Nolan N44 Italy Helmet

[docsimple]

 

 
 
Just broke the seal on my 2017 helmet. Its from 2016 I think but it's new to me
 
This is my second Nolan helmet and as I expected the quality really is top notch. Great paint job, comes pinlock ready AND with a pinlock shield. Incredible viewing angles, removable chin guard and amazing airflow (so I'm told, thats not tested yet). A few years ago I had one of the earlier versions sans the chin guard. The helmet was big and round and made me look like Marvin the Martian but oh sweet sassy molassy that was one comfortable helmet. I wore it through thousands of miles of nastiest, dirtiest, sweatiest mountain and desert runs. Finally I took it with me for 10 days on St Thomas were the funk smell reached epic proportions. I abandoned ship leaving my beloved Nolan for some poor sod to rent from the motorcycle guy. On a side note, if you can go to St Thomas, rent the motorcycle. Then go to St Johns on the ferry. Amazing.
 
I believe the older Nolan was an XL that wobbled a bit on my head. This is a L which is somewhat tight in spots. Eventually I will either squash some foam with a metal spoon or just wait till it shapes better from my noggin. With the chin guard off it fits a bit better but either way its a bit more egg and my big head is a bit more round.
 
It has a variety of setups you can run, including a sun visor which I will bring on my next summer trip and see if I use it. I had one of those dual sport helmets with the wind catch up top. Great for blocking sun, also great for catching your head at high speeds and whipping it around.
 
I went to a local stealership that also has a decent selection of lids. In speaking with the guy there I asked if they would price match. Of course the man said. Then I showed him the price I found online. His response? "I don't know how they do that. It's $16 less than the dealer price" he pointed to his screen. "You should buy that!" So i did, and here we are. For $223 and some silver I got this one of Jet.com. As always its a risky proposition buying something that has sizes online. As I had some experience with Nolan I purchased with mostly confidence. YMMV.
 
As a piece of quality kit, I highly recommend Nolan. I personally feel that the quality is right up there with Shoei or Arai. In comparing with friends (I'm to cheap to buy one) I could definitely tell their lids were better than my Scorpions (which are some really decent helmets for the price) but really comparable with the Nolan - again this is to my eye. There may be stuff I know nothing about, like Jon Snow, but I do know quite a bit about plastic. You see, I am a Masters degree polymer chemist. And I would generally assess the non-plastic percentage of almost any helmet at <5%. At a certain point manufacturing processes just don't get any better. Only hand craftmanship and raw materials make any difference. This is a polycarbonate shell built to DOT standards (can't find ECE on the shell but online specs say it is **edit: they make 2 different shells for ECE and DOT**) and that really is that. Either it conforms to a safety standard or it doesn't. I'm not trying to compare this to carbon fiber, that's a beast of a different stripe.
 
But all this aside, the real reason I went back to Nolan is the amazing field of view. I just had some c-spine surgery (went great!) and I still have 2-3 months before I can ride again. This badboy means head checks are just that much easier. My most recent helmet was a Scorpion EXO-R2000. A well built, pretty quiet helmet. A road helmet for sure, designed for laying over the tank with a tight shield limiting your fov. I knew I was going to need something else, especially since I try to get a new helmet every year so I'm excited for another season or two in this Nolan.
 
Putting the helmet back in the box was painful. Knowing it will still be fresh and new around the end of April / beginning of May when I can go riding helps a bit.
 
 

[shadowhawk]

I love my Nolan N44. Being able to reconfigure it in so many ways makes it totally worth it.

[betoney]

I believe the older Nolan was an XL that wobbled a bit on my head. This is a L which is somewhat tight in spots. Eventually I will either squash some foam with a metal spoon or just wait till it shapes better from my noggin. With the chin guard off it fits a bit better but either way its a bit more egg and my big head is a bit more round.
 

That looks like a great helmet but I am dying to know, other than getting it at a great price, why buy a helmet that doesn't fit right?  The old one was too big and wobbly, the new one is too tight in spots and made for an egg shaped head when you have a round one...  I dont get it, different manufacturers cater to different shaped heads, get one that fits correctly. I too originally bought a Scorpion because the price was right, but always ended up with a bright red spot on my forehead because I have a longer oval shaped head.  A few years later I bought a Shoei GT Air and it fits like a glove.  Of course it was much more expensive than the Scorpion, but you cant put a price limit on all-day comfort.
 

[docsimple]

piotrek - because I can But seriously, I ride on long trips in all weather conditions and they tend to get funky. I just like a clean new helmet. Plus with all the cmaping and off-roading it gets dropped. I could be extra careful but it happens. So between the two issues I feel lik a new lid is worth it.
 
betoney - My head is in the middle. Most hemlmets are not quite right for me. But I'm willing to work it in to get the functionality of this helmet. I had Scorpions that fit exactyly, but it's time for a new helmet and I want the fishbowl viewport.