Member Contributer 1996 Beeper Posted March 16, 2006 Member Contributer Share Posted March 16, 2006 I want to buy the best helmet that is made. I do not care how much it costs, I want the best fitting most comfortable helmet made. I am not looking for good deals or great bargains. I need to be able to wear it for 15 hours straight, without my head killing me. Someone said that the AGV helmets are the best, but I don't know much about them. Could I get some opinions about makes and models from the experts (thats you) Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest slvr&blkattk Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 check out this site.... motorcyclegearreview.com If I had to pick the best helmet I'd have to say the Shoei X-11, although I don't have much to compare it too. I lowsided around 60 mph, my Shoei hit the pavement so it's toast now but it did it's job well. I now have a KBC, which I like too, but the differences in quality are evident. I think they are fairly equal when it comes to pure protection, which is obviously the most important thing, but there's some bits and pieces on my KBC that seem fragile. That's a pretty open ended question you asked though, kind of like if you ask who's the most beautiful woman, you can expect a lot of different answers. Just my .02, hope it helps.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enzed_viffer Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 I want to buy the best helmet that is made. I do not care how much it costs, I want the best fitting most comfortable helmet made. I am not looking for good deals or great bargains. I need to be able to wear it for 15 hours straight, without my head killing me. Someone said that the AGV helmets are the best, but I don't know much about them. Could I get some opinions about makes and models from the experts (thats you) Thanks. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The best helmet ever made is the one that fits YOUR head the best. Having had three AGVs, I have doubts whether it would be an AGV. What I suggest you do, is try on as many helmets as possible, then go to http://www.motorcyclegearreview.com/ and see what other people have to say about those on your shortlist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon28 Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 IMO shoei X-11 :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 Arai is the only helmet company in the world who makes 3 different shell types to fit all types of heads, from long oval to round. Every other company has one shell to fit all heads and we all know everyone doesn't have the same head shape. I guarantee you can find an Arai that fits you. I have been selling helmets of all types for almost 20 years and my personal opinion is that they are absolutely the best helmets made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobie1dog Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 Arai is the only helmet company in the world who makes 3 different shell types to fit all types of heads, from long oval to round. Every other company has one shell to fit all heads and we all know everyone doesn't have the same head shape. I guarantee you can find an Arai that fits you. I have been selling helmets of all types for almost 20 years and my personal opinion is that they are absolutely the best helmets made. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm finally starting to understand what goes through my wifes head everytime she gets near a shoe store. I stopped by two bike shops this week and ended up trying on darn near every helmet they had from every brand. I thought that the Arai Astral was the only good one for me until I tried on a Quantum II yesterday and it felt great too. Once you start inspecting helmets closely you can spot real quality and the more you try on, the more you are aware of the weight factor. That's were it's hard to beat the Arai helmets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 Just to echo enzed, the best helmet is the best fitting one. Stick to a recognised brand, shoei, aria, avg etc and find one that FITS. The most expensive poorly fitting helmet will not protect you as well as a chaeper well fitting one. Try on as many as possible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 100% agree, try it on first! And wear it in the store for at least 15 mins, it will take at least that long for "hot spots" to develop. You don't want to end up with an expenisve helmet that you can only wear for less then half an hour! I'm very happy with arai. The cheek pads (maybe others?) can be replaced with a different size if fitment is needed. It's exceptionally light. I have an old one (5 yrs) that I only use on the range, it's still going strong. Just replaced the side pods for the visor a couple weeks ago, otherwise no probs. My new Quantum II is about as good a fit as a non professional rider is gonna get. I don't think my head could be better protected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 18, 2006 Share Posted March 18, 2006 Another nod for the Arai Quantum II. I love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 18, 2006 Share Posted March 18, 2006 i just got a shoei x11 kagayama, man is that thing sweet! i live in a very warm area so all the vents really make a big difference and its just a top notch helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer solohvs Posted March 18, 2006 Member Contributer Share Posted March 18, 2006 My local shop has a great staff. The guy behind the counter spend over 45 minutes letting me try on several different helmets. I was even allowed to ride out on the highway because I was concerned about the noise ( try that at a .com). I finally bought a SHOEI RF-1000, but the X-11 has better vents. I didn't have the heart to walk out and "buy online" just to pick up a few bucks. I paid full price and thanked the guy for answering so many stupid questions. Just as I was leaving he reached under the counter and handed me a dark shield that was scratched and could NOT be sold. It was just to "get me started". He didn't make any comment before hand and I rubbed out some of the scratch so the shield is serviceable. Location, Location , Location might be some kind of real estate mantra. And for helmets I'd say it's the fit first and then maybe the price. Oh yea, make friends with the locals if you can. You can always walk out if it starts to smell bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rabidsnipe Posted March 18, 2006 Member Contributer Share Posted March 18, 2006 I'm only going to say three things. +1 on the Shoei x-11. They might have a weird name, but crap is this a great helmet. Plenty of ventalation, pretty quiet compared to other highend helmets, and light. Try on as many as you can. My step dady had an HJC (I think) that was the right size for me, but after about 15 minutes was drilling into my forhead. Find one that fits you. If you have it avaiable in your area, check out CycleGear. They usually have a large selection of helmets that they don't mind you trying on. In addition, they have a 30 day guarantee on the helmet; if you don't like the way that it fits, bring it back and get a new one. And in the spring and in the fall they normally have a 10% off sale at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Growler67 Posted March 18, 2006 Member Contributer Share Posted March 18, 2006 Regardless of what everyone tells you, those opinions are only 5% of your decision making process. It really comes down to which one fits your egg the best. The only way to determine that is to go to a shop an put them on. I wear Shoei's because they fit the shape of my head best. Arai's are also very good helmets but squeeze my forhead. THey are both probably comperable and IMO the top of the line. The others that are out there have gotten much better over the years. Generic fitting and sizing charts don't cut it for fiting helmets. You have to try them on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer VFR FLYER Posted March 18, 2006 Member Contributer Share Posted March 18, 2006 I'm only going to say three things. +1 on the Shoei x-11. They might have a weird name, but crap is this a great helmet. Plenty of ventalation, pretty quiet compared to other highend helmets, and light. Try on as many as you can. My step dady had an HJC (I think) that was the right size for me, but after about 15 minutes was drilling into my forhead. Find one that fits you. If you have it avaiable in your area, check out CycleGear. They usually have a large selection of helmets that they don't mind you trying on. In addition, they have a 30 day guarantee on the helmet; if you don't like the way that it fits, bring it back and get a new one. And in the spring and in the fall they normally have a 10% off sale at some point. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> i buy everything at cycle gear. 100% guarantee. no questions ask and no time limit. i bought boots there over two years ago and a zipper went bad. they are getting the zipper replaced free, but he did offer my money back. as to helmets they have dozens of each dirt, cruzier, sport/race and some items on sale monthly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neboor Posted March 18, 2006 Share Posted March 18, 2006 From what i've found when I reasearched helmets where that the Schuberth S1, shoei x-11, and arai rx-7 are the best. However, their are very good things to be said about others like the Shark RSR. I recently bought a new helmet myself. I wanted a pretty good one so I went and tried a bunch one and read about them. I oringally had a shoei rf-1000 which was a good helmet, I just happened to drop it one too many times for my comfort. Unlike you though I'm poor and can put down a lot of bread for a helmet. I tried finding a shoei x-11 for a while at a good price. I missed my chance when I saw it for $200 on a website. One helmet that surprised my and if I had the money I would have bought it then and their was the arai rx-7. It was very comfortable and felt almost as if it was worth the $600+. It has a very nice liner, felt light, and from what I hear is fairly quiet with quality protection. Just so you know arai hand makes all their helmets. I ended up buying a Vemar VSR helmet off ebay for about $110. Vemar is an italian comapny that recently tried importing their $500+ flagship race helmet to the US, however, it failed to attract attention and now they left leaving all their helmet behind for cheap. I really liked what I got especially for the price. Full removable liner, antisratch/antifog shield, very ventilated....and so on. It is a race helmet though so it's a bit on the louder side, but I don't care since that's what earplugs are for. Moral of the story... check out the rx-7 and the x-11...the schuberth is kinda hard to find but always gets good reviews. You can try webbikeworld.com and check out their reviews on helmets, they do a good job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baileyrock Posted March 18, 2006 Share Posted March 18, 2006 Fit is Major, every manufacture has different shaped Shells and only certain one's will fit your head comfortably. Weight is also a big factor in fatigue, this is sometimes were the more costly helments are worth the extra cost(only if it fits good). Lots of good info here, but like mentioned you really need to wear a good feeling helmet for some time to see if "hot spots " do come up. I've slipped on a helmet that felt very good ,but within 15 min it was giving me a headache. Expensive doesn't mear it's the right helment for you! :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer fallzboater Posted March 18, 2006 Member Contributer Share Posted March 18, 2006 X-11. Best shield system. Light. Great ventilation. Fully removeable/washable liner. Not the quietest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 18, 2006 Share Posted March 18, 2006 :unsure: for Arai. As people have said, and is REALLY important for a noob, there are more than two shell shapes for Arai and multiple shell sizes (not talking helmet sizes). Arai are modifying & introducing new models/shapes yearly. [Check out their website.] So, if you try on one shape it will not necessarily fit your head well. Keep going and trying on helmets. I think that this is the reason that Arai has stopped supporting internet sales. They recognise that you have to try on helmets to determine the proper fit. For me, the fit, the weight, the ventilation, and the ease of getting replacement parts (pretty much in that order too) led me to buy an Arai. I was willing to trade off the increase in noise for the ventilation. The Quantum I have is an all day helmet. I haven't been disappointed. [No affiliation with Arai - your mileage may vary.] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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