old - Fazer Owners Club - old
General => General => Topic started by: fazersharp on 22 March 2014, 08:32:38 pm
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So im in an ex hein gercik now aj buying some ear plugs, and he sees my old blue BS sticker and starts on about it is now past its use by date or words to that effect - polystyrene going brittle and stuff. It is now 12 years old and done only 10k miles its a HJC ZF-7. I kinda knew they should be replaced regardless but I like it and its still a good fit ive never dropped it and always looked after it. I do need a new dark visor and a new clear one so rather than spending 25 on those two I could put the dosh to a new one but do I really need to solely based on age, it is a fibreglass one. I tried on many and the best fit was another HJC - an IS -17 seems that the HJCs crash test dummy has the same head shape as me. What is the Focer wisdom on this please.
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Ok, this is just my view, my opinion, alright?!! :lol
I've been using the IS-17 for a few months now. Somewhere there is a write-up I did on it. I liked it at first. I got a good fit, it didn't seem too noisy (though not the best lid I've had in that regard), my first with a drop down sun visor - very handy it has been too. In the summer I thought the vents worked really well, allowing in plenty of cool air. It's double D ring, which is my preference. It comes with a pinlock insert (although others have not got one in the box - it should have one).
So I had been quite happy with it.
BUT: now I don't like it anymore and am thinking about replacing it with the HJC RPHA10 plus. Why have I gone off it? Cos no matter what I do, it directs a stream of air straight into my eyes. All the time. I've blocked up the vents with gaffer tape. I've placed a little gasket behind the visor catch (we were sent a video by one guy who swore this was where the air was coming from). With vents closed, visor adjusted and locked down, still this bloody annoying jet of air. And it's not minor. So the IS-17 will be going soon, maybe next week. The RPHA10 fits me even better, though a bit dearer. It doesn't have a drop down sun visor (the new ST version does, but the mechanism feels a bit cheap and the padding only seems to give me contact in a few places instead of being snug all round - it's also the same weight as the IS whereas the plus is a bit lighter), so I'll be investing in a dark visor, and will also find out if I can wear wire-rimmed shades with it.
So there you have it. Take it or leave it.
HTH :thumbup
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Nick Crisp that is a fantastic real- owner feed back I will google that jet of air. But I am a glasses wearer so i may be ok with it.
I like the sound of the vents working as I have alweays thought any mention of "cooling vents" was markiting speal. All of my riding is in dry weather and mostly nice and warm so good vents would be nice.
The sun visor I had a look through it and it seems to be a legal tint which is not worh having and so I would be replacing it straight away with a darker one.
Weight is not an issue for me as my one now is heavy and ime used to it
But what of the age question with my current helmet.
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I change my helmets every 4 or 5 years as a matter of course anyway. 5 years seems to be a consensus from most biking forums.
heres what snell have to say on the matter:
The five-year replacement recommendation is based on a consensus by both helmet manufacturers and the Snell Foundation. Glues, resins and other materials used in helmet production can affect liner materials. Hair oils, body fluids and cosmetics, as well as normal "wear and tear" all contribute to helmet degradation. Petroleum based products present in cleaners, paints, fuels and other commonly encountered materials may also degrade materials used in many helmets possibly degrading performance. Additionally, experience indicates there will be a noticeable improvement in the protective characteristic of helmets over a five-year period due to advances in materials, designs, production methods and the standards. Thus, the recommendation for five-year helmet replacement is a judgment call stemming from a prudent safety philosophy.
http://www.smf.org/helmetfaq#aWhyReplace (http://www.smf.org/helmetfaq#aWhyReplace)
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Hair oils, body fluids and cosmetics, as well as normal "wear and tear" all contribute to helmet degradation. Petroleum based products present in cleaners, paints, fuels and other commonly encountered materials may also degrade materials used in many helmets possibly degrading performance
You see I dont have a problem with any of that in that its not had much wear and tear - nothing touches it other that water, I dont wear cosmetics or have greasy hair and I dont "do" body fluids.
So other than the advances in tec and what and how much has the tec got better and how much tec is just marketing.
Its not the money issue so much as that I like my helmet as its got a lot of chrome that I have not seen anywhere else.
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its only a recommendation anyway mate, they are not saying if you dont change it in 5 years, it will be like wearing a watermelon on your head in a crash.
If your happy with that reasoning, then all is well. I use my helmet a fair bit and am not prepared to take the risk.
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I'm not sure that they do a full dark visor (and defo not a darker sun visor) for the IS fazersharp. I will check this for you on Monday. Yes, the sun visor is not as dark as a full tint, but better than nowt. The drop down on the new ST seems even less tinted. I used to use full dark tint visors on previous helmets (Shoei, Arai, Lazer) - looks like I'm going back to that.
It has just occurred to me that I have never used the IS without the breath guard - could be aggravating the air-jet problem. I'll try it without tomorrow and get back to you on this.
Good one Mick. Also, where the helmet sits on top of the crown of your head, the EPS can eventually start to compress a little so I am told, which may weaken the protection further eventually. But there is, as far as I know, no absolute definitive guide to these things (note that Mick's quote says "five-year replacement is a judgement call stemming from prudent safety philosophy" Arai were recommending 5-year replacement 15 or 20 years ago. Others recommended 3 year replacement. As long as it doesn't get silly abuse, I reckon you're alright at about 5 years with any helmet, and it will probably still give good protection beyond that.
Had a bit of fun with an old Box helmet on Friday. We removed the EPS, which was just a tight fit inside the outer shell (probably fibreglass) and not sticky-taped in as are some. "Will it break if you smash it on the floor?" was the question. First I did it on the chinbar, hard as I could. (Foc me, but it bounced well! :lol ). Just marked paint was the result. So tried it on the very top of the crown. Same thing - bounced up about 6 feet, and only a mark in the paint. And that's just a cheapo Box lid. Course, if the EPS had been in it, that may well have cracked. See what we do in the interests of scientific crash testing for you guys? :lol
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stick the EPS and a watermelon in it and try it again :lol
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Just marked paint was the result. So tried it on the very top of the crown. Same thing - bounced up about 6 feet, and only a mark in the paint. And that's just a cheapo Box lid.
But is it not so much that the protection question is not about the outer shell but more about the shock absorbs of the whole unit for which the inner will deteriorate over he outer layer
Whats EPS
And a reminder that me hat is 12 years old-- not much milage done but 12 years old
And I have been a-thinking- that I could cover the sun shield with some tint sticky back plastic like what idiots stick on their car windows to get it to a proper tint
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So other than the advances in tec and what and how much has the tec got better and how much tec is just marketing.
Remember Griffon Clubmans? Centurion polycarbonate lids? Helmets have definitely improved over the years! Not that anyone cared much about how good they were back then. You either wore one cos you thought it looked cool - and in retrospect, none of em did! - or after the helmet law came in, cos you had to.
The outer shells these days are made of composites that may include Kevlar, carbon etc. These materials are lighter and stronger than older helmets used. Most modern helmets have detachable, washable liners now, with plusher covering materials. Don't know about anything else, but the manufacturers would probably give a whole list if you asked - they'd have to, to justify today's prices!
As long as it is EC22 marked, it'll probably give a reasonable level of protection I would have thought.
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EPS is Expanded PolyStyrene Fazersharp :)
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As long as it is EC22 marked, it'll probably give a reasonable level of protection I would have thought.
Yehhhh that EC22 do dah - mine is BS but the EC22 just replaced it I dont know if it is any better, more likley its just a E-U harmoney thing EPS is Expanded PolyStyrene Fazersharp
Doh - of course
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My £55 duchinni has that annoying stream of air flow up and over one eye. extremely annoying. I would think twice about air vents when I get a new lid
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My £55 duchinni has that annoying stream of air flow up and over one eye. extremely annoying. I would think twice about air vents when I get a new lid
I think you'd be lucky to find any helmet totally without air vents these days? TBF, this is the only helmet I've had this particular problem with, but I know it's not just me with the IS-17.
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My £55 duchinni has that annoying stream of air flow up and over one eye. extremely annoying. I would think twice about air vents when I get a new lid
Not being funny, but if you spend £55 on a lid, it's going to have some cost cutting measures as compared to a more expensive lid?
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My £55 duchinni has that annoying stream of air flow up and over one eye. extremely annoying. I would think twice about air vents when I get a new lid
Not being funny, but if you spend £55 on a lid, it's going to have some cost cutting measures as compared to a more expensive lid?
Oh absolutely agree,
I mentioned it in relation to Nicks comment about his doing the same (Just didn't insert quote).
Now I'm wondering how much Nicks lid cost?
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The IS -17 is £139 in J&S -- ex hein gerick plain colour
My HJc never has had a air tight visor come to think of it. So far I dont think Nick Crisp 's comments have put me off. All that if left is dO I actually need to replace my current one on age alone.
Hmmm looking at the other helmet thread about SHARP testing the IS -17 has top marks http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/testsratings/hjc-17 (http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/testsratings/hjc-17)
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http://motocrossactionmag.com/Main/News/Motorcycle-Helmet-Maintenance-and-Replacement-5122.aspx (http://motocrossactionmag.com/Main/News/Motorcycle-Helmet-Maintenance-and-Replacement-5122.aspx)
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Thanks midden for that but im reading it and thinking none of that applies to me as its only ever had water to clean it and is still a good fit and not had much use.
What I am seeing here is kind of (not you lot ) wishy washy guidelines mainly from manufacturers, who want me to buy a new lid every 3 years. I suppoes that they do not want to get into issues that giving a set time would bring if one failed under that time.
I don't do fashion and I wonder how many people are swayed to by a new lid based on the latest design and using the 3-5 year manufactures guidelines as an excuse to get a new lid rather than any age/ safety related issue
nick crisp could you point me in the direction of your IS-17 review please
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Here it is fazersharp (sorry, don't know how to take just the specific quotes out of the thread to post in another section :rolleyes )
http://foc-u.co.uk/index.php/topic,8457.msg87555.html#msg87555 (http://foc-u.co.uk/index.php/topic,8457.msg87555.html#msg87555)
Funny thing today, I forgot to try removing the breath guard, and had no problems with that air stream thing. Most peculiar. Other days it has been almost unbearable.
Hope it's of some use.
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Thanks for that.
I think this will be the helmet I will get IF i am convinced that I need a new one.
I wanted it to be a "no brainer" - no pun intended. With a definate "oh my god 12 year old lid are you mad" kind of thing.
Recap
Cost me £120 12 years ago
Done 10k miles in it
Still fits good even when compared with trying on a new one
Only ever used water to clean
Never dropped
And I lke it
I need to spend £25 on new visors for it
What do I do
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Well, I wouldn't pay too much attention to the 3/5 year "rule" myself, if I knew that the helmet has been well looked after, not dropped or generally abused, and still fits nice and snug. But, 12 years? Hmmm, not sure, never managed to keep a helmet that long without crashing/dropping/abusing :lol
No one selling helmets is ever gonna tell you that a 12 year old helmet is ok. I think it just has to be your call :\
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Thanks for the replies so far but ive just noticed that I only have 3 opinions so I am bumping to see if I can get some more wisdom and thoughts perhaps
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I read in a bike magazine ride or bike that it was 10years or 30k miles , I bought my Shoei raid 11 for £250 in 2007 and have done 22k miles so far, I'm planning to replace it in 2016 , I also bought a box flip front with a sun visor for £100 but only use it for shorter trips as it gets uncomfortable.
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I read in a bike magazine ride or bike that it was 10years or 30k miles , I bought my Shoei raid 11 for £250 in 2007 and have done 22k miles so far, I'm planning to replace it in 2016 , I also bought a box flip front with a sun visor for £100 but only use it for shorter trips as it gets uncomfortable.
Hey esetest, I hope you can take that Box off without opening the chin bar, cos sooner or later you're gonna have to! ;)
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No I can't Nick :o , I wouldn't buy another one .
I read in a bike magazine ride or bike that it was 10years or 30k miles , I bought my Shoei raid 11 for £250 in 2007 and have done 22k miles so far, I'm planning to replace it in 2016 , I also bought a box flip front with a sun visor for £100 but only use it for shorter trips as it gets uncomfortable.
Hey esetest, I hope you can take that Box off without opening the chin bar, cos sooner or later you're gonna have to! ;)
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I have a shark s900 with built in sun visor and it came with pinlock.think i paid about 160 for it about two years ago now i think?its a great fit and still tight and is very quiet for me.has all removable linings and cheek pads.and no air stream at all.a very good lid IMO or ive just been very lucky.
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Was looking at the shark s900 myself at the weekend.£199 now so parhaps they have updated it......impressed with it, think I might treat myself :D
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i bought mine at the mcn show think they had them there again this year.
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I tried on a shark - dont know which one and was not a good fit for me, I did notice though that the flip down sun shield was a proper tint worth having and yet the HJC one was hardly a tint at all
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Quote from red98 Was looking at the shark s900 myself at the weekend.£199 now so parhaps they have updated it......impressed with it, think I might treat myself :D<br/>
Check out lids direct in the sale section £109.99
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Quote from red98 Was looking at the shark s900 myself at the weekend.£199 now so parhaps they have updated it......impressed with it, think I might treat myself :D <br/>
Check out lids direct in the sale section £109.99
ooooooooo,thanks for the heads up andy :thumbup
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Looked on lids and no cheeper than J&S for the IS-17.
a few things about vents, a HJC one has scroll wheels to adjust, I dond see any point - just open or closed is fine I dont think i will notice any difference between 50% 30%.
Also this IS - 17 im looking at how easy is the black clip on the front of the visor to undo with winter gloves on.
And the visor with pinlock ready seems to have a molded extra bit that is just going to obscure the outer edge and when riding with it slightly open im going to see and extra stupid line 1cm up from the bottom. I have no use for pinlock and would prefer a plain visor.
So im thinking if I could sell the supplied visor and buy a plain one.
Heres a picture
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Today I got myself an HJC RPHA10 Ancel, black/white/titanium. It was on show stock (so would have been destined for the BMF) because it had a cracked chin vent, and also is now obsolete, having been replaced by the RPHA10 Plus (but is a new, unused helmet, otherwise in perfect condition). The only differences are in the vents and the visor. So I replaced the chin vent (involves removing comfort liner and chin EPS, undo 3 screws and off comes the vent). I also replaced the old style visors with those from the 10 Plus, as they have an improved, single position pinlock insert and mount (clear and dark). I think the old RRP was about £330, paid £130 for this one :D
It's an even better fit than my IS-17, being the best crown fit I've ever had in any helmet, very snug but comfortable. The IS will be put away as a spare.
Actually, I didn't take note of the manufacturing date on the helmet while I had the liner out, but did examine the EPS which is all in perfect condition. Quite happy to use this helmet as a newly bought one.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/271365229073?hlpht=true&ops=true&viphx=1&lpid=95&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=95 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/271365229073?hlpht=true&ops=true&viphx=1&lpid=95&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=95)
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Not sure about the top vents on that one, the wheel, are you really going to be able to adjust it while going 50mph, open or closed fine but the wheel thing
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I think they'll be easy enough to use once I get used to their positioning. But I doubt that I'll be fiddling with the position - probably use fully open or fully closed. I think having 2 instead of a single vent is perhaps not the best idea in the world, but the rest of the spec makes up for that at the price I'm paying (I hope).
But it's like anything I suppose - we take certain risks with anything we choose, I'm just hoping that it all balances out for this to be a good lid. I haven't actually read any reviews that pan it for anything either, and I've read several, including having feedback from the various BSB teams that Oxford Products support, and my colleague who has done BSB helmet technician for various Oxford sponsored teams, including TAG Triumph, Buildbase and more, and also the California Superbike School, and continues to do so for this season.
In any event, I felt I needed to try something in preparation for my Euro tour this year, as I didn't want the problem I've been having with the IS-17 to spoil things. At least I've got plenty of time to check the RPHA out before then, and I'll post up my thoughts and experience with it once it's had a little use. :)
P.S. This is typical of the reviews I have read - ok, so it's biking press, maybe not entirely to be trusted, but I've also spoken with folks that have them, and they do seem to like them.
http://www.twowheel.co.uk/news/hjc-rpha-10-helmet-range-review-awesome-looking-lightweight-comfortable-probably-the-best-helmet-aroundme-looking-lightweight-probably-the-best-out-there-at/ (http://www.twowheel.co.uk/news/hjc-rpha-10-helmet-range-review-awesome-looking-lightweight-comfortable-probably-the-best-helmet-aroundme-looking-lightweight-probably-the-best-out-there-at/)
And another review:
http://ultimatemotorcycling.com/hjc-rpha-10-motorcycle-helmet-review/ (http://ultimatemotorcycling.com/hjc-rpha-10-motorcycle-helmet-review/)
I had a similar problem with the visor being a little stiff to lift from closed on the ratchet system when I first tried it at work. In this, I'm lucky about where I work, as I was able to choose replacement base plates and visors from a few that we had on show stock, and adjust to perfection. This has been a problem with some of the first generation RPHAs in the past - combined with lifting the visor by the central catch has caused cracking around this catch. Using base plates and visors from the RPHA10 Plus has resolved this I think. We'll see.
I have also found one review that says that the helmet didn't rate too highly in the SHARP tests; read that here:
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/mcn/products/productsresults/helmets/2011/may/may1711-hjc-rpha-10-helmet/ (http://www.motorcyclenews.com/mcn/products/productsresults/helmets/2011/may/may1711-hjc-rpha-10-helmet/)
But it does have minimum legal EC22 of course. My thoughts on this? Well, a little disappointing perhaps, but can't say I'm overly concerned either. I'll leave that to the individual to decide :\
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It appears I have a European head as Arias/Shoeis just do not fit me
Used AGV X VENTs in their various guises for years and have never had any complaints.When they were discontinued moved to the Airtech which is now my commuting lid and for that its fine.It just wasn't as comfortable on long European trips as X vent and the demisting vents are crap ( not a prob on a 6 mile commute )
My long distance lid is a Shark S900. Its done 8 European trips now , its light and all day comfortable, no probs with misting and the drop down visor is actually dark enough to be usable ( have a mirror visor for the main one too ) , plus its the FOST model which glows in the dark , cools a fuck in tunnels and lightrs up the tent a restful blue during the night
The one thing some folk may not like is the ratchet fastening , I have no issues with it but it probably isn't to everyones taste
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That shark S900 keeps getting a mention, im sure I tried one on and wasnt as good fit as the IS -17 om my small stupid head, I may have to re- visit it.
That ratchet visor, how does it work. Mine now i can ride with it at any position which is perfect with a strip of black tape on the bottom edge so I can psoition it perfectly to block low sun. And then in the summer I can ride with it 2 inch open and get in lots of air and still keep the bugs out.
As i understand it those ratchet ones only have 3 positions, shut - 1cm open and fully open and anything else will just be pushed shut,
Also those catches look inpossible to operate in winter gloves
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The RPHA has 4 ratchet positions + fully closed, all with a very positive feel, so I think that will be plenty. 1st position is, oh, about 1/2 inch or perhaps a little more. If you pull it all the way closed without actually locking it on the catch, it just leaves a very narrow gap each side of the catch, which might also be useful. Lock the catch and it should seal fully.
Gonna go for a spin later, so I'll post my first impressions of use after. (Will be wearing thick winter gloves).
Actually, the visor catch is the same as the IS-17 one.
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So when in each of those 4 positions can you ride without the wind blowing shut, im thinking I only do this up to about 50 mabe - not all the time but somtimes i like it, its a bit eairer for me as I wear glasses also.
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Thanks midden for that but im reading it and thinking none of that applies to me as its only ever had water to clean it and is still a good fit and not had much use.
What I am seeing here is kind of (not you lot ) wishy washy guidelines mainly from manufacturers, who want me to buy a new lid every 3 years. I suppoes that they do not want to get into issues that giving a set time would bring if one failed under that time.
I don't do fashion and I wonder how many people are swayed to by a new lid based on the latest design and using the 3-5 year manufactures guidelines as an excuse to get a new lid rather than any age/ safety related issue
nick crisp could you point me in the direction of your IS-17 review please
I think I read it different to you.
It suggests to me (quite clearly in fact) you don't need to change your lid. Obviously don't hold me accountable, but I wouldn't change mine either.
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Ok, so did about 120 miles with the RPHA today. Very quiet helmet. With the visor closed all I could really hear was a little wind noise, nothing very intrusive. The visor ratchet system works very well. The wind didn't blow it shut at all on this ride, but most of the time I had it in the closed but not locked position, as this was enough to prevent misting, even without the pinlock insert fitted. With it locked down, it did mist considerably though. No jets of air into my eyes! But felt air flow around the forehead with the visor on first open position or more, so I reckon that'll be good in the summer.
The top vent wheels I found very easy to operate with thick winter gloves on - when I could find them! :lol That'll just take a bit of getting used to I'm sure though, before I can put my hand straight to them.
Very comfortable, no movement at high speeds, sealed out wind, snow (!!) and rain completely.
But the biggest revelation is how it made me realise how much wind buffeting I had been subject to with the IS-17. The IS-17 replaced the cheap Box helmet I bought just to get me started again when I bought the bike last June. Of course the IS was that much better again. But the RPHA is in a whole different league from this point of view. At XXX mph, I found I could sit pretty much fully upright, and still no buffeting. In fact, this helmet has made riding the bike that much more enjoyable an experience because of this. I can now give much more concentration to actually riding, rather than straining against the wind blast. So much so, that I was pinning it at every chance I got today :lol
So thus far it gets the :thumbup although I won't jump in and recommend it yet like I did the last one :rolleyes but will get some proper use from it first, and then come back and review it again.
But so far, so good.
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Sounds good, odd with the buffeting thing as thats one of the things HJC were bigging up with the IS-17, just BS then, like max air flow removing hot air out of the exhust ports, or does that work on the 17. Here they are side by side, you would think that with all of that shaping on the 17 it would cut through the air.
RPHA on the left, dont like the look of those giant pins in my view
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Yeah, I did notice the tear-off posts at first, but once I got going and concentrating on my riding, they stopped being a distraction.
It might be worth pointing out with the wind buffeting thing that I may have just hit on the combination that works for me: My height, screen height and helmet - these things can combine to make or mar the experience each individual has.
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I've lost count of the number of people who have said to me, yeah but top-level racers have their helmets specially made for them, don't they".
Well, got to examine at first hand one of the helmets of a certain Mr. Lorenzo today. Modifications include tube for hydration system custom fitted (nothing anyone couldn't do for themselves by cutting away a bit of the EPS), some extra memory foam stuck on to the EPS at crown and under the cheek pads, top vents glued in closed position, some home-grown modification to the chin EPS (to allow better airflow - like airtex holes) and some extra logos. That's it. Otherwise, a completely bog-stock, off-the-shelf-lid. Standard shell, comfort liner, vents, visor and base plates (visor had been drilled to accept screws on the pivot, presumably for extra security). Except it actually felt heavier than a standard helmet, which I didn't expect - the mods didn't seem to be enough to account for that, and I'd have thought they'd have something super-lightweight.
Well, I found it interesting.... :rolleyes
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Right then gonna get the drill to mine and get some hose pipe.
Oh my :o I thought I would find a picture of my lid in white and put it next to the other two, it looks sooooooooooo old, my chrome one looks much better though.
I think I can see where all my noise comes from as the new lids have a flush visor to helmet line and mine has a screw on pate
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My 2 vents on the forehead are smaller than the size of a pen and do nothing.
All of my riding is in dry weather and because of that a good % is in warm/ hot weather, I would be interested in hearing how the vents perform on these two lids, this week end should be a good test.
As for noise I would like a less noisy lid and you say that the RPHA is better than the IS-17 for that, but im hoping that I will see a step change from my zf7 to the IS-17
I will now be looking at the RPHA but I do like the idea of the flip down visor, I had my dark one on on the middle earth ride but i also had my clear one with me and swaped it at mc donalds, i wear glasses and so sun glasses are not an option
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It's gonna get a proper test this weekend fazersharp, so will report back on how it does.
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Ok, after covering a high mileage on the weekend, here are my thoughts on the RPHA.
Still major impressed by the lack of head-bashing from the wind. It really made the whole day much easier. That's been the no. 1 point so far.
The breath guard sits in the perfect place for me too, close enough so it just touches my nose, but properly making sure my breath is deflected away from the visor, reducing misting. The helmet doesn't get pushed back much at high speeds either, so the guard never becomes a problem - down to the helmet fitting well, of course.
Chin curtain also sits just right for me, and perhaps contributes a bit to lack of noise.
Top vents work! On the couple of occasions the sun came out full strength, and when I got a move on, I really felt the cool air on top of my head. Not much at slower speeds, but that's perhaps expected. Still no problems operating them, summer and winter gloves, although one seems a little sticky. Might see if I can get a bit of lube on it.
Chin vent, not sure that one is doing much.
Once again impressed with how quiet it is, again, largely due to a good, snug fit probably. Even with the visor popped just a crack, it still kept the noise levels down.
Dark visor much better than drop-down "semi" tint, although I do already miss the convenience of that feature. I noticed a very slight distortion through the dark visor, but only at first, then it didn't come to mind for the rest of the day. Clear visor no issues.
In conclusion, I'm very pleased I swapped to this helmet so far, although of course, it's mostly just down to having a very good fit. The lack of buffeting, I'll say again :lol is still the one major thing that makes it so much better than the IS-17 (for me anyway).
If you are considering this helmet though, do bear in mind my previous posts about how I was able to set it up just right with visors and base plates from the Plus version - on the first generation helmet, the stiff visor ratchet can be a real pain, especially if those visors do start cracking around the catch because of it. It's not all of them, but it's common enough to beware of. Not sure if Pluses are like it too, obviously the one I robbed for my helmet was ok.
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Thanks for that info.
What we need to be able to do is go into the helmet shop on our bikes and sit in a wind tunnel and test each one, or at least they should have "test helmets" we can go for a propper spin in.
Do you reacall at all the difference in buffeting from your old lid to your is-17. I dont notice any buffeting as such now - just constant blast which is ok and I wouldnt want to exchange a constant blast for a lesser blast but with buffeting.
I assume that the included dark visor is also road leagle, yet still darker than the IS 17 drop down one, I canot see any reason why the 17 drop down one is so pissy, as I really want this feature but for me its the first thing that would get altered with some car window film I think.
I wonder if the RPHA with a drop down would be the perfect lid, but I think they would not be able to get to same air vent flow inside.
AAAAAAH I want the cool air in my lid as a lot of my riding is in nice hot weather and because of that I want the drop down, I have lived with swapping visors for 12 years having to undo 4 screws so im sure I can live with the new quick release ones.
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The helmet that my IS-17 replaced was only a cheap Box, and I didn't expect any better than I got with it. Ok for a short while, not particularly comfortable, but not a particularly great fit either, so pretty noisy - and no, not a great deal of difference in the buffeting department as I recall, but would have to try it again to be sure - not something I'm particularly inclined to do! (I do remember having to rescue it from the back of my head after any faster runs! :lol) And it could be the combination of factors, just hitting on the right formula for my particular set up. The IS-17 was ok, I just didn't realise quite the extent the difference could be between helmets, and had more or less assumed that you had to put up with a certain amount of this. I'm talking about above legal speeds after all. The main reason I replaced the IS, was the air flow into my eyes remember. Otherwise, not a bad lid, considering I only paid about £70 brand new.
I swapped the useless legal tint visor that comes with the RPHA for a dark one, no it's not legal, but never had any issues about that before. If you're not otherwise behaving like a prat, not wearing it in the dark or poor light conditions, you'll be ok - never heard of someone being done for JUST a dark visor, I think it unlikely, especially if you have a clear one with you too, which I normally will cos if I'm planning on doing any distance, I'll usually have my tank bag with me, so not a problem.
I did like being able to drop the sun visor on the IS just to give some eye protection with plenty of ventilation, so I know where you're coming from there - oh well, can't have it all I suppose :\
As mentioned previously, there is now an RPHA ST, with drop-down visor. But they've had to change the shell shape to accommodate this, which will affect airflow, and the sun visor looks even lighter than the IS one - pointless! Plus the mechanism for it reminds me of the Box ones; feels a bit cheap.
Racking my brains, but someone told me recently that there is a place you can take a helmet out for a check with - don't hold your breath, but I'll find out if it was someone at work who mentioned it. Can't think how that would work, as it presumably means they'd end up with a load of used helmets...
Ok, so I just tried swapping between IS and RPHA a few times, just static. I definitely notice the weight difference, RPHA being lighter, I can feel that straight away. Cheek padding fit is about the same on both, IS pads maybe sit slightly lower. Crown is much snugger for me on the RPHA, which also doesn't have padding sitting right on my ears, so is more comfortable in that regard. RPHA just generally feels comfier, liner material feels softer, plusher. I thought the IS might have loosened up a lot more, but still not a bad fit after 10,000 or more miles.
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Ok I thought that I had better update this as I have now got the is17 and so far done about 200 miles in it.
It is about 10- 15 miles and hour quieter than my old one and on my old one although the view is the same it was made less by some extra internal padding than came down on my forehead so on the is17 I can feel alittle bit more air which is good.
I am enjoying the second darker visor and after 200 miles I think it is ok as I was thinking that it wont be dark enough.
It is a elongated shape as compared to my old one and at first I could feel the wind trying to twist it when I turned my head but I don't notice that now.
The only thing I don't like about it is the pinlock recess as when I have the visor open a little and look over my shoulder my view is obscured a little by the "step down to the thinner part of the recess, and the click lock on the visor (to shut it) seems a bit stiff in that I have to push more than I think to fully shut it --I might but some lube on that.
So all in all ---- good
Thank you for the help.