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Thanks to everyone so far for posting up the helmet-safety chat, I've gone down a rabbit-hole in figuring out what's the best to buy going forward. I currently have a Scorpion EXO-950, which, while it is a comfortable helmet, has huge buffering issues when I'm around 70mph on the highway. Also of concern as of recent is that it has a thermoplastic exterior shell, which I'm learning isn't exactly ideal as compared to the higher-spec resins and other stuff that top-tier manufacturers like Schuberth, Arai and Shoei use. However, I'm going to be honest in that the flip-up chin is a godsend in traffic on a hot day, as I live in an area where lane splitting is illegal and the old people refuse to go when the light turns green. Right now it's between the Schuberth E1 and the Shoei Hornet X2. The E1 meets ECE (in Europe, but we don't get that helmet here in the US) but does not meet Snell due to the modular design. The Hornet X2 does meet Snell and Shoei makes beefy helmets, but I'd be missing the modular design. Anyone have any advice? Also holy hell there is more conflicting data on helmet crap than there is confirming. It's wild how many dissertations on safety are met by a dissertation taking down the former.
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May 10, 2022 21:26
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funeral home DJ posted:
Snell will not certify any helmet that's modular or has a drop down internal visor no matter how safe it is. So it doesn't really apply to modular helmets. Also check UK SHARP ratings if you want an additional point of reference. You won't get a bad helmet from Shoei.
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May 11, 2022 00:47
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Russian Bear posted:Snell will not certify any helmet that's modular or has a drop down internal visor no matter how safe it is. So it doesn't really apply to modular helmets. Also check UK SHARP ratings if you want an additional point of reference. You won't get a bad helmet from Shoei. They still make and sell open face helmets but they'll be the best bad protection you can get. 
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May 11, 2022 02:16
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funeral home DJ posted:Right now it's between the Schuberth E1 and the Shoei Hornet X2. The E1 meets ECE (in Europe, but we don't get that helmet here in the US) but does not meet Snell due to the modular design. The Hornet X2 does meet Snell and Shoei makes beefy helmets, but I'd be missing the modular design. Anyone have any advice? You've tried both and they fit your head shape?
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May 11, 2022 05:00
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funeral home DJ posted:Thanks to everyone so far for posting up the helmet-safety chat, I've gone down a rabbit-hole in figuring out what's the best to buy going forward. I currently have a Scorpion EXO-950, which, while it is a comfortable helmet, has huge buffering issues when I'm around 70mph on the highway. Also of concern as of recent is that it has a thermoplastic exterior shell, which I'm learning isn't exactly ideal as compared to the higher-spec resins and other stuff that top-tier manufacturers like Schuberth, Arai and Shoei use. However, I'm going to be honest in that the flip-up chin is a godsend in traffic on a hot day, as I live in an area where lane splitting is illegal and the old people refuse to go when the light turns green. Scorpion also use fibre composites and carbon, it's not just "top" brands, but more that the EXO950 isn't a high spec lid. For example, the Exo Tech modular helmet can be bought in either polycarb or carbon versions. If you like the adv style then Scorpion have the ADX 2 now, which is ECE 22.06 certified. It's polycarb rather than composite though. LS2 have a new 22.06 certified 180 flip coming called the Advant, might also be worth a look, but again it's polycarb. If it's passing 22.06 though then the only real negative to polycarb is the weight. Feel free to ignore the lack of Snell on something ECE rated. Buffeting could be bike dependent, so you might experience bad buffeting no matter what helmet you choose if the bike and your fit on it are just right for creating it.
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May 11, 2022 14:05
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Midjack posted:They still make and sell open face helmets but they'll be the best bad protection you can get. Hey hey, it'll protect 3/4 of your head really well! Just don't hit the other 1/4 on anything.
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May 11, 2022 16:28
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pun pundit posted:You've tried both and they fit your head shape? It's more along the line that I'll have to order this online as the nearest Cycle Gear is 20+ miles away and is constantly out of stock on everything due to the fact that it's the only one in like a 100+ mile radius in Western PA. If I'm going to order a helmet, I'm hoping to keep it unless it truly is a terrible fit. Also, thank you to everyone for the advice, now to just compile everything. Lungboy posted:Buffeting could be bike dependent, so you might experience bad buffeting no matter what helmet you choose if the bike and your fit on it are just right for creating it. Yeah I've been digging into this and buffeting seems to be a regular complaint for the Africa Twin thanks to a weirdly-sized windscreen. I'm thinking a taller windscreen is in my future as if I stand on the pegs like a douche, the helmet doesn't beat me up at all.
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May 12, 2022 01:38
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I made a little tiny toolkit to take on the bike. Should fit just fine in the existing tool pouch with the preload wrench. I was going to just stick a Leatherman in there but figured this is more functional for the same cost.  Aww look at the little baby ratchet 🥰 
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May 15, 2022 10:56
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My default vacation trip kit. Tools, multimeter, chain lube, tire foam, first aid kit, wire repair kit, misc useful stuff like luggage net, waterproof bag, state mandated hi Vis vest for accidents.
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May 15, 2022 17:17
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Knipex are the goddamn best, I love my push button channel locks, didn't know they made mini ones.
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May 15, 2022 18:56
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Slavvy posted:Knipex are the goddamn best
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May 15, 2022 20:03
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Slavvy posted:Knipex are the goddamn best, I love my push button channel locks, didn't know they made mini ones. they have even smaller ones than those too. quite cute
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May 15, 2022 20:09
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I keep eyeing the Schuberth C5 as deals keep coming up. I can't really justify buying it, as my C3 Pro is in good shape, but my "want" factor is pretty big after having test ridden it. It does have ECE22.06 which is really cool, but as far as I can tell it also has gotten a bit heavier. The new vents are good and the visibility is amazing. But I don't need a new lid. Also could get the SC2 and finally have a bluetooth solution that won't crush my ears. Goddamnit, someone talk me out of this. Or plunge me in, IDK.
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May 21, 2022 06:07
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Having good audio in your helmet is loving great. It looks like a pretty good package, I think you should get it.
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May 21, 2022 09:01
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For anyone else who gets a Hepco & Becker Lock-It magnetically mounted bag, note that the bike half of the mount has a couple of slip-on plastic covers over the magnets and once you remove those, the bag will actually lock down rather than kind of sit precariously with about 4 ounces of force holding it on. Ask me how I discovered this.
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May 22, 2022 03:55
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So did anyone run over your bag before you managed to retrieve it from the road or
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May 22, 2022 11:53
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Renaissance Robot posted:So did anyone run over your bag before you managed to retrieve it from the road or No, luckily I discovered all this while test fitting in my backyard before I drilled holes in the bag for it's half of the mount. I had a really long email to the US distributor typed up asking what I was doing wrong and including pictures and video with me using a spring scale to demonstrate the weak hold and just before I hit send I was playing with the mount and discovered it. I didn't find any pictures or videos anywhere that explicitly showed that there were removable covers though looking back at some of videos again I can see that they have them taken off and just don't mention it. Similarly the installation sheets don't say anything about it either.
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May 22, 2022 16:11
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I didn't ride down to my mom's at Easter as the lower temps + windchill on the highway would have meant colder hands than I wanted to risk so early in the season. As we were sitting at the kitchen table one morning I was describing various ways of deflecting the wind of your grips, including the trusty "split a 2 litre pop bottle in half trick" etc. Like, it literally didn't occur to me until last night scrolling through CA while in front of the TV that I could just, you know, order the drat Barkbuster BBZs and finally install the heated grips I bought a couple years ago when I got the new biek. So I ordered them lol. The grips I'd been waffling on for a bit because I didn't want to try to install them just working out on the street, despite doing exactly this on the Bandit years ago. IDK, long term brain fart I guess.
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May 22, 2022 20:46
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Finally used the Arai lid I had bought in November on for an actual ride. I had been using my HJC full time, but the visor clasp broke on holiday, so a new visor is ordered and I took the Arai out of the box and took the sticky protective film off after having tried it on a few months back. Man, the Arai is excellent. So comfortable, perfectly clear and zero fogging from the excellent pinlock (way better than HJC's one, which had a small bit of fogging). The only thing I prefer about the HJC is the visor unlocking on it, it's harder on the Arai, but given that the Arai doesn't fog at all so far I may just have to unlearn putting the visor up at roundabouts/junctions! TLDR: Arai is worth the £££s.
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May 24, 2022 22:19
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Steakandchips posted:TLDR: Arai is worth the £££s. 💯
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May 25, 2022 01:05
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Something from Arai definitely a contender for replacing my RF-1200 in a few years once it hits its best-before date. Assuming that the shape fits right. In other news, after half a month with my MX9-ADV… It looks great. It’s comfortable as heck. But man, it’s loud as gently caress. I’m not going to say I regret buying it, but at the same time I’m not NOT saying that. Should have just trucked the RF-1200 no matter how spaceman it looks on a big wannabe dirtbike. But what’s done is done and it’s still a nice option for around town when I want a big windy ride. If I could find a pair of goggles that fit inside I think that would be awesome, but so far everything I’ve tried has fit really weird.
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May 25, 2022 01:14
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some kinda jackal posted:Something from Arai definitely a contender for replacing my RF-1200 in a few years once it hits its best-before date. Assuming that the shape fits right. XD4 is fantastic and pretty quiet if you want to look the dirt biker part 
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May 25, 2022 01:23
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some kinda jackal posted:If I could find a pair of goggles that fit inside I think that would be awesome, but so far everything I’ve tried has fit really weird. I snagged the Leatt Velocity 4.5s on sale a few months back and they work well with my MX9adv to the point where I just wear them with that helmet all the time now. I'm likely going to swap out the bubble visor with a tinted one for the summer so I can drop it and get some protection from the sun when needed.
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May 25, 2022 01:53
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Steakandchips posted:The only thing I prefer about the HJC is the visor unlocking on it, it's harder on the Arai, but given that the Arai doesn't fog at all so far I may just have to unlearn putting the visor up at roundabouts/junctions! I did get used to that little clasp Arai added to the visor, you just have to tug it out then up with a thumb, but gently caress if it's not still annoying compared to the simpler old visor setup (and harder to do with my left than right). Between that, the whistling with the visor up that I know is not fundamentally their concern, the fact that the red snap for the buckle excess has popped off twice, lost the second time, and they won't just mail me a replacement (gotta mail it to them to replace the whole strap and not ride for a few weeks), and the vent caps are way harder to adjust blind than the Signet-R, I'm doing something else next time. I'll probably learn how good I have it now.
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May 25, 2022 02:08
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I keep praying that Shoei updates the X-14 so I have an excuse to upgrade from my RF-1200. Maybe next year lol
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May 25, 2022 05:16
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italian quid posted:I keep praying that Shoei updates the X-14 so I have an excuse to upgrade from my RF-1200. Maybe next year lol I've had an X-14 / X-Spirit 3 since 2018, would recommend. Though I guess it's not worth an upgrade if your current one is ok.
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May 25, 2022 07:07
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Remy Marathe posted:I did get used to that little clasp Arai added to the visor, you just have to tug it out then up with a thumb, but gently caress if it's not still annoying compared to the simpler old visor setup (and harder to do with my left than right). If you're wearing a Signet because you really need that long oval shape, good fuckin' luck trying to find anything else that fits even remotely as well. There are a ton of things I dislike about the Signet-X but I'll be damned if I can find another helmet that is as comfortable. Arais are stupid expensive and come with a lot of annoying quirks, but they're the only helmets I've found that aren't annoying or downright painful after 20 minutes.
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May 25, 2022 17:20
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knox_harrington posted:I've had an X-14 / X-Spirit 3 since 2018, would recommend. Though I guess it's not worth an upgrade if your current one is ok. The RF-1200 is definitely too good to warrant paying the big jump to the X-14 for no reason but if the X-15 comes out I'm probably going to just say it's time to replace it based on the age even though it's only 3 years old now lol
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May 25, 2022 18:03
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Welp, bought the Schuberth C5 with the Sena 50R (SC2) and the Sena is already bricked by the looks of it. It was completely dead at first, but after a quick charge did work (with low battery warning) at first. After having it left charging for a while I was gonna try it out now, but it's completely dead dead. There is a slight buzzing noise audible if I hold it to my ear, so either a loop or a dead component still active inside. Handily, Sena included a reset button, too bad it does absolutely nothing. The USB tool simply doesn't even recognize it. I'm starting the moto gods don't want me to ever use Bluetooth. Here's the sound if anyone is curious: https://dl.s-c.pw/sc2.m4a I opened it up, seeing as there are only 4 Philips screws, nothing but unplugging the battery works, even after a hard reset it starts right up again. Obviously something is fried here. Just my luck, my previous two Schuberth replacement visors both had damage as well. SEKCobra fucked around with this message at 20:09 on May 25, 2022 |
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May 25, 2022 19:58
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Jazzzzz posted:If you're wearing a Signet because you really need that long oval shape, good fuckin' luck trying to find anything else that fits even remotely as well. There are a ton of things I dislike about the Signet-X but I'll be damned if I can find another helmet that is as comfortable. Arais are stupid expensive and come with a lot of annoying quirks, but they're the only helmets I've found that aren't annoying or downright painful after 20 minutes. Yeah I'm afraid thread title applies to me too, but I'm not certain how oval as the first time I shopped it was Arai Signet and a bunch of round stuff. Before I picked up this Signet-X I went crosseyed looking at the data here: https://www.lidpicker.com/free-data My takeaway was the Arai Signet-X is the most oval available, Icon Airflite the next ovalest (but go up a size (but another goon's report on this helmet was not at all promising)), followed by other even less-oval Icons and Arais. I do have a note that "LS2 has long ovals", but I was ultimately limited by what was handy in Cycle Gear to try on. Maybe 4 years from now it'll be better...
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May 26, 2022 00:40
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Woah woah thanks for that link, i didn't realize they have free data like that. Alright... confirms that I just need to buy an RF1400 and be happy.
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May 26, 2022 00:59
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Remy Marathe posted:Yeah I'm afraid thread title applies to me too, but I'm not certain how oval as the first time I shopped it was Arai Signet and a bunch of round stuff. I actually paid for the custom lidpicker info a few years back and the suggestions don't necessarily line up with reality. The Airflite was marked "ideal", but leaves a major hotspot on my forehead even when sized up. The SignetX is marked "slightly rounder" but fits perfectly. The Scorpion AT950 is marked the same as the Arai, but the hotspot it gives me is as bad as the Airflite. Lidpicker says the Arai XD4 is too round for my melon, but I can wear one with no problems. Long story short, you really have to try everything on for yourself. A few hits and misses from my efforts to try and find something that's not an Arai but also doesn't make my head feel like it's in a vise:
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May 26, 2022 04:02
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If nothing else, you've made me appreciate that the signet-x fits my head real nice. They've been really comfortable helmets. And tucking the loose buckle in on itself for lack of a snap is not a big deal.
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May 26, 2022 05:05
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Jazzzzz posted:
After a lot of trial and error (I had no idea about oval vs round head and whathaveyou a few years back, and still today many brands don't even namedrop those things and you have to go looking for specialized sites/reviews...) I determined that my head is a somewhat long oval shape, and the 2 most comfortable helmets I've had are my current ones : Shoei GT-Air 2 and LS2 Infinity. All others were either making hotspots on my forehead, or fit way too large on the sides. I agree that the LS2 isn't the best made helmet re: liners and techs, but they are quite cheap and it makes for a very good city riding helmet for my scooter, as I'm not wearing it for more than 30 minutes at a time or so and the great airflow and visibility completely trump any other concern (it gets seriously hot here and a stop-and-go in traffic in summer with a full face helmet is way too hot to handle for me, I feel like fainting and that's not good while riding), also it's an almost perfect fit for my weird noggin. Whenever I'm on a longer ride or out of town, the Shoei wins of course. I never tried Arai simply because there's no dealers nearby and they are way too expensive for me (Shoei is close but you can actually get good deals on old graphics or whatever, Arais here seem to always stay at full price forever) TorakFade fucked around with this message at 10:02 on May 26, 2022 |
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May 26, 2022 08:20
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Is LS2 a new brand or just one I hadn't encountered before? I feel like they weren't a thing when I got into bikes three or four years ago, and now I notice them everywhere. But the more likely explanation is that when I was getting into it I just sorted by price ascending and picked one that didn't have awful "it'll kill you" reviews online. Arai vs Shoei -- I'm legitimately curious just how much more improvement the next price jump buys me. Going from a CL-17 to my RF-1200 felt like stepping up from a 2006 Chevy Cobalt to a nice modern midrange Mercedes or something. Great fit and finish feel, quiet, well featured. Dumb car analogy, I know, but I think you get my meaning. Not sure how much more comfortable or quieter or packed with creature comforts the next $300 jump buys me. some kinda jackal fucked around with this message at 11:57 on May 26, 2022 |
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May 26, 2022 11:49
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LS2 have been around since the 90s. VV Their Thunder is FIM homologated and they have 2 or 3 22.06 helmets about to launch, so they're up there on the safety side. Lungboy fucked around with this message at 14:27 on May 26, 2022 |
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May 26, 2022 13:34
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I have one LS2 helmet (cost 99 euro) i bought for my ex half a decade ago. Quality feels just okay. Bit plasticky. It doesn't hide the fact that you're surrounding your head with a shell of styrofoam and plastic very well. It was good enough for the occasional time i took my ex on a ride. They're safe enough to pass EU regulations. My own 220 euro HJC is a lot better. I have no idea how good the more expensive LS2's are.
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May 26, 2022 13:45
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I should buy another Arai Chaser-X and just keep it stored in a cool dry place for when I need it, before the model is discontinued.
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May 26, 2022 14:34
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Welp, after nursing an RF-1100 along for far too long this thread finally convinced me to buy a Signet-X for my H. R. Giger-esque head. God drat helmets are expensive. 
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May 26, 2022 15:30
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Steakandchips posted:I should buy another Arai Chaser-X and just keep it stored in a cool dry place for when I need it, before the model is discontinued. Remember that helmets do have a shelf life regardless of how much they are worn due to the foam breaking down a bit naturally over time. Also did you mean corsair-x? Pretty sure arai hasnt really discontinued a fit of helmet ever btw
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May 26, 2022 16:09
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