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Shark Race-R Pro Carbon Fibre Full Face Helmet Review

Shark-Race-R-Pro
  • FIM Tested/Homologated racing helmet
  • SHARP 5 Star Rated (ECE helmet only)
  • DOT/ECE certified
  • Carbon Fiber Shell
  • 2.9lbs/1.3Kg (light) and aerodynamic
  • Good for glasses wearers
  • Double-D ring fastener
  • Price range:
    • Race R Pro GP $999-$1200
    • Race R Pro $600-$750

The Shark Race-R Pro Carbon is a carbon fiber, full faced helmet with wide shield aperture, good ventilation and SHARP 5 star safety rating (maximum rating). It’s comfortable, reasonably quiet and aerodynamic – but it’s not the cheapest.

Apparently, the Shark Race-R Pro helmet was originally designed for pro racers. Guess that means Stefan Bradl, Scott Redding and the like – and it gives you an idea of the sort of rider who’ll naturally get the most out of the Race-R. Full faired, head-down sportsbike riders.

Looking to buy a Shark Race R Pro?

Please click below to visit the Shark Race R Pro helmets pages at Amazon and our recommended store, Revzilla. And if you buy from either, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Shop for helmets at Amazon

Shark Race-R Pro GP FIM
FIM approved Race R Pro GP with the massive spoiler at the rear.

Race R Pro GP FIM Spoiler

Aside from the Regular Race R Pro, you’ve probably seen the Shark Race R Pro GP on the race track if you watch any of the major series – and Johann Zarco and Miguel Olivera wear them in MotoGP. But the ones they wear have that massive spoiler on the back, obviously designed to improve aero and stability at speed.

Because it’s used in racing, these days that also means it’s FIM tested/homologated for racing.

In fact all sizes from XS-XL are homologated – so if you take your bike on the track quite a bit, then you might want to buy that version. It’s not cheap though – costing around double the price of the regular Race R Pro.

Helmet Shell

shark race r crash helmet
Carbon fiber shell, great ventilation, cool looks. What’s not to like?

The shell of the Race-R Pro Carbon is built from carbon and aramid fibers. That makes it really light and strong – 2.9lbs/1.3kg light to be precise. This can make a hell of a difference to riders on the track who’re riding for session after session through the day, but it does also help reduce the effect of buffeting for the rest of us. But unless you’re a high mileage rider, it’s more of a ‘nice to have’. It’s probably not a deal-maker, but there are lots of nice touches to this helmet that might be.

Inside

Take the inside of the lid. It uses bamboo fibers which – so they say – fights bacteria to prevent the helmet from retaining sweat, and keeping it relatively stink-free. Lots of manufacturers claim to use antibacterial helmet linings these days but it’s the first time I’ve heard of bamboo being used. Not too sure bamboo will help my helmet much after a sweaty day’s summer riding – but I’m willing to be convinced. The inside’s fully removable and washable and you can get different cheek pad thicknesses from Shark dealers to help with the fit.

Noise, Fogging

Shark Race-R Pro GP Zarco graphics
Another view of the Race R Pro GP – this one’s a Zarco replica.

The interior also has something called a ‘whisper strip’. Sounds a little gimmicky, but it’s designed to cut out exterior noise by forming a barrier round your neck. That said, there’s almost total silence on how noisy the helmet is. I take that to be ‘it’s OK’, plus it’s wind tunnel designed to be a slippery, aerodynamic shape and that always reduces noise from wind buffeting. Shark also say it’s 4.5db quieter than their standard Race-R Pro. Not quite sure how 4.5db feels in the real world (probably the same as lightly drumming your fingers on a desktop?) but I guess every little helps (unless you wear ear plugs when it’ll be quiet anyhow!).

It’s also got a rubber mask inside the helmet that actively deflects your breath. The breath is sent downwards to reduce misting. Plus, it’s got an anti-fog coating on the inside of the 4mm thick shield so fogging is mostly not a problem, except in more extreme weather or slow riding in town.

Looking to buy a Shark Race R Pro?

Please click below to visit the Shark Race R Pro helmets pages at Amazon and our recommended store, Revzilla. And if you buy from either, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Shop for helmets at Amazon

Face shield

The shield gives a nice wide view and has an excellent quick-release mechanism- once you get the hang of it, it’ll literally take you 2 minutes to take off and refit it. It’s one of the best. With such a thick shield, it has been mentioned that riding at night can lead to double vision (reflections off both sides of the shield?). It’s pretty rarely reported though so, unless do lots of night riding, probably not an issue.

In Racing Divis White, Green & Red livery showing top vents
In Racing Divis White, Green & Red livery showing top vents

Ventilation

Ventilation is a strong point for the Shark Race R. It has four front vents (chin, forehead, two on top of the head) and reportedly pulls in lots of air. If you’re a fiddler and are continually adjusting the air flow as you ride, you might have a problem as they all push/pull/close in different directions, even though their switches are easy to use with gloves. I know I have a problem remembering which way just a couple of vents go without pulling over and taking my helmet off. Still, if you can get your head around them, the ventilation’s great and there when you need it.

Helmet Safety

Another big tick in the box for the Race-R is that it’s SHARP 5 star rated – the maximum available. It hasn’t been Snell tested but it looks like Shark don’t submit helmets to Snell these days – their last certified helmets were in 2000! Shark came 3rd overall in our safety shootout of 37 brands and this goes to show they’re not letting up in creating safe helmets. With a 5 star rating, it should be as safe as you could hope to get.

The shell itself comes in two shell sizes, possibly not the best if you’re at the extreme ends of the scale – either XXS or XXL as your helmet might look too big or too small when you’re wearing it. There’s not much data around to tell if it’ll compromise safety, but there is an argument that there’s an optimal size of helmet shell/padding, and reducing the amount of padding in the larger sizes may reduce shock absorption in an impact. However, that may be one reason why the Race R doesn’t cater for extreme sizes – the Pro Carbon is only available in sizes XL to XS. More than one owner has commented that their helmet seems a bit oddly sized – with the medium size seeming a bit on the big side. Might be worth a try before you buy.

Comfort

Shark Race R Pro Carbon in blank red colors
Shark Race R Pro Carbon in blank red colors

Having said that, most people find the helmet really comfortable. There’s the usual caveat that you need to make sure you’ve got a correctly fitting helmet in the first place, but if you do, it’s a nice place to put your head. Quite a few people have found the cheek pads are a little tight when they first buy it, but almost all said they quickly ‘gave’ to make a very nicely fitting helmet that’s all-day comfortable.

Looks and Graphics

They’re entirely subjective of course, but most people comment on how cool the helmet looks. It’s got nice clean lines and the carbon fiber effect is nice and understated, peaking out at the bottom of the paint. At the time of writing, there are 10 different paint schemes including white, gloss and matt black and variety of color combinations based on the designs shown.

 

Shark Race R pro carbon rear view
Always worth a quick look at the rear! Showing exhaust vents and spoiler.

Other stuff – fastener, Glasses, SharkTooth

Other stuff worth mentioning. It’s got a double-d ring strap with magnetic ends so should be good for track day use. It’s also got Shark’s ‘Easy Fit’ interior that means it’s been designed for people who wear glasses – and most owners reckon it works really well.

Like most Shark helmets, it’s SharkTooth ready – meaning it’s got recesses behind the cheekpads to fit the speakers. They should be good if you’ve got another 3rd party communicator set – but worth checking before you buy.

And if you’ve experience of the Shark Race-R Pro Carbon, let us know what you reckon by adding a comment below or fill out the form and we’ll publish it – the site’s based mostly on feedback from users and owners like you so we’d genuinely love to know what you think.

Looking to buy a Shark Race R Pro?

Please click below to visit the Shark Race R Pro helmets pages at Amazon and our recommended store, Revzilla. And if you buy from either, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Shop for helmets at Amazon
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LS2 FF805 Thunder: LS2’s FIM approved track/racing helmet.

LS2-Thunder-featured

LS2 FF805 Thunder: everything you’ll need in an FIM approved carbon fiber race helmet.

Chinese helmet maker, LS2, might not have the pedigree of some of the big boys when it comes to making racing helmets. But if the specs of their latest top of the range track helmet is anything to go by, that might be about to change.

LS2 Thunder Racing 1 track helmet front view
Front view of the LS2 Thunder Racing 1 helmet in blue

Actually, LS2 have a bit of history in making track helmets. They sponsor quite a few riders in the lower classes of MotoGP such as Jorge Navarro in Moto2 (no, I’d never heard of him either) and their last track helmet, the FIM approved LS2 Arrow, was a great piece of kit and didn’t cost much either – not for a full carbon helmet.

So here’s what LS2’s latest helmet, the FF805 Thunder, has to offer.

Looking to buy an LS2 Thunder?

Please click below to visit the LS2 Thunder helmets pages at our recommended store – checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from them, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Overall/Summary

LS2 helmets are mostly known for their cheap thermoplastic helmets, but with a growing reputation for making some excellent carbon fiber racing helmets, things are definitely on the change.

The LS2 Thunder is their exotic carbon fiber racing and track helmet and one version – the slightly more expensive GP Pro – has even been tested/approved by the FIM so you know it’ll give good protection.

LS2 Thunder Racing 1 helmet in matt hi viz yellow
Full Carbon with Hi Viz – the Racing 1 Thunder matt hi viz yellow.

It’s not cheap, but for the buck you get a great looking lid with a face shield system that ticks all the boxes: Pinlock Max Vision, tear-off, quick change, optically correct and tall/wide for great all round vision.

OK, you’ll need to be a long-oval headshape to reap the benefits, but with a stack of vents and exhausts and quality liner, it’s sure to be all day comfortable if you get the right fit.

Of course, being a premium race helmet, there’s a load of competition out there (see our Top 10 Track helmets to find some) but with the attention to detail and quality materials, the LS2 Thunder is a real contender.

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

The shell of the LS2 Thunder is made from a mixture of carbon fiber and aramid (essentially kevlar). That can make for a strong and light shell of course but the proof is in the testing, and the fact that all sizes of the Thunder have been tested and approved by the FIM for racing is proof enough for us to add the Thunder to our Safest Helmets pages.

ls2 thunder FIM track helmet rear view
Full carbon LS2 Thunder

It also comes in DOT and ECE 22.05 variants (depending on where you buy it) so it’s passed their rigorous standards too. So, you can be pretty well sure you’re getting a seriously protective helmet if you buy an LS2 Thunder.

Inside the shell is a multi-density EPS (expanded polystyrene) lining – multidensity to absorb a range of impacts – which is exactly what you’d hope to see in a top of the line helmet.

Same goes for multiple shell sizes, and the Thunder comes in three different shells with shell 1 covering fitments XS-S, second M-L and third XL-XXL. That’s great too as it means whichever size helmet you buy, it’ll be more or less optimized for your head size, which not only looks better but helps with comfort, fitment and impact protection too.

So, you should be able to trust the shell to do what it’s designed to do if you have a spill. But what else?

Well, there’s an EQRS liner, wide and tall shield that’s Class A optically correct to minimize distortion. And its Pinlock Max Vision ready to keep everything fog free. There’s a shield lock on the visor so you know it’ll stay closed on track, and it’s secured onto your head – like all track helmets – with a good ole double-d ring strap.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

Getting plenty of air into a helmet is important for any helmet but especially for a racing helmet. Circuits on hot days with their vast stretches of black asphalt radiate heat to riders who are pushing themselves and their bikes, so any helmet needs to let plenty of cooling airflow through the helmet.


A couple of useful links…

All our track helmet reviews
Helmets with sun visors


The LS2 FF805 Thunder has a good range of vents and exhausts. There’s a seriously chunky chin bar vent that directs air onto the face and rear of the face shield.

LS2 Thunder FIM sportsbike helmet rear view
It’s a busy rear end but you can see the array of rear exhaust vents under the spoiler and near the neck roll

There’s now a forehead vent above the shield which takes air across the head as well as pushing air down onto the shield from above.

And then there’s a pair of crown vents – both operated by individual sliders – which again take air through the helmet shell and into the helmet for head cooling.

As usual, the air’s funneled into air channels set into the EPS liner and is routed across the head towards the rear exhaust vents, situated inside the rear spoiler as well as towards the bottom of the helmet.

Face Shield

(more about shields)

The 2D shield on the Thunder has pretty well covered all possible bases.

It’s nice and large, horizontally and vertically, which is key for any head-down racing bike. It’s also Pinlock Max Vision and tear off visor ready and it’s class A optically correct so you shouldn’t get any distortion whether you’re looking up through the helmet in a racing tuck or sat bolt upright on an ADV bike.

Front view of the LS2 Thunder Racing 1 FIM track helmet
Nice wide and tall optically correct shield

You’ll also get that Pinlock Max Vision antifog insert included in the box.

It’s a quick release shield too and uses an interesting type of shield removal system – something LS2 proclaims is the ‘world’s best ratchet’ mechanism, boldly etched into the metal. Hmm.

To remove the shield, you need to open up the visor then slide down a tab on either side, close the shield and the visor pulls off. Not sure about the ‘world’s best’ but it’s novel and it works well.

Like most racing helmets, there’s also a central shield lock to make sure that shield stays closed whatever happens. Close the shield and it auto-locks so you’ll have to press in the unlock button to release the shield. Unfortunately it’s recessed so can be fiddly.

There’s some turbulators or vortex generators moulded into the side of the shield and the side of the rear spoiler which LS2 says helps break up the air flow and improve stability and reduce noise.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

LS2 quotes a weight of about 3.1lbs (1.4Kgs) depending on shell size, which is just about light enough to let it into our lightest helmets section.

Of course, a lightweight helmet is useful if you’re going to be wearing it for long periods, but in the case of the LS2 Thunder, only if you’ve got a longer oval head shape as that’s who it’s been designed to fit.

LS2 Thunder Racing 1 hi viz and blue helmet side view
Nice view of the vortex generators on the side of the Racing 1 graphic Thunder

That means if your head shape’s the more usual medium oval shape, then you might want to give the Thunder a miss – or if you do buy one, wear it without removing tags, in the house only, for a good long while before you decide to keep it and buy from a store who’ll give a full refund without any quibbles (like our recommended stores do).

Inside the Thunder is a high quality fabric liner that’s fully removable and washable and is made from a breathable and hypoallergenic material. It also uses X-Static fabric tech that coats a thin layer of silver to some of the fabric for its antibacterial properties (i.e. to stop your helmet stinking).

It’s also been designed to accommodate glasses which is an feature for many riders.

Looks & Graphics

You can buy an LS2 Thunder in two ways. There’s the regular and slightly cheaper FF805 Thunder and there’s the full-on FF805 Thunder FIM.

ls2 FF805 FIM approved racing helmet
Solid carbon LS2 Thunder

The Thunder FIM uses a slightly denser carbon fiber fabric (9k weave) whereas the regular Thunder has a 6K weave. And if you buy either in the solid carbon colorway that shows off the weave, they look more or less identical.

Both helmets show that LS2 has moved on from the plain carbon weave of the outgoing LS2 Arrow onto what’s called a spread tow twill which is a more balanced weave more suitable for complex shapes like intricate racing lids.

The 6K or 9K weave relates to the number of individual carbon fiber strands that go to make up each weave pattern.

All the current crop of LS2 Thunders show at least some element of carbon fiber – that’s the Racing Thunder range that’s available in a few different colorways. And if you’re road riding, there’s a couple with hi viz decals on for added visibility.

Best places to buy an LS2 Thunder?

Please click below to visit the LS2 Thunder helmets pages at our recommended store – checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from them, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

LS2 FF805 Thunder Video

I’ve decided to spare you the, frankly, bonkers/pointless official LS2 Thunder launch video and instead here’s their main US LS2 dude introducing the helmet.

Other stuff – warranty.

Being their top of the range racing helmets, all LS2 Thunders come with a full five year warranty.

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Good Alternatives to the LS2 Thunder?

Bell Pro Star

So you’re looking for a helmet that’ll work well with your sportsbike or for the track? Here’s a few we’d recommend you check out.

Bell do a sport bike helmet to suit every budget with their Bell Star range. They’re all highly rated for performance and protection, with their top-dog Bell Pro Star being FIM homologated too.

Shoei X-Fourteen

Of course, the Shoei X-Fourteen has gotta be mentioned here. It’s got the full compliment of FIM/Snell approvals, and it’s used by some of the biggest tickets in MotoGP, AMA, WSBK. Amazing helmet with great ventilation and stability.

Arai-corsair x-helmet-side-view
Arai Corsair-X RC

Arai also do an equivalent – the Arai Corsair X – excellent helmet, FIM, Snell and SHARP 5 star rated, comes with a Pinlock and 5 year warranty. The Arai’s got the name but it’s also a tad heavier than the others.

HJC-FG-17-crash-helmet-zodd-green-side-view
HJC FG-17

If you’re wanting to spend much less money but you still want a good track helmet, the HJC FG-17 might well be the answer. It’s way cheaper but it’s got a fiberglass shell and it’s Snell certified so you know it’ll give you great protection.

If none of those fit the bill, you can jump onto our Top 10 Sportsbike and Track helmets page or our FIM approved motorcycle helmets page.

Looking to buy an LS2 Thunder?

Please click below to visit the LS2 Thunder helmets pages at our recommended store – checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from them, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Carbon composite FIM approved racing helmet. The Suomy SR-GP.

Suomy SR-GP FIM Motorcycle Racing/Track Helmet Review.

The Suomy SR-GP is the top-flight, lightweight, track-developed motorcycle helmet from Italian brand, Suomy.

suomy SR-GP carbon supersonic matt racing helmet side view
The Suomy SR-GP carbon supersonic

Not only is it designed to work for you on your sportsbike or trackday, but it’s also one of the few FIM approved racing helmets, approved for use in MotoGP.

So it’s DOT certified for use on the street, and it’s FIM approved for use in pro circuit racing. Well, at least sizes XS-S-M are as they’re the sizes – I’m guessing here – worn by Francesco Bagnaia in MotoGP (and others in Moto2 and Moto3) as only the sizes used in the events get tested/approved.

So if you’re looking for a helmet for your sportsbike, and preferably one that’s got a real racing pedigree as well as maybe being a little different from the mainstream, then you might want to check out the details below to find out more about the Suomy SR-GP racing helmet.

Looking to buy a Suomy SR-GP?

Please click below to visit the Suomy SR-GP helmets pages at Amazon.com. And if you buy from them, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Shop for helmets at Amazon

Overall/Summary

The Suomy GP-SR is a MotoGP and race-developed track helmet.

It uses a composite of carbon fiber, Kevlar and fiberglass to produce a helmet that has been FIM tested/approved for pro motorcycle racing – so you know it’ll do a great job of protecting you on the street too.

suomy SR-GP FIM racing helmet Bagnaia rep side view
This one’s the SR-GP Bagnaia MotoGP replica

It’s got a quick-release, class-one optically correct face shield with shield lock. Given it’s used for racing it’s very deep and wide too and it’s tear-off ready. It also comes with a Pinlock antifog insert in the box (along with helmet bag and soft luggage bag).

The SR-GP has four front vents mated to a pair of exhausts under the rear spoiler to keep the helmet well vented. And it’s very lightweight too, weighing in under 3lbs (1.3Kg) so it’ll not strain you unnecessarily on long track days.

It’s a premium level track helmet and it’s got a premium price. And with riders like Francesco Bagnaia and Peter Hickman wearing Suomi GP-SR’s, it should perform well (see the video further down the page to see what Hicky thinks about the helmet too).

Safety

 (more about helmet safety)

The Suomy SR-GP has a shell made up of carbon fiber, Kevlar and fiberglass to make for a lightweight but strong shell.

It comes in four different shell sizes which is great for optimizing the fit, looks, weight and impact protection – and considering there’s only six fitment sizes (XS-XXL) then no single helmet shell should cover more than a couple of sizes.

Of course, in the US it’s DOT certified but a version of the SR-GP has also been FIM tested/approved. They’re the guys who control international circuit racing and they were keen to bring in their own testing regime to ensure racing helmets are up to the job.

suomy SR-GP Dovi replica motorcycle helmet rear side view
And a rear view of the Dovi replica – note EQRS red tabs underneath.

While the FIM has approved 3 sizes of the SR-GP, and while your helmet might look the same, technically only helmets with the FIM QR code stamped onto the strap are genuine FIM helmets. So, we’ll have to make do with the DOT helmet – although Suomy assures us they’re exactly the same helmets to the ones used by MotoGP riders.

And knowing it’s been developed by top-flight racers to conform with a variety of international standards should mean it’ll give excellent levels of protection and track performance.

Because it’s a race-bred helmet, it’s got a super wide/high face shield aperture for excellent all-round vision. That shield’s class one optically correct too so no distortion (not that it’s usually much of a problem).

It comes with a Pinlock Max vision in the box to keep things fog-free at all times too. And it’s nice and light weight helmet, weighing under 3lbs (1.3Kg) – a comfortable and light weight helmet is not going to distract you while riding.

Like all track helmets, it’s secured onto your head using one of those old fashioned double-d ring fasteners like your old dad used to use. They’re old but they’re secure – the weakest link there is the sausage fingered rider trying to do it up right!

And finally, the SR-GP has a pair of emergency quick release cheek pads – probably something all helmets should have as a matter of course these days.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

Keeping cool is a must on the track so Suomy has worked hard to add lots of vent holes in there.

There’s a single chin bar vent, taking air onto the back of the shield and around the mouth. There’s also a single central vent just above the face shield and, further up, there’s a pair of head vents.


A couple of useful links…

All our track helmets
Snell certified helmet reviews


All these top vents are operated by small switches to minimize airflow disruption – so they can be tricky to find in gloves. Still, most of us will set them before we ride and leave em so that might not be a problem for you?

Suomy sr-gp-onboard-red-blue motorcycle racing helmet side view
Profile shot of the Onboard graphic Suomy SR-GP. Note tear off shield post

If you want to modify the airflow through the chin vent, there’s an adjustable slider inside the chin bar – up to close, down to open. It also comes with an air filter fitted to stop bugs and dust coming through into the helmet, which is a nice touch.

If you’d rather just have more air, you can pull off the air filter cover inside the helmet and take out the filter.

Out back, there’s a pair of exhaust vents tucked away underneath the rear spoiler – placed there so the flow of air over the helmet will help draw out stale air from inside.

Inside the helmet, there’s the usual array of internal venting channels cut into the polystyrene liner, there to help air circulate around the head before leaving the helmet out the back.

Face Shield

(more about shields)

After the helmet shell, there’s probably more design work goes into the faceshield than any other part of the helmet. I mean, having a nice wide, tall, unobstructed view of the road (or track) has to be a key objective, right?

suomy SR-GP FIM track helmet white side view
Solid pearl white SR-GP. Remember all helmets come with clear shields, not smoke.

Well, Suomy looks to have done a great job with the SR-GP here. It’s a very wide, very tall aperture for great view of the road ahead while sat up or in a tuck position. Ignore all the pictures with a blacked out face shield because all SR-GPs come with a stock clear shield, though you can buy everything from a light or dark smoked shield to a variety of iridium shields separately if that’s your thing.

That shield has tear off pegs on the outside, and Pinlock pins on the inside. It comes with a Pinlock Max Vision 120 antifog insert which should sort you out if it gets cold or wet or humid (I really rate Pinlocks).

The Suomy SR-GP also comes with an optically correct visor to minimize distortions. It’s not a biggie for most of us road riders but every little helps when you’re on the track and you’re looking to keep distractions to a minimum.

And like most other track helmets, the shield has a central lock on it too – close the shield fully, slide the tab right and the shield lock engages – slide left and it’s unlocked.

suomy SR-GP gamma matt red FIM racing helmet front view
Narrow front profile shot of the SR-GP Gamma

Seems a sensible system so the shield only locks when you really want it to – which is probably only when you’re on a track.

And of course, the shield is quick-change. It uses a common system where you open the shield fully, pull down a lever then pull off the shield. Nice, simple and intuitive.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

Inside the Suomy SR-GP, there’s a breathable, moisture wicking and hypoallergenic liner.

It’s fully removable and washable, with those cheek pads being easier to remove because they’re emergency quick release (EQRS) cheek pads – quick release to help emergency workers more easily remove your helmet after an accident.

And if you need to adjust the internal fitment a little to get the fitting just right, you can always swap those stock cheek pads out for different sizes, available separately from Suomy retailers.

suomy SR-GP FIM racing helmet flat black side view
Flat black Suomy SR-GP

If you’re buying an SR-GP for long days at the track, it’s Suomy hydration system prepared too. That’s essentially a route for a tube to be fitted around the neck guard, up the cheek pad and through the chin bar. I’m sure that’ll only come in useful for 0.00001% of owners but it’s there if you want it.

Looks & Graphics

So that’s most of what the SR-GP actually offers. If you’re thinking of buying one, your next thought is probably about colors and graphics.

There’s actually quite a few available. Race reps are Bagnaia and Dovi as well as a Hickman (BSB rider and TT star if you’re not familiar – and the guy showing you around the helmet in the video below). There’s also the Legacy, top racer, carbon supersonic, carbon glossy, on board, glory race, gamma, solid matt black and pearl white.

Looking to buy a Suomy SR-GP helmet?

Please click below to visit the Suomy SR-GP helmets pages at Amazon.com. And if you buy from them, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Shop for helmets at Amazon

Suomy SR-GP Video

Here’s Peter Hickman taking you around his SR-GP and why he likes it for racing (aside from Suomy paying him loads of cash!).

Other stuff – weight, glasses, aero, chin curtain, warranty

It’ll change a little depending on which shell size you buy, but on average, the SR-GP weighs around 2.9lbs (1.3Kg) so it’s very much a lightweight helmet.

The SR-GP was actually designed to work with glasses, so you shouldn’t have a problem if you’re a glasses wearer.

suomy SR-GP Bagnaia rep FIM racing helmet side view
Another shot of the Bagnaia rep SR-GP

As usual for a track helmet, much work has gone into the aero qualities of the helmet, making for a slippery helmet that keeps buffeting to a minimum and stability high. Suomy quotes a drag coefficient of 0.39 which is pretty good in itself, though I don’t have any other helmet drag figures to compare it with.

The aero has also been designed for a smooth airflow over the helmet and has a rear spoiler to reduce air pressure around the exhaust vents and help with extracting air from inside the helmet.

Each Suomy SR-GP comes with a breath guard and chin curtain as standard.

They come with a regular 2 year warranty, which is a bit poor for a top end racing helmet (most are 5 year).

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Good Alternatives to the Suomy SR-GP?

Bell Pro Star

So you’re looking for a helmet that’ll work well with your sportsbike or for the track? Here’s a few we’d recommend you checking out.

Bell do a sport bike helmet to suit every budget with their Bell Star range. They’re all highly rated for performance and protection, with their top-dog Bell Pro Star being FIM homologated too.

Shoei X-Fourteen

Of course, the Shoei X-Fourteen has gotta be mentioned here. It’s got the full compliment of FIM/Snell approvals, and it’s used by some of the biggest tickets in MotoGP, AMA, WSBK. Amazing helmet with great ventilation and stability.

Arai-corsair x-helmet-side-view
Arai Corsair-X RC

Arai also do an equivalent – the Arai Corsair X – excellent helmet, FIM, Snell and SHARP 5 star rated, comes with a Pinlock and 5 year warranty. The Arai’s got the name but it’s also a tad heavier than the others.

HJC-FG-17-crash-helmet-zodd-green-side-view
HJC FG-17

If you’re wanting to spend much less money but you still want a good track helmet, the HJC FG-17 might well be the answer. It’s way cheaper but it’s got a fiberglass shell and it’s Snell certified so you know it’ll give you great protection.

If none of those fit the bill, you can jump onto our Top 10 Sportsbike and Track helmets page or our FIM approved motorcycle helmets page.

Looking to buy a Suomy SR-GP?

Please click below to visit the Suomy SR-GP helmets pages at Amazon.com. And if you buy from them, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

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HJC C91 modular motorcycle helmet review.

HJC-C91-featured

Modern looking, good value modular from HJC: the HJC C91.

The C91 is HJC’s follow-on helmet from the old C90. That was a solid all-rounder modular helmet that gave a good level of performance coupled with a decent low price point. The ECE version was also SHARP 4 star safety rated, which meant you could trust it in a spill.

hjc c91 gloss white helmet side view chin bar up
Gloss white C91 showing full extent of the raised chin bar and sun shield drop

While the HJC C91 hasn’t been Snell or SHARP tested (yet) it follows on very much in the same mould as the old helmet. That means it’s designed to be a good value all rounder modular helmet. Not too showy, not made from exotic composites, but a helmet that offers 90% of what you need for not very much money.

It has had a good redesign though to brush up its looks, and the shell’s got a few more rakish angles than the more rounded outgoing helmet.

But does it offer pretty well the same features and the same value for money. Which is no bad thing. So, after scouring news and reviews around the web, here’s what we discovered about what owners think of their HJC C91s…

Looking to buy an HJC C91?

Please click below to visit the HJC C91 helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

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Overall/Summary

The C91 is designed to be a good value all-rounder modular helmet. And that’s exactly what HJC has delivered.

hjc c91 taly black fluo helmet side view
Hi Viz streaks on the HJC C91 Taly

It’s made of polycarbonate to keep the costs down, but it’s got all the main features many riders are looking for in their modular helmet.

That means a comfortable interior (once it’s bedded in – see comfort section below), decent venting, simple fastener together with a Pinlock shield and sun shield. Oh, and most modular riders will want to fit a bluetooth headset; and because it’s made to integrate with HJC’s own headset, you shouldn’t have a problem fitting your own into the C91 too.

Don’t expect it to be the lightest or quietest helmet around (modulars tend to be heavier and fairly noisy). But as a modern-looking, workhorse modular helmet that will take most of what you throw at it (whether daily riding or holiday touring), the C91 does the job nicely.

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

There’s two factors to consider with the modular helmet: the shell and the chin bar.

The C91’s been DOT certified in the US (ECE 22.05 certified in Europe) so you know it’s been made to give decent protection. But over and above those mandatory helmet standards, what do we know?

The helmet the C91’s been designed to replace – the C90 – scored a decent 4/5 stars when SHARP tested the ECE version. However, HJC have told us that DOT versions tend to be different helmets though, so that’s not a massive amount of use overall.

However, we do know that HJC chin bars tend to do well when tested – again, on ECE helmets at least.

HJC C91 titanium modular motorcycle helmet side view
One of the plain models – this one’s the C91 in titanium

There’s only been a couple of modular helmets tested in recent years so we can use those to maybe give us an idea of how secure those chin bars are.

The first is the old IS Max 2 that scored 100%.

That means the chin bar stayed locked on 100% of tested helmets.

Second is the outgoing C90 that scored 87%.

So that’s a very decent hit rate (87% is actually a decent score if you look across all tested modular helmets – though of course we all want to see 100%!)

So, while we don’t know exactly how well the C91 will perform, looking at HJC’s track record, we’d expect it to do well.

In addition to the stats, the C91 also has a Pinlock-ready shield (though no Pinlock in the box – we’d recommend getting one to keep things fog free) and it’s got an integral drop down sun visor that’s anti-fog coated.

It’s all secured on your head using a nice and simple to use double-d ring fastener.

So, as far as protection’s concerned, it looks to us like the HJC C91 should do the business.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

OK, if you’re after a really quiet helmet, you’re probably best looking elsewhere.

Not that owners think the C91 is a particularly noisy helmet – reviews are mixed and very dependent on the sort of riding you do.

The thing is, modulars are usually that bit noisier than full face helmets, so if you want a quieter lid, you should probably go for one of them. But if you do want a modular and you’re tempted by the HJC C91, then don’t be put off. It’s about average for a modular and of course, stick in a good pair of ear plugs when you’re riding (as you always should) and you’ll probably be fine.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

There’s a single top vent operated by a small slider on the top of the helmet and a single chin bar vent, operated with a large slider panel.

hjc c91 taly black grey helmet rear view
Rear view of the black/red C91 Taly

The top vent takes air through the helmet shell where air can circulate the head using the venting channels formed into the internal polystyrene liner.

It’s what HJC calls its ACS or advanced channeling ventilation system but it’s a fairly commonplace setup on helmets these days.

The chin bar vent takes air toward the mouth as well as pushing air onto the back of the shield through some particularly large vents at the bottom of the shield. That single open/close panel is very easy to find and use in gloves which is always good to see.

Overall, it’s a reasonably standard config, but we came across several owners who reckoned the system works well – letting through plenty of air even on the warmest days. But bear in mind that the chin vents alone won’t be enough to keep the shield fog-free when it’s rainy/cold/humid so we’d suggest buying and fitting a Pinlock to help the ventilation out.

Shield

(more about shields)

As mentioned, the main clear shield on the HJC C91 is Pinlock-ready, though the helmet doesn’t come with a Pinlock in the box. So expect to have to dish out another $30 or so for a Pinlock as they’re well worth it unless you’re a summer only rider.

HJC C91 white pearl modular motorcycle helmet side view
Pearl white C91

The shield works on a ratchet and has its opening tab on the left. The tab’s not too far over to the left though so you shouldn’t have too much of a problem reaching around with your right hand when you need to.

The shield will also give you plenty of UV protection – HJC claims all their shields give 99% UVA and UVB protection which is nice to know (mind you, most other polycarbonate shields should give a similar sort of figure).


A couple of useful links…

All our modular helmet reviews
Helmets that come in Hi Viz colors


Sun Visor

(more about sun visors)
hjc c91 taly black grey helmet top view
Sun visor slider’s located right on top of the helmet

HJC helmets tend not to have auto-return springs in their sun visors as they did in recent years, mainly because the springs quickly tired and stopped working.

So the sun visor in the C91 is manually operated in both directions, this time using a slider on the very top of the helmet.

A couple of owners commented that the top of the helmet isn’t a great position for your sun shield slider, but you do get used to it over time – it just feels a bit odd at first. But having the slider there rather than on the left hand side does mean it won’t get in the way of a bluetooth controller unit if you’re planning to add one.

Other than that, the sun visor is what you’d expect – it’s medium tinted and drops down reasonably low. It’s antifog coated too, which is good to see.

Chin Guard

(more about chin guards)

As mentioned in the safety section, based on HJC’s recent safety test performance, we’d expect the chin bar to perform well and give decent protection during an accident.

To get an idea of how well it might perform, we can check out past performance test data from ECE HJC modulars tested by the UK’s SHARP labs. Looking at test data from five different HJC modulars over the last seven years’ testing, HJC modular chin bars scored an average of 92%. That means they stayed locked and closed 92% of the time across over 150 impact tests – which is actually a very decent score overall – though yeah, we’d like to see that score much closer to 100%!

HJC C91 matte black modular motorcycle helmet side view
Chin bar raises pretty high but it’s not dual-homologated as far as we know.

The chin bar is opened using a single button under the chin bar and raises to around a 45 degree angle.

It’s not dual-homologated though. Even though it’s not a DOT requirement, dual homologated helmets have been designed and manufactured to offer better protection while riding with that chin bar open. So you might want to check out our P/J dual homologated modular helmets section to find modulars that are.

Other than that, it’s easy to operate and slides up nice and high out of the field of vision.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

The HJC C91 is designed to accommodate medium-oval headshapes, so should fit the majority of heads in the US. But note, we came across quite a few owners saying that it sizes on the small side, so if you’re between sizes, you’re definitely best ordering a size larger.

In my experience, HJC helmets often feel on the tighter side when you first wear them too (especially the cheek pads) though they do tend to give a little over the first few days of riding. And we found several other owners saying that’s the case with the C91 so be prepared, they do need to bed in over a few rides.

HJC C91 fluorescent green modular motorcycle helmet side view
If you’re looking for Hi Viz… you’ve found it! Fluo green C91

Inside the HJC C91 you’ll find HJC’s SuperCool lining which is a nice soft material that’s moisture wicking and anti-bacterial.

There’s a pair of speaker pockets in there too and there’s also some glasses grooves which, according to owners, work well if you’re a glasses wearer.

Looks & Graphics

The HJC C91 is, at the time of writing, available in a range of plain, solid colors and just a couple of graphic option.

Solids are the usual pearl gloss white and matt/gloss black, and there’s a titanium, mid nardo grey, and fluorescent green (above). Both the Taly and Tero graphics come in red, blue, fluo, grey, orange and purple (fuschia) variants.

To find any more graphice or to find the latest deals at stores we believe you can trust to supply genuine helmets and excellent service, please click the links below.

Best places to buy an HJC C91?

Please click below to visit the HJC C91 helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

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Other stuff – fasteners, bluetooth, glasses, build quality, warranty

DOT (US) HJC C91 helmets come with a d-ring fastener – they’re old school and basic but  very safe as long as they’re tightened correctly (like any fastener). ECE versions of the C91 come with a micrometric fastener.

HJC C91 matte black modular motorcycle helmet top view
Top view of the matt black C91

If you’re looking to fit a bluetooth headset, you should be good with the C91. Because it’s designed to accommodate HJC’s own Sena-developed bluetooth kit (the 10B or 20B) it should mean it’ll work with most third party kits you want to use too.

If you are after an integrated solution, HJC’s kit has a battery pack that’ll slot into a dedicated slot at the back of the helmet (between the shell and liner) and the set will give you up to 1.6Km range (20B) between bikes.

If you wear glasses while riding, the HJC C91 has a glasses groove inside, and several owners reckon they work well (and the sun shield should clear them too unless they’re particularly large).

Onto build quality – several owners say it’s a well built helmet with no real issues. That comment often comes with the caveat that it’s well built for the price and offers great value for money – just don’t expect hand built or premium helmet levels of quality.

C91s come with a decent 3 year warranty from date of purchase.

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Good Alternatives to the HJC C91?

For some great alternative modular helmets, you can check out our modular helmet reviews section or our top 10 modular helmets section.

agv-sport-modular-hi-viz-motorbike-helmet
AGV Sport Modular

If you’re looking for a helmet that’s more upmarket and designed to work on a more lean-forward motorcycle, then there’s the AGV SportModular. Light weight with a carbon fiber shell, it comes with most of the bells and whistles you’d expect on a premium modular.

shark-evo-one-2-slasher-anthracite-motorcycle-helmet-side-view
Shark Evo-One 2

If you like the idea of a dual homologated modular helmet where the chin bar flips round to the back of the lid, then Shark’s Evo One 2 might well fit the bill. It’s midway priced between the C91 and AGV and comes with a Pinlock.

AGV Numo Evo ST Portland helmet front view
AGV Compact ST

A cheaper AGV is their Numo Evo ST. It’s highly rateded with sun visor, micrometric fastener and Pinlock in the box. Great value helmet the Numo Evo ST.

scorpion exo at950 neocon hi viz adventure helmet side view
Scorpion Exo AT950

So too is the Scorpion Exo-AT950. It’s a super versatile modular that’ll work on or off-road, has a removable peak, a really big shield aperture and is all day comfortable.

Looking to buy an HJC C91?

Please click below to visit the HJC C91 helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Shop for helmets at Amazon

Star Ratings

GMax FF-98 full face motorcycle helmet review

GMax FF-98 review: a well-liked full face with rear LED light.

Gmax FF-98 motorcycle helmet derk graphic top view
Gmax FF-98 in Derk graphics showing crown vents and rear exhaust

The FF-98 is an entry-level street full face helmet by US brand Grex. It’s a polycarbonate helmet which means they can manufacture and sell it at a low price point, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s an ultra basic helmet. In fact, it’s got a drop down sun visor in there and there’s a built-in LED light at the rear to give extra visibility.

It might not cost much, but there’s still a whole lot of competition out there, so we’ve done a shedload of research to find out whether it’s worth investing your money into an FF-98 or whether you should be looking elsewhere.

  • Polycarbonate full face street helmet
  • Rear flashing LED light
  • Medium oval fitment
  • DOT and ECE certified
  • Drop down sun visor
  • Double-D ring strap
  • Quick release face shield
  • Sizes XS-XXXL
  • Expect to pay $150-$170

Looking to buy a GMax FF-98?

Please click below to visit the GMax FF-98 helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

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Overall/Summary

From our research, it seems buyers of the Gmax FF-98 fall into 3 camps. First up are the new riders looking for an entry level helmet that’ll give them a decent all-rounder helmet without spending too much.

Second are the folks who love the idea of a rear LED light for extra visibility – as well as because it’s kinda fun and novel.

Gmax FF-98 reliance graphic motorcycle helmet side view
Red/black Reliance graphic Gmax FF-98

Third are the folks who like the fact it’s both DOT and ECE rated.

And the truth of the matter is that they’re all good reasons for buying a GMax FF-98 helmet. However you come to own one, the word seems to be that it’s a great all-rounder. If you’re a medium oval headshape (that’s most of us, right) then with its CoolMax SpaSoft liner, it’s comfortable too (read comfort section below). It’s well vented. The sun visor’s useful – and the face shield system works just fine.

It’s got a decent fastner (double-d ring) and the quick release shield’s always a handy addition. And if you like the rear LED light, there’s even an option to link it to the braking system of your motorcycle to turn it into a brake light.

All in all, whatever their reason for buying it in the first place, the majority of owners are very happy with their FF-98s so if you’re looking for a lower price full face street helmet, we’re happy to recommend it.

Also, make sure you check out some of our suggested alternatives at the bottom of the page – or read on for more information on the Gmax FF-98.

Safety

 (more about helmet safety)

The shell on the FF-98 is constructed from something that Gmax calls poly-alloy – but there’s no more information than that. That name implies that it’s a polycarbonate shell with some additions in there to maybe help with abrasion or impact resistance (as you see with some other brands such as LS2 helmets with their KPA or kinetic polymer alloy), but until I hear back from GMax, it’s difficult to tell (I’ll post here if/when I do).

Assuming it’s a regular polycarb shell, that’s actually still no problem because even though polycarbonate is a cheaper material to make a helmet with – resulting in cheaper helmets for us riders – it can actually make for some really protective helmets. That’s helmets like the HJC i10 and Scorpion Exo R420 which are both Snell certified Polycarbonate helmets, so you know they’ll give decent protection.

Still, the FF-98 ain’t Snell so it’d be good to have some more information from Gmax about what level of protection the 98 will give before we buy one.

What is good to know is that the Gmax FF98 is both DOT and ECE 22.05 rated – and that ECE rating should mean it’s been tested and certified before it’s gone on sale.

One of the interesting things about the FF-98 – and potentially, a great safety feature – is that rear LED light. It’s set into the rear of the helmet with a battery pack (2xAAA batteries) located in the rear of the neck roll – and there’s a push-switch next to the helmet to turn it on. Continue pressing and it cycles through a few different flashing modes (including the most popular knightrider mode).

Gmax FF-98 reliance hi viz yellow helmet rear view
Rear red LED (unlit) on the hi viz Reliance FF-98

The word from owners is that it’s very bright and it seems to be one of the main reasons folks are drawn to the FF-98 (though I’m guessing there are just as many who wouldn’t be seen dead in one because of that very same reason!).

It’s a standalone light out of the box, but GMax do sell an optional wireless brake light kit that you can wire into the braking circuit on your motorcycle to turn it into a helmet brake light – which is kinda cool.

Price seemed to be about $50 when I looked on Amazon. And if you do like a helmet with an emergency stop light built in you’ll find a few other from Nolan helmets on our ESS page.

OK onto other safety stuff.

There’s an old-style double-d ring fastener which is just fine. They’re a bit fiddly compared to some of the more recent fasteners such as a micrometric or fidlock system but they’re still the preferred fastener for motorcycle racing helmets so they’re very secure as long as you tie them up well.

The Gmax FF-98 also comes with a drop down sun visor which, not only can be very useful for making your ride more comfortable – but if the sun’s low or dazzling, being able to quickly drop it down is good for safety too.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

The FF98 doesn’t have anything specifically designed to make it a quiet helmet. There is a chin curtain included which can stop noise (and wind) blowing up into the helmet from below. But that’s about it.

Gmax FF-98 motorcycle helmet matte black side view
Solid matte black Gmax FF-98

According to owners we found who talked about helmet noise, most seemed to think it’s OK for noise suppression, though because it’s a more entry-level/cheaper helmet, many owners weren’t too experienced so it’s arguable didn’t really have much to compare it against or were slower riders.

There weren’t any owners calling it a noisy helmet though, so overall we’ll call it about average for helmet quietness. Of course, that’s always going to be a very subjective call and if you’re a fast rider on a naked bike (or a naked rider on a fast bike for that matter!) you may well experience it as a bit noisier than average I guess.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

The Gmax FF-98 has a good array of vents that owners find give a reasonable amount of ventilation through the helmet.

There’s a single chin vent to directs air onto the back of the face shield. It’s closeable with a large switch/panel that’s easy to find and operate in gloves.

Up top, there’s a pair of individually-operated crown vents that take air through the helmet shell and circulate it around the head using ventilation channels recessed into the internal polystyrene liner.


A couple of useful links…

Top 10 full face helmets
Snell certified helmet reviews


That’s a pretty standard system these days, used in most full face helmets ranging from the cheapest to the most expensive carbon fibre helmets.

Gmax FF-98 motorcycle helmet titanium rear view
Rear exhaust vent spoiler and LED light strip

Flow through the helmet tends to rely on having larger channels and a good number of rear exhaust vents – so it’s good to see that the FF98 has 6 rear exhausts to let air exit the helmet.

Overall, FF98 owners we came across reckoned it flows a decent amount of air both to the head and onto the back of the face shield.

Face Shield

(more about shields)

The face shield itself is fairly standard. It’s not Pinlock-ready (so if you ride somewhere cold/rainy/humid that might be problem and you may well suffer from fogging) though if fogging doesn’t seem to be a problem for you, word is it does vent a good amount of air to the rear of the shield to help remove light misting.

The shield is quick release which is good – so you can remove the shield for cleaning and snap it back in without any tools. And it’s UV400 according to Gmax so should offer 99-100% UV protection.

The opening tab on the shield is on the left hand side. My preferred location is in the center or one on each side – but I’m sure you’ll cope with just the one tab on the left.

Overall, we didn’t find any complaints about how the shield operates when researching the FF-98 so all looks fine here.

Sun Visor

(more about sun visors)

Same goes for the sun visor. A few owners said it works great – the operation is nice and smooth and we didn’t find anyone complaining about it not coming down low enough which is a common complaint of many sun visors.

Gmax FF-98 motorcycle helmet gloss black side view
Sun visor fully down on gloss black FF-98

We did find a couple of people saying it’s not very dark though. Again, that’s a common complaint – but helmet makers aren’t allowed to tint the sun visor too dark in most countries because it can restrict vision too much.

So, if you live somewhere real sunny, you might well find it’s not dark enough. But it’ll still be useful for when you get caught out by the sun without sunglasses or a dark tinted shield.

One great thing about the sun visor on the FF-98 is that it has an anti-fog coating which is something not many manufacturers think to add, so that’s really handy.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

Inside the Gmax FF98 you’ll find a fully removable and washable comfort liner that owners seem to rate highly.

It features CoolMax and SpaSoft fabrics. SpaSoft is a fabric brand name covering a variety of fabrics. In the case of the FF-98, it includes bamboo charcoal fibers which are designed to eliminate odors, are antistatic and antiseptic. The CoolMax element is a polyester fabric that’s moisture wicking so pulls warm moisture away from your head and so keeping your head a bit cooler.

Gmax FF-98 osmosis full face helmet bottom view
Fully removable liner – looking below the FF-98 Osmosis

Most FF-98 owners seem to rate it highly for comfort. A few said they size on the small side – so if you’re somewhere in between sizes and not sure which to buy, go for the larger size.

But if you’re somewhere near a medium oval headshape and you buy the right fitment size (check our motorcycle helmet fitting guide) there’s a good chance you’ll find it’s a comfortable helmet. A few owners said theirs felt tight at first but they do break in reasonably quickly.

Obviously, you should always buy from a store that’ll do no-quibble returns (like our recommended stores) but if you prefer, Gmax do sell a full range of cheek pads to adjust the fit further if needed – for about $20 a go.

If you’re looking to fit a bluetooth headset, there are speaker pockets in there as part of the cheekpads. We’ve heard from owners who’ve successfully added 3rd party bluetooth intercoms in there (including a Sena 20s) so if you’re looking to fit one in your next helmet, you should be fine with the FF-98.

You’ll find other helmets that are know to work with 3rd party bluetooth kits or have bluetooth headset integration here.

Looks & Graphics

Gmax FF-98 reliance blue motorcycle helmet side view
Blue version of the FF-98 Reliance graphic (optional smoke shield)

The Gmax FF-98 is a pretty sleek and modern looking full face. If you’re after solid colors, it’s available in gloss/matte blacks as well as a nice shiny titanium. For graphics there’s the Reliance in hi viz yellow, blue or white – and there’s a Derk which is kinda the same graphic but in sand.

At the time of writing, there’s also the striking Osmosis graphic (2 colorways) and you’ll find examples of them all up and down this page – but if you want to see any later graphics, our links below will drop you straight onto the Gmax FF-98 pages at our recommended stores so check em out!

Best places to buy a GMax FF-98?

Please click below to visit the GMax FF-98 helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

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Gmax FF-98 video

You’ll find a lightning fast 2m look around the FF98 from Bikebandit below.

Other stuff – weight, glasses, chin curtain, warranty

The Gmax FF-98 weighs around 3.6lbs (1.6Kg) which is round about average for a full face polycarbonate helmet – so you shouldn’t really have any weight problems.

Gmax FF-98 motorcycle helmet gloss black top view
Gloss black FF98

While there aren’t any dedicated glasses grooves inside the FF98, we heard from a few riders who find the FF98 good with glasses – including one who mentioned that the sun visor drops down without interfering with their glasses too.

There’s a chin curtain and breath guard in the box which is good as they help with demisting and keeping air out from beneath.

All Gmax helmets come with a 3 year warranty (manufacturing defects) which is actually very good for a lower priced helmet.

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Looking to buy a GMax FF-98?

Please click below to visit the GMax FF-98 helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

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Good Alternatives to the GMax FF-98?

HJC i10 semi flat black crash helmet top view
Semi flat black HJC i10

Click the links if you’re looking for a Top 10 full face or a Top 10 modular helmet. Otherwise, if you’re looking for a lower price full face similar to the Gmax, then we recommend checking out some of these helmets.

scorpion exo r 410 titanium motorcycle helmet top side view
Titanium Scorpion EXO-R420

First up is the HJC i10 – it’s as cheap as the Gmax but it’s Snell approved, has a Pinlock-ready shield and is liked for it’s great ventilation and comfort.

Shark Ridill

The Scorpion Exo R420 is another Snell helmet but this one’s got EQRS with an Everclear antifog shield. It’s known for being very comfy too – and costs about the same as the Gmax.

For something a bit more unusual, you might want to look at the Shark Ridill – that comes with a super easy micrometric fastener, Pinlock antifog insert, glasses grooves – and it’s slightly lighter than the Gmax.

Scorpion Exo R710

Finally, the Scorpion Exo R710 is a fiberglass full face that’s a bit more sporty than the others – it’s light too with excellent ventilation, a 5 year warranty and amazing value as standard.

Want to review your helmet?

We’d love to hear what you think of your helmet. If you fancy writing a review, we’ll bung you some beer money in exchange. Please read more here.

Star Ratings

Classic fiberglass 3/4 helmet with built-in Sena 10S bluetooth.

sena-savage-featured

Sena Savage 3/4 open face bluetooth motorcycle helmet review.

Note: The Sena Savage is now discontinued, so you might want to check out some of our Top 10 Helmets lists to find your next helmet instead?

top-10-full-face-motorcycle-helmetstop-10-flipup-modular-helmetssportsbike-and-track-motorcycle-helmets-top-10top-10-safest-motorcycle-helmetstop-10-budget-motorcycle-helmetsall-helmet-types-top-10safest-motorcycle-helmet-brands-top-10

Sena are best known for their range of bluetooth headsets of course. But nowadays, they’re integrating them straight into their own brand of motorcycle helmets too. Which is great because it means you don’t have to deal with all that fiddling around ripping the guts out of your brand new helmet to start pushing cables and speakers and microphones into places they don’t really want to go.

sena savage helmet with short peak
Matte black Savage with short peak fitted

No, all you have to do is shove in a bit of charge via a micro USB cable, then it’s ready to rock.

If that sounds good to you and you’re in the market for a no nonsense, classic 3/4 helmet, then you should probably read on to find out more about the Sena Savage bluetooth open face helmet.

  • Fiberglass 3/4 Helmet
  • Pre-installed with a bluetooth headset
  • Equates to the Sena 10s
  • Double-D ring fastener
  • No vents
  • Music, Sat Nav, FM, intercom & phone connect
  • 4 riders, 1 mile range, 3 hours charge
  • DOT & ECE (2 different versions)
  • Sizes XS-XXL (DOT)
  • Expect to pay $300

Overall/Summary

The Sena Savage works as a great quality classic 3/4 helmet and it works as a bluetooth headset too… mostly.

As a helmet, most owners think it looks good with a low profile fit and heaps of classic open face style. But it’s the fact that there’s an bluetooth headset integrated into the helmet that’s gonna sell the Savage to most folks.

And for most, it works really well. Great calls, great comms, OK radio, just the music quality lets it down a bit. If that’s not a problem for you, then you’ll probably love it. If you need quality bass and beats, then you might wanna look elsewhere (see our alternatives at the bottom of the page). Otherwise, grab yourself a Sena Savage or two and you (and your pillion) should be happy as pigs in poo.

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

The Sena Savage is a fiberglass-shelled 3/4 open face helmet.

In terms of the actual helmet, it’s a pretty basic affair. Sure, it has a fiberglass shell which should be sturdy enough, and it’s backed by a multi-density expanded polystyrene liner. That’s a decent spec.

sena savage bluetooth headset helmet black right view
Profile view of the matte black Sena Savage

It comes in two flavors – a DOT version for the US market that’s available in sizes XS-XXL and in two different shell sizes. The ECE version on the other hand is made in one shell size and M-L-XL sizes only. And it’s only available in matte black whereas the DOT helmet is in white too.

Of course, it’s an open face helmet so it’s only going to offer limited protection compared to a full face – so if maxing out protection’s your objective, always go for one of our safest lids.

But you know that, right, so nuff said.

Helmet roll-off is a potential thing with all helmets – but a double-d ring fastener should be good for keeping it firmly on your head. Just make sure you’re diligent with fastening it – any strap’s only as effective as the piece of meat who’s fastening it up.

In terms of safety then, it’s a classic styled open face helmet and should at least achieve the protection levels of the helmet standard you’re buying. ECE – for sure (they’re tested before hitting the market) DOT – hopefully (they’re designed to surpass the standard then some are batch tested after they hit the shelves).

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

Open face helmets are never gonna be all that quiet. But the word from owners is that, for an open face helmet, it’s actually not bad. It very much depends on the type of bike you’re riding and how fast you’re going of course, but because it’s got a nice classic rounded shell and very little to catch the air, most owners reckon it’s quieter than the average 3/4 helmet.

If you read towards the bottom of the page in the headset section, you’ll see that the Sena headset has also got in-built noise reduction tech too – so that’s not gonna hurt things!

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

Ventilation’s really easy to sum up – there isn’t any. Done.

OK, it’s an open face helmet so you’re gonna get venting in the front. But if you ride in the heat of summer, things are going to heat up around your scalp. Might not be an issue for some, but if you think it might be for you, there are open face helmets out there with basic vents in that really make a difference (looking at you Arai Classic V and Shoei J-Cruise)


A couple of useful links…

All our open face helmet reviews
Sports touring helmets


 

Visor/peak

The Sena Savage comes with the classic universal three studs to fit a peak or face shield. In fact, when you buy a Savage, it comes with both a long and short peak in the box which is quality. Just press them into place and you’re good to go.

sena savage helmet peaks
Two peaks are included in the box

If neither of those peaks suit, then because it’s a universal fit 3 stud fitment, you should be able to push on more or less any other 3 stud peak (most are adjustable so they fit) and there’s a range of modern and retro face shields out there that should fit too.

We found a few owners who’d done just that and none complained they couldn’t get third party visors or peaks to fit, so buy from a reputable brand like Bell or Biltwell and all should be fine.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

The liner on the Sena Savage is fairly basic but it is fully removable and washable (just as well since there isn’t any ventilation in there!). It’s also very comfortable according to owners – as long as you’re a medium oval head shape.

Sizing’s about right too, so measure yourself up, consult our helmet fitment guide, and just buy the right size. And if you ride in glasses, the word from a couple of Savage owners is that they fit in at the sides OK, the only area you might have a problem is that the helmet sits quite low on the head and can push down on the tops of larger glasses, pushing them into the bridge of your nose.

I guess that one’s a bit of a suck it and see – unless you know you wear jumbo lenses then you might want to avoid the Savage (or try from a store who’ll refund without a quibble – like our recommended stores).

Looks & Graphics

I thought the Savage looked quite a large helmet, but according to several owners, they commented on how low profile it actually is. Which is generally a good thing (in style terms) with any helmet – open or full face.

sena savage bluetooth headset helmet gloss white front view
White Savage is only available as s DOT helmet

Sena have pretty well got the looks right in terms of making it your traditional classic-styled 3/4 helmet because that’s what most folks will be looking for, just with that added bluetooth headset.

Which goes for the colors too I guess: because it’s only available in classic white or matte black. In fact, that’s if you’re in DOT helmet land – because if you’re in ECE helmet land you only get a choice of black along with fitment sizes of M-XL!

Sena Savage Bluetooth Headset Features

OK, the bluetooth headset integration is why you’re going to buy a Sena Savage, so here’s the score.

The headset is built-in straight out of the box. That means the battery’s shoved in a compartment in the back, the wiring’s in there, the controls are integral to the helmet shell and, while you can’t see it, the microphone is actually hidden in the liner just above your eyes. Cunning.

sena savage bluetooth helmet charger view
Controls mounted on left side feature jog dial and single button

To charge it up, there’s a micro USB cable that peeps out of the strap and Sena gives you a handy inflatable hoop to cushion your helmet while it charges. Nice touch.

The bluetooth is essentially similar tech to the Sena 10S headset, which is kinda entry level these days. The latest headsets use bluetooth 5.1 and mesh technologies which creates a web of connections for up to 24 riders. Whereas the Savage’s set uses bluetooth 4.1 supporting 4 rider connections.

So the Savage’s is basic, but that’s probably fine for many riders. And of course, it keeps the cost down.

What it does offer, in addition to 4 rider intercom connection, is music playback, phone calls, Sat Nav, and a built in FM radio.

Sena Savage Headset Main Features:

  • Intercom range: 1 mile (perfect conditions)
  • Supports 4 riders
  • LiPo battery, 3 hour charge time
  • Music playback – around 12 hours continuous
  • App – both iOS & Android
  • FM radio – 10 station memory
  • Phone connect and calling
  • Noise reduction technology
  • Bluetooth 4.1

Here’s what we’ve found out about how the bluetooth part of the Savage works.

Setup/App

The app’s on both iPhone and Android which is good. But a few owners mentioned that they had to connect it to their computer first to download the Sena device manager and then update the firmware before it’ll work properly. That’s really not so great (but becoming increasingly common).

Sena-10S-smartphone-app-Bluetooth-Headset-Intercom-Sena
Free Sena Smartphone app works on iPhone and Android

Depending on how proficient you are with stuff like that, that’ll be either a walk in the park or – as a couple of owners found – a real pain in the ass.

The Sena Utility app is free to download, easy to use and stable. Most owners found it easy to connect to their Savage units too. Once connected, it allows you to configure your device including speed dial and FM radio presets.

One tip I found is that there’s an ‘audio boost’ setting hidden in there which is turned off by default. Might be worth knowing about that one as a few riders reckoned it could do with a bit more volume.

Intercom

The intercom is one of the biggest successes of the Sena Savage. Most owners found it easy to pair with another Savage headset and most think the quality’s great. The slower you go, the better the perception of voice sound quality, but you can hold a conversation up to around 60-70 on most motorcycle types (faired or unfaired).

The range quoted by Sena seems to be about right – 1 mile in perfect line-of-sight conditions, deteriorating quite a bit in urban areas as you’d expect.

Phone

Similarly, phone connect is highly rated. Even though the microphone is hidden in the lining above the eye port, it seems to pick up your voice well and, along with the noise reduction technology, cuts out wind noise to deliver a nice clean sound to the other end of the line.

That is until you get up to highway speeds when it can be difficult to hear and be heard. But slow it down a bit and it’s a good system.

Music

All’s not quite so rosy with music playback. It’s got the legs – playing back around 12 hours continuously with a fresh battery – but it ain’t got the bass. It depends how much you need high quality audio reproduction I guess. If you’re expecting hifi quality, then by the sound of it you’ll be mighty disappointed as the Savage is OK on the treble but it’s got nothing from the mids down.

sena savage bluetooth helmet front viewIt’s also lacking volume according to some owners, because if you get the speed around 60+ it’s all but impossible to listen. I guess pushing understandable voice sounds is one thing, but the range of frequencies coming from music is entirely another.

I only found one person mention the audio boost setting hidden in the app so don’t know if people disappointed with music volume had or hadn’t found it. But if you’re looking for a headset that’ll give high quality music playback, my research found you might be disappointed if you buy a Sena Savage.

FM Radio

The FM radio works on frequencies 76-108MHz and has a 10 station preset memory which you can set up in the app.

Sound quality’s OK up to about 70 though and, like most headset radios, quality can be decent if you’re near a strong signal but drops off quickly if you go anywhere near the limits of the signal – which can make it a frustrating listen.

Interface & Use

Sena has kept the outside of the helmet nice and clean and minimal. There’s one large jog/dial button (volume/play/pause/pairing/voice config/scan) and a phone button on there (answer/end/speed dial/pairing/radio on/off) and that’s it.

sena savage bluetooth controller
Input is using a glove-friendly dial and phone button

Given the large variety of functionality you’ve gotta control through this minimal system, it’s probably no surprise that it takes a bit of getting used to. So, it’s worth a good read through the manual and putting in some practice before you use it in anger on the road.

Do that, and you should pick things up reasonably quickly and get the hang of it. Don’t bother and you’ll probably find it over-complex and fiddly (like a few Savage owners have). Having said that, the buttons are easy to find and use, even in gloves.

One feature that does annoy a few owners is the in-built system audio commands. Because they’re not governed by the volume control, they can be much louder than everything else.

Battery/Charging

sena savage bluetooth micro usb port
Micro USB connector/charger pops out of the chin strap

The battery’s a 650mAh Lithium Polymer battery that charges from a cable neatly peeking out just where the strap meets the helmet.

From a dead battery, it takes 3 hours to fully charge and is, according to owners, usually good for a full day’s riding, chatting or music streaming.

Sena Savage Video

Here’s an 8m video that takes you around the Savage. Note it seems like Sena have provided the helmet themselves. Still, it gives you an idea of what the helmet is about.

Other stuff – weight, build quality, warranty

Weight is a strong point for most open face helmets, and despite having the extra weight of electronic gubbins, the Sena Savage is no exception. Most owners say it’s a lightweight helmet and the figures prove it: it weighs around 2.4lbs (1.1Kg) which is really light compared to most other types of helmet.

sena savage intercom helmet white long peak
White Savage with long peak fitted

Another thing worth pointing out is that several Savage owners commented that the build quality, fit and finish are all top notch. It’s the attention to detail and quality that can make a helmet good to own and the Savage hits the mark here.

Sena helmets are covered by a 5 year warranty (very good) but it seems they’ve less faith in their electronics because that’s only covered for 2 years (what?!). I bet Sena wrang their hands a bit over that decision because it seems like an admission that the electronics won’t last. Still, if I’m feeling charitable, I guess there’s a lot more can go wrong with electronics than a helmet.

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Good Alternatives to the Sena Savage?

sena momentum lite white helmet side view
Sena Momentum Lite

OK, we’ve gotta mention the Sena Momentum full face with intergral bluetooth kits of various specs and that comes in heaps of different flavors and prices. And of course, you can buy the same bluetooth spec that’s in the Savage separately if you buy the Sena 10S – and fit it to your helmet of choice.

Arai Classic V Era

That could be the Arai Classic V which is a great quality fiberglass 3/4 that has speaker pockets and space to mount a controller on the outside – it’s more expensive than the Savage though.

Nolan N40-5 GT

The Nolan N 40-5 is a bit of a leftfield alternative to think about. It’s cheaper than the Sena, massively versatile (3/4 helmet all the way to a full face) and is ready to accept Nolan’s N-Com bluetooth system to give an integrated experience just like the Savage.

Shoei J-Cruise Corso

The Shoei J-Cruise is highly rated – a great quality composite helmet that comes with a shield (with Pinlock) and sun visor. Decent speaker pockets inside mean it should fit most 3rd party bluetooth kits – using a boom mic.

bell custom 500 silver flake helmet front view
Silver flake Bell Custom 500

Finally, Bell’s Custom 500 has that low-profile classic look in spades – and it’ll fit most bluetooth sets too. It’s available in fiber or carbon shells and is the original classic 3/4 helmet.

If none of those will do, you might find what you’re after on our Open Face Helmets pages or even our Retro Helmets pages.

Star Ratings

Excellent value all rounder thermoplastic helmet: review of the LS2 Assault.

ls2-assault-featured

LS2 Assault great value motorcycle helmet review.

The LS2 Assault (sold as the LS2 Storm in some countries) is a modern looking sports touring helmet made with a plastic shell using what LS2 calls a kinetic polymer alloy (KPA), which mixes aramid fibers into the polymer mix for improved strength.

What does the LS2 Assault offer? Well, it’s a mix of a pretty low price point coupled with quite a few features that you’d expect to see on a more expensive helmet. That includes a drop down sun visor, Pinlock ready and optically correct face shield, speaker pockets (if you’re looking to fit a Bluetooth kit), and easy to use micrometric 2 fastener.

ls2 ff800 storm nerve hi viz black helmet side view
LS2 Assault Nerve with Hi Viz decals

So, on paper at least, it looks like it offers quite a bit – all for not much cash.

Looking to buy an LS2 Assault?

Please click below to visit the LS2 Assault helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Shop for helmets at Amazon

Overall/Summary

One of the recurring themes from LS2 Assault owners is that it’s a great value helmet. And looking at the spec, the price, and what owners think of their helmets, it’s hard to disagree.

For not very much money, you get a comfortable, well vented all rounder helmet with a great optically-correct shield system, that’s lightweight and that has a handy integral sun visor.

LS2 FF800 assault full face helmet white rear view
Rear view of the plain white Assault – sun visor fully down.

It’s a shame it’s made in only two shell sizes (though fitment sizes are up to 3XL which will help some folks!), but it has got a super easy to use metal micrometric fastener, and it should fit nearly all bluetooth headsets and it’s reasonably quiet too.

It’s great that it’s sold with a Pinlock anti-fog insert included too as that’s really useful and $30s worth right there.

All in all, the vast majority of LS2 Assault owners really like their helmets and reckon they’re good quality too – again, worth emphasizing – at this price point.

So, if your budget tops out sub-$200 and you’re after a good all rounder helmet, then the LS2 Assault is really worth getting your hands on.

For some similar and equally great alternatives to the Assault, take a look at our alternatives section at the bottom of the page.

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

The shell on the LS2 Assault is made from what LS2 calls a kinetic polymer alloy. The last time we looked into KPA was when we looked over the LS2 Rapid, where it turned out to be a fancy name for ABS plastic.

With the LS2 Assault, it seems aramid fibers have been added into the alloy mix, designed to give improved penetration resistance.

ls2 assault nerve helmet top view
LS2 Assault Nerve in black and red.

Whether it works or not is hard to say. LS2 doesn’t pay to get their helmets tested by Snell (as far as we can tell) so our only guide is that a couple of other LS2 helmets made from KPA have been SHARP safety tested in the UK – that’s the Rapid and the flip-up Valiant.

The Rapid scored 2 stars (out of 5) for safety whereas the Valiant scored 4 stars. But remember, that was a test on ECE versions of the helmet – not DOT – and we don’t know if there are difference between the two helmets.

LS2 does use a multi-density shock absorbing liner inside the Assault though, which is great to see. Though they only make the Assault in 2 shell sizes, which isn’t the best for safety, fitment or looks.

Having said all that, what we do know is that – in terms of safety and utility – there’s a load of features on the Assault that should help.

That face shield system is optically correct and comes Pinlock ready which means the shield’s prepared to accept a Pinlock insert. And there’s a Pinlock in the box in – which is great because there’s not much more important than having a clear shield when you’re riding, and if you ride anywhere cold/wet/humid, your Assault probably will fog up without it.

Stick in a Pinlock to keep your shield condensation free and, together with the built-in drop down sun visor to stop you getting dazzled by the sun, you should always have a clear vision.

The Assault’s secured in place using a micrometric 2 metal fastener. They’re really easy to use and save all the messing around you get with a double-d ring imo.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

LS2 doesn’t make any claims about the noise suppression on the Assault. There’s a decent internal liner what will deaden noise but there are also vent holes inside which will let in noise, along with the air flow.

ls2 assault galaxy helmet side rear view
LS2 Assault Galaxy helmet

Most owners we came across thought it was a reasonably quiet helmet – but that’s always very subjective and massively dependent on how fast and the type of bike you ride (as well as how deaf you are!).

From comments we came across on the web, we’ve marked it down as about average for noise attenuation. But expect to need to wear ear plugs with the Assault as it’s amazing/scary how wind rush can damage your hearing while riding.

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

The LS2 Assault’s got a decent configuration of vents. There’s a single chin vent operated by a single slider, and a dual crown vent set high up on the helmet shell, again operated by a single slider.

At the back, there’s a nice large exhaust high on the shell and a couple of exhausts further down – all designed to help flow air through the helmet.

LS2 FF800 assault full face helmet white front view
Big double scoop vents and single chin vent on plain white LS2 Assault

From the perspective of ease of use, a single slider up top and one in the chin bar is about as easy as they come.

They’re nice and chunky sliders too and the word is they’re easy to find in gloves.

They’re also decent vents too with a few owners saying they vent quite a bit of air into the helmet to keep your head cool.

The chin bar vents take air towards the mouth as well as onto the back of the shield. There isn’t enough venting on the shield to keep things fog free though (same goes for most helmets to be fair) so get the Pinloc fitted to stop it misting up.

Face Shield

(more about shields)

The shield system on the Assault is well thought through.

The main clear shield is class A optically correct to keep distortion to an absolute minimum. It’s a quick release shield but doesn’t work on a ratchet, so shield positions are fully open or closed and it’s just held by friction at intermediate positions.

When you close the shield, there’s a small central shield lock which is easy to unlock and open using the central tab on the bottom of the shield.

That central tab means it’s very easy to open the shield with either hand – which is really handy compared to shields with tabs on the left hand side only, which can be a real nuisance when you want to open the shield with your right hand.


A couple of useful links…

Helmets that are great for glasses wearers
The best ear plugs reviewed


 

At speed, there is a reasonable amount of ventilation that gets onto the rear of the shield to help with defogging – and that’s helped by the Assault coming with a removable breath guard that helps divert your breath away from the shield.

But for many of us, the shield’s going to fog up for much of the time when it’s cool or rainy. So it’s excellent news that the Assault is supplied with a Pinlock antifog insert in the box as it’s the best long term solution.

ls2 ff800 storm matt black helmet rear view
Flat black Assault

If you’ve never used a Pinlock before, it’s a hydrophobic insert that stops condensation and is a must if you ride in anything other than perfect conditions (read more here). They’re usually around $30 to buy so it’s great that LS2 have decided to include one in the box, especially with such a competitively priced helmet.

The shield system on the Assault looks to have just about everything covered. And on the road it all works well with several owners saying it’s nice and wide and very easy to operate. LS2’s shield release system is one of the easiest to use too, making it really simple to whip off your shield to clean it after each trip.

Sun Visor

(more about sun visors)

Ease of use goes for the drop down sun visor too. That slider is mounted at just the right location and its action is nice and smooth. And just like the ventilation controls, the slider’s really easy to work in gloves, which is always handy.

ls2 assault helmet nardo grey side view
Solid grey Assault

Like the main shield, the sun visor is made of polycarbonate and not only are sun visors really useful to drop down to protect your eyes from glare, but because it’s polycarbonate, it adds an extra layer of 95%+ UV protection too.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

The LS2 Assault is only made in 2 shell sizes which isn’t that great (find out why here) with the smallest shell covering fitments XS-M and the larger shell L-XXXL). It’s designed for medium oval head shapes – which should be fine for most of us – and the internal comfort liner is both hypoallergenic and moisture wicking.

The cheek pads inside the Assault are made from laser cut foam to help mould them more closely to the contours of the face, and while there’s nothing particularly special about the internals of the assault, their liners are known for being very comfortable.

ls2 assault nerve helmet side view
Nerve graphics Assault

They are also known for often being a bit snug for your first few rides, though a few owners commented that they’re a bit of a squeeze at first but do break in pretty quickly after a few rides. And once they do, they’re a very comfortable helmet.

A few owners also commented that the chin strap is particularly comfortable and – as it’s a micrometric fastener – very easy to use.

Looks & Graphics

You can buy an Assault in all the usual whites and blacks and there’s a mid-grey too (see above). For graphics, there’s an absolute ton of designs. On this page you’ll find the cool Nerve graphic (above) as well as a Assault Faster and Techy.

But there are a load more – for those and any others that’ve been released since we wrote this review, you’re best clicking the links to our recommended retailers below that’ll drop you straight onto their LS2 Assault pages to check out the latest lids and deals.

Best places to buy an LS2 Assault?

Please click below to visit the LS2 Assault helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Shop for helmets at Amazon

LS2 Assault Video

This is a 5m video from Revzilla looking around the LS2 Assault.

Other stuff – audio, weight, chin curtain, build quality, warranty

If you’re looking to fit a bluetooth headset to your Assault, you shouldn’t have a problem. There are speaker pockets in there – take a look at the video above where you’ll see them – and we’ve had word of owners fitting Freecom and Sena SMH5 systems without a hitch (they mount the controller in front of the sun visor slider).

ls2 assault helmet in brushed alloy rear view
Rear view of the LS2 Assault brushed alloy

If you don’t have a bluetooth set but want one, the LS2 Assault’s designed to work with their own (Sena manufactured) Linkin Ride Pal bluetooth set.

All LS2 Assaults come with a breath guard and removable chin curtain in the box.

Even though the Assault’s a thermoplastic helmet – which are usually heavier lids – most riders we came across reckoned it feels like a lightweight helmet when you’re riding in it. It weighs around 3.1lbs (1.4Kg) so it is actually very much at the lighter end of plastic shelled helmets.

And even though it is a cheaper helmet, several Assault owners said that it feels a quality piece of kit – it feels well made and materials/sliders feel of decent quality.

Which is handy, because LS2 Assaults are only backed by a 2 year warranty (some brands offer a 5 year warranty on their helmets).

[xyz-ihs snippet=”Link-to-guides-page”]

Looking to buy an LS2 Assault?

Please click below to visit the LS2 Assault helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Shop for helmets at Amazon

Good Alternatives to the LS2 Assault?

So you’re after a good performing helmet for around $200 or less? Here’s some recommended helmets to look out for…

HJC C70 lianto hi viz motorbike crash helmet side view
HJC C70 Lianto
HJC I10

First up, you should read our HJC C70 review. That’s a well-liked, lower priced polycarb full face that’s got a sun visor too.

HJC also make the I10 which is a Snell certified helmet available for about the same price as the Assault and the C70.

Shark’s Ridill is a highly rated full face with sun visor and glasses groove. It also comes with a Pinlock in the box for about the same price. Amazing value helmet that.

shark-ridill-motorcycle-helmet-oxyd-front-view
Shark Ridill Oxyd
scorpion exo r 410 crash helmet tracker grey side view
Scorpion R420

You should also check out the Scorpion Exo R420 which is another Snell approved helmet, this time with EQRS and with a double-d ring fastener, if that’s your thing.

Star Ratings

HJC’s premium flip-up touring helmet with sun visor: HJC RPHA 90.

hjc-rpha-90S-featured-image

Full review of the HJC RPHA-90/90S modular crash helmet.

HJC’s RPHA series of helmets are their higher performance range of lids (it’s actually short for Revolutionary Performance Helmet Advantage – I assume it makes a bit more sense in Korean!).

HJC launched the RPHA 90 as their hyper-compact, lightweight modular helmet to head up their flip-front helmet range. They then slightly revised it and called it the RPHA 90S – though they’re essentially the same helmet but with the S having some sportier graphics and aimed at more lean-forward sportsbike riders.

Like other RPHA helmets, that means it’s got a shell made from their advanced composite construction (called PIM+ or premium integrated matrix plus) along with a full complement of pretty well every feature you could want on a modern modular helmet.

Now it’s been out a while, here’s the lowdown on whether it lives up to the hype – or if it fails to deliver.

Looking to buy an HJC RPHA-90S?

Please click below to visit the HJC RPHA-90S helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

BTO Sports

Overall/Summary

The RPHA 90S is HJC’s premium (i.e. most expensive) modular helmet. But for that you get a light weight modular (not the lightest ever but not far off) that’s compact and has high quality internals.

There’s some great alternatives for quite a bit less money (we’ve selected some at the bottom of the page) but the RPHA 90S is a really good performer – offering excellent ventilation and shield system along with all-day comfort and quality materials.

And the ECE version has been independently safety tested by SHARP and given a very decent 4 star safety rating (out of 5) which is always great to know.

It’s stable too and it’s widely regarded as not too noisy – for a modular. Overall then, it pretty well does everything HJC set out to achieve. And now there’s deals to be had on older graphics (check out our links to reliable and trusted stores below) you can have HJC’s great-performing, premium modular at a bargain price.

Safety

(more about helmet safety)
HJC-RPHA-90-Rabrigo-helmet-blue-side-view
Chin guard down on the RPHA 90 Rabrigo

The RPHA 90S has HJC’s advanced composite PIM+ shell. That means it’s constructed using HJCs most advanced construction tech and includes layers of fiberglass, carbon fiber and aramid (kevlar).

That’s designed to produce a strong and lightweight helmet and has allowed HJC, as you’d expect, to get the RPHA 90 DOT and ECE certified, meaning it’s approved for use in mandatory helmet states (ECE is the equivalent European certification to DOT – and is good to know because ECE includes a mandatory testing regime whereas DOT doesn’t).

So that’s great, right?

Well, yes. But we usually look for some independent testing though unfortunately the HJC RPHA 90 hasn’t been safety tested by Snell, so we can’t be 100% on how well it’ll score.

The good news is that the ECE version of the RPHA 90S was safety tested in the UK by the SHARP labs in July 22.

Before then, 3 RPHA helmets had been tested by SHARP, and every one scored 3 stars for safety.

HJC RPHA 90S SHARP 8_5 ms test result graphic
HJC RPHA 90S SHARP 8.5 m/s test result courtesy of https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/

So it was a suprise then the RPHA 90S was tested by SHARP and scored 4 stars.

It seems to have dropped points mostly on the left hand side of the helmet – if the 8.5 m/s graphic is anything to go by, although that is only one of the many tests they put the helmet through. If it is, it’s possible it’s because that’s the side the sun visor mechanism sits. Just a thought.

Anyhow, apart from scoring a very decent four stars overall, it also scored a solid 93% for the chin bar remaining locked both sides during testing.

So, according to SHARP testing, it seems like a good helmet – though don’t forget that SHARP score is for an ECE version of the RPHA 90S (and we don’t know if that’s an identical helmet to the US DOT version). Also don’t forget that a decent test score is secondary to making sure you buy a helmet that fits well (read more here).

HJC-RPHA-90-semi-flat-white-crash-helmet-front-view
HJC RPHA 90 front view showing front vent sliders

So that’s the lowdown on RPHA 90 helmet testing.

But the RPHA 90’s also got a ton of other features that contribute to making a safe helmet.

There’s a drop down sun visor in there – invaluable for keeping your vision clear when it’s mega bright. And it’s got a Pinlock Max Vision anti-fog insert in the box too – again, essential if you live somewhere humid/cold/rainy.

There’s also double-d ring fastener on there too – they’re great old school fasteners (note the European version of the RPHA 90S comes with a micrometric fastener).

And finally, modulars can be a bit weighty – guess it’s all that extra mechanism needed to operate the chin bar that adds a few g onto the weight.

But the HJC RPHA 90S weighs around 3.3lbs (1.5Kg) which is much lighter than the average flip-up helmet. That’s good for comfort of course, but it’s useful for safety too (less mass for the helmet liner to control during an accident).

All of which means there’s a whole heap of safety-relevant features the RPHA 90 offers for your money.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

The HJC RPHA 90 has been designed to be compact and quiet.

The shell has been aerodynamically designed and wind tunnel tested to offer as little wind resistance as possible to reduce buffeting and noise (see ‘aero’ below).

HJC-RPHA-90-metal-crash-helmet-in-fluorescent-green-side-view
If you want to be seen, here’s the fluorescent green Hi Viz RPHA 90S

There’s also an extensive neck roll and chin curtain combo at the bottom of the helmet which should keep noise out of the helmet; and that internal lining is engineered to give a secure fit that reduces noise too.

There’s some pretty conflicting views out there on whether it all works.

I found quite a few European riders complain that it’s a very noisy helmet whereas most Americans find it quiet for a modular (though there are some complaints there’s a weird rattly noise that can come from that top vent).

So it’s difficult to say whether that’s down to US RPHA 90s being constructed slightly differently from European helmets or some other difference. Although most of the folks saying it’s really noisy were German so maybe Autobahns – that don’t have a speed limit – are playing a part here too!

I didn’t find many US riders saying it’s anything other the quiet for a modular (which are broadly noisier than your typical full face helmet).

So we’ll take the middle route and mark down the RPHA-90 as about average for noise – and hopefully, if you do buy one, you’ll be pleasantly surprised (and stay away from Autobahns!).

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

Ventilation on the RPHA 90S is a relatively ‘standard’ config. There’s a large central chin vent to drive air onto the back of the visor – and you can close it off using that large panel slider slap bang middle of the chin guard.

Same goes up top. There’s a large slider that opens/closes the single top vent and both sliders are very easy to find and glove-friendly.

HJC-RPHA-90-flip-up-helmet-matt-black-rear-view
Rear exhaust vent on the matt black RPHA 90

Air from the top vent will go through the helmet shell and is circulated around the helmet via channels in the EPS lining inside, exiting out of the rear exhaust vent (that’s closable by a smaller slider).

And the great news is that ventilation, particularly through the top vent, is really good.

Several owners said that you can really feel the cooling across your head and it even keeps your head cool in extreme heat.

Also, when your head does sweat, the liner is great at wicking moisture away from your head and it dries out really quickly too.

While the chin bar vent takes air onto the back of the face shield, it’s not enough to keep your shield mist-free. So, if you find fogging a problem, you’ll need a Pinlock to keep your shield clear.

Shield

(more about shields)

Aside from your helmet shell giving you protection in an accident, the visor’s arguably the second most important feature on any helmet.

Thankfully the shield system on the HJC RPHA 90 seems to have every conceivable base covered.

That means it’s quick release (so you can swap it out quickly and easily), it’s Pinlock ready and there’s a Pinlock antifog in the box (yay!). It’s also wide for good peripheral vision and it’s got a shield lock to stop it opening while you’re riding. Mind you, not many helmets without a shield lock do that anyhow in my experience.

HJCs’ RapidFire 3 quick release shield system is one of the best out there so you should find it pretty quick and easy to use.

And of course, the RPHA 90S got an integral drop down sun visor too.

HJC-RPHA-90-flip-front-helmet-tanisk-grey-side-view
Tanisk graphics (there’s also a classy black/red version)

It’s worth mentioning that the shield opening on the RPHA 90 isn’t designed for use on a sportsbike though because if you get in a tuck position, you’ll struggle to see ahead because it’s not a massively tall opening.

Overall, owners of the RPHA 90 reckon the shield system works well; though there’s a couple of potential foibles.

On the good side, both the shield and sun visor are optically very good and owners love how good the wide vision is.

On the not so good side, there are reports of the seals around the shield not being the greatest in the rain, and quite a few owners complain that the visor locking mechanism is too big so when you crack open the shield, it gets straight in your line of vision.

Sun Visor

(more about sun visors)

The sun visor on the RPHA 90S works on a slider on the left hand side of the helmet. It works like most other sun visors – but if you’ve not tried one before we heartily recommend you try a helmet with a sun visor because they’re mega-useful when things get too bright and you’ve forgotten your shades or a replacement tinted shield.

And usefully, the sun visor on the 90S is both anti-scratch and anti-fog coated (not all are).

It’ll also give you extra UV protection; polycarbonate shields (sun visor and main clear shield) inherently give you somewhere between 90%-99% UV protection because it’s one of polycarbonate’s innate properties. Hurray for plastic!

You’ll sometimes find that sun visors don’t drop down low enough, leaving a stripe of bright light at the bottom that can really get on your nerves.

RPHA 90S owners reckon that’s not the case with this sun visor – it comes down nice and low, the action and movement of the visor’s good and vision’s nice and clear through it.

Chin Guard

(more about chin guards)

The RPHA 90’s chin guard is opened using a single button on the bottom of the guard. As you can see in the images, the fully-raised position raises it to about 90 degrees – some helmets let you pull the chin guard right round to the back of the helmet and out of the way – and are dual-homologated too.

HJC-RPHA-90-silver-modular-crash-helmet-side-view-open
Chin guard in fully raised position.

If you’re intending to ride with the chin guard up, then we’d suggest you buy one of those dual homologated helmets (meaning it’s designed & tested to be ridden with the chin guard up – though it’s a Europe-only requirement).

Also, if you buy a modular helmet, chances are you like the flexibility of having that chin bar up when you want, but having the protection of a full face helmet when you’re putting some serious miles in. Which means you want to be able to trust that the chin guard will stay locked and closed during an accident.

In the case of the RPHA 90S, when SHARP tested the ECE version of the helmet, they scored the chin bar 93%, meaning at least one side became unlatched in 7% of the 32 impact tests. That’s actually not a bad score at all because 100% ratings are surprisingly rare.

Some recently tested modulars which scored 100% include the X-Lite X1004 the LS2 Strobe and the budget MDS MD200 – and all Nolan modulars tested to date have scored 100% too.

Finally, owners of HJC RPHA-90s like the way the chin bar works. It’s easy to open and close, it feels solid, and it gives a nice reassuring clunk when you close it so you know it’s closed and locked.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

As you’d expect on a premium priced modular, HJC has thrown quite a bit of care an attention at the internals on the RPHA 90S.

It has a removable and washable lining of course and the lining foam has been shaped to form a close fit with the face; called a 3D lining.

HJC-RPHA-90-Rabrigo-helmet-red-white-blue-side-view
Rabrigro graphics

It uses ‘Polygeine’ fabrics which use small amounts of silver chloride to make the fabric resistant to bacterial growth and therefore reduce odour – meaning you’ll need to wash the lining less often.

And it also uses what HJC calls Multicool which is a moisture-wicking material which should keep your head drier while simultaneously removing heat and keeping your head a bit cooler.

We’ve heard reports that it really works – pulling sweat away quickly and drying out just as quickly when you’ve finished riding.

Also, if you wear glasses, there’s a glasses groove inside to take the stems of your glasses and stopping them pressing into the side of your head while riding.

I found one RPHA 90S reviewer who tried several pairs of glasses along with pulling down both the chin bar and sun visor to see if they’d interfere with each other. They found neither touched the glasses – so that hopefully means you’ll be able to keep wearing your glasses when you wear a RPHA-90, and don’t keep having to remove them.

According to many owners, the lining is soft and plush and makes for a really comfortable helmet that’s fine for all day riding.

So, if you’re thinking of buying an RPHA 90 and you’re a medium oval internal shape (should suit most riders unless you’ve got a longer oval head), please follow our motorcycle helmet fitting guide to find out how to get the right size of helmet.

Don’t forget, wearing a correctly-fitting helmet is your number 1 priority to ensure your helmet will give you max protection during an impact.

Looks & Graphics

For the latest designs and deals, it’s worth clicking through to our recommended retailers using the links below.

But at the time of writing, there’s a gloss and matt black RPHA 90 along with a pearl white and a dark grey titanium version. And if you’re after a hi viz helmet, there’s the bright fluo yellow and there’s a slightly toned down fluo yellow Rabrigo (see Rabrigo pic above). Finally there’s the Tanisk graphics in black or red.

Best places to buy an HJC RPHA-90S?

Please click below to visit the HJC RPHA-90S helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

BTO Sports

HJC RPHA 90S Video

Other stuff – audio, weight, aero, warranty

The RPHA 90S is designed to take the Cardo Smart bluetooth set. But it should also work with most headsets provided their speakers aren’t too deep – the speaker cutouts on the 90 are about medium depth.

Modular helmets are never the easiest places to mount 3rd party comms units on. But we have heard of Sena SMH-10s and Cardo Packtalk Bolds being mounted successfully – though you may have to mount them further back than on full face helmets.

The HJC RPHA-90S is one of the lightest modulars, coming in around 3.2lbs (1.47Kg) give or take. And many owners say it really feels lightweight when you’re riding too.

Several owners also reckon HJC’s aero efforts have paid off – saying it feels really stable on the road.

Like all HJCs RPHA helmets, it comes with a class-leading 5 year manufacturer’s warranty.

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Good Alternatives to the HJC RPHA 90S?

First off, there’s the Shark Evo-One 2, that’s a SHARP 4 star safety rated modular that’s comes in composite and carbon fiber variants – but check the ‘summary’ on our review page for details.

There’s also AGVs Sport Modular, that’s a mega light weight (1.3Kg) carbon fiber modular designed for sports bikes. It’s a a good few dollars more expensive than the RPHA 90 though.

Or there’s Shoei’s well regarded Neotech II, that’s the follow up to their successful original Neotech that features sun visor and Pinlock too.

Or how about something on the Adventure side? Schuberth’s E1 has an optically correct main shield, 5 year warranty and is a combo of adventure bike and modular.

Looking to buy an HJC RPHA-90S?

Please click below to visit the HJC RPHA-90S helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

BTO Sports

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Star Ratings

A Guide to ECE 22.06: approval of motorcycle helmets and visors

What is ECE 22.06 and when’s it coming in?

ECE 22.06 is the new European motorcycle helmet testing regulations, brought in to replace ECE 22.05. Each helmet put on sale in Europe has to pass a series of rigorous tests before it can be sold. Which means it’s not relevant to US states where DOT certification is the standard that all motorcycle helmets have to adhere to.

Every so often, the United Nations reviews motorcycle helmet safety and decides whether its regulations can be improved to make motorcycle helmets more protective.

In June 2020, their working party published their latest regulations – the first in around 20 years – and they’ve been brought in to replace the old ECE 22.05 regs that we all know and love.

But don’t worry if you’re still wearing an ECE 22.05 helmet. New helmets only have to conform to these new regs from January 2024 (in areas who use ECE helmet regs only) and even then, old ECE 22.05 helmets will still be legal. It’s only new helmets on sale that will have to be 22.06 from that date on.

Note: the info below is still subject to change because the regs are still changing. Even though everything’s been announced, 22.06 helmets are out in the shops and the press coverage has died down, the regulations are still being tweaked. At the time of writing, they’re on amend 5, revision 2 so who knows when things will be finalised.

Why a new standard?

As new science and new tech becomes available, we can make better and more protective gear, right? And with that, UN agencies like to tighten up standards a bit so we can all be sure we’re buying gear that’s fit for purpose and, in the case of helmets, are going to give us a decent level of protection.

In the case of UN ECE Regulation No.22 06 series of amendments (to give it it’s full title!) the transport committee saw safety studies (notably the Cost 327 study) and decided to implement one or two changes in compliance with that report.

All of which is fine by me – the more behind-the-scenes safety testing making for more protective gear, the better!

It’s no walk-over

If you read the full text of 22.06, you’ll see that the test is really no walk over for manufacturers.

And it doesn’t just take a helmet through a testing procedure. No, it also defines a whole host of design features that must be adhered to which make helmets easier to use and safer.

Items like the colour of opening tabs (red), ensuring buckles can’t be half fastened, external rivets can’t be too high or sharp and visors are defect free and let enough light through.

When it comes to testing, it’s very comprehensive and requires a first round of helmet testing for an approval test and then a second round of testing on the finished production helmets. That’s in stark contrast to the DOT standards that doesn’t actually test any helmets before going on sale – it just defines a standard which helmet manufacturers have to meet.

So, for a helmet model that’s only sold with a single helmet shell (to cover all fitment sizes), that’ll mean testing 55 helmets.

For a more premium helmet – one that’s made in 3 different shell sizes – that means testing 135 helmets in all it’s different sizes, before they hit the shelves!

And that figure can go up even further if there are more variations – like if it’s available with two different types of fasteners.

So what do they test with ECE 22.06?

Helmet Design

ECE 22.06 ensures the basic layout of the helmet is defined (hard outer shell, shock absorbing inner etc. etc.) and ensures a helmet has a large enough view port to look out of as well as provide enough coverage to give effective head protection.

Flat-anvil-helmet-testing
Full face helmet against a flat anvil on a helmet testing rig.

It must also be able to tolerate ageing and shouldn’t reduce in protection through exposure to sunlight, temperature changes or rain. 22.06 testing therefore conditions helmets using various temperatures, humidity, water and exposure to UV lights to simulate these various conditions.

It also ensures any projections can’t stick out too far and that they’ll shear off during an impact.

Helmet Liner

Obviously, the helmet liner is one of the key components in any helmet and comprises the shock absorbing liner as well as a comfort liner.

Apart from protecting the user and absorbing energy, the liner shouldn’t deteriorate and it shouldn’t be affected by sweat or cosmetics or hair products. It shouldn’t cause skin irritation either.

And of course, the shock absorbing liner plays a key part in passing the impact tests.

Helmet Noise

Interestingly, it’s actually in the 22.06 regs (as it was in 22.05 before it) that helmets cannot dangerously affect the wearer’s ability to hear. Which means of course, you’ll never find a truly silent ECE 22.06 helmet, even though manufacturers may well be able to make one!

Chin Strap and Fastener

The chin strap must be fit for purpose, permanently fixed and not too thin. It shouldn’t stretch either.

The fastener also has to be fit for purpose, including only open when the user wants it to, not be capable of being partially closed and it must be easy to use.

Helmets are tested for overall retention – meaning they’re tested to make sure they don’t come off. Full face helmets are tested with a 10Kg weight dropped from .5m and modular helmets are tested with chin bars in both full face and jet positions.

They’re also tested to check the strap and fastener are strong enough using a 10Kg weight dropped from .75m and checking for damage or stretching – and checking the fastener still works and stays closed.

Essentially, they check the durability and ease of use of the straps and fasteners as well as their strength.

Modular Chin Bars

If there’s a moveable chin bar – like on a modular helmet – it must be able to stay in place during impact tests in both Jet (J) and chin bar down in protective full face mode (P).

Face Shields and Sun Visors

Peripheral vision is tested so the helmet doesn’t obscure vision in any direction. 22.06 also specifies a minimum level of light transmittance through a shield and for the first time specifies transmission through lcd or photochromic face shields (which, like sun visors, can go down to 20% light transmission).

The standard also covers distortion levels, scratch resistance, defects, mist resistance (for fog-free shields) and refraction levels. There’s even a test to check whether signal lights are visible through a tinted shield.

New for 22.06 is the impact testing of shields to ensure they can resist penetration. In this test, a 6mm steel ball is fired at 80m/s or 180mph at the shield. It must stop the ball going through the shield, and if the shield breaks, it shouldn’t shatter into shards.

Helmet Impact Testing

looking-up-at-a-helmet-testing-rig
To get speed up in a test lab, you need a seriously tall testing rig! Looking up into the roof space of a test rig.

UNECE has always had a comprehensive range of helmet impact tests, but they’ve now upped the number, introduced a higher and lower speed test, and introduced an angled impact test to simulate hitting an object that then spins the helmet, potentially causing brain damage.

Interestingly, the UK’s SHARP test has had an angled test and higher speed test in it’s standard since they began, and now UNECE seems to have caught up.

ECE 22.06 also includes fitting various official accessories to helmets, such as sun visors and OEM externally fitted mounts, to ensure they don’t cause damage to the helmet (and rider) during testing.

Impact speeds include 6.0m/s, 7.5m/s and 8.2m/s (8.5m/s for the oblique test) to cover a range of lower and higher speed impacts. Though note, you may be surprised to hear that 8.5m/s still only equates to less than 20 mph! I think the idea for helmet testing is that helmets protect against survivable impacts and that in reality, the speed of impact is usually quite low – but that’s all for an entirely different article!

Helmets are then tested against a flat steel anvil, a kerbstone anvil and an angled ‘bar’ anvil, with a variety of headforms of different weights placed in the helmets.

For all tests, helmets are tested at four different points on the helmet shell and against the chin guard. Further tests are then conducted with 3 impacts randomly chosen from 12 predetermined impact points to ensure the system can’t be gamed (where manufacturers strengthen only the test points).

Oblique Test

New to ECE 22.06 is an angled or oblique test.

End-result-of-oblique-impact-helmet-testing
End result of an oblique helmet test – with a similar heavy grade glass paper used by SHARP in their testing to increase friction.

People have long known how dangerous instant rotation of a helmet can be for both neck and brain damage, and now the ECE regs have caught up.

A bar anvil is used in the rotation or oblique angled test. It’s a severe 15° from the vertical, has 5 case-hardened steel bars across it and is covered by 80 grade aluminium oxide abrasive paper! It’s a serious test and is designed to test the rotation-inducing forces caused by the helmet hitting a high friction surface, along with any accessories fitted.

22.06 uses brain injury criterion (BrIC) derived from a rotation acceleration figure to calculate whether a helmet has passed the oblique test. Essentially, rotational acceleration can’t exceed 10,400 rad/s2 for any test.

Helmet Shell Deformation

Helmet shells are also tested for deformation, with conditioned helmets placed under a max of 630 Newton load (around 64Kg/141lbs) – both side to side and front to back – and deformations measured.

Helmets will only pass if they deform less than 40mm when under maximum load and 15mm when under the minimum 30 N load.

ECE 22.06 Helmet Labeling (and other bits and bobs)

The standard also stipulates what stickers and labels have to be added and what warnings are necessary for items such as solvents or stickers that can’t be used on a helmet shell.

Helmet labeling consists of a large E in a circle with a number, the number corresponding to a country. UK is E11, Italy is E3, and so on.

The numbers next to the E mark is (in order) the type approval (06), then the helmet approval number, the type of protection the helmet offers /J (jet or open face helmets) /P (protective chin bar for full face helmets) etc. followed by a hyphen then the production serial number.

ECE 22.06 motorcycle helmet label

And of course within the 126 pages of regulations, there’s a load of other guff telling manufacturers what they can and can’t do to bring (and withdraw) their helmets to market.

In Conclusion

All in all, updated ECE regs have to be a good thing for helmet (and rider) safety and any update to make helmets even better protecting and even more closely scrutinised – before we subject them to crashes and scrapes down the queen’s highway – then all the better.

Ruroc Atlas 3.0 motorcycle helmet

Ruroc-Atlas-3-featured

Ruroc Atlas 3.0: evolution of the Atlas carbon fiber street helmet.

Ruroc continues it’s move from Snowboard to Motorcycle gear with the Ruroc Atlas 3.0, a carbon fiber full face helmet with the emphasis very much on its mean and moody street fighter looks.

Ruroc-atlas-3.0-core-side-view
Ruroc Atlas 3 Core with optional orange mirror shield

The old Atlas 2.0 was a decent enough helmet but did have a few issues; namely it was fairly loud and the faceshield seal was a bit, erm, draughty. So, Ruroc has listened to owners and has addressed some of these problems with the release of their Atlas 3 helmet.

  • Carbon fiber full face helmet
  • DOT & ECE certified
  • SHARP 4 star safety rated (ECE helmet)
  • Fidlock fastener
  • EQRS
  • Pinlock antifog insert included
  • Delivered with two shields
  • Shockwave bluetooth-ready
  • Sizes XS-XXL
  • Expect to pay $450-$575

All Atlas 3 helmets are made in carbon fiber using an entry-level aerospace quality carbon weave called T300. And it’s now made in 3 different shell sizes which is great news because it means XS helmet wearers won’t have to wear a helmet shell that’s too big for them. It’s great for comfort and looks too.

ruroc-atlas-3-carbonized-inferno-front-view
Front view of the Carbonized Inferno Atlas 3

No DOT Ruroc helmets have ever been tested by Snell so, beyond the base level DOT safety specification, it’s hard to know how well it’ll perform in the real world.

Having said that, over in the UK, the older Atlas 2 scored a very solid SHARP 4 star rating for safety. And now the Atlas 3.0 has been tested too, where it scored exactly the same with a great 4 star rating, meaning – with the ECE version of the Atlas 3.0 at least –  you can expect it to offer excellent impact protection too.

Click to check out Snell certified DOT helmets.

Or SHARP 5 star safety rated helmets.

That’s 4 star SHARP rating is great to see of course, . But don’t forget whatever helmet you buy, it needs to fit just right and be comfortable as possible as fitting is vitally important to getting a helmet that maximises protection.

8.5 m/s test results for the ECE Ruroc
Atlas 3.0 – courtesy of sharp.dft.gov.uk

I’m going to go out on a limb here, but i’m guessing that most owners are gonna be taken by the looks of the Atlas 3? I know… risky assumption. But looks aside, the Atlas 3.0’s got some useful features too.

The shell’s not massively lightweight for a carbon helmet – Ruroc’s own figures put it around 3.1-3.5lbs (1.4-1.6Kg), but it has got EQRS and the fastener’s a super easy to use fidlock which removes most of the hassle out of fastening a helmet – especially if you’re still using a helmet with a double-d ring.

Ruroc-Atlas-3.0-la-calavera-side-view
Ruroc Atlas 3 La Calavera

The Atlas 3’s toolless shield mechanism is a bit clunky and fiddly compared to some of the latest quick release shields and probably something they’ll look to address with the Atlas 4 I’d guess. But they have made it nice and wide and it’s Pinlock antifog ready with a Pinlock in the box.

It’s also delivered with a spare dark tint shield which is a good touch.

Pricing wise, it’s probably what you’d expect to pay for a carbon helmet. But if you are looking for a mean-looking street helmet, there are some great alternatives out there you might want to consider.

Alternatives to the Ruroc Atlas 3.0?

You can check out our Coolest Motorcycle Helmets and our Retro Helmets pages to see some of the most stylish lids around. But here’s a few others you might want to check out.

icon airform illuminatus pink crash helmet side view
Icon Airform Illuminatus

Icon are known for their crazy graphics of course, but they’re also know for making helmets that are pretty cheap too. The Icon Airform is a polycarb helmet and comes with an optically correct shield and integral sun shield.

simpson-outlaw-bandit-helmet-matt-black-side-view
Solid Matt Black Outlaw Bandit

The daddy of all the coolest looking bike helmets has to be a Simpson, and the Outlaw Bandit is also a top notch street helmet. It’s a Snell approved back-to-basics lid with all the style and authenticity you can handle.

bell broozer modular motorcycle helmet arc matte black front view
Bell Broozer

Or, if you like the idea of a full face that converts into an open face, then take a look at the Bell Broozer. It’s light weight, has a protective chin bar and comes with a clear and dark shield in the box. It’s half the price of the Ruroc too.