Bought a motorcycle helmet today - now with pics!

[Fenixgoon]

pics in last post

I don't know if anyone has heard of revzilla.com, but they're based out of Philadelphia and so I visited their shop today. The guy was super helpful and steered me in the right direction as far as helmet size/shape.

Ended up going with a KBC Force RR Blade II Red/Black

So if anyone needs gear, check these guys out in addition to other places. I was definitely happy with my purchase and with the customer service :thumbsup:

 

[JDub02]

I have a HJC flip up helmet that I really like. I'm in the market for a really low profile skid lid for those times when I don't want to wear a helmet, but VA law says I have to.

 

[chorb]

I've always thought Motorcycle helmets have looked amazing with all the artwork and such, nice purchase :thumbsup:

 

[JulesMaximus]

My helmet.

I bought this one from Cycle Gear. My wife bought me a $70 gift certificate for my birthday and I took advantage of a 20% off sale they were having on all helmets when I bought this one.

Here it is on me while riding.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
My helmet.

I bought this one from Cycle Gear. My wife bought me a $70 gift certificate for my birthday and I took advantage of a 20% off sale they were having on all helmets when I bought this one.

Here it is on me while riding.

lookin good there, jules

any recommendations for jackets? i live in philly/maryland so it can get pretty cool at times. here's what i was looking for in the line of textiles:

shift streetfighter leather/textile
joe rocket rasp
Alpinestars Sniper
Alpinestars Exile
Fieldsheer SuperSpor
FieldSheer Bullet Tex

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
My helmet.

I bought this one from Cycle Gear. My wife bought me a $70 gift certificate for my birthday and I took advantage of a 20% off sale they were having on all helmets when I bought this one.

Here it is on me while riding.

lookin good there, jules

any recommendations for jackets? i live in philly/maryland so it can get pretty cool at times. here's what i was looking for in the line of textiles:

shift streetfighter leather/textile
joe rocket rasp
Alpinestars Sniper
Alpinestars Exile
Fieldsheer SuperSpor
FieldSheer Bullet Tex

I am wearing a cheap air mesh jacket with elbow and shoulder armor there. I think I paid about $80 for it. It is crap but it is nice on a hot day when leather is just too freaking stifling.

I have an Alpinestars leather jacket that I'm wearing most days now that it's cooling off.

I also have a Frank Thomas leather I picked up from Cycle Gear about a year ago. I wanted the A* so I bought that recently. I'm going to put the Frank Thomas on ebay in a few days I think. It is this jacket. I like the jacket but I wanted the A* so that I could zip it into a pair of their pants for track days.

I'm wearing Sidi Vertigo Air boots now too. Picked them up for 25% off locally.

 

[angry hampster]

Oh god I hate flashy helmets. I suppose if they match the bike it's not too bad though. I just wear a solid black HJC full-face.

Fenixgoon: check out newenough.com for good cheap gear. I got my FirstGear jacket from them last february. They had it about $100 cheaper than anyone else and customer service was beyond excellent when I stupidly bought the wrong size. I've heard many other people say the same thing about them.

 

[halik]

Never heard of KBC... I usually spend a little more more than $150 on something that goes around my noggin.

mine

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: angry hampster
Oh god I hate flashy helmets. I suppose if they match the bike it's not too bad though. I just wear a solid black HJC full-face.

Fenixgoon: check out newenough.com for good cheap gear. I got my FirstGear jacket from them last february. They had it about $100 cheaper than anyone else and customer service was beyond excellent when I stupidly bought the wrong size. I've heard many other people say the same thing about them.

i want to stand out in traffic if possible

Originally posted by: halik
Never heard of KBC... I usually spend a little more more than $150 on something that goes around my noggin.

mine

apparently KBC is a pretty solid choice. i had never heard of them before (HJC seems to be most common, so that's what i was initially checking out) and shoei/arai are well beyond my purchasing power.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: angry hampster
Oh god I hate flashy helmets. I suppose if they match the bike it's not too bad though. I just wear a solid black HJC full-face.

Fenixgoon: check out newenough.com for good cheap gear. I got my FirstGear jacket from them last february. They had it about $100 cheaper than anyone else and customer service was beyond excellent when I stupidly bought the wrong size. I've heard many other people say the same thing about them.

i want to stand out in traffic if possible

Originally posted by: halik
Never heard of KBC... I usually spend a little more more than $150 on something that goes around my noggin.

mine

apparently KBC is a pretty solid choice. i had never heard of them before (HJC seems to be most common, so that's what i was initially checking out) and shoei/arai are well beyond my purchasing power.

On a related topic, I'm gonna have to buy that alpine* sniper jacket... hawtness

 

[mooseracing]

Don't forget to replace it anytime you drop it or keep the possibly deadly fungus from growing in it. IIRC AMA recommends yearly replacement of helmets.

 

[Kabob]

I sold my motorcycle yesterday, I just don't have the time to ride. Twas sad to see it go.

If you're looking for a jacket (and you're at least close to my size) I've got a sz 44 US Alpinestars Stunt jacket, black w/red&white highlights, fully perforated. Also got some other gear on there.

http://bham.craigslist.org/mcy/880310584.html

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: kabob983
I sold my motorcycle yesterday, I just don't have the time to ride. Twas sad to see it go.

If you're looking for a jacket (and you're at least close to my size) I've got a sz 44 US Alpinestars Stunt jacket, black w/red&white highlights, fully perforated. Also got some other gear on there.

http://bham.craigslist.org/mcy/880310584.html

that's a nice jacket! if i could try it on and find out how it fits i'd definitely take it off your hands. i'm nowhere near bham though

 

[JJ650]

I need one, but a full face helm just doesn't look right while sitting on a '48 Panhead w/sidecar.
Gotta find the right one to go with the bike, right?

 

[Kabob]

Originally posted by: JJ650
I need one, but a full face helm just doesn't look right while sitting on a '48 Panhead w/sidecar.
Gotta find the right one to go with the bike, right?

I'd rather potentially save the lower half of my face then have it look "right" on my bike...

Get a full face.

 

[Kabob]

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: kabob983
I sold my motorcycle yesterday, I just don't have the time to ride. Twas sad to see it go.

If you're looking for a jacket (and you're at least close to my size) I've got a sz 44 US Alpinestars Stunt jacket, black w/red&white highlights, fully perforated. Also got some other gear on there.

http://bham.craigslist.org/mcy/880310584.html

that's a nice jacket! if i could try it on and find out how it fits i'd definitely take it off your hands. i'm nowhere near bham though

I can ship it. If you can try on a sz 44 US Alpinestars jacket you'll know how it fits, they're all pretty close. Spidi and Dainese fit similarly.

I can ship it.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: kabob983

Originally posted by: JJ650
I need one, but a full face helm just doesn't look right while sitting on a '48 Panhead w/sidecar.
Gotta find the right one to go with the bike, right?

I'd rather potentially save the lower half of my face then have it look "right" on my bike...

Get a full face.

qft

 

[zixxer]

I don't care for the modular (flip up chin) helmets. There are very few with decent latching systems..

I have a Scorpion Exo-1000. It's comfy (was really tight at first but broke in nicely) and a good friend had a pretty nasty wreck with no brain injury.. That's good enough for me. However, it doesn't have very good ventilation. I used to have an AC-11 that had better ventilation but the clips and vents were not very good quality.

I live in atlanta, and could get by with two sets of gear if I was willing to swap liners all the time. The problem I have is that in the morning it's ~45 degrees but in the afternoon it's 80.

I have the scorpion mesh pants, and they're ok but a little baggy even when fit properly. I also have first gear TPG textile for colder weather and they seem to be better quality. I love alpinestars mesh and leather - I have had a couple TZ1's and they're great.

....Basically, go to a local store and check out the stuff in person. The only brand I absolutely WON'T buy is icon. Stunter gear - I'll pass, thanks. Every brand has their shoddy models, so it's good to see in person.

Newenough.com is a great place for deals - I buy almost all of my stuff there after walking away from the ridiculously high prices and unknowledgeable staff at most shops.

 

[Fenixgoon]

^ sorry to hear about your poor experiences with local shops. i definitely want to get more in-person time to try out jackets and gloves. while i was at the shop, a "large" glove from icon fit, but alpinestars "large" was way small (at least for one specific glove anyway). i'll probably be heading back within a week or two.

 

[imported_Imp]

Originally posted by: JDub02
I have a HJC flip up helmet that I really like. I'm in the market for a really low profile skid lid for those times when I don't want to wear a helmet, but VA law says I have to.

I love flip ups. They look awesome and are convenient, and seem like a good compromise between a 3/4 and a full face. However, from what I've read, they are pretty crappy in terms of safety compared to a solid, full face. If you're riding flipped down anyways, a full face seems reasonable for the extra safety.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

KBC is a good brand.
At present I'm using a cheap AFX fullface in silver...works for now but want another ARAI.
Wore my last ARAI for 12 years, it stayed fresh because I always wore a cotton balaclava....underwear for the head.

Worth the view... http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Oct/091016arai.htm

Sizing is very important... http://psndealer.com/dealersit...helmet_size_chart.html

 

[Kabob]

Even with a baclava helmets are only good for 5-7 years. The cores wear away with use/sweat/etc. Doesn't matter how good it looks/frest it smells.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Originally posted by: kabob983
Even with a baclava helmets are only good for 5-7 years. The cores wear away with use/sweat/etc. Doesn't matter how good it looks/frest it smells.

Meh! Old wives tail imo.

Gutted my Randy Mamola replica to make a low wattage table lamp.
Only the foam around the lower edge had gone bad.
Balclavas get washed after three wearings.

 

[Fenixgoon]

just and update/bump: i got my helmet and it is awesome.

i think i've narrowed down jackets:

shift racing streetfighter - only problem is i can't find a CE rated back protector for it. i emailed shift's customer service, who will hopefully point me in the right direction.

alpinestars t-venom - not sure if it's as heavy as the shift, but at the very least i know i can get a CE back protector for it.

both come in red (to make me visible.... and match the helmet obviously)

recommendations on other jackets are more than welcome. will post pics of my helmet when i get the chance

 

[Kabob]

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

recommendations on other jackets are more than welcome. will post pics of my helmet when i get the chance

Buy mine ^^

In all honesty I wouldn't buy a textile jacket, stick with tried and true leather. If heat is a problem get perforated leather. Textile doesn't hold up nearly as well.