Anyone ever wear/use this helmet? This is the one the girlfriend wants and I've been doing some research on it but haven't found any real helpful reviews. I'm curious as to the quality of the flip down sun visor. Any other input is appreciated.
HJC IS-16 Helmet
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I'd avoid the whole HJC line... they are often terrible helmets... the majority of people I have talked to who owned one say they are loud and cheaply made... I tried one and couldn't get that piece of crap off my head soon enough...
The biggest problem with them I found and others have told me is they are noisy and... the worst part they really catch the air... it is not the most aerodynamic helmet... just wait till you hit the highway and it feels like it is pulling off your head... and don't even think about shoulder checking... unless you like whiplash...
if you don't want to spend any money.. go for scorpion... they make some of the lowest priced yet still fairly decent helmets..
but what I would do is try on some shoei and AGV helmets.. then order the size you like off ebay... I got a killer deal on mine... it was going to cost me $600 in stores.. but only 275 on ebay and it is brand new and not a defect...
HJC are cheaply priced because all but the very top of the line of their helmets are crap
The biggest problem with them I found and others have told me is they are noisy and... the worst part they really catch the air... it is not the most aerodynamic helmet... just wait till you hit the highway and it feels like it is pulling off your head... and don't even think about shoulder checking... unless you like whiplash...
if you don't want to spend any money.. go for scorpion... they make some of the lowest priced yet still fairly decent helmets..
but what I would do is try on some shoei and AGV helmets.. then order the size you like off ebay... I got a killer deal on mine... it was going to cost me $600 in stores.. but only 275 on ebay and it is brand new and not a defect...
HJC are cheaply priced because all but the very top of the line of their helmets are crap
Wow, you must be smoking something. HJC helmets are excellently made. I have owned two of them. I would still own them if they would still fit me, but I shrank the helmets did not.
HJC's are around 100-200 bucks, SNELL M2005 approved, they are not noisy. The visors fit perfectly onto the eye port, they have any accessories available on the market such as breath guards, chin guards, etc.
They may be noisy because HJC fits the round head and round face best. If the top of your head is round and you have a round or square face, there really isn't a better helmet on the market for you, this includes the RF-1000, which I returned after a vent fell out. Most noise comes from wind buffeting below your helmet, this gap is exaggerated with a thin faced individual and HJC's round fit. I found it to be dead quiet when my face was more round. I only have moved away from HJC because they are no longer a value compared to KBC's current on sale prices. HJC helmets are hard to find on a closeout sale for a great value. That is because they are extremely popular, and I think they deserve that reputation.
http://www.webbikeworld.com
Look at reviews from people who own them and wear them, not people who heard from a friend's friend's brother's cousin.
HJC's are around 100-200 bucks, SNELL M2005 approved, they are not noisy. The visors fit perfectly onto the eye port, they have any accessories available on the market such as breath guards, chin guards, etc.
They may be noisy because HJC fits the round head and round face best. If the top of your head is round and you have a round or square face, there really isn't a better helmet on the market for you, this includes the RF-1000, which I returned after a vent fell out. Most noise comes from wind buffeting below your helmet, this gap is exaggerated with a thin faced individual and HJC's round fit. I found it to be dead quiet when my face was more round. I only have moved away from HJC because they are no longer a value compared to KBC's current on sale prices. HJC helmets are hard to find on a closeout sale for a great value. That is because they are extremely popular, and I think they deserve that reputation.
http://www.webbikeworld.com
Look at reviews from people who own them and wear them, not people who heard from a friend's friend's brother's cousin.
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I've worn one... and it was my size... my dad has one, my mom had one and threw the thing away, 4 of my friends have had them... I also tried a friend's helmet which was also my size and it too was bad
the common complaint is wind noise and buffeting of the helmet at speed and major drag on the head when shoulder checking at highway speeds...
on all but 1 of the helmets the paint was fading and rubbing off in a few spots after less than 2 years of use... 1 had a broken ratchet system for the visor and all of them said the helmets found the padding degraded a lot... so a helmet that fit well to begin with was on the verge of beeing too loose after a couple years...
I have an AGV helmet that after close to 8 years still fits well... it is a touch looser but I haven't changed the liner in the past couple years... the paint is perfect.. and never once had an issue with aerodynamics...
I own a couple helmets but won't touch one of those nasty HJC things...
they are a 1 or 2 year throw away helmet... that is if you don't mind the noise and wind drag on the thing...
unless you get their top models, they are terrible helmets...
granted I've not tried the IS-16 helmet specificaly... but I won't touch those things now... I prefer safe, well made helmets... I'd rather not risk it on hit and miss quality....
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I've worn almost nothing but HJC for most of my life, and have taken multiple hard knocks with them on the motocross track "including a 280 pound dirtbike to the head", and never felt unsafe with one on.
However their lower end street helmets are noisy and tend to get a lot of wind buffeting going on. The higher end HJCs don't have those problems from what I hear. I had a cs-r1 and it was ok at first but as the padding wore it got pretty horrible, I switch to a sparx for $89 and it's a lot better but the visor has lots of distortion around the edges and it kinda messes with my eyes.
But for those models your asking about I hear that the visor does'nt come down low enough for most people so it kinda cuts right through the lower part of your vision, but I have'nt heard anything bad about the noise levels or aeros of it.
However their lower end street helmets are noisy and tend to get a lot of wind buffeting going on. The higher end HJCs don't have those problems from what I hear. I had a cs-r1 and it was ok at first but as the padding wore it got pretty horrible, I switch to a sparx for $89 and it's a lot better but the visor has lots of distortion around the edges and it kinda messes with my eyes.
But for those models your asking about I hear that the visor does'nt come down low enough for most people so it kinda cuts right through the lower part of your vision, but I have'nt heard anything bad about the noise levels or aeros of it.
Well I currently own and HJC CL-SP and don't really have many complaints about it. I've never felt like throwing it in the garbage or anything of the sort. I know it's not the best helmet on the market, but when you're looking for a sub-$200 helmet, you don't have many good ones that really stand out. When I bought my CL-SP the scorpion helmets were not on the market yet, otherwise I would have bought an exo-700.
But back to my question, I was not really looking for an opinion about all HJC helmets because that is relative and will vary from person to person based on preference and experience. What I am looking for is someone who has worn/ridden with the IS-16 model and I would like an objective review on what they thought about it.
But back to my question, I was not really looking for an opinion about all HJC helmets because that is relative and will vary from person to person based on preference and experience. What I am looking for is someone who has worn/ridden with the IS-16 model and I would like an objective review on what they thought about it.
I have tried on the IS-16 at a few shops locally. I am in the same boat as you are. I'm trying to find a new helmet right now as my current HJC is getting up there in age. The inner visor definately comes down far enough. Actually almost touches my nose but I did notice that the inner visor is not anti-fog. It fogged up from me breathing through my mouth into the helmet while I was inside the store.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqdqhfXml2k
That's a review on the IS16.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqdqhfXml2k
That's a review on the IS16.
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I own this helmet. I love it. The internal visor is freakin awesome, looks cool, and works perfectly. I've only used HJC for the last ten years from CL12, AC10, and then the iS-16. It's a mid range helmet but looks great and works great, just like all of HJC's other helmets. Don't let the 'Snell' approval fool you into paying an extra 100 to 200 dollars for the name. If you're still a non believer, check out this article.
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/motorcycle_helmet_review/index.html
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/motorcycle_helmet_review/index.html
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I've had an HJC, but I couldn't handle the internal shape. I've got one of those warped heads that can only find comfort in an Arai or, of all things, a KBC VR2. The one I had (HJC Symax) was a little loud, but that's what ear plugs are for. I wear them when I'm on and off the track. Forget noise levels. Find something that fits your head comfortably for the type of riding you do, and take a look at the reviews. And while you're at it invest in a really good set of ear plugs or ipod head phones. That'll take care of the noise. 
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I have had several HJC helmets and never had a problem. You get some serious bang for your buck.
I have an is-16. Fantastic helmet, I love it!
Noise is very subjective, it's also a ridiculous to think that any two full-face helmets are all that different. I think the Dutch government did a study where they found that the difference between the loudest and the least loud helmet was like 2dB or some such insignificant amount. Either way, for me at least, I never agree with friends when it comes to helmet noise. They say this _________ helmet is loud and I try it out and think it's the most quiet helmet ever, and vice versa.
Anyways the quality is outstanding, it's about 150 bucks from new enough, the inner visor should be mandatory for every helmet. And the liner is nice and comfy, and high tech if you want to trust their ads. The inner visor does fog up but that is a small price to pay for this light, inexpensive, and cool little helmet.
Noise is very subjective, it's also a ridiculous to think that any two full-face helmets are all that different. I think the Dutch government did a study where they found that the difference between the loudest and the least loud helmet was like 2dB or some such insignificant amount. Either way, for me at least, I never agree with friends when it comes to helmet noise. They say this _________ helmet is loud and I try it out and think it's the most quiet helmet ever, and vice versa.
Anyways the quality is outstanding, it's about 150 bucks from new enough, the inner visor should be mandatory for every helmet. And the liner is nice and comfy, and high tech if you want to trust their ads. The inner visor does fog up but that is a small price to pay for this light, inexpensive, and cool little helmet.
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155 Posts
I just got this helmet and have about 400 miles with it. I really like it! The helmet it replaces is a KBC force RR. The IS-16 is way lighter and you can feel it right away. The padding fits the back of my head better and makes it easier to turn my head ( I'm sure this is different from person to person). The venting is also way better than the KBC. It is nice to get moving and actually feel air flowing acorss the top of my head!
The internal sun shade is really cool and works as well as I had hoped. It is not super dark but it is enough tint to take the edge off. For me it is good for a bright sunny day, just a little lighter than my mirrored screen on my old KBC. It was really nice yesterday because it was a bright day but when I got into the trees it was hard to see what the road surface was like in the shade. Just touch the top of the helmet and the roads are clear as a bell.
The jury is still out on the chin curtain. It is nice for keeping stuff out of my eyes and probably makes it quieter but it make is a PITA to use my cammelback.
Sound: It is not any louder than my KBC but you can definetly hear the top vents wistle if you don't have earplugs or er6i earbuds in. If you put your hand up there you can stop the sound and then it comes back when you remove your hand. Still, it is a light wistle rather than a deep wind noise that my old helmet produced and I don't even notice it at all with my er6i's in.
I got mine and New Enough for $150 also and feel like it was a great deal, no regrets.
The internal sun shade is really cool and works as well as I had hoped. It is not super dark but it is enough tint to take the edge off. For me it is good for a bright sunny day, just a little lighter than my mirrored screen on my old KBC. It was really nice yesterday because it was a bright day but when I got into the trees it was hard to see what the road surface was like in the shade. Just touch the top of the helmet and the roads are clear as a bell.
The jury is still out on the chin curtain. It is nice for keeping stuff out of my eyes and probably makes it quieter but it make is a PITA to use my cammelback.
Sound: It is not any louder than my KBC but you can definetly hear the top vents wistle if you don't have earplugs or er6i earbuds in. If you put your hand up there you can stop the sound and then it comes back when you remove your hand. Still, it is a light wistle rather than a deep wind noise that my old helmet produced and I don't even notice it at all with my er6i's in.
I got mine and New Enough for $150 also and feel like it was a great deal, no regrets.
how long do you expect to keep a helmet you get for a 100 bucks?
how much did the AGV cost?
how much do you ride...?
I've got 2 or so years on my CL-15 and ist starting to show some age in how well it fits my head, but cosmetically its still perfect
its quieter than my new KBC vr-2r was out of the box when it was 18 months old by then
it may only have 8-10k miles on it, but I live 2 miles from work, so its been on and off ALOT in those miles as a daily use helmet, probably on and off 4 times a day for 500 days.
yeah, it wont last like a a500 buck arai or shoei, but that doesnt make it a piece of crap.
I will agree though, that I thought my EXo-400 was a better helmet, although they are friggin ENORMOUS. it fell down a flight of stairs and now collects dust as my emergency helmet
an rf-1000 will hopefully be my next everyday helmet this spring, if the wife lets me drop the coin....but I wont throw my little 80 dollar HJC away!
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I'm wearing an HJC IS-16 currently, and can't say enough about the internal shade - its awesome. The price is right, and though HJC's lineup is a little lower cost than Arai or Shoei, they still seem like good quality. I would buy one again - good value for the money. Check back with me in 2-3 years, as time is the ultimate test.
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Is that internal sun shield compatible with glasses?
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Newenough has the Scorpion EXO-700 for 109$ I think for the price, its hard to beat.
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