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Cool Motorcycle Pictures & Stuff Other motorcycle related stuff and some pictures.

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  #1  
Unread 05-09-2008, 07:03 AM
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Just some notes and advice in my search for a new helmet. I have an Arai RX-7 right now that I LOVE. I also have a Shoei helmet that I've had for years and years. It's thoroughly broken in (too much) and just worn out inside. The shell is an awesome early Troy Lee Design (from 10 years ago) and it looks awesome. Buuuut it's just not suitable anymore. It has been the helmet for passengers that want to ride with me but it's time to replace it. The problem is that the helmets that I have been looking at are to nice to let passengers use so we'll see how my seach goes. I don't know if I would let anyone use my RX-7 since they are too much money to replace. No one takes care of your own stuff as good as you.

I was looking at another Arai but it might be time to try something else. I've tried the Suomy helmets on but they are just too tight of a fit with the Medium. The large of course is just too loose so I don't know if there is a solution to that problem. In my search I have also found a few on Ebay that have cracked paint. Maybe they have too much plastic on them that flexes too much? I don't know.

That brings me to the AGV brand. I have really come to like AGV and a friend of mines company is related to their products. They were actually sent a very sweet helmet to put on display in their office with their other clients product arrangement. Have a look at this baby!



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  #2  
Unread 05-09-2008, 07:30 AM
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At AGP and on other dealer sites this seems to be the closest one I can find: http://www.agv.it/prodotto.asp?Id_Prodotto=2

It seems that the above paint scheme is super limited edition. Hmmmm.
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Unread 08-04-2008, 09:57 AM
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If you want to see some really crazy helmet paint designs and a long list of helmet pictures have a look at this link. I'm posting it because it's the largest collection of helmet pictures I have seen. Damn. Lots of helmet and helmet paint designs.
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Unread 09-12-2008, 11:14 PM
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Well I've been wanting the Rossi Ed. AGV but that model is just too much, even used. Well if it were in front of me and I could try it on it would be a different story. AGV runs some pretty weird sizing when it comes to the fit of their helmets and I just can't take a gamble on what I think will fit my head. So I'll have to pass on their line of helmets.

Next up is the Suomy brand. The purpose of my second helmet is to have a helmet for a passenger, mainly. Then I got to thinking... my RX-7 Arai will cost over $700 to replace if it gets stolen or damaged. I would like to use my second helmet more so that I don't have to worry about it so much and I can leave it on the bike as well without fear of someone swiping it. The Suomy is also too attractive so if I bought one of those it would be kinda hard to justify. The Suomy brand is available to me at a discount but there are some downsides to the helmet that are known.

#1 The plastic parts that are added to the exterior shell of them tend to break. I'm pretty careful with my stuff but I've seen the rear exhaust vents crush rather easily. They make them out of really thin plastic so that they are lightweight but it's too thin! Getting replacement parts seems to be very difficult as well.

#2 They are the loudest inside from the wind noise. I would have to wear earplugs which is a huge pain in the ass.

#3 They are expensive! Seems that even some distributors have been calling it quits because of the low profit margins. Is Suomy being greedy and assuming they already have a premium product that everyone is demanding? I think so. But Arai is all over the racing scene in AMA and other events offering helmets left and right to racers and working with them on custom colors too. Arai won't have any of Suomy gaining any traction in the U.S. If Suomy dropped their prices and moved more helmets in the introductory months then I think they would be in a lot better position with customers.

Here are some shots of the Suomy helmet paint designs I really like and have seriously considered buying:









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Unread 09-12-2008, 11:34 PM
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I have seen too many Suomy helmets with damage to the rear plastic pieces. There is no way I would buy one when I think about it. They are really fragile in that area and you see them on Ebay being sold be dealers who are trying to sell them with damages plastic pieces. I'll pass based on that alone. I don't want to have to baby a helmet that much.

What's next? Well I looked at the HJC's and have been eyeing the carbon fiber models. The full carbon fiber exterior is just a little too much "look at me I'm overboard with the carbon fiber" attitude. They did just come out with a new model called the FS-15 that is very affordable. A few reputable review sites also did claim that the HJC was VERY high quality stuff so I have been looking into it further. The their carbon fiber models are supposed to be the lightest helmet you can get and a friend of mine uses one a lot and likes it very much. I really like the HJC CF (carbon fiber) model that has white painted objects on it as well. They only make this color scheme on the CF in the AC-12 model and it's called the Carbon Vader Helmet. The price gets up towards $400 on that model so I'll just keep that a nice thought for now. I tried on a couple HCJ and the padding was a little rougher than I expected. When putting on the helmet a few times during a day I prefer the smoothest and softest (within reason) material I can get in a helmet. I've been spoiled with the Arai RX-7! When I get some more energy I'll post a picture or two of the CF model helmet that I like.

I'm pretty shocked at how low priced the HJC line is and the quality is right up there as well. If the material was a little more nice to my face I would have picked one up while I was there at Momentum Motorsports shop. And then I saw another helmet that I was curious about...
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Unread 09-12-2008, 11:48 PM
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I happened to notice this other helmet sitting in the middle of the helmet display so I had to go play with it. The Shark brand has a smaller viewing area to look out of the helmet but it just reminds me of the race car helmets like Simpson brand helmets that I used to wear all the time racing cars. So this didn't really bother me when I tried it on. The helmet seemed to fit tightly which is good for the high speed runs and I have read online that they tend to break in pretty good to. I was offered the Shark RS1 Alien painted helmet at cost since it was ordered a size too small for the person it was intended for. After thinking about it I have decided to go back and pick it up. I like the silver on it more than anything and with a nice iridium shield it will really be something to look at. The air noise should definitely be less than my Arai and people LOVE this helmet in reviews all over the internets. :lol:

The helmet padding seemed nearly as smooth as my Arai so running errands with this helmet won't wear my cheeks down I hope. The face shield is so impact resistant that the guy in the shop flexed it completely inside out over his knee. I didn't need to see that to be convinced but it was interesting none the less. Also the shield is removed by pushing a button and then it just pops off.



I'll report back when I pick it up. I'll just be happy to have a helmet I don't have to worry about getting stolen or damaging. I'll be taking care of it but if it disappears I won't feel like I've lost a fortune!
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Unread 09-13-2008, 09:13 PM
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I guess the reason I'm so picky about helmets is because here is what I've been using for a couple years. I picked this Arai RX-7 helmet up from the guys at http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com and it is the single more important purchase as far as my motorcycle riding gear is concerned.

The Roberts Arai RX-7:



This is the best helmet I've ever used and the only thing that could be equal is probably the X Eleven by Shoei. I actually have an older X-7 Shoei that's so worn out inside of it that it's just around because of all the memories I have in it.

Since I've been reading more and more about all these helmets I've been paying attention to wind noise and field of vision and other factors while wearing my yellow and black RX-7 Arai. I'm looking forward to the Shark being a super light helmet and also being more quiet due to the lack of aggressive venting like the Arai RX-7.
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Unread 09-16-2008, 04:00 PM
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So what did I find? Well Momentum Moto of Paso Robles hooked me up with a deal too good to pass up on that Shark Helmet. Check out the final product as it is now in my hot little hands.





As a bonus Keith threw in a limited edition AGV Helmet mouse pad! Whoa now that's the deal closer right there. I couldn't let that mouse pad go. Momentum Moto will have the AGV GP-TECH line of helmets in by October and everyone's waiting on them. With any luck we might get to see a AGV GP-TECH Rossi limited edition come through the shop if AGV does indeed produce a limited run of them.



And the Shark Helmets website: http://www.shark-helmetsus.com/
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Unread 09-16-2008, 04:20 PM
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Those GP Tech Rossi's have been released.. I saw the orders come out of preorder status early last month... them darr lids are a shippin'!!!!
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Unread 09-25-2008, 09:44 PM
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I picked up a blue iridium shield for the Shark RSI this week. It's MUCH better to ride out in the daytime now. It hurts to use any kind of sunglasses that aren't very flexible. To the shield was a must and I don't regret buying it. I haven't sensed a bit of fog in this helmet so far so the breath guard and chinbar vent are doing their jobs well.





And a couple other shots from different angles to show more of the underside as well.
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Unread 09-25-2008, 09:47 PM
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And for the ladies this is definitely a classy helmet here. It obviously has the pink butterfly on the Shoei RF1000 helmet. They did a pretty good job making the colors more pale and not so annoying as a super strong pink. Pictures taken inside Momentum Moto motorcycle gear and accessories in Paso Robles California.

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Unread 09-30-2008, 11:40 AM
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I thought this was funny. Here is Kenny Roberts Jr. showing us how to remove and replace the Arai RX7 face shield on behalf of Arai. What a great guy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsQB2I02Gww

Boy this video really puts you to sleep just like all the ones they show students in college or like the instructional and safety videos in your workplace. I'm sleepy just previewing this clip.

On another note: I just returned from a weekend up at Laguna Seca for the 2008 AMA Superbike Finale Boy was that a lot of fun. Meeting up there with all the local dudes really made for a great time. I also made sure to swing by the Arai representative tent and get some tips on repairing my own Roberts replica Arai RX-7 RR. One of the rear vents is damaged so I really was looking forward to finding out how to repair it properly. The Arai rep told me that to replace the rear vent I can peel it off and replace it with a new one, no problem. They are held on with double-sided tape which can be loosened up with a heat gun. The only thing is that he didn't have one that was made for my specific Roberts paint scheme so he gave me his card and I can contact him soon for him to send me one right out. Sweet!!

Now if I could have just gotten one of these girls to jump on my bike and ride back home with me...

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Unread 10-02-2008, 10:06 PM
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So a friend of mine JUST received a brand new AGV GP Tech helmet that I'm going to surely get some close pictures of very soon. He says the inside of it looks amazing.

I also found a great review of the SHark RSR2 helmet that was very favorable even compared to the Arai RX-7 and the Shoei X11 helmets. It's a quick and painless read. He also talks about fogging issues between all those helmets. My own Arai RX-7 never fogs and my Shark RSI has yet to fog ever and I don't think it will. I would love to try the SHark RSR2 myself as people simply love them and use them. http://rswarrior.com/forums/t/104778.aspx

Here is another well put together Shark RSR2 helmet review. What makes this review interesting is the users track experience. Hell, he even low-sided wearing it on the track! I'm becoming such a supporter of the SHark brand myself... http://www.cyclematters.com/motorcycle-pro...e-racing-helmet

Best for last: The best Shark RSR2 review I've seen yet. Hard to top so much first-hand information from this reviewer!
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motor...et/shark-rsr2/

And the Shark Helmets website: http://www.shark-helmetsus.com/

My HJC AC-12 Ben Spied Carbon Fiber helmet should be here by early next week. I couldn't pass up the deal for $260 free shipping and no tax. That's just insane for a hand made helmet like that. They also come with the sock type helmet bag BUT also come with a thick helmet bag with handles and a zipper. woohoO!
:lol:

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Unread 10-05-2008, 08:59 PM
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Another shot of a bunch of friends helmets all sittin on top of a bar table.



Hell they all look good!
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Unread 10-06-2008, 05:50 PM
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So UPS was on my block today dropping off my HJC Elbows Spies Carbon Fiber AC-12. It's exactly what I expected since I got a chance to try on my friends Medium size AC-12 that you see signed by Spies himself in the above post. The Medium fit great once it was on my head but putting it on past my ears really hurt. I would expect a slight headache after some time in the Medium so LARGE it is! My Large AC-12 is just the comfortable size to ride in. I wouldn't want to hit those higher speeds with it as it's not that tight but for sport bike cruising speed (which is still pretty quick) it is just the right size.



I went for a short ride around some backroads and on the freeway with the vents open and I can put the noise level of this helmet RIGHT in between the Shark RSI and the Arai RX-7. The Shark RSI is just super silent to the point at which it really surprised me when I first went for a ride in it. The HJC AC-12 bumps the noise level up a notch and a half but also lets a lot more air in than the Shark RSI. Then to the extreme side sits the Arai RX-7 which indeed flows more air through it but in turn produces more sound with the vents that protrude out of the top... and maybe the plastic plates that cover the face shields hinge mechanism.



The AC-12 needs some breaking in before I can comment on the fit but it sits on my head more firmly than the Shark RSI. This can only mean that the HJC AC-12 has more of an interior shape in tune with the Arai RX-7. The material that covers the interior isn't near as luxurious as the RX-7 which is ok since it didn't cost me a fortune. I will rate the interior fabric of the Shark just above the HJC as well. The Shark RSI is one really comfortable helmet when I consider the material inside is more friendly to my face and the front chin bar is closer to my mouth as well. After riding in a Shark you realize just how far the front chin bar is away from your face in other helmets... especially the HJC AC-12. I don't plan on going down on the street anytime soon but I can say that I would rather go down wearing the Shark over the HJC. It feels more substantial just because it fits me a little tighter than the HJC and the chin bar is much closer to my face. I pray I never damage the Arai in any way simply because it would cost a fortune to replace!
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