recommended long distance riding helmet??

[jrubicon]

Finally got me a new Tracer GT, been looking at this bike for a year. i dont want to use my Bell qualifier, SOOOO noisy for long freeway rides.

 

Any suggestions on a decent under 250 helmet not too noisy, and good winshield seal?  my bell leaks so much air, my eyes get dried all the time, lol i need a good change.

 

also if your in the bay area, CA, hmu dudes

Edited May 23, 2019 by jrubicon
mispel

[cspradlin]

Others with more riding time might have some real-life experience that's relevant, but all of the reviews I've seen tend to have relatively quiet helmets as at least a step up in the price brackets.

I just picked up an HJC RPHA 70 ST, and it's night-and-day compared to the AGV K3 SV I've been using.  A wee bit warmer (still working on a good wind-to-noise ratio for where to leave the windshield, so maybe not the best airflow to the vents), but worlds quieter, even without the chin curtain in.  It's above the price bracket, but I think it'd be worth it to save up a wee bit and get a great helmet rather than get an okay helmet now.

[betoney]

24 minutes ago, jrubicon said:

Finally got me a new Tracer GT, been looking at this bike for a year. i dont want to use my Bell qualifier, SOOOO noisy for long freeway rides.

 

Any suggestions on a decent under 250 helmet not too noisy, and good winshield seal?  my bell leaks so much air, my eyes get dried all the time, lol i need a good change.

 

also if your in the bay area, CA, hmu dudes

I get what you are asking about the helmet BUT...  I look at a helmet purchase completely differently than wanting something under a certain dollar amount. 

The first thing to determine when buying a helmet is your head shape and see what manufacturer caters to that head shape.  I have tried a few different helmets and not all of them work for me and my head shape, a long oval head does not fit an intermediate round helmet comfortably.

For my head shape, Shoei GT-Air fits me the best and provides all day comfort.  Its an expensive helmet but my life (and comfort) depends on it and comfort is priceless. 

If you have a Cycle Gear near you, they will measure your head and recommend something based on your head shape.

[keithu]

Even with a given manufacturer, you need to try on the specific model before you buy. I wore Shoei RF-series full face helmets for 15 years, but when I switched to a modular helmet I found the Shoeis didn't work at all.

Also ignore the "how much is your head worth" crowd. It's not necessary to spend $700 for a decent helmet. If it meets modern safety standards and feels good on your head, that's what matters.

[Cruizin]

2 hours ago, jrubicon said:

Finally got me a new Tracer GT, been looking at this bike for a year. i dont want to use my Bell qualifier, SOOOO noisy for long freeway rides.

 

Any suggestions on a decent under 250 helmet not too noisy, and good winshield seal?  my bell leaks so much air, my eyes get dried all the time, lol i need a good change.

 

also if your in the bay area, CA, hmu dudes

Man, Schuberth makes the best, most comfortable and quietest helmets known to man. they are also among the best protective helmets made. When on a long trip, comfort and quiet are so key to a good trip. 

Here are all the Schuberth helmets at Revzilla. Easy returns..

Shop Schuberth Helmets - RevZilla

---

Schuberth Helmets - Free Shipping, No Hassle Returns and the Lowest...

 

I actually own and love the C4 Pro, but all of their helmets are a cut above everyone else's.

Schuberth C4 Pro Fragment Helmet

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The Schuberth C4 Pro brings an improved inner liner and reworked shell...

 

[wordsmith]

1 hour ago, betoney said:

I get what you are asking about the helmet BUT...  I look at a helmet purchase completely differently than wanting something under a certain dollar amount. 

The first thing to determine when buying a helmet is your head shape and see what manufacturer caters to that head shape.  I have tried a few different helmets and not all of them work for me and my head shape, a long oval head does not fit an intermediate round helmet comfortably.

For my head shape, Shoei GT-Air fits me the best and provides all day comfort.  Its an expensive helmet but my life (and comfort) depends on it and comfort is priceless. 

If you have a Cycle Gear near you, they will measure your head and recommend something based on your head shape.

No helmet alone is as quiet as the same one plus decent-quality (preferably custom) earplugs.  The difference is night and day - or chalk and cheese if you prefer! 

[Cruizin]

15 minutes ago, wordsmith said:

No helmet alone is as quiet as the same one plus decent-quality (preferably custom) earplugs.  The difference is night and day - or chalk and cheese if you prefer! 

I don't like wearing earplugs on a bike. I like to hear the approaching car behind or beside me, it is part of what my brain uses to calculate whats happening around me. 

My Schuberth helmets are quieter than any other helmet Iv'e owned but still give me the noise of other cars and such.  Earplugs drown out too much. 

[jrubicon]

thanks guys, agree i dotn want to wear ear plugs, that makes it unsafe. my qualifier Bell is just too low end, ive had it for years, and the windhield was never a seal, always leaked air.

i invested on this bike for long trips, jus need to invest in a proven helmet.

adventure helmets ?

[wordsmith]

34 minutes ago, Cruizin said:

  Earplugs drown out too much. 

That's not at all my experience over very many years, but YMMV - and in this case obviously does!

[micah2074]

19 hours ago, Cruizin said:

Man, Schuberth makes the best, most comfortable and quietest helmets known to man. they are also among the best protective helmets made. When on a long trip, comfort and quiet are so key to a good trip. 

Here are all the Schuberth helmets at Revzilla. Easy returns..

Shop Schuberth Helmets - RevZilla

---

Schuberth Helmets - Free Shipping, No Hassle Returns...

 

I actually own and love the C4 Pro, but all of their helmets are a cut above everyone else's.

Schuberth C4 Pro Fragment Helmet

---

The Schuberth C4 Pro brings an improved inner liner...

 

I have a schuberth. It's well made, comfortable and quiet. It's also very hot. 

[whitecrow]

I just stepped up from a cheapo Joe Rocket helmet to a Bell Star DLX. Huge difference in wind noise,I don’t need the ear plugs anymore and I can hear my Sena now. The DLX part of the helmet signifies that it comes with a transition shield in the box and it’s amazing, no more carrying  two shields. The shield is very thick and doesn’t bend or distort at speed and seals very tightly against the helmet. The helmet was $549 but that included the transition shield, the regular Bell Star is $499 so your saving a  $100 right off the bat as the bell shield is $150 separately. The Shoei rf1200 transition shield is $200 on top of the helmet. The negatives are it doesn’t vent as well as my old cheapo does but that’s just because air was coming in from everywhere my eyes would constantly being tearing up from the wind. The face shield on the Bell is either open all the way or closed there’s no in between unless you don’t snap it closed but then it’s just noisy. Anyways hope this helps. 

Edited May 24, 2019 by whitecrow

[WindsorPhil]

Schberth C4 or a Shoei NeoTech

 

[okietgtrider]

Recently purchased a Nolan N100-5. After a couple day long rides I'm liking this helmet. Seems well built, some nice features like the built in sun visor. Fit and finish is nice and it is reasonably quiet. 

[proast]

On 5/25/2019 at 12:08 PM, okietgtrider said:

Recently purchased a Nolan N100-5. After a couple day long rides I'm liking this helmet. Seems well built, some nice features like the built in sun visor. Fit and finish is nice and it is reasonably quiet. 

I had the N87 and enjoyed it but upgraded to the modular N100.5 6 months ago. Have done 20k km in it and love it. The thicker cheek padding, the vastly improved chin wind deflector and especially the draw string neck roll which keeps both the cold and the wind noise out.. without earplugs it’s quiet unless you are riding with the visor up at around 90-100km/h where it has a slight whistle sound. I choose to ride with Alpine Motosafe ear plugs almost all of the time. They allow all the important sounds in and just cut the dB irritating sounds. The Nolan N-Com System transferred easily over from the N87 (made by Sena I believe) and it’s low profile controller tucks into a removable blanking panel so there it doesn’t stick out awkwardly like so many others I see. The helmet itself has been super comfortable on multi day (3-4  days) of 500-600km/day rides and the ability to easily open the chin guard/face and flip up with one hand on the go allows fresh air to flow.... I’m sure the Shoei Neotec II is also a great helmet and perhaps the pinnacle for many riders, however at 40%-50% more expensive, the Nolan reaffirms itself as outstanding on all measures.

[nevada72]

On 5/22/2019 at 10:47 PM, wordsmith said:

No helmet alone is as quiet as the same one plus decent-quality (preferably custom) earplugs.  The difference is night and day - or chalk and cheese if you prefer! 

Great info. I'm going to give that a try.

I managed to find the GT Air for $325 at Motorcycle Closeouts. I didn't want the new GT Air2 because you can't close the back vents, which doesn't make sense to me. Anyway, I got the GT Air and love it. Oh, and the date code was fine. Manufactured 8/2017 so it works for the 5 year lifespan and 7 years from date of manufacture. 

Edited July 7, 2019 by nevada72