However, the cons of it would of course, be the heavier weight (due to the hinges being additional parts), lower rigidity compared to real full-face helmets, etc.
Flip-up helmets are getting more affordable by the month- and flipping thru Mudah (no pun intended) revealed that you could get the Caberg Konda @ RM500, Bell Revolver @ RM900, etc. For the price of a good full-face helmet (eg Shoei RFX @ RM1,300), you can definitely get a pretty good flip-up helmet these days.
Here's a comparison, albeit dated but a start anyway, that I found by random vide Google :
Seven Flip-Face Helmet Comparison
Somewhere
between the open-face helmet and the full-face helmet is the modular
motorcycle helmet -- also called a flip-up helmet, flip-face helmet,
system helmet and other names. This style helmet permits the wearer to
raise the facial section out of the way, allowing him to eat, drink,
smoke or simply remove a barrier to conversation without going through
the rigmarole of unfastening and removing his helmet and then replacing
it and reattaching the strap. We know some eyeglass wearers who feel
these motorcycle helmets are their only option for full facial coverage,
although our experience indicates this isn't true. Modular motorcycle
helmets are perceived as providing the benefits of an open-face helmet
with the protection of a full-face helmet.
But do they?
We rounded up seven modular motorcycle helmets to find out how well
they fulfill this proposition. We found current models from Arrow, HJC,
Lazer, Nolan, Schuberth, Shoei and Zeus.
We wanted to
know how they feel on your head, how they work on your motorcycle at
speed, and what sort of protection they offer. All our staffers
road-tested them, and then we took them to the Head Protection Research
Laboratory in Paramount, California, to see what would happen when we
smashed them.
On Your Head
Modular
helmets fall between open-face and full-coverage motorcycle helmets in
some areas and below them both in others. For example, you might expect
that the additional complication of the mechanisms that permit the
facial section to pivot up and latch in place would make them more
expensive and heavier than full-face helmets. But while they are heavier
than most full-coverage helmets, they mostly fall toward the low or
middle end of full-face-helmet pricing. (At the top end, the Shoei
Syncrotec carries a list price of $415, with the Zeus ZS-508 Liftech
available for less than $90 at some outlets.)
Our
wearers began the test by attempting to roll the helmets off their
heads. They pulled hard up and forward on the back lower edge of the
helmet with the face section latched closed. The results show why it's
so important to perform this test on your own head. On one tester, all
but the Schuberth failed. However, we should note that the medium Nolan,
though technically his regular size, was actually too big for him, so
that result is uncertain. At the other end of the spectrum, another
rider could not get any of the seven to roll off his head, though he
observed that with the face piece open, the Zeus probably could roll off
after breaking his nose. That is one reason you aren't supposed to ride
a motorcycle with the face sections of these helmets open. Other
reasons for this prohibition include lack of protection, disastrous
aerodynamics and the possibility that the extended section could create
unwanted leverage in a crash.
The
latching mechanisms vary in location and action. Although users
preferred single-button systems for one-handed ease of operation, we
were concerned that some of the one-button designs, notably the HJC's,
could possibly be deployed in a crash. Our testing reinforced that
concern. A related issue was whether a would-be rescuer who needed to
remove the helmet would be able to recognize and operate the latches as
easily as the helmet buckle, especially since many of these helmets are
reluctant to come off with the face section closed and latched.
None
of these seven motorcycle helmets was as quiet, in terms of ambient
wind noise on the highway, as a good full-coverage helmet.
Overall,
they are slightly less comfortable than the full-face motorcycle
helmets we normally use; of course this depends on your head. For
example, one rider was uncomfortable in the Nolan after just a short
ride, while others rated it among the most comfortable. We noted similar
disparities in the Lazer's comfort and the Arrow's noise level. We will
repeat the advice we have offered before: Always try a helmet on before
buying it, and don't just slip it on and take it back off. Put it on,
fasten it snugly and wear it for a while. Better still, go ride in it if
you can.
After
spending time riding in all of these, our testers' reactions ranged
from enthusiastic ("I think they provide the best of both worlds. While I
feel vulnerable in an open-face, the flip-face gives me the flexibility
to breathe more freely at gas stops, drink a beverage or converse.") to
indifferent ("I can't see trading the quietness of a full-face or the
confidence in its integrity so I can momentarily feel as if I'm not
wearing a helmet."). Our suggestion, as always, is to shop carefully.
After your motorcycle itself, there is nothing that can contribute to or
detract from the pleasure of a ride like the helmet you choose.
Banging Heads
Our
research into the protective qualities of modular helmets started at
the Department of Transportation's website, where the results of testing
for compliance with the DOT motorcycle helmet standard (officially
known as Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218) are posted. This site
has results going back to 1994, and it is an easy way for any helmet
user to check how his helmet has performed in this solid evaluation of
protection.
The
DOT office concerned with FMVSS 218 buys motorcycle helmets and pays
independent labs to examine them to see if they comply with such things
as labeling requirements. The labs also test them to ensure they meet
the DOT impact and other performance standards (such as chinstraps). The
results are then listed on the site in the form of Pass or Fail and a
notation as to whether it was for labeling (perhaps the required "DOT"
sticker was placed too far up on the helmet) or performance. There are
quite a few labeling failures, but they don't really concern us. Some
failures are considered "inconsequential," but the DOT site does not
tell if the failure was trivial or major or what caused it.
We
found test results for five of our modular helmets. There were no
results for the Lazer Century, and just one Zeus was listed (as failing
for labeling) with no indication as to the model. The 2002 results
showed that the Arrow Mono Convertible, the Nolan N100e, the Shoei
Syncrotec and the Schuberth Concept all passed. The HJC Symax failed for
performance in 2001.
For our performance testing we
started with a new and critical test, a roll-off simulation. This lab
test uses a standard headform and a standard force (created by dropping a
specified weight from a predetermined height) to try to roll the helmet
off the head. Since we see riders riding with the front of these
helmets open (against manufacturers' instructions), we also decided to
perform this test with the face sections unlatched and open. All except
the Symax passed with some movement in both configurations. However, the
HJC's inside-the-chinbar faceplate latch contacted the headform's rigid
neck, allowing the face piece to open, which permitted the helmet to
rotate over and off the headform with some resistance. With the front
open, it rolled right off.
To
determine how strong the chinbars are, we also performed a
chinbar-deflection test, similar to a Snell test for shell rigidity. We
wondered whether the chinbars had the integrity to pass this test
without being an integral part of the helmet shell. It turns out that
they do. None approached the allowed 60mm deflection. The most
deflection we measured was 47mm on the Arrow, with the Schuberth close
behind at 43mm. The HJC, Lazer and Shoei deflected the least, all at
28mm. We also tested the chinbars for impact absorption by removing them
from the helmets, placing them on the headform and subjecting them to a
six-foot drop. There is no applicable U.S. standard for motorcycle
helmets that any of them claim to meet here, but the Zeus transferred
notably more energy, which isn't surprising because it has no padding in
its chinbar. The headform felt 660gs, compared to 200 for the
best-performing Shoei and 201 for the Lazer, both of which have
substantial padding in the impact area. The second worst was the HJC
(409gs), but it has an excuse because we impacted the exact center of
the chinbars, where the HJC has its latching mechanism. Its chinbar has
substantial padding on either side of the latch and would have almost
certainly performed well if we had attacked it there.
Hit Me
The
most important impact test was the six-foot DOT drop onto a flat anvil,
and we picked the area above the forehead for this test. Although
disparaged by the anti-helmet faction because of its seemingly moderate
13-mph impact speed, the test is actually pretty demanding, representing
a 90-percentile protection scenario in a crash. And that is just for
the first impact. What makes the DOT motorcycle helmet standard so
demanding is that it requires two hits in the same place. The shell and
the liner must have enough shock-absorption capability left to handle a
second 90-percentile whack in the same place, something that you can
just about be certain will never happen to you. We were mostly
interested in how these helmets absorbed the first hit, but we conducted
the second drop just to see how they fared in the full DOT impact
regimen.
The DOT standard specifies a maximum
acceleration that the helmet can transfer, but it also has a dwell-time
limit; it may not exceed 200g for more than 2.0 milliseconds. In that
critical first hit to the front crown area, the Lazer and Shoei, at
142gs and 144gs, respectively, were the top performers, followed by the
Arrow (158), Nolan (163), HJC (168), Zeus (183) and Schuberth (210gs and
.8ms). When we dropped them again just as hard on the same place, the
order changed in the middle of the pack as the Gs went up a bit and the
dwell time became a factor: Lazer (166) and Shoei (178) remained on top,
but HJC (196) moved into third, followed by Nolan (205gs and .8ms),
Zeus (207gs, 1.1 ms), Arrow (209gs, 1.2 ms) and Schuberth, which at
237gs had a dwell time over 200gs of 2.1ms, one of those trivial DOT
failures. We didn't regard this as too troublesome because it was the
second hit. We also suspected that the Schuberth was handicapped by our
choice of impact locations because its retractable sunscreen needed
space precisely in that area. All of these impacts came in far below the
DOT's 400g maximum limit.
Next,
we repeated the test, dropping each helmet twice on its left side. This
time, the Shoei at 174gs was best, followed by the HJC (184gs) and
Nolan (192gs). Dwell time became a factor for the Lazer (202gs, .4ms),
Zeus (204gs, .3ms), Arrow (209gs, .8ms) and Schuberth (209gs, 1.1ms),
but all passed the 2.0ms dwell-time requirement. The second drop on the
left side had an interesting twist. The Shoei was still best at 177gs,
but the Lazer (189gs) and Schuberth (197gs) moved up to second and
third, probably because their partially crushed shells actually became
better energy absorbers. The order for the rest was HJC (218gs, 1.7ms),
Nolan (22gs, 1.6ms), Arrow (233gs, 1.5ms) and Zeus (234gs, 1.9ms).
None
of these helmets claim to meet the Snell standard, but just to see how
they would fare in terms of the basic Snell impact, we dropped each
twice from the Snell-standard 10-foot height onto a flat anvil. Each
drop was to a different spot on the helmet; one to the right side, one
to the rear. Only the Zeus, at 316gs in its right-side drop, permitted
more than the Snell-allowed 300gs through to the headform on one hit.
The Shoei, Lazer and Nolan were the best in the heavy hits, while the
Schuberth, HJC and Arrow turned in solid performances in the middle.
At
the end of the day we had learned that all of these modular motorcycle
helmets provide acceptable crash protection, as long as you make sure
they will stay on your head by performing a roll-off test before you
buy. For the motorcyclists who wants the best protection in this crowd,
we suggest looking at the Nolan, Lazer or Shoei.
ARROW MONO CONVERTIBLE, $225
The
pretty metallic blue of our Mono Convertible's polycarbonate shell
consistently caught the eyes of people scanning our modular helmet
collection and helped earn testers' top marks for appearance. The pivot
hardware hides behind small faired-in covers, and the Italian stylists
obviously took some time to fashion the two swooping top vents. However,
the result requires that you adjust each vent separately instead of
with a single control, and they have little discernible effect. The
small chin vent does help defog on cold rides. A single chin button
opens the plastic latch for the flip face, and it appears unlikely to
open in a crash. Some testers complained that the latch movement was
slightly stiff. The shield worked easily, even with heavy gloves, sealed
well and may be removed with a coin. The eyeport provided a
wider-than-average view. A unique option is a kit that lets you convert
it to an open-face helmet.
In
order to put the helmet on, you must first open the face, and we found
the D-ring-buckled strap stiff, short and awkward to fasten. This was
the most annoying of the minor cost-cutting shortcuts we noted. Most
testers complained that it was noisy, perhaps because it runs slightly
large, though one gave it his top marks (in this group) for quietness.
The CoolMax liner has removable cheek pads and contributed to
better-than-average comfort. The helmet rolled off a tester's head --
one usually has that problem -- but showed no inclination to depart the
laboratory headform. It performed about average in our other lab testing
and should provide both solid protection and eye-catching style for a
street price of about $190. Our testers scored it as a B- average
overall.
ARROW HELMETS
Giali USA (Protec Q Inc.) 5024F Departure Drive Raleigh, NC 27616 (919) 877-8108
HJC SYMAX, $240
This
Korean helmet maker has a well-established reputation for making solid
helmets at attractive prices. The conservatively styled and
well-finished Symax combines a fiberglass main shell with an
ABS/polycarbonate face section. The face plate opens smoothly after you
pull up on the single large latch button in the bottom of the chinbar,
and it latches closed easily. Based on what we saw in the lab, we
strongly advise any potential buyer to be certain that the Symax latch
button does not open the facial section when the helmet rolls forward
forcefully against the chin, neck or chest, as it might in a crash. The
latch mechanism itself is plastic.
You can pull the
helmet on or off without opening the face, and it fastens easily with a
nicely D-ringed strap, which has an elastic band to prevent flapping. A
removable breath deflector is standard. Two obvious but integrated top
vents with exits are controlled by a single large slider and produced
noticeable cooling, though the chin vent had little effect. Its
top-rated interior padding is removable and washable and has a plush
neck roll, contributing to high marks for comfort.
Some
riders felt the helmet was noisy at highway speeds on a motorcycle,
while others just said it was quietly windy -- which prevented fogging.
The optically excellent face shield has a tool-less quick-detach system,
seals well and operates easily. The eyeport restricts peripheral vision
slightly more than the others, though top-to-bottom vision is good. One
user rated the Symax as her favorite modular helmet overall to wear,
and testers gave it an overall B grade. That score did not include lab
testing, where it generally displayed solid protection except for
rolling off the headform. Street prices start about $175.
HJC HELMETS
HJC America 16918 Edwards Avenue Cerritos, CA 90703 (562) 407-2186 HJChelmets.com
LAZER CENTURY, $170
With
less integrated styling than the other modulars and unimpressive
detailing and features, the Lazer Century received indifferent marks for
appearance. The protruding chinbar is visibly separate from the IMAC
composite shell and pivots on big, obvious aluminum pivot screws. The
back features a large, lenticular reflective panel inset into the shell.
Two squeeze-together buttons operate the plastic latching mechanism for
the flip-up section and ensure that it can't be deployed accidentally,
but it must be opened to don the helmet. The retention strap closes with
a quick-release buckle, which is nicely padded and comfortable.
The
shield is easy to operate but seals somewhat ineffectively. The
stick-on seals around the eyeport look cheap and may eventually peel
off, and the eyeport itself is smaller than others. The only vent is in
the chinbar, but it is an effective defogger. The lack of a top vent or
perhaps the fact that the Century extends farther down than most others
(and has a chin dam) may be why two testers rated it as the quietest
helmet here. The chinbar is heavily padded and fits closer to the
wearer's mouth than most others. Modest, removable padding and a
less-than-plush material made some users uncomfortable with the
interior. The somewhat flimsy faceshield requires a coin or screwdriver
to replace. (Lazer conveniently sells shields and other parts through
its website.)
Overall,
it got mixed reviews from wearers, ranging from A- to D, but it
excelled in the protection area, with consistently strong results in all
our lab tests. With street prices starting at $150, it is a great
protection buy in a motorcycle helmet.
LAZER HELMETS
AGV/Lazer USA 3201 E. Mulberry Street, Suite D Fort Collins, CO 80524 (970) 221-2630 LazerHelmets.com
NOLAN N100E, $215-$265
This
updated version of the popular Italian N100 retains the unremarkable
styling but features a new, all-steel two-lever latching system at the
sides of the chinbar. The system may be operated with both hands or just
the left, but it does not appear vulnerable to accidental opening. The
articulated face-section pivot system keeps the face section close to
the front of the helmet, giving it a low profile when open. You won't
need to lift the face section to put the helmet on or take it off, but
the flimsy chin dam gets in the way.
Most testers were
impressed by its appearance and smooth finish. The chin strap uses a
ratcheting buckle, permitting quick fastening and adjustability but with
a slight comfort penalty. The eyeport is large. The faceshield has no
apparent positioning system but seems to stay put anyway. It can be
changed without tools. Two intakes and an exhaust opening serve the
useful top vent. The cat's eyes chinbar vents made effective shield
defoggers.
Our
Classic model ($245 retail, $190 street) and the multicolored Rapid
have a removable and washable interior padding that snaps in place,
making it easy to position properly, though it sometimes fell out as we
slid the helmet off. Sizing tends to run large.
The
Nolan is a classic example of why it's important to wear a helmet before
you buy. Two of our editors found it very comfortable and continued to
use the N100E after the test was done. However, one staffer was
miserable in this helmet and gave it failing marks for comfort. Those
who the helmet fit well gave it high marks, but the one low rating
overall pulled the wearer's score down to a C+. The Nolan was one of the
stronger protectors in our lab tests.
NOLAN HELMETS
Cima International 399 Wall Street, Unit L IL 60139 Glendale Heights (630) 690-3162 Nolan.it
SCHUBERTH CONCEPT, $399
Although
somewhat big, heavy and bulky, the German-made Concept (from the firm
that introduced the first modular motorcycle helmet under the BMW brand
in 1978) provides a few unique features, including a small compartment
on the right side for first-aid information and a retractable tinted
shield that eliminates the need for sunglasses. The carbon-fiber shell
features a spoiler on the back to reduce lift along with a barely
effective top vent with an exit. The single large rocking chinbar vent
was more useful, but not for defogging the faceshield.
The
Schuberth has a "cracked open" or "city" setting that permits the
shield to be opened just enough to provide some extra airflow. The depth
required to accommodate the retracting tinted shield means that the
helmet extends out at the top of the eyeport, which is wide and fairly
tall. The face section has all-steel latches and opens with a single
button on the left of the chinbar; it must be opened to don or doff the
helmet. It may be quickly changed without tools, once you learn the
trick.
The
comfort padding is also removable and washable. A slightly awkward
push-button buckle fastens the strap, which is plushly padded. It runs
small, so plan on one size larger than you usually wear. Everyone was
comfortable in the Schuberth even though it was somewhat noisy
(projections like that first-aid-info pocket create wind noise), and it
received a B- average wearer's score. Its performance in impact testing
was unremarkable. Street prices run around $360.
SCHUBERTH HELMETS
Intersport Fashions West, Inc. 15602 Mosher Avenue Tustin, CA 92780 (714) 258-2120 (888) 311-5399 Schuberth-USA.com
SHOEI SYNCROTEC, $415
Shoei's
modular entry offers the firm's excellent quick-change shield system
(just deploy a lever on each side and pop the shield off) with a cam
lever to unseal the shield for a bit more airflow. The face section's
steel latching mechanism opens with a single control located on the
outside center of the chinbar. It was slightly clumsy to operate with
heavy gloves but seems unlikely to open unintentionally. It takes a bit
of pressure to lift it to full open, but it closes and latches very
smoothly. You can remove the helmet with the face section latched, but
it is less awkward and painful just to open it. The face section is
prominent, has large, unsightly pivot screws and is not integrated into
the fiberglass shell, although the finish quality is excellent. A
smallish brow vent offers little airflow and is slightly awkward to
deploy because of its small control nubbin. The same sort of puny
control operates the chinbar vent, which, with a large intake and
elaborate four-point exhausts, is useful and effectively defogs the
shield. There is also a small breath deflector. The eyeport is large,
and the faceshield's optics, operation and seal are excellent.
The
helmet fastens easily with D-rings, and a somewhat awkward clip on the
strap's end can be used to prevent the strap from flapping. The interior
is as nice as any here. Noise levels and fit comfort were above average
for most riders, and one commented about its weight. It got a B average
rating. With heavy force, the Syncrotec rolled off the head of our
roll-off-prone rider, but it didn't roll off the standard headform in
lab testing. It stood out in our protection-performance testing, with
solid impact scores all around. Street prices run under $370.
SHOEI HELMETS
Shoei Helmet Corp. 3002 Dow, Suite 128 Tustin, CA 92780 (714) 730-0941 Shoei-Helmets.com
ZEUS ZS-508, $95-$103
Made
in Taiwan, the Zeus ZS-508, with street prices under $90, is a
reasonable no-frills choice for riders looking for flip-face function at
an accessible price. The finish of the ABS shell had notable rough
spots around the small, cheap, loose vents on the top and chin, and it
had obvious chinstrap rivets. The vents were only minimally effective
and virtually unusable with heavy gloves. However, it got compliments
for its integrated appearance, with the face section fitting flush with
the shell. The retaining strap fastens with D-rings and has a simple
elastic band to prevent strap flapping. With no padding, it dug into
riders' chins more than other retaining straps did. The face-section
latch, operated by a single button inside the chinbar, was not very
smooth and required two hands to close. However the helmet could be put
on or removed with the face section latched.
The
face section stuck out more than most when open. The faceshield
operated easily, sealed well and stayed put. You need to remove two
screws to change it. With no chin dam and a modest neck roll, riders
found it noisier than average for these helmets, but the comfort rated a
surprising B- average. Although the interior was a bit sparse and
padding was skimpy, the fit was average-to-good for our testers. The
availability of an XXXL will be a plus for large noggins. It gets a low
protective score because it could be rolled off the heads of two testers
and came close on the third if opened. It also performed poorly on our
chinbar-impact test, transferring a lot of energy, significantly more
than any of the others because it has virtually no padding in the
chinbar. Testers gave it an overall score of C-.
ZEUS HELMETS
Tri-R Distributing 8910 W. 192nd Street, Suite G Mokena, IL 60448 (708) 478-2329 (800) 747-6457
OTHER RESOURCES
HEAD PROTECTION RESEARCH LABORATORY
6409 Alondra Boulevard Paramount, CA 90723 (562) 529-3295 HPRL.org
SNELL MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
3628 Madison Avenue, Suite 11 North Highlands, CA 95660 (916) 331-5073, (888) SNELL99 SMF.org |
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