What type of helmet?

Hi! I'm new to this forum and just ordered a new SilverWing this morning (to replace my Honda CB900F Hornet). I test rode the SW several days ago and the only issue I had was helmet noise. I wear a Shoie full-face helmet and with the visor down the noise was almost unbearable. With the visor up it was still much noisier than visor up or down on the Hornet.

It looks like I need a new helmet to go with the new bike. I was thinking of a Shoie open-face or one of the Nolan open-face types (N42 I think).

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Also is there any soft luggage that fits the "hole under the seat"?

Regards,
Peter

Hello Peter and welcome!

I can vouch for the Nolan N42 - Nolan make good helmets although not necessarily the lightest.
They fit my head so I don't bother looking elsewhere.

As for the noise, I, too, found the Swing much worse than my X9 was before I fitted a Laminar Lip to it.
I now have one (Laminar Lip) on my Silverwing and the wind-noise is almost eliminated - I'm currently wearing a flip-front N102 when riding - and I can still see over the top of the screen.

Soft luggage for under the seat? I have a 40ltr Berghaus Mule holdall (link below) which is just right, leaving a little space round the sides for my bits-and-pieces (puncture repair kit, torch, etc.)

http://www.freetime1.co.uk/Models.aspx?ModelID=1058&PartnerID=2

I bought some name brand at the dealership about three years ago, it may have just been a Bell. I had several at home but wanted a good fit. I had the helmet painted to match the bike so it will be hard to get another one. But mine seems to let a lot of air in, it's a full shield. In the summer it is great for some air flow but now that it is colder I'm not enjoying it as much.
When my helmet was being painted I borrowed a friends, who had a Nolan and wow was it nice. Two face shields that came down and the fit was really nice. I might have to reconsider...

Welome, PJA, from another recent Silverwing owner.

Having been off two wheels for over twenty years I did a lot of helmet research before settling on a Schuberth J1 which is very quiet. What I like is that it is a kind of hybrid open/full face affair. It has a chin guard hoop, which, although meaning some safety compromise - clearly not as protective as a real full-face arrangement - does allow for wonderful peripheral vision which is in itself a safety feature in my opinion.

And I've just fitted a Laminar Lip which keeps the wind noise down too.

Hi There!

IMHO the laminar lip works great as the others have said, and my advice would be to try one, (or a taller screen) first before shelling out on a new helmet... It's likely that the noise you experience is because your head is in the wind turbulence zone caused by the tall screen.... You will really notice this, especially if have come from a naked bike such as the hornet, as your head would have been in a cleaner slipstream, and thus less noisier...

If you fit laminar ears aswell, this reduces the noise level even more, and improves high speed stability....

That's interesting about the Schuberth - I guess Nolan's must have been keeping an eye on them as they've just introduced something very similar, the N43 Air.
Two friends have them and they look the business.

As for the Lip, I'm pleased other riders finds them as good on the Silverwing as I do. It's such an easy solution and quite cheap, too.

MikeO wrote:

... As for the Lip, I'm pleased other riders finds them as good on the Silverwing as I do. It's such an easy solution and quite cheap, too.

Mike,

Can you please tell me where you got your "Lip" from. I will try the local scooter shop next week but a Google search did not return much.

Regards,
Peter

I got my first Lip direct from the manufacturer in the States:

http://www.laminarlip.com/

IIRC they did not have other outlets - it was all direct ordering.

However, there is now a chap in the UK who is an agent for them and I ordered the Lip for my Silverwing from him, thus paying vastly less import duty as it was from one EU country to another.

He operates under the name Heroblobs:

http://shop.heroblobs.co.uk/

In both cases the service was quick and efficient.

HTH

Incidentally, I can vouch for the fact that the Lips are bike-specific and do fit properly - before the X9 appeared in the US and there was, therefore, no Lip for it, one of the X9OC members contacted the company who said if he sent over a screen they'd make one. This he did (the company paid the expenses) and from then X9 Lips were available.
The picture on their website is of his X9. They also gave him the Lip.

MikeO wrote:

I got my first Lip direct from the manufacturer in the States...

However, there is now a chap in the UK who is an agent for them ...

Mike,

Since my previous e-mail I have found out that there is an Australian agent as well. My poor grasp of physics and the experience of riding bikes without screens made me thing that a shorter screen would reduce noise but the consensus seems to be that a taller screen or a laminar lip is the answer. I am not keen on looking through the screen, particularly in the wet, so the laminar lip seems to be my best option.

Thanks for your help.

Regards,
Peter

Just my experience, FWIW: stock windshield with added Laminar Lip (and
Ears). Before the lip, more wind noise; after the lip, less wind noise,
can now actually hear the engine, quiet as it is.

I always wear
ear plugs, and would recommend that you do too, for long term hearing
protection as well as a quieter - and therefore more pleasant - ride. I
have not much experience with different helmets, so I don't know which
ones would allow the least wind noise. I now wear an HJC CL-15, which
is a moderately priced DOT and (more importantly I think) Snell
approved helmet. It seems ok to me.

Of all the options available to you, I wouldn't be surprised if good earplugs will provide the best improvement for you.

BMW system 5, best helmet I've owned to date. Flip up face is very useful especially since it tucks a faric shield under you chin. The controllable air vents are also an advantage. If I had more money I would get the System 6 since the built in (but optional) sun shade would be very useful.

PJA:
If you are a taller rider then I would do as someone suggested and look into a taller screen or laminar lip first. When I forst got my Swing, the OEM screen directed all of the wind directly into my eyes and ears. I put on a Givi tall screen (~$109.00) and now I ride in a "bubble" of quiet air. Bernardo has had good success with the laminar lip, but I just liked the clean look of the one-piece Givi. Another advantage of the Givi is that it has "wings" that protect your hands.

I very much prefer the full face variety. I viewed some accident photos of a rider wearing a open helmet and it put me off. I won't get graphic you all have imaginations.

Various factors come into play for me.

Sun visor.

Anti mist, Pin lock or similar

Comfortable

End of the day we all have different sized heads and reqirements. Noise doesn't worry me, I wear ear plugs, wind buffeting is simply part od bike riding for me.

I've already posted some of this message on a different forum, but its relevant here too. In a nutshell, when I started riding a different bike with a smaller screen and less weather protection, I realised with some trepidation that my 2 year old Caberg flip helmet no longer fits as tightly as it used to. I noticed this riding my Fazer 1k, which as I have come to discover is obscenely fast and capable of speeds well into 3 figures.... The wind pressure at these speeds can get quite strong, especially with a minimal screen and upright riding position... I had however fitted some Silver Wing laminar ears that made a big improvement to reducing wind blast and improving weather protection. That didn't leave enough room to fit a Fazer laminar lip, so I fitted an aero trim which is similar but smaller and makes a big difference, improving rider comfort, less wind blast, and no buffetting. OK not as good as a tourer, but fine for a hybrid sports bike / all rounder. Here are a few photos. The green bike is my old Diversion, which is now sold, but I am hanging on to it until the new owner comes to pick it up.







So now I've just treated myself to a medium size Shoei Multitec when I realised that my Caberg Trip is actually definitely a bit too big for me.... My other helmets have all been large sizes! I finally realised that I needed a new helmet when one day on the Fazer my Caberg Flip helemt started doing a great alien "face hugger" impression...! Remember the film "Alien?!" Anyway, I tried on loads of different helmets, Shuberth, AGV, Arai, (now Arai surely must be designed for aliens or people with odd shaped heads!) Caberg, Roof, HJC, Scorpion, and several ones whose name I can't pronounce, but the Shoei Multitec was one of the best fitting, quietest (and most expensive)..... I decided in the end on a modular flip up helmet largely for practicality cos I wear glasses... Anyway am well impressed with the Shoei.... The only downside with it being much quieter is that it dulls down that lovely engine sound of the Fazer.... That said, the loudest noise is a muffled wind roar, a bit like being in a glider rather than on a bike.... Riding, (especially at speed) past all the traffic makes me feel like I'm sat on a demented hornet rather than a bike!! (my bike and new helmet are red)

The multitec is just as good on the S'wing aswell.

To sum up, it is worth checking your helmet every now and again to check that it still fits OK... The word from the various dealers that I have spoken to is that the cheaper helmets, even from good makes should be replaced every 2-3 years or so.... the more expensive ones last longer last, but may need the interior padding replaced every now and again....

pja wrote:

is there any soft luggage that fits the "hole under the seat"?

You may think this sounds silly, but I got a soft cooler from Trader Joe's (it's royal blue) that fits perfectly under the seat.