Fr, De, It & Es readers: Translations from English are automated so might not be 100%. Hopefully they’re useful enough to help you choose your next helmet!
HJC i71: HJC’s latest mid-price full face polycarbonate all-rounder.
Gloss white i71
HJC certainly don’t stand still. They rattle through new models faster than Leo DiCaprio. And the i71 is their latest full face polycarb offering, presumably replacing the HJC i70 – their last mid price full face polycarbonate helmet.
And while both helmets have pretty well the same specs (sun visor, Pinlock, micrometric fastener) the i71 does have the latest ECE 22.06 certification so should theoretically offer slightly improved protection levels – although having said that, that standard is a miminum pass mark while the outgoing i70 helmet had a SHARP 4 star safety rating which is very good.
Plus, the i71 is ready to accept HJC’s latest generation of bluetooth headset – that’s the Sena developed SMART 50B and 21B headsets.
So if you’re thinking of buying one, read on for more of what you can expect from the HJC i71…
Please click below to visit the HJC i71 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
The bottom line is that the HJC i71 should be a good all-rounder helmet – suitable for commuting or touring and most rides inbetween.
Sera graphic i71. Note all helmets are delivered with a clear visor, not tinted.
HJC reckon they’ve improved ventilation by reworking the top vent and enlarging the mouth vent to let more air in. Looking at the helmet, there’s only a single rear exhaust vent that’s quite high up so my guess would be you’ll probably not feel much cooling all over, more just around the top of your head.
The visor system looks good though. It’s quick release (open visor, pull a tab and the visor pops off – quick push back on to refit) and when you fully close it, it has an auto-lock to keep it in place. That’s fine as long as the unlock is easy – and with the i71, there’s a new ‘press to unlock’ mechanism that looks really simple.
And of course, the good news is that the i71 comes with a Pinlock anti-fog insert in the box which IMO is a must for riders in the UK and Europe.
The sun visor’s operated by a slider on the bottom left edge of the helmet. It’s actually underneath the panel where the comms unit can be installed so it’s tucked right out of the way. The sun visor’s anti-fog treated which is good, and it’s actually slightly adjustable for depth of drop and how far the bottom pushes away from your face (up to 10mm) by using a little switch under that comms panel.
HJC says it adjusts according to your morphology. What that really means if you’ve a big honker, then it’ll help stop the sun visor pressing against it – maybe – a bit.
Gloss black HJC i71
Still, it’s good to see HJC innovating and you never know, it might come in useful.
In UK/Eu i71s come with a micrometric fastener – and as usual that’s a double-d ring in the US. Not entirely sure why the US always gets double d rings instead of ratchet fasteners but I guess somebody somewhere has done some market research to show they’re preferred?
As mentioned, the i71 has a polycarbonate shell. That’s fine for great protection, but it does mean the helmet might be slightly heavier (than composite or carbon helmets). It has passed the latest stafety standard test in Europe though – that’s the ECE 22.06 test – so it should give good protection.
And if you’re looking to fit a bluetooth kit to your helmet, the HJC i71 is designed to fit HJC’s own latest gen SMART 50B and 21B headsets. They’ve been designed alongside motorbike bluetooth specialists Sena, so they should be decent. And if you do buy one of these kits to make a fully integrated headset, there’s speaker pockets inside the helmet and a panel on the left that you can snap the controller into – and a pocket for the battery at the rear.
Rear of the Simo graphic i71
And while the speaker pockets mean you should be OK using your own 3rd party bluetooth kit on the i71, mounting a controller might be a bit tricker because the place you’d usually mount it is already taken by HJC’s pop-off panel. Not ideal.
Overall though, the HJC i71 looks like it should be a good all-rounder and good value for money. It’s got most of the features you’ll probably be looking for in a modern sports touring lid. And while it’s got just a plain ole polycarb shell, HJC do know how to make a decent performing helmet – and usually ones that don’t break the bank.
Best places to buy an HJC i71 helmet?
Please click below to visit the HJC i71 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Move graphic Duke Evo: it’s a nice looking lid in full face mode
Caberg Duke flip-up helmets have been around for a few years now – morphing from the original Duke I through the Duke 2 (and short-lived Duke X) and now into the ECE 22.06 certified Duke Evo.
They’ve always been good value, dual homologated modulars, suited to general riding, commuting and touring. And both the Duke I and Duke II were SHARP 5 star safety rated by SHARP which was a huge thumbs up if you’re looking for the safest modular you can buy.
Now Caberg’s updated the Duke again – so here’s the specs of the new helmet and a bit of background if you’re thinking of buying one.
Please click below to find all models of the Caberg Duke at some of our recommended stores. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
As the name suggests, the Duke Evo is an evolution from the Duke 2 rather than a total rework. So it looks similar to the old helmet just with a few updates here and there, such as redesigned vents.
Familiar look to the old Dukes: front view of a matt black Duke Evo.
It has been through the new ECE 22.06 testing/certification process though, which is a good thing as it’s a bit tougher to pass than the old test. And as with the old helmets, it’s still dual homologated meaning you can ride with the chin bar either up (and locked) or down in full face mode.
That new design is there to give it a slightly more up to date look but in terms of specs, it seems to be more or less unchanged.
That means there’s an internal drop-down sun visor, antimicrobial and moisture wicking internal liner and, like the Duke 2, it’s designed to accommodate a Caberg bluetooth headset – in this case the more up to date Pro Speak Evo.
One other good feature that seems like it’s inherited from the Duke II is that it’s reasonably light weight (for a modular) with Caberg stating it’ll weigh around 1.6Kg.
And it’ll come with a Pinlock Max Vision antifog insert in the box which is a real help towards keeping your visor fog-free and great value for a helmet at this price.
Caberg Dukes have always been good performing helmets – not showy or flash but good reliable modulars with most of the features you’re going to need from an all-rounder helmet. And because the Duke Evo is a devlopment along tried and tested lines, we’d expect it to be a great helmet that represents excellent value for money.
Fly Racing was known for their range of lower price helmets – that is, until they launched the Formula range of Motocross helmets.
Solid white full carbon fibre Formula
The first Formula helmet they launched was the top of the range full carbon version, followed by the CC Carbon Composite Formula, then finally the CP Polycarbonate Forumula helmet.
And looking at the specs of each helmet, it’s great to see that Fly Racing are serious about making a helmet that really protects.
Off road helmets tend to be at the forefront of protective helmet tech – arguably even more so than track helmets – probably because riders are subject to a wider range of accident types and are just simply more likely to have a spill. So (some) manufacturers take protection very seriously.
And it’s great to see Fly Racing being one of them. Multi-density liners – check. Multiple shock absorbing materials – check. Slip plane liners – check (kinda). Higher spec helmet shells and dual ECE 22.05.DOT rating – check.
So here’s the lowdown on what you can expect from the Fly Racing Formula if you’re in the market for a new off-road helmet.
Please click below to visit the Fly Racing Formula helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Overall/Summary
Whichever Fly Racing Formula helmet you choose, owners seem broadly impressed with their helmets. They offer amazing venting, they’re very comfortable, pretty light, have solid build quality, and they work well as dirt helmets. Owners generally really like them.
But which one to choose (see further down for key differences)?
This one’s the matte black CP Polycarbonate Formula helmet. Scroll down to see the difference between it and the matte black CC composite fibre version.
You can buy a couple of polycarbonate Formula helmets for the price of one carbon fibre helmet, and they do share most of their tech. And don’t be put off by a polycarbonate shell as they can be great performing helmets. Overall, the polycarbonate helmet is cheaper, looks more or less the same as the more expensive lids and they’re only a few grammes heavier; so if price is a big factor, we’d say go for the polycarb.
As you’d expect, it’s the full carbon fibre helmet that’s lightest – and with its carbon weave it looks a bit special too. And because it’s been independently tested by the Aussie Crash Labs (and Snell certified in the US), it’s always nice to know it offers lab-proven levels of protection (see safety section further down).
If you’re undecided between the two, the carbon composite CC Formula helmet probably offers very similar levels of protection and performance to the full carbon helmet while only being about 30g heavier (that’s about the weight of a pencil if you’re struggling!). And while you might not be able to show off that carbon weave to your mates, you will be saving yourself a nice stack in the process.
Overall, the Fly Racing Formula is a great helmet and very much up there with the big brands in terms of performance and quality. Well worth buying.
Fly Racing Formula – different models
Full Carbon Formula
The carbon fibre Formula helmet has a 12k carbon shell. 12k refers to the number of carbon fibre filaments in each ‘tow’ or group of fibres. It’s a cheaper type of carbon fabric but it also has greater tensile strength, which is probably why Fly Racing say it has superior penetration resistance. It also makes for a lighter helmet, with the full carbon Formula helmet weighing around 1.35Kg (3lbs) which is light weight.
Here you go… Formula CC helmet. Most of the differences between it and the CP seem to be the design of some vents.
CC Carbon Composite Formula
The Fly Racing CC is pretty much the same helmet as the Carbon helmet, just its shell is made from a composite of carbon fibre, Kevlar and fibreglass. And while it’s a good bit cheaper than the full carbon and looks the same, it’s only a smidge heavier.
CP Polycarbon Formula
There’s a few small cosmetic differences between the CP and the other two Formula helmets – mainly in the placing of the vents – but the main difference is the fact the helmet shell is polycarbonate plastic. And of course that makes it a little bit heavier, weighing around 1.45Kg (3.2lbs).
Fly Racing have taken an innovative approach with the Formulas. All three have an expanded polystyrene shock absorbing liner, and all three have a slightly funky take on the concept that Fly Racing calls Conehead. That means it has separate panels slotted together using cone shaped EPS ‘spikes’ which Fly Racing reckon give them more progressive impact attenuation.
They also use a double-density liner, again designed to give more effective lower and higher speed impact protection.
Cutaway showing the conehead EPS construction
On top of that, they add little ‘rosettes’ of rheon which is an energy absorbing polymer, again designed to offer progressive impact absorption as well as a certain amount of slip-plane protection – so letting the helmet slide independently of the head during an impact.
Of course, all these features sound great, but the key thing is – do they work?
Obviously, the only real way to find out in any meangful way – apart from buying one and launching yourself off your bike – is to lab test it. The carbon version of the Formula has been Snell certified and the Australian Crash programme did test the full carbon version and scored it 4/5 stars for protection. To put that into perspective, only one helmet so far has scored 5/5, so it’s a decent score.
Actually, looking at their published test info, it looks like the oblique/rotation protection ain’t that great (which is maybe where it dropped that extra star?) – with it scoring 7.7/15 for ‘Ability to minimize the rotation of the helmet in a crash’ and 5.8/15 for ‘Oblique impact energy management’.
And of course, that’s just for the carbon fibre Formula helmet. If we had to guess, we’d say the composite version would probably score something similar but as for the polycarbonate version (that doesn’t have the ‘conehead’ EPS) it’s difficult to say.
Other than this test score, it seems all models are built in three shell sizes – which is good for optimising fit and safety – and they all have double-d ring fasteners. And as long as you’re careful fastening them up each time, double d rings are about as reliable as they come.
There’s also a range of Youth helmets. This one’s the carbon Prime.
There’s also a collarbone-friendly bottom edge, shaped to reduce impact on the clavicle if the helmet’s pushed downwards – and that bottom profile’s filled with a small amount of EPS to cushion the blow further.
Similarly, Fly Racing has lined the chin bar with EPP (expanded polypropylene) to offer some impact attenuation there – which is always great to see and just goes to show the attention to detail they’ve gone to in order to maximise impact protection.
All in all, the Fly Racing Formula should give decent protection; but looking at that test data, just maybe not as much rotation protection as we’d like.
Helmet noise arguably isn’t as important for a dirt helmet as a street helmet. Sure, if you’re riding fast and loud competitively you’re not going to want to deafen yourself day-in day-out, but for most of us being able to hear the engine and your riding mates will probably mean you don’t mind a bit of noise getting into your helmet.
And with so many ventilation holes covering the helmet (see below) each is a pathway for noise too.
For a dirt helmet, opinions we’ve found say it’s about average – so you shouldn’t have any real problems with noise if you buy a Fly Racing Formula. If you find it too loud, the solution’s always the same – buy some decent ear plugs and you should be fine wearing most helmets, including the Formula.
Whichever model of Formula helmet you go for, ventilation should be more than enough.
They all have generous venting in both the chin bar and forehead, taking air through the shell, around channels in the EPS liner and into the helmet. The comfort liner has a stack of air holes in it and riders across the board reckon there’s a ton of airflow.
Once in the helmet, warm and moist air vents out the back of the helmet through seven rear exhausts, giving a very open and free flowing movement of air through the helmet.
We found heaps of Formula owners who rated it highly for ventilation and the Crash Labs testers agree, scoring it 20/20 for ventilation.
The peak on all versions of the Formula is light weight plastic and designed to break away under impact (the full carbon Formula comes with a spare in the box).
They’re all slightly up/down adjustable and they’re all aero sculpted to reduce lift at speed as well as direct airflow into that top forehead vent.
Word is that the viewport is large enough to take pretty well any type of goggles you want. We heard from riders fitting 100% Accuri OTG goggles without a problem, so if you’re a glasses wearer and need larger goggles, you should be good to go.
Comfort’s another major tick in the box according to pretty well every Formula owner we found.
Full carbon Black Formula helmet
All Formulas are medium oval fitment internally and we heard from quite a few owners saying how they found it to be the most comfortable dirt helmet they’ve ever used. While one or two owners found their helmets tight at first, they also reckon they do break in quickly. The internal shape seems to be very forgiving and the liner soft, comfortable, antimicrobial and moisture wicking.
And while there isn’t any adjustment internally, if things aren’t quite right there are a range of different cheekpad sizes available from Fly Racing if you need to tailor the fit further.
On the whole, sizing seems to be about right for most owners – so use our Fitment Guide to measure your head and order the correct size through one of our recommended stores.
While most owners we found rate it as an exceptionally comfortable helmet, it’s worth noting that Crash Labs (who also test each helmet for comfort) scored it a middling 3/5 stars.
Looks & Graphics
Fly Racing Formula CP Slant
There’s a huge range of graphics and colourways available for all three Formula helmets (four if you count the Youth versions). If you’re after a solid, then the CC and CP both do matt black plain helmets and there’s a plain white carbon helmet available. If you’re after a plain black carbon Formula, the blacks are basically either a gloss or matt lacquer over the carbon (see Carbon Black above).
Other than that, the carbons all tend to show off that carbon fibre weave and while we’ve dotted some of the graphics up and down the page, you should click the links below to check out the full ranges at our recommended stores below – click and you’ll drop straight onto their Fly Racing Formula helmets pages.
Best places to buy a Fly Racing Formula helmet?
Please click below to visit the Fly Racing Formula helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Fly Racing Formula Helmet Video
Top video is a 9m30s video looking at the Formula Carbon and the bottom one a 7m video covering the Formula CP – both from Rocky Mountain in the US.
Other stuff – build quality, warranty
Composite fibre Formula CC Centrum
One comment we found time and time again is that Fly Racing Formula helmets are well built with good paint, quality materials and a solid feel (except perhaps the peak that’s designed to break off).
Hopefully that rings true for the lifetime of the helmet because Fly Racing helmets only come with a one year warranty.
You can find all our dirt helmet reviews here, but here’s a small selection of our some other motocross helmets that we think you should check out.
One of the main competititors to the top-end Fly Racing Formulas is the 6D ATR-2. That’s another motocross helmet that focuses on max protection by using MIPs and dual density liners. It’s a great helmet too that most owners love.
Shoei VFX-EVO
Another great top-end dirt lid is the Shoei VFX-WR. The DOT version’s been Snell M2020 certified too – it’s got MEDS rotation protection, EQRS and it comes in four shell sizes. It’ll fit a bluetooth headset too.
HJC CS-MX II
If you’re more focusing on value for money, the HJC CS-MX II is highly rated by owners and it’s super cheap – half the price of the base spec Formula even. It covers all the basics – though it hasn’t been rated for crash protection yet.
Looking to buy a Fly Racing Formula helmet?
Please click below to visit the Fly Racing Formula helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
The MX-V is Arai’s top of the range dirt helmet which Arai says has been designed using feedback from its sponsored riders in the worlds of motocross and enduro.
The Block graphic’s available in coloured version too
The improvements Arai says they’ve made over their outgoing helmet is they’ve extended the length of the peak to give better protection, improved ventilation and moved the chin vent gubbins to the outside of the helmet to give more space inside the chin bar.
The Arai MX-V has a fibreglass based composite fibre shell using a range of special fibres and construction techniques that Arai is keen to point out have been developed and honed across the decades and their helmets are made by hand in their Japanese factory.
And the good news is that the DOT version of the MX-V (called the VX-Pro4 in the US) has been Snell 2020 certified. That’s probably a slightly different construction to the MX-V helmet available in UK/Europe but hopefully gives some indication that the MX-V will offer good crash protection should the worst happen.
Obviously, proven protection is vital – but there’s a ton more you want from your motocross helmet in terms of functionality and to make it easy to live with and useable on a day to day basis.
So here’s the lowdown on what the Arai MX-V offers and what owners/riders think of their helmets.
Please click below to visit the Arai MX-V helmets pages at our recommended stores and Amazon. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Overall/Summary
The Arai MX-V is a high quality and well-liked motocross helmet. It’s been developed alongside pro motocross and enduro riders and performs well in many of the areas that serious dirt riders need: we expect protection levels to be high, ventilation is good and comfort’s excellent.
And so is the quality of the helmet; materials, fit and finish are all first rate and a testament to the hand-built and hand-QA’d nature of Arai helmets.
Stanton graphic MX-V
Of course, when you’re taking your motorcycle off road, you need to know your helmet will protect you well. The US version of the MX-V is Snell certified and there are EQRS cheek pads – though it does lack some of the latest features such as a slip plane liner (like MIPS) to protect against helmet rotation; and a collarbone-friendly design. It’s a heavier helmet too, tho owners don’t seem to notice it.
Overall, folks who use an Arai MX-V seem to love it for the quality as well as functionality and they’re willing to pay a premium price for it. There are some excellent alternatives around (see section at the bottom of the page) but if you’ve got the budget and like what it offers, we’re sure you’ll be happy with an Arai MX-V.
There’s a good few things to note about the protection offered by the Arai MX-V.
First up is that Snell M2020 safety rating. That was scored in the US using a DOT version of the helmet rather than the ECE version that’s available in the UK/Europe – and it’s always unclear how different the helmets are. But tested certification is always a good thing to see and hopefully it also gives a hint that the MX-V will also offer decent protection if you suddenly find yourself faceplanting the dirt.
The helmet shell on the MX-V is a fibreglass/composite shell that’s hand-formed by Arai – hence the heftier price tags of Arai helmets. Arai adhere to a philosophy of making rounder helmet shells as they say that helps the helmet stop digging into and rotating – damaging the rider in the process. It’s what Arai calls their R75 shape which sounds good on paper though I’ve never seen any actual science behind this claim (lord knows I’ve looked) so I personally take it with a pinch of salt. Still, I guess a rounder helmet shape won’t hurt so there’s probably no harm in it either.
Having said it’s a rounder shape, there is of course a big ole chin guard sticking out front of the MX-V, though Arai do say they try to keep it shorter than most for just that reason; and with the MX-V they moved some of the filter/grill mechanism outside the helmet to help give a bit more room inside the chin bar while the external part can break off in an accident.
In fact, all those external bits and pieces – the peak, exhaust vents and chin bar inlet – are designed to break off under impact and reduce the likelihood of rotating the helmet and damaging the rider. And if you do break anything, you can buy them all as replacements if you need to.
Plain white version
There’s no MIPs style rotation protection system inside the MX-V (but again, I’ve yet to see any independently verified data to show MIPs actually helps reduce injuries either!) and there’s no collarbone-protecting bottom edge like you see in many other dirt helmets these days.
But there are EQRS quick release cheek pads in there which are always good to see, especially on motocross helmets. And the helmet’s secured in place using a tried and tested double-d ring fastener which is standard fitment on track helmets of all kinds these days.
Lengthening that peak to give the rider more protection from roost is undoubtedly a good improvement too, as long as it doesn’t bring its own problems with aero etc. (see below)
All in all then, Arai does have a good reputation for making protective helmets. And because of Arai’s improving reputation for good safety levels (and because one version of the MX-V has been tested and certified by Snell in the US), we reckon you’ll be able to trust it’ll give the protection you need.
Motocross helmets do tend to be noisier than regular full face helmets. Let’s face it, riders in dirt helmets don’t tend to be riding as fast as street riders so why would they be? Plus, offroad riders have more of a workout than most riders which means they sweat more so need more ventilation, and more vents means more noise.
Frost black MX-V
And that’s the case with the Arai MX-V; it’s got lots of ventilation holes along with that large eyeport for goggles which makes for loads of ways for noise to get into the helmet. Plus one or two owners reckon that peak can make a bit of a noise as well, depending on how your bike affects the aero, and your riding speed.
It’s not really any noisier than most motocross helmets, just that it’s not quiet either. It shouldn’t be a problem if you’re usually riding off-road, it just might be a pain if you do most of your riding on the road – in which case you might prefer a convertible adventure helmet or consider pushing in some decent ear plugs to quieten things down.
Good ventilation’s important on a motocross helmet. And the good news is that owners seem to reckon the Arai MX-V vents pretty well.
In the chin bar, there’s a triple vent which ventilates the mouth area, and it’s covered in a stainless steel mesh which covers a removable/washable foam filter. That vent can be opened/closed using a slider inside the chin bar and the whole slider can be removed to get access to the filter to clean it out.
Up top, there are a pair of forehead vents – again closeable – that take air through the shell to circulate around the head and exit the helmet via a pair of top-rear and side vents. Arai has shaped the aero on the peak to direct air through to those forehead vents and they also say the rear exhausts are shaped to pull air through the helmet and improve ventilation.
Close up of that ‘external’ chin bar vent covered with stainless mesh
The consensus among riders seems to be that it vents well, just not quite as well as some of the latest competition (such as the Bell Moto 10 or the 6D ATR-2).
Goggles and Peak
The eyeport on the Arai MX-V is slightly smaller than some comparable helmets, with several owners saying that you might have to remove your goggles’ nose guard to get them to fit. We didn’t come across anyone saying they actually failed to get their goggles in there, plus it seems to be broadly agreed that there’s good all-round visibility in the MX-V, but some owners agreed that the eyeport is smaller than normal…
Unlike the peak that’s been extended in length for the MX-V to give more shade and better protection from rocks and dirt. Because it’s larger, they’ve had to tweak the aero some to try and make sure it doesn’t pull your head around in the wind. If you look up, it will catch air but as long as you’re not going silly fast, owners seem to rate it.
Top view showing ‘break off’ ventilation covers and peak.
There is a slight adjustment available if you want to raise or lower the peak – loosen a single screw and it tilts a little. And Arai has sensibly coated the underneath in dark paint to keep glare to a minimum on lighter colours.
Like all the other external plastic bits, it’s designed to break off in an impact rather than cause head rotation. If you do break one, you can buy a replacement and don’t have to junk the helmet (though they do cost around £90).
If you are looking to wear goggles with your MX-V, the sides and rear of the helmet have been designed to keep the strap in place so you should be OK on that front.
Arai MX-Vs are available in sizes XS-XXL. And according to owners, they fit about true to size – so no need to go up or down a size when ordering one.
Resolute graphic Arai MX-V
Inside you’ll find the usual high quality Arai liner: it’s a ‘dry-cool’ liner which is designed to quickly wick moisture away from the rider.
And like most other Arai liners, it’s very adjustable to help you tailor the fit as closely as possible to your head. There are peel away panels to help increase/decrease the cheek pad thickness and there are a range of replacement panels if you ever find it’s not quite right.
The comfort liner is fully removeable and washable and there are EQRS cheek pads in there to help get things out even more quickly.
We found lots of MX-V owners talk about how plush the liner feels and how hugely comfortable their helmets are so if comfort’s particularly important to you – and it generally is for most of us – then you should be fine with the MX-V, as long as you’re a medium oval to neutral fitment.
Looks & Graphics
Arai helmets tend to be pretty conservative in their looks. The MX-V dirt helmet is slightly different though. Its overall form is dominated by the usual Arai R75 rounder headshape, but because it’s a dirt helmet with a roost guard and longer chin bar together with lots of snap off air vent covers, it hides that rounder shell shape well. Most are then smothered in the usual range of replica graphics and it looks pretty much as funky as the wildest dirt helmets out there.
Graphics include the Block, Slash, Resolute, Stars and Stripes, Stanton and Scoop. And if you’re after a plain helmet there’s a Pearl Black, Frost Black and Plain White.
To find any more, please click the links below that’ll drop you straight onto the Arai MX-V pages at some of our recommended stores.
Best places to buy an Arai MX-V?
Please click below to visit the Arai MX-V helmets pages at our recommended stores and Amazon. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Arai MX-V Video
Here’s a rotating Stars and Stripes (Dark) to ogle at!
Like most motorcycle helmets used in sport, the Arai MX-V comes with a double-d ring fastener.
Bluetooth Headset
If you like to listen to music or chat while riding, the good news is that there is room for some slim speakers inside the Arai MX-V. OK, there aren’t any specific speaker pockets, but if your speakers are slim enough, according to some owners there is room to get them inside without too much struggle, though you might be able to feel them against your ears.
We heard from one Arai MX-V owner who said they fitted a Cardo Packtalk Slim in their helmet without a problem and it worked well for them.
Stanton graphic
Weight
Probably one of the main drawbacks with the Arai MX-V is weight. Arai helmets have always tended towards the weightier side of the scales and the MX-V is no exception. It weighs in around 3.6lbs (1.65Kg) which is on the heavier side for a motocross helmet.
Having said that, while some riders seem to have been put off buying a MX-V because of it, several owners said you don’t really notice the weight while riding; and others also reckon that weight gives them confidence that its well constructed.
Build Quality
In fact, it’s that build quality that’s one of the biggest reasons for Arai helmet ownership – and it’s the same for the MX-V. It’s a hand made helmet and the materials, fit, paint and finish seem to make for happy owners with stacks of them saying how great it is on the MX-V.
Arai MX-V stars and stripes dark
Glasses
If you’re a glasses wearer, you should be fine with the MX-V too. While there’s no specific glasses grooves in there, several owners we came across say theirs fit comfortably into place with one saying how refreshing it was to find their glasses sat in just the right natural position rather than being squeezed into place and forced to sit at an angle.
Aero
It might be quite a rounded shape, but Arai has worked on the aero on the MX-V in a number of ways. While that peak has been lengthened, they’ve sculpted it to reduce lift and let air pass through it as well as channel some air towards the front air vents. To the rear, the vent cowls create a small pocket of reduced air pressure to help draw warm air out of the helmet and improve ventilation.
And while that peak will catch the air if you look upwards, at anything below highway speeds, owners say it works well and doesn’t buffet around.
Warranty
Like all Arai helmets, there’s a 5 year warranty against manufacturing defects (7 years from date of manufacture as found inside the helmet).
Bell helmets have a great track record in making dirt helmets. The old Moto9 was good and the Moto-10 is arguably even better. It’s around the same price as the Arai, it’s heavyish (though slightly lighter than the Arai) but it’s great venting with a larger eyeport, carbon fibre shell and latest Snell certification.
Shoei VFX-EVO
The Shoei VFX-WR is an accomplished helmet. With its MEDS rotation protection system, Snell rating (US helmet), great ventilation and highly rated comfort, it’s also slightly cheaper than the MX-V too.
6D ATR-2
6D helmets are known for their slip-plane liners too – and their ATR-2 is no exception. It’s been developed alongside pro racers too and is known for it’s comfort and all-round performance.
Arai XD-4
Finally, if you need a lid that’ll work well on the highway as well as the dirt, you might want to check out the Arai XD-4. It’s an adventure helmet that converts between a road and dirt configuration so you can have the best of both worlds.
Best places to buy an Arai MX-V?
Please click below to visit the Arai MX-V helmets pages at our recommended stores and Amazon. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
The X.R3R is a full-on sportsbike/track helmet made by composite fibre helmet maestros, Nexx.
There’s a couple of different versions available. One with a composite fibre shell (fibreglass, aramid & carbon) and the other with a full carbon fibre shell. This X-Pro carbon XR3R is – as you’d expect – a good deal lighter (and pricier!) than the composite helmet, and it’s also been FIM certified for circuit racing – or at least size S has been at the time of writing (each size has to be separately certified by the FIM).
20 Years Edition Pro Carbon Nexx X.R3R
So, what’s the Nexx X.R3R about?
Well, according to Nexx, it’s a track helmet designed for sportsbike riders. They reckon they’ve gone mental with the aerodynamics (i’m paraphrasing here!) to keep it weight-neutral and stable at speed and also to help reduce noise.
They also say it’s lighter than the competition, has optimised ventilation to offer all the cooling you’re gonna need on the track; and that the visor’s super wide – with 225 degrees horizontal vision and 85 degrees vertical.
It comes with that break-off rear spoiler in the box (but not fitted) and a clear Pinlock-ready visor (but the actual Pinlock insert’s extra – boo).
Please click below to drop straight onto the Nexx X.R3R helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Overall/Summary
The Nexx X.R3R’s a great looking helmet and looking at the full carbon FIM certified helmet; it’s actually pretty good value.
OK, Nexx hasn’t quite got the pedigree of some other brands in making proven track helmets. And a few owners have reported quality issues (see build quality section below). And while the carbon version is lightweight, the composite fibre version’s a bit on the weighty side.
Nexx XR3R Pro carbon FIM track helmet.
Having said that, there’s quite a bit going for the XR3R. That large visor system’s fully featured being both Pinlock- and tear-off ready. And owners say it’s both comfortable and very well vented, which are both key for long days on the track.
And there’s some nice touches in there including speaker pockets (still not that common in racing helmets) and magnetic strap end – along with some essentials such as EQRS cheek pads and large rear spoiler for stability (and pose).
And if you’re after proven safety levels, the FIM certification of the carbon fibre helmet along with latest ECE 22.06 certification on both carbon and composite helmets is a big thumbs up (though we’d like to see a SHARP or Snell rating too).
Overall though, this third generation of Nexx’s XR helmet looks to be an accomplished if left-of-field alternative to the regular bunch of track helmets.
All versions of the Nexx X.R3R have been ECE 22.06 certified – click the link to find out what exactly what testing that means they’ve passed.
In addition, the full carbon helmet has passed FIM testing/certification – or at least size S has. I’m not sure which pro racer wears a Nexx lid but I’m guessing it’s only one rider and they’re a size S because Nexx aren’t really known for their MotoGP or SBK riders and that’s the only size that’s been certified.
Other than that, the XR3R hasn’t been independently tested by either SHARP or Snell in the US. Nexx track helmets that have been tested by SHARP in the past were the XR1R that scored 3 stars, and the XR2 that also scored 3 stars (composite helmets were tested in both cases).
They’re both reasonably average results – and across all five SHARP tested Nexx helmets over the years, their average star rating is 3.2 out of 5. So maybe that’ll point to the X.R3R scoring something similar if SHARP was to test it?
Gloss white X.R3R from the rear.
Having said that, the X.R3R is created in three shell sizes (which is good for fit, comfort and safety) and it has a super wide visor for great all round vision – important whether on track or road.
That visor’s Pinlock ready too which is good – though the actual insert’s extra. That’s a bit annoying on a helmet the price of the XR3R because if you’re riding in Europe, you’re gonna need a Pinlock to stop your visor fogging.
One thing worth noting on the safety front is that there appears to be a collarbone friendly base. Nexx don’t mention it as a feature on their blurb, but the way the bottom edge of the helmet raises up is usually so it doesn’t break your collarbone if you have an impact.
Overall then, with that FIM certification and extra light weight, the carbon fibre helmet should offer excellent protection. But the jury’s out on the composite fibre XR3R – it should be pretty good because it’s ECE certified but beyond that it’s difficult to say.
Nexx say they’ve aimed to keep noise levels down with the X.R3R – which is relatively unusual as most racing helmets tend to be noisy buggers.
They reckon aero has been designed to stop the airflow catching on the helmet and causing noise. They’ve even added vortex generators to the chin to reduce drag and noise, and that double visor seal’s there to stop noise getting in as well as wind and rain.
Having said all that, noise does get into the XR3R by all accounts. I guess with all those generous vent holes (see below) it was bound to, whatever they do with the aero. It’s probably about average for a sportsbike helmet; so best to push in a decent pair of earplugs and you should be fine.
Nexx look like they’ve really gone to town with the ventilation on the X.R3R.
Top view of the Nexx X.R3R Zorga showing helmet profile and forehead vents.
There’s a dual chin vent in the chin bar, with the top section operated externally and channeling air onto the back of the visor for demisting. The bottom section is opened/closed inside the chin bar and lets plenty of air get to the face and mouth.
Above the visor, there are four vents taking air through the shell and around the head in venilation channels within the polystyrene. That’s a lot of vents – just a shame they’re operated by tiny switches which can be tricky to find in gloves.
The good news is that Nexx X.R3R owners reckon the vents do flow a ton of air, so if you’re road riding in sunny weather or getting a workout on the track, there’s plenty of cooling available.
Nexx say they’ve done a lot of work on the visor system for the X.R3R.
There’s a double gasket seal around the visor for improved rain/wind sealing, and the visor base plate is designed to pull the visor back towards it for a tigher fit. Nexx also says the visor base plate is anti-vibration – though they don’t say why the’ve felt the need to do that because as far as I’m aware very few riders (like none, ever) complain of visor vibration. Still there it is, it’s got one.
One thing that is very definitely good and worth having is the width and depth of the visor to give great peripheral and vertical vision – that’s very important whether on track or road. Nexx quotes 225 degrees horizontal and 85 degrees vertical which I know is just numbers but for context the new AGV Tourmodular says it has a wide visor but has only 190 degrees of horizontal vision.
Like most track helmets, there’s a dual locking system on the visor – close it fully and the visor snaps closed but for added security, you can also slide a plastic tab across to lock it fully and make sure it doesn’t pop open unexpectedly mid corner after an aggressive block pass. Or on your way to ASDA.
The visor works on a ratchet and has a single opening tab to the left – not ideal if you ever want to open your visor with your left hand but most of us cope. The visor is tear-off ready and it’s class one optically correct for a distortion-free view.
And if you like an iridium or photochromic visor on your helmet, there’s four different iridium visors available as well as a transitions visor – though that’s a pretty fruity £120!
It’s made in three shell sizes with the smallest shell for sizes XXS-XS, middle shell covering S-M and largest shell L-XXL.
Precision graphic’s available in 5 different colourways
Inside the helmet there’s a hypoallergenic and moisture wicking comfort liner (Nexx calls it X.Mart dry fabric) that also has quick-release cheekpads (see EQRS) as well as an adjustable velcro strap to tailor the fitment a little – either raise it up or lower it on the head. And if you find the fit not quite right, Nexx sells an Ergo Padding Kit to replace some of the foam and tailor the fit a little more.
As you’d expect, the composite fibre X.R3R is heavier than the carbon fibre helmet. Nexx says the X-Pro carbon fibre lid weighs around 1.35Kg with the composite helmet 300g heavier at around 1.65Kg – though we’ve heard from owners who reckon the largest shell size can weigh considerably more than that, getting on for 1.8Kg which is far from light weight!
Still, go for a carbon X.R3R and it’s light enough to qualify in our lightest helmets pages.
And if you’re happy to order online, reports are that the Nexx X.R3R fits broadly true to size, so order the correct size according to our fitting guide and you should be sorted.
Overall then, owners reckon it’s a comfortable helmet and most perceive their helmet as lightweight too.
Looks & Graphics
It’s all subjective of course, but the X.R3R is a modern looking sportsbike helmet. It looks very much part of the Nexx family of helmets and its aero, with that large rear spoiler, is very much in vogue with the latest generation of track helmets.
Zorga graphic in pink. Three other colours also available.
If you’re interested in the composite fibre X.R3R, there’s a plain matt black and ghost helmet along with a gloss white helmet available as well as the Zorga, Precision, Hagibis and Izo graphics.
X-Pro Carbon helmet is available in a range of designs, most with various colour highlights against the carbon weave.
As always, to check them out, please click the links below which should take you straight to each store’s Nexx X-R3R helmets page.
Best places to buy a Nexx X.R3R helmet?
Please click below to drop straight onto the Nexx X.R3R helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Nexx X.R3R Video
A 15m nose around the white/red Nexx X/R3R carbon helmet.
Other stuff – fasteners, bluetooth, build quality, warranty.
Fasteners
As mentioned, the X.R3R – along with all track helmets – has a double-d ring fastener. They’re good, secure fasteners, if a bit fiddly. One thing to note with the X.R3R though is that the end of the fastener has a magnet to stop if flapping around, unlike the snap that most helmets have. Very handy that.
Carbon White X.R3R
Bluetooth Headsets & Speakers
Quite a few track helmets aren’t really suitable for speakers – and quite a few don’t actually add speaker pockets inside – so if you’re looking to fit a headset into your sportsbike helmet, it’s useful that the X.R3R does. So far, we’ve only heard from one rider who said that their Cardo speakers fitted in there OK.
Build Quality
Overall build quality seems to be pretty good with high quality materials and finishes. There were occasional early reports of quality niggles though – both loose vents and paint coming off. Hopefully those QA issues should’ve been fixed now the helmet’s been out a while; but if you do order one, have a good look over it to ensure you’re happy with everything before you wear it. And order from a store who’ll give refunds without a quibble (like our recommended retailers do).
Warranty
Nexx helmets come with a pretty standard 2 year warranty covering manufacturing and material defects.
If you’re after a top quality sportsbike or track helmet, one of our current top dogs is the Shoei X-Spirit III. OK it’s now been replaced by the X-SPR Pro (which is bound to be excellent too) but it just means you might be able to pick up this excellent SHARP 5 star rated track helmet at a bargain price.
Shoei X-SPR Pro
The Bell Star range also offer a choice of three helmets that give you a choice of SHARP 5 Star sportsbike helmets to suit a range of budgets.
Finally, the LS2 Thunder is LS2’s FIM racing helmet. It has a carbon/aramid shell, an optically correct visor and included Pinlock for around the same price as the Nexx.
LS2 Thunder Racing
Check out our Sportsbike or track helmets sections for more previews and reviews of helmets suitable for your sportsbike.
Best places to buy a Nexx X.R3R?
Please click below to drop straight onto the Nexx X.R3R helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
The i100 is HJC’s first attempt at a flip-over modular helmet.
What the i100 looks like with the chin bar closed (Beis graphic).
Just like a number of Shark helmets – and even a couple of LS2’s (see alternatives section towards the bottom of the page) HJC has decided to produce a modular helmet where the chin bar flips right over to the back of the helmet to get the chin guard right out of the airflow and give the rider a proper feeling of open face helmet riding.
At the same time, it’s the first flip-over helmet anywhere to be ECE 22.06 certified – that’s the more rigorous replacement to the old 22.05 helmet test. Which means it should, theoretically, give decent protection too.
The i100 is a polycarbonate shelled helmet and it’s available at a pretty low price point too. But is it any good and is it worth buying one of these over some stiff competition?
Please click below to visit the HJC I100 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Overall/Summary
It might be HJC’s first bash at a flip-over helmet, but you wouldn’t know it when you look at the HJC i100. Not only is it a looker but owners highly rate it too.
Matt black i100 with chin bar in open face riding position.
OK there’s the odd niggle – it’s on the heavy side and it’s not that quiet (but what modulars are?!). But overall owners of i100s love em.
The biggest plus point seems to be that flip over chin bar that gives a proper open face ride and keeps the helmet balanced and looking the part. Quality’s good, sizing’s about right, comfort’s good and the sun visor (with adjuster wheel) drops nice and low.
And it comes ready to accept HJC’s Smart Intercom kit: it might not be the latest mesh kit if that’s what you’re after but because it’s based on Sena’s 20S it does the job, though it’s not cheap. And of course you can always use your own bluetooth set in there.
It’s available at an attractive price point too. So it’s well worth looking at if you’re after a lower priced flip-over modular. But don’t forget to check out our suggested alternatives at the bottom of the page too.
On safety, there’s a couple of major points worth making.
Hyper silver HJC i100
First up is that ECE 22.06 certification. It’s a new testing standard in Europe and includes extra and randomised test points along with a higher drop test speed. And it also includes testing with and without factory extras fitted – including bluetooth headsets.
So, because the i100 has passed ECE 22.06, it should probably give you a bit more confidence it’ll do the job if you ever happen to put it to the test on the road.
Similarly, that chin bar. Because it’s a flip-over chin bar where it flips right over to the back of the helmet, it stands to reason that being tucked out of the way like that, it’ll have less chance to impare the performance of the helmet in an accident – such as digging in and rotating the helmet which can be a very bad thing indeed.
It’s worth saying there’s no actual test data I know of that shows flip-over chin bars do reduce secondary injuries compared to flip-up helmets; but having that chin bar tucked reasonably flush to the helmet shell and round the back feels like it should help.
Either way, the helmet has been dual homologated, which means it’s been tested and approved for use in both configurations – with the chin bar locked in position round the back as well as in place at the front.
Front view of the i100 with chin bar flipped over and visor down.
Beyond that, there’s little actual test data to go on for the HJC i100. Recently SHARP tested HJC modulars have scored an average of around 3.5 stars out of 5 with chin bars staying locked in place in 92% of tests – so we’d expect the i100 to score something similar.
Other than that, the i100 looks a fairly standard modular helmet in terms of protection and it’s lacking a few features that you might like to see – such as MIPS, EQRS, or a wide visor aperture.
It does come with a Pinlock antifog visor and a Pinlock 70 (mid range) insert in the box though, which is always good to see and a bit of a must to include if you’re a regular rider in the UK. And there’s a sun visor in there to cut glare.
To keep the i100 securely fastened to your head there’s a micrometric fastener – they’re easy to use and secure as long as you keep it properly adjusted.
Overall then, with its ECE 22.06 certification it seems the HJC i100 should give a good level of protection, though until it’s been independently tested by SHARP we won’t know for sure quite how good it is.
If you want to view a range of helmets that have been tested and proven to offer great protection, please take a look at our Safest Motorcycle Crash Helmets pages.
We’ve found a wide range of opinions on the noise levels inside the i100s – ranging from it being very noisy at anything over 30mph to not noisy at all.
Beston graphic i100
It just goes to show how totally subjective helmet noise levels can be. If you ride slowly behind a screen and you’re deaf as a post, you’ll probably find most helmets pretty quiet – conversely, ride like a hooligan on a naked in an open face helmet, then you’re gonna reckon any full face is whisper quiet.
So, it’s difficult to judge quite how you’ll respond to noise levels in an i100 if you buy one. Suffice to say that modulars are usually noisier than full face helmets and that HJC has included a chin curtain around the bottom of the chin bar on the i100 to stop some of the noise getting into the helmet from down below.
But that’s not going to help massively if the helmet hasn’t been designed to be quiet in the first place.
Overall then, expect it to be middling in terms of helmet noise and that you’re going to have to wear some good quality ear plugs to keep things tolerable and to protect your hearing. Do that, and you should be peachy.
Ventilation’s said to be one of the i100’s stronger points.
Large top vent slider is easy to find.
There’s a large three-position chin bar vent that takes plenty of air towards the mouth and up on to the back of the visor – and its easy to find and operate, even in thick gloves.
Same goes for that crown vent which takes air through the helmet shell and into ventilation channels moulded into the protective polystyrene EPS liner.
That top vent is generally rated as being less effective than the chin bar vent though – but that’s usually the case as it has a lot more work to do to get air circulating round the helmet and pushing through to vent out of the exhausts at the back.
Overall ventilation on the HJC i100 seems to be slightly above average.
The visor system on the i100 is pretty good too. Owners reckon it’s optically clear and with opening tabs on either side, it’s easy to open and close with both hands.
The only fly in the ointment here is that firmly shutting the visor really needs you to push down from the middle/top of the visor – doing it using an opening tab tends to just bend the visor and not close it.
The visor works on friction – no ratchet here – but it’ll stay fully open or cracked open no problem. And it’s a quick change visor for when you want to swap it out or clean it.
Grey i100 with sun visor down and Pinlock visor in raised position.
That also helps when you want to fit the – supplied – Pinlock 70 Max Vision antifog insert (Max Vision means it covers the entire visor).
The 70 is Pinlock’s middle effectiveness Pinlock but should work in most circumstances. Just remember to store your helmet in a dry place otherwise when you come to ride on a rainy day, your Pinlock might already be saturated so won’t work too well.
One other thing to mention about the visor is that there’s a mechanism to keep it lowered when you open or close the chin bar.
Apparently that’s usually great for when you’re riding and want to quickly open the chin bar while keeping the visor down, but it’s a bit annoying for when you come to take your helmet off as the visor’s always in the way.
Swings and roundabouts I guess.
Unlike some modulars, it does mean that you can ride along with the chin bar flipped back and the main visor down if you like – and not just having to use the sun visor as a main visor.
The sun visor’s operated by a slider on the bottom left side of the helmet, which is a pretty standard setup. What’s not so standard is that there’s a small thumb wheel on the inside of the helmet that lets you slightly adjust how far down the sun visor drops.
We often come across riders who complain that their sun visors don’t drop down low enough, leaving a stripe of bright light at the bottom of their vision. So having the ability to adjust the drop is a great idea. You can apparently adjust the drop by about 7mm using the adjuster and a couple of owners commented that they’ve never had a sun visor drop down so low so it seems to work well.
Another good touch is that there’s an antifog coating on the sun visor which is ideal because they often steam up too.
One of the key features of the HJC i100 is of course that flip-over chin bar.
It’s the first time HJC has developed a flip over chin bar and according to owners it works well.
Chin bar fully flipped over to the rear where it locks in place.
It’s got a single button operation so is super easy to use: press in the red button underneath the chin bar and push the bar up and over towards the back of the helmet (when you’re not riding!).
Doing that, the visor moves out of the way and then, in one fluid movement, relowers itself as you push the chin bar towards the back of the helmet.
There’s also a chin bar lock that you should slide into position to ensure the chin bar can’t move during riding or during an impact.
Because the i100 is ECE 22.06 certified, that chin bar is subjected to impact tests, so that should give you some confience that it’ll do its job if you were to have an accident. It hasn’t been SHARP tested yet so we don’t know how well it’ll do compared to other modulars, though past HJC modulars have scored an average of 92% over recent years – that’s the percentage of impacts where the chin bar has stayed locked and closed during SHARP testing.
That’s a reasonable (though obviously not perfect) score, but coupled with an ECE 22.06 pass result should mean the chin bar will give you good protection if you were to face plant the tarmac.
The comfort lining on the HJC i100 is HJC’s Supercool liner – that’s a moisture wicking and antibacterial fabric that’s soft to the touch and hard wearing.
Another Beis graphic i100 this time from the rear.
We’ve never heard of any owners disliking HJC’s linings except to say they’re more or less always a tight fit to start with but do loosen off after a few rides – and it sounds like the i100’s about the same.
If you do have an ongoing issue with the padding being too tight or too loose, there are extra cheekpads available in different sizes and by all accounts the internals are very easy to pull out, whether you’re looking to swap the pads or wash and refit them.
And if you wear glasses, the i100 does have glasses grooves built into the liner so you should be good there.
Looks & Graphics
The HJC i100 is a modern looking modular helmet and with its flip-over chin bar, it’s balanced on the road whether in full or open face mode.
Beston graphic HJC i100
In the UK and Europe there’s just a few different colours and designs available for the i100 at the time of writing (though check out the links below which will take you right to the i100 helmets pages to find any new graphics and helmet deals).
For plain helmets, there’s a gloss (metal) black and matt black along with a semi flatt (matt) titanium and gloss (pearl) white, mid grey and chrome-like hyper silver.
Graphic options are thin on the ground at the time of writing with only Beston and Beis graphics widely available.
Best places to buy an HJC I100 helmet?
Please click below to visit the HJC I100 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
HJC i100
Video
Here’s a good 9m look around the i100 with Sportsbikeshop…
Other stuff – bluetooth, weight, warranty
HJC i100 Integrated Bluetooth using the HJC Smart Intercom
One of the most notable features of the i100 is that it’s ready prepared to accept HJC’s Smart Intercom – either a 10B or 20B system.
There isn’t an option to buy an i100 with the intercom pre-installed like some other helmets like the Scorpion Exo-930 Smart, but it comes with all the cutouts and pockets needed to seamlessly install the Smart Intercom yourself.
HJC 20B Smart bluetooth intercom – top is the controller, bottom the battery pack that slots into the rear of the i100.
An HJC 20B Smart Intercom will cost you around £300. It’s an intercom that’s based on Sena’s 20S which is a decent bluetooth v4.1 unit though not a bluetooth v5 unit so won’t support mesh.
And if you’re looking to install your own bluetooth kit onto an i100 then you should be able to no problem. There’s a couple of good sized speaker pockets in there – large enough to fit some 40mm speakers – while the only thing to be aware of is that the sun visor slider might get in the way of fitting a clamp mount so you may have to revert to a sticky mount for the controller.
HJC i100 Weight
One of the only real bugbears with the i100 is weight. A medium or Large i100 will weigh around 1.9Kg (4.2lbs) which is pretty heavy, even for a modular. It’s been suggested we might start to see more heavier helmets with the introduction of ECE 22.06 (we’ll have to wait and see) but still, by any standards 1.9Kg is pretty heavy – possibly heavy enough to start tiring your neck muscles out after a long day’s riding.
We did find lots of riders who said the weight’s no problem but if you’re weak of neck, you might want to look elsewhere.
Warranty
In Europe, all HJC helmets, including the i100, come with a 3 year warranty (only HJCs RPHA range of helmets come with a 5 year warranty).
First off, the Scorpion Exo 930 is another modular helmet with integrated bluetooth but this one lets you remove the chin bar entirely. It’s a cheaper helmet than the i100 as well.
Nolan N90-3
Nolan’s N90-3 is a well rated modular. It’s prepared to accept Nolan’s N-Com bluetooth, has a sun visor, and the ECE version was rated SHARP 4 stars for safety.
Here’s a couple of other modulars, this time from flip-over originators, Shark helmets.
Shark Evo ES
First, the Evo ES is one of their latest flip-overs. It’s lighter than the HJC, comes with a sun visor and micrometric fastener and it’s available for about the same money.
Shark Evojet
Secondly, the Evojet is a slightly unusual alternative where you can flip up a section of the chin bar and all the main visor at the same time.
Best places to buy an HJC I100?
Please click below to visit the HJC I100 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Note: if you’re interested in the US Scorpion Exo-GT930, please visit the review on our US site as it’s a slightly different spec of helmet to the UK version.
The Scorpion Exo 930 is the replacement of the 920 – a well liked polycarbonate flip-front helmet with a sporty edge.
The reason the 930 is sometimes called a transformer helmet – it changes into an open face helmet
The 930 though takes things to a whole new level. Yep, it’s a cheaper priced modular helmet with a sun visor just like the old 920. But the 930 has been called a transformer helmet because now it has a fully removeable chin bar for a true open face riding experience.
And if you like your bluetooth units fully integrated, there’s also a Smart version that comes preloaded with Scorpion’s (Uclear-developed) Exo-Com bluetooth headset that’s more or less ready to rock.
So now not only does the 930 promise to give you most of the regular features you want from a modular, but if you really like to ride in a fully open face or you’re looking for a helmet that comes bluetooth ready out of the box, then it offers that too.
But promise is one thing, reality can be another. So we scoured the web to find out the truth behind the claims – to see if the Scorpion Exo 930 does what it says and whether it’s worth the money.
Please click below to visit the Scorpion Exo-930 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Overall/Summary
There’s no doubt about it, not only is the Scorpion Exo GT-930 great value for money but it offers something very different.
Rear view of the Scorpion Exo 930
OK there’s a few helmets now that come with integrated bluetooth comms – and that’s a big selling point for many. But one of the biggest selling points for the 930 is that you can pull off that chin bar entirely, slot on an (optional) peak and ride it as a proper open face helmet. That’s a great feature.
So, not only do you have the usual flexibility you find with a flip-front helmet, but now it’s even more flexible and convenient – a real two-in-one helmet.
In full face mode it’s a good helmet too. Excellent double visor system – both a clear and smoked visor withthe main visor coming with a Pinlock antifog insert. And with the chin bar down, according to owners it’s an all day comfortable helmet and reasonably quiet too (for a modular) – and it’s about average weight for a modular helmet.
But the icing on the cake is that it’s a lower priced modular making it excellent value for money too. Overall then, it’s really hard to fault the Scorpion Exo-930 and well worth a look if you’re in the market for a new budget modular helmet.
Cement grey Scorpion 930 with chin bar full raised.
According to the Scorpion Exo website, the 930 is ECE 22.05 certified and it’s dual homologated too. That’s an ECE standard meaning the helmet’s been separately tested to offer protection with the chin bar in both raised and lowered positions and so it’s legal to ride with the chin bar up. Happy days.
And if you do ride with the chin bar up, there’s a small lock on there to push into place to make sure it stays raised while riding. The last thing you need is it slamming down while you’re in the middle of a bend!
Of course one of the cool features with the 930 is that you can fully remove the chin bar so I’m guessing it was tested and approved with the chin bar fully removed too. There are other modulars you can remove the chin bar with (such as the Nolan N40-5 mentioned in the recommended alternatives section below) and if you love riding in an open face helmet, that’s a great feature.
Wide range of solid colours available incl this Neon Red helmet
OK it’s always great to see all those safety certifications and they do mean the 930 should give you a decent level of protection. But beyond those there’s no independent SHARP rating too so we can’t see how well the 930 will perform in relation to other helmets – nor can we see how secure that chin bar is (SHARP releases figures on how often chin bars become unlocked during testing).
Looking at past SHARP data for Scorpion modular helmets shows their chin bars have stayed locked and closed in 90% of impact tests. And looking at their two most recent tested polycarbonate shelled helmets (like the 930) they scored either 3 or 4 stars overall out of a maximum 5. Whether that’s indicative of how the 930 would score if it was to be tested by SHARP remains to be seen but we’d expect it to be around that figure.
Still, beyond cold hard stats, the Scorpion 930 has plenty going for it on the safety stakes.
Its shell is made in 2 sizes which is kinda average for a cheaper helmet and offers some optimising of the look, fit and amount of EPS shock absorbing liner to the rider’s head. That EPS is dual density too to help it better manage energy from an impact.
Moving on… it has a wide visor for good peripheral vision, and the visor’s prepared to fit a Pinlock Max Vision antifog insert that comes in the box and is there to stop it steaming up.
And of course there’s a sun visor to stop you getting dazzled while riding.
Finally, the helmet’s secured using a micrometric fastener – they’re dead easy to use and safe as houses providing they’re regularly checked/adjusted for tightness.
The Scorpion Exo-930 comes with a reasonably plush interior with 3d cheek pads, a chin curtain and generous neck roll as standard. It’s also reasonably aerodynamically tuned – and all these things can help make a helmet that’s a bit quieter than average.
Having said that, it’s a modular helmet and modulars do tend to be noisier than full faces.
So, assuming you’re gonna be riding in your 930 with the chin bar down, how noisy or quiet is it?
Top view of the Navig graphic 930 showing top vent slider.
Well, according to owners’ opinions we came across it’s not bad. Overall it’s probably not as quiet as most full face helmets but it seems it’s about par for a modular with a few owners reckoning it’s pretty loud above highway speeds but others saying they found it quieter than expected.
As usual it’s very subjective depending on your motorcycle, speed, hearing, how noisy your last helmet was etc. etc. And as usual, push in a good pair of ear plugs and you should be just fine on the noise front with the EXO-930.
Word is that the chin bar vent’s better than the head vent.
The chin bar vent is pretty good. And while the top vent looks like a big scoop that should take a good amount of air into the helmet, the overall effect seems to be a bit muted. It’s not bad, just that it’s not that good either.
Hi Vis yellow 930 from the front showing chin bar and crown vents.
Still, with a modular you can always flip-up of the chin bar – or in this case remove it fully – in which case you’ll get about as much ventilation as you’re ever going to need!
The visor is great though. It’s nice and wide for great perhipheral vision; it’s a Pinlock visor and comes with a Pinlock Max Vision insert in the box; and it’s quick change to make things easy if you need to pull it off for cleaning.
It works on a ratchet mechanism and there’s a ‘cracked open’ city position to let a bit of air in. And it’s got a couple of visor opening tabs too – one left, one right – so you can easily open it with either hand. That’s something far too few helmets seem to offer.
One problem lots of people seem to find with sun visors is that they sometimes don’t drop down low enough. Not so with the sun visor on the Scorpion Exo-930 because several owners said how great it was to have one that covers all their view.
It’s operated with a slider on the bottom left edge of the helmet and the action is apparently nice and easy. So no problems here.
In its normal operation, the chin bar on the Scorpion Exo-930 is a pretty standard sort of affair for a flip-front helmet.
There’s a single button to press underneath the bar to release the lock and you then push it upwards until it comes to a firm stop somewhere above your forehead. That means it’s not a ‘flip-over’ modular as the chin bar sits over your forehead – and it can feel a little unbalanced if you’re riding with it in this position as the weight’s towards the front.
That’s as far up as the chin guard goes.
And because it’s been ECE dual homologated (i.e. tested and certified with the chin bar both up and down) that means it can be ridden with the chin bar raised in the UK and other ECE territories – and it means it’s got a small red locking button to keep the chin guard locked open. So far, so standard.
The big feature on the 930 is that you can fully remove the chin bar to convert it into a proper open faced helmet. And it’s a pretty simple and toolless job too according to owners (like many things – it’s easy once you’ve done it a few times!). Just open up the chin bar fully, pull down on a couple of sliders then slide the chin bar off towards the front.
That’s a great feature and the reason why quite a few owners buy the 930. And to top it off, a peak’s available to finish the helmet off should you want one. It used to be included in the box but I guess not many open face riders in the UK want a peak so now it’s a £20 extra if you want one. The peak is really easy to fit – just slide it on and click it in place. You don’t have to one it but the helmet looks a little more finished if you do.
And again according to some owners, if you fit the peak, the aero is still pretty good, so not too much buffetting or catching the air because of it.
Back to having the chin bar in place: Scorpion helmets have done quite well over the years in terms of chin bar protection.
When ECE versions of their modular helmets have been tested, they score an average of 90% for the performance of the chin guards. That means during impact testing, the chin bar has remained fully locked and closed 90% of the time. For the remaining 10% that doesn’t mean the chin bars have sprung open or broken off, just that the lock’s become unlatched.
That 90% is actually a reasonable score if you look at all tested modulars – though it’s up to you whether it’s actually good enough for you of course!
Inside the 930 is Scorpion’s Kwik Wick liner – that’s a fully removable and washable liner that’s antimicrobial treated and designed to offer good moisture wicking characteristics.
to get into full on cruise mode, quickly pull of the chin bar and it becomes a 3/4 helmet
According to most owners the sizing’s about right and it’s a medium oval fit helmet which means it should work for the majority of us.
They also overwhelmingly reckon it’s a very comfortable helmet. The liner’s soft to the touch and well padded, and if you wear glasses it has glasses grooves in the cheek pads and we came across a few riders who said they work well.
And if you’re the big brained type, more good news is that the Scorpion 930 is available in sizes up to XXXL. Hurray.
It’s got good aero properties too by all accounts – in full face mode it’s pretty neutral with little buffeting or whistling reported; and in open face mode with the peak fitted the peak doesn’t catch the wind or pull your head around too badly.
Best places to buy a Scorpion Exo-930 helmet?
Please click below to visit the Scorpion Exo-930 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Scorpion Exo-930 Video
5m video looking around a matte black 930 from the UK distributors.
Other stuff – bluetooth, warranty
Integrated Bluetooth – Scorpion 930 Smart Helmet
The Scorpion Exo 930 is available in two flavours – the regular dumb helmet and the 930 Smart which comes with a Uclear-based Scorpion Exo Com bluetooth headset pre-installed.
If you buy the regular helmet it has all the holes, pouches and pockets there to accept the Exo-Com bluetooth if you decide you want to fit one later (takes about 10 mins to fit apparently). But the 930 Smart helmet has it all already installed – so that’s the battery in the pocket at the back of the helmet, speakers and wiring in there and the neat controller unit on the left hand side of the helmet.
Matt black 930 Smart with low profile Exo Com controller fitted (bottom rear of the helmet)
And the Exo Com is a pretty good mesh bluetooth headset by all accounts. It’s a Bluetooth V5 Mesh system (called DynaMesh on the Exo Com), allows for connection with up to 4 riders, has a half mile (800m) range and should cost you around £160.
Given it’ll connect to four riders that should give it a theoretical range of up to a couple of miles if you’re all strung out equally along a road (mesh uses each bluetooth set to ping your chat between each rider) though I guess that’ll be quite a bit less in practice.
It should theoretically pair with other non-mesh bluetooth headsets too but that can be a bit hit and miss and the only real way to find out is to buy one and try it – headset makers don’t really do the testing with other kits unfortunately.
And of course if you’re looking to fit your own bluetooth kit in there, you should be able to use the existing speaker pockets and a sticky mount should do the trick on the side of the helmet (to avoid the sun visor slider and controller pocket).
Warranty
The Scorpion Exo-930 comes with a full 5 year warranty against manufacturing defects.
You might want to check out our Top 10 Best Flip-up Helmets page to find our latest recommended modulars. Or take a look at our helmets with integrated bluetooth headsets page if you’re after an integrated helmet. Other than that, here’s a few selected helmets we think you might like to take a look at if you’re in the market for a modular.
First off, the Nolan N40-5 is another versatile modular that you can remove the chin bar from. It has a sun visor too along with an easy to use micrometric fastener and it’s around the same price as the Scorpion.
Nolan N90-3
Nolan’s N90-3 is a well rated modular – it’s prepared to accept Nolan’s N-Com bluetooth, has a sun visor, and the ECE version was rated SHARP 4 stars for safety.
Shark Evo-One 2
For a bit more money you can buy a Shark Evo One 2 which has a ‘flip over’ chin bar for real open face riding, comes with a Pinlock antifog in the box and it’s lighter than the 930.
Best places to buy a Scorpion Exo-930?
Please click below to visit the Scorpion Exo-930 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Italian helmet fettlers, Nolan, have been making the N90 line of helmets for quite a while now. And the Nolan N90-3 is the (suprise surprise) third version of the helmet that originated back in 2010.
Classic Metal white Nolan N90-3
It’s their entry-level do-everything modular helmet that evolved from the original N90 into the N91, then became the N90-2 and now we’re onto the N90-3.
And in all that time, the spec’s hardly changed. They’re all thermoplastic modulars. They all come with a Pinlock-ready visor and sun visor. They all had micrometric fasteners, are bluetooth-ready and they’re all more suited to rounder-headed or neutral fitment riders.
And they all look kinda the same. Which does make you question why bother updating it if they all kinda do the same thing?!
Still, as long as the latest version’s a great helmet, then I guess we’ll all be happy.
So, here’s all you can expect from the Nolan N90-3 including feedback from around the web on what owners and riders think of their N90-3s.
Please click below to visit the Nolan N90-3 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Overall/Summary
Whatever you’re after from your modular helmet, the Nolan N90-3 could well fit the bill – commuting, touring – in fact probably just not sportsbike riding!
Wilco graphic N90-3 showing wide visor and chin/top vvents
It’s a good quality modular with a great dual-visor system with included Pinlock antifog. It’s comfortable, has a decent and easy to use ventilation system, and if you’re looking for a seamless bluetooth install, it offers N-Com bluetooth integration (extra).
It scored well for safety in the SHARP test too (though the chin bar lock could probably do with an upgrade) and it’s designed to be used with the chin bar up if you like the occasional ride with the wind in your face.
Downsides? No EQRS, and you can see where Nolan has cut corners in the production by using only a single shell for all fitments.
But other than that, the Nolan N90-3 is a great value, comfortable and fuss-free modular that works well that owners seem to be more than happy with.
Obviously, when it comes to safety, you need a helmet that has all the basics covered to keep you out of trouble; and the Nolan N90-3 does a decent job here.
It’s been designed with a nice wide visor that comes pre-fitted with a Pinlock antifog insert. Which means you don’t have to fiddle about fitting the Pinlock yourself and you also get good all-round vision that shouldn’t fog up when it’s cold or rainy.
Pprofile view of the Flat or Matt black N90-3
And when the sun drops low, you can call on its integrated sun visor to keep your vision dazzle-free.
If you like to ride with the chin bar up, you can because the Nolan N90-3’s dual homologated and there’s a lock to keep that bar in the fully raised position while you’re riding.
If you do ride with the chin bar up, you’ll have to rely on the sun visor for eye protection because the chin bar takes the main visor with it.
The whole thing is well secured to your head by using a strap with a micrometric 2 fastener – that’s the one which needs you to raise a small red tab before you pull the lever and unfasten the helmet. If youre not familiar with them, they’re safe and easy to use.
Nolan N90-3 SHARP 8.5 m/s test result courtesy of https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/
So in general, the Nolan N90-3 has most of what you look out for in a modern helmet in terms of safety features. Ok, there’s no quick release cheek pads which we like to see on all helmets these days – but to (kind of) compensate, there is the option to fit an emergency stop light if that’s your kind of thing.
You only get ESS with Nolan lids so far. It’s a rear brake light with its own accelerometer and battery so it’s fully independent of your bike’s braking system. It’s an extra cost though.
Moving on to what if you have an accident – will the Nolan N90-3 be any good then?
Well, it’s ECE 22.05 so that means it passes Europe’s mandatory and pretty rigorous safety testing (which is a smidge easier to pass than the newer ECE 22.06 test).
Back in the day, the old N91 was tested by the helmet testing bods at SHARP where it scored four stars out of five for safety. They also noted the chin bar stayed closed and locked in all the impact tests – something that every one of the six Nolan modulars tested up until 2021 managed too.
That’s a great score. And given the N90-3 builds on all Nolan’s know-how and modular helmet history, surely it’ll be even better, right?
Erm, not really.
Second red button pushes out – pull down to open chin bar
SHARP has tested the Nolan N90-3 and while it scored the same excellent four star rating of every other Nolan modlar (in fact every single Nolan they’ve ever tested has scored a four star rating – that’s across 15 different helmets!) they slipped up a little with the chin bar.
On the N90-3 it scored 90%, meaning – if my maths are correct – that the chin bar became unlocked (not necessarily opened) in 3 out of 32 of those impact tests.
While not ideal, that’s actually a reasonably OK score for a modular. In fact if you look back at modulars tested by SHARP over the last few years, it’s bang on the 90% average score scored across all helmet brands.
But you’d probably like that score to be more like 100% if you’re anything like me – in which case you might want to check out our Best Modulars for Safety page.
OK, helmet noise is very subjective. Hearing loss, riding speed, faired or unfaired… there’s a long list of factors that can change your perception of noise.
Rear view of the Wilco N90-3
Having said that, Nolan hasn’t made any particular claims for aero or noise supression with the N90-3. Sure there’s a reasonably thick liner in there and it comes with a chin curtain which are usually helpful in stopping noise getting into a helmet from below.
But, in general, modulars do tend to be pretty noisy beasts compared to full face helmets – and that’s how it seems to pan out with the N90-3.
Overall, owners broadly seem to think it’s about average for a modular – so in general you’ll probably find it’s a bit noisy but not too bad. And you’ll need to stick in some decent ear plugs while riding to make it more tolerable… but then you probably do that anyway. In which case you should find the N90-3 just fine.
The one thing that’s changed over the years with N90 helmets is that the ventilation inlets have moved from being double vents top and bottom, to single vents.
Single vents are easier to operate on the move; and I guess they’re easier and cheaper to fabricate too.
Slate Grey N90-3
For the Nolan N90-3, there’s a large single chin bar vent that’s opened/closed with a large rocker panel. With the crown vent, it’s a large sliding panel that lets air into the helmet where it circulates around air channels in the EPS liner, exiting out of a large single exhaust at the rear of the helmet.
These vents are super easy to find and use on the go and in winter gloves and, according to owners’ opinions we found, they work pretty well. If your helmet’s in the wind, you can feel air getting into the helmet and the chin bar vent works OK at keeping your face cool and helping defog the visor.
Like most modern visors from serious manufacturers, Nolan has worked to give the N90-3 a wider field of view – which owners say gives the helmet great all round visibility.
In the UK, it comes with a Pinlock ready visor and a Pinlock insert already fitted, which is nice. Elsewhere, you might have to fit it yourself.
The visor itself works on a ratchet and it’s a quick-change visor for easy visor cleaning or swapping.
The opening tab is in the centre of the visor, so that’s good for easy opening with either hand, and there’s a cracked open position on the visor to help get air into the helmet while still staying protected from the elements.
Overall then, the visor on the N90-4 is fully featured and does its job well.
It’s operated by a staged slider on the left hand side of the helmet – staged because there are four different positions you can drop the slider to with the first being down an inch and the fourth being fully down.
That sun visor (or VPS as Nolan calls it) also doubles as the main visor if you’re riding with the chin bar in Jet position. And it gives maximum UV 400 protection, which is always nice to know if you’re touring around in the sun for days on end.
The chin bar on the Nolan N90-3 is raised using Nolan’s dual action opening system which needs two buttons to open it. It can still be operated with one hand once you get the hang of it, and it’s there to prevent accidental opening if you do have a spill.
To open the chin bar, you have to push a button up underneath the chin bar which then pushes out the button on the front of the bar which you can then push down to undo the latch and raise the chin bar.
It sounds more complicated than it actually is and riders report getting the hang of it reasonably quickly.
Chin bar fully opened. Chin bar is locked up using that small red switch.
You should never raise or drop a chin bar while you ride for obvious reasons, but the system on the N90-3 works well and lets you go from locked and closed to up and fully open with minimal fuss.
And if you want to ride with the chin bar fully up, you can because it’s been P/J or dual homologated (so legally you’re allowed) and you can lock the chin bar in place with a small red switch that’s exposed on the left hand side.
There’s a chin curtain provided in the box that fits onto the bottom of the chin guard and stops air and noise getting into the helmet when it’s down.
As mentioned in the safety section, the chin bar on the Nolan N90-3 unlocked a few times during impact testing, which isn’t great. That doesn’t necessarily mean the chin bar actually opened or would’ve exposed a rider to danger, but it does probably show a weakness.
To put it in perspective; firstly, all previously tested Nolan modulars have stayed locked and closed in every single impact test at SHARP – including the Nolan N100-5. Secondly, the score of 90% is bang on average score across all modular helmets tested in the last five years – so actually isn’t all that bad!
Nolan N90-3’s are available in fitment sizes XS-XXL, with all fitments sharing a single helmet shell – which is actually pretty rare these days (not in a good way!).
Driller graphic in red
What’s also pretty rare is that the internal fitment is more suitable for rounder heads rather than the usual medium oval – what’s sometimes called a more neutral fitment. That’s handy because we’ve only identified one other neutral fitting modular so far (the Simpson Darksome) so now you’ve a choice – wooop!
Inside the Nolan N90-3, you’ll find a similar liner to those Nolan has used for years – their Clima Comfort liner. That’s a moisture wicking, fully removeable and washable liner that are long lasting and that lots of owners say are nice and comfortable.
Looks & Graphics
The Nolan N90-3 hasn’t changed much over the years but it’s still a nice and compact looking helmet with a good range of plains and tons of graphics available.
Plains come as Classics – that’s a pair of different whites, a gloss and matt black, and a gloss or mat grey. They also come as Specials which have slightly different panel colours for highlights and are available in matt/gloss black, gloss white or gloss silver.
You’ll find the latest graphics (and deals) by clicking our recommended retailer links below but at the time of writing, there were Comeback, Laneway, Reflector, Voyager, Wilco and Driller graphics available.
Best places to buy a Nolan N90-3 helmet?
Please click below to visit the Nolan N90-3 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Nolan N90-3 Video
Here’s a 5m look around a Driller graphic N90-3.
Other stuff – bluetooth, weight, glasses, build quality, warranty
Bluetooth Headset
The Nolan N90-3, like lots of Nolan helmets, has been designed to fit Nolan’s N-Com bluetooth kit. So that means it features the usual removeable panel on the side to take the controller and panel at the back to take the battery.
According to Nolan, the N90-3 can accept any of the following N-Com systems:
B902L R series
B902 R series
B602 R series
B101 R series
MCSIII R series
If you’re looking to fit your own bluetooth instead, there’s speaker pockets cut into the EPS liner and plenty of room for a boom mic. We heard from one owner who managed to fit their Sena kit OK though you might have to fiddle around with the controller mounting as there’s not much space available when the chin bar’s raised.
Metallic silver N90-3
Weight
The N90-3 should be fine on the weight front. On the scales, it weighs around 1.65Kg -1.7Kg which is about average weight for a modular. And while that might be a bit hefty for something like a full face, we found a few N90-3 owners who described their helmets as feeling light weight, which is the important factor.
Build Quality/Warranty
Nolan has been in the helmet game for a long while now, so they know how to build a good helmet. And while the N90-3 is Nolan’s entry level modular, that’s actually quite pricey compared to some other brands’ helmets.
The reason for that is that their build quality and QA are a step up from some brands’ and that goes for the N90-3 which several owners said is well made helmet – especially for an entry-level model – with great paint and materials.
All Nolan helmets come with a two year warranty, extended to 5 years if you register on the Nolan website.
There’s some great modular helmets around (see our Top 10 Best Modular Helmets List to find them) but here’s some hand-picked lids that we recommend you take a look at…
First up is Nolan’s slightly more expensive N100-5: that’s a SHARP 4 Star rated helmet (this time with a 100% chin bar) with all the same features as the N90-3 but it’s that bit quieter too.
Caberg Levo
The Caberg Levo is SHARP 4 star too that’s lighter weight, has a Pinlock max vision, micrometric fastener and designed with the touring rider in mind.
Please click below to visit the Nolan N90-3 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
The Tourmodular is AGV’s high-end, composite fibre touring flip-up helmet, made with AGV’s stated aim of producing a touring lid that’s suitable for all day riding and that’ll provide the highest safety levels.
Balance graphic Tourmodular with chin bar fully raised
And if you look at the spec of the helmet, it all looks very promising.
Latest ECE 22.06 safety certification, dual homolgated chin bar (meaning you can ride with the chin bar up), integrated bluetooth comms unit (unit extra) and a Pinlock antifog visor are all included.
In fact, there’s an awful lot in the spec sheet that makes you think AGV has really done their homework on the Tourmodular. But does it live up to its promise and is it any good in the real world?
Please click below to drop onto the AGV Tourmodular helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Overall/Summary
Owners seem well happy with their Tourmodulars.
They’re pretty expensive helmets of course being AGV’s top of the range touring modular helmet, but for that you get a tri-composite shell with 5 density EPS and AGV’s excellent reputation for producing helmets that protect well.
Matt blue AGV Tourmodular
The visor system seems to be great – with a large visor aperture, optically correct visor with Pinlock 120 included and backed by a drop down sun visor. Ventilation’s good as are comfort levels. And if you’re looking for an integrated bluetooth helmet – or just want to slap your old bluetooth kit into a new helmet – you should be sorted in both cases.
Yes, it’s hard to fault the AGV Tourmodular. It could be lighter perhaps. It could be backed with a slighly longer warranty. It could be cheaper I guess (but then it is AGV’s top of the line modular).
Overall though, if you’re after a high quality touring modular helmet, then the AGV Tourmodular should be well towards the top of your list because it’s a cracking helmet.
AGV modulars are usually very good in terms of protection.
The Tourmodular has a composite fibre shell made up of carbon/aramid (Kevlar)/fibreglass backed with a 5 density polystyrene liner. And it has a collarbone-friendly bottom profile, designed to try and stop the bottom of the helmet impacting and breaking your collarbone during an accident.
Tourmodular Frequency in white in full face mode. Note collar bone friendly contouring.
But if we’re looking for actual test data, all we have to go on in terms of testing data for the Tourmodular is that it’s been ECE 22.06 certified, meaning it’s undergone (and passed) the latest European certification test that ensures all helmets offer a solid, minimum level of protection.
Which is obviously great to see; though we always really like to see a good SHARP test score too as the SHARP test is a thoroughly independent test and allows us to see relative protection levels between helmets.
Unfortunately, the Tourmodular hasn’t been tested by SHARP yet, so all we can really do is look back at how well previous AGV modulars and AGV composite helmets have faired.
In recent years, AGV modulars have all scored 4 stars for safety (out of 5) which is very good going. Their chin bars have also stayed locked and closed in all but one instance – and again that’s a fantastic performance and generally means you can put your faith in the chin guards of AGV modulars.
Next, if you look back across all their tested composite fibre helmets (where AGV has called a helmet a composite helmet rather than fibreglass or carbon) then the last four tested helmets scored an average of 4.5/5.
So, it’s probably not unreasonable to assume that the Tourmodular is going to score well for protection if it was to be tested by SHARP today. Maybe a 4 star safety rating with a very secure chin bar wouldn’t be unfair?
That’s all related to whether you actually put that helmet shell to the test by falling off your bike. Thankfully, there’s quite a bit to the Tourmodular that’ll help keep you upright in the first place.
The visor’s got a nice large field of view with good peripheral width and it comes with Pinlock’s 120 Pinlock (their top Pinlock) in the box which will help you keep the visor fog free.
Rear view of the Tourmax Balance graphic
The fastener is a micrometric, which should keep things nice and secure, and AGV has also added an anti roll-off mechanism to keep it firmly in place. Anti roll-off is part of the ECE 22.06 testing and AGV’s obviously felt the need to up their game in this area to ensure the Tourmodular passes the test.
There’s a sun visor too which can be particularly useful if you’re caught out in a lowering sun as many a rider has been dazzled, causing them to crash (including my mate who was in hospital for four months because of it!).
The only safety feature that’s really missing from the Tourmodular is EQRS quick release cheek pads, but other than that, it seems to have most of the safety features you should look for in a modern helmet.
On the whole, modular helmets do tend to be noisier than full face helmets. There’s usually more space inside the helmet because of that chin bar mechanism and that can let air – and noise – inside. And of course there are usually more seams, buttons and latches around which can all catch the wind and generate noise.
On the plus side, AGV are usually pretty good with the aero on their helmets – which reduces the noise from airflow – and there’s a chin curtain down below on the Tourmodular to help reduce wind and noise getting into the helmet from below.
The good news is that owners we came across seem to think their Tourmodulars are pretty quiet helmets.OK, we’re never sure what kind of rider they are, what type of riding they do or motorcycle they ride – so everything’s massively subjective when it comes to helmet noise.
But it seems overall the Tourmodular’s a reasonably quiet helmet – for a modular.
Good ventilation on a touring helmet is crucial. You need to be able to shut off all the wind for the winter then have a bucketload of air blasting through when everything warms up in the summer – especially if you ride behind a large screen.
And reports are that AGV’s done a decent job with the Tourmodular.
Three independent chin vents and single top vent – Tourmodular Balance
In the chin bar, there’re three separate vents – a large central one operated by that central rocker, and a couple of vertical vents both operated by separate small sliders.
It’s a bit of a pain that they’re all individually operated because it’s three times the fiddle when you want to open or close; them which is never a good thing while you’re riding. But they do allow plenty of air getting to the rear of the chin bar and onto the back of the visor.
Up top, it’s slightly better in that there’s a single slider to operate a three-in-one crown vent. That takes air through the helmet shell where there’re 16 internal air channels to take air around your head and through to that single rear exhaust vent.
And according to owners it all works pretty well with one or two saying they can feel the air on their head while riding.
Of course, you’ve always got the option of opening the chin bar fully if you want some serious air getting in – and there’s a cracked open position on the visor if you want a bit of extra air getting into the front while still being protected by the visor and chin bar; that’s always a useful thing to see.
The Tourmodular has a double visor system – that’s a main clear visor and drop down sun visor.
The main visor’s the usual antiscratch polycarbonate visor (because it’s made from polycarbonate, it should cut out over 95% of UV rays – like all visors do) but the clear visor on the Tourmodular has been made extra thick. AGV reckons it’s up to 4mm think in some parts which is racing visor territory.
I’m guessing they’ve done that to make sure they pass the new ECE 22.06 test which now fires a 6mm ball bearing at the visor at around 180mph! So maybe we’re going to see more visors get a bit thicker?
There’s a pair of Pinlock pins on there too and the Tourmodular comes with a Pinlock 120 antifog insert in the box. The 120’s Pinlock’s most absorbent insert and should keep your visor fog-free in all but the most demanding conditions.
AGV say they’ve tried to maximise the field of view horizontally and vertically with the Tourmodular (190 degrees horizontal, 85 vertical – the same as AGV’s more sports-focused helmets like the K6S) which is always a good thing and helps improve the riding experience as well as keep you better informed of the hazards around you.
Top view of the Luna Grey Tourmodular
It’s that wide peripheral vision that most Tourmodular owners seem notice with plenty of riders saying it’s particularly excellent.
The main visor has a central locking mechanism on there to keep it locked closed when you need it and to keep it pulled more tightly against the gasket to help avoid water ingress.
To lock it, close the visor and the latch locks in place – first in a ‘cracked open’ or city riding position so it’s locked but some air can still get in.
Press it down further and the visor seals and locks closed. To open, there’s quite a large central unlock button below a central visor tab – so you can press to unlock and open the visor in one movement.
That main visor is also class one optically correct too – so you shouldn’t see any distortion through it. And it’s got a quick change mechanism so you can pull the visor off quickly and without any tools for cleaning or to swap it out for another visor.
And if you do like to swap visors out for a tinted visor, there are both official smoke and iridium visors available from AGV.
Overall, we didn’t find any owners with issues with the visor system – just good words said about clarity and peripheral vision.
I guess one slight downside might be the fact you can’t continue to use the main visor if the chin bar’s raised as you can with some modulars, because that visor pivots backwards together with the chin guard. You can still drop the sun visor down though, which is useful.
There are no problems reported with the sun visor either.
It’s dropped/raised using a slider on the bottom left edge and as usual it’s antiscratch – though there’s no antifog coating (again, that’s pretty usual sadly).
Word is that it drops down quite low and the action at the slider is nice and positive.
The chin bar on the Tourmodular is operated by a single lever at the bottom/centre of the bar and the helmet is PJ dual homologated, meaning you can legally ride in your Tourmodular with the chin bar raised.
Riding like that for short distances should be OK – though if you want to ride very far without the chin bar in the way, you’re probably better going for a flip-over modular helmet where the chin bar flips right around to the back of the helmet, like the Shark Evo ES or LS2 Valiant.
Chin bar fully raised, sun visor fully down.
Having said that, AGV does reckon they’ve done quite a bit of aero work to make it work with the chin bar raised, and because it’s dual homologated, there is a (metal) lock by the right hand pivot so you can lock it in place to ensure it doesn’t slam shut while you’re riding.
One of the issues with modular helmets is that you’re often not very sure how well protecting a moveable chin bar is.
For the Tourmax, we do know that AGV modulars have scored incredibly well in SHARP tests over the years – with only one chin bar becoming unlocked during impact testing across the last four tested modulars.
By my reckoning that’s one instance in 128 impact tests (using 28 different helmets). So that’s pretty good going to say the least!
It probably helps keep things secure with the Tourmodular that the chin bar opening mechanism is more of a lever than the usual button – needing a good positive pull to unlock the latches.
But overall, we’d expect the chin bar on the Tourmax to do it’s job well, and owners reckon it’s easy to get it unlocked and open.
Reports are that sizing is about right and several owners said that it fits securely and comfortably from the get-go so no real breaking in time is usually needed.
Rear view of the matt black Tourmax. Bottom red part is actually the chin bar lever at the front.
The liner’s removable and washable and it uses AGV’s preferred Ritmo and Shalamar fabrics – one fabric that’s smoother for the cheekpads and the other with a slight brushed knap for your head.
The fabrics are moisture wicking (and work well) and there’s a plastic-bottomed neck roll, designed to stop the padding sucking up water when it’s raining.
And we came across lots of owners who said they find the Tourmodular a really comfortable helmet, which is vital to hear especially in a touring helmet where you’re wearing it for hours on end.
Looks & Graphics
At the time of writing, there aren’t too many graphic options available but there are the usual range of plain colours. That’s gloss and matt black, gloss white, matt grey and matt blue.
We’ve put examples of the Balance and Frequency graphics up and down the page. To find any others and to see deals on Tourmodular helmets from our recommended retailers, please click the links below.
Best places to buy an AGV Tourmodular Helmet?
Please click below to drop onto the AGV Tourmodular helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
AGV Tourmodular Video
Here’s a quick 2m look around a matt luna grey Tourmodular.
One of the key selling points of many touring helmets these days is that it’s designed to integrate with a bluetooth headset. And with the Tourmodular, that’s the AGV Insyde communicator, a mesh system developed along with Cardo.
AGV advertises it as the first DMC system but I guess that’s probably only because that’s a name Cardo’s given to Mesh (which is actually a bluetooth standard term). The Schuberth C5 has a mesh headset too but that’s based on Senas 50s kit so it’s not called DMC.
Either way, it should be a decent headset and it integrates fully with the Tourmodular with a pull out panel on the left taking the controller unit and a rear panel for the battery.
If you already have a bluetooth kit, the Tourmodular seems pretty good for those too. There’s space for your boom mic and decent size speaker pockets and we heard from owners who managed to fit their Packtalk Bolds without a problem.
Weight
Modular helmets can be a bit weighty, but with its use of advanced composites, I expected the Tourmodular to be pretty lightweight – especially as the Sportmodular weighed around 1.45Kg.
Always popular gloss black version
The average weight of the Tourmodular is actually around 1.7Kg (3.8lbs) which is about bang on average for a modular helmet. But given there’s plenty of cheaper plastic modular helmets around that weigh about the same, it’s not that light weight.
Still, it’s light enough that it shouldn’t cause any kind of problem when wearing it.
Glasses
The Tourmodular has been designed to easily accommodate glasses and we heard from just a couple of glasses wearing owners who said it’s spot on for them. So, fingers crossed you won’t have a problem either.
Aero
AGV reckons the Tourmodular has been extensively Aero-tuned. They say that means at 80mph the helmet should be dynamically neutral (no lift or downward pressure) and that they’ve even optimised the shape for when the chin bar’s raised and you’re riding along in open face mode.
Build Quality and Warranty
A few owners said they thought the build quality of their Tourmodulars is excellent. And during our research we found very few issues reported by owners at all. So fingers crossed.
If you do have a manufacturing fault, all AGV helmets have standard two year warranty (though we’d hope for a 5 year warranty for their top of the range helmets).
Best places to buy an AGV Tourmodular?
Please click below to drop onto the AGV Tourmodular helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Other than those, we recommend you check out the Nolan N100-5. That’s a SHARP 4 star rated modular (100% chin bar score) that’s cheaper than the Tourmodular and has bluetooth integration too as well as a sun visor and Pinlock.
Caberg Duke II
Of course, if you’re on a sportier type of bike, you might be interested in AGV’s Sportmodular – SHARP 4 star rated, lighter than the Tourmodular, and again comes with a Pinlock and sun visor.
And finally, you might want to consider the Italian Caberg Levo. That comes in composite or carbon shells, has a Pinlock and it’s slightly lighter and cheaper than the Tourmodular.
Caberg Avalon review: great value but slightly flawed?
Caberg Avalon Blast in Matt grey from the front
The Avalon is Caberg’s entry-level all-rounder helmet. Caberg say it’s been designed to have a sporty look – I suppose mainly because it’s got a a small rear spoiler – and is made to be an everyday sort of helmet. So one that can take the knocks and hardships of everyday riding and won’t cost you an arm and a leg to buy.
To that end, the Avalon has a thermoplastic shell (either ABS or Polycarb depending on who at Caberg you ask – in fact the CabergCares UK website marks it down as both!) and comes with a drop down sun visor, quick release micrometric fastener and removable liner so you can de-stink it from time to time.
And because it comes with a Caberg badge on it, that usually means it should protect well and be well built too. Couple that with the fact doesn’t cost very much and it could be that Caberg’s onto a winner with the Avalon – as long as it’s up to the job of course.
So read on for our full review of the Caberg Avalon and find out if it’s worth your hard earned…
Please click below to visit the Caberg Avalon helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Overall/Summary
The Caberg Avalon is a great value full face helmet.
OK, on the downside it’s pretty noisy and the ventilation’s not great, but on the upside it has most of what you’ll need in an all rounder helmet. That includes integral sun visor, easy to use micrometric fastener, removable/washable interior and quick release visor with the option of buying an antifog insert if you need one.
Rear view – of the Avalon Giga
It looks cool too and it’s got Caberg’s good reputation for build quality and offering helmets that are proven to give excellent protection. And owners are widely very pleased with their Avalons and the excellent value it represents.
So if you’re looking for a do-anything all rounder helmet, don’t want to spend too much and don’t need a great venting helmet, then the Caberg Avalon is well worth considering.
Or maybe consider some of our suggested alternatives at the bottom of the page.
Caberg Avalons are ECE 22.05 certified which means they should be up to the job if you have a spill. That’s not quite up there with the latest generation of 22.06 helmets of course but it’s a good standard meaning the Avalon will offer at least a decent minimum level of protection
Above that, it’s always useful if a helmet’s been tested by the UK’s SHARP testing labs too because some ECE rated lids actually score really poorly in the SHARP test.
The bad news is that SHARP hasn’t tested the Avalon yet. But the good news is that Caberg helmets have generally scored really well when SHARP has tested them in the past – scoring overall well over 4/5 stars across the board.
Their last thermoplastic helmet – the Horus flip-up – scored 3 stars for safety but the two before that scored either four our five stars. Which is a good average score.
Based on that and the fact that the Avalon is a full face, not a modular, we’d expect the Caberg Avalon to score either a three or four star rating – although obviously that’s just a guess based on past performance of Caberg helmets so has to be taken with a pinch of salt.
OK, so what else will help with safety on the Avalon?
Forge graphic Caberg Avalon – it’s a sweet looking lid
Well it’s got the usual antiscratch clear visor, which is pretty standard – though owners reckon there’s a good amount of peripheral vision going on with the viewport and that’s vital for good all round awareness and helps you notice vehicles creeping up on you or at junctions.
Obviously, in the UK, visor fogging is a big issue pretty much when it’s anything other than a heatwave and while the Avalon doesn’t come with a Pinlock, the visor is fitted with locator pins and you can buy Fog City’s equivalent for around £25 – which has got to be worth it to keep your vision fog free.
Drop down sun visors can be real life savers when you’re riding into lowering suns, so that’s a welcome addition – though it’s not antifog coated so it will steam up in cold/wet weather.
You should always fastidiously fasten your helmet up on every ride (it’s been estimated that around 6% of accidents result in the helmet coming off – probably because they’re either untied or not tied on well enough). As long as you correctly fasten and tension it every ride, super easy-to-use micrometric fasteners like the one on the Avalon are safe as houses and a great option.
All in all then, despite the Avalon having a fairly basic construction and being relatively cheap, because of Caberg’s good reputation for making safe helmets, we’d expect the Avalon to do its job admirably if you do end up chinning the tarmac.
OK helmet noise is always subjective and can always be minimised by wearing some decent ear plugs every ride.
But obviously some helmets are inherently noisier than others. And despite the Avalon having a chin curtain to help reduce wind and noise getting into the helmet from below, most Avalon owners reckon it is a noisy helmet.
As I say, if you wear good plugs and if you keep the speed low, you’ll undoubtedly be fine. But if you start to press on, the noise inside the Avalon can become a bit of a racket. It probably doesn’t help that there’s some generous speaker pockets inside, just where your ears are (so no padding), but if lack of noise is something you’re really after, check out our quietest helmet reviews instead.
Just looking at the vents on the Avalon, it looks more or less the same as any other full face, right?
Chin bar vents are OK. Top vents not so much
It’s got a single chin bar slider that opens a couple of vents below the visor. And up top, there’s a pair of crown vents, again both operated independently by sliders. Ok, the sliders are quite small to find and those crown vents are pretty far back (to avoid the retracted sun visor) but the setup’s a common one.
Unfortunately, in the case of the Avalon, looks can be deceiving.
With most helmets, those vents take air through the shell where it’s taken around the inside of the helmet in grooves in the polystyrene liner. That way air can get right around the scalp and find its way through the internal comfort liner and onto the head.
Caberg for some odd reason has decided not to have venting channels in the EPS so the air can’t really find its way through to your head. And while there are exhaust vents at the back underneath the spoiler, the system can’t really do its job effectively.
It’s maybe not such an issue if you’re planning on using your helmet on shorter runs or for commuting. But if you’re planning on touring or riding somewhere hot, that’s going to really annoy. Click the link to find helmets with really good airflow.
As with all helmets, the visor’s anti-scratch, and the one on the Avalon’s quick-release too so you can whip it off quickly for cleaning. There’s only a clear visor in the box but you can buy smoked or mirrored visors too if you find those handy.
There’s a couple of what look like Pinlock pins on the inside of the visor but they actually fit anti-fog inserts from FogCity, not Pinlock.
FogCity have been around for aeons but they’ve only recently moved in on Pinlock territory. And the early word is that the FogCity Go works well – and they’re also slightly cheaper than the average Pinlock at around £25. Well worth it if you’re suffering from fogging (which you will be in the UK!).
On the main visor, there’s a central opening tab – which is good because it means you can easily open your visor with either hand – and there’s a ‘cracked open’ defogging position on the visor too which always comes in handy.
Overall then, there’s no issues with the main visor.
That’s not quite the case with the sun visor though.
Avalon in Forge graphics with the sun visor fully lowered
Sun visors can be mega handy when you’re riding into the sun of course. Yes there’s downsides – they can fog up when it’s cold and some sliders (used to drop and raise the sun visor) can be just where you want to mount a comms controller; though with the Avalon the slider sits just behind the left visor pivot, nicely out of the way.
No, the issue with the sun visor on the Avalon is that quite a few owners say it’s annoyingly short, not dropping down low enough and leaving a stripe of light at the bottom, and especially where the cut out for your nose is.
And that can become pretty distracting.
With the sun visor slider on the Avalon, you slide it down then press it further to click the visor in the lowered position, and it’s unclear whether owners are forgetting to do this, not quite lowering the sun visor fully.
Either way, it seems that’s a slight fly in the ointment with the sun visor on the Avalon.
Most Caberg Avalon owners reckon it’s a comfortable helmet. The liner’s removable and washable and hypoallergenic. And, although a few owners reckon the cheek pads are a bit tight at first, word is they do bed in quite quickly and the helmet sizing’s about right.
Blast graphic Caberg Avalon
It also comes with a breath guard and chin curtain in the box, which is always useful.
Avalons are available in fitment sizes XS-XXL and it’s made using two different shell sizes to help tailor the fitting and looks a bit better to the rider.
The small shell is used for fitments XS-M and the bigger shell for L-XXL. If you’re at the lower end of those fitments, it’s possible that the helmet might look slightly large on your frame but we don’t expect it to be too noticeable.
Looks & Graphics
There’s no doubt about it, the Avalon is easy on the eye. Caberg has pulled off making a sporty-looking and modern lid and there’s quite a range of plains and graphics available to suit most tastes.
For the plain, you can have matt black or matt grey or a gloss white (no gloss blacks at the time of writing). Graphics are called Forge, Hawk, Blast and Giga.
To find any new graphics that have launched since we wrote our review – and to find any Caberg Avalon deals from reputable dealers, please click our links below. Cheers.
Best places to buy a Caberg Avalon helmet?
Please click below to visit the Caberg Avalon helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Caberg Avalon Video
Here’s a 6m video looking around the Caberg Avalon Blast in matt grey/black.
Other stuff – bluetooth, weight, build quality, warranty
Bluetooth Headsets
If you’re looking to fit a blutooth kit to your next helmet, then the Avalon should be OK. It’s been designed to fit Caberg’s Just Speak Evo kit so there’s some decent sized speaker pockets in there. And Caberg’s stressed how it’ll also work with other 3rd party bluetooth headsets too so we reckon most kits will fit. You can find other helmets with integrated bluetooth here or helmets that’ll fit 3rd party bluetooth units here.
Matt black Avalon
Weight
Thermoplastic helmets aren’t usually very light, and the Avalon’s no exception. It weighs around 1.5Kg in the smaller shell size (so expect 50-100g more for the larger sizes) which is just about average for a plastic full face helmet.
Even though it’s an average weight, several riders reckoned it feels lightweight while wearing it – which is the most important factor – so you shouldn’t have a problem with the weight of the Avalon.
Build Quality
We came across a few Caberg Avalon owners who reckoned that it’s well built and good quality. And we didn’t really come across anyone complaining about any shoddy workmanship or items breaking, so owners seem pleased with overall build quality of the Avalon.
Warranty
Caberg gives a pretty average 2 year warranty on the Avalon. Which is OK I guess – though some brands give a more generous 5 year warranty, though they do tend to be from manufacturers making more expensive helmets.
But here’s a hand picked bunch of helmets we think you might like.
HJC I70
The Shark Skwal is a cracking SHARP 4 star rated that comes with a Pinlock in the box. It’s Ride Magazine recommended too and it comes with LEDs in the rear!
The HJC I70 is about the same price and same weight as the Avalon and has a sun visor too – but it’s also SHARP 4 star rated and comes with a Pinlock already in the box.
Finally, another HJC to check out is the HJC C70. Cheaper than the Avalon, it comes with sun visor, is Pinlock ready and maximum SHARP 5 star safety rated. Amazing value too.
Best places to buy a Caberg Avalon?
Please click below to visit the Caberg Avalon helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
