Let’s talk retro style helmets

Stephen_Spencer said:

I’ve always bought Arai lids - guess I have a pretty regular (Arai like) intermediate oval dome and have always valued the quality. Wanted something more period appropriate for the CR this time though, as my last Arai reached its 5/6 year lifespan. I chose this awesome lid and was just about to order it when my riding buddy had his big off and I changed direction. Would still really like one of these in my gear for the black/gold CR.

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Stephen
Why did your riding friend's accident change your direction away from this helmet?
Just interested.
Cheers

Fast Eddie said:

Let me know how you get on with it.

I bought some new goggles to use with the Shoei and they’re really good. Seal tight to the face and great visibility. And photo chromatic lenses too.

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Which goggles do you use Nigel?

robs ss said:

Which goggles do you use Nigel?

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Ethen Scrambler goggles

Stephen_Spencer said:

I’ve always bought Arai lids - guess I have a pretty regular (Arai like) intermediate oval dome and have always valued the quality. Wanted something more period appropriate for the CR this time though, as my last Arai reached its 5/6 year lifespan. I chose this awesome lid and was just about to order it when my riding buddy had his big off and I changed direction. Would still really like one of these in my gear for the black/gold CR.

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I have a carbon Bell Bullitt (so, same helmet as pictured but just matt carbon), and a carbon custom 500. I like the choice of open or closed face, dependent on weather, and distance etc.

Previous helmet was a Bell Star Carbon (retired due to age), and it was significantly quieter than the Bullitt at speed - and less of a parachute.

Fast Eddie said:

Ethen Scrambler goggles

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I use Aviator T2, which I find to be good with little, but some, air leakage.
My right eye, which has had surgery, is also sensitive to air movement.

Buying goggles, sight unseen, is difficult because you can't determine if the eye "foams" project inward enough to give a good seal.

robs ss said:

Stephen
Why did your riding friend's accident change your direction away from this helmet?
Just interested.
Cheers

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I have other (Arai) lids for my dirt/adventure bikes but needed a new road lid for my CR. I had half an eye on the Forcite smart helmet developed here in Aus, but still favoured the Bell carbon above. The Bell is an older model however and had/has become difficult the get in my size without shipping from overseas, where i would risk getting a helmet that although new may be half way through its lifespan.

I was still thinking about pulling the pin when my riding buddy was punted off his bike through no fault of his own - I won’t go into the detail. Helmet cam video would have shown what occurred and would have saved him a lot of angst, money and potential future legal difficulties. This is his carbon lid post accident BTW:



We’ve all had near misses and accidents for that matter, where helmet cam footage may have been bloody useful. My mates accident just re-inforced that for me and led me to purchase the Forcite lid.

Forcite has just opened up to the European market and aim to do the same in the States shortly. High quality piece of gear with incorporated tech that actually works - unusual for a smart helmet!

Stephen_Spencer said:

I have other (Arai) lids for my dirt/adventure bikes but needed a new road lid for my CR. I had half an eye on the Forcite smart helmet developed here in Aus, but still favoured the Bell carbon above. The Bell is an older model however and had/has become difficult the get in my size without shipping from overseas, where i would risk getting a helmet that although new may be half way through its lifespan.

I was still thinking about pulling the pin when my riding buddy was punted off his bike through no fault of his own - I won’t go into the detail. Helmet cam video would have shown what occurred and would have saved him a lot of angst, money and potential future legal difficulties. This is his carbon lid post accident BTW:

View attachment 101608

We’ve all had near misses and accidents for that matter, where helmet cam footage may have been bloody useful. My mates accident just re-inforced that for me and led me to purchase the Forcite lid.

Forcite has just opened up to the European market and aim to do the same in the States shortly. High quality piece of gear with incorporated tech that actually works - unusual for a smart helmet.

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Thanks - I understand now

Gojuu said:

I have a carbon Bell Bullitt (so, same helmet as pictured but just matt carbon), and a carbon custom 500. I like the choice of open or closed face, dependent on weather, and distance etc.

Previous helmet was a Bell Star Carbon (retired due to age), and it was significantly quieter than the Bullitt at speed - and less of a parachute.

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Hey Gj,

Yeh Bell are making some really nice lids. A cafe racer style choice for me, as much as a quality one of course. May still pick one up in the future.

Stephen_Spencer said:

I have other (Arai) lids for my dirt/adventure bikes but needed a new road lid for my CR. I had half an eye on the Forcite smart helmet developed here in Aus, but still favoured the Bell carbon above. The Bell is an older model however and had/has become difficult the get in my size without shipping from overseas, where i would risk getting a helmet that although new may be half way through its lifespan.

I was still thinking about pulling the pin when my riding buddy was punted off his bike through no fault of his own - I won’t go into the detail. Helmet cam video would have shown what occurred and would have saved him a lot of angst, money and potential future legal difficulties. This is his carbon lid post accident BTW:

View attachment 101608

We’ve all had near misses and accidents for that matter, where helmet cam footage may have been bloody useful. My mates accident just re-inforced that for me and led me to purchase the Forcite lid.

Forcite has just opened up to the European market and aim to do the same in the States shortly. High quality piece of gear with incorporated tech that actually works - unusual for a smart helmet.

Click to expand...

There must be options where cameras (very small now) can be mounted on the bike to give the legal/safety vision you require.
Might be better too - your helmet might be "looking" the wrong way.
After all, car "crash cams" aren't an item worn on the driver's head.
Have you examined this option?
Cheers

robs ss said:

There must be options where cameras (very small now) can be mounted on the bike to give the legal/safety vision you require.
Might be better too - your helmet might be "looking" the wrong way.
After all, car "crash cams" aren't an item worn on the driver's head.
Have you examined this option?
Cheers

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Hey Rob, I have a couple of Drift HD ghost cams that I used on a circumnavigation of Aus trip, until they both failed in the first week - wrong sort of sand ! Had one mounted to the front of my Kato (as you can see) and one on my lid, but it was a real bind charging cam and controllers constantly and switching on and off through the controller (with the cams limited storage) - much more likely to have an accident through operating the devices! Also had to think about security every time I stopped.

Jury is out also on whether it‘s safe to mount them to a helmet externally as discussed, depending on the mount used. Some injuries/fatalities (including Schumacher’s I believe) have been attributed to the twist or point load applied to the neck or skull through hard surface contact with the cam/intercom, rather than the lid glancing off the hard surface as they are designed to do. Why have anything mounted to the side of your helmet or bike when it can all be internal to the lid?

As bikers, I reckon we are pretty attuned to risk and potential hazards - we pick them out instinctively ahead of us so are much more likely to be looking towards a threat than away from it - although no system is perfect of course. Just how many bikers have been taken-out by some dickhead pulling out of a side road without looking? Not sure your car crash cam point is valid in this scenario - but I guess there is a reason fighter pilots have helmet heads-up displays!

I see no downside to smart helmets, as long as the tech works, other than cost and the current limited availability. No doubt this will change in future.

BritTwit said:

I had surgery a few years ago for a detached retina, and my right eye is also sensitive to the air stream. My full face helmet does a great job of reducing that problem, and still have good venting. However, I also have a Nolan N20 which I use on Sunday "leisure" rides. The Nolan is much lighter than the full face unit, and much more comfortable too. But the Nolan is 10 years old and looking ratty, so I have been considering another open face helmet.

I've looked at the Shoei J-Cruise which is open face but with an external shield and an internal pull-down visor. Never had a helmet like this so not sure if the internal visor would be enough to keep most of the air stream off my eyes.

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I use Shoei J Cruise but rarely use the drop down sun visor..An optician told me that every time you look through a lens it reduces the available light by 10 percent.
So glasses,sun visor main visor, gps screen and it all adds up. The helmet itself is great with very good ventilation.

MAK said:

I use Shoei J Cruise but rarely use the drop down sun visor..An optician told me that every time you look through a lens it reduces the available light by 10 percent.
So glasses,sun visor main visor, gps screen and it all adds up. The helmet itself is great with very good ventilation.

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Never really looked at the science, but have to agree. I have never worn sun glasses or tinted visors because to my (admittedly limited) thinking, the ’mark 1 eyeball‘ needs to be unhindered in view for maximum clarity. Completely valid? Not sure with current lense technology. My new lid has a drop down sun visor - won’t be using it.

Stephen_Spencer said:

Never really looked at the science, but have to agree. I have never worn sun glasses or tinted visors because to my (admittedly limited) thinking, the ’mark 1 eyeball‘ needs to be unhindered in view for maximum clarity. Completely valid? Not sure with current lense technology. My new lid has a drop down sun visor - won’t be using it.

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Low sun is the worst,and sunglasses,visors don’t help..
My high tech.solution, a strip of electricians tape across the top of helmet visor. About an inch depending on how low or high the handlebars are.Drop your head slightly to block out full sun.

@Stephen_Spencer my star carbon had a transition visor - it was brilliant.

I’d be pretty keen to hear any details on that Forcite unit - your the first person I know that actually has one.

Gojuu said:

@Stephen_Spencer my star carbon had a transition visor - it was brilliant.

I’d be pretty keen to hear any details on that Forcite unit - your the first person I know that actually has one.

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Hey Gj,

No problem! Down on the Goldie with ’she of higher authority’ currently, drinking way too much red wine! Gonna pick up a micro-sd card when I get home and give it a test run. If I can sort out the tech I’ll post a vid of the CR taking on a few corners - should be fun!!

MAK said:

I use Shoei J Cruise but rarely use the drop down sun visor..An optician told me that every time you look through a lens it reduces the available light by 10 percent.
So glasses,sun visor main visor, gps screen and it all adds up. The helmet itself is great with very good ventilation.

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Thanks for the info.
Adverts say the clear shield filters 90+ percent UVA/B rays.
I always use a tinted shield on my full face bucket, so I would only use the visor on day rides in lieu of a full tinted shield.

Pardon my ignorance and please educate me. What is it about time that causes helmets to deteriorate? I would think that modern carbon fiber lids would be all but timeless. After all, Boeing makes airplane wings of the stuff and bicycle frames are almost all carbon fiber these days. Is it the styrofoam innards? I have an old Arai open face set up for intercom and riding behind a windshield that I love. It looks pristine and the lining is fine. It has indentations for a goggle strap and fits goggles nicely. I have found nothing like it on sale lately.

Who is a good supplier in the States for helmets? I have bought tires, tools, and hard parts from Dennis Kirk and gotten good service, also MotoSport. Do they show a good range of what's available or just what they can make money on?

Are open-face helmets OK for adventure riding? Most of the YouTube videos show guys wearing Darth Vader helmets with GoPro cams or the like. I'd like the option of wearing a good dust mask for such situations.

Thomasa said:

Pardon my ignorance and please educate me. What is it about time that causes helmets to deteriorate? I would think that modern carbon fiber lids would be all but timeless. After all, Boeing makes airplane wings of the stuff and bicycle frames are almost all carbon fiber these days. Is it the styrofoam innards? I have an old Arai open face set up for intercom and riding behind a windshield that I love. It looks pristine and the lining is fine. It has indentations for a goggle strap and fits goggles nicely. I have found nothing like it on sale lately.

Who is a good supplier in the States for helmets? I have bought tires, tools, and hard parts from Dennis Kirk and gotten good service, also MotoSport. Do they show a good range of what's available or just what they can make money on?

Are open-face helmets OK for adventure riding? Most of the YouTube videos show guys wearing Darth Vader helmets with GoPro cams or the like. I'd like the option of wearing a good dust mask for such situations.

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Not so much the shell but the padded interior. Sweat,grease off you hair all degrades the lining..even ballencing the helmet on your mirrors introduces dead insects into the equation..
Notice how I never said insects into your helmet !!!

Thomasa said:

Pardon my ignorance and please educate me. What is it about time that causes helmets to deteriorate? I would think that modern carbon fiber lids would be all but timeless. After all, Boeing makes airplane wings of the stuff and bicycle frames are almost all carbon fiber these days. Is it the styrofoam innards?

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MAK said:

Not so much the shell but the padded interior. Sweat,grease off you hair all degrades the lining..even ballencing the helmet on your mirrors introduces dead insects into the equation..
Notice how I never said insects into your helmet !!!

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This is a good read. It points more towards normal (not CF) shell materials being the culprit with modern helmets. That and impact damage.


That being said, I used to buy/export used bikes. Hundreds. I would get tons of used helmets. A LOT of old helmets with non-replaceable liners/straps were literally falling apart.

So when a shell is coated with gelcoat during manufacture would that not protect it from UV damage?