Modular Helmet Suggestions

[kidsmoke]

Looking for suggestions and testimonials on affordable modular helmets. My Bell Revolution Evo served me well in my recent mishap but needs to be replaced. I like that helmet a lot, but man, it was loud.

What that showed me is that you don't HAVE to spend a mint to get a decent helmet. I'm sure the high end Shoei, Schuberth, Arai etc are great, but I'd like to keep it on the more affordable side.

Suggestions?

[bad Chad]

I too like modular helmets, they offer a lot of convince thats easy to get used to.  But must they all be so dam loud?  My last two have been Nolans, and I'm pretty pleased with them, but for excessive wind noise.   

[kidsmoke]

Nolan N91 looks decent. not crazy expensive.

[jackson]

Several months ago, you could find the Schuberth C3 at a closeout price of $319-$329 (including free shipping).  I bought mine from Bob's BMW internet site.  The color choices were limited but color wasn't important to me and I bought a matt black one and put some reflective yellow graphics on the sides and rear.  I just checked Bob's and they only have XXL in one color and XXXL in another color so I don't don't if you can still find one.  The C3 is the quietest helmet that I've ever owned. (and I've had a lot of them).  I still use my Aria Profile from time to time but it's not nearly as quiet as the Schubert and it doesn't have the flip up shield.  If you can find a C3 in your size, they're a bargain at this price and they include a pinlock shield in the box, directly from the factory.

[Cool Runnings]

Looking for suggestions and testimonials on affordable modular helmets. My Bell Revolution Evo served me well in my recent mishap but needs to be replaced. I like that helmet a lot, but man, it was loud.

What that showed me is that you don't HAVE to spend a mint to get a decent helmet. I'm sure the high end Shoei, Schuberth, Arai etc are great, but I'd like to keep it on the more affordable side.

Suggestions?

The cure for LOUD helmets are tall windshields. 

[lost]

For low cost decent Modular helmets look at LS2 or Vega.

[kidsmoke]

Schuberth C3 pro vs basic.

Other than $400, what's the difference?

[bigbikerrick]

Vega came out with anew one called the stealth vertice that I have been happy with I use it on my gold wing with the headsets, and its not too loud, but the wing has a pretty big windshield....   I picked mine up for about $160.
Rick.

[boatdetective]

What's your noggin worth? You were just in an accident where you hit your helmet, for God's sake.  If you want a modular helmet that's quiet, secure, and vents well....then you'll have to spend some dough. It doesn't take too much imagination to see that the hinge and latch mechanism must involve some pretty careful engineering. There has to be a price for that.  Personally, I'm not willing to leave that up to budget, chinese manufacture.

If you want budget and some security, you can get by with a cheaper full face. However, I wouldn't do it with a modular. I rented a bike out West this past year and they gave us HJC 16s. A well rated helmet safety wise. However, it was LOUD. My Shoei is way, way quieter. Helmets are one of those things where, if you spend the extra money up front- it hurts. However, you forget about that expense after you start using it and appreciate that you spent the money on some quality gear.

[boatdetective]

Schuberth C3 pro vs basic.

Other than $400, what's the difference?

BTW- make sure that it's going to fit. My head fits my Shoei TZR and a Shoei 1100/1200 perfectly- but does NOT fit the Schuberth     I'm also one of those folks whose head just does not fit an Arai. I know that some manufacturers like Arai now offer several lines of helmets for different shaped heads.

You might find webbikeworld  http://www.webbikeworld.com/  a helpful resource in the fit department.

[thepittsburghguzzi]

I wear a Sedici Sistema modular. $200 at Cycle Gear, ECE safety rated, fiberglass construction, drop-down sunshades inside, and anti-fog lens. It's solid. Not the quietest at speed, but no modular is going to be nearly as quiet (or as light) as a comparable full-face.

[bad Chad]

The cure for LOUD helmets are tall windshields. 

No, that's not really accurate.   I have had full coverage helmets that have been relatively quite without a windshield, but slip on a modular, and all hell brakes lose.  It seems to be in the way the helmet fits, or is designed.  Being 6'6" a windshield, if not HUGE, cause even more problems!

[ITSec]

As has been noted, modulars are never quiet - but some are less noisy than others. For me, big things are:

- fit
- mounting space for my Sena speakers and control module
- fit
- weight
- fit
- a metal to metal latch for the chin bar
- fit
- removable/washable liner and cheek pads
- fit
- ventilation
- fit
- a good drop-down sunshade with well-designed control

And did I mention that the fit is important?    For me, the HJC SyMax series have been a go-to selection once they improved the latching system, not just because of moderate price but because of the factors above. However, I'm checking other brands out for my next helmet because the latest version from HJC is designed for their own Chatterbox product and is less friendly to the Sena.

[JeffOlson]

I have a couple of modular helmets, including the Schuberth C3, and a couple of inexpensive, open-face, half-helmets. Surprisingly, my open-face half-helmets are quieter on my Norge than either of my modular helmets, including the C3. Yes, you read that right.

As for the difference between the C3 and the C3 Pro, the big difference in my mind is the factory-approved bluetooth system available for the helmets. They are NOT the same. I wish they were, because I do not think very highly of the SRC System for the basic C3.

Also, if I had no windscreen (if I could stand up while riding my Norge), my C3 would be supremely quiet. (I know this because I have tried standing up while riding my Norge, which is hard to do because the handlebars are too low or my arms are not long enough.) So, I think the C3 is quieter than my open-face helmets if the wind blast is not focused on my helmet but directed at my whole upper body generally.

[not-fishing]

I'm waiting for the Aussie's to come to the US, the Vozz RS 1.0



I'm sick and tired of having to take my glasses on and off every time I get on my Griso.  and the glasses are tired of getting dropped, scratch, folded, spindled and mutilated

[Cool Runnings]

No, that's not really accurate.   I have had full coverage helmets that have been relatively quite without a windshield, but slip on a modular, and all hell brakes lose.  It seems to be in the way the helmet fits, or is designed.  Being 6'6" a windshield, if not HUGE, cause even more problems!

Of course it's accurate, less turbulence equals less noise.

[MAC]

I have a LS2 FF386 modular for sale,its to noisy for me.I bought a Schuberth.
Black XL used one season.PM if interested.

[LowRyter]

ear plugs.  preferably custom latex

[old as dirt 2]

love my HJC RPHA  max. most comfortable modular I have ever had. good airflow venting. pretty quite. not heavy.

[kidsmoke]

What's your noggin worth? You were just in an accident where you hit your helmet, for God's sake.  If you want a modular helmet that's quiet, secure, and vents well....then you'll have to spend some dough. It doesn't take too much imagination to see that the hinge and latch mechanism must involve some pretty careful engineering. There has to be a price for that.  Personally, I'm not willing to leave that up to budget, chinese manufacture.

If you want budget and some security, you can get by with a cheaper full face. However, I wouldn't do it with a modular. I rented a bike out West this past year and they gave us HJC 16s. A well rated helmet safety wise. However, it was LOUD. My Shoei is way, way quieter. Helmets are one of those things where, if you spend the extra money up front- it hurts. However, you forget about that expense after you start using it and appreciate that you spent the money on some quality gear.

I completely agree. Bear in mind, the Bell helmet that I face planted in Friday night did its Job, and it's a 200.00 helmet. I'm hoping that at double that cost I can have several decent options to choose from. I'm not looking to completely cheap out on this process.

That Voss is a cool idea, but definitely not modular, and I really like what I experienced with modular I had. I would say it was functionally excellent but I'd question how long some of the mechanisms and fabrics would hold up. At two years it was really showing wear, and again, wicked loud. But damn if it didn't save my head when called upon. 

Did some more reading and you tubing re: C3 . I could be wrong but I think the Pro replaces the basic, shaves weight and adds rear venting. In which case a sub 350.00 C3 basic seems a great value.


Appreciate the feedback folks. Who knew a Guzzi forum would be such a great place to talk about getting good stuff cheap???

[Arizona Wayne]

Get really educated on this @ www.webbikeworld.co m.    I've had some Nolans.  Have  Bilt now, I'm happy with ($100) but it's kind of heavy.   Any of them require ear plugs if you want quiet, but I've done that for decades so what?

[LowRyter]

$400 raises the ante quite a bit. You might be able to get a SHoei Neotec for just a few dollars more.  I got mine for $480 and have a buddy that's getting one for $425.  My brother got a European version for a similar price.

The Neotec is among the best of modular helmets.  it's also one of the quietest.  But I still wear ear plugs.

[canuguzzi]

One of the lightest modular styles is the Kabuto, it rivals many full face helmets that are on the light side. It is well made and quiet and also features anti-buffeting designs.

The thing with helmets being loud is getting a good fit. A loose helmet will be loud. Part of the problem is the round pumpkin head vs the almond head. The Schuberth helmets are great for round heads, not so much for narrow or oval heads.

Smashing the padding where it contacts your forehead is a bad answer to a poor fit, get a different style of helmet. Same goes for too much side pressure, a different style of helmet is often needed.

Many manufacturers now make helmets for round heads and use different padding sets to deal with various head shapes. That is why you see so many helmet that look like basketballs, they are made to house huge round heads and they use padding to allow other head shapes to fit. Not a good idea.

Shoei modulars are very good, quiet and well made. Sorry but the $99 dollar Bilt helmet is not as good as a Shoei or Schuberth. Not even close.

There is meeting a standard or minimum and exceeding it. Cheap helmets might meet the minimum but is that what you're after, the minimum? You spend more on a few oil changes and filters but go cheap on a helmet? What a way to save money. Its hard to understand how saving money on a helmet but spending money on the best oil and filters makes sense.

You might like or even love your bike but it doesn't really care about you. The first thing it did was throw your behind off and send you sliding down the road.

[Arizona Wayne]

Quiet and fit aren't the only issues to care about.  If you live where it get's hot when you ride good air flow then is really important.  Webbikeworld covers all these categories you could think of and compares all of them by helmet make.  It's the Bible of any style of helmet if you really want to know.  To go any where any where else is 1 persons opinion.

[canuguzzi]

Visit good shops and try the helmets on. A good shop will give you a head sock to wear while you try them out on your bike to find what works and what doesn't.

What are the chances someone selling helmets via the Internet is going to ride the same bike, have the same head shape and have the same concerns about noise, comfort and cost? The same chances they are your identical twin.

If you don't have a shop close by with a good varied selection of helmets, you're stuck with the guy with the loud radio voice who has yet to say a helmet was no good and you shouldn't buy it.

[Arizona Wayne]

Visit good shops and try the helmets on. A good shop will give you a head sock to wear while you try them out on your bike to find what works and what doesn't.

What are the chances someone selling helmets via the Internet is going to ride the same bike, have the same head shape and have the same concerns about noise, comfort and cost? The same chances they are your identical twin.

If you don't have a shop close by with a good varied selection of helmets, you're stuck with the guy with the loud radio voice who has yet to say a helmet was no good and you shouldn't buy it.

Of course you have to try helmets on to see if they fit your head shape, but that's just 1 part of what you're looking for unless you want to be disappointed in the end.

Webbikeworld doesn't sell helmets....they're like Consumer Reports for MC accessories.

[Dogwalker]

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/testhelmetlist?sharp-make=All&sharp-model=&sharp-type=3&sharp-rating=4

35 models of modular helmets with at least a 4 stars rating in impact test.

My advice, choose between those for the other features you want.

[N.Y.zee10]

Test fit a number of modular helmets at a large 'cycle store last year. Settled on a Gmax GM54, best fit with glasses. Bought on line @ about $135 last year. Matte black matches any of my bikes. Good deal.

[Waltr]

  If modulars would allow fitting with my glasses on I might own one, other than that I don'e see the point.   The Kabuto Modular is a great but right now on Revzilla if you want one.  My next helmet will be a Kabuto Kamui because I want to try an internal shield.

[Mr Revhead]

It's well proven that  $$ does NOT = better safety. Rather $$$ = features and often brand name tax.
LS2 are quality at a decent price.