I've got a new Profile Force in blue(natch).Very light.Very comfy.Good aerodynamics-quiet.Feels very safe.Never tried any others,but probably any top end helmet like Shoei's or others in that class are just as good.Always had Arai's.I won't be changing out any time soon.Ride safe all!!

Shoei X-11 (best helmet i have ever owned) as everyone else has says great fit, great ventilation, a little noisy with all the vents open, but with that much air pumping thru, sure you are going to hear it, the shield release is one of the easiest to manipulate, and the shield seals very well when closed. Also the shield ratchets in 8 different positions and stays where you put it..
The X-11 is very light and at high-speeds does not have the lift that alot of other helmets have, I guess the little spoiler really works!!

X-11 a little more expensive, but worth every penny...

I have owned Bell,HJC ,Icon, Gmax, and Harley Davidson helmets, and while they all had some fine attributes, the Shoei has had the total package..

So does that mean if you find a $150 lid that fits, it's as good as a $700 one (that might fit just as well)? Open face vs. full? Flip up vs. solid? Personally, I think there is more to a "good helmet" than fit. I've worn Shoei, Shark, HJC and others and all have seemed to fit me well and have been comfortable enough to ride with. Arai doesn't fit me well, so yes - I discount them based on fit alone.

Overall, I'm more interested in best comfort, low noise, ventilation, safety (of course) and quality. If more than one different make fit, then there has to be more factors to help me decide. Price comes into it too, but when it comes to my brains...I'm not taking any unnecessary risks!

So right, AussieNinja.
Fit is only the beginning. I agree with 100% of your post.

Hey aussie hows things where u from Im in bris I tried almost every brand and size I.e m,l excetra and found was a large in some and med in others I settled for the carbonfibre hjc hc12 vader it was best fit still 800 bucks and offers similar protection to the rest It is a personal thing as u have to wear it every day and feel comfortable. cyu mate

I really like the arai's. cause they fit my head well. the x-11 needed new cheek pads to fit my head. all in all the X-11 with new cheek pads and a smoke windscreen was still $100 bucks cheaper and offered better venting. needless to say I now own a vermulin X-11.

Hey aussie hows things where u from Im in bris

G'day Stimo - I'm living in Inala on the South/West side at the moment. Where are you located? Just got my '09 delivered two days ago - great timing with all this rain eh? Got to give it a good blast this morning though...finally!

hey Aussie hows things I live river hills not far from u yeah I went for a blast myself this arvo for the rain had stopped. Stay in touch if u like always going for a blast somewhere and am also on bris riders club forum check it out. I look after cricket fields at cj greenfields on freeman road during cricket season as well get back to me cheers mate.If you need help wit hgear etc let me know have some contacts.

I was out riding today and thought about this post and about passing this along
The Shoei also has another cool feature that works great, and it is the shield lock. If you flip this up then it will lock the shield closed, but if you flip it the other way it will open the shield just enough to allow it to defog real kwik or give that x-tra bit of ventilation on those hot days. When this is flipped, it will not let hte shield blow closed at speed and gives just enogh air that it doesn't cut your eyes out at speed..

This is on the X-11, the RF1000 and I think it is also on the TZR(not sure about the TZR). But it should be a feature on every full-face helmet..IMO

This is on the X-11, the RF1000 and I think it is also on the TZR(not sure about the TZR).

Yes it's on the TZR, too.
My old Shoei's have the same tab, but it only cracks the shield open. It doesn't lock the shield closed. I didn't know about that feature, on my x-11, until I saw the vid I posted earlier.

My Scorpion Exo 1000 has the same feature.

after watching all those reviews on the shark and the scorpion i'll try one of those next. the shark just looks god awful to me though

jeff, how quiet is the exo 1000? i really like the gloss black

* Last updated by: reevesmreeves on 5/23/2009 @ 6:06 AM *

my only other helmets have been HJC's and it is MUCH quieter than them, I had it to 160 last night and with all but the chin vent open it wasn't bad. Not sure compared to Arai's or Shoei's but I'm extremely pleased with it, it is smooth at speed and the vents work. I rode a total of 350 miles yesterday with no ear plugs and didn't have a headache.

thanks jeff. if anybody comes across a steal on a gloss black exo 1000, let a brotha know

I tried on every top brand of helmet there was, in the end the best by far was a bargain bin KBC that fit me so perfectly I did a fist pump in the air. Apparently I have an enormous moon shaped head, tough to match. It is nice and light, great visor mechanism and very quiet with the excellent chin cover.

Whatever you end up buying, here are some tips:

- In the store, try it on and if you like it, walk around the store for 15-20 minutes to make sure there are no extreme tight points you may not notice but will give you a serious migraine.

- Some spots, especially around the temples, can be 'fixed'. If you find you are getting a sore spot or a headache and you know where it is, being careful and using extreme pressure with your thumbs can 'shape' the foam in a certain spot. Aternatively you can remove the cover and do some mild shaving - this is for experts only.

- When new, a helmet should almost be uncomfortably tight - but uniform. Bring some gum - you should be able to chew the gum, but it should be so tight that you have to be extremely careful not to bite your cheeks while doing so. Remember, the foam will very slightly 'pack in' after you wear it for a while, especially around your jaw.

- Under no circumstances should the helmet 'wobble' on your head in any way. It should be completely, %100 tight without being painful. Depending on the shape of your head, this can be tricky to achieve.

- Some helmet models can be outfitted with different inserts depending on what shape of head you have (they have this down to a science) but it may be tough to find the right kind to try on.

- Don't order a helmet online unless you are %110 sure that it will fit properly. Just DON'T DO IT. Even the same exact brand and model will be different from year to year.

- There is no reason to pay through the nose for a helmet. I paid just over $300 for mine and it is gorgeous, light, and looks awesome. Yeah, it isn't an Aria or Shoei with $1000 of graphics on it - but it looks just as good and protects my head just as good too.

- Modular helmets (flip up) are mostly crap, unless you pay a LOT of money they will be heavy, noisy, and the hinge mechanisms will make you angry in short order. Unless you are a hardliner iron-butt rider who needs to eat on the road, stay away from them unless they REALLY turn your crank.

- Some people find they get headaches and neck problems from the weight of a helmet, especially if you are putting 500+ miles on a day. I am quite happy with the weight of mine and it feels nice and solid - I tried on some of the high end carbon fibre models and yes, you can definitely feel the weight difference, but... It certainly wasn't so much of a difference that I was willing to pony up the ridiculous cash.

- Pay attention to how the visor works. It can make or break a helmet. Most are pretty good, mine works awesome and I can pop the visor off to change it on the fly without tools quite nicely. One thing to always keep in mind - if your visor breaks for any reason out on the road, YOU ARE PROPER FUX0RED. For this reason alone (because it happened to me) I *always* carry a set of amber safety glasses - without a working visor and without glasses it is impossible to ride at night. Ever take a bee to the eye at 75mph without seeing it coming? And yeah - you have sunglasses. Are they going to let you see that deer leaping in front of you when you get caught out in the dark?

- Finally, a note on noise. Some helmets are very noisy, some are quiet, guess what - IT DOESN'T MATTER. WEAR %100 HEARING PROTECTION AT ALL TIMES IN THE FORM OF DISPOSABLE FOAMIES INSERTED %100 EVERY TIME or get those specially moulded ones that everyone secretly gobs on to plop them in there. I can't stress this enough - the wind noise (and exhaust) of a bike is a deceptively loud roar that kills your hearing unless you stop it. It also tires you out BIG TIME on long road trips. WEAR HEARING PROTECTION ALWAYS. Hearing damage is irreversible and cumulative - PERIOD.

* Last updated by: kaibosh on 5/25/2009 @ 2:06 AM *

Arai RX-7 corsair is an excellent helmet, louder than I like but excellent ventalation for hot humid climates.
Also bounced off a palm tree and had full frontal compaction according to the fine folks at Arai, I had slight concussion but can still type letters and that as things such. bought a second one.

Would that be the "moon over my hammy" Kaibosh?Just kidding-good write up.I've got the "sliver"head(guess that would be "bad moon rising" type)-only an Arai Profile will fit fit my pointy head!!!!(yes,it's an awesome helmet-and it's got all the visor locks and stuff also).

* Last updated by: blue07 on 5/26/2009 @ 11:53 AM *

Just picked up the HJC IS 16 that uses the sun shade. Cool feature when you need the darker shield, it's there, just flip down the button and you got a sun visor. Also, the inside of the clear shield is treated with a anti fogging agent that works real good.

It has good ventilation but a bit noisier than my Shoei TZR.

Check out the video from Helmet Harbor below.

http://www.helmetharbor.com/Products/ProductDetails.cfm/Search/Results/ProductID/477615#Video

Very good pricing at http://www.newenough.com

* Last updated by: extrapilot on 5/26/2009 @ 3:49 PM *

Shark RS2R

Shark RS2R

Any feedback on the RSR2?

I tried one on today in a dealership - I felt better with an XL whereas normally I'm an L in most brands? Do you take the same size in a Shark as, say, a Shoei?

Check out jay's video on helmet fitting.

helmets

* Last updated by: extrapilot on 5/29/2009 @ 5:43 AM *

Check out jay's video on helmet fitting.

Great video!

Bike Bandit has a close-out sale on the X-11 and A quantum2 today, a few others also...

http://www.bikebandit.com/product/9578?WT.mc_id=1521133

http://www.bikebandit.com/product/10570?WT.mc_id=1521138

* Last updated by: 1minerman on 5/29/2009 @ 9:31 PM *

There is a few of you that said you have the Scorpion EXO-1000. I've got one and am not overly impressed. 1 year+ and the air pump cheek pad is crappin' out on me. Have any of you had that problem? As far as I can tell, that's not a replacable piece.

My next lid is gonna be an Arai - or a Shoei. Buddy of mine dumped his bike and had a Shoei - I'm a believer!

I like my exo1000 but, i don't use the pump very much, just when I'm gonna do 120+.

I also have a Shark RSR2 and like it very much. I used Shoei helmets for over 30 years, since well before helmets were mandatory anywhere but a racetrack.