I Finally Replaced My Stank-Ass Street Helmet
I finally broke down and replaced my manky street helmet. After riding in the outer bands of a hurricane during the Void Rally last October, it never smelled quite right again. As a matter of fact, the clearcoat was destroyed and the graphics peeled away. I’ve never seen that before. The poor thing desperately needed to be retired.
This time around I opted to give a modular helmet a try.
Being able to flip up the chin bar to have a drink, get a little air or communicate effectively without having to subject the public at large to my hellacious helmet head seemed like a novel idea. So, I went for it.
My first new-lid test ride took me past the Riverhead Raceway muffler man Chief Running Fair. He’s still looking good after falling victim to Hurricane Sandy and having to be reassembled.
Have you tried a modular helmet?
I am on my 4th modular helmet. I had a Gen 1 Schuberth, which was noisy and rattled when the chin bar was up, but it was oh so trick. I then got a Bieffe, which was an incremental improvement. It was still noisy, but had an easier to use latch and better peripheral vision. Next was a Schuberth C5 which I bought in Germany before they were available here. It was quieter, but the replacement shields were hella expensive. My current modular helmet is a Nolan N104. I was wearing it in Jan of 2016 when I struck and killed a deer. According to the marks the bike and I left on the road, we slid 40+ feet. The face shield was destroyed, and the chin bar received a minor scrape. The chin bar remained closed, and the mechanism continues to function as it should. After a thorough examination of the helmet by the dealer who sold me the Nolan, I bought a new face shield and continue to use it almost daily. It’s my head, my life, my decision. Bob.
Cant beat modular. Fuel stops are so much easier. And rally running is also better with modular. There is, however, a trade off which wind noise. My bell standard full face is super silent. My shoei is noisy (I think it’s very noisy but I don’t have anything to compare it to) so with the modular, I added ear plugs. Fair trade on long rides.
Yeah, I think this is going to be nice. I’m so late to this party.
I never ever ride without earplugs. I would lose my mind! The wind noise at 85 with this helmet seemed to be even with the last Shark I was wearing.
First modular was an HJC. Replaced it with a Nolan N104. Much quieter. For winter, I use a SkiDoo Modular3 with a heated shield.
I absolutely love your use of “stank-ass”, that phrase is spanktacular!
I’ve been using a modular for two years now and love it. In addition to all the usual benefits, it comes in handy as a sun visor at lower speeds. It sounds like I need to look at the Nolan.
😀 glad I could be of service! 😀
This Shark Evoline 3 has an internal sunshade, which was one of the reasons I picked it. I can’t believe I waited so long to get onboard with that feature. This helmet’s whole chin bar rotates to the back of the helmet and can lock in place as a 3/4 helmet if that’s your cuppa.
Mine has an internal sunshade too. I was thinking more of those times when I drop down out of the mountains and need to ride due west into the setting sun to reach the homestead. In my truck, I drop the visor down and peek under it. On the bike I pull the chin bar up and use it as a visor. Not the safest configuration in a crash but at least I can see the kamikaze Escalade headed my way.
Your new lid on the other hand is DOT approved with the chin bar all the way back, which is cool. I also love the mezcal, sugar-skull graphics. Unfortunately it does not come in a size that will fit my giant candy-apple head.
This post has me looking at new helmets and as a desert rider the massive air flow of the LS2 FF324 Metro looks interesting. The Scorpion EXO AT-950 also looks nice but I can’t believe that visor would work at highway speeds. I guess you just install it once you hit the dirt.
Thanks for tempting me, Fuzz. It’s like you’re a dealer in an alley with a trench coat full of “lids”. 🙂
Modular helmets come right after top boxes in the aging process, I’m afraid for my future…
I hear you, P. But it’s alright 🙂 Whatever keeps us out there longer is a-okay.
You love your topbox now, don’t you, Mr. FJR?
Shoei Neotec owner for about 2 years. Absolutely love it. So convenient for getting a drink or a snack out of my tank bag. Easier to talk to people when stopped for fuel. I still have my Arai Corsair V but never wear it anymore.
Good choice! I switched from full-face to modular about five years ago and will never go back. The convenience of flipping it up to talk or eat is wonderful. Great pic of you and the Chief.
Glad you got one with an internal sunshade. That’s also a wonderful convenience. First had it in my Schuberth (Gen1), then all later helmets (Shoei Multitec and two Shoei Neotecs).
Huge modular fan, and I’ve had a bunch of them. HJC, Shoei, now Schuberth with sunshade and will never go back!
I find cheap modulars awful, but I haven’t tried a quality one like yours yet. Keep us posted!
Only helmets I have owned (granted, there have only been two) have been modular, both Scorpion. They’re heavier but I like the convenience. I feel claustrophobic in a full-face.
I landed on a different type of modular – the multi format helmets from Nolan (N40 N43 N44) with detachable chin bar and extended screens that are closest to a Jet helmet I guess but not the same. When I switched back initially to my Shark RSR2 I had large blind spots either side as the Nolan design afforded a huge panorama field of view. Then one day I removed the Nolan chin bar because I had a head cold on tour and wanted to use tissues easy thus discovering the unlimited forward view then on offer up down and side to side. Like a couple of other things in life, once experienced there is no going back even if it might not be what others think is best course of action.