What you slapping on your Skull?

I have been wearing a Shark RSR helmet for 6 years and I tell you it is a work of art but I have to wear earplugs when on hyperbikes or on the RIII (wind noise) cruising.

Never thought much of it till I borrowed my buds Schuberth C3 Modular and WOW....84 decibels of modular silence. I wore my RSR home and I said I have to get one of those!

Then I saw they were 700 bucks and I said...I am not gonna get one of those.

So I did some research and found an UBER quiet Full face from SHOEI that is quiet as all get out and i only paid 272 dollars for it...It has a 600 MSRP on some variants...

The SHOEI QWEST. Snell and DOT rated and it is an awesome deal at 272 from COMPACC..the QWEST was called a Touring helmet that scared off all the graphic seeking RF 1200 buyers.

Check this excellent comparison from 2010 against the RF1100...

http://www.cruisercustomizing.com/installguides/SHOEI-QWEST-METALLIC.pdf

I did 270 miles today and WOW...I am leaving the Shark RSR at home!

Webbikeworld named the Shoei QWEST the "Helmet of the Year" in 2010

Shoei Qwest Review - webBikeworld

So what are you guys sporting on your noggins and how much is too much before the benefits are lost to the price? In other words....Is a 275 Dollar Shoei QWEST less safe than a 1300 dollar Bell Star?

I have a few I rotate:

An older Shoei, forget the model, buts its ok for slightly chilly days.

When I wear a full face it's usually this though:


Doing the to and from work commute, an 11 minute ride, I usually rock a super unsafe, but somehow DOT certified half helm.


I find that you can rapidly dismiss many helmets just go down the checklist:

Does this brand make one that fits my noggin?
Do I care about carbon vs fiberglass vs plastic?
Do I really want to pay that extra for a design vs a solid color?
What is my upper limit on price I am willing and able to pay?

Just those four factors will massively reduce the selection of viable helmets and you'll usually find your left with 2 or 3 options. Personally, I don't give DOT certification any value.... zero, none, nothing, period. Any product that the manufacturer claims they test and is expected to self-police is questionable in my opinion, especially one that your life literally relies on. Snell/ECE or nothing imho, they audit companies and ensure their production helmets continue to meet the standard after certification.

Contrary to what many people may believe, a carbon helmet adds almost nothing in the way of protection over a mixed composite helmet. The area they are great in, is weight. The one above was at one point THE lightest full face on the market, it also happens to fit my head like it's custom made, and is super quiet for me, so despite the fact it was $700, it was a no brainer to buy it.

Claviger said:

I have a few I rotate:

An older Shoei, forget the model, buts its ok for slightly chilly days.

When I wear a full face it's usually this though:


Doing the to and from work commute, an 11 minute ride, I usually rock a super unsafe, but somehow DOT certified half helm.

Click to expand...

Clav...

What make is that Fullface? Also...I did not know the DOT certified brain buckets?

It's a Nexx XR1R, I think they have discontinued it and gone on to a new revision now. The one really amazing feature, aside from the low weight, is the extreme size of the visor opening. It's hard to tell from photos, but it provides a wider view angle both vertically and horizontally than any other helmet, at least at the time when it was new, so you don't have that stuffy feeling as much and you dont have to turn your head very far for a head check.

Here is a pretty decent review:
Nexx XR1R Carbon - webBikeWorld

I've worn a Bell Star for years and now Bell has a updated version. As of right now the helmets are pre order. There are 3 different Bell Star versions. Bell Star, Bell Star Race, and Bell Star Pro. I'm really liking the Bell Star Race which is made of 3K Carbon. Besides other things I really like about the helmet is the visor panoramic view and the way the visor pulls back against the visor gasket. The Flex Impact Liner is a plus as well with the Race and Pro helmets.

Bell Race Star Helmet