Ducati Sporting Club UK > For Sale / Wanted > Private Adverts > AGV Helmets - Experiences?

[phillc]

Thanks for all your responses.

In the end I went for an Arai Astro Race.

The helmet fits like a glove and feels really comfortable.

After a week's riding though there are two problems I've noticed.

1. With the visor up at any speed above 40 mph there is a really nast wind whistle. I often ride in sunglasses with the visor up when around town and this noise is really annoying. This problem never happened on my old Signet GT.

2. The peripheral vision doesn't seem as good as the Signet GT. The check pads are a bit higher on the Astro and I seem to have to turn my head more to look into the blind spot over your shoulder.

Anyway, a couple of little niggles that I'm sure I'll get over. I have to, now that I've spent the money!

Phill

[Felix]

Ah, helmets!

This probably won't a popular opinion but I thought it might be of interest to some.

After having crashed on my Shoei X-Ceed at Oulton last year, I need to replace it (shell cracked). I liked the X-Ceed quite a bit. A new one was going to cost over well 400 quid. Now that I am doing a few club races there is a good chance that Oulton wasn't my last crash. Having to spend 400 quid on a new lid every time I crash, wasn't something I relished. So I looked around, for quite some time, like 6 months. Tried all sorts: AGV, OGK, Arai, Shoei, Shark, Nolan, you name it, I've probably tried it. I went to J&S several times to look at end-of-line helmets. I was getting discouraged as the lower priced models didn't fit or lacked features, or were just too quircky.

What did I buy in the end? Now don't laugh. It's a Nitro helmet. And, I am very impressed. These are essentially a Shoei rip-off where even visor mechanism is almost identical. What did I pay? Try 50 quid! Brand new, replacable liner, cheek pads, top fit, reasonably quiet. Visors, clear, dark, iridium, etc, all 20 quid. And best of all, it doesn't make my eyes water like the top Shoei lid did, which made me loose two contact lenses. Also, most of my Shoei accessories, like rain mask, nose guard, chin curtain, tear-offs, all fit the Nitro.

Now, if I write off another helmet it's only not so bad. I can buy 8 of these for every Shoei!

You might say that only an Arai or a Shoei or some other mega expensive helmet will protect you adequately. Hard to say, I guess and I am not planning to test it. But, the Nitro helmets are tested to the same standards as the others.

Granted, a Nitro helmets won't buy you much kudos at your local bike hangout, but for racing, no contest. There are quite a few Nitro helmets in the paddock, I noticed.

Watch out, Arai and Shoei, your days may be numbered for over charging for lids, especially in this country!

[Edited on 30-7-2004 by Felix]

[Melnie Mouse]

well, I like my AGV, I've had Shoei, and HJC, and Arai don't fit properly and a few people say they're noisy, but because of the name 'seem to put up with it'... (!)

I have just had a V-flyer, lovely helmet, 200 quid for fully removable interior (even headlining) while Shoei's Raid is not for the same money, and you have to spend 300 quid plus on Arai's for same spec... Now I have next model up still AGV called the GP-Pro, very lovely fitting helmet, and I don't find them noisy..

we all have different heads, and all brands do different head shapes within their range, so I guess some people find some noisy more or less than others, of course...

As long as it's safe and good fit, it doesn't matter if not a posh name does it? so if Felix and anyone else is happy with their helmet, then that's the main thing isn't it?

[Edited on 31-7-2004 by Melnie Mouse]

[deej]

i recently purchased the agv titech rossi valencia rep helmet to replace my old arai crafar rep and would never buy a agv again. i rode form cornwall to brands for wsb and by the time i had done 150miles i had a terrible ringing and buzzing in my ears, a feeling i never had with my arai. the helmet feels comfortable enough and is good quality apart from the tacky chin support thing. the vents seem to work well but the wind howls through the visor as theres no side pods like a arai. the arai is a very comfortable and quiet helmet,one which fits like a glove.
my mate had a small lowside in his agv and worked ok when he naged his head on the road so they cant be that bad..............