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looking for a new helmet

9755 Views 21 Replies 18 Participants Last post by  barbagris
Sup fellow duke riders. I'm looking for a new helmet..


Thought to ask you guys if you had any opnion or experiance with the helmets i'm looking in too.


Shoei nxr
Shark race r pro
Hjc rpha 11 pro




Thanks lads
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Sup fellow duke riders. I'm looking for a new helmet..


Thought to ask you guys if you had any opnion or experiance with the helmets i'm looking in too.


Shoei nxr
Shark race r pro
Hjc rpha 11 pro




Thanks lads
I've been an ARAI helmet man for 30 years the shell shape gives me a good fit

helmet are so personal you must go and try them on for the perfect fit
then consider ventilation you only have one head
wind noise you never know until you ride which is not always possible
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Of the 3 you mentioned I’ve only owned the NXR.

Like aot says helmets are an extremely personal thing. Generally arai fits oval head and shoei more rounded heads. I’m a shoei head.

The NXR is a great lid, well made, super quiet, pinlock compatible and comfortable. Absolutely no complaints, but it was pricey.

Of those 3 both the shark and shoei both have 5 star sharp safety ratings and the HJC has 3 stars. Take from that what you will.

I have friends who own the shark spartan (4 star) and won’t stop raving about how great it is. I’d assume the the race pro is better.

I’d say in order of importance for me is

1. fit
2. safety rating
3. comfort
4. wind noise
5. rep

I’d rather have a cheap ugly off brand helmet that fits well and has a good safety rating over a cool expensive one that’s flopping and sliding about.

Go try them on in store even if you decide to buy online. Get assistance in store if you’re unsure and maybe support a local business if you can.

Mines here -

https://www.790dukeforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=182
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totally agree with owl

1. fit
2. safety rating
3. comfort
4. wind noise
5. rep
Sup fellow duke riders. I'm looking for a new helmet..


Thought to ask you guys if you had any opnion or experiance with the helmets i'm looking in too.


Shoei nxr
Shark race r pro
Hjc rpha 11 pro




Thanks lads
First, tell us what u need the helmet for?
Personally I use different helmets for different purposes. Commuting/travel/track
-Forget hjc
-As stated above, Arai is incredible (different models for different headshapes and purposes). Arai also has different shell sizes for every head size which makes it Snell rated (bling bling in safety). No bubblehead-> better airodynamics.
-So here is my recommendation on manufacturers: ARAI/SHOEI/SHARK/SCHUBERTH/AGV
-Next, tell us of the purpose?
I’m using NEXX XR2 Carbon for a 1 year and half. Great helmet!
- Light;
- Comfortable;
- Very good wind resistance;
- Good sound isolation;
- Nice ventilation;
Shoei GT Air, and theres a custom fit Sena 10U intercom system for it, i use it for my radar detector through blue tooth.
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Shoei GT Air, and theres a custom fit Sena 10U intercom system for it, i use it for my radar detector through blue tooth.
Ditto for comfort and the excellent drop down internal tinted visor. The helmet tends to mist my spectacles first thing before setting off in the morning but not too bad. Also have a Sena comms unit attached and the helmet has nice deep cutouts for the speakers. Still happy after 18 months of use.
I'm also sold on the internal dark visors now. I currently have 2 Scorpion helmets, bought because they were the best fit for my head apart from Arai, which were out of my price range at the time. A good fit is number one on my list of requirement in a helmet and the only way to find that out is to try a lot on.
(three posts from New Zealand in a row......)
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I'm also sold on the internal dark visors now. I currently have 2 Scorpion helmets, bought because they were the best fit for my head apart from Arai, which were out of my price range at the time. A good fit is number one on my list of requirement in a helmet and the only way to find that out is to try a lot on.
(three posts from New Zealand in a row......)
Where are you located? :smile_big:
In my early riding days, I wore Arai lids, pricey stuff, and graphics only make them even pricier.

For the past 10 years or so I've been buying Scorpions. Inexpensive, but vent well, decent optics, and when they're on sale, cheap.

I literally leave them out in front of my house, (use them as scarecrows in the garden, give to local neighbors etc), every 2 years, and buy a new one. Here in the States, I've always bought them from sport bike track gear, as they seem to ***** them out via wholesale.
I have only ever owned Shark Helmets and find they are a good fit, but the wind noise is bad.

I know this may not be relevant to you but this website (Australian) compares the safety and comfort of various helmets (https://www.crash.org.au/)

I made my decision for my next helmet based on the crash protection results.
UK Sharp testing has good info too on most popular helmets.

https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/
Scorpion 1400 Air Carbon I've been using for a few months now Super light and fits my head good XL.
Been a Scorpion fan for awhile have EXO 700 which I use still use for snowmobiling for it has a electric shield. Got mine from a vender in Holland for the USA has yet to get all the colored ones.
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Great advice from the other members here. Fit and Safety are a must. Rest is a bonus.

I am an Arai and Shark guy. Both helmets fit my head.

For Arai, I have used the Corsair for a few generations now. Love the helmet. My current Shark is a Carbon Race R Pro. I love highly ventilated helmets, as I am riding in hot weather a lot. Added noise is easily mitigated with earplugs. I don't listen to music or make phone calls when riding.

In my experience, you can get great deals if you are not looking for the most updated graphics. I always go with last year's model (graphics) for very deep discounts. I know which helmets fit my head best, so I have no problem getting great deals online. I have had good experience with some eBay merchants and with motorcyclegear.com.

Make sure that if you are not familiar with the exact make, model and sizing, you try one before you buy.
I seem to be in the minority here as I/m an AGV fan - mainly because they fit my head - Prices are competitive and you can pay upward of 1500 $ or as little as 200. - As a motorcycle expert once said to a guy that asked what's the best helmet ( or gloves ) to buy -

He said "the one that fits"

From what I can tell most every brand is "Snell" rated which means little if you read what Snell does ( at least in the US ) and most if not all branded ones are DOT approved - I/ve frankly looked for EU certified because I think Europe does a better job of determining whats a quality helmet - Lastly I was in Vietnam last year and it seems they now have a mandatory helmet law - I saw helmet on sale there for as little as 1$ US.
Obviously very high quality :)
I had 2 AGV helmets for street, which always seemed fine to me until I got my Scorpion EXO. Talk about a world of difference. The fit is phenomenal and the price is good as compared to the others. I never really fit into Arai helmets and rather steered clear just based on price. I do agree, fit and safety are the top two aspects. Everything after that is icing. I had an HJC helmet for my dirt riding which took a **** of a crash and I came out with a minor concussion, but otherwise it performed well. I now have a Thor helmet for dirt which I really like...sorry off topic...just wanted to post on the HJC. I'd recommend verifying the helmet meets the safety standards and exceeds them, then choose on fitment. Take any extras into consideration with what you like and want against the price differences. Just my 2 cents.
I've been an ARAI helmet man for 30 years the shell shape gives me a good fit

helmet are so personal you must go and try them on for the perfect fit
then consider ventilation you only have one head
wind noise you never know until you ride which is not always possible
You have been a rich man for 30 years my friend. :grin::grin::grin:
This year I Buy 2 Scorpions helmets, my Arai was 15 years Old :surprise:
I was surprise by the quality in regards of the price. I don't regret. Fit Perfectly with my large head (63 cm).
Don't by the extreme racing helmet, you will be frozen in winter because it vents too much and they are very noisy...
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