New Helmet Search

[Smithers]

Just some notes and advice in my search for a new helmet. I have an Arai RX-7 right now that I LOVE. I also have a Shoei helmet that I've had for years and years. It's thoroughly broken in (too much) and just worn out inside. The shell is an awesome early Troy Lee Design (from 10 years ago) and it looks awesome. Buuuut it's just not suitable anymore. It has been the helmet for passengers that want to ride with me but it's time to replace it. The problem is that the helmets that I have been looking at are to nice to let passengers use so we'll see how my seach goes. I don't know if I would let anyone use my RX-7 since they are too much money to replace. No one takes care of your own stuff as good as you.

I was looking at another Arai but it might be time to try something else. I've tried the Suomy helmets on but they are just too tight of a fit with the Medium. The large of course is just too loose so I don't know if there is a solution to that problem. In my search I have also found a few on Ebay that have cracked paint. Maybe they have too much plastic on them that flexes too much? I don't know.

That brings me to the AGV brand. I have really come to like AGV and a friend of mines company is related to their products. They were actually sent a very sweet helmet to put on display in their office with their other clients product arrangement. Have a look at this baby!

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/agv_xr-2_rossimotogp01.jpg

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/agv_xr-2_rossimotogp02.jpg

[Smithers]

At AGP and on other dealer sites this seems to be the closest one I can find: http://www.agv.it/prodotto.asp?Id_Prodotto=2

It seems that the above paint scheme is super limited edition. Hmmmm.

[Smithers]

If you want to see some really crazy helmet paint designs and a long list of helmet pictures have a look at this link. I'm posting it because it's the largest collection of helmet pictures I have seen. Damn. Lots of helmet and helmet paint designs. (http://rides.webshots.com/explore/motorcycle/helmet)

[Smithers]

Well I've been wanting the Rossi Ed. AGV but that model is just too much, even used. Well if it were in front of me and I could try it on it would be a different story. AGV runs some pretty weird sizing when it comes to the fit of their helmets and I just can't take a gamble on what I think will fit my head. So I'll have to pass on their line of helmets.

Next up is the Suomy brand. The purpose of my second helmet is to have a helmet for a passenger, mainly. Then I got to thinking... my RX-7 Arai will cost over $700 to replace if it gets stolen or damaged. I would like to use my second helmet more so that I don't have to worry about it so much and I can leave it on the bike as well without fear of someone swiping it. The Suomy is also too attractive so if I bought one of those it would be kinda hard to justify. The Suomy brand is available to me at a discount but there are some downsides to the helmet that are known.

#1 The plastic parts that are added to the exterior shell of them tend to break. I'm pretty careful with my stuff but I've seen the rear exhaust vents crush rather easily. They make them out of really thin plastic so that they are lightweight but it's too thin! Getting replacement parts seems to be very difficult as well.

#2 They are the loudest inside from the wind noise. I would have to wear earplugs which is a huge pain in the ass.

#3 They are expensive! Seems that even some distributors have been calling it quits because of the low profit margins. Is Suomy being greedy and assuming they already have a premium product that everyone is demanding? I think so. But Arai is all over the racing scene in AMA and other events offering helmets left and right to racers and working with them on custom colors too. Arai won't have any of Suomy gaining any traction in the U.S. If Suomy dropped their prices and moved more helmets in the introductory months then I think they would be in a lot better position with customers.

Here are some shots of the Suomy helmet paint designs I really like and have seriously considered buying:

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_suomy_capirossi.jpg

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_suomy_cathedral.jpg

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_suomy_bellagio.jpg

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_suomy_bellagioback.jpg

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_suomy_biaggi_cathy.jpg

[Smithers]

I have seen too many Suomy helmets with damage to the rear plastic pieces. There is no way I would buy one when I think about it. They are really fragile in that area and you see them on Ebay being sold be dealers who are trying to sell them with damages plastic pieces. I'll pass based on that alone. I don't want to have to baby a helmet that much.

What's next? Well I looked at the HJC's and have been eyeing the carbon fiber models. The full carbon fiber exterior is just a little too much "look at me I'm overboard with the carbon fiber" attitude. They did just come out with a new model called the FS-15 that is very affordable. A few reputable review sites also did claim that the HJC was VERY high quality stuff so I have been looking into it further. The their carbon fiber models are supposed to be the lightest helmet you can get and a friend of mine uses one a lot and likes it very much. I really like the HJC CF (carbon fiber) model that has white painted objects on it as well. They only make this color scheme on the CF in the AC-12 model and it's called the Carbon Vader Helmet. The price gets up towards $400 on that model so I'll just keep that a nice thought for now. I tried on a couple HCJ and the padding was a little rougher than I expected. When putting on the helmet a few times during a day I prefer the smoothest and softest (within reason) material I can get in a helmet. I've been spoiled with the Arai RX-7! When I get some more energy I'll post a picture or two of the CF model helmet that I like.

I'm pretty shocked at how low priced the HJC line is and the quality is right up there as well. If the material was a little more nice to my face I would have picked one up while I was there at Momentum Motorsports shop. And then I saw another helmet that I was curious about...

[Smithers]

I happened to notice this other helmet sitting in the middle of the helmet display so I had to go play with it. The Shark brand has a smaller viewing area to look out of the helmet but it just reminds me of the race car helmets like Simpson brand helmets that I used to wear all the time racing cars. So this didn't really bother me when I tried it on. The helmet seemed to fit tightly which is good for the high speed runs and I have read online that they tend to break in pretty good to. I was offered the Shark RS1 Alien painted helmet at cost since it was ordered a size too small for the person it was intended for. After thinking about it I have decided to go back and pick it up. I like the silver on it more than anything and with a nice iridium shield it will really be something to look at. The air noise should definitely be less than my Arai and people LOVE this helmet in reviews all over the internets. :lol:

The helmet padding seemed nearly as smooth as my Arai so running errands with this helmet won't wear my cheeks down I hope. The face shield is so impact resistant that the guy in the shop flexed it completely inside out over his knee. I didn't need to see that to be convinced but it was interesting none the less. Also the shield is removed by pushing a button and then it just pops off.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_sharky.jpg

I'll report back when I pick it up. I'll just be happy to have a helmet I don't have to worry about getting stolen or damaging. I'll be taking care of it but if it disappears I won't feel like I've lost a fortune!

[Smithers]

I guess the reason I'm so picky about helmets is because here is what I've been using for a couple years. I picked this Arai RX-7 helmet up from the guys at http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com (http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/) and it is the single more important purchase as far as my motorcycle riding gear is concerned.

The Roberts Arai RX-7:

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/arai_helmet.jpg

This is the best helmet I've ever used and the only thing that could be equal is probably the X Eleven by Shoei. I actually have an older X-7 Shoei that's so worn out inside of it that it's just around because of all the memories I have in it.

Since I've been reading more and more about all these helmets I've been paying attention to wind noise and field of vision and other factors while wearing my yellow and black RX-7 Arai. I'm looking forward to the Shark being a super light helmet and also being more quiet due to the lack of aggressive venting like the Arai RX-7.

[Smithers]

So what did I find? Well Momentum Moto of Paso Robles hooked me up with a deal too good to pass up on that Shark Helmet. Check out the final product as it is now in my hot little hands.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_shark_01.jpg

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_shark_00.jpg

As a bonus Keith threw in a limited edition AGV Helmet mouse pad! Whoa now that's the deal closer right there. I couldn't let that mouse pad go. Momentum Moto will have the AGV GP-TECH line of helmets in by October and everyone's waiting on them. With any luck we might get to see a AGV GP-TECH Rossi limited edition come through the shop if AGV does indeed produce a limited run of them.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/avg_pad.jpg

And the Shark Helmets website: http://www.shark-helmetsus.com/

[digglah]

Those GP Tech Rossi's have been released.. I saw the orders come out of preorder status early last month... them darr lids are a shippin'!!!!

[Smithers]

I picked up a blue iridium shield for the Shark RSI this week. It's MUCH better to ride out in the daytime now. It hurts to use any kind of sunglasses that aren't very flexible. To the shield was a must and I don't regret buying it. I haven't sensed a bit of fog in this helmet so far so the breath guard and chinbar vent are doing their jobs well.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_shark_02.jpg

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_shark_03.jpg

And a couple other shots from different angles to show more of the underside as well.
http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_sharky_w00.jpg

[Smithers]

And for the ladies this is definitely a classy helmet here. It obviously has the pink butterfly on the Shoei RF1000 helmet. They did a pretty good job making the colors more pale and not so annoying as a super strong pink. Pictures taken inside Momentum Moto (http://momentummoto.com) motorcycle gear and accessories in Paso Robles California.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_momentum_01.jpg

[Smithers]

I thought this was funny. Here is Kenny Roberts Jr. showing us how to remove and replace the Arai RX7 face shield on behalf of Arai. What a great guy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsQB2I02Gww

Boy this video really puts you to sleep just like all the ones they show students in college or like the instructional and safety videos in your workplace. I'm sleepy just previewing this clip.

On another note: I just returned from a weekend up at Laguna Seca for the 2008 AMA Superbike Finale Boy was that a lot of fun. Meeting up there with all the local dudes really made for a great time. I also made sure to swing by the Arai representative tent and get some tips on repairing my own Roberts replica Arai RX-7 RR. One of the rear vents is damaged so I really was looking forward to finding out how to repair it properly. The Arai rep told me that to replace the rear vent I can peel it off and replace it with a new one, no problem. They are held on with double-sided tape which can be loosened up with a heat gun. The only thing is that he didn't have one that was made for my specific Roberts paint scheme so he gave me his card and I can contact him soon for him to send me one right out. Sweet!!

Now if I could have just gotten one of these girls to jump on my bike and ride back home with me...

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/seca_ama08_girlies.jpg

[Smithers]

So a friend of mine JUST received a brand new AGV GP Tech helmet that I'm going to surely get some close pictures of very soon. He says the inside of it looks amazing.

I also found a great review of the SHark RSR2 helmet that was very favorable even compared to the Arai RX-7 and the Shoei X11 helmets. It's a quick and painless read. He also talks about fogging issues between all those helmets. My own Arai RX-7 never fogs and my Shark RSI has yet to fog ever and I don't think it will. I would love to try the SHark RSR2 myself as people simply love them and use them. http://rswarrior.com/forums/t/104778.aspx

Here is another well put together Shark RSR2 helmet review. What makes this review interesting is the users track experience. Hell, he even low-sided wearing it on the track! I'm becoming such a supporter of the SHark brand myself... http://www.cyclematters.com/motorcycle-pro...e-racing-helmet (http://www.cyclematters.com/motorcycle-product-reviews/motorcycle-gear/shark-helmets-motorcycle-racing-helmet)

Best for last: The best Shark RSR2 review I've seen yet. Hard to top so much first-hand information from this reviewer!
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/shark-rsr2/

And the Shark Helmets website: http://www.shark-helmetsus.com/

My HJC AC-12 Ben Spied Carbon Fiber helmet should be here by early next week. I couldn't pass up the deal for $260 free shipping and no tax. That's just insane for a hand made helmet like that. They also come with the sock type helmet bag BUT also come with a thick helmet bag with handles and a zipper. woohoO!
:lol:

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/seca_ama08_spies_helmet.jpg

[Smithers]

Another shot of a bunch of friends helmets all sittin on top of a bar table. :D

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/7_13_dtb08.jpg

Hell they all look good!

[Smithers]

So UPS was on my block today dropping off my HJC Elbows Spies Carbon Fiber AC-12. It's exactly what I expected since I got a chance to try on my friends Medium size AC-12 that you see signed by Spies himself in the above post. The Medium fit great once it was on my head but putting it on past my ears really hurt. I would expect a slight headache after some time in the Medium so LARGE it is! My Large AC-12 is just the comfortable size to ride in. I wouldn't want to hit those higher speeds with it as it's not that tight but for sport bike cruising speed (which is still pretty quick) it is just the right size.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_hjc_carbon_01s.jpg

I went for a short ride around some backroads and on the freeway with the vents open and I can put the noise level of this helmet RIGHT in between the Shark RSI and the Arai RX-7. The Shark RSI is just super silent to the point at which it really surprised me when I first went for a ride in it. The HJC AC-12 bumps the noise level up a notch and a half but also lets a lot more air in than the Shark RSI. Then to the extreme side sits the Arai RX-7 which indeed flows more air through it but in turn produces more sound with the vents that protrude out of the top... and maybe the plastic plates that cover the face shields hinge mechanism.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_hjc_carbon_00s.jpg

The AC-12 needs some breaking in before I can comment on the fit but it sits on my head more firmly than the Shark RSI. This can only mean that the HJC AC-12 has more of an interior shape in tune with the Arai RX-7. The material that covers the interior isn't near as luxurious as the RX-7 which is ok since it didn't cost me a fortune. I will rate the interior fabric of the Shark just above the HJC as well. The Shark RSI is one really comfortable helmet when I consider the material inside is more friendly to my face and the front chin bar is closer to my mouth as well. After riding in a Shark you realize just how far the front chin bar is away from your face in other helmets... especially the HJC AC-12. I don't plan on going down on the street anytime soon but I can say that I would rather go down wearing the Shark over the HJC. It feels more substantial just because it fits me a little tighter than the HJC and the chin bar is much closer to my face. I pray I never damage the Arai in any way simply because it would cost a fortune to replace!

[Smithers]

I just got back from a night ride this evening on the V-strom. What a killer helmet the HJC AC-12 carbon is! This helmet is the best thing ever. When I left a friends house I picked up the helmet to walk out the door and it surprised me again how light it is. The wind noise was very low since I was behind the V-strom windscreen. I like to basically break down the helmet noise into two categories: 1.The high speed swishing you can hear over the smaller vents or recesses in the mid and upper parts of the helmet.
2. Then I can differentiate another type of noise which is the lower frequency waffs of noise that come from the lower opening of the helmet near your neck.
http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_hjc_carbon_02.jpg

The HCJ carbon had less low frequency noise as it covers your neck a little lower than the Shark RSI thus producing less wind turbulence. But it has more higher frequency wind noise from the number of vents that it has compared to the Shark RSI which only has a couple. In the next coupe days I'll take the HJC out on the Aprilia to get the whole helmet out in the wind so see how it sounds on a sportbike. The light weight is becoming more of an advantage than I thought it would be. Turning your head side to side with the HJC is effortless. I'm not sure if that's because of the aerodynamics of the helmet or solely due to the light weight. When I jump on the Aprilia with it I'll find out pretty quickly. One last note, my ears were most comfortable in the HJC AC-12. There is a lot of room in there for the ears. Wearing earplugs will easily be the most pleasurable in the HJC. I don't think I'll have much of a problem not wearing plugs with the HJC and the Shark is so quiet anyways. The Arai RX-7 almost requires them when you wear it.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_hjc_carbon_03.jpg

I actually could feel the air being pulled out of the rear diffuser / exhuast vents back there. I tested it out by closing off the front vents, standing up and looking down a little. This seemed to cause air to pull out pretty good. I will be trying this with the Arai to see if I can get the same effect. I've never felt the air pull out like that out of the Arai before but I'll try again the same way. With factors like the chin bar being further away from my face then any other helmets I've tried, the amount of air being push/pulled through this helmet and the included breath guard... I can't forsee the (anti-fog) face shield fogging up ever. It's been pretty impressive so far.

**UPDATE notes from November: This HJC is really really comfortable and vents air like crazy. I was surprised when I got up to sporty speed how much air was going through. I'm just really bummed because the Large is just a little too big to ride at fast speeds. A medium hurts to take on and off my head but fits perfectly once on. I don't want to wait for a medium to break in so I'll just use this Large for cruisin around and not for high speed stuff. If anyone finds that this helmet fits their head pretty good and it doesn't hurt to take on and off go for it... this is a GREAT helmet and can be found at compacc.com for $260 with free shipping and no tax. The sheilds are really inexpensive as well which is awesome. Mine hasn't fogged up one bit. Ok END NOTES, thanks for reading.

I also got a deal recently on a Medium Shark RSR2 helmet which I can't wait to try out. I'll be sure to talk about that one when it arrives as well. I'm predicting that the Medium size will fit just as good as the RSI model and be perfect for more high speed situations than the HJC AC-12. If the HJC Large size was a tiny bit smaller it would be a better fit on me. But at this point the Arai RX-7 Medium fits on me the best and is more stable on my head at speed. We'll see how the RSR2 does against the RX-7.

[Smithers]

Here is an interesting helmet. The Bell Star helmet is Bell's best offering for street helmets. But here is the interesting part... it's branded by Roland Sands RSD. It's got a custom paint job on it using the $100 bill as the theme and then some burgundy red wings coming from the back. This helmet definitely won't match anyones streetbike but it's pretty neat looking if you ask me. RSD has a lot of haters though, as you can see from the comments. I think this will be a good selling helmet as it comes with a special edition box and also an OGIO brand helmet bag... pretty slick.

Check it out over at the Hell For Leather Website (http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2008/10/roland-sands-brings-benjamins.html#more) which is one of my favorite websites around. B)

[Smithers]

So Santa (Mr. Fed Ex) stopped by my house today and dropped off a present. I am so impressed by my Shark RSI I had to bump it up a notch and order up a Shark RSR2 Fugiwara Replica helmet. I am nothing but happy with this lid and I can't wait to until it's broken in. Right now being a Medium it's a little tight but so was my Arai RX-7 Medium. But now my Arai is well broken in and it's the best thing ever.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_shark_rsr2_01.jpg

The padding is so soft and smooth (like the Arai) that I don't mind it being so small taking it off and on. This would hurt in other helmets that skimp on the smooth material.
http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_shark_rsr2_02.jpg

This thing fits nice and tight on me and will surely stay in place when warp speed kicks in. I can't wait to try it out.

If you're wondering who the hell Fujiwara is here is his Team Kawasaki webpage: K. Fujiwara Team Green 600 Supersport (http://www.kawasaki-racingteam.eu/road-race/gil/rider.asp?Id=47FF6997) Kawasaki probably isn't too happy about his helmet colors! You can tell because they chopped off a majority of his helmet on his bio page. :o You can still see his eyes but this was definitely on purpose. He used to ride a Honda so the RED & BLUE colors made sense back then but now on a lime green bike...

[Smithers]

I almost need to break down my helmets in different threads here on this forum... but not yet. Here is a look at my Shark RSI on a ride a couple weeks ago. This is my most used helmet now as it's quiet and fits perfect for casual riding and is just barely tight enough for faster riding without pressing too hard against my nose. :lol: People really love the paint job on it which I'm surprised. It's called "The Alien" but it's so crazy that no one has ever figured out what the theme is. The other Alien helmets that don't have the glitter on them are easier to see the Alien details.. I prefer the glitter. :P

The Shark helmets are so light I think they should be a lot more popular. Mine is breaking in really nicely and I can take it on and off my head all day long and it doesn't hurt my face or ears. AND IT's MADE IN FRANCE... not China.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_shark_me.jpg

[Smithers]

Here is my buddies Shoei RF-1000 helmet. I haven't heard him say one bad thing about it. He does have a new HJC Elbow style FS-15 helmet on order though. I think he'll use the Elbow helmet for show and the flat grey Shoei for "blending in" when trying not be noticed by the cops. ;)

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_shoei_rf1000_01.jpg

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_shoei_rf1000_02.jpg

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_shoei_rf1000_03.jpg

[Smithers]

I have had some time to really put some miles on the ol Shark RSR2 helmet and I love everything about it. It fits tight and secure on me and I once it's on I don't have to adjust it one bit for as long as I ride for which is really nice. Me and my group were riding "swiftly" for a whole day and we covered a lot of California ground on different types of roads... from open valleys to mountain paths down to the 101 and back up the coast.

At one point we were spaced maybe 2 bike lengths between riders at the most and we all found our tires kicking gravel right up into each others faces. These few seconds I got showered with more rocks at high speed than I have ever seen in all my life. We did a lot of miles that day and that instance was the most dangerous instance the whole day. Seeing rocks fly right at your face makes you flinch your head down and that half of a second looking away from the road almost had me riding off the hillside. These shrapnel were as big as quarters just shredding the front of your bike and helmet. It was like some evil elves had jumped out from the bushes in front of you and started shooting you up rocks. It was bad.

NEVER TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD. As long as your face shield is down just grin and bear it. Better to look into the hail storm then to ride off the road cause you are ducking down. I almost went right off myself!

When we stopped up ahead I instantly took off my RSR2 to survey the damage to it. The face sheild being the thickest one that you can buy on a streetbike helmet was nicked in a few places but not severely scratched to the point that I would need to replace it. But the one big shot that I took to my dome really put a dent in the left temple area of the helmet. It's not that bad but considering the force it takes to chip the plastic that much that one particular rock was a doozy. It seriously felt like small baseball bats to the head and the front of my Aprilia. My front fender is actually missing a 2 inch piece out of it from that barrage. Needless to say there are many more random nicks and dents in the front of my bodywork. Oh well I don't care. That's riding!

If you look close you can see a few chips. The obvious one and then another one on top of the Shark logo and another just above the mouth piece.
http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_shark_rsr2_03.jpg

In case anyone wants to see the shield mechanism. The round buttons don't do anything at all. They are just a pivot for the shield. The thing that looks like a tooth turns once the shield is placed on the helmet, in order to hold the shield in place.
http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_shark_rsr2_04.jpg

Thank goodness the shield is so thick! I had to tell myself that the shield is rated for F1 helmet thickness and to put my eyes back on the road even though it was raining debris.

[Smithers]

My next helmet will probably be an AGV GP-Tech. Not that I need a helmet anytime soon but if I could ask for one more...

Here is a GREAT review showing all sorts of details of this helmet that you wouldn't otherwise see. They are simply awesome and fit sooo nicely around the head. A friend of mine has one and it's the best helmet I've ever played with. It's too large for me so I can't really try it out and get a good feel for it. It's really too big. Ok the best review I've seen on it so far: http://gordonfraser.wordpress.com/2008/05/16/review-agv-gp-tech-helmet/

[Smithers]

Ok after trying on LOTS of helmets and riding around with them on here and there I can say that Arai is still my favorite. People say that the Scorpion helmets fit awesome so I need to try one of those next. I know a couple that each owns a Scorpion and they just LOVE them. So I need to try one sometime.

In the meantime I'm having a hard time not buying another Arai. I don't want the super air cooled venting ninja style RX-7, I just want one of the regular models. I couldn't help but check this one at a local store. It has my colors that for sure. And everyone loves the checkers. I like the fact that they are ghosted into the paint. :)

The size is Large which fits great but under some xtreme wind it could be a tad loose. A broken in M is perfect for me but a new Large would be relaxing for just cruisin.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_arai_wide_01.jpg

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/streetbikestuff/helmet_arai_wide_02.jpg

[Smithers]

Hmmm the Pinlock system seems reasonable: http://pinlockusa.net/Home

Seems like you buy one of their fog shields that accept inserts that cut out the fog. Pretty interesting. For all you cheapos out there I have also found the unknown answer to your fogging problems. I think that Rain-X antifog stuff if absolute junk. It's a pain in the butt to put on and it stinks. I don't even know if it works in helmets but I tried it in my truck once and it was a mistake. So what do I use if I have a shield that isn't anti-fog from the factory? Well the best thing that I have found that prevents fogging is SHAVING CREAM! Yeap its' true. Grab any can of shaving cream and wipe some on the inside of your helmet lense. Everyone has the stuff so it won't cost you a dime.... AND IT WORKS!!

[Smithers]

And in Helmet News!

I think this new Vector design will be a first choice for nearly all Arai Heads.

Arai Helmets has announced a new Kevin Schwantz “Restyle” Replica retro-graphic helmet as a mid-season addition to its 2009 helmet line.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/articles/news_arai_schwantzsm.jpg
http://www.sportrider.com/news/146_0905_arai_official_student_helmet/index.html

[Smithers]

Shark RSR2 Helmet Update

Well I've ridden a few times with the Medium RSR2 on and it still fits tight, tighter than my Arai Medium. I don't mind so much BUT it hurts the tops of my ears! I actually took out the earpadding and removed some material which helped a great deal (more on this later). But for now I would just like to point out to people that the sizing on these RSR2 helmets run small. And I'm not the only one that noticed that there is a comfort issue with the ears. Over at webBIKEWORLD.com the author compared the Shark RSR2 (same color! he has good taste :) and also found that the top of his ears hurt after a while.

Now more about my experience. I rode with this helmet all day at one point. My ears were hurting a bit but I just toughed it out and didn't think about it all that much. Then the next day the top of my left ear puffed up and I seriously thought that I was bitten by a small spider while I was sleeping or something. My ear began to get even more sore and the cartilage toughened up for a couple days. I thought and thought about what was going on... then after another day it finally hit me when I was looking at my Shark sitting on the shelf... AHA!

So I removed the padding and started figuring how I would modify it to allow more room for my ears. Pictures and some descriptions to come soon...

[Smithers]

If you guys haven't checked out Jay Leno's garage website you got a good reason to now. He welcomed Arai helmets as a guest to explain a little about fitting a helmet. It's always fun to watch Jay make some wisecracks along the way so it's not too painful to watch at all.

Jay Leno's Garage talk with Arai Helmets (http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/video_player.shtml?vid=283819)

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/phorum/news_jays_arai.jpg