Adventure Style Helmets

[StinkyPete]

I'm not yet I the market for a new helmet, but can anyone tell me why "Adventure" style helmets have the pointed or extended chin bar?   I get the reason for the sun visor of course, but other features of those helmets have me wondering.

Is anyone riding an ST with an "Adventure" helmet, and is there any advantage for us lounge chair pilots?

[ST2UP]

Pete, I don't know the precise answer to your question......but I will take a shot at it.......we road bike riders when we have an off "tend" not to face plant and are on a surface that is hard and will allow us to slide to a certain extent.

Adventure bike riders are still travelling at a substantial speed on softer, rocky, uneven surface that generally won't allow you to slide and wash off inertia, they also tend to face plant more so than a road rider.

The other reason now presents......because they tent to face plant more often by increasing the chin bar distance from the riders lower jaw area......the helmet is less likely to travel rear wards from inertia causing lower mandible, maxilla and face trauma.....the chin piece on these is a sacrificial structure designed to absorb impact and not transfer it to the wearer.......much the same as a modern car in a collision, front of car is designed to absorb and protect the passenger shell.


Does that help ??

[BigTed]

I've been thinking about this too, having just wathced Ewan & Charly again (4th time now I think  ). Only last week I had a look at some online (Arai) and the review spoke about the shape being more "round" so as to prevent twisting should the rider be tumbling... although the visors are designed to snap off on impact, the argument is kind of negated by having the chin piece extended futher out I thought - it just didn't make sense to me.

I love the idea of the visor, but does this create significant wind noise? I understand the typical dirt-biker won't be doing 110km/h down a sandy track (usually), but given my Shoei TZX creates a bit of noise, I hate to think what these might do. Does anyone have experience with them at speed?

R.

[Marcus]

Pete, I don't know the precise answer to your question......but I will take a shot at it.......we road bike riders when we have an off "tend" not to face plant and are on a surface that is hard and will allow us to slide to a certain extent.

Adventure bike riders are still travelling at a substantial speed on softer, rocky, uneven surface that generally won't allow you to slide and wash off inertia, they also tend to face plant more so than a road rider.

I accept this answer as Law. /thread

[Snigdog]

I have adventure helmet which I wear on the ST...its a Zeus. I also have a nice HJC flip front helmet with internal drop down sunvisor. Both good helmets but the Zeus wins hands down when riding in early morning or evening sun.....I'm not sure if its intended this way but the extended chin bar coupled with the bigger venting also dramatically reduces visor fogging.
The peak doesnt cause any particular airflow problems at speed if you keep your head reasonably level....even when turning to look...although you do notice a bit it if you tilt your head at the same time
Sd
 

[Skip]

Thanks for sharing Snigdog. I have thought about an adventure helmet, just for the benefit of the peak, but wondered how they would go. How do you rate the noise level of the Zeus and what does it weigh? Also, does it leave the 'neck area' more open than a regular full face because of the larger chin bar ?
And a question to any who has gone from a regular full face to a flip face. Do you find it notably heavier and noisier ? If you have switched, would you go back to a regular full face next time ?
Cheers.
Skip.

[rustyEB]

Another reason for the chin peak is quite often you need a "breather" so you aren't sucking in a lot of dust.   

As I like to do a bit of of-road my next helmet will be an adventure style.  I can't justify spending the $ on two helmets.  My only concern will be if it still fits in my top box, as my XR1000 fits nicely.

[Gatey]

I have a mate over Coonamble way. Rides a Varadero and used to use a Zeus. One day he passed a truck going the other way and suffered a freak accident when the visor caught in the wind blast snapped his head back and did some major bad stuff. Weeks in a neck brace after three weeks in hospital. His belief is having had the visor set in it's highest setting it created an air dam.

I have a Zeus. Its light but noisy and the melon doesn't match too well. The visor idea is great at the end of the day but better helmets exist now.

Shoe, Arai or Nolan make this style of helmet and do a better job in my opinion as crap as that might be.

[Skip]

All opinions gratefully accepted. Thanks Gatey.