Modular helmets and multiple visors

6370 Views 40 Replies 23 Participants Last post by nyc rugby, Mar 3, 2009

ridesyeti

Discussion Starter · Mar 1, 2009

What are your thoughts on modular helmets from a safety as well as convenience perspective? How about internal or external tinted visors?

Ridesyeti

1 - 20 of 41 Posts

Oh My Sack!

· #2 · Mar 1, 2009

Never owned a modular but considerd a Shoei at one time. I didn't enjoy the fit. I read somewhere that modulars weren't the strongest in the chin area but that may be internet BS, I don't know.

I wear a Scorpion EXO-1000 that has a flip down inner tinted visor. I LOVE this helmet!! I love the inner visor, too. It's the best of both worlds when riding day to night. I wear sunglasses all the time because I just hate to be in the sun without. I absolutely hate dealing with a pair of sunglasses when it comes to riding...taking them off to get the helmet off, where to store my $300 shades when they're not on my head, etc.

EXO1000.....problem solved for me and it worked extremely well in a crash and very hard impact with the asphalt!

kjkrow

· #3 · Mar 1, 2009

I'm not sure if this is from the Hurt Report or another study, but this was one of my reasons for getting a traditional full face and avoiding a modular helmet.

With over 30% of impacts on/near the chin bar, I'd rather it not have the potential to come free and move in the unlikely event of a crash.

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Oh My Sack!

· #4 · Mar 1, 2009

Well...the info could be usefull but what are they comparing with the two helmets? Does one represent the modular and one, the full face?

gadzooks

· #5 · Mar 1, 2009

Oh My Sack! said:
Well...the info could be usefull but what are they comparing with the two helmets? Does one represent the modular and one, the full face?

that is from research into where impacts tended to occur on the helmets in crashes, one is the right side, the other is the left side of the same helmet

kjkrow

· #6 · Mar 1, 2009

Yeah, sorry, I guess I should have been clearer on what that represented. Snagged it from this site: http://jeff.dean.home.att.net/swisher.htm with this information:

The diagrams above show the impact areas on crash-involved motorcycle helmets. (Source: Dietmar Otte, Hannover Medical University, Dept. of Traffic Accident Research, Germany.) Note that 35% of all crashes showed major impact on the chin-bar area. This means that if you ride with an open-face helmet, you are accepting only 65% of the protection that could be available to your head.

If you ride with a shorty or half helmet, you are accepting only 39% of the protection you could obtain. You are literally throwing away 61% of the protection you would have had had you chosen a full-face helmet.

Note that this makes no mention of modular helmets, but to me, the convenience they might offer isn't worth the risk of having a potentially weaker helmet in high impact areas.

Frogger

· #7 · Mar 1, 2009

Get a full face or up the life insurance policy.

/thread

GUN

· #8 · Mar 1, 2009 (Edited)

I had a Nolan modular that got to wear for a total of... four rides before crashing my head into the pavement. I actually hit on the right side of my head, in the chin area. I had no damage to my brain bucket and I don't know why people think that the chin is going to pop off in an accident... they wouldn't make them if they were prone to popping off. I hit hard enough that it did pop the windscreen right off, though, and suffered a near concussion and broken wrist.

As for comfort and useability... it was just as comfortable as any other high end helmet. A little more wind noise than a full face. Also had the flip down sun visor which was AWESOME. It had a cool little chin strap that was a plastic ratcheting device... which sucked. It was convenient, but it felt like someone was pushing on my adam's apple all day with that flat edge. Nothing I did would change this... and it was to the point where I would have probably taken it out and fitted the helmet for something else. I guess nothing beats the classic strap.

I decided not to go for a modular again after everything, mainly because I feel like there's no point to having it. There's not enough time during a day that I need to spend with my helmet half-on. When I'm suiting up, it's always helmet right before gloves anyway, so it's not like I'm overheating in it. When riding and sitting in traffic, a flip of the visor is all you need anyway, and you're not supposed to open the face of the modular when riding, no time, no reason, no matter how slow... that's probably where people are eating pavement and the modular is "malfunctioning".

I think it's more of a novelty that can best be spent elsewhere... like maybe a horn that plays "La Cukaracha".

EDIT: Forgot to add, the built in sun visor was the internal kind. I wouldn't do the external flip down, too much chance to scratch it... and that's more surfaces that you have to keep clean/unscratched. Once again, FRIGGIN AWESOME.

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timotheus

· #9 · Mar 1, 2009

i wear glasses and i have a modular with an inner flip down sun visor. the modular is handy for ppl who wear glasses since you can just flip it up rather than take it off to talk...eat.....etc. i havent crash tested it yet....hopefully i never will

Frogger

· #10 · Mar 1, 2009

GUN said:
I had a Nolan modular that got to wear for a total of... four rides before crashing my head into the pavement. I actually hit on the right side of my head, in the chin area. I had no damage to my brain bucket and I don't know why people think that the chin is going to pop off in an accident... they wouldn't make them if they were prone to popping off. I hit hard enough that it did pop the windscreen right off, though, and suffered a near concussion and broken wrist.

As for comfort and useability... it was just as comfortable as any other high end helmet. A little more wind noise than a full face. Also had the flip down sun visor which was AWESOME. It had a cool little chin strap that was a plastic ratcheting device... which sucked. It was convenient, but it felt like someone was pushing on my adam's apple all day with that flat edge. Nothing I did would change this... and it was to the point where I would have probably taken it out and fitted the helmet for something else. I guess nothing beats the classic strap.

I decided not to go for a modular again after everything, mainly because I feel like there's no point to having it. There's not enough time during a day that I need to spend with my helmet half-on. When I'm suiting up, it's always helmet right before gloves anyway, so it's not like I'm overheating in it. When riding and sitting in traffic, a flip of the visor is all you need anyway, and you're not supposed to open the face of the modular when riding, no time, no reason, no matter how slow... that's probably where people are eating pavement and the modular is "malfunctioning".

I think it's more of a novelty that can best be spent elsewhere... like maybe a horn that plays "La Cukaracha".

EDIT: Forgot to add, the built in sun visor was the internal kind. I wouldn't do the external flip down, too much chance to scratch it... and that's more surfaces that you have to keep clean/unscratched. Once again, FRIGGIN AWESOME.

People think that the chin piece collapses because it happens. Search around. There are a lot of documented cases all over the internet, many with pictures, of this happening. Furthermore, hitting level ground is nowhere near the magnitude of impact that can happen when hitting another vehicle or a stationary non-horizontal object.

You can't use the sole fact that they are manufactured to indicate that they are necessarily safe because cruiser-type, no-face helmets are manufactured as well.

There is a reason that even the expensive flip-up helmets aren't Snell-certified. They are unsafe in comparison to a full-face helmet.

Frogger

· #11 · Mar 1, 2009

timotheus said:
i wear glasses and i have a modular with an inner flip down sun visor. the modular is handy for ppl who wear glasses since you can just flip it up rather than take it off to talk...eat.....etc. i havent crash tested it yet....hopefully i never will

I wear glasses and a full-face. I don't have trouble talking to people and I take it off if I'm going to eat.

kjkrow

· #12 · Mar 1, 2009

+1, no trouble with glasses on my EXO-700.

JAGR

· #13 · Mar 1, 2009

The 2 modulars i have contain a stainless steel lockng mechanism.
The Nolan is a even 2 stage release. meaning it takes 2 seperate pulls to open it. this is easily done with one hand in a pincer action.

I just came across a SHARK modular that is similar to the ROOF BOXER as the chin bar rotates all the way to the rear. and has an internal sun visor. It will probably be my next lid.

http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=4626

RandyO

· #14 · Mar 1, 2009

Frogger said:
There is a reason that even the expensive flip-up helmets aren't Snell-certified. They are unsafe in comparison to a full-face helmet.

the reason there are no Snell approved flip up is that Snell has not developed a standard

there are many open face helmets that are Snell approved, having chin protection has nothing to do with Snell approval

http://www.smf.org/certlist/std_M2005.html

SV_WantABe

· #15 · Mar 1, 2009

The modeular that I tried on (with glasses on) knocked my glasses off/down just like a full face. If the helmet is at all tight around the ears, it'll knock off your eleglasses (at the arms) anyhow. It likely also depneds on how tight against your face the arms are.

HJC has a bunch of new helmets with the inner shade - I wonder if they are any good (compared to Scorpian 400/700/1000).

leaftye

· #16 · Mar 1, 2009

Yeah, I have to take my glasses off to put on my helmet, but I can take my helmet off without removing my glasses.

Coop

· #17 · Mar 1, 2009

RandyO said:
the reason there are no Snell approved flip up is that Snell has not developed a standard

there are many open face helmets that are Snell approved, having chin protection has nothing to do with Snell approval

+1, Randy beat me to it. Snell has nothing to do with chin protection.

Frogger

· #18 · Mar 1, 2009

RandyO said:
the reason there are no Snell approved flip up is that Snell has not developed a standard

there are many open face helmets that are Snell approved, having chin protection has nothing to do with Snell approval

http://www.smf.org/certlist/std_M2005.html

Coop said:
+1, Randy beat me to it. Snell has nothing to do with chin protection.

Fancy that. If there were a standardized crash test method for modulars, and some proved not to collapse, not based on manufacturers' design claims but on testing, I'd certainly consider buying one.

RandyO

· #19 · Mar 1, 2009

I'm really surprised that Snell Foundation has not developed a standard for modulars yet. Modular helmets, especially Nolans are very popular with the long distance touring crowd

if someone did a sudy of helmet miles, it would'nt surprise me if modulars were as popular as full helmets, just one touring guy that rides 50k/year would equal out 10-12 average milage riders with full helmets

tcl

· #20 · Mar 1, 2009

Look for flip up helmets with ECE GOLD (best EU standard) versions and you should be fine.

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