Flip top modular helmet - Shark Evoline, Roof Boxer, Caberg?

Tim Cullis

Tim Cullis

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I'm looking for a replacement for my venerable BMW System 5 helmet that will give lots of ventilation but still with ample eye protection (my eyes water easily if it's windy).

PLUSES: What I like about the System 5 is that I can convert it into an open face by removing the chin guard, this gives great ventilation under extreme heat conditions, yet the visor still covers down to the mouth area. I also like the fact that I can put the helmet on and take it off without removing my glasses.

NEGATIVES: What isn't so neat is that the open face visor is different from the standard flip top visor, so I have to carry a spare visor with me if I want to switch modes. And the System 5 doesn't have a built-in flip down sunshade.

The System 6 has the sunshade, but this isn't a convertible helmet--if I flip the chin I lose the visor completely--and is therefore out of the running. I briefly considered the new BMW AirFlow 2 helmet (i.e. taking two helmets on trips) but the visor looks quite short and there's no flip down sunshade.

So what's out there in convertible flip tops, preferably with built-in sunshade? I'm aware of
- Shark Evoline 3
- Roof Boxer V8
- Caberg Justissimo GT

Any more I should look at? Any problems you can point out?
 
I would give the Caberg Justissimo GT a thumbs up, comfy, flip down sunvisor, flip up chin guard, good vents and quite a reasonable price. I've not tried the bluetooth kit you can add but then no-one ever calls me...
 
Shark Evoline...convert to open face by flipping chin bar over the back...and it's still legal....apparently. Found it great.

There was athread on here within the last month or so asking the very same question. Maybe couple of months.
 
Hi Tim,

Just as a matter of interest, the German website shows an optional dark visor for the Airflow 2. Doesn't alter the fact that the visor is short.......

John

I can't use the Schuberth J1 without removing my glasses.
 
Having owned both mark 1 & Mark 2 Justissimos

Darryl said:
I would give the Caberg Justissimo GT a thumbs up, comfy, flip down sunvisor, flip up chin guard, good vents and quite a reasonable price. I've not tried the bluetooth kit you can add but then no-one ever calls me...
Click to expand...

Am currently on a Sintesi, I would say the Sintesi is light years either than either of the Justissimos. This is not about either fit or noise, they are similar.

It is about first, the black visor. It did not work well on the mark 1, and the lever broke several times in the mark 2. I still use it occasionally, and always retract the visor by pushing it up, since the lever is sure to break again if I use it.

Second: Bluetooth. On the Mark 2, it was a can of worms, & I never received a successful phone call on it. On the mark 2, to fit the bluetooth kit, you have to reroute the chinstraps, and when you do so, the cheek pads fall out on a daily basis. The bluetooth earpieces pinch your ears until you trim some foam off the inside of them. All in all, a Mark 2 with a bluetooth kit is a total can of worms.

Sintesi with bluetooth is excellent in every detail, with superb commmunications to my I phone. I can, simultaneously, shoot a video, play music, have it running satnav, and answer phone. Excellent radio in it as well. Volume is excellent, the only problem with it is the absolutely awful fitting instructions. If you follow them, you will tear the helmet to pieces unneccessarily. Location if components is almost impossible to identify from instructions, and lead at buttons continually pulls out in normal use unless a lot of slack is left there. If you should buy, get dealer to fit in the price. It saves a lot of grief.

Myke
 
The Shoei is way overpriced in my opinion, plus I've heard (on UKGSer) that there are some quality issues with the fit of the visor.

I considered one when replacing my elderly C3, but wasn't impressed.

I opted for the Nolan N103, which though not a 'convertible' is ECE 22-05 P/J approved (this means that the helmet is legal to be used with chin guard open or removed).

Worth a look, very well made and well priced.
 
Darryl said:
I would give the Caberg Justissimo GT a thumbs up, comfy, flip down sunvisor, flip up chin guard, good vents and quite a reasonable price. I've not tried the bluetooth kit you can add but then no-one ever calls me...
Click to expand...

+1 on the Justissimo. Cheap at the price and looks the part.
 
Need 60/61 or XL.

So I can quickly reference the helmets I'm using these terms
- full face: fixed chin bar
- flip top: chin bar that swings up (normally taking the visor with it)
- open face: 3/4 helmet without visor, to be used with sunglasses or goggles
- jet style: 3/4 helmet with visor that can be raised or lowered, but no chin bar
- modular: can be converted from one format to another

What I'm looking for is a modular helmet that converts from full face/flip top to jet style.

Thanks guys, but I'm not interested in the Caberg Sintesi, Nolan N103 or the Shoei Neotec as they are flip top to open face modulars, i.e. when the chin guard is lost, they also lose the visor.

Thanks to the plethora of west London scooter shops, this afternoon I was able to try on a Shark Evoline series 2, Givi X.01 and Roof Boxer V8.
- The Givi X.01 is a full face modular, i.e. the chin guard can be removed, but not swung up. Unfortunately for me it was a terrible fit with a great deal of pressure on the temple.
- The Roof Boxer V8 is a flip top modular, the chin guard swings over the top of the helmet (like the Shark Evoline) but the red tabs used to secure the chin guard stick up behind one's head looking a bit like a Viking helmet. :eek: It doesn't have an internal sunvisor and didn't feel so good, also very difficult getting on/off with glasses. When the Roof's chin guard is up the visor touches the end of my nose (but not when the chin guard is down).
- The Shark Evoline series 2 is another flip top modular, however the rear of the helmet felt heavy and unbalanced when I swung the chin guard over the head. I couldn't put the helmet on whilst wearing glasses and trying to put glasses on afterwards was extremely difficult, though I guess you could modify the internal padding to help here. But I generally liked the helmet. One of the shops is getting a Series 3 in on Friday for me to try.

I tried the Caberg Justissimo a couple of years ago and from what I remember, to convert it from a flip top to a Jet style helmet takes several minutes, as does the now obsolete BMW System 5 helmet. This isn't a problem for me as I wouldn't be switching modes more than a couple of times each trip.

So the potential list at the moment is
- Shark Evoline series 2 or series 3... £320
- Caberg Justissimo GT... £180
- Caberg Hyper X... £180
- HJC IS-multi... £170
- Nolan N43... £170
- Schuberth J1... £380

And rejects (for me anyway)
- Givi X.01
- Roof Boxer V8

Price-wise they are all around the £180 mark except for the Shark Evoline at £320 and the Schuberth J1 at £380.

.
 
There's another caberg out, where you can remove the chin guard. Great visibility, not too noisy.

Can't remember the name, (hyper x?) but I've got one at home, connected to a blinc m1 Bluetooth set.

Works well on 50 mile commute daily!

:D
 
The name you are looking for is:

darrenptalbot said:
There's another caberg out, where you can remove the chin guard. Great visibility, not too noisy.

Can't remember the name, (hyper x?) but I've got one at home, connected to a blinc m1 Bluetooth set.

Works well on 50 mile commute daily!

:D
Click to expand...

Sintesi. Tested with chinguard off, on or locked up & legal all conditions.

Myke
 
I've had two Justissimos and am now looking to replace the current one with the new Sintesi.

On both of my Justissimos I have found that the flip up mechanism wears and the chinguard will not remain in the up position and keeps flopping down. Mind you as an instructor I guess my flip mechanism gets a lot more use than normal. The Sintesi has a locking mechanism for the flip front so should be an improvement. :thumb

A colleague has the Evoline and I considered one but they are heavy and he thinks it is noisy.
 
I have used a ROOF Boxer V8 for just over a year now, still a good firm fit and still love it. Really comfy, chin piece can be unlocked and flipped over to the back of the helmet on the move or back one handed - very useful when filling up, talking to someone, toll booths etc. Visor is fine down with open face. Good ventilation to head and face. Linings can be removed to clean, Only downside is for some people the chin piece is a little close and visor is inside chin piece which can splash a little in heavy rain. As far as I am aware it can be legally used both ways - the only one I think ? and I cant see how there's any way the chin piece can come back to get in the way. I have driven at motorway speeds with chin piece at the back and it doesn't make it noisy or buffet your head around. Best colour is this one - but obviously depends on your taste !!:thumb2 I love it
I got mine from www.gorgeousbikes.co.uk (online shop) but at a show where I could try it on first.
 

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