Hello
Newb here. I am currently shopping for a helmet and some basic gear before I have my MSF class in a few months.
I’ve been to a few local shops and tried on a ton of helmets. I’ve found three helmets in my budget range that seem to fit acceptably (please see below). These particular helmets are actually pretty inexpensive, but they were the only helmets that were at all comfortable that didn’t cost over $400. Apparently, I’ve got a relatively long and narrow head.
I’m having trouble deciding which helmet to go with and could use some advice. Thanks in advance for any help and for all the great info on this site.
1- SparX s-07 http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/sparx/s-07/
Pros
– Feels comfortable on head
– Feels the most secure (even without chin strap I could barely get it to budge when I tried roll it off from behind)
– Has vents in the visor. I would imagine this helps with fogging
– I like some of the graphic patterns
Cons
– The chin strap hits at an little bit of an awkward spot on my throat/chin (this isn’t bad if I loosen it a little bit)
-Some of the vents don’t close.
2- HJC CS-R1 http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/hjc/cs-r1/
Pros
– most comfortable
– some nice, bright patterns/colors
Cons
– the very low cost makes me concerned about quality control
– seems to have very minimal venting
3- GMAX GS68S http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/gmax/gm68s/
Pros
– Lots of controllable vents
– has a built in wind blocker at the chin
– rear LEDs for making myself seen at night/in fog
Cons
– least comfortable of the three (but still comfortable after walking around the store for about 20-25 minutes)
– it feels like the helmet doesn’t cover my jaw as much as the other two (but looks similar in a mirror)
– not too crazy about graphics/colors (not to the point that they turn me off, though)
.
.