ELIMINATOR
Registered user
Roof 010 Diversion, quiet, comfortable, yet I'm yearning for another lid. Not a motocross type though.
Helmets, helmets, helmets....
- Thread starter DavidHale
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Roof 010 Diversion, quiet, comfortable, yet I'm yearning for another lid. Not a motocross type though.
chrisbecca
Guest
Arai Tour X
Yes it is a little noisy but I can wear it all day.
Not sure if the new one is any better.
Yes it is a little noisy but I can wear it all day.
Not sure if the new one is any better.
There are only really two options if you think about it seriously.
Firstly: Which one fits the best
Secondly: If you still have two choices left, which one suits you best?
Finally: Go buy it
You now have the best helmet you can get for riding your bike.
And very good it looks too Sir
If it helps any.
I use the Tour-X. It fits me well (I have an Arai shaped head) I like it too.
I tried the BMW helmet. Like I said I 'tried' it wouldn't fit over my cheek bones so I never actually got the thing on my head (I don't have a BMW shaped head) Shame I quite liked it.
I tried the Shoie on just today as it happens. Although I don't generally have a Shoie shaped head, it was surprisingly comfortable. I was though a bit taken aback when I realised the lining was moving freely within the helmet, though I expect it would be ok with the strap done up and if you have a Shoie shaped head.
Obviously the best for me is the Arai, but for me the look of the BMW offering is the one. Anyone know a good plastic surgeon?
.
Firstly: Which one fits the best
Secondly: If you still have two choices left, which one suits you best?
Finally: Go buy it
You now have the best helmet you can get for riding your bike.And very good it looks too Sir
If it helps any.
I use the Tour-X. It fits me well (I have an Arai shaped head) I like it too.
I tried the BMW helmet. Like I said I 'tried' it wouldn't fit over my cheek bones so I never actually got the thing on my head (I don't have a BMW shaped head) Shame I quite liked it.
I tried the Shoie on just today as it happens. Although I don't generally have a Shoie shaped head, it was surprisingly comfortable. I was though a bit taken aback when I realised the lining was moving freely within the helmet, though I expect it would be ok with the strap done up and if you have a Shoie shaped head.
Obviously the best for me is the Arai, but for me the look of the BMW offering is the one. Anyone know a good plastic surgeon?
.
tonedef
Registered user
I wish the Arai or Shoei decision was this easy.
My GS 1200 is ordered for delivery end of May. Went to buy two Tour X3s yesterday to find that best delivery they can quote is end of July. I have always used Arai helmets, can I bring myself to buy Shoei or will I want to replace them in July? Do I hunt around for two Tour X2s as an alternative?
My GS 1200 is ordered for delivery end of May. Went to buy two Tour X3s yesterday to find that best delivery they can quote is end of July. I have always used Arai helmets, can I bring myself to buy Shoei or will I want to replace them in July? Do I hunt around for two Tour X2s as an alternative?
It's all in the fit.... ish.
The Tour X is certainly the most well put togeather, and I loved mine to bits. But since the lid I tried wasn't a UK lid and the one I ordered was, I had to shave the padding at the forehead. When I was looking for a replacement, I decided that I didn't really want to be cutting chunks out of another brand new £300 lid, so I got a BMW Enduro.
The BMW Enduro is light and comfortable, but it has a couple of issues. You have to rip the padding apart to fit a headset (the Arai already has pockets for speakers), and the visor will get scored if you ride with it up... even with the peak fully retracted. Probably not an issue unless you use goggles.
I'll stick with the BMW lid for now, but it'll almost certainly be getting replaced by another Tour X whenever I can afford it..... it's just a much better all rounder
I've had two enduros now and have only had issues with the visor being scratched if I have the peak at the most forward position - sliding it back 2/3mm did the trick for me. I regularly use the helmet with goggles and so do fully retract the visor.
My two penneth worth - the enduro is a super light helmet, much lighter than the Tour-X, has great peripheral (SP??) vision, works great with/without goggles and, if you've the right shaped head, is v comfy. Occasionally it's a bit noisy but most of the time it's great. As previously stated, there is no room for an autocom - you will need to cut in to the padding if you want to fit a set but you can buy additional pads for about £30.
HTH
Deleted account 211025001
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I've had a TourX for 4 years or so now and love it.
For some reason it also fitted well, prior to that I never found Arais comfy on my shaped head and always went for Shoei.
The TourX is up for replacement this year and FWIW, once I've saved the pennies I'll be getting the Shoei for the following reasons:
Contrary to what most people say I think Shoeis are finished off better.
I think it looks better
It fits my head a bit better.
Don't listen to HRH re the visor opening - all Shoeis do that but the visor is stiff enough to stay where you put it IYSWIM.
Andres
For some reason it also fitted well, prior to that I never found Arais comfy on my shaped head and always went for Shoei.
The TourX is up for replacement this year and FWIW, once I've saved the pennies I'll be getting the Shoei for the following reasons:
Contrary to what most people say I think Shoeis are finished off better.
I think it looks better
It fits my head a bit better.
Don't listen to HRH re the visor opening - all Shoeis do that but the visor is stiff enough to stay where you put it IYSWIM.
Andres
Sir James
Rear Stab Vest Only ....
Iv'e used all three 
The Arai has now passed away and replaced with the Shoie
Both good , but the Shoie seems better made and warmer in cold climates and has the pinlock which is greeeeeeat
The BMW helmet is good but only usable in warm weather
So ................ :eyesdown
Hot climate ........... BMW , Arai and Shoie
Mixed climates ........... Arai and Shoie
Cold climates ................... Shoie
Not wore the Shoie in anything above 20dgrs but just my opinion anyway
The Arai has now passed away and replaced with the Shoie
Both good , but the Shoie seems better made and warmer in cold climates and has the pinlock which is greeeeeeat
The BMW helmet is good but only usable in warm weather
So ................ :eyesdown
Hot climate ........... BMW , Arai and Shoie
Mixed climates ........... Arai and Shoie
Cold climates ................... Shoie
Not wore the Shoie in anything above 20dgrs but just my opinion anyway
Attachments
Popeye
Registered user
James - how easy is it to swop visors on the Shoei ??
I watched Number6 swopping his Tour X visor over a few times and it seemed to be a fiddly job with a special tool.
I watched Number6 swopping his Tour X visor over a few times and it seemed to be a fiddly job with a special tool.
Room 101
Registered user
... if your doing 90mph and you look up with a huge peak you get your neck broke it's not rocket science.
That made I larf....
You just have to try it though don't you... if not just to find out where the 'bite' point is...
and on a more serious note... yes the Tour X is fiddley to replace visors, so I ride with my tinted visor and carry a pair of clear goggles just incase... sorted...
Just got back from trying my BMW Enduro lid for the first time since buying it in December.
It's nice and light; the peak doesn't "steer" the helmet (as I suspected it might), peripheral vision is good, the visor is much better than it appears at first glance (it seems very flimsy compared to System IV & V) and the ratchet is nicely spaced for leaving it in anything other than fully open or closed.
Oddly, on my ride the helmet was nice and quiet at first but then on my return there was a strange low intensity hum.
Double-D fastening takes some getting used to after all these years!
I have fitted Autocom ear pieces. I only had to make a small incision in the lining to get the ear pieces inside, then a bit of jiggling to find the best position. No need to cut away any padding.
Being a speccy-twat these days, I had no problem getting the specs to sit correctly. On my return I used my Addidas (hugely expensive) sport sun glasses with optical inserts. Again no problem with the arms and no pressure from them either.
One thing that surprised me, I tried it with my Pro-grip goggles. I left the visor on but fully up (the opening is just right for these goggles I haven't tried any others), then I lowered the visor and it closes with the goggles still in place!
How neat is that?
I can wear the goggles with my specs on and still pull the visor down fully. That might be handy in mucky/dusty conditions.
I'll be interested to see how the helmet performs in the rain (probably find out on Saturday looking at the forecast!).
It's nice and light; the peak doesn't "steer" the helmet (as I suspected it might), peripheral vision is good, the visor is much better than it appears at first glance (it seems very flimsy compared to System IV & V) and the ratchet is nicely spaced for leaving it in anything other than fully open or closed.
Oddly, on my ride the helmet was nice and quiet at first but then on my return there was a strange low intensity hum.
Double-D fastening takes some getting used to after all these years!
I have fitted Autocom ear pieces. I only had to make a small incision in the lining to get the ear pieces inside, then a bit of jiggling to find the best position. No need to cut away any padding.
Being a speccy-twat these days, I had no problem getting the specs to sit correctly. On my return I used my Addidas (hugely expensive) sport sun glasses with optical inserts. Again no problem with the arms and no pressure from them either.
One thing that surprised me, I tried it with my Pro-grip goggles. I left the visor on but fully up (the opening is just right for these goggles I haven't tried any others), then I lowered the visor and it closes with the goggles still in place!
How neat is that?
I can wear the goggles with my specs on and still pull the visor down fully. That might be handy in mucky/dusty conditions.
I'll be interested to see how the helmet performs in the rain (probably find out on Saturday looking at the forecast!).
Rolf
Guest
Vote for Tour X
I bought a Tour X last year after much hesitating about the price and have been very pleased with it - wore it to Morocco and back last summer, and did 1090 miles in one day with it on last week, wearing it for 14 and a half hours. Not a single pain and fine with glasses on. Felt the peak being pulled at times with the standard screen on but no such problems since fitting an MRA screen.
Having said that - it may not be right for you - different heads etc and when buying any helmet only buy when you have tried one on (and make sure you buy the one you have tried on!). I tried several Tour X of the same size and found some felt different.
I had a BMW helmet before - not so impressed with the quality as lining fell apart after two years of wear and semmed to get compressed because it became too big for me (or my head shrunk!).
I bought a Tour X last year after much hesitating about the price and have been very pleased with it - wore it to Morocco and back last summer, and did 1090 miles in one day with it on last week, wearing it for 14 and a half hours. Not a single pain and fine with glasses on. Felt the peak being pulled at times with the standard screen on but no such problems since fitting an MRA screen.
Having said that - it may not be right for you - different heads etc and when buying any helmet only buy when you have tried one on (and make sure you buy the one you have tried on!). I tried several Tour X of the same size and found some felt different.
I had a BMW helmet before - not so impressed with the quality as lining fell apart after two years of wear and semmed to get compressed because it became too big for me (or my head shrunk!).
the_laughing_mole
Registered user
To Tour-X or not Tour-X that is the question....
I hankered after the Tour-X for a long time, fancied the 'power rangers on adventure bike look' but didn't want to spend the money, so bought a Caberg Flip in the meantime which was great for a cheap (£149) helmet with integral sun-visor, but I still lusted after the X. I used to have a Quantum-F so knew how good Arais were, I liked the look of the BMW Enduro and tried on a few but they nearly pulled my ears off in getting the helmet on, not comfy and the visor felt flimsy - really nice and light though.
Anyway, I finally bit the bullet at last year's NEC show and got one discounted (not the latest) - in the dark silver. It's very comfy and the peak is great for the low sun. Also the field of view is much wider than a normal helmet, so it is much less claustrophic than most helmets. But yes there were some vibes from the peak. So I took the peak off and fitted some thin pieces of plastic pipe lagging between the plastic where it fits against the helmet at the screw points and 95% of the vibes have gone. Was a little noisy too so I stuffed some old earplugs into the two inside vent holes - better. So, I'm a happy man. And did I tell you how good the Tour-X looks......
I hankered after the Tour-X for a long time, fancied the 'power rangers on adventure bike look' but didn't want to spend the money, so bought a Caberg Flip in the meantime which was great for a cheap (£149) helmet with integral sun-visor, but I still lusted after the X. I used to have a Quantum-F so knew how good Arais were, I liked the look of the BMW Enduro and tried on a few but they nearly pulled my ears off in getting the helmet on, not comfy and the visor felt flimsy - really nice and light though.
Anyway, I finally bit the bullet at last year's NEC show and got one discounted (not the latest) - in the dark silver. It's very comfy and the peak is great for the low sun. Also the field of view is much wider than a normal helmet, so it is much less claustrophic than most helmets. But yes there were some vibes from the peak. So I took the peak off and fitted some thin pieces of plastic pipe lagging between the plastic where it fits against the helmet at the screw points and 95% of the vibes have gone. Was a little noisy too so I stuffed some old earplugs into the two inside vent holes - better. So, I'm a happy man. And did I tell you how good the Tour-X looks......
Viper lids...no....bluetooth doesnt work well with gps and they are made of cardboard and blutak....
Well I had my first decent run with the BMW Enduro lid yesterday.
I was expecting some discomfort, possibly one of those headaches you get with a new lid until it "beds-in" properly but no. No problems at all.
There's definitely a low-resonance hum in certain conditions. It was present part of the time on my way home. As I had a tail wind on the outward leg and a head wind on the return, I suspect that wind speed has something to do with it (I wasn't going any quicker on the way home).
Yesterday also tested the helmet in the rain, heavy rain and hail at times. I have to say that I was surprised at how well it worked in those conditions bearing in mind that it "feels" more like a summer helmet because it doesn't have the skirts to keep out draughts the way that my other lids do.
There were no leaks, no water came in at all. The visor doesn't clear as well as System IV & V but a coat of quality polish should encourage the water to disperse better.
Coming home into the low sun (a perennial issue living in the West), the peak did a good job. So much so that when I bought the helmet, I thought I'd source a tinted visor eventually but now I'm not sure that its needed.
My System IV & V will still be used on my other bike and I think that I prefer them for winter use but the Enduro is going to be my preferred choice on the GS in the summer.
Having been used to flip-front helmets since the System II, having to take the Enduro off when stopping for a roadside smoke/bite to eat is going to take getting used to.
Whether you go the Arai, Shoei or BMW route will depend on aesthetics/price (and whether or not you are influenced by the twatishness of being labelled a twat
) to some degree but principally it should be about fit. I've tried Arai in the past and they just don't fit me like Shoei and BMW do.
Right I'm off to the For Sale & Wanted to hawk my now redundant System IV peak and cheek pieces!
I was expecting some discomfort, possibly one of those headaches you get with a new lid until it "beds-in" properly but no. No problems at all.
There's definitely a low-resonance hum in certain conditions. It was present part of the time on my way home. As I had a tail wind on the outward leg and a head wind on the return, I suspect that wind speed has something to do with it (I wasn't going any quicker on the way home).
Yesterday also tested the helmet in the rain, heavy rain and hail at times. I have to say that I was surprised at how well it worked in those conditions bearing in mind that it "feels" more like a summer helmet because it doesn't have the skirts to keep out draughts the way that my other lids do.
There were no leaks, no water came in at all. The visor doesn't clear as well as System IV & V but a coat of quality polish should encourage the water to disperse better.
Coming home into the low sun (a perennial issue living in the West), the peak did a good job. So much so that when I bought the helmet, I thought I'd source a tinted visor eventually but now I'm not sure that its needed.
My System IV & V will still be used on my other bike and I think that I prefer them for winter use but the Enduro is going to be my preferred choice on the GS in the summer.
Having been used to flip-front helmets since the System II, having to take the Enduro off when stopping for a roadside smoke/bite to eat is going to take getting used to.
Whether you go the Arai, Shoei or BMW route will depend on aesthetics/price (and whether or not you are influenced by the twatishness of being labelled a twat
) to some degree but principally it should be about fit. I've tried Arai in the past and they just don't fit me like Shoei and BMW do.Right I'm off to the For Sale & Wanted to hawk my now redundant System IV peak and cheek pieces!
DavidHale
Registered user
Thanks for everyones thoughts.
Interesting observations there, Mike. I think I'm going to go and do some trying on.
Interesting observations there, Mike. I think I'm going to go and do some trying on.
Sir James
Rear Stab Vest Only ....
Vulpine
Guest
I have owned a TourX Motard since 2004.
Great all round helmet. I do not wear it with the peak, I prefer the look without.
I am also looking at a new helmet after a spill, so I think I will get another (although it is a tour x3 now).
They now will be releasing a pin lock visor for the newest tourX.
Great all round helmet. I do not wear it with the peak, I prefer the look without.
I am also looking at a new helmet after a spill, so I think I will get another (although it is a tour x3 now).
They now will be releasing a pin lock visor for the newest tourX.
Pauly S
Registered user
Dahoum
Registered user
Yeah,
if you have a helmet you say is superb - and you only want to do some more off roading ( which I presume doesnt mean RTW) - why the fuk do you want another (expensive) helmet
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