I'm so happy that I had gotten the old X-11 that was $460. The year after I got mine they went over $500 for solids.  Assuming that helmet was made at the beginning of '07 that was still a decent price for it if you pro-rate the price of a new one by about $100/year. Too bad it didn't fit you correctly.

Quote from: tilt on May 21, 2009, 09:03:59 PM
this past year at the bike show i got fitted for an arai, but after trying them on a couple of times im really not digging them any more.   while i was trying on the shoei i was starting to get a hot spot on the front of my head with the shoei thats why i ended up passing it up.  i tried on a bunch of others they had there and after about an hour i ended up deciding on a HJC based soley on the fit, i feel kind of guilty though by not spending 500+ on a lid.

Price should be one of the last thing to consider when you buy a helmet.  Safety first, then fit, then price/feature and style.  I absolutely hated it when someone makes a remark like "Is your head only worth $200?  This is why my $600 helmet is the better choice." etc.  U know that logic doesn't work... then is your head worth ONLY $600?    I always go for full-face helmet first.  I personally look for SNELL (and now maybe that euro standard also, still have to convince myself).  Then fit / comfort.  Then I figure out the feature / price among those that works w/ my head. 

Your choice of HJC sounds like the right choice for you.  Do not feel guilty, $500+ lid will not do you any better.

Quote from: Spidey on May 21, 2009, 09:07:51 PM
Don't feel guilty.  Be glad.  Price is largely for comfort and features.  The pricier helments often have more venting n' stuff and *sometimes* fit better, depending on your head shape.  The most important thing is that you found one that fits well.  Unfortunately, the best-fitting helmet I've found is the $500+ Shoei X-11.  If there as a $200 helmet that fit as well, I'd rock that instead.

i agree with you but i will mention that while inspecting the "attached" parts on the HJC line it is apparent that the helmet is bargain bin.
very cheap, very plasticky. i was sure they would break off very soon. possibly in my hand in the store. I ended up spending $350 on a helmet (and theres a new suomy on its way) and the quality shows the price

that being said how important is vent quality? not very. liner quality is more important and the new HJC lines have very nice comfortable liners.

p.s. 355 is a screamin deal on a x-11

Quote from: redial on May 22, 2009, 07:47:44 AM
i agree with you but i will mention that while inspecting the "attached" parts on the HJC line it is apparent that the helmet is bargain bin.
very cheap, very plasticky. i was sure they would break off very soon. possibly in my hand in the store. I ended up spending $350 on a helmet (and theres a new suomy on its way) and the quality shows the price

that being said how important is vent quality? not very. liner quality is more important and the new HJC lines have very nice comfortable liners.

p.s. 355 is a screamin deal on a x-11

+1 my wife's HJC, is such a royal PITA when she wants to change shields, the hardware that attaches the shield to the helmet has broken at least 3x's on either the left or right sides.  I now keep extra mounting plates on hand for when it happens again.  my RF 1000 on the other hand is soooo easy to change shields, and really comfortable.

Quote from: peanut_man on May 21, 2009, 11:32:29 PM
Price should be one of the last thing to consider when you buy a helmet......

+a gazillion.  I didn't have a helmet when I bought the Duc and they gave me 10 percent off all my accessories so I figured I'd get something in the $300-400 range.  I tried on Arais, HJCs, Suomy's, etc, etc. and none of them fit as well as my $120 Sparx.  My neighbor has a Shoei RF-1000 though that is most definitely going to be my next helmet.  There's no way I would order a helmet online without first having tried it on in store though.  I had to have gone throught 10 helmets at the shop, some of which were painful in the first minute of wearing them. 

Wow, this thread makes me feal like a chump.  I paid almost 700 dollars last year for my lid.  I do love it though.

Just got back from the shop while looking for a new lid for my ma.  What's the diff between the X-11 and the RF1000?  From what I've read the X-11 is suppoed to be a bit lighter and more race oriented while the RF1000 has a couple of extra venting/noise issues taken care of that make it rideable for the normal schmoe. 

Also maybe someone with a Shoei can chime in, but while botht he x-11 and RF seemed to fit me VERY well I've heard from a few sources that the Shoeis are more of a "round headed" helmet.  This is my quandry.  I have the absolute antithesis of a round head to the point where my chin sticks out of the bottom of my Sparx a bit so I've been really hesistant to pick up a Shoei, despite the fact that I'm in the market for a new brain bucket. 

I tried both the RF1000 and X11 when shopping my new lid in December. The RF1000 had a couple of hot spots while the X11 didn't for me. I can't speak to the head shape or any of that. In fact, I think that down that path lies madness.

Cycle Gear (if there is one in your area) is your best friend in this regard. If you are pretty sure that an RF1000 will work for your head and you like it, get it from them. Worst case, is after a few days you hate it, take it back and get a different lid.

Quote from: Jarvicious on May 27, 2009, 03:41:48 PM
+a gazillion.  I didn't have a helmet when I bought the Duc and they gave me 10 percent off all my accessories so I figured I'd get something in the $300-400 range.  I tried on Arais, HJCs, Suomy's, etc, etc. and none of them fit as well as my $120 Sparx.  My neighbor has a Shoei RF-1000 though that is most definitely going to be my next helmet.  There's no way I would order a helmet online without first having tried it on in store though.  I had to have gone throught 10 helmets at the shop, some of which were painful in the first minute of wearing them. 

Maybe I've just been lucky , but I've bought no less than 13 Helmets on line ( Arai RX-7s, Quantum 2s, Corsair V, Shoei X-11s,  RF-1000s , and a Suomy Vandal ) in size L and they all (by brand and model ) fit just a little different.

I have worn them all and gotten used to them .

Each time I wear one it breaks in a little bit more and becomes more comfortable .

Some were very comfortable right out of the box.

I've never sent a Helmet back for an exchange.   

I guess some of us are more hard to fit than others.      Dolph

Quote from: Goduc on June 13, 2009, 11:49:19 PM
Wow, this thread makes me feal like a chump.  I paid almost 700 dollars last year for my lid.  I do love it though.

I too paid about 650 for my Suomi.  Than I crashed and paid another 650 for another suomy.  I wont wear anything but, it saved my life and I'll pay over a grand if I need to.  Plus they are the best looking helmets out IMO.

Quote from: Jarvicious on June 15, 2009, 11:29:06 AM
Just got back from the shop while looking for a new lid for my ma.  What's the diff between the X-11 and the RF1000?  From what I've read the X-11 is suppoed to be a bit lighter and more race oriented while the RF1000 has a couple of extra venting/noise issues taken care of that make it rideable for the normal schmoe. 

Also maybe someone with a Shoei can chime in, but while botht he x-11 and RF seemed to fit me VERY well I've heard from a few sources that the Shoeis are more of a "round headed" helmet.  This is my quandry.  I have the absolute antithesis of a round head to the point where my chin sticks out of the bottom of my Sparx a bit so I've been really hesistant to pick up a Shoei, despite the fact that I'm in the market for a new brain bucket. 

The most obvious difference between an X-11 and an RF1000 is the sticker price.  But, beside that, the X-11 is a bit lighter and breathes better which also makes it a bit louder. Other things which you might not notice at first glance are that the RF1000 has deeper ear pockets and slightly thicker shell, making it more accommodating to speakers. Also, the ear pockets for the X-11 are cloth covered while the RF has either plastic over the shell or nothing, I can't remember

The X-11 should also come with a breath guard and chin curtain while I think you need to buy them (at least the chin guard) separately for the RF1000. I could be wrong on this since I don't have an RF1000. It'll be my next helmet though. The last time I tried on the two helmets, their sizing schemes were slightly different. The RF fitting ran a bit tighter with thicker, stiffer pads while the X-11 had thinner, softer pads.

Oh, the spoiler on the X-11 was bigger the last time I looked too. Not fun if you've got a head banger passenger.