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New helmet with sunshield - HJC?

3K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  Slow-Steady 
#1 ·
I'm looking for reviews on helmets.

It's time for a new one and I'm not sure what I want. In trying on new helmets and the Kawi shop today and I found that I have a difficult time getting my sunglasses to fit comfortably inside most of the helmets.

I was thinking of going with one with a built in Sunshield. The shop had a Scorpion and an HJC. I liked the HJC SY-Max III better, but I was hoping to get a few reviews from you guys. How does the sunshield lever do in the rain?

What is the general consensus on modular helmets?

Any other suggestions on brands/models I should look at?

Thanks
 
#2 ·
I have the HJC IS-16 with the built-in sun visor and it works fine. I don't use it too often as I always wear sunglasses because at lower speeds I like to ride with the visor up for the air and I like the protection.
I have always used the aviator style sunglasses with the wire side arms and they fit inside the helmet no problem at all plus the larger lens offer better wind and bug protection.
 
#3 · (Edited)
I wear sunglasses with the dual sport helmet I have now, but it seems that with a proper fitting helmet there just isn't room for sunglasses.

It may just be the shape of my face, but the top of my glasses (not that large) touched the top of the foam at my eyebrows ...

Thanks for the review on the IS-16

I have been doing a little more online looking and the Nolan N104 also caught my eye. I'm with relatives about 1/2 hour from Dennis Kirk so I may have to go check them out.

Mitch

**EDIT** I like the idea of easily adding a com system later too, not necessary but just a thought.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the reviews.

I made a quick run over to Dennis Kirk and looked at the Nolan N-104. I tired in on and liked it a lot better than any of the others that I have looked at.

They had a 10% sale going so my wife picked one up for me for Christmas.

It's going to be a long 4-5 months until I really get to use it but if anyone is interested I can certainly give a quick review of looks, features, etc.

Mitch
 
#7 · (Edited)
I've had a couple of helmets with sunshields. I like the concept and the convenience but be aware that they do tend to be heavy, it's just the nature of the beast. All that mechanism to operate the sunshield isn't free, it adds weight. The same goes for modular helmets, they will tend to be heavier and noisier than their non-modular counterparts.
I wear a modular and sometimes it has a sunshield (HJC CL-MaxII or AFX 140) depending on my mood. I like HJC helmets because they fit me better than anything else but I don't like HJC's sunshield mechanism.
That being said, I probably wouldn't wear a modular if I didn't wear perscription glasses but I would probably still opt for a helmet with a sunshield so I could avoid glasses all together while I ride.
The only time I use the "modular" function is putting the helmet on or taking it off (so I don't have to mess with removing my glasses), occasionally I'll raise the face up to pump gas so I can easily look into the tank. I don't ride around with it up and I don't usually drink or eat with it on.
Just something to think about, how often are you really going to use the flip up function? Is it worth toting it around all day if you hardly use it? It is for me because of my perscription glasses, other than that, it's not worth it.
 
#8 ·
Have you tried Arai full face helmets? I've never had a problem getting glasses in one. Couldn't really do it in the only Scorpion lid I've owned--I had maybe one pair of sunglasses I could fit under it, a little askew.

If you're buying a full face helmet for safety (to protect your face), few modular helmets meet full face helmet safety standards, and many modular helmets open during the Sharp helmet impact tests--despite the fact that the Sharp tests don't include an impact to the jaw.

The sy-max 3 faceguard remained lock in 40% of the impacts.
http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/testsratings/hjc-sy-max-3
 
#9 · (Edited)
Thanks for that link, I am going to pass it on to a friend of mine who is also helmet shopping.

I think I made the right choice going with the Nolan. They hadn't done a review of the new 104 that I got, but the review on the 103 was pretty good. 100% closure and much better side impact than the HJC.

Mitch
 
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