Totally agree with bootsam get a pair of custom ear plugs made well worth the money and then wear whatever lid you fancy.
I've always had an Arai shaped head. But I'm fed up with the bloody visor ratchet mechanism thingy always bloody well braking when I change my visor! It's such a bloody pain in the arse! and it's not cheap when I consider how many times I seem to have broken the bloody thing! Shoei lids always used to be the wrong shaped interior for my head, which is probably about the size of a marrow fat pea. So I've decided to use this year's NEC Bike Show as an opportunity to get a new lid...I looked at Shoei's recently and their visor hinge mechanisms seem a lot easier to use than the Arai's...
I don't want to be a smart arse but actually you are sitting in a force 10 or greater. On the beaufort scale a force 10 is 55–63 mph and, to quote the scale at these wind speeds "Trees are broken off or uprooted, structural damage likely" OK so I am a smart arse who can look stuff up on Wikipedia
That's interesting. Supports my theory that carbon fibre is the culprit: perhaps it's very stiffness is the problem? I had an HJC Carbon lid and that was stupidly noisy too. Maybe a carbon shell just reverberates too much. If you flick a carbon hugger with your finger it makes a fairly loud, bright noise. Perhaps carbon is just not a good choice for a helmet...?
On the carbon thing I have a (getting on a bit) Schuberth S1 carbon and its still scarily quiet. I suppose having an Arai and a Schuberth is just going from one end of the scale to the other. I prefer the Arai fit and also wear plugs, which don't bother me in the least. Maybe all these years of having to wear them for work too has just got me used to them. They are like contacts, wear occasionally and they are a pain, wear them regularly and you just get used to taking them in and out.
I've got one of them too, and it is noisy, but still not as noisy as my Arai. And like most noisy lids it's the vents that are the problem; I taped over the top vents for a trip to France and it was much quieter. I have found the same on a lot of cheaper lids; the vents are the culprits, on Cabergs the vent mechanisms rattle around for instance. I've found the same on an OGK lid I've just bought. A little bit of sticky-back felt has made it silent.
Is the new Shoei NXR too new for anyone to have tried it ? Advertising blurb claims is has been designed with the riders of naked bikes (see how I avoided the obvious, I'm learning) in mind. Might just pay the Shoei stand a visit next week and then end up buying a GT Air anyway. Andy
It is worth trying as many earplugs as possible - they vary enormously - I have really struggled with most of the different foam types, one of the main issues being that one or other of them usually worked out 10 miles into a ride (nearly always the left one!) I tried some silicone Moldex Rockets and really like them - they are effective, comfortable and always stay put - worth a try! Next up is a mouldable diy kit from ebay, bought but not yet tried, but cheap enough to experiment with. More recently I have had an offer from a friend who is an audiologist to make me a pukka custom set, so I am certainly going to take him up on that. I won't contemplate riding without them.
Had an XR1-R Carbon and it was a great lid, an X-Spirit, again relatively queit, currently wearing the new AGV Corsa-again surprisingly good too and a HJC R-Pha 10 which is excellent. In my opinion anything thats well vented is gonna be noisy. Especially if your on a naked bike. I'm an ear plug convert myself. Never thought i'd wear them, but for the last few years I wouldnt head to the shops without them. They make a huge difference even cheapish ones..
How do you work that out? The problem is noise, the earplugs reduce the noise to a comfortable level and protect your hearing, that is a problem solved in my eyes??!
Hit the nail on the head. I've got professionally moulded ear plugs. Helmet it still noisy as hell. Personally I don't like wearing then as I feel like they cut down on my situational awareness. I just want a helmet hat doesn't make me feel like I'm in a wind tunnel.