Helmets Helmet With Retractable sun sheild

Looking at purchasing a new helmet, and I've decided I need 3 things.
- Retractable sun shield
- Able to install a Bluetooth communication device - easily. ( I do not own one yet)
- Quite

I do not have a preference of Modular or Full face.

One main question I have is: I wear glasses. Do glasses usually fit under a retractable sun shield?

And then finally, anyone have any suggestions that fit these needs?

Thanks!

All of the flip-ups I've "test worn" - yes, the sun shield slides over the glasses without any impairment:
Schuberth C3 Pro
Nolan N104
HJC Symax and ISMax

My next helmet purchase will be the RPHA Max (flip-up) - although I've yet to test wear one, I'm confident it'll work with glasses.

My Scorpion EXO-1000 has the flip down sun visor. I haven't mounted any electronics in it. Fit is a little off for my head so I don't wear it all the time, Shoei fit me better.

My wife and I both have Nolan N90s and the SENA SMH10 intercom. Once I figured out a good way to mount them (the communication module not the headphones) they worked fine and have stayed in place for two years. We both wear glasses and find the helmets can be put on and taken off without their removal. The internal sunshade does not interfere with the glasses. The Nolan ratchet for the strap is a real plus from my point of view. I like that must better than the D-ring.

Now with this said I too am looking for a new helmet. I am strongly leaning toward the HJC RPHA Max modular. I have tried this helmet on and really like the way it fits and it is very light. It does not have the ratchet strap, it has a D-ring which I can live with. But what I do not like is that I have to remove my glasses to take the helmet on and off. As far as the intercom below is the message I got back from HJC in response to an e-mail I sent them.

The internal sunshade on the Nolan and HJC do not interferer with the glasses. One additional comment. In my opinion I believe the HJC RPHA Max modular has a better field of view than the Nolan. Meaning better peripheral vision.


My Question to HJC

I have had an opportunity to see, feel, try on, and look over the RPHA Max modular helmet. I really like the helmet but have concerns about proper installation of a communication system. I have a question about putting in a communication system. I currently have a SENA SMH10 and have it installed on a Nolan helmet. That helmet has pockets for the headphone wafers to sit in. I did not see anything like these pockets on the RPHA helmet.

How do you recommend installing the headphones for the SENA SMH10 com system?


There response


Thank you for contacting HJC Helmets. I would recommend using some sort of heavy duty Velcro to hold the speakers in place being that the helmet does not have pockets. Please let us know if you have any other questions at this time.

Have a great weekend and ride safe,

I've got a Shoei Neotec, and I think it's ok. I wanted it for commuting because I go to work in the dark and home in daylight and didn't want to bother with switching visors. For that, it works great.
I don't wear glasses, so I can't comment. I would think likely it works. I can test with some shades later on, if I remember.
My other helmet is Shoei X-Twelve. I prefer the fit of it over the Neotec. The Neotec seems to press more on my forehead. I guess it's rounder than my head. So I don't really wear it all day, just quick trips and commuting. Also, I like the idea of full shield sun protection on long days in the saddle.
Neotec comes with Pinlock inner anti-fog shields, but mine was a floor model and didn't have it included so I can't comment.
There are removable ear pads that provide space to install in-helmet speakers. I don't have any. I use Big Ear custom molded stereo plugs for music.
Upper vents work great with the outer shield down, or mostly down. Chin vent is good, but the screen on the ST hampers it. No forehead vents due to the inner shield, of course. Overall it seems to let in a lot of air. Perhaps too much in cold temps, perhaps due to the modular design. This also adds to overall noise. Not terrible, especially with the ST screen. But I generally wear ear plugs anyway.
Also not light due to modular flip up and second inner shield.
I have an HJC with the inner sun shield from a few years ago. I forget the model, IS perhaps? Was slightly small and again too round for me head despite getting a M which all my Shoei have been for years. Plus it just felt cheaper and less comfortable overall as compared to Shoei X-Eleven and Twelve.
Maybe I'm just overall spoiled by wearing top of the line Shoei sport/race helmets on sport bikes?

I just received my new HJC IS-17 Genisis. Color clashes with my Hi-Viz Olypmia Moto-X jacket but I'm hopin I can be seen from behind more than the last time?? Have used it once and love it so far. Shield does flip down over glasses as I didn't think it was quite dark enough so put a pair of sunglasses on. Really too dark with them on. I previously had a HJC CL-17 and thought it was quiet but this one actually snaps shut and is a lot quieter than my other one. Course you know why I had to buy this new one?? The other one slid down the highway for 150 feet with my head inside and now it's trash. It did what it was suppose to!!!

kperham said:

I've got a Shoei Neotec, and I think it's ok.

Click to expand...

Ditto, if it fits an excellent helmet of top notch quality.
Will also slide down when wearing my sunglasses... but then you'll might have to expect multiple reflections: visor, pin-lock, sun-visor, glasses...

Further: whilst the internal sun-visor might seem a good, convenient compromise (especially when wearing prescription glasses), will it not provide the same protection against glare & haze, nor the contrast enhancement like proper driver sunglasses... so IMHO not a full substitute... nice to have when darting out a tunnel/over a pass/coming out a rain front, suddenly finding yourself staring against a low sun, but I use it only to reach the next chance to pull over safely to put my sunglasses on...

The quietest modular helmet I've owned is the Schuberth C3. I wear glasses and use the Schuberth Bluetooth system (daily).

The C3 is probably the most comfortable, lightest and IMHO the best helmet I've ever owned. Ventilation is excellent and in the winter months can be completely shut off if required (no leaks). The sun visor is very easy to use and works well. It doesn't impede my glasses. If you wear extremely light-weight glasses, like my current set, then you have to put them on before putting on the helmet. Normal weight glasses can be put on either before or after putting on the helmet.

The Schuberth Bluetooth system is very easy to install and is unobtrusive. It is basically a replacement neck collar. I have had some problems with the earlier versions of the Bluetooth system but, the latest incarnation, is working well. As a bonus it also has a radio with RDS. The Schuberth system is made by Scala so you should be able to communicate with all the other Scala systems.

I also have a Nolan N103 which is very good and has now been superceeded by the N104. The N103 is comfortable but heavier, noisier and the ventillation isn't as good as the Schuberth. On the plus side, the Nolan Bluetooth system is very easy to install, it plugs into the side of the helmet, and is IMO better than the Schuberth system. The Schuberth system won't talk to the Nolan system and vice versa. Manufacturers really do need to address this short-sighted decision.

I will be looking at a new helmet shortly. A Schuberth is at the top of the list but I will also give the N104 a good look.

Hi
I have found that for the money around $185.00 the GMAX modular fills the bill it is comfortable
has pockets for the ear phones it has the sun shield and the front lifts up for easy access and I also use glasses
a BIG PLUS there is a programable red light built into the back of the helmet that gets attention at night...
I also have the HJC but I like the GMAX better
Dave

povern said:

- Retractable sun shield
- Able to install a Bluetooth communication device - easily. ( I do not own one yet)
- Quite

Click to expand...

-The Shoei Neotech's retractable shield works well with glasses. I imagine that if you wore some kind of larger frames you could run into some trouble. But I never had any with medium size Ray-Ban aviator's (aka Metal Sunglass II, 52mm).

-I don't have a BT comm device so can't speak to that. Anything further would be pure speculation.

-I don't know that any helmet is quiet and modulars seem to be less so that any other type.

When using a clear outer shield you feel the sun on your face more. Drop the eye shield and you can feel the difference. So you may give up a small bit of comfort for the convenience of a retractable shield. It's worth it to me. The ability to quickly raise the tinted visor while keeping wind off your face and reducing noise is well worth the money and any compromise to me.

My full face helmets were quieter than my modulars by a long shot. Quieter not quiet though. I'm trying to get into the habit of wearing earplugs or earphones that reduce ambient noise (another recent thread had a link to some) because modulars are even more noisy. Despite what any sales person or manufacturer might tell you I don't think you can call any modular "quiet". Or any helmet for that matter. I think everybody should consider using earplugs when riding at speed.

I have an HJC with sunshade and a Shoei with sunshade. The former's sunshade optics are not as good as the latter and I had to buy the HJC accessory Smoke shade to get a darker tint and it's still not dark enough in very bright conditions. The Shoei shade mechanism is easier to use. Both fit over eyeglasses with no interference.

I have the shoei GT Air. I like the retract shield and I wear glasses. I don't see ever going back to the non sun shield. I used it with great success on my recent Midwest Tour.

Like my Vega InSight w/ flip up visor. Not a high end helmet at ~$135, but an improvement over my first cheaper helmet. No buffeting behind the wind screen, but a bit of noise with the visor down. With the visor up, absolutely quiet.
There's room for ear speakers, but I currently do not own any.
The flip up/down sun visor doesn't interfere with the glasses at all. I wear a small size helmet and have to put my glasses on after donning the helmet. No biggie.

I too have a Schuberth C3, and I've found I can put it on with my glasses in place (or, more often, I add the glasses after I don the helmet). And, yes, the sun visor slides down with no interference with my glasses.

A couple of comments about this hat. I find that the chin baffle seals so well that it gets stuffy inside the helmet very quickly. I ride with the top air vent open, and my windshield all the way up (anything above around 60 mph). Even with the shield down, ventilation is not what I would like on a warm day. As a consequence, I usually ride with the (clear) visor either open to the first detent, or all the way open when my windshield is all the way up. Either position easily solves the stuffiness problem.

Since I wear polarized, prescription sun glasses, the flip up tinted visor makes things too dark. It is, however, fabulous in early morning or late afternoon riding when your direction is into the sun. I bring the visor down an inch or two, just enough to shade the sun while my line of sight is straight out below the tinted visor.

And, after I bought the helmet, I discovered elsewhere on this site a link to a helmet evaluation site (in GB, I think). I was VERY disappointed to discover that Shuberth C3 was not highly rated for impacts. All that money, for a helmet that only tested moderately well. Elsewhere on this site I read that the Schuberth comm system is only average in performance but high in cost compared to other systems. It was good to hear someone here say it performs well. I will probably spring for it this winter primarily because of the neatness of its mating with the helmet.

Next time I buy a helmet, I will plan ahead and visit at least a couple of stores and try on every available hat that meets my criteria. I bought this one because my old one was 12 years old, the Schuberth was significantly reduced (on sale), and it is sound rated (I'm losing my hearing and am very sensitive to ambient noise (even with ear plugs)).

I have the Shoei Neotech and have been happy with it, I wear sunglasses under the helmet with no problems and use the flip down glasses when looking straight into the sun.

Nolan N104 works good for me with my glasses and Bluetooth headset. What you need to do is decide what helmets fit your list and go somewhere and try them on. Helmet fit so differently from brand to brand and fit is so important that this is the best way. Going to the international motorcycle show is a good opportunity to try various helmets on.

I know I'm in the minority, but I prefer open-face lids...

So I bought a Shoei J-Cruise. Very comfortable, and reasonably quiet (but, I always wear earplugs too)
The flip down sunshield is OK, and no issues with my glasses, but why the heck don't they make these things polarized ? Or, at least, as an option.

While I do sometimes use the sunshield, - I much prefer my clip-on polarized sunglasses. Much better by far....

HJC Symax III works with my glasses & the sunshields works fine. The glasses are just readers, but they are full frame.

I have the shoei neotec and have to say it is the best vented helmet I've ever owned. I have a Sena SMH10 mounted to it and it works fine. There is a review of it, I believe, on this site. Just do a search for it. If I find it, I'll post a link here.

The Shoei Neotech has more room for glasses behind the sunshield than My HJC Symax II, and the most of the other helmets I tried. I wear a 2XL, and fairly good sized glasses lenses. The Neotech also had more chin room than any of the others I've tried. It's expensive, but I think well worth the money. Airflow is also good. If you wear glasses and haven't tried a modular, you're in for a pleasant surprise.