BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

Hi everyone, I would like to ask what kinds of helmets you find useful when riding the R1200R with the small BMW sportshield. I am 5'7" and currently have an Arai Quantum but too noisy! Usually I use earplugs, but problem is that they push any stuff in my ears further down and need visits to doctors to clean them out. My helmet would probably be an XS size. Shoei helmets tend to press on my forehead so not keen to try another. Any suggestions? I was looking at HJC spend around £300 - £400. Thanks!

i use an extra small schuberth C3 and love it. it is quiet enough to use without earplugs around town, although i always use earplugs if i am going to be riding for over an hour or going to be on the interstate for any amount of time.

With helmets, the primary thing is that it fits your head. Sounds like yours (head) is close to mine, if a bit smaller. I'm running an Arai Signet-Q which is the current long oval model in their line up. Previous was a Profile model. Both of these are all day comfortable for my head. The new Signet-Q is quieter than prebvious Arais.

It is required that you wear ear plugs when riding if you want to keep your hearing. This is not a debatable subject. Wear them . . . or go deaf.

+1 on earplugs. I'd rather have to have my ears professional cleaned out than go deaf. I went looking for a quieter helmet during the winter break. I did a lot of research and settled on the Bell RS-1. I couldn't be happier. It's extremely quiet and comfortable and has an available photochromic accessory shield which is really spectacular. If I were buying now, the brand new Shoei RF-1200 would be a strong competitor.

There's a right, and wrong, way to fit foam earplugs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPNPZJingZA

I have a Shoei Quest and it was noisey until I found the video websterize posted.
IMHO...Now at freeway speed the sound is like a windy day. I often ride with the visor open to the first click, at freeway speeds and without ear plugs it's very loud and howls. The plugs take the high frequency out. Fitting the plugs properly makes a great difference.

A few months ago I posted the video below and angler moved it.???

websterize wrote:There's a right, and wrong, way to fit foam earplugs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPNPZJingZA

I have an Arai head, so use Arai helmets. Here in South Florida it gets hot, so most of the time I use a SZ Ram 3, which is a 3/4 helmet. I do have a full face Arai too, but it doesn't get much use. It is just too hot most of the time. Both helmets have elaborate ventilation which really works best at speeds of 100 mph or more. Just kidding, it works best at speed, but it does work. Anyway, I saw a very nice HJC helmet at my bike shop for a very reasonable $150 or so. The latest version of my Arai Ram3 is up near $600 now, which is nuts for an open face helmet.

I have a Shoei RF1000 that is pretty quiet and I never had to wear plugs with it. I bought a new Shoei GT Air and I have to wear ear plugs with it. The wind noise is pretty bad. I see Shoei has a new RF1200 that is out now, kind of wish I had waited to buy it vs the GT Air.

I think your at least on the right track checking helmets which fit your skull shape. I have a Shoei head and use their products exclusively. I'm still running an older RF1000 its getting long in the tooth, but has held up very well, regardless of helmet I need ear plugs. I have found that the wind screen under the chin and wearing a scarf high on my neck, sealing against the bottom of the helmet help reduce noise some. I've found properly fitting ear plugs does take some practice, a few times I thought Id have to have my wife remove them as I pushed one a little deep into the ear canal, I now carry tweezers in my tank bag just in case. When properly installed, I can still hear my SENA SHM10r and no ringing in my ears at the end of a 12 hour riding day. As for pushing debris into my ear, I've never had an issue with this, as I dont tend to generate any appreciable amount ear wax.

Good luck in your search and give us a review of what you finally settle on.

Thank you everyone, I plan to visit the Motorcycle Live Show next month here in the UK (Birmingham) and try a few of your suggestions for size. Helmet sizes are easier to sort than how much noise you're going to get when your'e on the bike, I think. I have custom-fit earplugs, which is probably the reason for the debris getting pushed down my ear canal (yes, I suppose I should clean more often!! LOL) although I do like foam E.A.R. ones also. I will report back when I have more news! Here's a link for the Show for anyone interested in going, dates from 23rd November to 1st December. www.motorcyclelive.co.uk

I went to the dealer and fitted all the helmets on display; Aria, Shoei, Scorpion among others. Surprisingly one of the least expensive brands HJC seemed to fit the most snug w/o pressing my forehead. I too am 5'7" and wear a size xs. It is loud, but from what I hear from most folks any helmet at highway speeds is noisy. Is there a brand of helmet that has a neck gator? I find if I wrap a thick scarf around my neck and tuck into the front of the helmet a great deal of noise is eliminated.

wayneosdias wrote:I went to the dealer and fitted all the helmets on display; Aria, Shoei, Scorpion among others. Surprisingly one of the least expensive brands HJC seemed to fit the most snug w/o pressing my forehead. I too am 5'7" and wear a size xs. It is loud, but from what I hear from most folks any helmet at highway speeds is noisy. Is there a brand of helmet that has a neck gator? I find if I wrap a thick scarf around my neck and tuck into the front of the helmet a great deal of noise is eliminated.

Schuberth has a tight fitting soft collar around the base of the helmet that seals it off, preventing wind noise from that area. The noisiest thing on my C3 is the slight whistle noise I get with the top vent open. If I duck down about 1" - that noise goes away. People do wear the Schuberth without earplugs - but I wouldn't recommend it - Tinnitus - the friend that never leaves..

Schuberth C3 Pro. I tried on a C3 last year and it didn't fit. The updated Pro version fits beautifully. Quiet. Exceptionally comfortable liner. No hot spots. I ride with a sport screen. I'm amazed how aerodynamic this helmet is. This is my first modular helmet. Couldn't be happier.

Have worn Shoei, Nolan and Arai… Arai for me… +1 on the requirement for fit. Find a shop with knowledgeable staff that will take the time to help you. The shop I purchase my helmets from carry all manufactures mentioned in this thread and they really helped me understand what a good fit is.

websterize wrote:There's a right, and wrong, way to fit foam earplugs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPNPZJingZA

Thank you for that video Websterize. I've been doing it wrongly for years. Now wonder my ears hurt sometimes....and as I get older my hearing gets worse...
The the OP, I have a 'Shoei head' and the fit is perfect. Current ride is XR1100 'El Capitan'.

I have a Shoei head, and a new RF1200 was just delivered yesterday. Nice fit, a little harder to get on as the head opening at the bottom is smaller than before - I think that's a general trend as a smaller opening and fatter neck roll decrease noise, and manufacturers seem to be paying more attention to it. OTOH, the cheek pads may be too thick; thinner ones are offered but I'll wear it awhile first.

Nippess,

When considering helmets you might also look at the Sharp rating at http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/. There appears to be a wide range of impact protection for helmets that meet minimum DOT or EC standards.

Lynn

There was discussion on some of the sports and news shows last week about the release of a study conducted on the protection afforded by football helmets. My understanding was that they found there was no significant improvement in the protection offered by "state of the art" helmets over the basic foam padded ones in use over the past years. State of the art included helmets with gel and air bag components as well as other innovations. The incidents of concussion remained constant no matter what was used; I believe the study focused on high school players. Neither the study, nor I, intend to say that helmets are not needed or that they do not protect against many injuries; I never ride without one. I think their point is that we may have reached a plateau in the technology of brain protection by football helmets, and I suppose the same fundementals apply to motorcycle helmets. It all comes down to limiting the jostling of the brain inside the skull. Not sure how this info assists any of us in formulating the decision on which helmet to buy, maybe the best we can do is to get one that meets the standards of DOT, Snell or other reputable testing organizations. We may be deluding ourselves into paying $700-800 for a helmet that offers no better protection than one selling for $300 that meets a recognized standard. There is an oft used adage that says if you have a $300 head then buy a $300 helmet; well, maybe we all have just a $300 head. And ya, I have a Schuberth.

MTBeemer wrote: There is an oft used adage that says if you have a $300 head then buy a $300 helmet; well, maybe we all have just a $300 head. And ya, I have a Schuberth.

I've often wondered if this isnt true.

More apropos might be PT Barnum'a quote: "There's a sucker born every minute". Or maybe not.