Picking up the Hayabusa on Wednesday & thought a pertinent time to ditch the Nitro cheapie I have had for a while. My main gripe is ventilation & that bloody awful double D ring. I have had a few helmets that have DD rings, but this ones more fiddly than Len Fairclough in a swimming pool. Are the expensive lids worth the extra cost, my way of looking at it would be in the first instance a good helmet will absorb a lot of energy, but it can't stop you snapping your neck on a roadsign etc. I'm not into helmet art & fucking mouse ears etc. Just want a comfy, breathable, light as possible helmet that wont make me look like a tool (well, no more than usual) etc. Advice from users & abusers (not like Len though!) PS: Anyone want to buy a huge Land Rover 101 forward control? -- 'Just because you're paranoid, don't mean they're not after you' Nige Subaru WRX (54) Land Rover 101 GS/Ambi (Morph) BMW 650 GS Dakar 2000 Suzuki GSX1300R Y Hayabusa KTM 520 SX
Depends on your definitions of 'expensive' and 'worth' I do a fair amount of riding and would always buy an Arai because: a) they fit. b) they're comfortable c) the visors don't scratch to pieces easily d) they stay in good shape and don't fall apart Where I've bought other makes (Lazer, Kiwi, Caberg) they've not lasted as well so after 12 months of use they're flopping around on my head and the visor is screwed. In most cases I've gotten about 2-3 years use out of an Arai costing IRO 150 to 200 quid.
I replaced my Shoei with a Caberg Justissimo around 18 months ago. Although the Justissimo is a great value helmet and quite comfortable, the fit and finish is a long way short of both my Shoei and Katie's Roof. I don't think I'd buy Caberg again. They're 'ok' but I haven't yet parted with my Shoei, which is still in decent enough condition to use.
Thats kind of what I'm thinking of spending really. I reckoned on either Shoei or Arai mainly due to the fact they get very good (in the main) reviews & most folk i meet that wear 'em rate 'em. Ta. -- 'Just because you're paranoid, don't mean they're not after you' Nige Subaru WRX (54) Land Rover 101 GS/Ambi (Morph) BMW 650 GS Dakar 2000 Suzuki GSX1300R Y Hayabusa KTM 520 SX
SteveH says... I can't understand why anyone would go from Shoei to Caberg. One look at the fit and finish of the Caberg would be enough for me to say no. I went from Shoei to Uvex, which wasn't the worst of moves, though the interior liner on the Uvex didn't last as well as the Shoei's, but the fit and exterior finish of the Uvex was easily up to the standards of the lower end Shoei RXR it replaced. Then I went from Uvex to Nitro, but only because I got them for free and could have the latest models as they were released. I wasn't unhappy with them and did many thousands of comfortable miles in them with no problems. Ok, so the double D rings of the Nitros are a bit fiddlier than an Arai's, but the Arai will generally cost 200 quid more for an eqivalent spec. Interior lining materials aren't quite up to Arai standards of comfort and longevity, but they beat most other makes, in particular the Uvexs. Ventilation on Arais is second to none, Nitros vents work ok, but they could be improved. Fit and finish of the Arai is perfection, it's what you're ultimately paying for. With a Nitro you get a nice enough paint finish, but in keeping with the cost of the helmet the vents are made from cheaper materials and they haven't had the same level of design input, you also have some nicer graphics on Arais. I'd buy a Nitro[1][2], but I'm sure as **** that I wouldn't buy a Caberg, they really are shite. Tori's one lasted her less than 6 months, which is about 5,000 miles worth of riding. In that time the visor mech broke, which was replaced under warranty, the visor anti-fog coating was peeling off the inside within two weeks, but they wouldn't replace it under warranty because they said she'd cleaned it with something she shouldn't. That would have been acceptable to her, had she ever cleaned the inside of the visor in that two weeks. In the end she binned it last week and bought an Arai Chaser, because in 6 months the Caberg had got so big on her head that it was falling over her eyes or trying to choke her at speed. It fitted really tightly when she bought it, anticipating it bedding in a fair bit. The Caberg really was that shite. I don't work for Nitro any more and I'm in a position where I could slag them to hell and back if I felt like it, but I really can't fault their products for the money. [1] When I left my job I kept back one Nitro N1400-VX in my size to use myself, as I thought it was such a nice helmet for 100 quid. I'm using one of my Uvex Wing RS's at the mo because the Nitro visor mists up, but I'll go back the Nitro come summer[3]. [2] I haven't had to for the last 2 1/2 years. [3] Unless I buy an Arai Condor before then, because they're a fucking bargain at the moment if you look around. I've seen plain colour ones at 150 quid retail. You just won't get a better helmet anywhere for that sort of price.
Anywhere inparticular? I can only find 'em at around £200, which is still good i suppose. -- 'Just because you're paranoid, don't mean they're not after you' Nige Subaru WRX (54) Land Rover 101 GS/Ambi (Morph) BMW 650 GS Dakar 2000 Suzuki GSX1300R Y Hayabusa KTM 520 SX
I was looking for a cheap flip-front lid to take to Portugal with me. Whilst the Caberg wasn't the cheapest, it did appear to be the best value at the time - M&P were doing a pretty good deal on them, which was handy as I was passing their showroom anyway. My preferred option would have been a Shoei flip-front, but they were 'HFM!' at the time, but, with hindsight, would probably have been a better option.
Worth knowing, that. As I said, I bought this Arashi because... well, because it was cheap. I needed a new visor, and I got the lid for less than I'd have paid for a visor. Silly, isn't it?
Lozzo coughed up: I discovered at the NEC bike show exactly what all the "Arai shaped head" stuff was about, when I tried one on, and it really wasn't right. I ended up buying a Shoei in the one true colour [1], with a spare dark visor. For the money, my old HJC AC10 was a luvverly fit and finish, but a tad heavy. New HJC's don't seem to be as good, at least the ones I've looked at. [1] all I need now are a pair of black gloves and I'll qualify for an MIB -- Dan L http://thebikeshed.spaces.live.com/ 1996 Kawasaki ZR1100 Zephyr BOTAFOT #140 (KotL 2005/6) X-FOT#000 DIAABTCOD #26 BOMB#18 (slow) OMF#11
SteveH says... I had use of a Nitro flip-front for about 18 months. I just don't see the point of them. I only ever flipped the front up when I was putting it on or taking it off. If I wanted air in my face, I flipped the visor up.
I used it with the front flipped up quite a lot whilst on holiday. You can smoke a fag whist trickling through town, plus you don't have to take it off to smoke a fag when you stop for one, too.
I, after breaking the brittle, ill-designed, visor side pod on my Arai Astro (and bunged it in the cupboard) [1], bought a Shoei XR-1000. Excellent helmet, lovely visor replace mechanism and it fits me better too. [1] I also had an Arai Quantum for years and I never really liked that either.
Yes, agree there. I'm on my second - with a Pinlock fitted which I have been mostly impressed with. Cobblers... Mine had the front vent fall off and disappear within 3 weeks from new. They argued about it but I managed to get a replacement FOC. Since then, one of the vent things that are just glued on has fallen off. One of the side assemblies that holds the visor on, is now loose and comes away from the helmet at the slightest provocation. I have to be awfully careful about removing the visor. Oh, and the wind noise. I've never owned such a noisy helmet. I wear earplugs, but none of my previous helmets have ever been so noisy as the Arai. I won't be buying another one.
platypus says... I've changed literally hundreds of Arai visors and never broken a sidepod. All depends on the user.
(SteveH) wrote in message The Arai open face (SZ/F) has a full face visor, I've found it to be a fantastic summer lid; open face almost all of the time but 'full face enough' when it chucks it down. I don't think it was cheap (250 quid?) but it's the second one I've bought and I'll definately replace it in a year or two with another
Yes, I should have replaced my last Arai with another instead of the Shoei. The Shoei fogs up like a ****. I also liked the chin thingy on the Arai for cold mornings.
Get a Fogcity or a pinlock visor for it, that'll sort it. I had a Fogcity in my XR-800 and it worked very well. If you can't get them in the US I can get one here and bring it over in March as I'll be a-conferencing again.
