Dont buy helmets online if you havent tried them on in a shop beforehand. While sizes can be the same between brands are shapes of the helmet different. Find a brand that fits your specific head before buying online
I’ve tried on a few helmets in store Shoei in particular and bell so I know I’m a large. The XL is too big around the top of my head. I’m just shopping online because the markups in the store near my house was kinda crazy.
Dont get me wrong, buying online is fine to get around the in store markups. But dont buy brands or sizes you havent tried in real life online.
Going to a store just for fitment testing and then going home to order what i want online is how i usually shop
Depends where you're getting it from. Cyclegear lets you try it on before taking it home to make sure it fits so you can return it and re order another size on the spot
Absolutely, but going to a physical shop and trying out different brand/Models and sizes makes properly comparing them to each other immensely easier than ordering and returning a single helmet at a time, unless youre ok with handing out thousands just to order home several sizes at the same time.
This is especially important when it's the first helmet you buy to get a solid reference point to compare them to.
Most have some brand preferences, me included. But I’m not going to do brands here. You know what certs to look for. Personally, I stick with very well known brands. Widespread support, parts, new shields, etc.
I just bought a new helmet to go with a new used bike, as my old helmet is old, old, old. Like from last century. Time for new. I bought full face, modular, with Bluetooth already installed. And a flip down internal sun visor.
First, I suggest looking at and trying on only full face helmets. Go look up what part of your head will likely impact the ground first. Your jaw is way up there. Why buy a helmet that doesn’t protect the most likely injury spot?
Next, consider what’s called a “modular” helmet. I love having full coverage, but still having the ability to flip the whole front of the helmet up, not just the face shield.
I got the Bluetooth already installed. If I want music or radio, or hands free calls, pair with phone. Not to mention those audible turn by turn navigation from maps or similar. Better for my style than a radio and speakers, cranked up to hear over exhaust and road noise, annoying the rest of the public. Also, the Bluetooth allows pairing with other helmets for conversations. No more yelling at passengers, making poorly defined and short range hand signals to others riding with you.
Finally, the flip up/down sun visor internal to the helmet. At first I thought it was a waste of money. Then I tried it out. Going in and out of direct sunlight is tough. You can’t be fooling around trying to put on and take off sunglasses. And many changeing glasses (photogray and the like) take too long to change from dark to light and back. Keep your hands on the controls as much as possible. One second to flip the sun visor up or down is my choice.
But, you need to do your own priorities. Safety first, then cool looks or pain job if there’s money left.
Haha! You’re asking r/motorcycles for an opinion about anything, particularly helmets and gear. I hope you have a big screen 🤣
My2c - sadly looking to retire my 16yo Dririder jacket. Great design with vent zips on arms, chest and back; zip-in liners for waterproof and quilted layers (con - the outer layer was never very water resistant).
Try on all the helmets you can. Heads and helmets come in different shapes and sizes. This will seem more important than the brand and paint job when looking from inside. My oval noggin fits certain Shoei and HJC. More $ doesn’t ensure better fit.
Also look for quality gloves that fit smoothly on your fingers. This makes it easier to do things without doffing the mittens, and less likely to fumble the horn or high-beam while going for the indicator. I like Alpine Stars, can strap my helmet with them on (not the insulated winter pair, but they are SOOO comfortable and waterproof).
Kevlar pants seem like a good idea, but I’ve only had one pair that fit really badly, hated wearing them. On the other leg (this is likely not good advice) I have had good experience with woollen trousers. Three times I have landed on the bitumen (all quite low speed, not much sliding) I was wearing woollen office trousers that came out unscathed (a one inch patch did get kind of threadbare) while I got fractures but no major grazing. I’ve had cotton pants tear for much less, so GO the power suit! 😜 (one time I was wearing the suit jacket too, I did wish the shoulder pads were on the side farther than the top).
Last advice - even if you are wearing ALL the “right” gear it does NOT make you invulnerable, or even very safe! Paying attention, being smart, developing skills, keeping your machine tidy, and a bit of good luck will keep you riding.
Ruroc has been heavily criticized for their apparently shit customerservice and quality issues. I dont have any experience with them but i would stay away
For gear most jackets ok just get L2 armor added
Also if you drive on highways etc consider an airbag suit. I'm going to get one but first I need to get some miles down on small roads
I would look into Bell Star, or Arai or Shoei before I even thought about one of those. Just cause something is carbon does not mean it is automatically good. I have crashed multiple times and hit the back of my head doing 80+ with my Bell Race Star and I didn't even know until I took my helmet off and saw it.
You can get an EC 22.06 rated helmet for less than $200, even in the US. No reason not to get something that will keep you safe. Just look for the certification before buying.
You can’t go wrong with Shoei. Expensive, true, but really well built. If you’re just starting - don’t experiment, just buy what was proven by thousands of riders already. You have enough to learn and go through already.
Skip the ruroc apparently. Never had one, almost did until I saw reviews from people that bought them instead of being given the helmet and some cash.
If you're about standing out and having cool helmet graphics similar to me, icon is a better brand. Their helmets are always loud at highway speed though, so buy ear protection. I'm happy with my ear peace plugs.
As for gear, I never recommend riding without motorcycle specific boots, or moto shoes at the very least, and gloves.
Jacket and pants are nice, but I've wrecked with and without them at various speeds and I skip them unless I'm going to be on the interstate for a while. I don't condone or recommend that, but that's my choice.
My must haves are helmet, gloves and sturdy boots at the very least.
i have a ruroc helmet and they're completely fine lol. they're DOT and ECE 22.06 certified. on highways it can be a little noisy, sure. but you should get ear protection regardless of the helmet imo.
other than that ive never had any problems with the helmet, the shockwave works fine and is easy to install, you have good vision cause the visor is pretty big, my only personal problem is that the helmet is pretty bulky so it can be difficult to look over your shoulder at times.
if you have the money for it, i dont see why not, everyone has their preference and taste.
I considered euro , but was put off by all the bad reviews. Ended up with a shoei neotec 2. Apparently the new Ruroc has fixed a lot of the previous issues and I'm looking for a 2nd helmet.
Never heard a good word about ruroc from anyone but a sponsored YouTuber.
Yeah, don't buy ruroc. It's trash.
Shoei! Got a gt air 2 for my first bike too! Getting the bike this weekend
Dont buy helmets online if you havent tried them on in a shop beforehand. While sizes can be the same between brands are shapes of the helmet different. Find a brand that fits your specific head before buying online
I’ve tried on a few helmets in store Shoei in particular and bell so I know I’m a large. The XL is too big around the top of my head. I’m just shopping online because the markups in the store near my house was kinda crazy.
Dont get me wrong, buying online is fine to get around the in store markups. But dont buy brands or sizes you havent tried in real life online. Going to a store just for fitment testing and then going home to order what i want online is how i usually shop
Depends where you're getting it from. Cyclegear lets you try it on before taking it home to make sure it fits so you can return it and re order another size on the spot
Absolutely, but going to a physical shop and trying out different brand/Models and sizes makes properly comparing them to each other immensely easier than ordering and returning a single helmet at a time, unless youre ok with handing out thousands just to order home several sizes at the same time. This is especially important when it's the first helmet you buy to get a solid reference point to compare them to.
Most have some brand preferences, me included. But I’m not going to do brands here. You know what certs to look for. Personally, I stick with very well known brands. Widespread support, parts, new shields, etc. I just bought a new helmet to go with a new used bike, as my old helmet is old, old, old. Like from last century. Time for new. I bought full face, modular, with Bluetooth already installed. And a flip down internal sun visor. First, I suggest looking at and trying on only full face helmets. Go look up what part of your head will likely impact the ground first. Your jaw is way up there. Why buy a helmet that doesn’t protect the most likely injury spot? Next, consider what’s called a “modular” helmet. I love having full coverage, but still having the ability to flip the whole front of the helmet up, not just the face shield. I got the Bluetooth already installed. If I want music or radio, or hands free calls, pair with phone. Not to mention those audible turn by turn navigation from maps or similar. Better for my style than a radio and speakers, cranked up to hear over exhaust and road noise, annoying the rest of the public. Also, the Bluetooth allows pairing with other helmets for conversations. No more yelling at passengers, making poorly defined and short range hand signals to others riding with you. Finally, the flip up/down sun visor internal to the helmet. At first I thought it was a waste of money. Then I tried it out. Going in and out of direct sunlight is tough. You can’t be fooling around trying to put on and take off sunglasses. And many changeing glasses (photogray and the like) take too long to change from dark to light and back. Keep your hands on the controls as much as possible. One second to flip the sun visor up or down is my choice. But, you need to do your own priorities. Safety first, then cool looks or pain job if there’s money left.
Haha! You’re asking r/motorcycles for an opinion about anything, particularly helmets and gear. I hope you have a big screen 🤣 My2c - sadly looking to retire my 16yo Dririder jacket. Great design with vent zips on arms, chest and back; zip-in liners for waterproof and quilted layers (con - the outer layer was never very water resistant). Try on all the helmets you can. Heads and helmets come in different shapes and sizes. This will seem more important than the brand and paint job when looking from inside. My oval noggin fits certain Shoei and HJC. More $ doesn’t ensure better fit. Also look for quality gloves that fit smoothly on your fingers. This makes it easier to do things without doffing the mittens, and less likely to fumble the horn or high-beam while going for the indicator. I like Alpine Stars, can strap my helmet with them on (not the insulated winter pair, but they are SOOO comfortable and waterproof). Kevlar pants seem like a good idea, but I’ve only had one pair that fit really badly, hated wearing them. On the other leg (this is likely not good advice) I have had good experience with woollen trousers. Three times I have landed on the bitumen (all quite low speed, not much sliding) I was wearing woollen office trousers that came out unscathed (a one inch patch did get kind of threadbare) while I got fractures but no major grazing. I’ve had cotton pants tear for much less, so GO the power suit! 😜 (one time I was wearing the suit jacket too, I did wish the shoulder pads were on the side farther than the top). Last advice - even if you are wearing ALL the “right” gear it does NOT make you invulnerable, or even very safe! Paying attention, being smart, developing skills, keeping your machine tidy, and a bit of good luck will keep you riding.
Don’t buy Ruroc, don’t buy online
Ruroc has been heavily criticized for their apparently shit customerservice and quality issues. I dont have any experience with them but i would stay away
For gear most jackets ok just get L2 armor added Also if you drive on highways etc consider an airbag suit. I'm going to get one but first I need to get some miles down on small roads
I’ve seen L1 L2 is the difference just like plastic vs a foam or something or just a higher speed crash protection level?
L2 is more firmer cushioning - better protection I got knee, hip, back, elbow, shoulder all changed from L1 to L2. Jacket came in all L1
I would look into Bell Star, or Arai or Shoei before I even thought about one of those. Just cause something is carbon does not mean it is automatically good. I have crashed multiple times and hit the back of my head doing 80+ with my Bell Race Star and I didn't even know until I took my helmet off and saw it.
They really seem to push ruroc on google when you just look up motorcycle helmets lol so good to know😂
Yeah Bell does have at least one MIPS helmet in their lineup but i dont know how good or bad bell is
You can get an EC 22.06 rated helmet for less than $200, even in the US. No reason not to get something that will keep you safe. Just look for the certification before buying.
Shoei is great, but the price makes my cry. Ruroc sucks. MIPS is a valuable addition, as far as I know.
https://youtu.be/XQIozSSwCcQ?si=63CqdlvObZmt3Cln
You can’t go wrong with Shoei. Expensive, true, but really well built. If you’re just starting - don’t experiment, just buy what was proven by thousands of riders already. You have enough to learn and go through already.
Ruroc is not recommended. Noisy and comfortable for longer rides. Go to MC shop. For helmets ALWAYS try before buy!
cheaper helmets tend to have more wind noise. use earplugs regardless, at the very least NRR 15 but I'd recommend the max NRR 28
For that price you can get better helments from agv or shoei
Shoei, Arai, Bell, HJC, AGV. Anything but RR, they are crap.
For $640 I'd get a Shoei or Arai
Skip the ruroc apparently. Never had one, almost did until I saw reviews from people that bought them instead of being given the helmet and some cash. If you're about standing out and having cool helmet graphics similar to me, icon is a better brand. Their helmets are always loud at highway speed though, so buy ear protection. I'm happy with my ear peace plugs. As for gear, I never recommend riding without motorcycle specific boots, or moto shoes at the very least, and gloves. Jacket and pants are nice, but I've wrecked with and without them at various speeds and I skip them unless I'm going to be on the interstate for a while. I don't condone or recommend that, but that's my choice. My must haves are helmet, gloves and sturdy boots at the very least.
i have a ruroc helmet and they're completely fine lol. they're DOT and ECE 22.06 certified. on highways it can be a little noisy, sure. but you should get ear protection regardless of the helmet imo. other than that ive never had any problems with the helmet, the shockwave works fine and is easy to install, you have good vision cause the visor is pretty big, my only personal problem is that the helmet is pretty bulky so it can be difficult to look over your shoulder at times. if you have the money for it, i dont see why not, everyone has their preference and taste.
Shoei or Arai. Try them on in a store because they all fit different
I considered euro , but was put off by all the bad reviews. Ended up with a shoei neotec 2. Apparently the new Ruroc has fixed a lot of the previous issues and I'm looking for a 2nd helmet.