A couple of helmet questions

[FSCGunslinger]

Alrighty, I've got this perfectly nice XJ waiting for me when I get home, but I need to get a helmet. I was able to handle a Nolan Modular helmet today, and let me just tell you that I thought it was the freaking coolest helmet I've seen since Boba Fett!

My first set of questions are: what the hell is the difference between the Nolan N102 N-COM Solid Full Face Flip Up Helmets and the Nolan N102 N-COM Outlaw Full Face Flip Up Helmets, other than price? Does anyone have either of these helmets, and if so, do you like it?

Second set of questions: has anyone used the N-Com accessory (in any of its varieties) for these helmets? Is it worth getting something like this?

Third set of questions: I'd like to have a helmet for a passenger. What size helmet should I buy for a passenger since I never know who it'll be? How overly large can a helmet be for its wearer before it is unsafe?

Sorry for all the questions, but this is the next purchase I am making for myself/my bike.

[prometheus578]

"But you know this..."

No passengers till you've gotten a bit of experience with the machine... how it corners, how it feels, balances ,etc.
Unless, of course, she's cute, about 5'4' and weighs about 110 lbs.... Then it might be OK.
Helmets I can't help you with.
(I just like running my mouth)

[FSCGunslinger]

Re: "But you know this..."

Originally posted by prometheus578
No passengers till you've gotten a bit of experience with the machine... how it corners, how it feels, balances ,etc.
Unless, of course, she's cute, about 5'4' and weighs about 110 lbs.... Then it might be OK.

How about if she's cute, 5 ft., 90 lbs?

[FSCGunslinger]

Man... no one?

[DVigue]

Sure Gunslinger. Let me know where I can pick her up and tote her for you until you get back :P

[FSCGunslinger]

Originally posted by DVigue
Sure Gunslinger. Let me know where I can pick her up and tote her for you until you get back :P

LOL. When I said, "No one?", what I meant was, "Does no one have any sort of answer to my original questions?".

[81xsproject]

This post would have better suited in the lounge. My helmet advice is simple, don't buy anything you haven't tried on. And, when it comes to safety, the same SHOULD be said for your passenger. I am not saying that in my single days I didn't have a universal 'hot chick helmet.' As soon as SWMBO and I were serious, she got her own correctly fitting helmet. I used to have the full face flip-up. They are generally larger helmet (spaceman) and have more wind noise and drafts (unless you drop some big $$). I now have an Icon Mainframe now and love it. I went down to the dealership and payed $210 for it. My last helmet info is this, cheap helmets are just that. Very expensive helmets, you pay for the name (like Shoei and Arai).

[FSCGunslinger]

Originally posted by 81xsproject
This post would have better suited in the lounge.

Can it be moved? I'd sure like some other responses if you think it'd garner more over there.

Oh, and thanks for your input!

[Ken Talbot]

Originally posted by FSCGunslinger

Can it be moved? I'd sure like some other responses...

Done!

[TopCatGr58]

Well,

I tried doing a search, and the NOLAN company web site is under construction? Found another site that displayed the standard and the Outlaw, and aside from a sticker on the top front of the helmet, I couldn't see any difference. And the web site didn't change the description between them!

They are full featured, but a bit pricey for folks on XS11 budgets. They seem to be more for the Goldwing or Beemer crowd!

Arguments for them comes from the fact that it's protecting the most important part of the rider, and so you shouldn't skimp on this. But there are also many helmets that are DOT and SNELL approved at much more reasonable prices. YMMV!

Also, doing a search will reveal which standard is a higher level of protection....I think SNELL, but I could be wrong!?
T.C.

[tomatao]

Snell is the higher standard I believe.

FC, I can't comment on your specific questions but I will say it is best to try helmets on first. A large from one company may not fit the same as a large from another.

One of the things I found when shopping was that the higher price the helmet the lighter it was. But I couldn't tell much difference between the $400 and $200 helmet. There was a difference between the $100 and $200 helmets though.

[e.z.nightrider]

IIRC Snell does not test modular helmets, only full and 3/4 types. According to the descriptions in Dennis Kirk on the older N100 the differences look like it's basically cosmetic.

Ed Z.

[mro]

Helmets...necessary evil

I've got an older full face Nolan.
Been lucky that I've not yet tested it's protective properties...
But did have an incident last week while riding on a 6 lane road. I was traveling east in the center lane, large truck and couple cages left lane, string of cages in the right. All doing about 35MPH approaching a traffic light (speed limit 40)
Car in front of me goes thru intersection as well as a car in front of the truck. I'm at the right rear of the truck...truck slams on brakes, which sorta alarms me and I slow. An ambulance was hidden from view until I got about 20 feet from the start of the intersection and I was still doing about 30mph. I thought no biggie..Grab some front brake and a little rear...Bike slows NOT, front wheel is skidding through some coolant and then the rear hits the same $hit. Lucky for me the car in the right lane had come to a stop, I let off the useless brakes and made a right turn in front of the stopped car.

Crux of the matter is that I could not hear the ambulances siren until I saw it which was almost too late

Helmet muffeld noise
My attension diverted by the truck locking his brakes
Missed seeing the crap on the road
Just lucky....


mro

[Cobia]

Helmet reviews

Hi,
Try googling "motorcycle helmet reviews" and you are bound to find some places that can give unbiased information.

[FSCGunslinger]

Hey, thanks Ken, and thanks everybody else for some more replies!

I know how large my head is, and that measurement falls at the lower end of the Nolan Medium helmets, meaning that I should have a little bit of space. I found one of the solid (not outlaw) versions for less than $200 online. I figure if I get it and it doesn't fit, it's still brand new so I can just resell it. I also found out that the only difference between the two is, literally, just the graphic. Makes no sense to me, but I guess Nolan just wants to charge more if it doesn't have their name on it.