Miles By Motorcycle
established 11 years ago
Bought a new helmet - Arai Signet-XSubscribe to this blog RSS Feed
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    1 of 15
    Yermo
    6 years ago
    So last weekend, after a nice 415 mile ride with buffalo down skyline drive:

    Ride #55249
    Yermo
    6 years ago

    Skyline Drive Ride

    The plan, if it's not too cold, is to ride the length of Skyline Drive tomorrow.

    I stopped for dinner at McGinty's, a local Irish Pub which is a frequent haunt of mine. After dinner, I went over to the Garage to find my bike on it's side:
    Photo #55290
    Yermo
    6 years ago
    K100RS down
    It was firmly on its center stand on level ground. The center stand was undamaged so I have to guess someone pushed it over or maybe a car knocked into it. There were some what scuff marks on the right side bag so maybe the latter. Not sure.

    As you can see, the weight of the bike crunched my aging Arai Signet-Q. 
    I could have sent it to Arai to have it checked out but with the scratches on it I strongly suspect the helmet is toast and as it's close to the end of it's usable life, I decided to bite the bullet and replace it.
    As it turns out, Signet no longer makes the Q and after watching some videos on Revzilla and doing some research, it looks like the Signet-X is the successor to the Signet-Q.
    I've loved every Arai I've owned so I'm continuing with the brand.
    Order placed:

    Link #55408
    Yermo
    6 years ago

    Arai Signet-X Helmet | 10% ($67.99) Off! - RevZilla

    The Arai Signet-X Helmet has massive air vents that can be operated easily with a gloved hand. The included Pinlock 120 insert lens is race-ready.

    https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle...
    I'll follow up once the helmet arrives. 
    2 of 15
    blalor
    6 years ago
    Lousy way to finish off a helmet.  I also just got a Signet-X.  When I bought an XD-4 a couple of months ago I realized my old RX-Q was too big, so I decided to replace it.  I went with the matte (frost?) black because I couldn't bring myself to pay another $120 on an already expensive helmet for some graphics.  I put the Pro Shade on and it's almost as good as the drop-down sun visor on the Schuberth C3-Pro. 
    Link #55416
    Yermo
    6 years ago

    Arai VAS-V Pro Shade System | 10% ($8.92) Off! - RevZilla

    Add a sun shield to your Arai Corsair X, Signet-X, Quantum-X or DT-X helmet with the Arai VAS-V Pro Shade System.

    https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle...
    3 of 15
    JoeMama
    6 years ago
    Any chance the garage had a security cam they let you watch to try and find out who or what knocked your bike over?
    4 of 15
    buffalo
    6 years ago
    Sadly, no joy--they don't have cams. Might be a "we don't want the liability" thing...
    5 of 15
    ryan647
    6 years ago
    Yermo I remember you saying something about the brick on the side stand causes oil to pool in the head.  It is possible to leave it on the side stand when you aren't there and then pop it up on the center stand while you get your gear on and before firing it up?
    6 of 15
    Yermo
    6 years ago
    Oil will get past the rings and it'll smoke like all get-out when I fire it up. These bikes need to be kept on the center stand. It's pretty seriously stable. It takes a good amount of force to get it off the center stand. I strongly suspect either someone tagged it with a car or someone intentionally pushed it over.
    7 of 15
    ryan647
    6 years ago
    I thought it was something like that.  I didn't realize/remember that the brick was so solid on the center stand. 
    8 of 15
    Tattoomike
    6 years ago
    I would have reported it to the police because if they left any paint chip behind it's easily identify of which exactly what kind of vehicle did it and should be easier to track down a vehicle with damage that's how they caught the person that accidentally hit my car backing out of a parking space at Walmart


     I'm very sorry to hear about your bike getting pushed over however it happened that sucks but I'm guessing it was okay to Drive since you finished your trip.

     and that's a very nice helmet but what makes a $650 helmet worth 650 compared to say $100 helmet or whatever? Please don't take offense to that question I'm not trying to be a smart-ass I'm actually wondering what makes the difference because I've never put on a high-end helmet other than my Nolan 104 since I like modular but I'm not even sure if my Nolan 104 is considered high end quote unquote
    9 of 15
    Yermo
    6 years ago
    I am not a helmet expert.

    For me it's weight, wind noise, and wind resistance. Less expensive helmets as long as they are Snell and DOT approved generally provide 85+% of the protection of the expensive helmets.

    I like the Arai's them because they fit my head very. I have neck and shoulder issues so the light weight means I don't hurt from the helmet. I also tend to go on long multi-day or multi-week rides and I find the Arai's work well day in and day out.

    It's been some years since I've tried other brands, however.

     For guests, I have some HJC's on the rack which seem to perform well for day rides.
    10 of 15
    MTSweger
    6 years ago
    I agree.  For DOT & Snell certified helmets, with expensive lids you're mainly paying for three Fs: Fit, Finish, and Features.  For me, fit and comfort are paramount (beyond safety certification, obviously) and I don't mind paying more for additional features such as integrated sun visor, anti-fog shield, comms, etc.  I used to lean toward Shoei, but for some reason their helmets don't seem to fit my head as well these days.

    Currently, I've got an older Nolan modular (N102) that I still use occasionally, plus a couple Scorpions and a Schuberth C3 with all the bells and whistles, which is my latest helmet purchase.

    The old Nolan works fine for a quick run to the store when I don't want to bother locking it on the bike. I figure if someone steals it, they needed more than me and hopefully they'll actually use it or give it to someone who will.  ;-)

    The Scorpions (EXO 700 and EXO 1000) are excellent helmets for the money. In my experience, Scorpion's faceshields last longer than any others (very resistant to scratches) and I really like their mounting system for shields.  My wife also wears a Scorpion EXO (with pink graphics, naturally).

    My Schuberth modular is hands down the best helmet I've ever owned (also the most expensive). Excellent pin-lock system (never fogs) and good ventillation with a nifty integrated visor.  Convenient and secure chin strap with additional hidden (internal) strap in back that's designed to prevent the helmet from rolling forward in a crash.  High-quality all around, especially the interior liner and removable/customizable pads. Superb fit and very comfortable for long rides. I added a Sena comms system (speakers, mic, bluetooth) to mine and it works great.
    11 of 15
    Yermo
    6 years ago
    I've never tried a Schubert but I suspect at some point in the future I probably will. 
    12 of 15
    Jackie and I have Schuberth C3 helmets and she's just not satisfied with the fit. Neither size we have is right for her. She's got an Arai Signet-X coming and can comment as to the differences when she's tried it.
    13 of 15
    Yermo
    6 years ago
    So that helmet did not last long. Last weekend as I was turning right on a downhill slope the bike stalled. It was cold and I failed to compensate. I tried to save it but there was nothing to donand over I went hitting the ground pretty hard. The hardest impact was sustained by my helmet. 

    14 of 15
    Yermo
    6 years ago
    I've read somewhere, but now can't find the link, that even if you just drop the helmet from as little as a few feet you should get it inspected.

    Despite the lack of much visible damage I hit the pavement hard enough to result in a small headache. I remember when buffalodropped his helmet off the handlebar of the bike it ended up being toast when he had it inspected.

    I've found this link for their inspection service:

    But so far haven't found more info on guidelines for what to do when you drop/crash in one of these. 

    Does anyone have any links they could share? 
    15 of 15
    buffalo
    6 years ago
    Looks good, I've just ordered mine.