I dunno how I do it, my wife doesn't know how I do it, but I seem to collect helmets. Heck, I seem to collect gear in general. In my under 2 years of riding I've had 3 different pairs of gauntlet length gloves, 2 pairs of boots, 3 1-piece suits, 3 leather jackets, and...6 different helmets. The only two I've got with me now are my Arai RX-7 Corsair and a HJC AC-12 "El Diablo." Definately two different leagues of helmets (the Arai costing about 2 1/2 times as much as the HJC, yet both are extremely comfortable and the HJC is not entirely outclassed by the Arai. If you are looking for a new helmet I'd highly suggest you go try one on!
The shield release system is great! It shouldn't take you more than 20 seconds or so to swap shields on the new system. Just open it all the way, pull a tab back on one side, pull back on the other side, remove shield, open one tab and put edge of shield in, open other tab and put other edge of shield in, and you're done. Quick shield changing is pretty standard for most lids nowadays but this one's tabs are both accessible and secure. Also, having a button to lock the shield closed is a nice touch.
Appearance-wise this is the nicest looking helmet that I've seen HJC put out. Aggressive and sleek. I got the "El-Diablo" color scheme which looks quite nice. I'm more of a function than appearance kind of guy myself, but there's something to be said about having a helmet that is well...appealing.
The anti-fog faceshield it came with really works quite well. I’ve ridden in the rain, fog, nighttime, etc with no fog problems at all.
I also enjoy how you can keep the face shield securely opened in different positions, and there's quite a few preset positions on this helmet, more than on my Arai. Fully open, fully closed, with three or four positions in between. I’ve come to enjoy having the shield slightly cracked open. It keeps most objects out of my face but allows for a little air to hit me in the face.
While the ventilation works pretty well it could be better. On longer rides I find my head being a tad bit on the warm side. The helmet can be noisy at times depending on your speed and riding position, but it's not overbearing. I'd say you'll definately want earplugs, but really you want earplugs no matter what you're riding.
The helmet comes with a chin attachment that is supposed to prevent air from coming up into the helmet from below. This works pretty well also, but I find it's best attribute is that it makes the helmet quieter. My only gripe about this attachment is that it’s made of softer plastic and gets bent out of shape quite easily. I don’t really think it affects the functionality of the helmet, but it does make it look a bit…odd.
Thanks to (which is apparently infamous) "the bump" on a popular riding road and a patch of gravel I have had a chance to crash tested this helmet. I crested a hill and started descending. The road veers sharply left and right about the point you need to turn in there's a huge...I guess you'd call it a hole/divit/crater in the road with gravel on the other side. I hit it and lowsided, my head taking a decent knock on the way down. The helmet did it's job great and doesn't really look the worse for wear. The right side of the face shield was scratched up as was a bit of the finish on the right side. Helmets are a 1 use item though so it's time to replace. The benefit is that I can replace this helmet several times for the price of my Arai.
Overall it's a great helmet for the price. Functional, reasonably cool, and sturdy. Great for people on a budget who still want a sharp looking and well built helmet.
The shield release system is great! It shouldn't take you more than 20 seconds or so to swap shields on the new system. Just open it all the way, pull a tab back on one side, pull back on the other side, remove shield, open one tab and put edge of shield in, open other tab and put other edge of shield in, and you're done. Quick shield changing is pretty standard for most lids nowadays but this one's tabs are both accessible and secure. Also, having a button to lock the shield closed is a nice touch.
Appearance-wise this is the nicest looking helmet that I've seen HJC put out. Aggressive and sleek. I got the "El-Diablo" color scheme which looks quite nice. I'm more of a function than appearance kind of guy myself, but there's something to be said about having a helmet that is well...appealing.
The anti-fog faceshield it came with really works quite well. I’ve ridden in the rain, fog, nighttime, etc with no fog problems at all.
I also enjoy how you can keep the face shield securely opened in different positions, and there's quite a few preset positions on this helmet, more than on my Arai. Fully open, fully closed, with three or four positions in between. I’ve come to enjoy having the shield slightly cracked open. It keeps most objects out of my face but allows for a little air to hit me in the face.
While the ventilation works pretty well it could be better. On longer rides I find my head being a tad bit on the warm side. The helmet can be noisy at times depending on your speed and riding position, but it's not overbearing. I'd say you'll definately want earplugs, but really you want earplugs no matter what you're riding.
The helmet comes with a chin attachment that is supposed to prevent air from coming up into the helmet from below. This works pretty well also, but I find it's best attribute is that it makes the helmet quieter. My only gripe about this attachment is that it’s made of softer plastic and gets bent out of shape quite easily. I don’t really think it affects the functionality of the helmet, but it does make it look a bit…odd.
Thanks to (which is apparently infamous) "the bump" on a popular riding road and a patch of gravel I have had a chance to crash tested this helmet. I crested a hill and started descending. The road veers sharply left and right about the point you need to turn in there's a huge...I guess you'd call it a hole/divit/crater in the road with gravel on the other side. I hit it and lowsided, my head taking a decent knock on the way down. The helmet did it's job great and doesn't really look the worse for wear. The right side of the face shield was scratched up as was a bit of the finish on the right side. Helmets are a 1 use item though so it's time to replace. The benefit is that I can replace this helmet several times for the price of my Arai.
Overall it's a great helmet for the price. Functional, reasonably cool, and sturdy. Great for people on a budget who still want a sharp looking and well built helmet.
