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-   -   Which Helmet? Tips on buying a good helmet (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/ride-safe/19699-helmet-tips-buying-good-helmet-149.html)

Hey Coolrain! That's a fantastic deal. If i am not wrong X-lite is a Noolan company? How much would this helmet be in India? Double the price?:D

Also, Is X-Lite an L and fitting you fine?

Yeah we both got a great deal and I think buying from abroad makes a lot of sense for lids and other important accessories:thumbs up

Look forward to a detailed review of it after you crunch some miles on it

Ride Safe !!!

That's a very nice pick, coolrain. Shops like Regina and Chong Aik sometimes have really great deals. I picked my Shoei from Regina and I've been really happy with the quality. Did you also pick up extra visor, because it becomes really tough to source one here in India.

Phew! After a lot of confusion, choosing LS2 Atmos to MT blade and then to THH and then to Studds Shifter and then to Vega Axor A1. All because my place doesn't have any of the above brands except studds and axor.

Costed me 2690 bucks. I tried Studds shifter first and then Axor. Axor felt snug, solid and safe compared to studds.

In 3K budget i think LS2 is the better deal and even MT helmets.

AGV will not come under 3K i understand.

There is one store in Andheri called AH helmets. You can find lot of brands and styles there.

I will suggest go for at least DOT and ECE standards certified helmets.

LS2 and MT I dont think come under 4.5k

AGV starts at 11k or so...

Finally laid hands on my 2nd helmet in 2 weeks. clap:

First one was the Shark Speed R and now the Bell RS-1

Excellent quality and graphics are simply wow!!!

Immediate thoughts the Shark Speed R is higher quality helmet than the Bell RS 1 though this one is a SNELL rated. However, both seem equally light and super well built

Bell RS 1 retails for INR 35,000 in India but, got this helmet for a mouth-watering price

I liked one feature of this helmet is the magnet that holds the D-ring unlike a traditional button

Haven't rode with this helmet but, will make a comparison of all my 3 helmets soon:D

That's an amazing helmet!

What are the trusted sites to get helmets (and riding gear) in the U.S? Something that is reputable and has good discounts too. My brother will be flying down in a few months and was thinking of getting some decent gear.
Also, does anyone know of any store in HYD that stocks the big brands? Just so I can test the sizes out before ordering online.

Try out from following:
Motorcyclegear.com
Cyclegear.com
Motosport.com

Out of above cycle gear has their shops in almost all US states.

In the US, Revzilla and Sportbike Track gear are the most reputed, but there are others with smaller coverage that you'll have to look out for depending on which city/state your brother is in. Ask local riders or browser biker forums, because some of these stores are lesser known here , but often offer similar or better deals than Revzilla and STG.

Often, the bike dealers themselves stock gear and give good deals.

Awesome choice! BTW, is it a poly-carbonate shell, or fiberglass?


I don't think you will find spares in Chennai. SPG used to retail SOL before, but have stopped for a few years now. Your best bet is to contact "Let's Gear Up" in Bangalore and check if they have spares. They are the current retailers for SOL.

I've been using the same Cramster pants for 3 years now! :D
They are really good in rains/cold climate, but be ready to feel hot in summer conditions! However, this is my second riding pant (the first one, also a cramster was replaced after a tumble) these pants are tough! Will take a beating, even with the stock CE armors. I've upgraded to SAS-TEC on the current pair though.


Note from Support: Posts merged. Please use QUOTE+/MULTI-QUOTE when responding to multiple posts. Post edited!

Sorry for cross-posting but, I thought the folks looking for helmets would venture here more than my ownership thread so posting it again from my ownership thread

-------------------------------------
As promised, here is a short review of my 3 helmets (not counting the other 2 that are lying dormant since I bought the MT-Blade:D)

This review is personal and based on my experience and is not at all influenced by price/brand etc

Shark Speed R

--Excellent helmet in terms of overall built quality
--Super light (Feels almost feather weight)
--Inner pads have a fantastic build quality
--D-ring and strap is thick and oozes quality. Infact, this strap will need a break-in time as even after wearing this helmet for 700kms, it's still pretty hard to button-up
--Nice and Airy
--Extremely silent. I don't hear a thing inside the helmet and it's surreal. ----Never experienced this feeling before
--My spectacles slide in smoothly like knife running through butter
--Extremely high quality external and internal visor and difference is very much evident
--Love the internal visor feature
--Operating the internal visor is from top-left of the helmet (unique position) and difficult in the beginning but, can get used to it

Summary : One of the best quality helmet money can buy

Bell RS-1

--Excellent helmet in terms of overall built quality. However, there is an --immediate quality difference with Shark Speed R which feels little more superior
--Feels equally light
--Inner pads also don't feel as superior as Shark Speed R
--D-ring and strap is of very good quality and has a unique feature; there's a magnet that sticks on to close the button of the strap
--Very difficult to slide in my eye-glasses. I literally have to push my eye-glasses and adjust the sticks 3-4 times to get it right
--High quality visor
--It does NOT have an internal visor and this is only negative feature of this helmet

Summary : Excellent overall build quality and I'm hoping will be as silent as the Shark Speed R. Yet to ride with this helmet and will pore in with more thoughts when I use it for a few hundred kilometers

MT-Blade

--After handling Shark and Bell, massive difference in quality and MT now feels inferior in overall built quality
--Not as light as Shark or Bell
--Inner pads feel like some sponges that have been affixed inside and not some high quality cushions
--D-ring and strap is of decent quality
--Very comfortable to wear and this helmet fit me right off the shelf and no break-in was needed
--It gets a little windy at higher speeds but, nothing that bothers me too much
--My spectacles slide in smoothly and dont have to struggle as with Bell RS-1
--Good quality internal and external visors but, after experiencing the Shark and Bell there is a major difference in terms of clarity
--Love the internal visor feature
--Operating the internal visor is from left-side of helmet and is logical and comfortable place to operate while riding

Summary : I personally feel this is the best helmet < 10K

Thanks a lot for the links.
I have narrowed it down to these two but can't decide which one.
1. Nolan N86
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/nolan-n86-helmet
2. Bell Vortex
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/b...x-solid-helmet

The reviews for the Bell Vortex say it is too loud. That's the only reason I am drifting towards the Nolan.
Any suggestions?

It is a snell rated "tri-weave shell made with layers of Kevlar, carbon fiber and fiberglass"

Do not get Vortex. In Bell, Get the RS 1 or higher model

Compared to both helmets, I would recommend the Noolan even though Vortex is Bell's highest selling helmet!!

I have no personal experience with either, nor friends using any of the two, but generally Nolan lids are regarded as higher quality (not necessarily safer).

As for noise, forget about buying a helmet based on quietness because there are lot of contradictory reviews for the same model of helmet with some saying it's very quiet and some saying the opposite. It depends on the bike's fairing/wind channeling too. I was also on the lookout for a quiet lid since my MT Blade is quite loud at 3 digit speeds. After reading many reviews, I decided the better way was to focus on my biggest problem - high quadrant vision and fit , and as for noise, I use earplugs.

I can't say for Schuberth lids which are supposed to be the quietest, but with most helmets you'll gain a lot more via earplugs than trying to go for the quietest helmet.

Really appreciate the input, gentlemen!

So I stumbled across this gem and even though it is over the $200 budget I had set, I am willing to spend that bit extra because I am a sucker for Rossi. :p
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/a...tinents-helmet

But then the solid K3 costs just $179 and the K4 Evo is on sale for $179 too! I am not sure if I shud spend the extra $50 for just the crazy Rossi livery.
What do I do?
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/agv-k3-helmet
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/a...o-helmet-solid