Lids!

[wellsplattered]

Having been nearly 10 years since I last purchased a lid, is there anything you would recommend avoiding whilst considering a new lid?

I notice that you can now purchase integral sun visors, flip up lids and anti mist visors.

Anything yould not do without?

[rj2para (Bisto)]

This thread may be worth a scan.

www.ntvhonda.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=31

Do you ride mainly round town or high speed long runs etc? as this may effect advice.

I mainly run round town.

Roger
AKA
rj2para

[De Graaf van Salland]

Like I already stated in the same thread:

For work I use a BMW system-5 helmet, which has a "pinlock" anti-fog visor. This is a flip-up type of helmet.
It's expensive, but I like it very much:
- Very good ventilation
- The visor doesn't fog up (unfortunately, my glasses do !)
- The rain drops just blow off the outside of the visor, so you can also see through it during rain.
- Extremely comfortable to wear.

Because I wear glasses, I would never want to have anything exept a flip-up helmet.

But, of course, it's your choise

Franklin

[micawber]

Oh, wellsplattered, you have opened a can of worms now!
Helmets are such a personal choice, you will be given contradictory advice at every turn.
If you follow rj2para's link it will be a good start.
Here's my updated contribution.
For many years I favoured a big screen and open face helmet due to the glasses wearing thing. I found the use of a peak invaluable in low sun situations, and was able to do long trips quite comfortably. I just couldn't get on with full face helmets as I didn't like constantly removing my glasses to take them off or put them on. More recently I found scooter type helmets with both a visor and peak a good compromise, used without a screen.
Some years ago I bought a Vemar flip front helmet which solved most of my problems. I didn't have to take my specs off, and was not asked to remove it at petrol stations etc. as it would flip up.
The only drawback was, no peak. A partial solution was to put a strip of black tape along the top of the visor to act as a sun shield.
I didn't realise it then, but that helmet was fairly quiet and draught free. I replaced the visor once, and probably kept the helmet well past its sell-by date.
It was replaced last year by a Takachi TK86N which is a flip front helmet with a retractable dark shade inside the main visor. Quite a bit noisier than the Vemar, a little draughty but still prone to misting. I fitted a Pinlock (fixings already supplied in helmet) and put tape along the top of the visor as before. It is a good functional helmet but I would buy another Vemar if they were available.
If you don't wear specs, or don't mind the hassle of removing them, the choice of full face helmets is vast but I believe that Schuberth is known to be a quiet helmet.
The main criterion is a good fit. It is no good buying the helmet of your dreams at vast price if it doesn't fit well. Within limits, more expensive helmets may have harder wearing interiors and fittings and so last longer but comfort is not necessarily dependent on price.
I have small head and so often find bargains inthe XS sizes in stock left on dealers' shelves -but that's me!
If you have a large clothing stockist nearby just make a nuisance of yourself and try loads of helmets for size. Even with a perfect fit you won't know how quiet it is til you have ridden some distance in it -unfortunately by then it's too late to return it!

micawber

[McF]

All of the previous advice is sound, some of it in the link from me, but to repeat the headlines:

• Don't buy anything that feels uncomfortable - you will not "get used to it", the linings only "give" a small amount. They are meant to be a snug fit, but tight is bad.
  
• The only way you will know it is comfortable is to wear it for a long time. I am not afraid to put a helmet on for 20 - 30 minutes before making my mind up (take a book!)
  
• The last thing to look at when choosing you helmet is the price. Expensive isn't necessarily the best for you, Cheap isn't necessarily poor. Aim for gold standard then find the one that fits and is comfortable. Take note of Micawber's advice on Spectacles (I don't wear them, so not previously suffered). This may influence on flip front or even open face.
  
• There are all sorts of gimmicks and gadgets that you can get with a helmet. Of all of them, a sun visor is the best thing I've ever had (Micawber's tape is a good idea though)
  
• Go to a shop where you can get sound advice on the best helmet for you. Either a big bike shop with a proper clothing department, or (and I have to get this in, even though I'm not on commission) - Hein Gericke, I cannot praise them enough.
  You cannot put a price on your head, so pay whatever it costs for the right helmet, then treat it with more respect, love and attention than anything else you possess.
  

[Buzzin (^_^)]

Well, the thread above will get you want I think of my current helmet, not what I would always advice, so here goes:
What the other said +
- I couldn't do without the sunvisor in my helmet
- I would always make sure a pinlock or stick in anti-fog visor can be fitted, I can only see for about 3 seconds without (perhaps I am a heavy breather?)
- Personal preference: I like the fast straps, not the double Ds
- Make sure the lining comes out, lots easier to clean it that way, making sure your helmet stays minty fresh during the years.

And remember, plastic helmets should be replaced about every 3 years, policarbonate ones every 5 years. Yes, they are bloody expensive if they only last for a few years....but the shells dry out and become brittle. (I just saw a special about it today )

[wellsplattered]

Thanks for tips, experience and advise. Just what I was hoping for

I do not usually drive long distances, most of my trips are usually fairly short. The bike will mainly be used for short and medium trips, excluding the trip to France shortly!

I prefer seatbelt buckles rather than D's. My last lid had a seatbelt clip and was much easier to unclip when it was cold!

I wear glasses, but have gotten into the habit of wearing contact lenses on the bike. The lenses tend to dry out with a lot of air flow. So vents/visor open to defog will cause my lenses to dry out over a long ride. Antifog seems a good option!

Never had a flip open, but had a p*** pot for a while. Like the look of the flip open.

used to change visors on the lid, so a flip down sun visor looks great!

I was looking at the HJC IS-MAX as the next lid, any thoughts?

[Jaz66]

Had my say already

Caberg Flip....

HJC looks good


Why not try this for a 2nd opinion on lids
not quite the same, an FS-max but
Pretty extensive reviews on most kit
www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/hjc/fs-max/

a few more closer to your choice
www.kneedraggers.com/details/HJC_CLMax_Modular_Full_Face_Helmet_Solid_Black--601786.html

www.extremesupply.com/hjchelmets/2009/hjchelmetsISMax.htm

all the best ,,

[De Graaf van Salland]

Just some more promotion for the BMW-helmet:

bikerholic.com/2009/01/13/prices-slashed-on-bmw-system-5-helmet/

[cowboy]

Just got a nitro 347 fip front with sun visor can be used as open face as well, handy for towns and stuff , i wear glasses and this is the only one i have had that does not mist up when fully closed

[micawber]

Having posted on my choice of helmet I suppose I might have expected something to happen to take the wind out of my sails.
Last week I noticed that the release mechanism on my Takachi TK86N was occasionally getting stiff, making the flip front hard to release. I went back to J&S Accessories in Northwich where I had originally bought the thing and one of the staff spent some time lubing the bits that he could get to. This seemed to fix it.
The next day I went to North Wales and exasperatingly began to find that I could not release it at all without wrestling with it and flexing it from side to side.

I took it back to J&S the next day and they made the observation that I had been using it through the winter months; some of the fixing screws inside the chin piece were rusty so it was possible that some of the internals were suffering from salt too. When I suggested that I was surely not the only one who rode a bike all the year round they replied that this was the first Takachi which they'd heard of having problems.

As I'd only had it since last October/November they suggested that I could either have a direct replacement or pay the difference between what I paid for it and a higher spec helmet. There is a sale on at the moment with 20% off most items. I tried several helmets on and eventually came away with a Caberg Justissimo GT for an additional £20. I had tried a Caberg Trip and found that though it fitted well, the sun visor came in contact with my glasses preventing it from dropping down.

So I cannot fault J&S for after sales service.

The Caberg has much more of a quality feel than the Takachi, with better side to side visibility.
I note that the Caberg came with an internal anti fog coating. This is something worth looking for in a visor as although something like a Pinlock works well, if you wear glasses you are going to be looking through those, a Pinlock, and the visor itself which is three layers of plastic. Something like a Pinlock also creates faint internal reflections from headlights at night which combined with a rainy visor reduces your ability to see clearly.

Something else to think about when buying a helmet.

Micawber.

[De Graaf van Salland]

The first visor on my BMW5-helmet only had an internal anti-fog coating. With only the coating, the visor would still fog up.
That visor was replaced by one with a pin-lock anti-fog system. And that really works well.

I wear specs. And I can't say that I have problems looking through 3 layers of plastic.
Although I rarely use it at night-time; so I can't really comment on the internal reflection issue.


Franklin

[Buzzin (^_^)]

I avoid anti-fog coatings if I can.
Several forums I frequent are less then satisfied with them, as they tend to come off/stop working after a while.
Then again, I don't have any problems (that are not my own fault) with my stick-in visor. Mind you, this is one specifically made for my visor. I clean it regularly with water and cloth, something that you have to be extra careful with when you have a coating.
I never had any double vision etc. (I wear lenses, so again 3 layers of plastic )

To be honest, your mileage may vary, every person is different and so should you helmet be.

Nice service of J&S, I wish all bike shops were that nice

[micawber]

The anti fog comment was just an observation. It made me think about my old Vemar flip front helmet. The original visor never misted up, but once I replaced it with a Bob Heath one, some misting occurred on every ride.

The Takachi flip front helmet I recently replaced had a bad problem with misting, and was not sold as having an anti fog coating. The Pinlock cured that completely, though my glasses misted slightly sometimes. The Takachi visor pre-Pinlock also never seemed as 100% clear as my previous visor, and the extra layer of the Pinlock just seemed to exaggerate the situation slightly. I would still recommend the Pinlock system however.

My current Caberg with anti-fog coating is noticeably less prone to misting than the Takachi visor was originally, and seems to have a very clear visor. Still, it's only a week old, and the Takachi was ridden through the worst of the winter, with snow, hail, sleet,
and salt crystals seemingly conspiring with the low winter sun to make life uncomfortable every time I needed to travel any sort of distance.

Fixings. I used to swear by double D rings but my last and current helmet both have a tapered ratchet fixing, quick and easy to put on, adjust, and release once set up properly.

Something to bear in mind is that the anti scratch coating is only on the outside of the visor, so the inside is just a soft plastic surface. Presumably this also applies to the alleged anti fog coatings on the inside which from posters' reports seem to vary in effectiveness. Just be very careful in cleaning visors generally. I use warm water and a soft cloth, and then squirt Mr Sheen or Pledge on the outside and polish with another soft cloth. This helps raindrops to roll away instead of sticking. Also makes your helmet smell nice. In the Summer all those bugs will glue themselves to the visor but I have found if that if you wet a paper kitchen towel and leave it in your visor it will make it easier to get them off after ten minutes or so.

I have just noticed that I am accumulating Karma. What does this relate to? Helpfulness? Number of posts? (they don't seem to add up when I compare with other people's posts). Maybe it's the number of words in each post? Can't help that, my typing finger just runs away with me! Clean living? I would like to know.

Micawber.

[rj2para (Bisto)]

I have just given you some more Karma by clicking on Exalt under your avatar.

Basically you write interesting posts.



Always worth a read.

I used to use washing up liquid inside my old lid, I guess it depends what you compare this to. If it works for you great.

My current lid has a pinloc system fitted which I have to say I am very pleased with.

Cheers
Roger