nice fit.

In recent years I have, more and more often, been reaching for the open face rather than the full face... this is the best of both worlds for me.

And even though flips were popular with my fellow instructors when I was instructing, I didn't see the point in a flip you couldn't 'ride' open.... and simply wore open, and saved myself some hassle!

Only thing about the Evoline, with the helmet 'open' the chin-piece rotates around the back of the hat, and already heavy, it is then noticeably 'back' heavy.... and a 'bit wiered'..... Snowie is still getting used to it.

I will, I suppose, when she gives me mine!

Spec wise, apart from legal 'duel' flip modes; has some neat high end features, like removeable lining; also pre-recessed for intercom, & Sharke do a pre-wired 'pop-in' blu-tooth accessory headset for it. Has top and chin piece venting.... that doesn't seem too wonderful, but then you can open the whole front if you want more air, I suppose! Has flip down tinted inner visor, I think is a bit gimicky and awkard to operate, and will probably not use; but 'posey' none the less. Visor itself has the tang to open it on the top, and NOT where you expect it, but something elce to get used to.....

Priced at £290 in the shops..... I thought it was 'good' but not THAT good..... Snowie found them on the net for £190, and at that price I thought 'yes' worth it!

But, as I haven't ACTUALLY been allowed to wear mine other than in the shop and living room to check it fitted when it arrived, cant really say more. Snowie's worn hers, but on L-Plates she doesn't go that far, or that fast, and is still getting used to it...... and she has a perversity in never using her visor anyway......
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[potato]

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OOOooosshh!