What helmet do you run? For adv or dual sport | GTAMotorcycle.com

What helmet do you run? For adv or dual sport

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Clutt-225

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Coming from a touring bike and now on a ktm 1190 adventure.
when I was riding my Harley I would choose between my half helmet for slower cruising or my full face speed and strength helmet for faster rides, hwy or generally over 100km.
Now realizing the sight out of my full face to be poor in traffic and the heat buildup once off road and at slower speed. I’ve been looking at MX helmets but my concern is aero at hwy speed 100km and up. I want to be able to ride the hwy at a good clip and pull on to a trail and be comfortable with out swapping.

so what helmet does it all pros and cons?

Bell MX9 adv is on my short list
 
I have a dual sport helmet. Never use it.

It's a poor compromise between a full-face and a real dirt-bike helmet.

With a full-face, you get good aerodynamics and sound insulation. With a dirt bike helmet, you get good ventilation.

With a dual-sport helmet, you get none of the above. Depending on your windshield, that peak is going to cause a lot of neck ache at triple digit speeds. And it'll be louder than a full-face. And when you're on the trails, you're probably going to keep the visor down to avoid being roosted, so you're not going to get good ventilation anyway. Unless you also pack goggles and use them with the visor up, and then you'll lose the field of vision. Most good helmets have drop-down internal sunvisors, which does most of the job of a peak anyway.

Honestly, I think most people get DS helmets because of the looks, not because of any special functionality.

I run a modular for my tours. When I need ventilation on the trails, I'll pop the chin bar up. Get better field of view as well. It's not perfect. My face will get pretty dirty when the track is muddy or dusty. If I need eye protection, I'll drop the internal sun-visor down.
 
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Modular, when actually riding 'adv' . I use to take the face shield off and goggle to get more air into the lid, I now wear glasses and googles are a pain. I'll flip the bar up off road if tooling along in a safe place for venting.

I'm not sure how well MX helmets work at highway speeds, they cost about 1/3 of a good modular so?
 
I have both a modular and a dual sport - each has its (dis)advantages. The DS is better for low speed riding (city streets & gravel roading), the modular is better for high speed work (no lift). The issue I have with DS or MX helmets when using goggles is that a lot of your peripheral vision is blocked by the goggle frame so you end up having to turn your head a lot. Your results may vary...
 
I have a Bell MX9 which I was using for my Gasgas...sold it....and bought a DR650. Kept the helmet and use it on the street. Bell helmets fit my head perfectly....the only helmet that does. On the street slow speed it's great. I keep the goggles on the helmet and it's easy on/off with ample vision and ventilation. On highway speed things change. The constant flow of air through the mouth gets annoying after a while. It feels like someone is trying to force air into your mouth. The visor does flip up if you change your head angle. I'll probably keep the MX9 one more year (its relatively new) and buy a Bell DS helmet.
 
Clutt-225 said:
Coming from a touring bike and now on a ktm 1190 adventure.
when I was riding my Harley I would choose between my half helmet for slower cruising or my full face speed and strength helmet for faster rides, hwy or generally over 100km.
Now realizing the sight out of my full face to be poor in traffic and the heat buildup once off road and at slower speed. I’ve been looking at MX helmets but my concern is aero at hwy speed 100km and up. I want to be able to ride the hwy at a good clip and pull on to a trail and be comfortable with out swapping.

so what helmet does it all pros and cons?

Bell MX9 adv is on my short list
Click to expand...

I had a Shoei dual sport helmet and got rid of it. The visor caught too much wind at road speeds and after a few hours in the saddle it would really wear me out. Not to mention the buffeting and wind noise.

I came to the same opinion as Lightcycle, most people (me included) buy them for looks. I had a KTM 950 Adventure at the time, and after a couple disappointing ventures off road (expecting too much; forgetting that it's a street bike that looks like a dirt bike) I returned to a regular full face.
 
If you're thinking of the Bell MX9 Adventure, then you ought to also consider the often overlooked HJC DS-X1. I paid $160 for mine.

Fits me well, as HJC usually does. Ventilation is only fair; not a whole lot at the chin and the top vents are only effective if I turn my head down 90°. In other words, pretty much useless.

HJC has curiously chosen to use Phillips head screws to attach the visor and peak. I'd prefer thumb screws, of course, but it's not really a big deal for me, and I swap between clear and tinted visors as the situation warrants. If one is resourceful and determined, a suitable alternative could be found.

I lengthened the adjustment slot for the peak using a Dremel. This allows the peak to sit a bit lower and become more effective. The peak adjustment, by the way, is done via a thumb screw. No tool required. Go figure. I have not experienced any aero nastiness from the peak when riding at higher speeds, say 130km/h.

As with the MX-9 Adventure, the visor does not have a "cracked open" position, but I've found that not latching it closed will provide a few millimeters and it's enough to make a difference. If planning on riding in cold weather, be certain to spend the extra bread and buy the Pin Lock; you'll need it.

I wear prescription glasses; no trouble getting them on or off.

Other thoughts: I haven't tried the lid with a pair of goggles, so won't comment. If you're using a comm system, speaker pockets are provided. Great visibility. Can't comment on noise, as I always wear ear plugs. A chin curtain is included. The hi-vis graphic will fade, guaranteed; choose another colour or graphic if this is a concern.

Remember that this is a budget helmet, it's not perfect, but is a pretty good value, I reckon. I'd buy again.

Web Bike World has a review: https://www.webbikeworld.com/hjc-ds-x1-review/

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For me it is hard to live with just one helmet. I have 2 main helmets that I use regularly. A Schuberth C3 Pro and a Nexx XD1. They are very different helmets but have one thing in common, built in com system. I use this for music and it is amazing to have especially when on a long tour. The Nexx helmet is somewhat versatile, you can remove the peak and vents to get a more standard helmet with a huge field of view. I used it for a trip out to Colorado and Utah 2 years ago. While not as comfortable as my C3 I liked it being versatile. Some days I wanted the peak, especially when in Utah riding some back dirt roads. It came with all the pieces to basically change the function of the helmet, when in DS mode it had a big open front grill. I could swap that out for again something more traditional that could be open and closed. Not the quietest helmet, but with earplugs it was fine and I had no problem listening to music at interstate speeds.

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/nexx-dual-helmet-solid

Schuberth is by far the more comfortable helmet and the audio is better if that is something you care about. I do like a modular helmet, on and off with ease and no need to take off my glasses when I do. Schuberth does have an enduro version that has a peak and is modular. Looks like a good cross between a DS helmet and a modular helmet

https://www.schuberth.com/us/products/motorbikes/helmets/e1.html
 
TK4 said:
I have both a modular and a dual sport - each has its (dis)advantages. The DS is better for low speed riding (city streets & gravel roading), the modular is better for high speed work (no lift). The issue I have with DS or MX helmets when using goggles is that a lot of your peripheral vision is blocked by the goggle frame so you end up having to turn your head a lot. Your results may vary...
Click to expand...

My DS has side pods that allow you to remove the peak for highway use. Perhaps something like that would be a worthwhile compromise to look into ?
 
I have a Schuberth E1 as Schuberth helmets seem to fit my head very well.
The E1 does everything I need. Beak is adjustable and quickly removed for prolonged street riding.
Same goes for the visor to use with goggles.
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Scorpion AT950 has been a great lid for me, used for aggressive dualsport, touring etc. They fit a little small, price and quality are great. Picture is from Deals Gap this year on my Rockster.

Phil
Wiarton.
 
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