Helmets???

K

k5fan

Registered
<span style='font-size:13pt;line-height:100%'></span>Hey,
I am looking for a good helmet.  Ya know top of the line.  Save the nugget kind right.  I have heard that Arai is what I would be looking for but I have been looking all over and can't find a color scheme I like.  I am very blan and am just looking for a scheme to match the black/grey 03' busa.  Any suggestions on other helmets or web sites to check out.  Thanx.  Later.
 
k5fan
i have an Arai that matched my last bike is red/blk/white but does not match my Busa Blk/Slvr depends on if you want to match or not but i was looking at this to match mine is a shoei but looks cool here is the link

http://www.accwhse.com/photos/shoei_rf900_hlmt_duhamel_tc5_bk.gif

Shoei RF900 Helmet 2003 Duhamel TC5 Black
is about 340 at this place where i ordered my arai from good place for other things a well

http://www.accwhse.com

you can spend more if ya want i think some of the top arai will set you back close to 1K if ya want to spend it but for about 350 to 450 is good .... good luck ....
cool.gif
 
You can't go wrong with either a Arai or Shoei. I myself bought a Suomy Spec 1R they pass Dot,Snell and a British test that I believe the others don't.
 
Arai and Shoei are both top of the line. If you go to their websites you can peruse the entire 2002-2003 lineup. The only thought I have is even if you tend to like bland...Get the brightest damn helmet you can, it's the most visible part of you when you are riding and it could really save your ass!

I myself would rather have a "tame" helmet but for safety sake I went all out...Check it...Yeah folks notice that freakin road hazard orange grill coming towards them...

Arai_Re_Entry1_copy.jpg
 
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K5 fan......is that a reference to the K5 Blazer.....

Anyways...send a PM to Howlin' Mad...he's the recognized site "Helmet Guru"....and he's one hell of a nice guy...
He knows his stuff....
 
Check out the SHOEI line. Z-II Oryon, Z-II ScytheRF-900 Phantom. All come in the black/gray format. Very cool helmets. Excellent helmet for the money and DOT-218 and Snell -M200 rated. Doesn't get any better than that.

Shoei Web site
 
there are a couple of decent lookin' helmets that entered the market a while back....one is the Shoei Xeleven . Supposed to be the coolest(as in head temp.) around . And Arai has a new 1 too . I like the Shoei 'cause it seems to have less noise...(the face shield hardware is covered by the visor) and also the shoei visor flips completely out of your sight-line....the Arai dosent go up as high....
The Shoei has a little better wind tunnel testing too...IMHO.
The helmet stabilizer at the back seems too help...
Qwik change visor...(20 seconds , no tools)...
The exit vents....
blah blah blah....20 yrs in street helmets...this RF 900...
I like the best.....SO FAR...

shoei.jpg
 
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(rubbersidedown @ July 08 2003 said:
there are a couple of decent lookin' helmets that entered the market a while back....one is the Shoei Xeleven . Supposed to be the coolest(as in head temp.) around .  And Arai has a new 1 too .  I like the Shoei  'cause it seems to have less noise...(the face shield  hardware is covered by the visor)   and also the shoei visor flips completely out of your sight-line....the Arai dosent go up as high....
 The Shoei has a little better wind tunnel testing too...IMHO.
The helmet stabilizer at the back seems too help...
  Qwik change visor...(20 seconds , no tools)...
 The exit vents....
    blah blah blah....20 yrs in street helmets...this RF 900...
I like the best.....SO FAR...
Click to expand...
One last thought for you. Shoei, and Arai have different models and fit different head shapes. I wear a large Shoei RF 800, but I wear a Medium Arai Astral/QuantumF. So you do want to be sure you actually try on the helmets even if they do not have the design you are looking for, try some on, when you find a Manufacturer and a model that fits, then pick your color.

Oh, I agree with RSD on the noise issue with Arai. My Quantum is louder than the Shoei, but it is a fair bit lighter. Another Shoei Bonus though is a little less cost and their Visors especially the Iridium, are a hell of a lot better than Arai. I sneeze on mine and it gets scratches...had a Shoei Iridium and it lasted in perfect shape for about three years, tilla buddy wiped out wearing it...
 
I tried all of the Arai RX7 sizes, and couldn't find one that fit properly. I went with the Shoei X-Eleven Ukawa II.

Some of the things I like about the helmet:
- VERY stable at speed and doesn't rip my head off when turning my noggin
- quieter than others
- removable liners (minimize helmet funk)
- looks pretty cool
- butt-load of vents
- usually with racer replicas, you see some person's name all over the helmet. the design of the Ukawa II is so subtle that the name is on the helmet no less than 10 times, but you would have to know what to look for to find it.

Some so-so things about it:
- if you get a solid color, the wing on the back will be more visible. it's kinda wierd looking, and the racer-replica color schemes tend to minimize it
- damn expensive (got mine for $500 from mawonline - they suck ASS by the way)
- requires special X-Eleven shields (the others won't work)
- it fogs up more than I would like (although I just did the fog city thing to it, so hopefully that should stop).

If you have the wherewithall (sp?), and it fits (VERY important!), it's an exotic looking helmet that may get just as many comments as the Busa!

Good luck with your choice!
 
Hi all!

until last week i was wearing an ARAI Quantum /F Haga 2...i did buy a SHOEI X-SPIRIT, and my opinion is that there is no comparison between these 2..I find shoei much lighter feeling, and much more stable at higher speeds.Also the noise is a little bit less with Shoei...

Just my opinion.
 
(Earthdog @ July 08 2003 said:
Hi all!

until last week i was wearing an ARAI Quantum /F Haga 2...i did buy a SHOEI X-SPIRIT, and my opinion is that there is no comparison between these 2..I find shoei much lighter feeling, and much more stable at higher speeds.Also the noise is a little bit less with Shoei...

Just my opinion.
Click to expand...
Thats good to know, I like the QuantumF I am wearing but I do realize that the design is pretty dated. I'll prolly buy a new lid next year just so I can alternate...I like to have options. Do the standard Shoei Visors fit the X-spirit?
 
<span style='font-size:15pt;line-height:100%'></span>Hey all,
I appreciate the help and encourage any other inputs yall may have. I will look into it further and get an update out of which one I will go for. Later and safe on ya.
 
K5 fan......is that a reference to the K5 Blazer.....


Sure is. Not only am I a busa lover: I love the offroad as well. I own a 83 K5. I bought it out of a cheap shady dealership for a crazy 1300$, and it wasnt worth it but I was desperate for a toy. Took out the 305ci and put a bad 454ci; which spent 6 months and 3000$ in the machine shop. Blue print and all. 500 ponies and 510ft lbs. 6 inch lift, 35x12.50's, Replacement of gears and goodies. Little body work. and SHAZAAM!! ONE BAD BOY!! Sad to say I drowned her shortly after in a 7ft hole of water. Off-road oops and that is all she wrote. Well later.
 
(Revlis @ July 08 2003 said:
Just my opinion.
Click to expand...
Thats good to know, I like the QuantumF I am wearing but I do realize that the design is pretty dated.  I'll prolly buy a new lid next year just so I can alternate...I like to have options.  Do the standard Shoei Visors fit the X-spirit?[/QUOTE]
i think that they don't but still i'm not sure...
 
After wearing Shoei helmets for the past 10 years I finally bought an Arai Quantum. Now I'm comparing it to the X-8 not the X-11. The Arai has a better finish, way better ventilation, and a better fit for me. The visor does not open as much as the Shoei which is annoying, but the chin strap retaining snap is way easier to use with gloves on. I'm a little disappointed with the wind noise, The Arai isn't as quiet as I thought it would be. The main deciding factor for me was I got tired of replacing, fixing and constantly tightening the Shoei's mounting screws for the visor assembly. Those cheesey plastic bolts come loose all the time, and have broken off twice while riding. If you do decide on an Arai you're going to have to find a dealer since Arai isn't allowing it's dealers to sell helmets mail order anymore. They changed their policy a few months back citing that they wanted to make sure every helmet sold was fit tested by a qualified dealer. They are going to lose a ton of business in my opinion. My advice is to find the helmets you like, both Arai and Shoei and then attend a major road race or a Cycle World show and compare fit and price with the vendors. That way you'll know exactly what you want and how much it should cost.
 
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