Nolan N60-5 polycarbonate full face motorbike helmet review

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Nolan N60-5: entry-level full face helmet with tested protection.

Italian-based Nolan makes a pretty big range of helmets, and they’re all aimed towards the mid- to lower-end of the price range.

They leave it to their sister brand X-lite to hog all the glory of their higher-priced MotoGP-inspired racing helmets and the like, prefering to concentrate on helmets that are more accessible for those of us not wanting to shell out a month’s wages on a head protector.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t ride in a helmet inspired by the likes of Davies and Petrucci – or Stoner and Checa. Nolan’s entry level full face helmet, the N60-5, comes in a massive range of race replica colourways and it won’t cost an arm and a leg.

And now it’s been SHARP 4 star safety rated, maybe now you can have a helmet that gives great protection, doesn’t cost much and let’s you show support for some top racers all in one hit.

Nolan’s entry-level full face
Polycarbonate shell
Supplied with Pinlock antifog
Micrometric fastener
One shell size
Sizes XXS-XXL
Expect to pay £110-£160

Best places to buy a Nolan N60-5?

Please click below to drop straight onto the Nolan N60-5 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 n60-5 gemini replica 52 motorbike helmet front view — One of the Casey Stoner relica N60-5s available.

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

To be honest, it was fairly predictable that the Nolan N60-5 was going to score 4/5 stars in the SHARP helmet safety test.

Why? Well, of all the 12 Nolan polycarbonate helmets that’ve been tested by SHARP over the years, every single one has scored 4 stars. Thats whether it’s a modular helmet or a full face… 4 stars every time!

Which is obviously a fantastic and consistent performance and means you can pretty well trust in a Nolan, whichever helmet you buy.

Unfortunately, the polycarbonate Nolan N60-5 is only available in one shell size, which arguably isn’t that great for fitment, looks or safety.

Nolan N60-5 SHARP test graphic — 8.5m/s impact test results for Nolan N60.5 courtesy of Sharp.dft.gov.uk

But what it does have is a Pinlock-ready visor and it’s shipped with a Pinlock in the box, so you should have clear, unfogged forward vision in pretty well every adverse condition.

It’s strapped to your bonce with a micrometric fastener which are dead easy to use and, as long as you keep them adjusted at the strap (not just at the ratchet strip), they’re safe as houses.

Overall then, despite being a lower price helmet, Nolan have produced a helmet that should offer very good protection and has all the most important aspects of helmet safety covered. Result.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

There’s a single chin vent that directs air towards the mouth/face area and back of the visor. It can be shut off using the large slider planel which is mega glove-friendly.

nolan n60-5 special motorbike helmet in gloss white side view — Gloss white version of the Nolan N60.5 and clearly showing arrangement of the vents

So too are those forehead vents which slide back to let air through the helmet shell and circulate around the helmet via ventilation channels in the shock absorbing polystyrene lining.

It all exits the helmet through a small rear spoiler that contains an exhaust vent.

It’s a system that Nolan calls its Air Booster Technology but it’s more or less the same system you get in loads of helmets.

But Nolan ventilation systems are usually OK so we’d expect it to do its job.

If you’re after a helmet that’s proven to offer great ventilation, you might want to check out our best venting helmets pages.

Visor

(more about visors)

There’s a decent quick release visor on the N60-5, opened by a single, central tab at the bottom of the visor which means you can easily open the visor with either hand.

That’s particularly useful if you do a lot of stop-start urban riding where you might want to open your visor with your throttle hand, not just your clutch hand.

But it’s that Pinlock antifog insert that’s included in the box which is the main talking point.

Pinlocks are positioned on the back of your main visor between the two pins, and have a moisture absorbing plastic layer that prevents condensation building up on the back of the visor, keeping it fog free.

A couple of useful links…

– All our Nolan helmet reviews –
– Our safest helmets section –

They’re one of the best ways to prevent misting and if you live somewhere cool and damp (like most of the UK) or ride on days that are other than dry and sunny, they’re a must.

nolan n60-5 classic matt black crash helmet side view — Classic matt black N60-5

Nolan uses an adjustable locking pin on their visors which you can alter to increase or decrease tension on the Pinlock. They reckon by doing this you can make the gap between Pinlock and visor larger and increase the anti-fog properties.

I’ve not seen any research to show it works any better than regular Pinlocks – or that Pinlocks really need adjusting like this – but Nolan’s patented their adjustable pins so they seem convinced.

Like all visors, it’s made of polycarbonate and while Nolan doesn’t make any specific claims about the UV repelling properties of the visor on the N60-5, it should offer at least 95% UV protection, because that’s an inherent property of all polycarbonate visors.

The visor’s quick release so you can easily remove it for cleaning, and it uses a very simple push-button system. Open the visor and press a button either side and the visor pops off. Push the visor back on and close it and it’ll lock back in place. Great system that.

Overall then, it’s a good visor system with all the main must-have features covered.

Comfort and Internals

(more about helmet comfort)

Like the rest of the helmet, the interior of the N60-5 is relatively basic. But that’s not to say it doesn’t do its job well.

nolan n60-5 gemini melandri replica helmet rear view — Rear view of the shy and retiring Melandri replica

It’s all fully removable and washable and Nolan has made it so you can remove the foam in the cheek pads, presumably so you can fumigate them more thoroughly!

It’s all made with soft touch, moisture-wicking materials and there’s a pair of glasses grooves in there that’ll accommodate the stems of your glasses or shades.

So if you ride in glasses, that’s a great feature to look out for.

Other than that, it’s a functional but comfy liner.

Looks & Graphics

The range of colourways that’re available are one of the Nolan N60-5’s strong points.

Yep, you can go for a plain ole black, white, silver in gloss or matt. But, there’s also a Melandri, Petrruci, Davies, Stoner, Checa and Bastianini replica too.

To find what other graphics are on the market or to buy an N60-5, please click through to one of our recommended retailers below (they’re all checked out and highly rated for customer satisfaction so you’ll know you’re in good hands).

Best places to buy a Nolan N60-5 helmet?

Other stuff – weight, glasses, warranty

The N60-5 is a policarbonate shelled helmet, so don’t expect it to be the last word in lightness. But it is a relatively basic helmet too meaning Nolan’s managed to keep the weight down to just over 1.4Kg (3.2lbs) which is actually very good for a polycarb helmet.

nolan n60-5 gemini Bastianini replica motorbike helmet side view — Nolan N60-6 Bastianini replica

There’s a couple of glasses grooves in the comfort liner of the helmet so if you wear glasses, you should feel comfortable in the N60-5.

You get a 2 year warranty when you buy any Nolan helmet, extendible to 5 years if you register your helmet on the Nolan website within 10 days of purchase. The only downside is that the (long) form you’ve gotta fill in to extend the warranty is in Italian so you might need the help of Google Translate to do it!

Overall/Summary

If you’re after a low-priced do-it-all full face helmet from a respected brand, then the Nolan N60-5 may well be the ideal lid.

It’s got all the basics well covered. It’s SHARP 4 star safety rated (out of 5) so you know it’ll give good protection. And it’s got a decent visor system with Pinlock antifog to keep things clear in all weathers.

nolan n60-5 gemini replica 52 motorbike helmet rear view — Rear view of the Stoner replica showing rear exhaust vent and micrometric fastener

And if you’re a racing fan, you can get a replica graphic for little extra money, or you can go for a plain basic version and save yourself a few quid.

Either way, it’s a great value helmet that should serve you well whether you’re using it on your commute or week away overseas.

Good Alternatives to the Nolan N60-5?

Here’s a selection of full face helmets that have all been highly rated for safety – and that score well for all-round performance. We definitely recommend you take a look at some of these… or you can check out our safest motorbike helmets or all our full face helmet reviews.

The LS2 Arrow is a SHARP 4 star safety rated full face helmet aimed at sportsbike/track bike riders. It’s a bit pricier than the Nolan but it’s either fibreglass or carbon shelled, has an optically correct visor and is light weight. Good value too.

nolan n60-5 gemini Petrucci replica motorbike helmet side view — Petrucci replica Nolan N60-5

The HJC FG-ST is a great all-rounder helmet. It’s only a little more expensive than the N60.5 and it’s SHARP 5 star safety rated, comes with a Pinlock Max Vision in the box and has a drop down sun visor.

The Shark Ridill can be had for about the same money as the Nolan, it’s 5 star safety rated, comes with a Pinlock in the box, has a sun visor, and it’s backed by a 5 year warranty. It’s an excellent all rounder helmet and great value.

Finally, for something a little more up-market. The Shoei Ryd is a SHARP 5 star rated composite fibre helmet. It’s a great sports touring lid that’s made in 4 shell sizes to get the fit just right, and comes with EQRS and a Pinlock ready visor.