Let's Talk About Helmets

Me and my friend Roko out riding near Nederland, CO. August 2021

Shark Evo One 2 Helmet, MSRP $449-$469

This week I worked with a couple of people who needed to get fitted for a helmet. One rider in particular stood out because of her discomfort with wearing a helmet in general, especially a full face. So she asked to see this specific helmet:

This helmet is particularly unique because it can convert from an open face to a modular helmet, so the chinbar can open and then flip backwards to the backside of the helmet. You can wear it this way while riding. Who wouldn’t want the ability to quickly convert from an open to a close? The downside to doing this with traditional modular type helmets is that they are too heavy and cumbersome to ride in at more than parking lot speeds.

The challenge here was that her headshape was a much stronger oval than an intermediate: She was closer to a 4 but that helmet is closer to a 2, almost a 1. You’re probably wondering, how would I know that? Well, if you are also a 4, then a 2 would feel loose side to side but snug front to back. So you’d probably be able to hold the helmet on both sides and turn your head sideways quite a bit inside the helmet.

Helmet fitment is a lot like fitting shoes. Sometimes you have a narrower foot, sometimes a wider foot…and then something in between.

But the even greater problem that she was facing was her aversion to helmets. So even though her perfect fit was actually one of these two which are intermediate ovals that lean towards #1.:

• Bell SRT Modular

• Shoei Neotec 2

Bell SRT Modular, MSRP $379

As someone who’s job it is to fit you for a properly fitting helmet, I always have to give you the benefit of the doubt. It’s your head, your comfort and your safety. I pointed out to her why the Bell SRT was the better fitment for her shape. It also has soft, squishy cheekpads and has a forgiving fit all around that doesn’t squeeze too hard in all the wrong places. (I didn’t have her try on the Shoei because it was well above her pricepoint, and she was already feeling uncomfortable with the process as it was) so she could compare the fit to the Shark.)

Although she recognized the Bell to be a better fitment, I encouraged her to try the Shark (at home first, for about 30-45 minutes) to see if it would be comfortable enough for longer rides. That way she could return it if she needed to and see how she felt afterwards. The other thing I had to do was size her up to a Medium even though her Bell/Shoei size was a Small. There’s no way you can comfortably wear a rounder (#2) helmet shape if your head leans towards the oval (#5) side.

Shoei Neotec 2, MSRP $749.99

Of course I want people to wear a perfectly fitted helmet as much as possible, but she was so visibly uncomfortable with the idea of wearing any of these that I didn’t want to turn her off completely from wearing one. She left without either, because unfortunately the greater issue of installing a Sena Headset became more complicated with the way that Shark is designed. It’s virtually impossible to mount any other headset on the side of that helmet. It’s primarily designed to work with their proprietary unit.

The best thing you can do is to first understand your shape per the graphic above and then find a helmet that fits as close to it as possible. The more you wear it, the more you will notice these fit differences and how they contribute to issues such as heaviness, noise and visibility.

Of course, wherever you’re riding I hope you’re wearing a great helmet that works for you.

Related Articles:

• Helmets 101

• Podcast Episode 9, Helmet Fit Tips

• How to Transition to a Full Face Helmet

How to Transition to a Full Face Motorcycle Helmet

2003. My first experience as an adult on a two wheel motorized vehicle. Eeek.

MSRP $559.95 Arai Regent-X (Intermediate Oval). One of the most comfortable helmets you’ll ever. An excellent brand when you have very full, round cheeks.

This is the only photographic evidence of myself riding a motorized scooter or motorcycle wearing a half helmet. It was the first and last time I wore one.

I do remember how windy it was, my eyes watering and how exhilarating it felt. But this was on our honeymoon, so at that time, I saw this as a one time event.

After we invested in our first scooter, wearing full face helmets was not up for negotiation.

The transition for me was easy, no issues and no real discomfort. I found an affordable, easy to wear HJC CL-14 for less than ~$140 (the predecessor to the current CL-17). It was an easy decision at the time. Something that I do clearly remember is after trying on the CL-17 I mistakenly tried on an Arai RX-Q that I knew I couldn’t afford or justify. But I knew that I loved it and I wanted it. So 3 years later I invested in one.

I also understand that this decision isn’t as easy for others. After working with countless riders who struggle to make the transition from half helmet / no helmet to a full face helmet, I’ve learned a few things that make the great impact for long term comfort and commitment. Hopefully one of these tips will help you find the perfect helmet for you!

The visual of a head looking down as someone takes a photo of your head while standing on a ladder looking down.

FIT AND SHAPE

Your very first step is to understand what your head needs, physically speaking. If you aren’t sure, have someone take a photo of the top of your head like in the graphic above. Make sure that you aren’t wearing a hat and your hair is totally flat, maybe wet so that you can clearly identify your skull shape from round oval to long oval. Keep in mind that headshape isn’t the same as face shape.

Bell SRT Helmet MSRP $209: Long Oval: Fiberglass Shell: Soft Smushy Cheekpads

With this information, it’s much easier for you to shop for helmets that are going to fit you correctly.

PREMIUM COMFORT

If you can spend $1000 on an exhaust system, or upgraded suspension I can practically guarantee you can easily spend $200, $400 or $600 on a really comfortable helmet! Investing in your body is one of the best ways to give yourself what you need to make this transition.

However, it’s very lightweight (fiberglass shell), vents excessively and will make you feel less stifled. It’s a great, easy helmet to wear if you’re also a Long Oval headshape. I like the padding in this model because it’s really soft and cushy. The face shield it uses is not like the less expensive Qualifier, because it’s using the same one as their Race Star track helmet. So what that gives you is a nice high, wide field of vision. It’ll give you a little more comfort in terms of your visual field and how well you feel you can see or not.

I can almost guarantee that an extremely inexpensive helmet is one that you’ll probably never end up wearing. But if you are trying to keep your budget down especially in these times, I recommend any sub $250 helmet with a fiberglass shell like the Bell SRT:

• Bell SRT (intermediate towards long oval)

• HJC FG-17 (intermediate oval, currently on closeout)

• Sedici Strada II (intermediate oval)

• HJC F70 (modular, intermediate oval)

• Scorpion R710 (intermediate oval)

• HJC i70 (intermediate oval)

These options will feel a little lighter than other styles, and will just give you a little more comfort overall than their non fiberglass counterparts.

Shoei RF-SR $399

On the other end of the spectrum is a higher pricepoint like Arai or Shoei. When I’m trying to help fit someone in person and they’re trying to transition, my first step is to get them fitted first.

The most difficult aspect of getting your helmet right is figuring the fit. And if I can show you what a perfect, 10 out of 10 feels like then you will have a solid foundation as to what it could and should feel like. Rather than choosing something strictly based on color and size without any thought to fitment and true comfort.

This is especially helpful if you can’t spend $500 but need to figure out what option in your budget comes closest to fitting like the more expensive option that you can’t quite justify. Sometimes, because you’ve experienced something GREAT, it can be hard to say no when it feels that good!

Center pad for Shoei RF-SR

Something that brands like Shoei and Arai offer are multiple sizes not only for cheekpads (to soften the clench on your jaws) but for the center pad as well. So the interior main liner on the top of your head will be thinner by 3-4 millimeters if you need to adjust fitment. Just remember to give yourself a few weeks of riding time before you purchase liners because often times the initial break in period is all you need to feel better.

Unique channel events that push air physically through the helmet. ShoeiHelmetsUsa.com.

VENTILATION

Something all of the helmets above have in common is the Ventilation. The Defiant-X above has an arrow for each intake and exhaust vent on one side of the helmet. Now double that number of arrows to get a total number that includes the vents on the other side!

This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be feeling a big fan on your face. In some parts, sure, like your mouth / chin and eyebrows. But the rest of the ventilation points allow for all the hot air being generated from your body to leave so that you will feel more comfortable inside the helmet.

MSRP $659.95 Arai Defiant-X with half of the ventilation points illustrated. Add up the arrows and double that number. Now you have more ventilation than ever before.

Of course, that means you may have a louder experience overall, so wear earplugs. Remember, wearing earplugs doesn’t make everything silent. It saves your ears from the high pitched wind noise which is adding to your fatigue. It’s like being on the freeway in your car. What’s more comfortable for a long car ride? Windows up or down?

Also keep in mind that ventilation is designed to work at Speed (like the channel vents above). So helmets with less ventilation tend to feel stifling when you’re just sitting in your living room. Keep your faceshield open as you wear the helmet and give yourself some time.

This also makes a HUGE difference if you generally run warm. When you’re the type of person that can wear a tshirt when it’s 50F out, then you want a helmet with lots of ventilation.

The comfort you feel on the outside will directly affect the comfort you’re feeling on the inside.

MSRP $734 Bell Race Star (Long Oval, Race Fit). Me breaking in my Bell last year in my living room.

TIME

The main thing to know is that you might need some time with the helmet. I can typically grab a helmet right out of the box and put it on for no more than 5 minutes before going riding.

But for someone like yourself who is trying to get used to the idea of this new “helmet”, you need a little more time to get used to this new experience.

3-5 days of wearing it at home for ~20-30 minutes each session should start the break in process not only physically, but mentally as well.

I recommend opening the faceshield, leaving the d-ring undone and letting it just sit on your head for a bit.

Your helmet should be so comfortable that you could fall asleep in it. It should never hurt you, cause headaches, pressure points or jaw pain. This is after a minimum of 3-5 minutes. Any initial shock or discomfort should start to subside and feel better the longer you wear it. So that’s also why it’s crucial for you to complete the first step of getting that fit shape figured out so you don’t set yourself up for a really uncomfortable experience.

You should know that one bad experience with a helmet doesn’t mean every helmet will feel that way. Promise! It just means that you likely: didn’t understand your head shape or chose a helmet for the wrong reasons. It may also mean that you only gave yourself 10 seconds to give it a try, you may have left the faceshield closed and you may have gone riding in it too quickly.

TRY MODULAR

My brief experience wearing a Schuberth C3ProW.

And if all else fails, try a modular (flip up).

There are lots of modular choices available and it’ll give you a great stepping stone towards a full face helmet. Of course you’ll never have as many choices for modulars as you do fulls, but if you need something in the middle to get yourself acclimated I highly recommend a modular to start.

You’ll gain a great level of protection that you haven’t had before.

Raising the chinbar will give you the ability to quickly raise it up at stop lights (and then close quickly when the light turns green), gas stations and other pitstops.

They’re not designed to wear while completely open but they are incredibly versatile and can offer you lots of protection and flexibility.

HEADWEAR

If you have long or thick hair that’s difficult to manage underneath a helmet, I highly recommend a Diva Do by Raci Babi.

This will also increase your comfort dramatically so that you don’t feel like your hair is being completely ravaged underneath.

If you have short hair like I do I still recommend wearing a light tube like a HooRag.

I wear one underneath my helmet when it starts to get really hot and really cool. It gives me an extra layer of insulation from the heat / cold.

It sounds crazy but wearing more is how you stay cool and comfortable. Reverse wind chill is real and it can cause you to go into heat stroke. This article outlines exactly what happens when you let too much heat in. Wearing a full face or modular helmet is how you can easily keep yourself from excessive exposure and potential risk for heat stroke and as well as skin cancer.

https://www.fix.com/blog/motorcycle-riding-in-hot-weather/

I hope this information truly helps you find a comfortable, awesome helmet that you want to wear every time you ride.

It doesn’t matter how much or what type of bike you ride when it comes to the risk factor of not wearing a helmet.

Simply choosing to ride a motorcycle does.

New Arai DT-X Motorcycle Helmet and XXS Helmets

Side Profile of the DT-X Helmet from Arai

If you have a very small head, or know a woman (in my experience, 99.9% of XS fit women or small children) who may even need a XXS helmet, Arai Helmets has just released a new street helmet called the DT-X. 

This helmet will feature an intermediate oval shape (most common shape in the US) similar to the Corsair-X and Vector-2.

Supposedly it will offer a XXS size, per the website. However, they have the same information for the Vector-2 which was never offered in a 2XS that you could actually order. The only 2XS helmet available to order from them at this minute is the Defiant (although it's currently OOS). 

I miss my trusty Arai, but it didn't fit me small enough like my Shoei does. I'm hoping if they do offer a 2XS that it'll fit my head! I've always respected Arai and their design / protection philosophies. They defy mainstream expectations and always strive to deliver the most protective helmet even if it means not having the best selling helmet, or the one that everyone thinks is "coolest".

But if you are looking for a Full Face or Modular 2XS Helmet, these are the ones that I'm aware of: 

Full Face:

1. Arai Defiant and Defiant Pro Cruise (certain colors) 
2. Icon Airmada (certain colors)
3. Nexx XT1 Carbon Zero
4. GMax GM38
5. Nexx XR2 Carbon Pure (currently OOS)
6. Shoei Qwest (black only)
7. Shoei RF-1200 (if you purchase the 17mm Centerpad, then it's a 2XS)
8. AGV AX-8 DS Evo

I have to mention the Bell Star (Street Star, Race Star and Pro Star) Helmets, because they fit so narrow. I can barely fit my head into an XS (that I can fit into pretty much every XS helmet) and the S fits like a Shoei XS. I'll bet that an XS fits like a 2XS. 

Modular:

1. Schuberth C3Pro Women
2. Nolan N104 Absolute 

Snell Foundation Standards and Helmet Functions

If you're wondering what the Snell Standard is all about or why Helmet Standards matter, check out these great informational videos from the Snell Memorial Foundation. 

Why Helmet Standards Matter

Snell 2015 Standard

Brain Injury and Helmet Functions