Bell Moto 10 Review: Bell’s Top of the Range Dirt Helmet

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Bell Moto-10 (UK) Review: Amazing ventilation. Mips Liner. Great Helmet.

It’s pretty safe to say that Bell Helmets have been working hard on improving the safety and performance of their dirt lids for quite a few years now.

And with the Bell Moto-10, Bell reckon all that learning and know-how have condensed to make their best performing dirt helmet to date.

bell moto 10 spherical mips dirt helmet pro circuit front view — Front view of the Pro Circuit Moto-10.

It’s the replacement to their Moto-9 range and Bell say they’ve worked with a range of pro dirt riders to create a helmet that offers outstanding protection, ventilation and weight reduction.

On that last point (weight) that’s not so much an issue with the ECE (UK) version of the Moto-10 as it weighs around 1.3Kg (3lbs). If you’re in the US, your DOT Moto-10 helmet is a different construction and weight – please read our DOT Moto-10 review.

As far as protection’s concerned, there’s a bit more to the boast because you can trace their development work going on through the evolution of the Moto-9 series.

That was available with either a tri-composite or a carbon shell. Then they introduced a Flex version where Bell experimented with their own slip-plane internals (designed to reduce rotational forces during an impact) and gave it a trick three-ply shock absorbing liner.

They then licenced tech from Mips and stuck their liner in there which, I’m guessing, had a bit more proven protective performance than their own slip-plane liner.

So, It’s clear Bell does take protection seriously in their dirt lids – which is just as well when you consider the risk dirt riders face, even compared to street riders.

Here it is then, Bell’s top-flight off-road helmet. It’s not cheap, but is it good? Is it worth the money? And are there any better alternatives out there (see the bottom of the page for alternatives)?

We hope to answer all these questions in our full Bell Moto 10 review.

Bell’s top-of-the-range pro dirt helmet
Carbon fibre shell
Snell Certified (DOT helmet only)
Mips liner
Magnetic EQRS
Double-D fastener
Weighs 1.3Kg (3lbs) ECE helmet
3 Shell sizes
Medium Oval Fitment
Sizes XS-XXL
Expect to pay around £650

Best places to buy a Bell Moto-10?

Please click below to visit the Bell Moto-10 helmets pages at our recommended store and Amazon UK. And if you buy from either, 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

Bell has done a great job with the ECE version of the Bell Moto-10.

The only real negative is the price – but then you’re always going to get a high price if you want a top-dog helmet from any premium brand.

bell moto 10 spherical rhythm motocross helmet side view — Side view of the Moto-10 Rhythm

And with the R&D that you can see has gone into the Bell Moto-10, you’re gonna have to pay for that in a price that’s North of £600.

So onto the good stuff. It’s got a MIPS liner, collarbone-friendly NMR base and carbon fibre shell, so should offer excellent protection for when things go wrong.

It’s also got amazing ventilation along with a CoolJade liner, so if you’re serious about your off-roading and need a helmet that’ll keep you cool, then the Bell Moto-10 is one of the best venting on the market.

It’s also comfortable, has a huge eyeport that’ll take the biggest goggles and there’s some great touches like their use of magnets for cheekpads and strap.

Overall then, if you want one of the best dirt bike helmets out there and can suck up that premium price, then the Moto-10 is a great helmet and worthy successor to the popular Moto-9.

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

Bell obviously work hard to ensure their helmets perform when it comes to safety, and they’ve thrown every trick in the book at the Moto-10. And rightly so because it’s no laughing matter when you drop things in the dirt – especially in competitions.

Safety/protection features with the Moto-10 include:

Carbon fibre shell
Spherical Mips liner
EQRS cheek pads
Shoulder/collarbone protection (NMR)

Obviously, having a carbon fibre shell is a great starting point for any helmet because carbon fibre helmets tend to be both light and strong. The shell on the Moto-10 has a 3K weave giving it that classic carbon fibre look and it’s made in three different shell sizes to give a more optimized look and performance. All of which is great to see and should improve protection levels.

bell moto 10 spherical mips motocross helmet fasthouse blue grey rear side view — You can clearly see the NMR collarbone protector on the bottom edge of this Fasthouse graphic Moto-10

Lining the shell is a Mips liner. Mips is actually a Swedish company who licence out their tech – in this case their Spherical Mips liner.

The idea behind the liner hasn’t changed in a few years; namely to produce a liner where the outer surface of the liner is connected to the helmet and the inner surface is in contact with the rider’s head. So when you have an accident that tries to rotate the helmet, there’s a degree of independence so your head (neck and brain) won’t take the full impact of the rotation.

Severe rotations can cause lots of nasty injuries so it’s great to see Mips and Bell doing what they can.

The only slight fly in the ointment here is the lack of independent verification of their system. Sure, there’s lots of stories of people swearing by the protective powers of Mips and Bell helmets, happily relating how it saved their bacon and how they’d never buy a different helmet.

Thing is, you can usually find similar stories with even cheapo helmets – and I guess the fact of the matter is if a helmet doesn’t do its job, then the wearer may not be around to say otherwise!

Interestingly, the only independently tested Mips helmet was actually a Bell Qualifier DLX Mips – an ECE full face road helmet. That only scored a mediocre 3 stars out of 5 when SHARP tested – and their test does include an oblique test for rotation too.

Still, common sense does make you think that having some sort of rotation protection has to be a good thing. And besides, without a closer understanding of their testing methodologies and data analysis, it’s nigh on impossible to know how effective the Mips part of the test actually was.

bell moto 10 spherical mips dirt helmet marmot design side view — Funky Marmot graphic Moto-10

But Bell has obviously thought safety on the Moto-10 through.

There’s EQRS cheek pads to help get the helmet off in the event of a spill. They’re held in just by magnets too so they’re super easy to pull out – unlike the EQRS in some other brands.

And the Moto-10 is Eject system compatible too (not included) so both these will help first responders safely remove a helmet.

Interestingly, the ECE (non Snell) version of the helmet is a few hundred grammes lighter than the DOT helmet; that’s usually because you need a harder (and heavier) shell to pass Snell’s penetration test (which is arguably not that real-world relevant as things rarely actually penetrate a helmet).

So I guess if you’re in a DOT territory and you do want a lighter Moto-10 you could always buy an ECE version; though of course that wouldn’t be road legal in US helmet law states.

OK, there’s other stuff that contributes to safety of course.

Bell has worked to make the eye port bigger to accommodate a wide range of goggles and give good all-round vision. They’ve also included softer lower edges to the helmet – what Bell calls No Missed Races or NMR – so if you do suffer a severe impact, the softer edges of the lid shouldn’t break your collar bone or shoulder. Handy that.

And the helmet’s secured to your head using the usual Double-D ring fastener that pro racers (and racing authorities) usually want.

The Moto-10 hasn’t been independently tested by SHARP yet which is a shame (though it is ECE 22.05 certified like all UK helmets). In the US, the DOT helmet has been Snell Certified and if you look at past SHARP test data on carbon Bell helmets, everyone so far has scored a maximum 5 stars. .

So we’re gonna go out on a limb – with their past history and Bell’s focus on safety innovation, we expect the Bell Moto-10 should really give you all the protection you can currently get in a modern dirt helmet.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

You’d expect a helmet with a ton of vent holes to let in a load of noise too. If it did, it probably wouldn’t be the end of the world in a dirt helmet because chatting with your friends and being aware of your engine and environment is important too.

Thing is, owners we came across say it’s surprisingly quiet. I guess it might be because those generous cheek pads and lack of speaker pockets keep padding around the ear pretty thick, insulating you from noise?

Either way, it seems the Bell Moto-10 is not a noisy helmet. Result.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

Note gazillion air holes around the goggles. This thing vents very well.

If you’re a serious off-road or motocross rider, you work really hard in some of the most demanding of conditions. So great air flow is really important to keep you cool and able to stay focused.

Bell say they’ve put the hours in on the aero and ventilation of the Moto-10 to allow as much air as possible to get directed towards the vents and pass through the helmet.

That includes designing intake vents into the peak and moulding the outer shell to help pass air through and into the helmet. It’s a system that Bell calls their Thermal Exchange Airflow System or TEAS.

A couple of useful links…

– All our Dirt/Motocross helmet reviews –
– Safest helmet reviews –

That system includes a large five section chin bar inlet, six smaller inlets around the eye port along with large exhausts around the sides and rear of the helmet.

And the word from Moto-10 owners is that it all works really well. Folks reckon it’s got great cooling around the goggles and helps (along with the wicking interior) to push sweat out of the helmet when you’re working hard. And compared to the outgoing Moto-9, Moto-10 owners say it’s a big improvement.

From what we’ve heard, the Moto-10 is one of the best venting dirt helmets out there with riders saying they can really feel the airflow over their heads and around the face, so it’s very much job done on the air flow front.

Peak & Goggles

bell moto 10 spherical dirt helmet slayco purple white front view — This one’s the Slayco graphic showing massive eyeport and goggles groove

There’s not much new in the peak on the Moto-10. Bell calls the peak on the Moto-10 a flying bridge design because it’s not secured in the centre, but other than that, it’s big, it’s pointy and it can be removed with thumb screws if you need to swap it out or clean it.

Peaks can be easily damaged if you impact them too heavily so you can buy replacements – the only downside is there’s only one in the box and they’re around £50 a pop if you break one.

Bell’s designed the eye port to be nice and large so it can take pretty well any goggles and gives excellent peripheral vision.

And of course it’s big enough to let them scatter loads of vent holes around the goggles to pull air into the helmet and let air vent around your goggles and brow.

Owners reckon that large eyeport (surrounded by nice and soft rubber for extra comfort) has fitted their Airbrakes and 100% Armegas well and because it’s so large has helped seal them around the face better than some other helmets.

All good here then.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

Bell Moto-10s are a medium oval fitment which is the most popular internal shape for a helmet and means – if you’re unsure of your head shape – that it matches the shape of most riders’ heads.

There’s a few nifty features inside the Moto-10.

As mentioned, it’s got EQRS (like all sports helmets should) but in the Moto-10 the cheekpads are held in with magnets. That means they’re super easy to pull out and refit, whether you do it to clean them or whether it’s first responders looking to carefully remove your helmet. Either way, they work well.

bell moto 10 spherical mips helmet tomac replica top down view — Top down view of the Tomac replica

What also works well is that double-d ring fastener. OK double-d’s can be a bit fiddly, but on most straps you have to tie up the end using a snap. Not so on the Moto-10 because Bell’s used magnets there too making it really easy and mega convenient to quickly tie up the end of the strap and stop it flapping about. Great touch that.

The comfort liner’s fully removable and washable too of course, and it’s laced with ventilation holes to let masses of air straight through to your head.

It’s also a a Virus CoolJade liner which means it uses a fabric that’s laced with Jade which Virus (the material’s maker) reckons can actually leach heat away from the head and keep your head cooler. As far as we know, you’ll only get one of these liners with Bell helmets.

We’ve heard reports from a few owners that they do size about right (so measure your head, order the right size and it should fit correctly) though they can be tight around the cheeks when you first wear them; though they break in pretty quickly and fit about right after that.

Other than that, Moto-10s are generally regarded as a comfy helmet with no issues reported.

Looks & Graphics

There’s a ton of graphics out there including some Monster Energy, McGrath and Tomac replicas. There’s also the Fasthouse, Rhythm and Slayco designs alongside some more plain solid and matte black or carbon weave helmets.

As usual, we’ve slung some of the most popular graphics up and down the page, but if you want to see the latest designs and deals on the Moto-10, please click the links below.

Best places to buy a Bell Moto-10 Helmet?

Please click below to visit the Bell Moto-10 helmets pages at our recommended store and Amazon UK. And if you buy from either, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Bell Moto-10 Video

Here’s an 8m look around the Moto-10 from Revzilla.

Other stuff – Bluetooth, build quality, warranty

Bluetooth and Comms

bell moto 10 spherical mips dirt helmet pro circuit rear view — Here’s a rear view of that Pro Circuit Moto-10

I guess most riders don’t wanna stick a bluetooth and speakers into their dirt helmets because Bell hasn’t fitted any speaker pockets into the Moto-10.

Quality/Warranty

A few owners reckoned the Moto-10’s well built with a great quality liner and good finishing. I guess Bell have faith in their helmet quality too as it’s sold with a full 5 year warranty. That should last the life of the helmet.

Good Alternatives to the Bell Moto-10?

Alternatives you should check out? How about…

First up, while they’re still around, the Bell Moto-9 is still a great alternative. Cheaper, lighter and a highly rated Snell helmet.

The Shoei VFX-WR is also a Snell certified dirt helmet. And it’s also got an anti-rotate liner and is slightly cheaper than the Moto-10

shoei vfx evo crash helmet matt black side view — Shoei VFX-WR

If you’re after a budget dirt lid that vents well, you should take a look at the LS2 Subverter. It’s got slip-plane internals and EQRS too – though it is noisy.

Finally, if you fancy a helmet that’ll work like a dirt helmet but offers many of the advantages of a road helmet, check out our Adventure Helmet pages. Or click to see all our Dirt/Motocross helmets reviews.

Best places to buy a Bell Moto-10?

Please click below to visit the Bell Moto-10 helmets pages at our recommended store and Amazon UK. And if you buy from either, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Star Ratings

About Bogotto Motorbike Helmets

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About Bogotto Helmets

There’s a ton of smaller helmet manufacturers out there – some are up market and bespoke like Davida or Hedon – and others at further towards the value end of the market and are a good deal less bespoke.

We’re getting quite a few searches on the site asking about Bogotto gear, so I thought I’d do a bit of digging to find out more.

Now, this info is what I’ve been able to glean from the net (if you know more, please get in touch!) but it’s hopefully a good starting point if you’re considering a Bogotto helmet in particular.

Looking for a new helmet? Check out our
Motorbike Helmet Top 10s

It seems like Bogotto is an own in-house brand of FC-Moto. If you’ve not heard of FC-Moto, they’re a respected German bike gear chain who do stacks of online ads and who ship across Europe, including the UK. In fact I’ve bought from them in the past and we do pass people their way from time to time through our affiliate ads – just like this one:

If you want to see Bogotto Helmets on FC Moto’s site, you can jump straight through to the Bogotto helmets pages by clicking the link below. And you can read more info about FC Moto on our recommended retailers page.

Best place to buy a Bogotto Helmet?

Please click below to visit the Bogotto helmets page at FC Moto. And if you buy from them, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Anyway, from what I can find, it looks like Bogotto is an FC-Moto brand, so my guess is that they’re sourcing from somewhere in the East (there’re lots of independent helmet manufacturers in China and the like) then labelling them up and selling them alongside more established and independent brands on their website.

They tend to be lower priced helmets and all the ones we found had thermoplastic shells. Many have a decent range of features though and – if their online FC Moto review scores are anything to go by – they seem to be highly rated by owners (though the ratings we found on Amazon tended to be slightly lower).

Sourcing from the East is fair enough and something lots of well known operations do. As long as they ensure quality’s good and standards are hit, then you can certainly end up with a decent product at a competitive price.

When it comes to motorcycle gear though, it needs to be functional and it needs to be safe. For helmets, it’s one thing to work out if stuff like the visor system works or if the finish is what you’re after, but safety is another kettle of fish.

Of course, all Bogotto helmets sold in Europe (including the UK) have to be ECE 22.06 (or the older 22.05) certified. So you should expect that minimum level of safety from any Bogotto helmet. So if you’re happy at that, then give one a try.

But then some helmets that have passed ECE certification also then go on to be tested by the SHARP test labs and score very poorly. Now I’m not saying Bogotto is one of them as we simply don’t know, and to date, SHARP has never tested a Bogotto helmet because Bogotto lids aren’t widely available in the UK.

But obv with the internet, you can buy one wherever you are.

So, should I buy a Bogotto Helmet?

If you like what the helmet offers and you’re happy with ECE safety levels alone, then go for it.

Personally – and the reason I set up this site in the first place – I’d go for a helmet that has been independently tested to show it should perform well in an accident. It doesn’t have to cost the earth, but I’d go for one of the helmets you’ll find on our best protection/safety pages:

Safest Helmet Links

Click our Safest Helmets links to find all helmets we’ve looked at which scored either 4 or 5 stars when safety tested by SHARP. Safest Modulars are where a flip-up helmet has been given a 4 or 5 star rating and scored well with the chin bar test too.

And if you’re looking for a track helmet, all helmets have to be safety tested and certified by the FIM these days, so these are regarded as some of the best protecting helmets too.

Shoei NXR 2 review: Shoei’s latest, greatest all-rounder helmet.

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Review of the Shoei NXR2 sports touring SHARP 5 Star motorcycle helmet.

First time we looked, there was the XR1100 (great helmet). That was replaced in 2014 by the NXR (another great helmet). So it’s no surpriset then that Shoei’s developed the helmet still further and now we’ve got the NXR 2.

shoei rf-1400 helmet mural graphics side view — See – Shoei can do bonkers graphics too! This is the Mural graphic

It’s designed as an evolution of the old NXR; made to be that bit better in a few key areas.

So now it’s got a slightly redesigned shell with better aerodynamics (to reduce lift and drag) and an improved visor system and baseplate.

They’ve fiddled around with the internals a little too, and the shell now uses Shoei’s AIM fibreglass-based composite fibre tech rather than the AIM+ that the outgoing helmet used (see more about that in the Safety section below).

Whatever the changes, Shoei hopes the NXR 2 will be their top dog sports-touring, all-rounder road helmet.

So, here’s all you need to know about the NXR 2…

Composite fibre full face helmet
All rounder sports touring lid
ECE 22.06 and DOT
SHARP 5 Star safety rated (UK/Eu helmet)
Snell 2020 Safety Certified (US DOT helmet)
Pinlock visor (Pinlock Evo included)
Double-D ring fastener
Quick release visor
EQRS liner
Sizes XS-XXL (four shells)
Weighs 1.4Kg (3.1lbs)
5 year warranty
Expect to pay £430-£540

Best places to buy a Shoei NXR 2?

Please click below to visit the Shoei NXR 2 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from either, 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 Shoei NXR 2 is the long awaited replacement to Shoei’s sales-topping NXR.

And, to cut to the chase, it’s a slight improvement on the old helmet – making the NXR 2 a great all-rounder helmet.

shoei rf-1400 matte black motorcycle helmet top view — Matte black Shoei NXR 2

Not only is it the new ECE 22.06 rated in the UK (DOT and Snell certified in the US as the RF-1400) but it’s also been independently tested/rated by SHARP in the UK and awarded their maximum 5 star rating.

So that’s protection taken care of – i.e. it should be good (like pretty well all Shoei’s).

The visor system’s well thought out too, works great and comes with a Pinlock in the box.

It’s particularly comfy for more neutral shaped, rounder heads which is great as there’s not that much choice out there for you guys. Plus it’s got great aero and controls noise very well.

All in all, the NXR 2 is very much the helmet Shoei promised to deliver. It’s a fantastic all rounder helmet that’s an evolution of the old NXR1. And while it’s not cheap, we’d say it’s well worth the money and don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you make the investment.

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

The only real way to know how protective any helmet’s gonna be is to look at lab tests.

Sure, if someone has a spill and they say they’re only here because of their helmet, that’s kinda worth a listen. But you still don’t know whether a £50 helmet would’ve done the same job. And besides, every accident’s different, right?

shoei rf-1400 scanner helmet side view — Scanner graphics

So, the only real way to get an idea of what level of protection a helmet’ll give is to look at the specs, know the brand’s safety record, then look at the test data.

But specs first. Shoei make the NXR 2 in four shell sizes which is a good number. More shells mean better fit and more optimized protection – read why here.

The shock absorbing liner is a dual layer multidensity job. Multidensity liners are better at absorbing a range of impact strengths and managing the shock.

There’s a traditional (and effective) double-d ring fastener to keep the helmet firmly on your head. And an EQRS liner inside to help paramedics more easily take it off if the worst happens.

Of course, it’s the helmet shell tech that’s one of the most important factors in protection, and Shoei’s is some of the best.

The NXR 2 uses Shoei’s AIM shell technology which is shared with helmets like the Neotec II and GT Air II. It’s not their most advanced shell technology – that’s their AIM+ which is used on the old NXR as well as helmets like the Shoei VFX-WR and their top racing lid, the X-Spirit III.

Shoei AIM helmet technology — Layers used in Shoei AIM helmets.

What’s a bit weird is that the equivalent helmet to the NXR2 helmet in the US – the RF1400 – actually uses their AIM+ shell, whereas the NXR2 doesn’t. That said, Shoei AIM helmets typically score around 4 stars when SHARP test them, so it’s still a quality piece of helmet tech.

One possible reason is that AIM-shelled Shoei’s tend to be a bit lighter than AIM+ helmets, so it’s just possible that Shoei Europe wanted to prioritise lighter weight? Just a thought – US helmets seem to be weighing around 1.7Kg whereas Shoei Europe are advertising the NXR2 as averaging around 1.4Kg, depending on your helmet size.

The NXR2 is also one of the new breed of ECE 22.06 certified helmets so it’ll pass all the latest European helmet safety tests before it goes on sale.

Shoei NXR2 SHARP 8.5 m_s test score — Shoei NXR2 SHARP 8.5 m/s test result courtesy of https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/

Despite the change in shell tech, if you’re looking for a helmet that covers all the bases for helmet protection, then the NXR 2 still pretty well does it all. And that includes having a wide visor and including a Pinlock antifog insert in the box – both to give better all round visibility and keep it clear whatever the conditions.

Great job – just a bit strange they have dropped the spec of the shell for Europe, that’s all.

Having said that, the UK’s SHARP helmet testing labs tested the NXR2 at the back end of 2022 and awarded it a maximum 5 stars. Which means if you do have an off while wearing an NXR2 – as far as we can tell – you’ll have about as good head protection as you can get.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

Helmet noise is a weird one.

Not only is it hugely subjective, depending on rider, motorcycle, screen, speed, conditions and a host of other variables that mean rarely do two people perceive things quite the same.

But in the quest for a really quiet motorcycle helmet, helmet makers are often scuppered because helmet testing bodies specifically state helmets can’t be too quiet because riders need to hear stuff like emergency vehicles and pillions screaming they need the rest room.

So, if you’re after a super quiet helmet a) in most countries, helmet manufacturer’s aren’t allowed to make/sell you one and b) you might still think it’s not that quiet because you ride everywhere at 110mph on a naked bike, and wonder what all the fuss was about.

shoei rf-1400 helmet solid yellow side view — Solid yellow NXR 2

Still, Shoei reckons they’ve done pretty well all they can with the NXR 2.

They say they’ve spent more hours in the wind tunnel than is healthy, streamlining the shell to remove unwanted noise. They’ve improved the visor seal to stop noise ingress and they’ve pushed in thicker cheek pads to bung up your earholes a bit.

They’ve even followed Schuberth and their C3 Pro and moulded little plastic nobbles (sorry, vortex generators) into the visor to break up the air flow and reduce noise.

So they have tried. Really they have.

And does it work?

Well, the old NXR handled noise very well and was one of the quietest helmets around. And owners broadly say the same about the NXR 2 – most owners reckon it’s a really quiet helmet on the road.

shoei rf-1400 dedicated 2 motorcycle helmet top view — Shoei NXR 2 in Dedicated 2 graphics

Which is not to say you won’t need to wear some effective ear protection if you ride for more than a few miles and at more than urban speeds – because you will.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

Ventilation’s important for rider comfort, right? And the good news is that again, Shoei’s evolved and slightly improved the old system.

The NXR 2 has the same layout of vents – three crown vents and twin chin bar vents.

But they’ve uprated the sliders covering them, fiddled around enlarging and adding an additional intake hole in the upper vents, and they’ve bored out that exhaust vent for better flow through.

A couple of useful links…

– All our Shoei helmet reviews –
– Helmets that come in extreme sizes –

You might prefer a helmet with top vents that are all operated with one slider rather than three of course (I know I do) but at least the vents are now nice and easy to find and easy to use in gloves.

shoei rf-1400 helmet arcane graphics rear view — Rear view of the Shoei NXR 2 Arcane

And they do let a good amount of air into the helmet where it circulates through channels in the EPS liner before venting out of the single large (closeable) exhaust at the back.

That works alongside Shoei’s good quality 3D Max Dry 2 liner to keep your head well vented and reasonably sweat-free.

According to owners, it’s a great all-weather system. Close it off in the winter to keep warm, but open it when it’s hot and you can really feel the ventilation work.

Visor

(more about visors)

The visor system’s been uprated for the NXR 2 with a new baseplate, seal and a new visor.

It’s a quick release visor like the old one (dead easy – open the visor, pull a tab and it pops off) but Shoei’s made it optically correct too to reduce any distortion, added on those vortex generator thingies for improved aero/noise control, and they’ve moved the opening tab and visor lock from the side to the centre.

shoei-rf-1400-helmet-vortex-generators-closeup — Close up of those vortex generators, designed to smooth the air and reduce noise

Good move that as it now means you can open your visor more easily with your right hand.

Shoei’s widened the visor aperture for better peripheral vision. Plus they’ve worked with Pinlock to produce the Pinlock Evo antifog insert which you’ll find in the box with your shiny new NXR2.

Essentially, the Evo is just the name given to Pinlocks that work with Shoei helmets. But it’s also a nice big insert, and they’ve moved the locating pins right back out of view, which is a good touch.

Like all polycarbonate visors, the one on the NXR 2 will give great UV protection. Shoei quotes 99% protection with this one so that’s about as good as it gets.

NXR2/RF1400 owners are overwhelmingly happy with the visor – saying it seals well and gives a nice wide view of the road. So all good here.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

Internal fitment-wise, the Shoei NXR2 is more of a round or neutral fit helmet (rather than the regular medium oval most helmets come in). So if you have a longer oval head shape, beware – you may well get pressure points.

Which is not to say all’s lost if you do. Because there are replacement cheek pads and head pads in a variety of thicknesses available – though they’ll cost a few dollars extra.

shoei RF-1400 helmet comfort liner — Max Dry 2 liner is fully removable/washable with alternative skull cap and cheekpads that can be bought and swapped out to adjust the fit

Inside the NXR, you’ll find Shoei’s Max Dry II liner. That’s a comfortable liner that’s moisture wicking, washable and antimicrobial.

It features removable ear pads, so you can pluck those out if you’re fitting speakers from a comms unit.

It’s also an EQRS liner which is always good to see. If you’re not familiar, that stands for emergency quick release – essentially you can pull out the cheek pads from below by tugging on the two red tabs at the bottom of the helmet and is there so emergency services can more easily take off your helmet.

As long as you don’t have a longer narrower head shape, you should find the Shoei NXR2 a super comfortable helmet.

Looks & Graphics

There’s a wide range of graphics and colours available for the NXR 2.

shoei rf-1400 helmet basalt grey side view — Basalt grey NXR 2

Solids come in white, black (incl matte), brilliant yellow, basalt grey and matte metallic blue.

If you want graphics, there’s the Prologue, Faust, Mural, Nocturne, Dedicated, Scanner and Arcane to choose from – some in multiple colourways.

We’ve put as many as we can up and down the page, but to see more (along with latest prices and deals) just click on the links to our recommended store below where you’ll drop straight onto their Shoei NXR 2 pages.

Best places to buy a Shoei NXR 2 helmet?

Please click below to visit the Shoei NXR 2 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from either, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Shoei NXR2 Video

Here’s a useful 8m video of a dude on a Triumph (Scrambler 1200?) riding round in a solid white RF-1400 (the US version of the NXR2).

Other stuff – audio, glasses, aero, buffeting, chin curtain, warranty

If you’re looking to mount a bluetooth headset onto your helmet, the NXR 2 should be OK. It is more contoured than most helmets so that’s probably going to stop you sticky mounting. And there’s quite a large shaped bottom edge that does make it a bit more difficult using a clamp mount.

Having said that, the guy in the video above has successfully mounted his Sena 20S. And Shoei has announced they’ll offer a universal bluetooth mount so that should be solved if/when they do.

shoei rf-1400 nocturne helmet side view — Nocturne graphics is available in 3 colourways

And inside, there’s a nice amount of space for both speakers and a mic.

There’s also space for glasses because there’s a glasses groove in the lining.

As mentioned, the NXR 2 has been extensively wind tunnel tested. And the good news is that owners say the aero is very good. Shoei quotes figures of 6% lift reduction and 4% less drag. But they’re figures over the old helmet so don’t really help most of us. What does help is that we’ve heard from several owners who say it does have genuinely good aero characteristics and the new shape cuts through the air well.

The Shoei NXR 2 comes with a removable chin curtain and breath guard.

And finally, all Shoei helmets come with a full 5 year warranty (or 7 from date of manufacture). That’s awesome.

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Good Alternatives to the Shoei NXR 2?

OK, assuming you don’t want a sportsbike helmet or an open face, here’s a few suggestions for similar – and excellent – all rounder full face lids you should check out.

Shark-Spartan-carbon-skin-EDWS-motorcycle-helmet-side-view — Shark Spartan carbon

First up is Arai’s QV-Pro. That’s another premium sports touring helmet that’s SHARP 5 star rated. It’s better for longer oval shaped heads though and an excellent all rounder.

The Shark Spartan is a SHARP 4 star street helmet that comes in either fibreglass or carbon versions. They’re both lightweight though and cost quite a bit less than the Shoei.

HJC C70 valon pink crash helmet side view — HJC C70 Valon

HJC’s C70 might be a much cheaper polycarbonate helmet but it’s SHARP 5 star rated and comes with a 5 year warranty. A good no-frills all rounder.

Profile V

Finally, another Arai. If you struggle to get your helmet on, Arai’s SHARP 4 star rated Profile V is a composite fibre helmet that comes with a Pinlock in the box and has been specially designed for easy on, easy off.

Other full face helmets?

We've got lots of other ways you can find your ideal full face helmet. You can check out our Top 10 full-face crash helmets list to see our best rated helmets or head over to our Smartish Filters pages and zoom in on helmets with your 'must have' features. You can browse through all our full face crash helmet reviews as well as our safest motorcycle helmets page where you'll only find helmets that are SHARP four or five star rated - so you'll know you're wearing the best protection out there. Finally, check out our helmet gallery to find a lid that takes your fancy.

Best places to buy a Shoei NXR 2?

Please click below to visit the Shoei NXR 2 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from either, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Star Ratings

MCN Rating: Quality 5/5, Value 4/5

Nolan N21 and N21 Visor open face crash helmet review.

Page Contents

Nolan N21: great value open face helmet with sun visor.

Nolan’s N21 open face helmet is designed to look a bit fighter pilot and a bit vintage at the same time – which I guess it pretty much does. It’s also designed to work for both daily commuters who want a lightweight helmet and some sun/wind protection but like the convenience of an open face lid – as well as for touring types who maybe sit behind a screen and like the freedom an open face helmet gives.

nolan n21 skydweller helmet front view — Nolan N21 in Skydweller graphics (available with visor and non-visor N21s)

So Nolan made the N21 in both visor and non-visor versions (though the non-visor version still has a pull down sun visor).

But it looks like the ‘visor’ version has been the most popular, because it’s made in more colours and there’s tons more available to buy online so, in this review we’ll be mostly looking at the N21 Visor. But because they’re essentially the same helmet, most of the stuff in this review covers both helmets.

Both models are mainly designed for slower speed, commuter type riding. And Nolan has tried to make them compact by producing the helmet in two shell sizes and fitting a close-fitting comfort liner and padding into the N21 to try and keep it from looking big on you when you’re wearing it. It should also make it more easily stowable if you’re looking for a helmet you can store in your scooter or in panniers.

So, that’s the idea of the Nolan N21. Read on for the detail…

Polycarbonate open face helmets
Visor and non-visor versions
ECE 22.05 certified
Wide visor for great vision
Both versions have sun visor
Micrometric fastener
No internal ventilation
Useful helmet lock hoop
2 shell sizes
Sizes XXS-XXXL
Expect to pay:
- N21: £100-£130
- N21 Visor: £120-£180

Best places to buy a Nolan N21?

Please click below to visit the Nolan N21 helmets pages at our recommended stores and Amazon UK. 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).

Overall/Summary

Owners generally love their Nolan N21s.

They find them light, comfortable, love the great all-round vision from that large clear visor (N21 Visor owners only obvs) and the sun visor works really well. They also rate the build quality really highly too.

nolan n21 tricolore helmet front view — Front view of the N21 Tricolore

The only slight niggles are that the sizing can be a bit of a squeeze (see Comfort/Sizing section below) and there’s the obvious issues of it being a bit noisy and lacking the protection you’ll find in helmets with chin bars.

But other than that, with Nolan’s excellent reputation for making high quality, protective helmets, and with the N21 (Visor or no visor) being particularly stylish and available at a very competitive price, it’s hard to see how you can go wrong. Well worth a look.

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

Both N21s are open face helmets so it goes without saying that there’s precious little face/chin protection if you have an accident. But then you knew that and you’re still interested in one, right?

So if you take that as a given, how well will the N21 protect your head (as opposed to your face)?

Well, we suspect it’ll do pretty well. It’s a polycarbonate helmet (AKA plastic) which are generally a cheaper helmet – but that doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t offer great protection.

Nolan are specialists in producing helmets out of plastic. Of the 15 helmets tested to date by the UK’s SHARP helmet test labs, 14 have been classed as either polycarbonate or thermoplastic (polycarbonate is a thermoplastic) so there’s a decent bit of historical data to look at.

nolan n21 visor motorcycle helmet dolce-vita_corsa-red — Nolan N21 Visor in popular Dolce Vita stripe design.

Every single one of those tested helmets has scored a 4/5 star rating – which is a pretty incredible and a consistently high score.

So, we’d probably not be stretching it too far to expect the N21 to score four stars if it were tested today – which it won’t be because SHARP don’t test open face helmets (something that may well change in the not too distant we hope).

You might see that sort of score and think that’s good enough for you. However, it’s also worth pointing out that the N21 – whether Visor version or not – has been designed to offer a particularly wide view of the road ahead. That’s obviously great for safety as it hopefully means you’ll not find anything hiding in your peripheral vision while pootling along.

The N21 has also got a nice and easy to use micrometric strap – they’re both safe fasteners and super quick to use and tighten up firmly. If you’re new to helmets, micrometric fasteners are much easier than the usual alternative which is the double-d ring fastener (though most folks do get the hang of those pretty quickly too).

All in all then, based on Nolan’s track record, we’d expect the N21 to offer good levels of protection for an open face helmet. Though of course if you want better protection for your face, have think about a full face helmet or a modular (the best of both worlds).

And if you are considering a modular, please check out our top 10 modular helmets list and our safest modular helmets page too.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

nolan n21 visor motorcycle helmet classic_flat-black — Side view of the N21 Visor matt/flat black with both visors fully dropped.

Word is that the Nolan N21 offers reasonable noise suppression for an open face helmet. Of course, if you’re sat on a naked bike with the main visor down (on an N21 visor) then because the visor drops down nice and low, that’s going to stop a some of wind noise blasting straight into your helmet. But if you’re in a non-visor version, it’s about the same as most open face helmets – and that’s pretty noisy.

Obviously, it’s all dependent on the type of bike you’re on and how quickly you ride, along with a whole multitude of other variables. But the concensus among Nolan N21 wearers is that it’s not as quiet as a full face helmet and there’s quite a bit of wind noise – especially at speed.

A fairly predictable result I guess because open face helmets don’t stop noise getting in as well as most other helmets. But if you want to ride quietly as it’s possible in an N21, buy the visor version, sit behind a screen, ride slowly and stick in some quality ear plugs and you should find it all hunky dory.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

Ok, Nolan N21’s are open face helmets so there’s no shortage of air getting in towards the front of the helmet.

Nolan N21 Durango helmet solid white side view — Another non-visor Nolan N21, this one’s the solid gloss white Durango – the one with the vent holes.

But your head’s a different matter. There is a version of the non-visor N21 called the Durango that actually has three small air inlet holes above the eye port. But, rather strangely, none of the other models have any vents whatsoever.

The Durango lets air into the shell where it’ll take a small amount of ventilation into the air channels in the liner and onto the head.

The rest of the N21s have to do without any ventilation at all so you’ll have to make do with any air that seeps around the visors.

It’s probably not really a problem for most of us, but if your riding’s done in mostly hot weather, then you should probably look elsewhere because you’ll end up with a very hot head most of the time (poor you 🙂 )

Visor

(more about visors)

If you buy a Nolan N21 Visor, you’ll get an external pull-down clear visor to cut out wind and rain. It’s a large polycarbonate visor that drops down nice and low and, like visors on full face helmets, it can be pushed up out of the way when you don’t want it.

Whether the visor’s up or down, owners say you get a great field of view with the N21 Visor and the optical quality of the visor’s very good.

A couple of useful links…

– All our Open Face helmet reviews –
– Top 10 All Helmets List –

Nolan don’t advertise the N21 Visor as having a quick release visor. But if you want to pull it off for cleaning, it is a toolless job and pretty quick. Close the visor, pull off the side plate and pull the visor off to remove. Putting the visor back on again is more fiddly, though shouldn’t take long once you get the hang of it.

nolan n21 visor motorcycle helmet slate grey side view — Slate grey N21 Visor

Unfortunately there isn’t a Pinlock antifog available for the N21 visor and it’s not advertised as antifog treated either, so expect things to fog up when it’s cold – until you get moving and get a bit of wind circulating behind the visor.

Sun Visor

(more about sun visors)

Both versions of the N21 have an integral drop down sun visor and both stow away into the helmet’s shell (you can see exactly where it stows because it’s behind that raised area on the front of the helmet above the eye port).

The sun visor’s made of polycarbonate (like all visors and sun visors) and it’s UV400 which offers maximum protection against UV. It’s made out of a Lexan polycarb which is a trade name but it’s supposed to be good quality polycarbonate. And it’s also anti-scratch and anti-fog treated which is a good touch (not all sun visors are and they can be a bit of a pain on cold or rainy days).

nolan n21 dolce vita helmet in red rear view — Rear view of the Dolce Vita graphic N21

If you buy the N21 Visor, you can either drop down the sun visor by pulling it straight down using the lip on the bottom left of the sun visor. Or, if your main visor’s down, you can use the slider on the left hand side of the helmet.

On the regular N21, you don’t get the slider but there’s a small tab bottom left of the sun visor to tug it down.

The word on the sun visor from N21 owners is that it works very well. It slides down over most glasses without a problem, the tint level seems to be about right (it can’t legally be tinted any darker and used on the road) and it drops down nice and low, giving a good coverage against the sun.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

The Nolan N21 is made in two different helmet shell sizes – with the smaller shell used for fitment sizes XXS-L and the larger for XL-XXXL.

That’s about right for a lower priced helmet. And Nolan do say they’ve tried to make the N21 a compact helmet – so it seems smaller on the head.

Having said that, if the size you’re after is at the lower end of those fitments, it could look a bit oversize when you’re wearing it. For instance, if you’re a size XXS, you’ll be wearing a helmet that has the same shell as size L but padded out to fit – and that can mean it’ll look oversized on you.

nolan n21 skydweller helmet rear view — Another view of the Skydweller graphic N21

Same goes for you if you wear a size XL helmet as you’re wearing the same shell size as someone in an XXXL.

And we’ve found a couple of N21 owners who do reckon their helmets look a bit big when they’re wearing it. Not that it’s necessarily a problem – just if you’re a bit of a fashionista and care what you look like, it’s something to be aware of.

Something else to be aware of is that a few owners reckoned they found their N21s sized a bit too small (i.e. they were usually a size M but found they needed a size L with the N21). So if you’re wanting to buy an N21 and you’re unsure of your size or between sizes, we’d opt for a size up.

Inside the N21 you’ll find Nolan’s Clima Comfort liner. They’re typically nice and comfortable liners and they’re removeable and washable.

In fact, apart from the ocassional person finding their helmets a bit of a squeeze (so ended up ordering a size up) the vast majority find the Nolan N21s really nice and comfortable helmets.

nolan n21 visor helmet in silver side view — Side view of the Nolan N21 Visor in silver

It does help that because it’s an open face lid, everyone also finds it’s a particularly light weight helmet too – that always helps with comfort.

Looks & Graphics

There’s a huge array of graphcs available if you’re looking for an N21.

In the non-visor N21, they tend to be plainer blacks, whites and greys of all types (matt, gloss, flat, solid, metallic – you get the picture), along with the Dolce Vita range that have a simple go faster stripe over the top.

You can get those colours with the N21 Visor too but there’s also the Skydweller, Playa, Quarterback, Flybridge and Getaway graphics.

As per usual, we’ve added some of the designs to this page – but for a wider range along with any new graphics that have been launched – as well as any Nolan N21 deals – please click the links below that’ll take you straight onto the Nolan N21 pages at some of our recommended retailers. Cheers.

Best places to buy a Nolan N21 helmet?

Please click below to visit the Nolan N21 helmets pages at our recommended stores and Amazon UK. And if you buy from any shop, 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 N21 Visor Video

Here’s a guy pulling his N21 visors apart. There aren’t really any decent review videos around but this video gives you a decent look at all the parts and the internals and how they work.

Other stuff – fasteners, bluetooth, build quality, warranty

As mentioned, the Nolan N21 has a micrometric fastener. They’re great and easy to use. There’s also a helmet lock loop on the chin strap of the N21. That’s a metal loop sown onto the strap which you can use to lock onto your motorbike. Could be very handy that if you don’t have anywhere to stow your helmet.

nolan n21 visor motorcycle helmet flat black and yellow side view — Black and yellow N21 Dolce Vita

If you’re looking to fit a bluetooth headset, word is that there are recesses for speakers inside the N21 and there’s just about space outside to clamp the control unit on – so you should be OK there.

One overriding opinion expressed by N21 owners is that – for the price – the quality’s excellent with good quality materials used and the fit and finish being very good.

Which is probably why Nolan are confident enough to back it with a 5 year warranty (manufacturing defects). But that’s a class leading warranty, especially on a lower priced helmet.

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Good Alternatives to the Nolan N21?

arai urban v blitz brown open face helmet side view — Arai Urban V

You can find all our Open Face helmet reviews here for a great selection. But here’s some choice picks.

Arai’s Urban V is a high quality fibreglass open face helmet with cunningly hidden ventilation channels that work well. In the US it has been Snell certified too (called the Classic V over there) so should work well if you ever need to put it to the test.

Bells Custom 500 is a low profile fibreglass open face (full carbon is available too) that’s made in 5 different shell sizes. It comes in a range of very cool retro schemes too.

shoei jo Waimea helmet side view — Shoei JO

The Shoei Jo is another quality fibreglass offering – this time with pull down visor and using the same shell tech as their full face lids.

Finally, how about a thermoplastic open face helmet with a proper protecting removeable chin bar. The Bell Broozer also comes with a clear and dark visor in the box and is excellent value for money.

Best places to buy a Nolan N21?

Please click below to visit the Nolan N21 helmets pages at our recommended stores and Amazon UK. 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).

Star Ratings

The Nolan N100-5 and N100-5 Plus flip-up. The perfect modular helmet?

Page Contents

Nolan N100-5 and N100-5 Plus flip up modular motorcycle helmet review.

The N100-5/Plus is Nolan’s top of the range flip-up/modular helmet, designed to be all things to all riders. And the list of features is pretty impressive. It’s P/J dual homologated (meaning you can legally ride it with the chin bar up) and it has Nolan’s patented chin bar raising mechanism that pulls the chin bar closer to the helmet to improve aero when it’s raised.

First up though – N100-5 or N100-5 Plus?

To be honest, there’s hardly any difference. Even Nolan’s own website uses the same graphics for both helmets and both are available.

The only real differences are to do with the comfort liner inside the helmet – with the Plus version of the helmet having a size adjustable liner and slightly different cheek pads. You’ll find more info on these differences in the sizing/comfort section below. Other than those small changes, they’re the same helmet.

Both have a nice wide and tall main visor that even comes with a Pinlock antifog insert already installed out of the box (that’s a first as far as we’re aware).

There’s also a drop down sun visor that has its own ‘staged’ drop down, so it’ll happily sit at one of four positions before being auto-retracted at the touch of a button.

And it’s got a microlock 2 fastener, ESS brake light capacity as well as being ready to accept Nolan’s N-com communicators, with pockets and spaces for easy integration.

And as if that wasn’t enough, it comes from Italian maker Nolan who are known for producing some of the safest modular helmets in the whole world ever.

Don’t know about you but, on paper at least, that’s a mouthwatering prospect. So we set about finding out what owners and riders who’ve bought an N100-5 think of their helmets and find out if it’s worth spending your money on either the regular or plus version…

Polycarbonate modular helmet
Dual Homologated for open/full face riding
SHARP 4 star safety rated (Max 5 stars)
100% chin bar
Micrometric fastener
Wide/tall visor
Drop down sun visor
Available in ECE and DOT versions
Pinlock Antifog pre-installed
ESS system ready
Integrates with N-com bluetooth kit
Sizes XXS-XXXL
Expect to pay £290-£330

Best places to buy a Nolan N100-5/Plus?

Please click below to drop straight onto the Nolan N100-5 helmets pages at our recommended retailers. 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 N100-5 fade silver hi viz modular helmet front view — A Nolan N100-5 in silver with its chin bar down

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

Nolan has an excellent reputation for helmet safety – especially for its modular helmets.

As you probably know, we analyse SHARP’s independent helmet testing data to assess helmet safety, and looking back over all their tested helmets, Nolan has scored four out of a maximum five stars for every single tested helmet.

That’s not only a great score but it’s staggeringly consistent across the years.

Of course, when you’re looking at flip-front helmet safety, you obviously want that chin bar to stay firmly closed during an impact. Nolan is one of the very few helmet makers who have a perfect 100% record so far for their chin guards staying locked and closed during testing.

Nolan N100-5 Plus SHARP 8.5 ms impact test — Courtesy of sharp.dft.gov.uk Nolan N100-5 Plus 8.5 m/s Impact test results.

And we’re delighted to say that when SHARP tested the N100-5 in 2021, Nolan continued it’s staggeringly consistent form with yet another 4 star SHARP safety rating for safety along with a 100% on the chin guard! Just incredible and a testament to their focus on safety and internal QA.

One of the reasons their chin guards stay closed is that they use solid metal clasps along with a two-finger opener that means you’ve gotta use both a finger and thumb to open the chin bar so it can’t be accidentally opened – and it’s the same setup on the N100-5.

The helmet’s dual homologated too. That means you can legally ride with the chin bar fully opened if you like – and there’s a lock on there to keep it locked open.

Nolan N100-5 consistency hi viz modular helmet front view — If your’re after a hi viz helmet, this one’s the Consistency in hi viz yellow

Obviously, having great vision is kinda key to not hitting things on a bike. The N100-5 has a wide/tall visor combo for good all-round vision. Plus it comes with a Pinlock anti-fog insert pre-installed – which is a nice touch because most manufacturers leave you to fiddle/curse/struggle to fit it on your own.

There’s also a micrometric 2 fastener to keep the helmet on your head plus the Nolan N100-5 comes ESS-ready. That’s the ability to add your own brake light to the back of the helmet for added visibility.

Wow – that’s a lot of safety shizz on the N100-5 and it should give you great protection should the worst happen.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

If you’ve read any of our helmet reviews before, you’ll know that helmet noise is the most difficult thing to accurately review.

That’s because how noisy your helmet is is a perception thing and dependent on loads of stuff from how great/knackered your hearing is to how loud/quiet your last helmet was to how fast you ride etc. etc.

Profile view showing chin bar fully raised

And while not absolutely everyone who rides with a Nolan N100-5 reckons their helmet is the quietest ever, there are enough owners who say it’s really quiet for us to add it to our Quietest Helmets pages.

In fact we found roughly 70% of owners rated it as a really quiet helmet, which is a great score – especially for a modular helmet.

Why? Because flip-up helmets are generally noisier than regular full face helmets, mostly because of the space needed for that flip-up chin bar mechanism. But it seems some of the aero work done by Nolan to produce a smoother helmet shell that’s more compact and with fewer protrusions has really paid dividends on the N100-5.

But a word of warning if you buy one; I suggest you don’t buy one expecting it to be mega quiet. No, buy one hoping it’ll be maybe a bit quieter than your existing helmet – then, hopefully, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. If you think it’ll be whisper quiet, expect to be disappointed – riding means blasting through the air after all; and that’s not a particularly quiet thing to do!

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

You’ll find a single chin vent covered by a sliding panel on the chin bar of the N100-5. That’s obv there to deliver air to your mush and the back of the visor.

Way up top on the crown of the helmet is another vent panel to bring ventilation to the rest of the head.

Nolan N100-5 lumiere modular helmet rear view — Rear view of the N100-5 Lumiere

On helmets with sun visors, you’ll find top vents set way back on top of the shell because when the sun visor’s retracted, it takes up the space where you’d ideally place the vent.

Both vent sliders are low profile – in their closed positions at least – helping with the aero and overall noise suppression of the helmet.

When you open the top vent, the whole panel pops back/up a little to reveal quite a sizeable vent on the top. It’s what Nolan calls its Air Booster Technology. And it’s a vent that pretty well all owners say is great – letting in tons of air to get circulated around the channels inside the helmet and keep you cool.

It’s much better than the chin bar vent which, by all accounts, is reasonably pointless. Thankfully, that doesn’t mean your visor fogs up quickly because of course the N100-5 not only comes with a Pinlock anti fog insert in the box but it’s pre-installed onto the back of the visor.

And of course, if you really need a bit more ventilation into your chin/face area, you can either crack open the visor a little to let a nice breeze in – or even open up the front entirely and ride in open-face mode.

Nolan N100-5 consistency corsa red motorcycle helmet front view — Front view of an N100-5 Consistency in corsa red showing large visor area and sun visor fully lowered

Visor

(more about visors)

The visor on the Nolan N100-5 is wide and tall for improved vision and it’s a ratchet visor with 5 positions, including a ‘cracked open’ city riding position. Yay.

It’s opened by a single central opening tab and comes pre-fitted with a Pinlock Max Vision anti-fog insert. That’s the first time we’ve seen one already installed and saves you the hassle of fitting it yourself which can be tricky if you’ve never used one before.

But if you want to know how to fit a Pinlock, here’s a video I produced a while back showing you how.

The ‘Max Vision’ part of the Pinlock means it’s a full-visor coverage insert, so you won’t get the edges of the Pinlock in your line of sight.

A couple of links you might find useful…

– Click to see all our Nolan Helmets Reviews –
– Here you’ll find every Helmet rated highly for safety we’ve looked at –

Sun Visor

(more about sun visors)

The sun visor on the N100-5 is pretty unusual too.

The slider to operate it is on the bottom left edge of the helmet – which is pretty commonplace and a decent place to locate it. What’s not so common is that it’s a four position sun visor with noticeable ‘steps’ in the slider movement to let you drop the sun visor down in stages.

Nolan N100-5 consistency fuschia kiss motorcycle helmet side view — Another Consistency – this time Fuschia Kiss graphics

In its lowest position, it’ll cover most of your vision and it’s spring loaded so all you need to do to retract the sun visor is press a button in front of the slider and it’ll spring back out of the way.

The sun visor’s anti-fog coated too, as well as being anti-scratch – so all good here.

Chin Guard

(more about chin guards)

The chin guard on any modular helmet is a really important feature – and some helmet manufacturers are better at making them than others.

Looking at the stats, Nolan are one of the best.

To open up the chin bar requires a pinch movement of finger and thumb to unlock it – that’s a good safety feature and stops it being accidentally unlocked during an accident. It’s also pretty easy to do.

And whereas some chin bars from well known makers have been shown to be less than bomb-proof during safety testing, no Nolan modular helmet so far has ever come unlocked during SHARP impact testing – which is a fantastic result.

nolan-n100-5-hi-vis yellow side view — If you wanna be seen, buy a hi-vis yellow N100-5

As mentioned in the safety section above, that’s not to say the Nolan N100-5 won’t buck that trend, because it hasn’t yet been independently safety tested. But we’d probably put money on it scoring well for safety (i.e not coming unlocked and open when you don’t want it to).

Once opened, there’s a cunning hinge on the N100-5 that opens up the chin bar then pulls it backwards towards the helmet, so it sticks slightly less into the airflow than many other modulars.

And if you decide to ride with the chin bar raised – which you legally can do with the N100-5 because it’s been dual homologated – there’s a P/J locking switch to let you lock the chin bar open so there’s no chance of it accidentally dropping down while you’re riding.

OK, if you do intend to ride along in a modular helmet with the chin bar raised, you might want to consider a helmet where the chin bar rotates right to the back of the helmet (like the Roof Desmo, LS2 Valiant or Shark Evo One 2). But other than that, the Nolan N100-5’s got everything covered.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

The inside of the the N100-5 has what Nolan calls it’s Clima Comfort interior. That’s an antibacterial and moisture wicking comfort lining that includes lots of perforations to allow circulating air to reach your scalp.

Nolan N100-5 motorcycle helmet inside view — Inside the N100-5 showing vented lining and drawstring adjustable neck roll

The inside is fully removable and washable – including cheek pads – and though you can fit glasses inside the N100-5, there aren’t any dedicated glasses grooves in there so if your glasses’ stems are thick, you might have a problem.

Unusually, the neck roll at the bottom of the helmet is actually adjustable. There’s a drawstring running around the bottom of the helmet with a couple of toggles on it – so you can tighten up the helmet to reduce the amount of noise and draft getting up inside the helmet.

And the end result is that pretty well every owner said their Nolan N100-5 is a really comfortable helmet to live with and is great for long-distance trips.

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, there is a slight difference between the internals of the regular and Plus versions of the N100-5.

The differences are that the Plus has more moulded polystyrene behind the cheek pads to try and improve fitting and it has a small extra section of fabric at the bottom of the pads to help reduce draughts. The Plus liner also features Nolan’s LPC system – or liner positioning control – where you can adjust a plastic tab to slightly change the angle the helmet sits on your head.

Finally, there’s a mesh panel running around the top of the liner to let a little more air through to the head. And that’s about it.

Looks & Graphics

There’s a stack of different graphics available for the Nolan N100-5 – but only a few names to remember.

If you’re after a plain helmet – they’re always a bit cheaper than helmets with fancy graphics – and they’re mostly called either Classic or Special by Nolan. They come in all the usual blacks/whites/gloss/matts you’d expect plus there’s a few different greys and silvers.

Nolan also do a variant on these flat colours – the Fade where it’s essentially a plain colour that fades to a darker colour – pretty classy those.

Finally there’s the Lumiere and the Consistency designs – you’ll find a few of these up and down the page but they’re available in stacks of other colours too.

To see these and more, as well as find any deals that are on at the retailers we recommended for giving great service as well as good prices, please click through to our recommended retailers using the links below. Nice one!

Best places to buy a Nolan N100-5/Plus helmet?

Please click below to drop straight onto the Nolan N100-5 helmets pages at our recommended retailers. 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 N100-5 Video

Here’s one of the official Nolan videos for the N100-5. The choice was either this Nolan US video or the European one with Marco Melandri in it, so..!

Other stuff – fasteners, audio, weight, build quality, warranty

The Nolan N100-5 uses a micrometric 2 fastener. That’s a micrometric ratchet fastener with a 2 action opener to stop accidental opening of the strap. So that’s both convenient to use and safe as houses.

It’s designed to accommodate Nolan’s N-Com bluetooth communicator with a built-in pocket to fit the bluetooth controller, battery and mic/speakers. That’s great if you’re going to buy one of their intercom kits (either a B901L R series – B601 R series – ESS – MCS III R series) but less good if you’ve a different 3rd party bluetooth to fit. You will find space for speakers and a mic in there, but placing the controller itself might be a bit fiddly; like one Sena 10s owner found. It fit but was really awkward to get in there.

Nolan N100-5 consistency flat lava grey modular helmet side view — Another Consistency Nolan N100-5 – this time in flat lava grey

As for weight – the Nolan N100-5 weighs around 1.7Kg (3.8lbs) which is about average for a modular and should be OK. In fact a couple of owners said it feels pretty light when you’re wearing it.

Great build quality is a recurring comment among owners with lots of people commenting about the overall high quality feel, fit, finish and materials.

And finally, to underline Nolan’s commitment to quality, the N100-5 comes with a fabulous 5 year warranty.

Overall/Summary

The Nolan N100-5 is a high quality, well featured and well liked helmet by people who’ve bought one.

It scores really highly in just about every respect and is a well designed and excellently made helmet. In fact, at the time of writing, it’s soared to the top of our top 10 best modular helmets list, nosing ahead of the Caberg Duke II for top spot!

It’s got a great visor mechanism too with pre-installed Pinlock anti-fog, and it’s got a great sun visor with innovative multi-stage drop down. It’s quiet too according to owners – that’s rare for a modular helmet – and it’s designed to integrate with Nolan’s N-com communicators as well as their ESS brake light module.

nolan-n100-5-fade-red black rear view — Here’s another Fade graphics N100-5 – this time red to black

And it’s also dual-homologated so you can ride with the chin bar up and locked should the mood take you.

And now it’s been independently safety tested by SHARP where it scored 4 stars along with a 100% score on its chin bar staying locked (ECE helmet), you can be happy knowing it’ll give you some of the best protection of all modulars (you can find all the best protecting modular helmets here).

All in all, the Nolan N100-5 is a hugely well designed and hugely impressive modular helmet and should really be somewhere near the top of your shortlist if you’re looking to buy a new flip-up motorcycle helmet.

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Good Alternatives to the Nolan N100-5?

First up, take a look at the Shark Evo One 2. That’s a SHARP 4 star safety rated (chin guard scored 100%) that has a chin guard that’ll flip over to the back of the helmet to give a real open faced helmet look and feel.

If you’d consider something a little different, there’s Caberg’s Tourmax which is a modular dual-sports helmet. It’s SHARP 5 star too and has a drop down sun visor. It’s cheaper than the Nolan too.

That shares quite a bit in common with another Caberg – the Caberg Duke II – one of our top rated modulars. Pinlock anti-fog, sun visor, lighter weight than the Nolan and lighter on the wallet… well worth a good look over that one.

Other ways to find the Best Modular Helmet

If you're after a new modular/flip-up helmet, they've never been more popular and there's a ton of choice out there. You can find our latest top 10 modular helmets list here or check out all our modular helmet reviews here. You can also visit our Safest Modular Helmets page or our smart filters page where you can click the flip-up/modular check box then choose a few other features to find the best flip-up helmet for you.

Best places to buy a Nolan N100-5?

Please click below to drop straight onto the Nolan N100-5 helmets pages at our recommended retailers. 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).

Review of the Caberg Levo SHARP 4 star rated flip-up touring helmet.

Page Contents

Caberg’s composite/carbon touring flip-up motorcycle helmet: the Caberg Levo.

The Levo is Italian helmet maker Caberg’s dual homologated flip-up helmet that’s designed for touring.

It comes in two guises: a lower cost version that’s a tri-composite shelled helmet consisting of layers of fibreglass, kevlar and carbon; plus a slightly more expensive all carbon version.

If you’re in the market for an all rounder touring flip-front, then here’s all you need to know about what Levo owners thing of their helmets…

Composite or carbon modular helmet
Designed for touring
SHARP 4 Star safety rated (out of 5)
Drop down sun visor
Pinlock Max Vision
Micrometric fastener
Sizes XS-XXL
Light weight for a modular
Chin bar in fully up position on a matt black Levo
2 Shell sizes
Awarded 4/5 stars by German Motorrad magazine
Expect to pay: £260-£300

Best places to buy a Caberg Levo?

Please click below to visit the Caberg Levo 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).

Safety

Caberg lids are all ECE 22.05 approved so should offer a decent level of protection. If you’re reading this in the US, Caberg don’t DOT certify their helmets so they’re not legal in mandatory helmet states, sorry.

Even so, you’re never really sure about a helmet until it’s been independently safety tested.

Thankfully, the Levo’s been SHARP tested.

Caberg has always scored well in our top 10 safest crash helmet brands list, so you can broadly reckon to count on a Caberg.

Caberg-Levo-prospect-black-bronze-flip-up-helmet-side-view — The Levo Prospect comes in bronze, white or hi viz colourways

That excellent reputation’s been continued with the Caberg Levo because SHARP scored it a very decent 4 stars (out of 5).

Of course, when you’re looking to buy a new modular helmet, you’re probably gonna ride with it in full-face mode a lot of the time, so you expect the chin guard to give you decent protection.

Well, as we’ve seen, that’s not always the case, with some helmet makers making much more dependable chin guards than others!

SHARP safety testing data so far shows that Caberg modulars are usually pretty good here, with their chin guards staying locked and closed between 80-90% of impacts.

Caberg Levo 8.5 ms SHARP test result — Caberg Levo 8.5ms impact test results – reproduced courtesy of sharp.dft.gov.uk

And true to form, the Levo scored a very respectable 90%.

Yep, that’s actually a really good figure (though you’d be forgiven for hoping they’re all closer to 100%). To put it into numbers, out of 32 impact tests that means the chin bar became unlocked three times.

We’ll leave it up to you to decide if that’s OK for you or not.

The Levo is also dual homologated, meaning it’s designed to be legally ridden with the chin guard up and locked open as well as down and closed. That’s probably a must-have if riding around with the chin bar up is your thing.

Caberg-Levante-hi-vizion-modular-motorcycle-crash-helmet — Hi viz version of the tri-composite Levo

Other than that, if you’re safety minded, there’s loads of other features on the Caberg Levo that’ll make the helmet both easier to live with and safer to ride with.

There’s a nice wide visor opening for extra peripheral vision.

There’s also an included Max Vision antifog insert to keep your visor nice and clear and fog free. And there’s a micrometric fastener to keep it tightly fastened and a drop down sun visor that’ll hopefully stop you getting caught out when the sun’s low and/or the surface’s wet.

All told, the Caberg Levo performs pretty well for safety.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

Considering it’s a modular, the Caberg Levo seems to be pretty good for noise attenuation.

Modulars in general can be quite noisy, mostly because all that chin bar mechanism can create a bit of a void that air rushes into. And while a few owners are a bit disappointed – usually when they buy a Levo and it turns out to be noisier than their last helmet – the majority of owners seem to be very pleasantly surprised.

Most owners are finding it’s either a quiet or really quiet helmet – often that’s relative to most modulars out there. Obviously, it’s all subjective and you might not agree if you buy one. And of course you’re still gonna have to wear quality ear plugs to protect your hearing. But if you’re after a quieter modular helmet, it might be worth trying out a Caberg Levo.

Ventilation

The ventilation system comprises a single chin vent operated by a slider and a single forehead vent. To the rear, there’s a couple of exhaust vents which complete the circuit and extract stale air.

Most motorcycle crash helmets really struggle to keep the visor fog free in cold and damp conditions and the Caberg Levo is no different, whatever ventilation it manages to push onto the back of the visor.

Thankfully, there’s a Pinlock Max Vision included with the Levo which owners reckon is an essential fit to keep things clear in all but the most demanding situations.

As for the overall helmet venting, owners reckon it’s really effective with a ton of air venting over the helmet and keeping you cool in even the hottest weather. And of course, because it’s a modular, you can always push up your chin bar if you really need to get more air into the helmet. Just make sure you pull over first before you try!

Caberg-Levante-flow-modular-flip-up-motorbike-helmet — This one’s the Levo Flow. Visit our recommended retailers for more designs and latest prices

Visor & Sun Visor

The Caberg Levo comes with what Caberg call their double visor tech – that’s a main clear visor (with included Pinlock) and drop down sun visor to the rest of us.

The main visor works on a ratchet (four settings with a cracked open position) and features Caberg’s great quick release system for fast, toolless visor changes.

It’s also been designed with a very wide visor opening to maximise peripheral vision. That’s always welcome of course – the bigger the view, the better to ride with and safer it is to help catch hazards in your blind spot – and it’s a feature that’s highly rated by owners who say it gives a very wide view of the road.

We’ve seen in the past that a large visor aperture can compromise helmet safety by weakening the overall helmet structure. But as we’ve seen with the SHARP test results, Caberg’s done a good job to build a helmet that’s got a wide visor but scores well for safety too.

Caberg-Levo-gloss-white-modular-helmet-rear-view — Gloss white Levo showing micrometric fastener and rear exhaust vents

The sun visor is operated from a slider by the left visor pivot – that’s a convenient spot for the the sun visor switch that also keeps it mostly out of the airflow, reducing noise and affecting aero.

It also means there’s space at the bottom of the helmet to mount a bluetooth headset if you want (and if you’re a touring type, you probably do want).

Chin Guard

The chin guard on the Caberg Levo is operated by a single button in the middle of the guard.

A single button makes opening the chin guard easy, but it’s not always good for keeping the guard locked in place. Nolan helmets – the best for keeping their chin guards locked and closed during testing – use a two button method that’s still easy to use but works well with their sturdy latches and has kept all their modulars locked 100% of the time during testing (check here for our safest modular helmet reviews).

As we’ve seen, the Levo dropped a few points here, scoring 90%. That’s still way up there compared to many other helmet brands, but it’s still not 100%.

As mentioned in the safety section, the Levo is also dual homologated (or P/J homologated – same thing) meaning it’s been Euro tested and passed to work as giving protection in both full face and open face configurations. That’s always a good feature to see your new modular helmet.

Finally, a couple of owners mentioned that there’s not too much space behind the chin bar – so if you have a particularly big chin, you might want to wear it in the house for a few hours before you take the stickers and labels off and commit to buying it.

Caberg-Levante-matt-black-modular-motorbike-crash-helmet — Matt black Levo

Comfort & Sizing

The internals of the Caberg Levo are fully removable and washable, hypoallergenic and moisture wicking. There’s also glasses grooves in there to accommodate glasses stems and stop them pressing into the side of your head.

These glasses grooves work well though one owner we came across reckoned they have to put the helmet on first before pushing their glasses on which was a bit of a nuisance.

The shell of the Levo is produced in two shell sizes – with one shell covering sizes XS-M and the other sizes L-XXL.

The most expensive helmets these days are produced in more than two shell sizes so the helmet looks in better proportion when worn and, arguably, offers better protection during an accident. In fact, Bell are starting to make all their helmets in five shell sizes for just these reasons!

So for a helmet costing around £300 we’d have hoped for more shell sizes to cover fitment sizes available for the Levo.

Having said that, Levo owners universally say the helmet’s either comfy or really comfy. A couple reckon it can be a tightish squeeze at first until things loosen up, but the internal padding is soft and it’s generally a very comfortable lid. And even though modulars are a tad heavier than a similar full face, the Levo’s not too heavy (1.6Kg – 1.7Kg depending on size) and we didn’t come across anyone saying weight’s a problem. So overall, job done here.

Looks & Graphics

At the time of writing, the Levo is available in plain matt black and gloss white. There’s also a hi viz version and a couple of graphic versions – Prospect and Flow. And of course, the carbon version comes wearing its carbon weave unpainted and with pride.

To check out any deals or any more graphic designs and colourways that have been released recently, please so click the links below to our recommended retailers (where you can buy a Levo with confidence).

Best places to buy a Caberg Levo helmet?

Please click below to visit the Caberg Levo 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 stuff – communicators, weight, build quality, warranty

Because it’s a touring helmet, Caberg realise owners will bring lots of different 3rd party bluetooth systems along to try and fit in the Levo.

Caberg Levo gloss white modular helmet side view — Gloss white Levo with sun visor fully dropped and chin bar locked fully raised

So, Caberg have designed the Levo to work with their own Just Speak Evo headset as well as giving it large speaker pockets and plenty of space for a microphone so it should work with a variety of other kits.

Unfortunately, if you have any other Just Speak kit than the Evo, the word is that it won’t fit. But we came across owners of Packtalks, Senas and other brands who said they found their communicators went in without a problem.

The standard composite version of the Levo weighs 1.6Kg while the carbon comes in a 1.5Kg. Both those figures are light weight for a flip up helmet (the average weight for a flip up helmet is 1.68Kg) and there doesn’t seem to be any problem with neck ache.

Even though Caberg helmets tend to be cheaper than your premium helmets, plenty of owners reckon that the quality of materials and the fit and finish of the Levo is top notch – especially at this price.

Thing is, if it’s that well built, it’s a shame Caberg only back their helmets with a paltry one year warranty – same goes for any Caberg on sale at the moment. Come on Caberg, up your warranty coverage – lots of brands back their products with a 5 year warranty!

Overall/Summary

The Caberg Levo is a great package. It’s designed for touring riders who’re pretty demanding on features – looking for good bluetooth compatability, tons of comfort and decent ventilation. And, according to owners, it’s a helmet that works very well and ticks all the right boxes.

The Levo has a nice wide visor and Pinlock Max Vision anti-fog in the box too so unless you’re crossing the alps in February, your vision should stay clear all year round.

Caberg Levo flow high viz modular helmet front view — Levo Flow with high viz highlights

Plus, if you’re riding all day, comfort and weight are paramount. We didn’t come across anyone moaning about weight – though if you’re worried you can also go for the carbon version that shaves a few grams off the weight making it closer to 1.5Kg (depending on fitment size). In fact, the Levo is one of the lighter modular helmets around.

As for overall comfort, owners universally say the Levo’s great.

And the icing on the cake is that SHARP 4 star safety rating. OK, it dropped a mark for the chin bar becoming unlocked occasionally during testing, but it’s still a very good safety rating overall.

All in all, the Caberg Levo is a very competent, well built helmet with a great bunch of features at a sensible price. Highly rated.

Best places to buy a Caberg Levo?

Please click below to visit the Caberg Levo 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).

Alternatives to the Caberg Levo?

There’s lots of choice around if you’re looking for a new modular helmet. Here’s our pick of the bunch from helmets that have been launched, tried and tested (by SHARP and by owners).

First off, the Shark Evoline 3 retails for about the same as the Caberg. It’s a SHARP 5 star tested modular with sun visor – though it’s heavier than the Levo.

Shark also do the Evo-One 2 – that’s about the same price as the Evoline 3, is SHARP 4 star safety rated and comes with a Pinlock Max Vision anti-fog in the box. Both these Sharks are thermoplastic helmets, so not quite as high-tech as the Caberg.

So too is the Caberg Duke II – an excellent performing modular that’s SHARP 5 star safety rated and comes in around half the price of the Levo (that’s gotta be worth a look!)

Owners also like the AGV Compact ST – SHARP 4 star safety rated, costs a chunk of money less than the Levo and has a sun visor. It’s a bit heavier than the Levo though.

On the flip side, the Shoei Neotec II is a wodge pricier than the AGV, but for the money you get a great quality fibreglass flip-up that’s SHARP 4 star safety rated, has a wide visor and is a great all rounder helmet. Its chin bar didn’t score as well as the Levo in safety testing though.

For more options, check out our top 10 modular motorbike helmets list or our safest flip-up helmets page.

Definitely want a Caberg?

Here you'll find all our Caberg crash helmet reviews and previews including full face, flip-up and open face helmets.

Shoei X-SPR Pro FIM Homologated racing motorcycle helmet.

Page Contents

Shoei launch their latest top of the range racing helmet: the Shoei X-SPR Pro.

Shoei’s X-Spirit III racing helmet has been around since 2016. In that time, it’s been pretty much on the top of the pile with the likes of Mark Marquez and John McGuinness wearing it and feeding back into Shoei’s development cycle.

All of that development work is now paying off in the form of the new Shoei X-SPR Pro (it’ll be called the X-Fifteen in the US) that’s a direct replacement for the X-Spirit III and will be featuring on MotoGP and other racing grids around the world in the very near future.

Which means, if you’re after a new top of the range lid for your sportsbike or to take onto the track, the Shoei X-Spr Pro is going to be very much of interest.

So here’s all the info you’re gonna need…

Full face track helmet
Uses Shoei’s AIM+ composite fibre tech
FIM Homologated
ECE 22.06 certified
2D racing visor with tear offs
Pinlock antifog insert ready (Pinlock included)
Fully adjustable comfort liner
EQRS
Double-D ring strap
Expect to pay £699-£750

Best places to buy a Shoei X-SPR Pro?

Please click below to visit the Shoei X-SPR Pro 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).

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

The Shoei X-SPR Pro uses a shell made from Shoei’s AIM+ composite fibre construction.

AIM+ is essentially a technique for layering up 5 layers of fibreglass with other ‘organic fibres’ to produce a tough shell that’s effective at absorbing shocks while maintaining the shell’s integrity.

It’s the same helmet construction that was used on the outgoing X-Spirit III and RYD helmets – and both of those scored top marks when tested by SHARP.

shoei x-spr-pro racing motorcycle helmet front view — Top view of the matt black X-SPR Pro showing 3 top vent sliders.

AIM+ helmets don’t always score top marks – the old NXR only managed 4 stars – but we’d totally expect the Shoei X-SPR Pro to get the maximum five stars when SHARP test it.

And of course, because it’s a racing helmet that’s going to be used by oodles of pro racers, it now has to be approved by the FIM and needs to have their homologation label slapped on it. All sizes from XS-XL have now been FIM approved which means they’ve all been thoroughly tested by the FIM’s testing labs.

And the final icing on the certification cake is that it also conforms to the latest European ECE 22.06 standards.

All of which means, the Shoei X-SPR Pro is gonna give you excellent protection. End of.

Of course, there’s more to helmet safety than just the shell and impact protection. And again, the Shoei X-SPR Pro should pretty well offer most of what you need.

The visor has a plethora of locks to stop it coming off during an impact (see visor section below) and it comes with a Pinlock’s finest antifog insert in the box.

The helmet’s held on to your head using a tried and tested double-d ring strap which are safe as houses if you do them up right. And there’s an EQRS quick release interior to make it easier to get your helmet off after an accident.

shoei x-spr-pro racing motorcycle helmet side view gloss white — Plain gloss white Shoei X-SPR Pro

And finally, the Shoei X-SPR Pro is made in four shell sizes. That’s a good number and it means you’re not going to be wearing a helmet shell that’s miles too big or too small and means the helmet you buy will be optimised for you in terms of fit, comfort and safety.

Of course, for this considerable outlay and from a brand like Shoei, you’d totally expect an optimised helmet – that’s a given. But you’re also getting heaps of Shoei helmet know-how along with a racing helmet that’s been developed and honed for over a decade on the track.

All of which means, you can expect it to give you the right levels of protection whether on a circuit or on the roads.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

Track helmets aren’t really known for being quiet – and the word is that the Shoei X-SPR Pro is no different.

The issue is that racers are atheletes and they don’t half work up a sweat when they’re racing. So ventilation is paramount. And where there’s a ton of ventilation holes and wind getting inside the helmet – like there is on the Shoei X-SPR Pro – there’s also going to be a load of noise getting in.

Of course, we all experience noise differently and some owners might find it’s a nice quiet lid whereas others won’t. And if you bung in some good quality ear plugs you’re pretty well guaranteed to find the X-SPR Pro absolutely fine in terms of noise levels when you’re riding.

But if noise is one of your most important buying criteria, you might want to give the Shoei X-SPR Pro a miss and check out one of these quietest helmets.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

Because it’s a racing helmet, Shoei has designed-in a stack of air vents for the Shoei X-SPR Pro.

That’s four forehead vents, operated by 3 independent sliders, and a pair of chin bar vents operated by a couple more sliders.

shoei x-spr-pro racing motorcycle helmet ventilation system — Shoei’s ventilation diagram

Up top, the vents are pretty conventional in that air’s channelled through the forehead vents, through holes in the helmet shell and into air channels inside the multidensity polystyrene liner.

In the chin bar, the top slider opens up to take air onto the back of the visor for demisting while the bottom slider directs air to each side of the chin bar to take air through holes in the cheek pads and ventilate the sides of your face.

That seems like it should all do the trick and let plenty of air into the helmet to keep you cool on track.

And while having several independent ventilation sliders can be a bit of a pain to adjust, it does mean you can tailor the ventilation to your exact needs, as well as shut them all off when it’s cold or rainy.

Visor

(more about visors)

Like all racing helmets, the Shoei X-SPR Pro has a 2D visor. That’s a visor that’s essentially made from a flat sheet of polycarbonate to make it suitable to fit tear offs.

But it also makes for good optics and is a perfect surface to make a nice tight watertight seal against the elements as well as an excellent surface to bond with the included Pinlock 120 (called a Pinlock Evo for Shoei helmets for some reason).

A couple of useful links…

– All our Shoei helmet reviews –
– Every Track helmet we’ve looked at –

The visor works on a ratchet with 5 positions and it’s a quick release visor too, allowing for simple and quick visor swaps.

It also comes with a plethora of different visor lock options.

First up is the regular visor lock; close the visor and it snaps locked so you have to push the central button below the visor to open it up again.

shoei x-spr-pro racing motorcycle helmet side view gloss black — Only gloss black, gloss white and matt black are available at time of launch

But there’s also a sliding visor lock next to that for when you really really want to make sure that visor isn’t gonna come unlocked (it also doubles as a way to stop the visor totally closing if you want a bit of extra ventilation up front).

That secondary lock is more for racing – as are the twin locks by the visor hinges. See those small red switches? They’re there to lock the visor quick release mechanism in place which, together with the other visor locks, should go a long way to stopping the visor springing off if you have an accident.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

The Shoei X-SPR Pro is made in four different helmet shell sizes with fitment sizes from XS-XXL (XS-S, M, L, XL-XXL). That’s a good number of different shell sizes – good because it means each shell is a slightly different size and wil contain optimised EPS liner and comfort liner inside to make the helmet look the right size for your body size as well as having a more optimum fit.

Shoei advertises the internals of the X-SPR Pro as being an adjustable modular interior with a ‘pocket system’ for individual adjustment.

In essence, this means the comfort liner can be adjusted in several ways so you can make it a more customised/comfortable fit. All the parts of the comfort liner are also replaceable and can be removed for washing.

matt black shoei x-spr-pro racing helmet rear view — Rear vierw showing aero and spoiler details. Red tabs on the bottom signify EQRS is fitted.

The cheek pads also have a couple of mounting positions – both standard and racing position – to make the helmet sit further up on your face for when you’re in a more extreme tuck position.

And the ‘Pocket’ part of the system means that most parts of the liner have pockets in them so you can slot in extra foam to pad them out more and tailor the fit.

All in all, not only is the comfort liner high quality and comfortable to the touch (like all Shoeis) but it really allows you to tailor the fit to make sure you get it bang on.

It’s also got emergency quick release cheek pads (EQRS) – a must in a trackable helmet. And it’s designed to accommodate a hydration pack tube near your mouth for when your track days get REALLY serious!

And, OK it’s a track helmet, but we all like to stick bluetooth kit into our lids these days, right? The good news is that Shoei has added nice large speaker pockets in the X-SPR Pro.

To access them, there’s a removable foam bung on either side that you pull out.

Looks & Graphics

The design of the Shoei X-SPR Pro doesn’t look a million miles away from the old X-Spirit III. Which I guess isn’t too surprising as its design is very much a matter of form over function; meaning that the form of these track helmets is derived from the aero and racing needs it’s designed to fulfil.

On its launch it’s only available in plain colours – gloss white and black or matt black. Though that’s bound to be followed up with the inevitable Marquez replica (and others) soon after. To find these latest colourways and designs, please click our retailer links below which will drop you straight onto their X-SPR Pro helmets page.

Best places to buy a Shoei X-SPR Pro?

Please click below to visit the Shoei X-SPR Pro 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).

Shoei X-SPR Pro Video

Here’s a quick 3m vid from the guys at Bike Stop looking over a gloss white X-SPR Pro.

Other stuff – weight, chin curtain, warranty

Surprisingly, the X-SPR Pro ain’t that light, weighing in at a distinctly average 1.45Kg. There’s plenty of lighter weight sportsbike helmets out there if you’re wanting a really featherweight lid.

To find them, drop onto our Smartish Filters page (it lets you choose the features that really matter to you) – choose track helmets and lightweight. Or Click Here instead 🙂

The Shoei X-SPR Pro does pack in a full set of breath guard and choice between a more aerodynamic chin spoiler or regular chin curtain too – which is nice. They’re all removable.

And it’s got Shoei’s excellent 5 year warranty (or 7 years from manufacturing date).

Overall/Summary

Shoei has a long history of making high performing, high quality track helmets, and the Shoei X-SPR Pro looks set to continue the tradition.

It’s FIM approved for track racing as well as being ECE 22.06 certified so it should offer outstanding protection. And Shoei have worked alongside pro racers – including Marc Marquez – to make a helmet that really works on a sportsbike, in a racing position and with amazing aero.

It should work well on the road too and with useful features such as speaker pockets and Pinlock antifog, it should be easy to live with.

All in all, it’s a premium helmet at a premium price. But if you want a high performing helmet and outstanding protection, then the Shoei X-SPR Pro offers it in abundance.

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Good Alternatives to the Shoei X-SPR Pro

Shoei-X-Spirit-III-X-fourteen-motorcycle-crash-helmet-assail-tc-10 — Shoei X-Spirit III

I guess the best alternative to the X-SPR Pro is going to be Shoei’s own X Spirit III which is a fantastic SHARP 5 star rated track helmet that’ll be discounted pretty quickly.

The other top contender for a premium racing helmet is the Arai RX7V which comes in regular, Pro and FIM versions.

Arai RX-7V Race FIM certified racing helmet black — Arai RX-7V

Other than that, check out our sportsbike helmets, track helmets or FIM homologated helmets pages for tons more options.

Best places to buy a Shoei X-SPR Pro?

Please click below to visit the Shoei X-SPR Pro 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 RPHA 1: FIM certified pro racing track helmet for the road.

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HJC RPHA 1: Now you can buy HJC’s FIM homologated MotoGP racing helmet.

HJC have been sponsoring riders in Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP for…well…ever.

And just a quick squiz over their website shows a horde of riders wearing HJC lids in all major competitions around the world.

hjc rpha 1 red bull austin sportsbike helmet rear view — Rear of the Red Bull Austin GP HJC RPHA 1 helmet

So they should know a thing or two about making helmets that protect well.

OK, that’s not always shown in the ratings that helmet testing gurus SHARP gives HJC helmets when they get their hands on them (at the time of writing they score an average of 3.3 stars out of a maximum 5 across all their tested helmets).

But you just know when they put their minds to it, HJC know how to make a fantastically protective helmet. And of course it helps focus the mind when they absolutely have to pass FIM testing before their riders are allowed to wear their HJC helmets on the grid in MotoGP!

Well, now HJC has got an entire range of RPHA 1 helmets FIM approved which means you can now buy their FIM certified RPHA 1 helmet for the road.

HJC actually has 3 different versions of the RPHA 1 helmet FIM certified: the RPHA 1, RPHA 01R, RPHA 1N and RPHA 1 GP. And it’s the RPHA 1 and RPHA 1N that’s been certified in all sizes from XXS-XXL.

So if you buy an HJC RPHA 1 (Europe) or RPHA 1N (US) you’ll be getting more or less the same lid as worn by your MotoGP idol. Which is kinda cool.

And that means you’ll be getting a helmet that’s been designed to offer exceptional aero on the track as well as great all round vision and performance if you’re on a sportsbike (or any bike for that matter) on the road.

Click to find all the FIM certified track helmets we’ve covered, or read on to find out all about the latest HJC RPHA 1 helmet.

Sportsbike/track full face helmet
Composite fibre construction
4 Shell sizes
Pinlock/tear off visor
Pinlock included
1.5Kg weight (size medium)
EQRS cheek pads
5 year warranty
Sizes XXS-XXL
Expect to pay £700-£750

Best places to buy an HJC RPHA 1?

Please click below to visit the HJC RPHA 1 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).

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

According to SHARP test data, HJCs aren’t always the best protecting helmets. Across all their tested helmets, they score just over 3 stars out of 5 for safety with all their most recent helmets hovering around that 3 or 4 star mark.

Having said that, the RPHA 1 isn’t a regular helmet for HJC. It uses their PIM+ shell – that stands for Premium Integrated Matrix and is a development of HJCs PIM tech that’s been around with HJC for a while.

hjc rpha pol espargaro replice FIM homologated helmet top view — Top down view of the Pol Espargaro replica RPHA 1. Notice 3 large air intakes above the visor.

The HJC RPHA 1 conforms to the latest ECE 22.06 safety standard (and DOT in the US). The PIM+ shell has a 6 laminate construction which includes layers of a carbon/glass fibre hybrid material and carbon fibre (sorry, HJC don’t publish any more information that that).

The helmet shell’s backed by a multi-density shock absorbing liner, all of which you’d kinda expect from a top flight track helmet at this price point.

Before a helmet can be used in international motorcycle racing these days, it has to be tested and homologated by the FIM – and at the time of writing they’ve certified four versions of the RPHA 1. That’s the RPHA 1 (as sold in the UK and Europe) the RPHA 1N (as sold in North America) along with an RPHA 1 GP and a RPHA 01R.

What the difference is between these variants, it’s difficult to say as they all look pretty much the same. Except to say that it’s only the RPHA1 and RPHA1N that have been homologated in all sizes from XXS-XXL so I guess these have been homologated with a view to retail sales.

So, given it’s passed the FIM’s stringent range of tests, we’d very much expect the shell to do its job if you ended up hitting the deck.

Of course you want to keep out of trouble in the first place. Features that’ll help that happen in the RPHA 1 are: the visor’s nice and wide to give good all-round vision. There’s a Pinlock in the box to stop fogging. Like all race-bred helmets, it’s secured using a double-d ring fastener. And there’s EQRS cheek pads in there to help get the helmet off more easily should you have a spill.

So, it’s got all the key features in there to stop the helmet contributing to a crash in the first place, and for giving you good head protection if you do end up off the bike.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

If you’re looking for a quiet helmet, you should probably stay away from a track helmet.

hjc rpha 1 motorcycle helmet senin yellow side view — Senin graphic HJC RPHA 1.

Track helmet designers tend to prioritise stuff like light weight, lots of ventilation and good aero rather than focusing on having enough padding to keep things quiet.

It’s true that these things aren’t always mutually exclusive of course. Make a helmet that’s slippery through the air and it’s going to reduce the amount of noise that it generates too.

And it seems that HJC have done just that with the HJC RPHA 1 with Champion Helmets scoring it as the 2nd quietest of the latest generation of track helmets (after the Scorpion Exo R1 Air).

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

The HJC RPHA 1 has what HJC calls advanced channeling ventilation system or ACS. It’s nothing too radical, simply HJC’s fancy name for a system that takes air into the helmet, circulates it around the head using channels in the polystyrene liner and exhausts it out the back of the helmet.

However, in the RPHA 1’s case, HJC has put a larger number of vents in the helmet than they typically do.

hjc rpha 1 motorcycle helmet senin red top view — You can just about see all 5 inlets at the front and one of the rear exhausts on this Senin graphic RPHA 1

In the chin bar, there’s both a bottom slider to let air in towards the mouth (and venting to both sides of the chin), as well as a top slider that directs it onto the back of the visor.

On the forehead, there’s a couple of large vent sliders – left and right – which hide a couple of inlets each. There’s also a smaller central vent with slider.

These upper vents circulate air around the helmet and there’s a couple of large exhausts on the top of the helmet and underneath the rear spoiler to let warm and moist air out of the back.

This venting is coupled with HJC’s Silvercool comfort liner that’s designed to wick moisture away from the head. And given pro racers have a proper workout at some very hot circuits, we expect the ventilation system on the RPHA 1 should be up to the job of keeping airflow going through the helmet and keeping us cool on our sunday blasts around the moors.

Visor

(more about visors)

The visor on the HJC RPHA 1 is what’s called a 2D visor – the same type that you’ll find on all serious track helmets. It’s called that because it’s basically cut from a sheet of polycarb and then wrapped around the front of the helmet, rather than being moulded and shaped.

That way, you can fit a tear off visor to it; and usefully, it helps with seating a Pinlock on there too.

The HJC RPHA 1 comes with both in the box. So if you’re a track monkey, you can have a dabble with tear offs. And stick on the Pinlock, and you should be able to solve more or less all your fogging issues.

A couple of useful links…

– All our FIM helmets reviews –
– Safest helmets you can buy –

Note, all the photos of the RPHA 1 show it with a dark visor. I guess marketing bods at helmet companies reckon it makes their helmets look meaner and more purposeful. But it’s a bit misleading because every helmet ever sold comes with a clear visor – including the RPHA 1 (though the occasional lid is sold with an extra tinted visor in the box).

OK, onto the details of the visor.

hjc rpha 1 track helmet arenas replica rear view — This one’s the Arenas replica

It’s a quick release, toolless change visor, meaning you can remove it for cleaning or replacement really easily and without tools.

The visor covers a wide aperture to give you excellent peripheral vision and HJC reckons they’ve pushed the Pinlock pins back a bit to keep them nicely out of your vision too.

There’s also a visor lock on there so you can make sure the visor stays tightly closed for all 21 laps (or when you’re surfing the gravel nose-first!). Putting on a visor lock means that you’re gonna have to push up on the lock each time you want to open your locked visor though.

It also means that they’ve had to put the opening tab on the left hand side which can be a bit of a pain when you’re sitting at the lights with the clutch in and want to open your visor (you’ll have to reach around with your right hand).

Finally, even with the clear visor on your RPHA 1, HJC say it’ll cut out 99% of UV, which is obviously great for protecting your long-term vision (all polycarb visors cut out at least 95% but still… it’s good to know the RPHA 1’s nearer 100%).

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

The RPHA 1 is manufactured in 4 different shell sizes (read here why that’s a good thing) and comes in fitment sizes of XXS-XXL. Size XXS is a pretty rare fitment so that’s gonna make someone’s day!

And unusually for an FIM homologated helmet, all sizes have been certified. Usually a helmet brand will only get the sizes their sponsored riders need tested for homologation, so HJC’s gone a big step further with the RPHA 1.

hjc rpha 1 track helmet arenas replica top view — Same helmet (Arenas) but top view.

Inside the helmet, you’ll find a high quality Silvercool interior.

HJC liners are usually called Supercool – given they wick away moisture, therefore keeping your head cool. There’s precious little info out there about their Silvercool liners other than they’re moisture wicking and antibacterial.

But quite a few manufacturers (such as Bell and LS2) have helmet liners that contain strands of silver fabric in them because silver’s an excellent antibacterial, so I’m guessing that’s what Silvercool is.

There’s also speaker pockets inside (becoming more common in track helmets) and glasses grooves – so if you’re looking for a helmet that’s going to work for your glasses, you should be sorted with the RPHA 1.

The liner’s fully removeable and washable and it’s also fitted with EQRS cheekpads – that’s a bit of a must if you’re taking your helmet on a track day I’d say.

Looks & Graphics

At the time of writing, there aren’t too many graphic options around – so you might wanna click through to our recommended retailers using the links below to find any new graphics that have been launched in the meantime.

For plains, there’s a matt black and gloss white. For graphics, there’s the Senin (available in red/black, yellow/black and blue/white) and the rest are race reps: a Pol Espargaro, a Red Bull Austin and the RPHA 1 Arenas (he’s a Moto3 rider if you’re not familiar).

Best places to buy an HJC RPHA 1 helmet?

Please click below to visit the HJC RPHA 1 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 RPHA 1 Video

Here’s a reasonable 14m look around the Red Bull Austin RPHA 1 from Champion Helmets.

Other stuff – weight, chin curtain, warranty

Even though the HJC RPHA 1 is made from some fancy composite materials including carbon fibre, it’s still not massively light. It weighs around 1.5Kg in the medium shell so there’s plenty of other sportsbike helmets that are lighter weight.

If you buy an RPHA 1, it’ll come with the full compliment of breath guard and chin curtain in the box (along with the tear offs and Pinlock insert).

And it’s backed with HJC’s longest warranty; that’s a 5 year warranty from date of purchase or 7 years from manufacturing date (whichever comes first).

Overall/Summary

The HJC RPHA 1 looks to cover everything you’ll need from a serious track helmet.

The only real downside is that it’s not super light which some of its competition are (Scorpion Exo R1 Air or the AGV Pista GP RR for example).

hjc rpha 1 senin blue white graphic motogp helmet side view — Blue/white version of the RPHA 1 Senin graphic.

Other than that, it’s a wind-tunnel designed out and out track helmet. It has a wide 2D racing visor with tear-off and Pinlock pegs (both tear offs and Pinlock are included in the box), and it has a super laminate complex composite construction that has helped it pass FIM testing making it fully racetrack-ready.

And it’s been developed in conjunction with HJC’s team of sponsored riders, which includes the likes of Pol Espargaro, Sam Lowes, Garett Gerloff (WSBK) and Tony Elias (Motoamerica). Which is really no bad thing!

And because it’s an HJC – who specialise in more affordable helmets – that means it’s available at a slightly lower price than most FIM helmets.

All of which means, if you’re looking for a helmet that really works on sportsbikes and on the track – and you quite fancy wearing the same helmet as pro MotoGP riders – then you might want to check out the HJC RPHA 1 (preferably using our retailer links 🙂 )

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Good Alternatives to the HJC RPHA 1?

OK, you might want to check out our sportsbike helmet reviews, or track helmet reviews if you’re looking for a helmet that’ll work going fast and tucked in. Or maybe our sports touring helmet reviews if you’re after something a little less extreme.

Or of course, there’s always our Top 10 Sportsbike/Track helmets page.

Shoei-X-Spirit-III-X-fourteen-motorcycle-crash-helmet-White-rear-view — Shoei X-Spirit III

But if you want a chosen selection:

The Shoei X-Sprit III is a proven top-flight helmet. As worn by Marc Marquez and scores of other riders, it’s an amazing track helmet and because it’s been around for a few years now, can be found for less than the RPHA 1.

Another top track lid is the Arai RX-7V, as worn by Johnny Rea in WSBK. It’s not the lightest but its FIM certified, Snell Certified and SHARP 5 star rated so you know it’s gonna give you excellent protection!

caberg drift evo Speedster motorbike helmet black red white side view — Caberg Drift Evo

Finally, at the other end of the price spectrum, the Caberg Evo Drift is FIM (size XS) and SHARP 4 star rated. It’s miles cheaper than the above helmets and even has a drop down sun visor.

Best places to buy an HJC RPHA 1?

Please click below to visit the HJC RPHA 1 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 F70: Review of HJC’s SHARP 4 star rated fibreglass sports touring full face helmet.

Page Contents

HJC F70: HJC’s fibreglass sports touring full face helmet review.

The HJC F70 is designed to be a great all-rounder sports touring helmet.

It’s got a fibreglass shell – chosen to improve strength (see safety section) and slightly reduce weight over their usual polycarbonate shelled helmets. It’s also been given a slightly wider, Pinlock ready visor, with Pinlock included in the box, along with a drop down sun visor.

hjc-f70-solid-white-motorcycle-crash-helmet-side-view — Plain gloss white HJC F70

Unusually though, HJC has forgone the usual quick release visor and replaced it with an old style visor held on by a screw each side.

But on the plus side, not only is it a great looking helmet, but they’ve also added bluetooth integration in there in the form of HJC’s own Smart Intercom systems (developed by Sena).

So, the HJC F70 looks to be a mixed bag of the old and the new.

If you’re interested in finding out more, we’ve pulled together every possible nugget of information from around the web to help you make your most informed decision when buying your next helmet.

And we’ve added a few recommended alternatives at the bottom of the page too.

Fibreglass full face helmet
Sports touring oriented
SHARP 4 star safety rated
Pinlock visor (Pinlock included)
Drop down sun visor
Double d-ring fastener
Integrated comms unit ready
2 shell sizes
Fitment sizes XS-XXL
Expect to pay £200-£280 (£370 carbon)

Best places to buy an HJC F70?

Please click below to visit the HJC F70 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).

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

In terms of safety features, the HJC F70 looks to be reasonably basic.

hjc f70 gloss black full face helmet rear view — Rear view of a gloss black F70

If you dig deeply enough into HJC’s bumf – and scour the web enough – it turns out there’s a slightly wider visor on the F70 to help with improved all-round vision and awareness.

And they’ve also used a tried-and-tested double-d ring strap to keep it safely fastened. They’re strong and safe fasteners – a bit more fiddly than micrometric straps if you’re new to helmet buying – but they do the job well and have been around for decades.

But that’s about it – other than the all-important helmet shell.

It’s a fibreglass shell – or Advanced Fibreglass Composite as HJC call it. If you know anything about helmets, you’ll know fibreglass has been used for aeons to construct strong and reasonably light weight helmets.

HJC makes the shell of the F70 in just two shell sizes (the smaller shell for sizes XS-M and lager shell covering L-XXL) – which is a bit poor these days.

HJC F70 SHARP helmet test results — Courtesy of sharp.dft.gov.uk HJC F70 8.5 m/s Impact test results.

For a mid-priced helmet like the F70, you’d expect three or more shells to be produced as they help optimise fit, looks and safety a little better (read about helmet shell sizes).

And weighing in around 1.55Kg (3.4lbs) it’s a smidge heavier than the average fibreglass helmet.

That shouldn’t cause any weight problems when you’re wearing it. Just that lighter helmets have an edge in managing energy absorption during an impact.

OK, onto safety stats.

So far, the independent helmet testing bods at SHARP have tested 8 fibreglass HJC helmets. All of those helmets scored either 3 or 4 stars (out of 5) for safety (average score of 3.25).

hjc f70 feron fluo yellow motorcycle crash helmet side view — This one’s the HJC F70 in Feron graphics

They’re OK scores overall, but not amazing.

The good news is that when SHARP tested the F70 at the end of 2021, it scored a solid four stars for safety (out of five), meaning we reckon you can put a good amount of faith in the F70’s protection levels.

And, of course, if you’re buying an F70 in UK/Europe, it’ll be ECE tested and certified too (DOT certified in US) so you know it’s been through (and passed) the ECE’s testing regime too.

But it’s always nice to be wearing a helmet that’s independently shown to offer outstanding protection.

If you want to see some other helmets that scored four or five stars in SHARP tests – take a look at our Safest motorbike helmets pages.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

It’s always difficult to advise whether a helmet is noisy or quiet. That’s because it’s always dependent on a multitude of factors: how fast you ride, how good your hearing is, whether you’re behind a screen, how quiet your last helmet was – the list goes on and on.

We do sometimes come across helmets that are universally praised as quiet – and you’ll find these on our quietest helmets pages.

But with the HJC F70, we really did find opinions across the board – all the way from whisper quiet to noisy as hell.

So, it’s really going to be a question of sucking and seeing if you buy an F70. And fingers crossed you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

For ventilation, the F70 uses what HJC calls ACS or its Advanced Channeling system.

Essentially, that’s similar to systems you’ll find in most other helmet brands – where air is taken in through the helmet shell and directed towards the head using venting channels moulded into the EPS (expanded polystyrene) shock absorbing liner.

hjc f70 mago black hi viz full face helmet top view — F70 in Mago black/fluo yellow showing top vents

In the case of the F70, that involves a couple of crown vents – both covered by sliders – which direct the air through the shell and into a pair of front-back channels inside.

They then route air through to the rear exhaust vents located in that fancy moulding to the rear of the shell.

In the chin bar, there’s actually a pair of separate vents in there too.

The bottom vent is a slider and directs air around the chin and around the side of the jaw. The upper vent is opened/closed using a tipping panel to direct air onto the rear of the visor to help with demisting.

From our research, we’ve found quite a few owners commenting that venting’s good on the F70, with practically no one complaining about it except in terms of visor fogging. But that can happen with every helmet in poor conditions of course – and fitting the Pinlock should stop most of that.

Visor

(more about visors)

Unusually, HJC has opted to make the F70 without a quick-release, toolless visor. Instead, you need a cross head screwdriver to remove a single screw either side to pull off the visor.

It’s no great hardship to remove, just a bit fiddly and means you have to go hunting for a screwdriver if you want to swap the visor out which might be a pain if you’re on the road.

It’s more baffling than anything, because it’s the first time in years we’ve seen a road helmet launched without a quick-change visor.

A couple of useful links…

– Quietest helmets on the market –
– Great helmets for glasses wearers –

On the plus side though, the F70’s delivered with a Pinlock antifog in the box (Europe only), which means you won’t be troubled by a fogging visor.

Also, it has an opening tab on the bottom of the visor at either side which is good, meaning you can easily open the visor with either hand. That’s something most helmet makers don’t bother adding but can come in really handy on the road.

The visor itself works on a (soft) ratchet and HJC quote that it protects from 95% of UV rays.

That’s nice to know – though because visors are made from polycarbonate, it’s an inherent property of all visors on all helmets.

Finally, HJC has widened the visor and sun visor on the F70 for improved peripheral vision. That’s always worth having on a helmet as it’s better for safety and makes for a slightly more involved ride.

And it’s an improvement many F70 owners appreciate as we found several owners commenting that it’s got an excellent and wide field of view.

Sun Visor

(more about sun visors)

Like the main visor, the sun visor is also slightly wider than normal. And HJC quotes 99% UV protection.

If you’ve been reading any marketing blurb on the F70, you’ll have read that HJC has a patented One Touch sun visor mechanism that makes dropping and raising the sun visor super easy.

Turns out that when you drop the sun visor using the slider on the bottom left edge of the helmet, that One Touch system is just a slight detent on the slider mechanism. So when you pull the slider back to drop the sun visor down, there’s a slight bit of resistance you have to overcome – before the sun visor easily slides down.

Same for returning the sun visor back up – with that slider resistance ensuring the sun visor doesn’t drop down on its own.

And it seems to work well, because like the great field of view of the main visor, from the number of positive comments we came across, the sun visor seems to be one of the best liked features of the HJC F70.

Note: the F70 comes with a really large removable breath guard built in. The sun visor drops down to meet the breath guard so, if you remove it, you’re going to have a large area of bright light coming underneath the sun visor. That’s something quite a few riders find a real pain.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

The HJC F70 has a medium oval internal fit. In general that means it should be suitable for most riders’ head shape.

hjc f70 mago orange red crash helmet side view — Another Mago F70, this time in black and red

It uses HJC’s Multicool interior which is a nice liner that’s very comfortable and pretty good for wicking sweat away. It’s antibac too and it’s fully removable and washable.

Quite few owners have commented that the cheek pads in the F70 can be pretty tight when you first get the helmet. This is something you’ll find in many HJC helmets. If you buy an HJC and it squeezes your cheeks lots, don’t be alarmed: they do tend to wear in quickly and get comfortable.

And if they do stay too tight, you can buy thinner replacement cheek pads from HJC to tailor the fit better.

Inside the helmet, there’s a pair of deep speaker pockets (with cutouts to take the wiring) and there’s also a couple of glasses grooves in each side too, so it should be comfortable wearing the helmet with glasses.

Finally, the fastening strap has plenty of padding on it and there’s a popper to secure the end and stop if flapping around when you’re riding.

Looks & Graphics

The HJC F70 is definitely a nicely designed helmet and with its streamlined fighter pilot inspired looks, most owners reckon it looks pretty cool.

Having said that, one or two owners also said that it was a bit bulkier than they expected in the flesh – I guess it looks a little more compact in pictures than it might do when you pull it out of the box?

hjc f70 plain stone grey crash helmet side view — Plain stone grey F70. This one shows up the sun visor slider on the bottom edge

HJC seems to agree as the range of graphics are fairly minimal, letting the form of the helmet speak for itself rather than smothering it in decals.

As well as the usual gloss/matt blacks, pearl white and stone grey solid colours, at the time of writing there’s just the Feron and Mago graphics around – each in a number of different colourways.

There is also to be a nice matt blue and new graphic called the Samos on the way though. When they’re available, you should be able to find those and any others that have been recently launched by clicking through to our recommended retailers below.

Best places to buy an HJC F70?

Please click below to visit the HJC F70 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 F70 Video

Here’s a detailed 11m look around the F70 from Chapmoto.

Other stuff – audio, chin curtain, warranty

The HJC F70 will fit most 3rd party bluetooth headsets. It has been designed to integrate with HJC’s own Smart Intercom system – either the 10B or 20B (developed in conjunction with Sena).

In fact, on paper it looks to be one of the best integrations yet with internal pockets for speakers, microphone and hollowed out sections for the wiring to snap into place.

The F70 comes with both a chin curtain and breath guard. That rubber breath guard is one of the biggest we’ve seen and should really help with visor demisting. It’s easily removable too.

Finally, the F70 comes with a decent 3 year guarantee (or 5 years from date of manufacture – whichever’s soonest).

Overall/Summary

The HJC F70 is a well liked all-rounder sports touring helmet.

hjc f70 mago orange black motorbike helmet side view — Striking black and orange Mago F70

It’s got most of the features you’re probably looking for in a touring helmet – namely nice wide visor with Pinlock, a drop down sun visor and good bluetooth headset integration.

And because it’s been independently safety tested by SHARP and given a 4 star rating, we know it’ll offer good levels of protection if you throw yourself down the road. That’s always good to know.

With its tried and tested venting system and comfort liner, a useful (and well liked) drop down sun visor, and its attractive price point (like most HJCs) the F70 should be a trustworthy helmet that’s a comfortable and a great value buy.

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Good Alternatives to the HJC F70?

There’s a stack of full face helmets out there that have been reviewed, highly rated and safety tested. Here’s a small selection we reckon you should look at – though you might also want to check out our top 10 full face helmets list too.

https://billyscrashhelmets.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/shoei-RF-SR-or-Ryd-blue-side-view.jpg — Shoei RYD in blue

First up, the Shoei RYD. It’s a SHARP 5 star safety rated full face with EQRS that’s comfy, has great build quality and ventilation.

scorpion exo 1400 air torque red motorcycle helmet side view — Torque Red Scorpion 1400 Air

Or how about Scorpion Exo’s top flight sports touring helmet, the 1400 Air. It might be their top helmet but it’s only a smidge more expensive than the F70 and it’s got a sun visor, EQRS and it’s SHARP 4 star rated.

arai-qv-pro-full-face-crash-helmet-black-frost-black — Frost black Arai QV-Pro

If you’ve got a bit more bunce and want a top brand, Arai’s QV Pro is a SHARP 5 star sports touring helmet with Pinlock that’s ideal for slightly longer oval head shapes. It’s more money than the F70 though.

shark-skwal-2-flynn-motorbike-helmet-front-view — Skwal 2 Flynn

For slightly less than the HJC, you can have the SHARP 4 star rated Shark Skwal 2. Pinlock included, sun visor, 5 year warranty – and it’s got fancy built-in LEDs if that sort of thing floats your boat.

Other full face helmets?

We've got lots of other ways you can find your ideal full face helmet. You can check out our Top 10 full-face crash helmets list to see our best rated helmets or head over to our Smartish Filters pages and zoom in on helmets with your 'must have' features. You can browse through all our full face crash helmet reviews as well as our safest motorcycle helmets page where you'll only find helmets that are SHARP four or five star rated - so you'll know you're wearing the best protection out there. Finally, check out our helmet gallery to find a lid that takes your fancy.

How can we improve our site?

We’d love your feedback on what we could do better. Please give us your thoughts here.

Best places to buy an HJC F70?

Please click below to visit the HJC F70 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).

Star Ratings

LS2 Subverter Evo review: a great value mega-venting motocross helmet.

Page Contents

LS2 Subverter off road dirt motorcycle helmet review.

The LS2 Subrverter Evo is LS2’s top-line dirt/motocross helmet. Which is not to say it’s an expensive helmet, because it’s not. LS2 are known for their affordable helmets and the Suberter’s no exception.

ls2 Subverter Evo Cargo blue fluo orange ece helmet rear view — Rear view of the Subverter Evo Cargo helmet

That means it’s got a thermoplastic shell and it’s maybe built to a lower budget than some other dirt helmets.

So, it’s lower priced but is it still worth the money? I mean a bucket’s lower priced too, but you wouldn’t want to put it on your head and ride!

Read on to find what the LS2 Subverter offers and what owners think of their helmet – great things and not so great things alike.

Thermoplastic Motocross Helmet
Double D ring fastener
3 Shell sizes
Fitment sizes XS-XXXL
Longer oval fitment
Expect to pay £110-£140

Best places to buy an LS2 Subverter?

Please click below to visit the LS2 Subverter 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).

European v American Subverter Evo

OK the first thing to say about the LS2 Subverter is that it’s very much a different helmet depending on where you live. The US Subverter Evo is heavier, has crumple zones, AREM internals and comes with a 5 year warranty. The UK/Eu version, well, doesn’t.

So, if you live in North America, check out the review on our US site because that’ll be much more relevant to you.

Or read on to hear more about the UK/European Subverter Evo.

Overall/Summary

If you’re looking for a no nonsense motocross helmet that vents properly well and can be bought for just over a ton, then you’ve probably found it.

ls2 MX700 Subverter 76 motocross helmet top view — From the top – the LS2 Subverter Evo in 76 graphics

LS2’s don’t typically offer best-in-class protection (as far as SHARP testing data’s concerned anyway) and the UK Subverter Evo’s lacking some of the protection features of the DOT helmet for some odd reason.

Still, the UK Subverter Evo comes wiht EQRS cheek pads, a useful and well designed peak – and with that wide goggles hole, meaning it should fit more or less every model of goggle out there.

It’s known for being comfortable too and it’s reasonably light weight – though with all those vent holes it’s noisy too.

But if you’re after a great value and very well venting motocross helmet, then definitely take a look at the LS2 Subverter Evo.

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

The LS2 Subverter is a thermoplastic shelled helmet. LS2 calls their plastic shells KPA or Kinetic Polymer Alloy which sounds more like marketing speak to me, tho it’s hard to tell.

ls2 MX700 Subverter 76 motocross helmet side view — The 76 graphic LS2 Subeverter EVO from the back.

Having said that, there’s nothing wrong with a plastic shelled helmets as there are several that score 5 stars in the SHARP helmet safety tests. So we know they can be great, protective helmets – just that LS2 doesn’t seem to give much away to prove their helmets protect.

It’s good to see that they make their Subverter Evo helmet in 3 shell sizes though – that’s great for optimising safety, fit, looks and comfort. And 3 shell sizes is a good number for what is a pretty cheap helmet.

And it comes with EQRS quick release cheek pads (essential in a dirt helmet we’d argue) and there’s a multidensity shock absorbing liner in there too – that’s great to see as well.

They use a good old fashioned double-d ring fastener to keep it on your head, which is fine if a bit fiddly.

And if you’re worried about riding in a helmet with a peak – because they look like they could cause trouble if you hit the deck – well that peak is hyper flexible so it should ‘give’ and snap if you take a spill rather than dig in and cause problems.

solid gloss white ls2 subverter Evo top down view — Solid white Subverter Evo.

Other than that, we know it’s ECE certified in Europe and has DOT certification too. But that’s about it… other than to look at past SHARP tests.

On that front, LS2 has a mixed bag of ratings for their plastic helmets.

They can score as high as four stars (out of five) but they also score as low as two stars. And over time, their average star rating for all their thermoplastic and polycarbonate helmets is just over 3 star rating.

So i guess that’s around the level of protection we’d expect the Subverter Evo to offer if SHARP were to test it (if they ever do, we’ll add the results here).

It is interesting to note that the LS2 Subverter sold in North America has one other important safety feature compared to the UK/Eu helmet: AREM.

We’re seeing a move towards helmets with slip-plane protective liners inside – such as MIPS. These are designed to give the helmet a degree of independent movement to try and limit rotational forces being passed through to riders under impact.

ls2 MX700 Subverter cargo matte military green side view — This one’s the Cargo graphics Subverter Evo

They seem to be a great move for safety – though, interestingly, we’ve yet to see independent test data to support the fact that they will in fact improve protection and limit injuries.

But in the US, their LS2 Subverter Evo has an Advanced Rotational Energy Management or AREM – liner, together with what LS2 are billing as ‘crumple zones’ in the liner.

Could be wrong, but the latter seems to be nothing more than some bright spark thinking ‘hey, we’ve got ventilation channels cut in the liner, let’s call them crumple zones too’.

As for the AREM system – if LS2 thinks it’s worth putting in their US Subverter Evo helmets, it’d be nice to see it protecting UK/European heads too, dontyathink?

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

I guess a large proportion of motocross riders either wear ear plugs in their helmets or don’t really give a s**t about noise suppression because – hey, you’re on a noisy dirt bike, what does noise matter?

But if you are bothered about your motocross helmet being quiet you should probably look elsewhere because from all the views we found on the subject, it seems the LS2 Subverter Evo is widely regarded as a noisy helmet.

Which is kinda obvious because there’s so many damn holes in there to let air in – and guess what? It lets a ton of noise in too.

Check our quietest helmets page if riding in silence is your thing.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

One thing serious motocross riders do need is a good venting helmet. Standing up is tiring at the best of times (personally, I try and avoid it as much as I can!), so jumping around on a dirt bike covered in clobber is really going to make you get a sweat on, right?

solid gloss white ls2 subverter Evo rear view — Gloss white version shows up the masses of ventilation panels nicely.

LS2 obviously knows this (they sponsor Supercross and Dakar riders) so they’ve literally smothered the Subverter Evo in vent holes.

So, not only have you got that gaping big hole that you’ll probably fill with goggles and face, but there’s plenty of venting in the chin bar as well as vent holes running over the crown and around the back of the helmet.

Those vents are married to holes in the shell to let air through. And even though there’s not really equivalently massive holes in the comfort liner to let that air through, according to Subverter Evo owners, the venting’s excellent.

Even riding in the heat of summer, you can really feel that cooling air flowing around the helmet – so much so that more than a couple of owners who use their Subverters on dusty tracks reckon you can get quite a bit of that dust onto your hair.

So, if you’re after a well venting motocross helmet, then you’ve certainly found it.

Peak and goggles

ls2 MX700 Subverter Gammax side view — That’s a massive space for goggles. LS2 Subverter in Gammax graphics.

The peak on the Subverter Evo seems to be pretty well designed. It’s adjustable and there’s notches in the adjustment to ensure it stays put.

Like most motocross helmets these days, LS2’s put some thought into the aero of that peak too and put some holes in there to reduce lifting. That seems to work OK but a couple of riders reckoned it does compromise its ability to block out the sun quite a bit.

A couple of useful links…

– Adventure bike helmets –
– Every motocross helmet we’ve looked at –

What’s universally liked is the space for goggles in the Subverter. It’s a massive space. And we found quite a few riders commenting on a whole range of Scott, Oakley, 100% and Leatt goggles that fit in there without a problem.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

In the UK, the LS2 Subverter’s advertised as longer oval fitment helmet (in the US it’s described as a medium oval though lots of owners reckon it’s longer than your typical medium oval helmet).

And there’s quite a few owners reckoning that it sizes a bit small – so if you’re between sizes or unsure, it’s probably worth opting for a size up.

solid matte black ls2 subverter Evo below view — Matt black version. Note exhaust vents around the bottom neck roll too.

The liner inside the Subverter Evo’s removable, washable and hypoallergenic.

And overall, the Subverter’s widely regarded as a very comfortable helmet, so no problems there.

A few owners commented that the chin bar looks huge on the outside, but on the inside it actually fits quite close to your mouth. So, if you’re looking to fit a microphone or have a particularly jutty-out jaw, you might struggle a bit.

Of course, it’s a motocross helmet so if you do some proper offroading, then you’ll probably want to rip out the liner and wash it from time to time. Which is all well and good… except a few owners we found were really moaning about how difficult/impossible it was to get the liner back in afterwards.

So be warned – disassemble carefully, wash gently, and take note of how it goes back in (or maybe just leave it in there and smell a bit!).

Looks & Graphics

As you can probably see from some of the helmets scattered up and down the page, LS2 hasn’t really gone for shy and retiring graphics on the outside. Thankfully they have one the inside (some pre-Evo Subverter helmets were criticised for having light colour internals which seemed to be designed to pick up show every bit of muck you rode on!).

ls2 Subverter Evo Rascal ECE helmet side view — LS2 Subverter Evo in Rascal design.

If you’re after a plain colour Subverter, you can get a plain white and matt black. If you’re after a graphic, they tend to be around £20 more and there’s Rascal, Stomp, Arched, Astro, Gammax and Cargo graphics to choose from.

And they’re just the designs available at the time of writing. LS2 just can’t help themselves making more and more graphics available, so to see the latest, please click the links below that’ll drop you straight onto their Subverter Evo helmets pages (if we’ve done it right!)

Best places to buy an LS2 Subverter?

Please click below to visit the LS2 Subverter 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).

LS2 Suberter Evo Video

Here’s an 8m look around the US Subverter Evo. It’s pretty much the same as the UK spec ECE helmet – just go and make a cuppa when he starts talking about the crumple zones and AREM because we don’t get that in UK Subverters.

Other stuff – weight, build quality, warranty

The ECE LS2 Subverter Evo weighs in around 1.35Kg which is a very decent and manageable weight.

solid matte black ls2 subverter Evo rear view — Rear view of the Subverter Evo.

Onto quality; the subverter’s a lower cost motocross helmet. So, as long as you’re not expecting hand-built levels of quality, it’s pretty well put together, with a few owners commenting that for the price, it’s hard to beat.

Another difference between the UK and the US Subverter Evo is that the UK helmet comes with LS2’s 2 year warranty. Which I guess is about par for the course from a more budget maker. And would be kinda OK – if we didn’t know that in the US, it comes with a 5 year warranty!

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Good Alternatives to the LS2 Subverter Evo?

If you’re looking for a new motocross helmet, please check out our motocross helmet reviews pages. Or maybe take a look at one of these beauties…

The Shoei VFX-WR is a well regarded motocross helmet. It’s got Shoei’s version of rotation protection, it’s got a composite fibre shell and is one of the highest regarded dirt helmets out there. It’s not cheap though.

bell-moto-9-crash-helmet-yellow-camo-side-view — Bell Moto-9

Bell’s Moto9 comes in non Flex and Flex versions (Flex is Bell’s own rotation protection system). Both helmets are composite fibre helmets and are well rated for ventilation and comfort.

For around a similar price to the Subverter is Airoh’s Twist. It’s lighter weight too.

Best places to buy an LS2 Subverter?

Please click below to visit the LS2 Subverter 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).

Bell Moto-10 (UK) Review: Amazing ventilation. Mips Liner. Great Helmet.

Best places to buy a Bell Moto-10?

Overall/Summary

Safety

Helmet Noise

Ventilation

A couple of useful links…

Peak & Goggles

Comfort and Sizing

Looks & Graphics

Best places to buy a Bell Moto-10 Helmet?

Bell Moto-10 Video

Other stuff – Bluetooth, build quality, warranty

Bluetooth and Comms

Quality/Warranty

Good Alternatives to the Bell Moto-10?

Best places to buy a Bell Moto-10?

Star Ratings

About Bogotto Helmets

Looking for a new helmet? Check out our Motorbike Helmet Top 10s

Best place to buy a Bogotto Helmet?

So, should I buy a Bogotto Helmet?

Safest Helmet Links

Review of the Shoei NXR2 sports touring SHARP 5 Star motorcycle helmet.

Best places to buy a Shoei NXR 2?

Overall/Summary

Safety

Helmet Noise

Ventilation

A couple of useful links…

Visor

Comfort and Sizing

Looks & Graphics

Best places to buy a Shoei NXR 2 helmet?

Shoei NXR2 Video

Other stuff – audio, glasses, aero, buffeting, chin curtain, warranty

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

Good Alternatives to the Shoei NXR 2?

Other full face helmets?

Best places to buy a Shoei NXR 2?

Star Ratings

Nolan N21: great value open face helmet with sun visor.

Best places to buy a Nolan N21?

Overall/Summary

Safety

Helmet Noise

Ventilation

Visor

A couple of useful links…

Sun Visor

Comfort and Sizing

Looks & Graphics

Best places to buy a Nolan N21 helmet?

Nolan N21 Visor Video

Other stuff – fasteners, bluetooth, build quality, warranty

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

Good Alternatives to the Nolan N21?

Best places to buy a Nolan N21?

Star Ratings

Nolan N100-5 and N100-5 Plus flip up modular motorcycle helmet review.

First up though – N100-5 or N100-5 Plus?

Best places to buy a Nolan N100-5/Plus?

Safety

Helmet Noise

Ventilation

Visor

A couple of links you might find useful…

Sun Visor

Chin Guard

Comfort and Sizing

Looks & Graphics

Best places to buy a Nolan N100-5/Plus helmet?

Nolan N100-5 Video

Other stuff – fasteners, audio, weight, build quality, warranty

Overall/Summary

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

Good Alternatives to the Nolan N100-5?

Other ways to find the Best Modular Helmet

Best places to buy a Nolan N100-5?

Caberg’s composite/carbon touring flip-up motorcycle helmet: the Caberg Levo.

Looking for a new helmet? Check out our
Motorbike Helmet Top 10s