Do you wear a helmet?
Once a rider gets past the debate of to wear or not to wear a helmet if the decide to wear a helmet there are still many more helmet questions to answer. There are half helmets, full-faced helmets, 3/4 helmets and modular helmets.
So many helmets
There are a numerous helmet manufactures each with dozens of models. A motorcycle rider can find a helmet for less than $100 or up to over a $1,000. So many choices.This can be overwhelming for a new rider. Making a good decision and keeping the cost in a budget can be difficult. New motorcycle riders will have friends giving a lot of advice and opinions. Probably the hardest and yet the most important decision revolves around cost. Does a higher price make that big of a difference?
I have owned six full face helmets made by four different manufacturers over the years as well as multiple half helmets and one 3/4 helmet. I have been very budget-minded when purchasing gear. I had to be careful and not spend too much.
I had friends who did not wear helmets, some only half-helmets and among those who wore full-faced helmets there was a wide range of brands and cost. I would look at the helmets of riders who wore more expensive helmets and I wondered if the money spent was really worth it. Of course they thought so.
Time for a new helmet
In July 2016 I decided to increase my budget on gear. So after some shopping around I made a purchase and spent the most I ever had for a new helmet when I bought the Bell Qualifer DLX. The helmet came with the Transitions® Adaptive Shield which intrigeud me .In November 2016 I wrote a review on the Bell Qualifer DLX. I was very pleased with the helmet and the visor. The full review gives more details. You can find the helmet at the Motorcycle Gear Superstore.
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| Bell Qualifier DLX |
Upgrade opportunity
As luck would have it I attended a friend's event called the Martin Hootenanny in October of 2016. At the event there was a silent auction benefiting CMA Run For the Son.I noticed a pre-owned Arai helmet up for auction. I examined the helmet and asked some questions. I decided to bid on it and I won the silent auction for the pre-owned (worn about 5 times) Arai Profile Hotrod helmet (Hotrod graphics). The helmet had no signs of usage and reports were it had been worn very little. For $85 I thought "how can I go wrong?" This was an inexpensive way to get first hand experience and knowledge about a high-end helmet. The graphics are not what I would have chosen in a perfect situation, but the yellow stands out and probably is more visible to automobile drivers.
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| Arai Profile - Hotrod |
hime to wear the Arai
I did not start wearing the Arai helmet until January, after I secured a second Sena 20S helmet mount. I could now transfer the Sena 20S from Bell helmet to Arai helmet without having to move the mount and speakers. You can find Arai helmets at the Motorcycle Gear Superstore and if you make a purchase I get some gas money.
At first I rotated between usig the Bell helmet and the Arai helmet. By March I had decided on wearing the Arai for every ride. The three major reasons for wearing the Arai full time were comfort, ventilation and reduced wind noise. The fit and feeling of the Arai was so comfortable. The material on the inside was smooth and soft. The shape fit me well, although I know some motorcycle riders where the shape is not best for them.
The airflow was noticeably better. My head did not get as hot or sweaty and I could feel the air flow over the skull. The chin vent and forehead air vents allowed a good amount of airflow and they were easy to open and close. With the amount of air flow provided I was surprised the road noise was not more intense. The noise level was the least I had experienced with a full-faced helmet!
The Aria helmet is one of my favorite and best motorcycle gear buys so far! I made a video review of the Aria helmet for my YouTube Channel and you can see it by following this link to Arai Profile Video Review. You will find other reviews, ride videos and more on the Ordinary Biker Oz Channel. Subscribe and you will get notice when I post new videos about gear, roads and more.
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