Member Contributer St. Stephen Posted December 5, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted December 5, 2023 For many years a series of Arai Signets have been my every day helmet. But as the price has approached $1000 (yikes!) I've looked around for something with just as much protection for less money. I ended up buying an AGV K6S in August for $630 plus tax. Not cheap, but definitely less! Plus: - Significantly better field of vision, both top/bottom (85 degrees) and left/right (190 degrees). I noticed this immediately, a big difference. - A lot lighter! I weighed my size large at exactly three pounds. - It has a much simpler, faster, easier face shield removal mechanism. If you've ever replaced an Arai face shield you will appreciate how much better this one is. Minus: - I always wear glasses while riding. So far the fit is tight enough that it takes a little work to get the arms of the glasses through the foam interior to my ears. Hopefully this will loosen up with use. - Not really minus but the AGVs seem to run a bit small. My fat head fit in a medium Arai but my AGV is a large, and fits very well. So far I'm very happy with the K6S and I recommend it. Side note: for years I've avoided the Cycle Gear stores--my impression was that they just sold low-end house brands with not much selection. If I was going to buy at a bricks-and-mortar I'd spend at my dealer. But I wanted to try the helmet on first, so I visited the CG store in Santa Rosa, and was pleasantly surprised. Lance the manager was an ex-club racer, passionate about bikes, and knowledgeable. And they carried real brands like Alpinestars, Sidi, Michelin, Arai, etc. Who knew? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer bmart Posted December 5, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted December 5, 2023 AGV makes great helmets, and in wildly different shapes by model! I left Shoei a few years back for the same reason. Pricing was outrageous. I ended up with HJC for street, track, adn dual sport helmets. The only real difference I notice is the shield isn't 100 crystal clear like the Shoei. There's an absolute quality difference with latches/vents, but I notice do difference in that they're both adequate, and I saved 50%-75%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Skids Posted December 5, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted December 5, 2023 It's sooooo difficult to know which helmet manufacturer to trust with your head. We all "know" that Arai, Shoei and a few others are exemplars, but that is just an opinion, not necessarily based upon actual fact. Yes, there are reviews, but do we really trust them to be totally impartial? Yes, we all know someone who crashed with a "XXXX" helmet on and it saved his life, but does that mean it's one of the best and will save you in your crash? AGV, HJC and many others sponsor Moto GP, WSBK and other riders so you'd imagine that their helmets would be superb but the racing helmets provided to the elite classes are definitely not the same helmets we can buy on the high street, at least not at prices we can afford so how do we choose? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Captain 80s Posted December 5, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted December 5, 2023 I fitted & sold Helmets (in the U.S.) for over 10 years in the 90s and 00s. Arai & Shoei were the best, and it usually came down to fit if brand loyalty wasn't in play. HJC came on the scene in the budget / medium category and were great helmets. Then HJC upped their game and I thought they were one of the best values, lots of bang for your buck. I sold A LOT of HJC helmets. The early "modern" AGVs were heavy in my opinion, but the quality and fit was decent. Now there are many good choices that don't have to destroy a gear budget. The one that fits your head shape the best and offers the safety and features you're looking for... great. My very first helmet at age 9 was an open face Arai, got a Freddie Spencer Super Vent for my 16th birthday. They have always fit my head shape perfectly and nothing else goes on my head, regardless of price. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Mohawk Posted December 5, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted December 5, 2023 Interesting titbit, I was in Japan last month for a bike tour with a friend. We went to some Tokyo bike shops & Arai & Shoei helmets were half the price they are in the UK. So I suspect the pricing is due to importers bigging up the Japanese quality/cost ratio for pure profit. Don't get me wrong they are quality helmets, but not worth twice as much as many other good brands IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Captain 80s Posted December 5, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted December 5, 2023 19 minutes ago, Mohawk said: Interesting titbit, I was in Japan last month for a bike tour with a friend. We went to some Tokyo bike shops & Arai & Shoei helmets were half the price they are in the UK. So I suspect the pricing is due to importers bigging up the Japanese quality/cost ratio for pure profit. Don't get me wrong they are quality helmets, but not worth twice as much as many other good brands IMO. Another possible factor is the cost of having helmets tested and approved to meet certain countries' requirements to be sold there. That affects the price of bike accessories as well in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Ughandi Posted December 6, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted December 6, 2023 I have an RF1200 L with upgraded thicker crown pads that hugs the face ohh so nice... But man I tried on the K6 & K6S and love how light they are. I would have the K6S in L only if they offered thicker pads as it rotates a bit too much, and the M is a no go. Shame they axed the MS/ML sizing from the K6 (ML fit me *perfectly*), else I would have tossed my Shoei this past summer. Enjoy the lid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted December 6, 2023 Share Posted December 6, 2023 I've only owned HJC and Scorpion helmets so far, and I've been pretty happy with them. I've looked at AGVs and like them, but haven't found one yet I preferred over another option. As for the premium brand lids, I've considered a couple Shoei's, but the pricing has become kind of ridiculous. At this point I've had to stumble onto a great deal or buy an outgoing model on sale. (Also, Arai's don't fit me correctly.) I tend to only have one helmet at a time, and I keep them for several years. Next time I'm in the market for a new one I'll probably expand my search. Even if a premium lid is 2-3 times the price of what I'd usually buy, if you think about how the cost averages out over 5-6 years, it really isn't that much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vfrgiving Posted December 6, 2023 Share Posted December 6, 2023 I shop helmets on qualifying rating. Everyone should know DOT is a joke, and US Snell was not developed with motorcycles in mind. I will take a $200 ECE rated lid over a $1K Snell any day. Once FIM rated helmets start becoming more common place and affordable that's what I'll probably shop next. An ECE rated Sedici Strada saved my life, and is my current lid of choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Captain 80s Posted December 6, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted December 6, 2023 The ability of a helmet to protect your life is of course a top priority, but there are also things that cost money that make being in a helmet all day pleasurable. I'm certainly not saying you have to spend $1K to be safe and comfortable, but you can keep your theoretical $200 ECE helmet, testing alone would account for a good portion of that build budget. Just because a $1K Snell helmet isn't ECE rated, doesn't mean it couldn't be. Testing and certification costs money. The Holy Discussion Trinity: Oil, Tires, Helmets 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted December 6, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted December 6, 2023 Oh baby............. I need a cigarette now.... All helmets on the market here in NL must meet a minimum of testing criteria. and no actual crash will be exactly as the test routine.... so they are all "safe".... Next comes fit and comfort. A cheap "safe" helmet may irritate you after an hour, noise, draft, rattling visor. This is "unsafe"in my book as it takes away focus/concentration. Then comes free disposable income and williness to spend it on a helmet or not. why did I buy an ARAI HRC? why did I buy an AGV tri-colore? why did A buy another ARAI (mamola replica) and put DUCATI decals on? You catch my drift? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vfrgiving Posted December 6, 2023 Share Posted December 6, 2023 1 hour ago, Captain 80s said: Just because a $1K Snell helmet isn't ECE rated, doesn't mean it couldn't be. They actually can't, they are two different standards. At least this is what I was told while helmet shopping not too long ago. The Sedici Strada for example comes in Snell or ECE. There isn't one rated for both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Captain 80s Posted December 6, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted December 6, 2023 3 hours ago, vfrgiving said: They actually can't, they are two different standards. At least this is what I was told while helmet shopping not too long ago. The Sedici Strada for example comes in Snell or ECE. There isn't one rated for both. I didn't say that at all. Just because a helmet "could" pass Snell, doesn't mean it "couldn't" also pass ECE. So the Strada is manufactured in two versions using different methods? One that passes ECE, and then they make a less safe version that just has to pass Snell? /s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Captain 80s Posted December 6, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted December 6, 2023 26 minutes ago, Dutchy said: You catch my drift? Absolutely. Admittedly, I do have a helmet problem. I currently have 7 Arai that I rotate and wear depending on my mood and bike I'm on. My latest: And I don't even own a Suzuki. But it sure looks great next to my Edwards, Mamola and Spencer. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vfrgiving Posted December 6, 2023 Share Posted December 6, 2023 I can't speculate on their manufacturing process, all I know is there are Stradas sold certified for ECE, and others for Snell M2020. One helmet won't be both. There are motorsports facilities in the USA that require a Snell rating , hence helmets being offered with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Captain 80s Posted December 6, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted December 6, 2023 This was an interesting read: Revzilla - Helmet Safety Ratings 101 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Mohawk Posted December 6, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted December 6, 2023 19 hours ago, Captain 80s said: Another possible factor is the cost of having helmets tested and approved to meet certain countries' requirements to be sold there. That affects the price of bike accessories as well in the UK. Err no, no one builds helmets to different standards. They build them to the hardest one to pass if they sell globally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Captain 80s Posted December 6, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted December 6, 2023 3 hours ago, Mohawk said: Err no, no one builds helmets to different standards. They build them to the hardest one to pass if they sell globally. I also didn't say that. I was referring to testing what you have built. You won't pay for a test/certification that you don't need to sell a helmet (or accessory) in a certain market, unless to meet regulations and/or perceptions. Aaaaaaaaand..... I'm out. Enjoy your new AGV St. Stephen and ride safe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted December 6, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted December 6, 2023 Oh! And a "vintage look" SHOEi for the 1975 MV... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted December 6, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted December 6, 2023 A Schuberth C3 saved my bacon, T-boning an oncoming cager turning left... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer St. Stephen Posted December 6, 2023 Author Member Contributer Share Posted December 6, 2023 The AGV "exceeds the ECE standard by a large margin" according to the AGV website, as well as U.S. DOT. This is definitely one of the reasons it was on my list. And it may not mean much to say you protect the heads of Rossi, Miller, Mir etc. but it means something. Lab tests only roughly replicate actual crashes. There's not a lot of public funding for motorcycle safety, at least not here in North America, but I have read that manufacturers are now testing side impact and glancing blows in addition to simple direct impact. So ECE, Snell, DOT is what we've got to go by. A manufacturer that's been around for a while and has a rep for quality is an important factor also--I continue to believe that Arai is the gold standard here. You may get a safe helmet that's cheap, but as Dutchy and Captain mentioned, fit and comfort are safety factors too. And I won't lie, I care how it looks! This hasn't turn into an oil thread but it was drifting in that direction. Since this is VFRD at least no one chimed in with "you're safer without a helmet." 😎 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer bmart Posted December 6, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted December 6, 2023 For me, tied for #1 are safety and comfort. Then venting/shield usage ease/clarity. Then ability to remove and clean interior. Then price point, although I always buy clearance. I wish that they'd make the soft bits around the strap removable for cleaning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vfrgiving Posted December 6, 2023 Share Posted December 6, 2023 I stick with ECE as Snell has been criticized as being too hard and not forgiving enough in motorcycle accidents. Fortnine did a somewhat recent video going in depth on this. Just ignore the cheese. My personal experience with a very expensive Snell helmet lends credence to this criticism and why I avoid. 😐 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Lorne Posted December 7, 2023 Member Contributer Share Posted December 7, 2023 On 12/5/2023 at 1:57 PM, Mohawk said: I was in Japan last month Wouldn't happen to have been with Andy, aka Missendon Flyer would it? He has started showing videos of his tour in Japan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeeEffArah Posted December 7, 2023 Share Posted December 7, 2023 15 hours ago, bmart said: For me, tied for #1 are safety and comfort. Then venting/shield usage ease/clarity. Then ability to remove and clean interior. Then price point, although I always buy clearance. I wish that they'd make the soft bits around the strap removable for cleaning. Curious as who is the "they" you speak of? Most all the helmet brands have the removable / washable chin strap covers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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