[50133]

First post. Why? Because I'm grading labs.



I own the KBC TK-8. Solid construction and design, comfy removable liner, perfect fit. Venting is good, and one can always find a no-fog solution by modulating the vents and visor. Can get loud at extra-legal speeds, even with earplugs -- nothing harmful, you just wouldn't be able to hear a comm that well.

 

[bod]

Hey what including some flip face helmets in your review I have long been interested in one of those so i can smoke a cig and drink some beer while riding and be like my harley neighbors but yet still have the protection of a full face helmet

 

[40580]

June 2005 issue of Motorcyclist magazine has an extensive article on helmets. They investigate helmet design, helmet standards and actual head protection. The article is very long and detailed and gets into the debate of too-hard helmets. The bottom line appears to be that a less expensive helmet may actually be safer if it is DOT approved. Too long and complex an article to summarize in this post but suggest if you are in the market for a helmet to read this article.

 

[jhinton]

Motorcycylist Helmet Article

I highly recommend that anyone that rides a motorcycle read this article. As the message above says, the article is way to detailed to cover here. But the basic theme is, that the less G's your brain takes the better. The Snell test requires a helmet to take two huge hits in the same place on a spherical object. To pass the Snell test helmets must designed to be very stiff. This doesn't allow them to crush and absorb energy effectively, therefore passing high G forces to your brain. During the lab testing a $100 DOT only helmet did significantly better than the $500 DOT/Snell helmets. My wife and I will be getting new helmets shortly, and they won’t be Snell approved.

 

[sportbikebandit]

Great article. Too bad I bought my new helmet before reading it. I bought a Shoei RF-1000 to replace my Shoei RF-800. I actually like the fit of the 800 better but my vents are broke and it is more than 5 years old... A friend of mine recently bought an Icon and is real happy with it. The Scorpion looks interesting. Thanks MO Good stuff

 

[longride]

Since I read that Motorcycist article, I have a new saying. "If you have a $10 head, buy a $500 helmet." I thought it was very strange that the low buck helmets significantly out performed the expensive ones.

 

[Buzglyd]

Do any of these come with a removable foil liner? I need to quiet down the radio commands coming from above.

 

[seruzawa]

Motorcyclist did a similar article back in the '80s and came up with the same conclusion. The harder lining in the racing helmets can be less effective at lower speeds, the speeds most people travel at, than the softer DOT style linings. It's simple physics.



Of course, if you are incompetent it won't matter what helmet you wear or even if you wear a helmet at all.

 

[33129]

That KBC would have gone well with an '01 KLR. I don't think I would have had the stones to wear it though.

 

[8345]

I have the Icon Alliance. (Black gloss finish)

good helmet.

not great.

wind noise is a little higher than the Shoei I had before this.

for the price you can't beat it.

 

[mscuddy]

Re the KBC VR1 that's the one for me. Matches my flight jacket.



BTW it's F-4 Phantom, and deck ape ABH types wear brown jerseys. Purple jerseys are worn by ABFs (aviation bosuns mate fuel). Green for maintenance, red for ordinance, white for QA. Pink for pecker checkers (corpsmen). Ha ha..



With all the leaking vehicles in my driveway it already looks like the flight deck on the Indy anyway, where the tow tractors use to park. Can you say speedy dry?

 

[SeanAlexander]

Don't you watch South Park? Drinking and riding is dangerous.... you might spill your beer.

 

[Pinkslip]

The KBC VR-2 replaced the VR-1. They fit different heads, though, so I suppose they shouldn't consider it a direct replacement.



It should be noted that most retail locations (and obviously, e-tail locations) do not charge MSRP for the higher end helmets like Arai and Shoei. Even the lower priced KBC are often on discount.

 

[056]

I just like purple

And it's MY aircraft carrier, so the guy will wear a purple shirt.

 

[32754]

I've got the article in color and BW PDF but alas, damn copyright won't let me distribute it. VERY good article though.

 

[sportbike_pilot]

Agreed. As with most motorcycle apparel these days MSPR is a fantasy. I paid a little more than half MSRP for the AGV.



-sbp

 

[51092]

Re: Motorcycylist Helmet Article

Motorcyclist's article also stated that cheaper plastic shells have an edge over fiberglass in that plastic will deform under impact, absorbing and distributing energy in the process.

 

[Chango]

I tried to make the same jump you did - RF800 to RF1000. I didn't much like the 1000. In fact, it was quite painful to wear for more than twnety minutes, so I kept using the 800 for longer trips. I loved my 800, but it was getting old, and one day I left it sitting on the seat of the bike and the wind blew it up and over the seat and it landed on the ground with a nice, loud, sickening crunch.



So after selling the 1000 on eBay, I wanted to try an Arai. The closest dealer to me was 40 miles away, but I'm glad I made the trip. I tried on a Quantum, a Signet, and an Astral, not only to find out which shape fit me, but also to find out which size I needed. Apparently I wear an XL in everything except Shoei, where a large is right. Anyway, after trying the various Arai's, I found the Astral to have the best shape for me. I even like it better than my old RF800. I think the Arai is a little bit quieter, but I'm not certain. I always wear earplugs anyway, so I don't worry about it much.



I guess the point of this is, if you liked the RF800 then you might like the Arai Astral. And you can find them on eBay for about $300 brand new, which is a lot cheaper than any dealership.



Chango

 

[edward44]

Uh Oh, MO. Bad timing. Your Mickey Mouse (TM) helmet review has to to go head to head with a definitive investigation by Motorcyclist Magazine.

No time for more, I'm off to Manny, Moe, and Jack's for a new helmet.

 

[VFRJunkie]

Same problem, RF-800 fit great, RF-1000 pinched my head and gave me a headache after only 5 min. After trying various helments on, found that the Shoei X-11 fits like the RF-800 did. In general a much better helmet then the RF-800, lighter, better ventilation, no head buffeting at speed.