First peice of gear ever....

[Mrontime]

So yeah i guess ive been a squid my whole life. Riding cruisers and dirtbikes i always just had a decent pair of shades and a devil may care attitude. But im a little older now and ive decided to give the gear a chance. Im currently looking at helmets, i just got a joe rocket suzuki jacket for a steal, not the leather one though. In Texas its insanely hot when you can ride and wet or miserable the rest of the time so i wanted as breathable as possible. I had a front tire nearly slip out on me on a seca2 back in the day and have always been leery of sportbikes ever since. Any suggestions on where to go try on helmets? im worried about dropping 400 bucks on something i havent tried on and would like to get a decent fitment before i order what i want, or buy what i try either way. Thanks, any input is valued.

[rperry03]

I've always liked newenough.com their name has changed but will be forwarded to new site address, and best part for you is that they are located in Texas (Shallowater)

http://www.motorcyclegear.com

[Mrontime]

Wow, there are some really good deals on there. I just got a chance to check it out and it made me wish i had some cash to spend right now. Thanks alot!

[rperry03]

Road trip!

[Mrontime]

Dang, 6 1/2 hours is a road trip lol. I may go try on a few helmets at academy and get a decent idea and then order online lol. If im gonna ride 6 1/2 hours the destination wont be a store lol. That being said.... thats a great price for a shoei helmet.....

[92xjunker]

I would head to a cycle shop and try on a couple. Not all helmets and heads match. Trying on a couple will give you and idea of what actually fits your head properly. Then hit the internet for deals. Don't by a used helmet, you don't know the history of it. A good drop off a high shelf could deem the helmet nearly useless.

[Mrontime]

Yeah, used wont work for me. I want a good deal but i also dont want cheap or crapped out. Im thinking 350.00 to 400.00 is what im gonna budget for a helmet..... used... i imagine that wet cat smell when you sneeze like 5 times in there.... but someone else's....

[ZukiFred]

I spent less than $200 on my lids and have been happy, I have crash tested a Scorpion 500 and it worked perfectly.

[Mrontime]

When i bought my harley from the dealership new in 08 i had em throw in a full face flip up helmet that was top of the line. I think i wore it twice and hated it the whole time. I really want to not hate wearing gear, getting into sportbikes i feel like its necessary. So for me, cooling and comfort are gonna trump price in this particular area. I also want tinted and clear lenses with the pull away tabs becaus in the summer the bugs in texas suck. Thanks for the suggestions, im researching all suggestions and appreciate the input.

[Heeltoeclutch]

My first helmet was an HJC CL-16; about $100 and it fit well, was DOT and SNELL approved, but a bit heavy. That gets old.

I recently was looking in that same price range as you are now, and discovered that AGV makes nice helmets in the $250-400 range. I just picked up a K5s for $300 from Revzilla as there are a bunch on closeout right now. Carbon fiber and fiberglass, very light, integrated sun visor, tear-off posts that you're looking for - and it feels like a $600 or $700 helmet. If you have a store that stocks AGV helmets I highly suggest trying them on and seeing if they fit your head - IMO they are great value in the price point you're looking for. It has a ton of vents too which is nice.


My head is an "intermediate oval". Every helmet manufacturer and model fits differently. I think determining this in relation to your head is paramount to not hating a helmet.

[Mrontime]

Thanks for the excellent reccomendation. I was seeing the avg helmets the other day on some racers on the real road racing on cbs sports.... man im addicted to it. I think the 15 min try on rule is a good one, i read someome say that in a post and it makes alot of sense. Thanks again, i will make sure to try these out. Think im going to go trying different ones on this weekend.

[Kreylyn]

Thanks for the excellent reccomendation. I was seeing the avg helmets the other day on some racers on the real road racing on cbs sports.... man im addicted to it. I think the 15 min try on rule is a good one, i read someome say that in a post and it makes alot of sense. Thanks again, i will make sure to try these out. Think im going to go trying different ones on this weekend.

My one piece of advice on a helmet... Check the size of padding vs shell size. If the helmet only has one shell shape, and they are matching your head size by a smaller shell and thin padding, you run a good risk of a pressure headache from the shell not matching up to your head shape. That's not going to be apparent in the first 15 mins.

You can always replace or add foam if it starts to loosen up on a larger size shell, but you can't reshape the shell... so if it's causing pressure, your stuck with that.

That's the draw to some of the higher priced helmets. They have not only sized shells, but different internal shapes as well for head types.

Krey

[Mrontime]

I think that exact reason may be why i hated my previous expensive helmet. I bought it as an afterthought, mostly because it had ghost flames and the cool sping operated flip up visor and half face, but it hurt behind my temples after about a 30 min ride the few times i tried it. Where is a good place to find quality helmets in a decent selection that i can actually try on besides a dealership thats gonna wanna sell me a bike....

[shpielers]

Cyclegear if they are in your area

[Mrontime]

Thanks ill check around to see if there is one semi close by. Im inbetween austin and houston so usually a medium or large chain store is easily found.

I got my jacket in today! Holy crap its badass, i never had an armored jacket before. Fit was perfect and its like brand new, not one scuff or stain.... thats my job