Gah! choosing a helmet is tough!

[Awaz]

I got limited budget and I need to buy two. After lot of research and questioning, I decided to get modular helmets. Help me decide please. Features I am looking are:

1) Lots of ventilation for hot weather. But wearable in cold weather too.
2) Enough space to fit my SENA SMH10 ear pieces and mic.
3) Should be light weight (as much as modular can be) as I am trying to conform my wife to wear helmet always. My biggest problem here is that all we got are Harley Davidson full face helmets. They are on the heavy side, lack ventilation, and mine causes me much problem due to no ear pocket to fit the SENA ear pieces. She thinks all helmets are the same 

I narrowed down to the following:

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/1/38/2080/ITEM/GMax-GM44-Helmet.aspx
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/1/38/33535/ITEM/HJC-CL-Max-II--Modular-Helmet.aspx
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/1/38/36650/ITEM/GMax-GM54S-Modular-Street-Helmet.aspx

These will also give you my budget range if you guys got any other recommendation.

[TRBN]

I know its outside your budget range, but the Shoei Multitec is a great modular helmet!  I have worn one for over 3 years and have excellent results from it!  My only complaint was that it was a bit noisier than a standard fullface.  (Which is expected from a modular over fullface!) I just recently move to a Shoei Qwest and have found it to be an excellent helmet also. 

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/1/38/1678/ITEM/Shoei-Multitec-Modular-Helmet.aspx

Aaron

[JetJock]

Definitely get the GMax 54S. Great helmet! The Wife just got one after trying on everything at least 3 times at our local dealer. It has speaker pockets, built-in smoke visor in addition to the clear no-fog outer, opens easily, CoolMax interior and can't beat the price. Paid $140 and I know they ship stuff.

Email bearsports@gmail.com or call 513-482-9620 as I just checked and the pricing on their web site isn't the same. Probably too busy to fix the damn web site pages.

[stlheadake]

I got limited budget and I need to buy two. After lot of research and questioning, I decided to get modular helmets. Help me decide please. Features I am looking are:

1) Lots of ventilation for hot weather. But wearable in cold weather too.
2) Enough space to fit my SENA SMH10 ear pieces and mic.
3) Should be light weight (as much as modular can be) as I am trying to conform my wife to wear helmet always. My biggest problem here is that all we got are Harley Davidson full face helmets. They are on the heavy side, lack ventilation, and mine causes me much problem due to no ear pocket to fit the SENA ear pieces. She thinks all helmets are the same 

I narrowed down to the following:

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/1/38/2080/ITEM/GMax-GM44-Helmet.aspx
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/1/38/33535/ITEM/HJC-CL-Max-II--Modular-Helmet.aspx
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/1/38/36650/ITEM/GMax-GM54S-Modular-Street-Helmet.aspx

These will also give you my budget range if you guys got any other recommendation.

Choosing a helmet is tough PERIOD!  We always want EVERYTHING in options.  I PERSONALLY am not a fan of HJC, but I had an older clmaxx.  Heavy, and didn't breathe!  They may be different now....

[CRocker]

Gmax GM54S is a great choice!

[Mister Tee]

I'm not a fan of modular helmets, but I am a personal fan of HJC.  Best bang for your buck that is out there.

[Awaz]

Thanks for the suggestion. I will check out the store that Jetlock suggested as well. If cost + shipping is less than other online places, I will buy it. I may have to wait a couple weeks to gather up the funds.

[JetJock]

I'm not a fan of modular helmets, but I am a personal fan of HJC.  Best bang for your buck that is out there.

I like most HJC helmets (use one racing) but their modular one has a reputation of being noisy and heavy. That's also what my wife was trading up from. Guess I need to put her very lightly used one in the For Sale section. I think she has 3 short rides in it.

[gflint]

I have owned 4 different brand modular helments.  The Schuberth was by far the nicest but it got just too expensive to replace.  I use a Scorpion now that I like a lot.  Not much ear room for buds though. 

[maxtog]

I have owned 4 different brand modular helments.  The Schuberth was by far the nicest but it got just too expensive to replace.  I use a Scorpion now that I like a lot.  Not much ear room for buds though.

My Scorpion is not modular (it is an EXO-1000).  About ear room- you couldn't be more right.  Plus I had to go TWO SIZES bigger than typical to finally get something that didn't rip my ears off or smash my cheeks into my eyes (and I am only 150lbs, 5'7"!)

I have to say, dealing with Scorpion support (twice) was some of the best support I have ever seen on ANY product.  They REALLY stand behind their stuff.  Highly recommend (if you can get the right size).

[Rawman]

The only advice I have is:  Try them ALL on!  Just because it has an XXL tag, all helmets have a different shape and fit differently.  Be mindful you can only wear a helmet in the store for so long and they will break in slightly, but if you feel pressure in spots, remember you will be wearing the helmet on the road for hours at a time and that pressure area will be painful.

[DaveO]

 im not knocking modulars ...A lot of guys like them.
Just be advised that it is nothing more than a 3/4 helmet with a thing that comes down to make it LOOK  like a full face.

[dbird29]

Surprisingly the Cycle Gear Bilt modular is a pretty nice helmet for $99 this month.
http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=5010&L2=40&L3=960&L4=961&item=BLT_BLH6-BZ-SML_G&name=BILT_Solar_Modular_Motorcycle_Helmet

It fits as well as the Scorpion I currently have.

[Walker18]

The only advice I have is:  Try them ALL on!  Just because it has an XXL tag, all helmets have a different shape and fit differently.  Be mindful you can only wear a helmet in the store for so long and they will break in slightly, but if you feel pressure in spots, remember you will be wearing the helmet on the road for hours at a time and that pressure area will be painful.

+1-- I recently went helmet shopping, for about 2 months.. I tried everything on, regardless of price. I suggest you do the same, because the worst thing
you can do is buy blind. All noggin shapes are different, and you and your wife will most likely have different shaped heads, unless your, hmmm, family...
Anycase, most colors from many manufacturers are closely the same, but it's tricky when graphics get involved..

[maxtog]

The only advice I have is:  Try them ALL on!  Just because it has an XXL tag, all helmets have a different shape and fit differently.  Be mindful you can only wear a helmet in the store for so long and they will break in slightly, but if you feel pressure in spots, remember you will be wearing the helmet on the road for hours at a time and that pressure area will be painful.

+2  Of course, that is more problematic when you can't get what you want locally and have to order online.  My other advise is this:  If you even THINK it might be too tight, it probably is too tight (and vice-versa too).  I kept one size thinking it would get better with break-in.  WRONG!  With a higher quality helmet, the padding is DESIGNED to stay the same over time.  My ears were so sore after a few hours of riding that it took 6 days (without riding) for them to return to normal!

[manowarwi]

My Scorpion is not modular (it is an EXO-1000).  About ear room- you couldn't be more right.  Plus I had to go TWO SIZES bigger than typical to finally get something that didn't rip my ears off or smash my cheeks into my eyes (and I am only 150lbs, 5'7"!)

I have to say, dealing with Scorpion support (twice) was some of the best support I have ever seen on ANY product.  They REALLY stand behind their stuff.  Highly recommend (if you can get the right size).

I agree with you on both points!  One of the helmets in my lineup is an EXO-400.  I wear an XL in almost every other helmet brand, but I had to go with XXL for the Scorpion.  I didn't think the ear area was that bad as I was able to get thumper speakers in with a little coaxing, but all of my other helmets don't have any ear pocket so I don't have much to compare to.

I also had to contact their support with some questions I had about shield bracket fitment and their support was great and my questions were promptly answered. 

That being said, I find myself wearing my good old HJC CL-12 the most.  It has the widest viewport of my helmets and its by far the most quiet.  Its the only helmet I don't have to wear earplugs in.  Its also the heaviest so I may pick up a newer full faced HJC just for that reason. 

[Deathwish]

Another modular to look at is the Zox GENESSIS RN2 SVS. Inexpensive, but has good reviews. Just picked one up and am quite impressed with the quality, especially for a "cheap" helmet. Am replacing my Nolan after many years of service and I would say the quality of the Zox is comparable to my Nolan. Also seems to be quieter than the HJC, which is a plus.

Stay away from the Zox Nevado, though. Have read some poor reviews on it as it was an earlier model and they still didn't have the bugs worked out.

[maxtog]

That being said, I find myself wearing my good old HJC CL-12 the most.  It has the widest viewport of my helmets and its by far the most quiet.  Its the only helmet I don't have to wear earplugs in.  Its also the heaviest so I may pick up a newer full faced HJC just for that reason.

LOL!!!!  The CL-12 was the helmet I replaced with the Scorpion!!  I wore it for 10+ years and certainly got my money's worth out of it

I think the high-end (1000) Scorpion is built better and it certainly has a lot of super features (like the internal sun visor).   The HJC CL-12 had non-removable padding, which was a real drag, yet the fit of the CL-12 was much better.  But the Scorpion also has things that annoy the crap out of me- like the fact that I can't crack the visor without using that silly thing on the side.  Or the internal visor not coming down far enough (and what is with that unnecessary nose cutout?)  Or those strange vents on the top that seem to always close on their own.

No helmet is perfect... that is for sure.

[booger]

im not knocking modulars ...A lot of guys like them.
Just be advised that it is nothing more than a 3/4 helmet with a thing that comes down to make it LOOK  like a full face.

I figure having that "thing" covering your face is better than not having it.

[maxtog]

I figure having that "thing" covering your face is better than not having it.

I believe it is impossible for a convertible/modular helmet to get a SNELL rating.  That probably answers your question...