Bluetooth and helmets

rcase13

Guest
I hate to post what I know is a newbie question. I need to buy a helmet but am overwhelmed with all the options. I've searched and can't quite find what I want. Can someone point me to a good helmet that will have good ventilation and of course is safe? Most of my use of the Motorcycle will be camping on the BRP and long early Saturday morning rides. I tend to sweat like a pig so good ventilation is a must. I also wear glasses. I tried a Shoei at the dealership and it fit good but was $400... Ouch...:frown:

Is there such a thing as a good touring helmet that has good ventilation and costs around $200?

And then there is the bluetooth question. Will helmets work with my standard bluetooth on my ear or do I have to buy a bluetooth helmet? Can you add bluetooth to a helmet?

Sorry for the questions I am searching and reading but just getting more confused.
 
Buy a helmet that fits you. Go to the store and try them on. Does your dealer have a lot of helmets to try? If they don't maybe you can travel to a larger store? Or go to the IMS show and try them on there.

You can put something like a Scala Rider in just about any helmet (though I suggest you wait on that, until you're more experienced as a rider). But if you pick a helmet off the net based on what other people say, and it doesn't fit, you're stuck.
 
I suggest you head over to Cycle Gear. They have a very good selection of helmets to try on and a seven day return policy...and web competitive prices. According to their store locator there are two stores in the Charlotte metro area.

I wear a White Shoei RF-1100 that is very comfortable, well ventilated and is Snell M2010 approved. For Bluetooth capability I added a Scala Rider kit like Katherine mentioned.
 
F.W.I.W. I purchased a new Nolan N90 and it is awesome. Light, quiet and modular. I have the B.T. adapter and it works great with my Motorola Droid 3.

Click HERE for a review if you want to.

P.S. Nolan helmets tend to run a bit on the snug side. I did have a Bell Large, had to go to X-large for same "fit" with Nolan.
 
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I agree with what's been said above. I've had good luck with Nolans. An N-102 got me through my only high-speed get-off. It was two weeks old and wasn't worth much (but my head!!) after that.

I've got a Schuberth C-3 now (without the $300 Blutetooth setup), and it's arguable whether it's really worth $700 (well, only $699 -- but I always exaggerate). But it is the most comfortable, quietest helmet I've ever had. It's down to under $.50/hour now, so I'm happy with it.

And I'll add this: There are NO dumb questions...except for the ones that aren't asked.
 
In my opinion the best independent reviews on helmets can be found at web bike world. http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/motorcycle-helmets.htm.

Just decide if you want an open face, full coverage or flip up and then read the reviews on the helmets in your price range. I paid $239 for a Nolan N90 flip up and its a very good helmet but I am sure there are many others that are equally good in this price range.
 
Also for saving money on helmets, in the higher end brands, the solid colors are cheaper than the ones with fancy graphics. I have been wearing Shoei RF-series helmets ever since I started riding. The solid white is the cheapest (and the most visible in traffic). Add ten bucks or so for a solid color like red, or yellow. Add $200 or more for a multi-colored racer replica paint scheme. So don't assume that just because the helmet you tried on at the dealer cost $500, that you can't get a plain version of the exact same helmet for $300. Ask about the prices for different colors.
 
A good fit is critical in a helmet. A couple years ago, a friend bought a Nolan N-102 on E-bay. Turns out it did not fit him properly and the vendor would not accept a return. I tried it on and it fit perfectly. He let me have a screaming yellow N-102 for $150.00. That was a deal. I wear that helmet whenever I can.
 
rcase13;43211 I tend to sweat like a pig so good ventilation is a must. [/QUOTE said:
Welcome to my world! I carry my own shower with me on hot days. I just bought an HJC IS MAX BT about 2 weeks ago. It does have a couple openings for ventilation, but I honestly can't say whether it would be better or worse than any other at airflow. It is "Blue Tooth ready", although I have zero plans. I turn my phone on when I want to make a call and shut it off when I'm done.

I bought it in all white for visibility and, hopefully, cooler in sunlight. It has a retractable sun visor that is handy and a modular design so the chin guard flips up. I really like that. If I'm out running errands and just need to run in and out of places ... not having to constantly take off and put on the helmet is very convenient.

My dealer took 10% off the $200 list price.

Scott
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I think I have it down to the Shoei Qwest. I tried it on at the dealer and it was both comfortable and had good visibility. I liked that I could not see the top/sides of the visor. It seemed to do really well in crash tests. It's gear towards the upright touring crowd.

I will wait for Bluetooth as the kits are expensive. I want the Bluetooth so I can hear my Garmin. Can you here the spoken directions from a Garmin without some sort of ear piece?
 
It depends on which Garmin. If one made for motorcycles you might be able to hear it without a headset.

I have two bluetooth sets, one in my Shoei RF-1000 (Scala G2) and one in my HJC 3/4 helmet (Sena).

To use with a GPS or music you need to have a headset that is AD2P bluetooth compliant. My Scala G2 is not (the Scala Q4 is compliant).

Prices on an AD2P compliant bluetooth set for your helmet will be from $150 and up. My Sena is an excellent one and cost me about $180.

Sensory overload is something to consider. Wait until you have ridden for a bit before adding a headset to your helmet. I love mine and won't have a helmet without it in the future (I have almost 20 years of riding experience). I use it for everything from listening to music, radio (broadband through the Droid), bike-bike comm, and phone calls. Unless the phone call is a hi and bye kind of call I pull off the road to talk. In cities (3G service) I will use my phone for GPS directions as well.
 
rcase13 said:
I will wait for Bluetooth as the kits are expensive. I want the Bluetooth so I can hear my Garmin. Can you here the spoken directions from a Garmin without some sort of ear piece?
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Probably not. I have a chatterbox on my HJC and it works well communicating with my Garmin 660 spoken commands and music but is NOT usable for use with my smart phone, with or without the Garmin as an intermediary. This may have to do with the phone, though, as its bluetooth behavior is generally flaky, anyway.
 
charlie b said:
It depends on which Garmin. If one made for motorcycles you might be able to hear it without a headset.

Garmin's for motorcycles usually do not have external speakers like the car versions. Hard to keep them waterproof with an external speaker. My Zumo requires either blue tooth or wired ear buds.
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Warren said:
charlie b said:
It depends on which Garmin. If one made for motorcycles you might be able to hear it without a headset.

Garmin's for motorcycles usually do not have external speakers like the car versions. Hard to keep them waterproof with an external speaker. My Zumo requires either blue tooth or wired ear buds.
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My Zumo 660 is a dual-use box that I've had for years and it's been submitted to plenty of rain. It has a speaker that is on, even in MC mode, if there is no external audio device (like BT). Clarity is fine, but I doubt you could hear it very well at highway speed, due to wind noise. The speaker is on the back side. Which is to say it's pointed away from you.
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rcase13 said:
I think I have it down to the Shoei Qwest.
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Excellent choice... I liked the Qwest but it is the first Shoei that didn't "feel right" and I've been wearing them for over fifteen years. The Qwest received a 5 Star rating by Sharp, the Brit equivalent of our DOT test, and has been highly rated here as well....

As for hearing GPS prompts without Bluetooth or ear buds I have over 50% hearing loss so that is a not an option for me...
 
When I first started riding I was complaining to a friend about all the different helmets and the wide range of prices. I asked him how to decide which one was right for me. His advice is still the best I have heard. He told me, try them on until you find the one that fits best, then figure out how to pay for it.
 
Cnille said:
When I first started riding I was complaining to a friend about all the different helmets and the wide range of prices. I asked him how to decide which one was right for me. His advice is still the best I have heard. He told me, try them on until you find the one that fits best, then figure out how to pay for it.
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+1

As for Bluetooth I'm using the SRC system which is made by Scala and IMO it is pants. One of the worst Bluetooth systems I've ever had.

One of the best I've had is the N-COM system for the Nolan Helmets. It's a pity the N-COM doesn't fit the Schuberth helmets.
 
you never really know what fits until you've worn it a little while. motorcycle superstore let me return a helmet i had worn on a two hour ride where i discovered it was the incorrect size, even though it felt fine out of the box initially. my nolan n90 i really really like, and got it from revzilla, it was just a tad over $200. you can often find great deals on the prior years' models that dealers want to clear their inventories of. my $240 nolan is much better than the $340 scorpion i had. imo, just because you paid a lot for your helmet, does not make it better. do a little research and read reviews. as already mentioned, webbikeworld is a great resource for reviews. good luck!
 
I have an ARAI (3 actually), I scoffed once at the higher priced helmets, but a fellow rider and friend asked me how much money my head was worth??nuff said, you get what you pay for in this life. I typically go for the higher end stuff that way I cry once, not every time I use it.
 
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