I've been informed by tech this weekend my trusty Arai has reached the end of its racing career due to old age. I haven't shopped for helmets having worn Arai's for quite a while. Incidentally, the Arai Profile fits the shape of my noggin. Suggestions? Mark
For the track, I like the new Scorpion EXO R2000, it seems like a really good helmet and priced reasonably... To support the cause, I am going to buy a Speed And Strength "Dogs Of War" Helmet as a street lid. A donation is made to the Special Operations Dog Foundation. Those dogs kick ass, and I am glad there is an organization looking out for them...
The Scorpion EX410 (I think) has a more oval shape and fit me pretty good for the 2 minutes I had it on. The Bell Star or RS-1 had a similar feel to me. I wear a Vector 2 now and have no complaints on the fit.
I used to race with the arai profile. Now I've been converted to the Bell Star. It's so much nicer than the arai in just about every way...cheaper too! The fit is like the profile you should really do yourself a favor and check it out.
Signet Q replaces the profile. TJ gave me an unbelievable deal. The interior padding is a little different, maybe a little bit more of it. I snapped in my old Profile padding (wasn't that old since I crashed the helmet) and thinner cheek pads and it fit just like the Profile.
What ever helmet you pick, find a shop that knows how to fit a helmet. Out in the Phoenix, Arizona area, The staff over at The Helmet Center (http://www.thehelmetcenter.com/) took over an hour to work out the best "Fit" for a helmet for my head. The difference between crashing in a well fitting helmet and one that was "Comfortable" is a big deal. It's less about cost and more about getting the right fit to keep your race weekend going. The guys over at the helmet center not only fit the helmets based on size, but they changed out the removable padding to get the right fit on the head and face so everything was perfect. Find a local shop that stocks all the accessories to fit the helmet to your head. This is more than getting the best price and more about getting the perfect fit.
Service Pavilion just pointed out to me in Indy that I can wear a Signet Q in XL with thinner cheek pads, rather than the XXL I had figured. I could not stuff on a XL Corsair however. An interesting observation I'm not sure I've fully accepted. I've been wearing a Vector in XXL. Signet Q has the closest shape to Profile I've heard many times. As a side note, I just picked up a clearance Bell Vortex for a backup/snowmobile helmet. Pretty decent for a $100 helmet, but Absolutely unacceptably loud at 45 mph and up. I threw all the packaging away before I got a chance to ride with it, (dumb dumb dumb) or it would be going back. Hope it's quieter behind the windscreen of my sled. I usually ride with no earplugs (yeah I know) but that would be impossible with that Vortex, and I've read a few reviews that indicate the Star and RS-1may have similar noise issues. However, they can't be as bad or people would not be recommending them...Right?
To support the cause, I am going to buy a Speed And Strength "Dogs Of War" Helmet as a street lid. A donation is made to the Special Operations Dog Foundation. Those dogs kick ass, and I am glad there is an organization looking out for them... That's awesome. Glad to know and I will pass it on.
Doubt that the Scorpion EXO R2000 is available. Been in their catalog for the second year now, but still can not buy one.
I talked to the Sport Bike Track Gear folks at Indy and they told me there was no hint that scorpion would be releasing the helmets anytime soon in the USA. They had a few demo's but that was it.
I have a Oval head to say the least. I had a Arai Profile (M) and went to the Shark RSi (S)..but I don't think they make those anymore. My shark is awesome though and it's pretty light and has a wide eye port. Crash worthy also, since I've had a couple of them
I have a Bell Star and its loud as hell, but I don't ride without earbuds on the street or plugs at the track so it doesn't matter to me. The helmet itself is awesome.
Light weight plus excellent venting makes for noise. The Star and RS1 are amazing but yes, a little loud.