Helmet Corner
 

Alright so there is a bunch of different threads on helmets and such, it appears alot of folks are in the Suomy, Shoei or Arai. But I was looking at the AGV, they have some nice looking helmets with good reviews for around $250-325. Anyone around have experience with the AGV?

http://www.kneedraggers.com/image_st...61_refined.jpg

One concern I have is that with the humidity and temp changes in this area, lense fogging can get ridonculous!!!

I currently run a HJC AC-11, just FYI

thanks

fpzx rocks an agv right now, maybe he will chime in

lovin my Scorpion 1000 right now, but before that I had a kick ass Icon, but its all in the fit user preference!!

My Scorpion is a tad on the heavy side due to the gadgetry, but in all so far this year I have had no issues with fogging, shifting on my head, noise, or comfort.

Scorpion and SparX are nice for the money. Similar fit to my RF-1000 but larger. I've never seen an AGV lid, but their jackets and gloves look decent.

Looking at that also, really popular for a while.

i'll admit, I AM totally in love with the drop down visor system...tee hee!

I really wanted an AGV... but I couldn't find anyplace local to try one on... (something that is a MUST before I'll buy) so I ended up going with an Arai Profile... the Freedom star... fit like a glove when I first got it... but now it feels a bit big, but if I wear a bandana or skull cap or something it fits better...

still... not as tight as I'd like so I'm looking into a new helmet this summer

that's one of my deals too, but I'm tempted to just try to order and return if it don't fit. I have a small noggin, I wear a medium in the HJC cause I like my helmet really snug

see I would too... but the turn around time isn't quick enough for me... cause I'll only be home for Sept... then again... I could have it shipped here... then parade around my room for a couple hours getting used to it... and if it's not right ship it back... hummm...

good idea! thanks Burg!

I'm full of ideas, not always good ones...so glad I could help out. It sucks that there is no way to test a helmet out before dropping 300 ducks.

Yeah... and I need to check to see if there's a restocking fee if I return it and it doesn't fit... especially if I have to pay shipping back

Hey now,don't give up on that Arai yet. You can order different internals for that helmet that'll custom fit it to your noggin buddy. I've owned alot of helmets and tho' I've strayed in recent years,you can hardly beat Arai for quality and protection. Note; I've owned a couple AGVs,I was a HUGE Valentino Rossi fanboy,and their quality is also above reproach. The fact of the matter is,imho,you can hardly go wrong with basically any helmet that passes dot,snell,or ECE testing. It will save your head. It all comes down to fit and feel and that is subjective. All you can do is measure your head in cm and hope for the best if you can't try the lid in person. Note always order based on cm and not lg,med,etc. If you fall in the middle of two sizes go with the smaller and deal with the temporary discomfort otherwise you'll shortly end up with a "loose" helmet. I hope this helped alittle....

oh I haven't... but it's an excuse to start a helmet collection... I think I'll wait till I get to Colorado to actually get a new helmet... but I've been looking around already... yeah I'm gonna order some thicker cheek pads... but the helmet is now 3 years old... and I read somewhere that's about the time you should replace them... though I'm not sure what the truth is on that... it's fine by me... again... another excuse to have a living room like azzoom

Yea I can't compete with that collection although at one time I had 14 helmets! I'm down to 6 now. Two I use regularly,one I use once in awhile and two I keep for nostalgia. Oh and a dirt bike helmet and a passenger helmet so technically I own eight helmets.

Good point on the size measurements. I have never done that, I always just start trying on helmets till it fits. And like Ebbs said, mine is also about 3 years old and figured its time for an upgrade. I'm tired of no ventilation and feeling like a plane is gonna land on my head it's so loud.

Are the Arai pretty quiet? For the price I hope they are about perfect

mine's ok... but I've got nothing to compare it to... I felt it was a bit loud... but mine also felt a little big... I imagine if I had a little snugger fit it'd be quiet(er)

I usually rode with my Shure EC2 headphones (noise elminating) and never had to turn my ipod past half way to eliminate all but my bike's rumble 3/4 would wash everything out.

My biggest piece of advice with the AGV that I own is...buy earplugs. I have the XR2 Rossi replica and it is very loud.

All in all, I like the helmet. Maybe the the TiTech is quieter :idk:

Arai will be my next choice

It seems like I read a helmet comparison article where they test noise levels of all the brands...if I find it I'll let you know. I think it was Motorcyclist or Sport Rider if you want to check their sites. If I'm not mistaken the Arai Quantum/Signet was the quietest. It's a balancing act tho',usually quiet=lack of vents. My AGV had excellent ventilation but was as loud as my Arai Rx7rrIII which was way loud! Good luck! Btw I've gotten some dealers to let me test ride helmets,maybe you can find one that'll let you try a helmet out before you buy...

:dthumb:

Thanks, I'll take a look see

just found an interesting link
http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcyc...lmet-noise.htm

about halfway down they have mp3's of the different helmets. I listened to the AGV then the Suomy, both seemed like alot, then the Icon Mainframe...it seemed whisper quiet in comparison

my gf's helmet was the Icon Mainframe and she seemed happy with it. At least as happy as a bitch like that can be!

Hey, if they aren't bitching I'm assuming they are happy

Truth! FYI in the past,I've heard that Icon has had some quality issues, things falling off etc. I think that they've addressed then now and I haven't had any probs with this helmet but admittantly,it hasn't been used much. Just FYI. Oh and to ad to the mix,I bought one of those Sparx helmets before I left Mi. My buddy at the dealership sold it to me with a 2nd shield for $80 so I figured why not? It's actually not bad,it's comfortable for me anyway, light and resonably quiet,although I'm afraid that peace will come with a cost this Summer when it's hotter. I'll always be an Arai fan but these new "cheapo" helmet companys (Scorpion,Sparx,AFX,etc) have definitely come a long way imho!

In the past year ICON gear has really stepped up their quality and protection levels. I did some work with Parts Unlimited last spring and learned quite a bit about them, past and present. While they still put alot of emphasis on looks, they are def moving fast as far as catching up quality wise.

On that note, my ICON Mainframe Legion helmet held up remarkably well when I went down. The witness to my head hitting the pavement swore my helmet should have been cracked right down the middle, but other than a slight concussion from the sheer force of impact, I had no injuries and the helmet was rashed to hell and back but no cracks at all. I would def rec. an ICON in the future.

Well there ya go! :dthumb:

Had an avg 3 years ago!! It was nice until it got ran over by a truck!!
~But I still say ICON FTW!!!

Doesn't surprise me......

So Icon vs Scorpion you vote Icon, huh?

hmmm, well, I cant say I have a preference for one over the other honestly...

I KNOW for a fact ICON held up well when I wrecked...i LOVED the design on it, because while it was a lil busy, it was perfect for my style...

I have no experience on how the Scorpion will hold up in a wreck (and hopefully never will :lol), but for my everyday needs so far it has been fantastic.

I would go either way...

hmmm....intrigued

but on topic, thanks for the input. There are a couple of designs I dig with the icon lids. I just have a hard time dropping $600 on a helmet, and before anyone asks, NO, I am not sure if my head is worth $600.

Interesting, I only spent about $200 on my $300 retail priced ICON, i had no idea they had gotten so expensive, but they do have some sweet designs...PICS dude, pics...

As for my Scorpion, I forgot to mention, the only other thing I am not thrilled about is it is TOO PLAIN. Not that I like flashy tacky stuff, but I got the silver and white and it is very blah...but was the best one they had out so far...but even that one I got a good deal on, only about $300...

I have a Scorpion Exo-700 and an Icon main frame and i like my Scorpion better its a lil heavier but it is Steady in the wind. now my Icon Its lighter but It not as wind friendly and is a little noisier, Both are great helmets and i use both regularly. Scorpion Has a snug fit and thicker padding. My bike is a nekd bike also so no wind visor for me.

Ok Rae maybe I'll change my mind about dating female bikers in your case! We agree so often! I also looked at the EXO1000 but was turned off by the styling. The features are the cat's ass but I thought it was way ugly (no offense) and if I had to get one it would have been the white/silver as white is my fav color. I also often look at helmets that "flip open" to uncover your face but can't find one that I like the looks of or that doesn't sound like a hurricane is in my head at 150mph. I'm a total sucker for features(gimmicks) like the sun shield. Heck,that's why I've ordered the Akuma helmet. It will have a built in battery pac,a tint on demand visor(hit a button and it darkens/lightens),blue tooth head set ,flashing leds on the back and a map reading light in the front! Plus it weighs the same as my HJC AC12 Carbon(supposedly). They have some of the coolest graphics I've seen for a while as well. To include some military themed ones a military brats like us can appreciate. www.akumahelmets.com.

oh sweet jesus, i think I just fell in love...i got goosebumps lookin at those helmets...brrr, i know where Im buying my next one from!! Oh the gadgets I can get!!!

Damn! You about gave me a heart attack! At first I thought you were talking about me!(down boy,down!) Anyway,I'm working on a discount right now with them and Ron Ayers,so if you're interested let me know. We have to buy 3 to qualify,so I'm getting the Werewolf and Doragon and RA is gonna keep an Apache to sell. We're waiting on the Apache and the T.O.D. visors now. I'm getting both helmets for $600 with all the gadgets so.....WOO FUCKING HOO!!!!!

That Ghostrider is pretty bad ass.. I'd rock that helmet. It would also fit into my personal life, since I used to work on jets in the Navy and now I design stuff for military jets. :dthumb:

Yea,I used to think the lights were kinda cheesey but heck,you can always turn them off! My main reason for trying them is the T.O.D.! I've been dreaming of something like that for decades!

Thats a pretty sweet idea. You never have to worry about being out late with your tinted visor. Just hit a button and you're back to clear.. :dthumb:

IF it works... Big claims.

go check out the Youtube link they have on their site...looks like it works to me...

is it a flip like the Scorpion one or what?

what's not to work?

I am not sure how it works, I havent looked into that yet, but they actually puch a button and the thing darkens after a few seconds...actually the best description I could give is it looks like fog, its clear and then it darkens beginning at the outside edges and all the way through till its black, but it is the original clear one they start with...

ok so it's that electro crap... yeah in that case... I agree with CEO it'd be nice when it worked... but if it went out it'd be a pain and expensive to get fixed... also with out a charge the visor won't tint... (if it's the stuff I'm talking about)

it's like those limmo privacy windows I think

"electrocrap"? yeesh buddy...anyway,it works perfectly and is guaranteed for two years. It's not cheap but it's not the kind of thing you repair the shield's over $100 so it's not for the skin flint but Arai shields used to cost $65 for iridium so...They also have photochromatic shields if you don't think you can handle the responsibility of pluging your helmet in every so often. BTW the shield darkens with power so if your battery ran out the worst that can happen is you have to ride with a clear shield until you charge your helmet or change shields. Or you can install a power socket on your bike for cell phones,gps,etc. For the record the helmet comes with both clear and tinted regular shields. It's funny,I just got off the phone with the Akuma sales rep talking about getting the photo shield which I've seen in person and it darkens to 60% fast! The T.O.D.s are being alittle held up so she's giving me the photos for free! It sounds like you've seen "electro-crap" tint before as have I. I've never known it not to work,you? There is also research being done with electro-paint so your helmet changes colors constantly in a pattern or from one color to another. That's a few years off she said. No offense guys but you all can be a bit negative at times. I got the same reaction when I intro'd the Adaptive Tech bike radar detector I bought. It's a good thing you guys weren't around when Edison intro'd the light bulb!

Looks like an LCD screen in the shape of a visor. And as long as it took, I can change my visor out faster. Might be interesting in a few years if they can make it variable tint and faster. Oh yeah, and CHEAPER! And who knows how they'll hold up to bug guts and rock chips. Will they fade or darken with sunlight and time?

The helmets look cool, it's the photochromic and electrochromic visors I'm skeptical of.

dude those helmets have built in LEDs. Awesome, that will save me a lot of trouble mounting flashlights. :lol:

Dude, that Doragon is bad ass...where do I sign up for one.

Whooa there tigger... stay off the juice...

I didn't mean electrocrap in a negitive way... I just use crap when I can't think of the word...

it's a good idea... I'm just wondering the reliabilty...

electrochromic is the word I was looking for...

I love you PR! So you're saying that you can stop your bike, get into your tankbag or trunk(my trunk won't hold a visor btw),take off your gloves and helmet,swap the shield,put the first one away,button up your bike/bag,put your helmet back on,put your gloves back on and restart your bike in less than 4 seconds?:whistle::lol: You know what? I have money that says you can't unbuckle and take your helmet off,swap shields and put your helmet back on and rebuckle it in under four seconds!!! Tell you what,it looks like I'll have it in a few days,I'll let you know how well the photo works anyway.

I won't trade the fit and safety fo my Arai for gadgetry....

(and if the cheek pads aren't as snug as they once were, you can order new ones and get that new helmet smell all over again for the fraction of the price!)

Oh I'm just fucking with you! I don't really care if you guys want to get them or not. To be honest,if I had the only one in the world I'd be happiest! I actually should have pm'd Rae about the helmets as we both have an affinity for gadgetry! I will admit that it has irritated me when I try to introduce people to new products and all I get is a bunch of neg "that won't work" or "that's shit" comments. Anyway,anyone who is interested can buy direct from Akuma or Cyclegear.BTW Akuma was started and is owned by a ex-military pilot who also designed them.:dthumb::pat:

I don't know how old you are but I remember when slide out chin guards,tool less visor changes and eyebrow vents were considered "gadgetry"

4 seconds? Please- it took a fill minute at least to go to 60% or 80% tint whatever they're claiming. And who knows how long the camera was off before they went back to clear... If you're riding in and out of shadow it doesn't do any good. If you ride into the sun you're still blind tilll it finishes. I can get in my zippered tailbag and pull out a visor and swap it in about 2 minutes. A minute isn't worth that much money and plugging in my helmet every night.


This is my point. My Shoei RF-1000 is perfect. And it cost $200 less. And I know Shoei isn't going anywhere.

I am definitely not an early adopter. I'd rather you spend your hard earned money to be the guinea pig. Let us know how it goes. If it holds up for six months/ a year and the price comes down so it's reasonable, then I'll think about it.

I have one of those photochromatic fog city visor inserts in my Aria... I love it... it's pretty quick to change... but it's still blinding for a second when you come out of the shade and into bright sun. but less than 3 seconds and your good

Alright you win!!! My last question is..how did you get a Shoei RF1000 for $100? I'm getting two of their helmets with;clear shields,tinted shields AND photochromatic shields-shipped for under $600. Oh and I wasn't clear,we're talking about two different things. The photo shield changes in a few seconds and the T.O.D. shield takes longer but it wasn't designed for you to change it off and on as you ride down the road. Who said it was? You leave it on when it's sunny and you turn it off when it's dark. Who the fuck is trying to change their helmet shields everytime there's a shadow on the road or you go thru a tunnel? If you forget to charge your helmet then you put the tinted shield on just like you do now. Oh well anyway,I'll enjoy mine! Thanks for the debate tho'!

Who said anything about a $100 helmet? :scratch:

Yeah- I missed the part about you getting two helmets... Like I said, let us know how they fare.

My fault,and the $100 thing came from you saying that your helmet was $200 less...$600 divided by 2 minus $200 = $100:whistle: Anyway,I'll post pics and impressions when I get it.:dthumb: