DS Helmet

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dooveman

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Well I got my Hornet DS. Wow, I tried it on before but trying it on at home and with my other HJC helmet. It is a world of difference. The fit and finish, the fit, and well the fit. Everything is just really nice. I even like the chin cloth that you can attach. It blocks the air from underneath with a filtering cloth material. It's warmer and keeps dust out. The nose piece has a filter that pulls out and is washable. The shield goes up and down smoothly. It's my first shoei, and I'm impressed. Well, at least so far. I haven't rode with it yet.

I also got a set of the dry bags from ortieb. Another nice addition I must say. They come off the pannier rack so easily, now I need to worry about how to lock them in place:?
 
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hardyklr

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Ordered an Airoh S4 from England Feb 12. Got here to B.C Feb 21. Paid $250 CDN with shipping, then another $50 or so for duty, GST etc. Very nice helmet for the price. The large fits perfect (59-60 cm) as my egg is 59.5cm. Wore it for an hour around the house and no issues. Very comfortable and similar to an Arai XD I tried on a while back. Looks like the open vents on the chin will be getting some foam plugs put in tomorrow as it rains a lot up here!
 
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SmokinJoe

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these guys sell Arai helmets, takes 3-6 business days to get one in, I just bought one, the news ones are DOT approved $470 range CDN



http://www.baysideperformance.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5_23_1962they are inVancouver

I love the helmet, nice and light and great fit to my head, make sure to order the right size, only draw back is the chin does have open air ports that cool your face too much during the cooler months!



might help
 
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Randy and Dee

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Try a,I belive it a breath guard,it covers the vent and if you space it,you can keep the visor clear.or leave it open one click.Hope this helps.:ss:
 
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FixerDave

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cathouse willy wrote:
Being fairly new to ds riding I'm curious about the differences of an off road type helmet as opposed to a regular full face.I've had lots of years riding a wing with a half helmet,while it was fine for the wing it was painfully loud on the klr.I bought an inexpensive (hjc) full face and am quite happy with it. The shoei hornet ds is an interestingone although a bit more pricey.The offroad helmets all seem to have a long snout,whats the reason for it?Any help is appreciated
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For off-road, you need a peak to deflect branches, and rocks when following close. The peak also helps while riding into the sun, at least you get a half-inch or so of visible space. Also, you need lots of ventilation because you can be working very, very hard. My helmet can get completely saturated in sweat on a hard ride; and, oh boy, there's nothing quite like putting on a cold sweaty-wet helmet after cooling off on a break. Joy of Joys :shock:.

On the road, a peak can make shoulder-checking an interesting experience and the extra ventilation can be, literally, mind-numbing.

Dualsport helmets are, as the name suggests, a compromise. A not-too-big peak that won't tear your neck muscles on the road but enough to get the job done in the dirt. Ventilation can be a compromise too. Some dualsports also allow goggles instead of a visor.

Goggles are better in heavy dust and really harsh conditions but are a real pain to deal with, especially if you wear glasses. I prefer a visor. Usually, once I slow down in the tight stuff, I crack open my visor enough to let in some air but still deflect the bugs and debris away from my eyes. It's nice to be able to control the airflow that way. Something you can't do with goggles.

If you ride dualsport then a dualsport helmet is a good match, just like dualsport boots, etc.. Funny how that works.

David...
 
Floored

Floored

Active member
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I've been struggling with helmet choice for quite a while now. Originally all I had was the XD; nice helmet but not without it's vices ( It is/was expensive and doesn't fit me well). Then I looked at the Airoh; well priced but I couldn't touch one so "who knows" about everything else. Next came the Hornet; better pricing and certainly a better fit than the XD but still not comfortable. Then I tried on the BMW; really comfortable andexpensive but I almost bought one.......except they didn't have my size when I went by the shop. Finally today I stumbled upon the HJC Vapor; as comfortableas the BMW for less than a quarter the price ($199.49 after tax)! Is it as good.....no! Will it keep me from the "Death by a million needles" that I regularily experience while riding the highway in the rain........yes! As for the rest of it's performance, I'lllet you know.
 
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dooveman

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Yeah I was at Mt. St. Helens when a biker on a Harley pulled up. He walked up to me and commented on my helmet and made the point that his beanie cap and shades may look cool but makes him pay the price in bug hits. He says he carries a hanky to wipe his face. I've had some pretty big bugs make loud bangs when they hit my shield. Can't imagine taking a black beatle to the face at 120 kph.:shock:
 
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koots_roots

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also have a airoh S4 and really happy with it. it is a bit noisy and not DOT but otherwise its very light, great fit (they are true to size) and good price.
 
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Vernonrider

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I have aShoeihornetwhich i bought from Japan last year $400.00 can ,as you could not get them here.I endedup grinding down the front innerlining a bit to take the pressure points outon the forehead, thanks to a dremel. Helmets are made for standard head shape ,, I rode for 3 months everyday on our trip to Panamaand really liked the helmet , very good venting , visor could be longer , fairly quiet . My riding buddy had the Airoh and he liked it,it was not finishedor vented as well but the visor was longer and the shield closing seemed to be better. It seemed to do the job for him.... Does anyone know if they are sellingShoei hornets in Canada yet? I need a face shield? Cheers :D

http://picasaweb.google.ca/paraglidecanada
 
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BMWNut

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We are trying the Hornets out, Chris the parts guy has one. We can get you a screen if you like.

Brian

Island BMW
250 474-2088
 
Bora20

Bora20

Administrator
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BMWNut wrote:
We are trying the Hornets out, Chris the parts guy has one. We can get you a screen if you like.

Brian

Island BMW
250 474-2088
Click to expand...

Can you get the pinlock visor? I have one on my Nolan N102 and like the insert so I can see on cold mornings.
 
Buckethead

Buckethead

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Bora20 wrote:
BMWNut wrote:
We are trying the Hornets out, Chris the parts guy has one. We can get you a screen if you like.

Brian

Island BMW
250 474-2088
Click to expand...

Can you get the pinlock visor? I have one on my Nolan N102 and like the insert so I can see on cold mornings.
Click to expand...

I had no luck finding the pinlock for my Hornet, so I got a HyperOptics insert instead. (http://www.modernworld.com/) I have a ProGrip insert in my street helmet, and the tinting on the HyperOptics works much better. Now that I have had them for a while, I can't imaging not having one of these inserts in this climate!

I certainly don't want to step on the toes of any of the fine retailers that are part of our group, but I had such great service when I got my Hornet that I want to mention the details:

I ended up buying mine from Zoe at Jim Pattison Suzuki. Her service was great, she quickly got the colour and size I wanted, she matched an online price, and then tracked down the HyperOptics insert for me. (She now stocks them.) I did alot of research before buying, and my experience there was better than any other shop I went to, even my regular place.

Cheers,

Matthew
 
Proudman

Proudman

Been known to fly
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I need to buy a new helmet. My old one hasn't fallen apart, yet, but it has saved my head a few times now and is ready for retirement.

I live in Terrace and I can't get out to the bike show, so I was really hoping that if anyone is going to the show they could check out the current line of dualsport helmets, inserts, etc and post their opinions.

The roads are bare here and I'm getting antsy, but Environment Canada is promising more snow this week so I will just have to work on being patient.
 
Proudman

Proudman

Been known to fly
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My current helmet is a large. I don't see buying a helmet without trying it on though.

I would like a dualsport helmet that's safe and comfortable.

I don't want to pay so much for my helmet that it's worth more than my bike :Dbut I'll pay what it takes.
 
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mike_123

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ive got a hornet ds and i gotta tell you from day one that was the absolute worst most uncomfortable helmet ive ever worn in my life.i would come home from a ride and my inner sheeks were raw from being pushed in between my teeth from the tight fitting cheek pads.i returened the helmet and complained but the sales woman was sure the padding would break in over time

after a few good hours of torchurous use the helmut fits me like a pair of fine worn out jeans and is the most comfortable helmet ive ever worn

im just dreading the day i have to replace all the padding and have the terrible few hours of uncomfort again

some say you can soak the cheak pads in water to help break them in faster

also i think if your putting one of these helmets on and your finding it very comfortable right off the bat your probably buying to big a helmet for your nut.i was amazed at the amount of space i have now compared to whe nit was new .

it would damn near tear off my big ears when i took the helmet off
 
bchunter

bchunter

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Hey Proudman, is there any store in Terrace that carry a DS helmet, or that can get them in? What about Kickstart?

I was humming and hawing about the need for a DS helmet, but to me the ventilation for breathing while riding hard kinda swayed me on it. I think I will start looking around for one so that I will be good to go when the weather breaks.
 
Strongleftleg

Strongleftleg

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Without a doubt the 2 most common dualsport lids are the Shoei hornet DS and the Arai XD. Both are great helmets but will fit different heads differently.

There are some cheaper versions out there, but personally i don't think they are worth it unless you simply can't afford one of the high end lids.

I was looking for one 2 years ago and couldn't stomach the $450+ for a ds or xd. I also didn't like how cheaply built the cheapies were. i ended up buying a Airoh S4 from the UK.

S4%20street%20blue.jpg


Was around $230 cdn at my door. Lightweight, well-constructed. Lots of airflow, can be good or bad depending on the weather. It isn't DOT approved, doesn't bother me though, it meets the Euro racing standards. Next season I will be getting a Hornet. They fit me really well have features that make it more versatile, like the removable chin bar.
 
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