Quiet Modular?

[kawtippin]

I thought I'd try out a modular helmet to see if I'd like it. I got a Bell Revolver for under a hundred
bucks. Fits well, but man.....noisy. Pop down shades are kimshee. May send it back, but figure it'll do on short stints. I usually ride with ear plugs or the MP3. I had a pair of form fitted earphones for the ipod, but they got destroyed. May need to get another pair if I want tunes and no wind noise.

So, anyone have a quiet modular that doesn't cost a lot? Or.......
is it a case of "you get what you pay for?"

Thanks in advance.

[M143]

Quiet thread,

Hey KT how's your new tuningfork bike treatin' you?

My son bought a Bell Revolver, black with a skunk stripe, it's ok as you said but there must be better.

How about a jet style helmet, Nolans look the business.

[ZRX4ME]

Kaw, I have a Nolan N100E Classic I bought new in '06. When new it was a bit noisier than my Shoei RF800, which was bank-vault quiet, but had very poor venting. At the end of '05
I replaced the 800 with the then-new RF1000. A little noisier than the 800, but about equal to the Nolan modular. '10 got me the new RF1100, quiet, excellent in every way---and the Nolan is now unbearable on a long ride! The Nolan hasnt seen all that many hours on my head, still fits fine, but it's an instrument of torture on a highway drone.
I LOVE the convenience of the flip lids, getting fuel or a drink at a gas stop. And the Nolan's fit and finish are excellent--when I bought I compared it to the KBC and HJC flips--to me, those 2 seemed like Mattel toys.
But now, as I contemplate replacing the Nolan because of the age of the helmet, I am hesitant on doing so because of the noise even when new compared to today's full-face helmets. More often than not I reach for the RF1100, and those days when I've worn the flip, I wished I hadn't.

[Buelligan]

Originally Posted by kawtippin

Pop down shades are kimshee.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I like kimchee.

I'd like my next helmet to have pop down shades if they work well. I hate riding with sunglasses and I hate having to schlep an extra visor with me on long rides.

[Beamster]

I've been hedging on the Shoei Multitec for years and now they've upgraded it with a sister model called the neotec.
I seen a couple reviews that seem to like the weight, air flow and noise level, but it all comes at a dear price.

But I never believed in trusting a helmet that only costs the same as a tank of gas for the truck.
And I've yet to hear of a dented head getting better again.

Shoeis seem to dominate our shelf here due to suitability to head shape.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/shoei/neotec/
http://motorcyclehelmetcritic.com/shoei-neotec-review/

[kawtippin]

Thanks for the comments guys.
Buelligan, I use "kimshee" to describe cheap, kinda crappy, etc.

I sent the revolver back. It felt like I had the visor open when riding.

I may just keep with the full face design, but I do need to replace my old Arai.
I've never had a Shoei, but will consider all when it comes to fit and comfort.
Arai may now be too expensive. Most models that they make have pressure points on my forehead and face. Would like to support a local shop for the helmet, instead of sending back and forth via the web.

Thinking of pointing the bike south next week. No plans, just wing it. Planning can become work. Will put "The Weight" on a loop in the ipod and see where I end up? Hopefully not in a shotgun induced blaze of glory! But my Yankee tag will announce my arrival.

[CW1Hoyer]

The Shoei Neotech is a very good modular. The Schuberth C3 is also very quiet. Less expensive modulars generally get louder and more drafty as the price goes down. The HJC IS Max BT is a good helmet for the money, but definitely not in the same serene league with the two very expensive helmets listed (and you wouldn't expect it to be).

The chin skirts on the Shoei and Schubert (the C3 also has extra material around the neck/strap area) help quite a bit. The Revolver and HJC don't have that extra material. Also, around the joint where the flip and shield meet the rest of the helmet, the tolerances are closer on the expensive hats, and this reduces wind noise.

I have not worn every modular, but have tried the ones listed here.

Nice to have the convenience of a flip, but you can't beat a quality full-face for quiet.

MH

[lawrence1]

A good friend and riding partner of mine has a modular helmet. When we come off the highway into some town and he flips that front up at a stoplight, I gotta admit, I'm somewhat envious.

How do the modulars do at aerodynamics?

[kawtippin]

Especially on those hot summer days. ^^^^^^

Schuberth is a name that came up last weekend. At a well known bike hang out, I walked back to my bike and saw this big guy looking at my tires on the Yammi. "So how dooooo you like-ha doe's pie-lot tree's on yourrrr bike!" (hard to type a German accent)

Got to talkin with him. Huge bike guy. Toured everywhere. Has many bikes. This bike pictured below was his latest edition, bought up at Max BMW (where else?). Was into it with all bells and whistles. Of course he had a Schuberth and said it was superior to anything else. About $700. But like they say, what's your head worth?

He was upset over the cupping on his three thousand mile Metzler tires that came as stock.
Was also pissed to see rust on his center stand already!

Sooo.....may look into that C3 a little further. Arai is in that price range, so definitely worth a look see. It still seems like an awful lot of $$$ for a hat.

Aero not a problem with Schuberth as they fit F1 jockeys.

[CW1Hoyer]

C3s have a long break-in. Shoeis generally just go on my head and I forget about it. The latch for the flip takes a bit more pressure on the Schuberth to lock in place, though it's gotten easier after a lot of use. It was two hands, one at front one at rear, when the lid was new. The Shoei was one handed right off the bat.

Surprised the front tire is cupping on that fellow's K1600GTL. The stock Z8s on our long-term bike worked great until they died between 5000 and 6000.