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Your quietest helmet ?

Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 8:34 pm
by Sibbo
I know helmet and quiet is an contradiction .... but noise is becoming one of my major considerations .It didn't used to worry me but now it does .I know every bike and every head is different and other people reports are worth little unless they ride the same bike and have the same shaped head ..... but ..what's your lid like ?

I wear ear plugs on most rides and a thermal baffle thing around my neck ,stuffed up into the base of the helmet to keep the turbulence down when the weather allows .It kinda works :cry: ....but not well enough .

I dropped by the local bike emporium the other day and the worlds best bike gear salesman told me all about the new Shoei ,I forget the model unfortunately .He said it was 60% quieter than the last model ! Do I believe him ? The thing is expensive but if it's quiet it will be money well spent .It has this cute little lump at the back that is supposed to reduce turbulence .This MIGHT be the one but there is no photo of the rear .
https://www.shoei.com.au/store.php?crn= ... how_detail

Re: Your quietest helmet ?

Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 9:15 pm
by Zombie Master
I bought 2 HJC CL Max helmets. like this:
http://www.hjc-helmets.org/?q=HJC_CL-MAX

For me the fit is perfect! Complements from Rob V have swelled my head to a full XXXL! HJC also makes the Sy Max which is even better, but only comes in XXL for the well endowed. I always wear earplugs, or noise canceling ear buds, so my feeling that these helmets are adequately quiet may not be entirely accurate. I've had 5 HJC helmets and have enjoyed them all, and I never had to replace a face shield before tossing the lid. I like to toss them every 3 to 4 years. YRMV.

Re: Your quietest helmet ?

Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2010 7:01 pm
by Airbear
Sibbo, I've been putting some thought into an inflatable donut type arrangement, providing controllable, earmuff-like sound attenuation. I can't use plugs - I've tried them all and they shit me. I'll let you know how I get on.

Re: Your quietest helmet ?

Posted: Fri Nov 26, 2010 12:34 am
by Sibbo
Thanks Charlie ...i think i have a problem ! maybe I have got into the habit of listening to it , but the roar inside my helmet is destroying my pleasure in riding .I went for a nice 80km ride today and came home feeling a bit stunned from the roar .I think something has changed in my hearing ...I better solve this one or ... :cry:

Re: Your quietest helmet ?

Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 3:17 pm
by George Ryals
Most of the noise made by my helment is turbulance around the neck. I'm going to try a turtle neck thing like a dickie (sp) attached to the bottom of my helment, much like the fireproof neck protactors that fuel dragster drivers use.

Re: Your quietest helmet ?

Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 3:53 pm
by Garnet
I wonder about more condesation on the visor with one of those.

Re: Your quietest helmet ?

Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 4:41 pm
by Sibbo
I already use a neck baffle thingy and it makes some difference but I'm chasing up some very dense foam ,the kind used to silence diesels in boats ,it's designed to slow long wave sound ,the low deep notes ? you get with turbulence .The high pitched sounds are much easier to stop..I'm going to fix a few pads of it inside my helmet .I'll let you know the results .

Re: Your quietest helmet ?

Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 6:06 pm
by SteveD
Sibbo wrote:I already use a neck baffle thingy and it makes some difference but I'm chasing up some very dense foam ,the kind used to silence diesels in boats ,it's designed to slow long wave sound ,the low deep notes ? you get with turbulence .The high pitched sounds are much easier to stop..I'm going to fix a few pads of it inside my helmet .I'll let you know the results .
tHAT'LL BE INTERESTING TO READ. wHERE DO YOU PLAN TO PLACE THE FOAM? oops...around the shell/over the ears, around the base? all the above?

I have used helmets with an underneath chin guard ala Schuberth and BMW helmets for years, and I find if I use another helmet without one the noise is worse. I do ride a RS though, and the turbulence has some effect, albeit much less so with a shortened screen.
Image

Re: Your quietest helmet ?

Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:43 pm
by Chuey
I thought I posted to this thread but maybe it got lost in the ozone.

I have three helmets and they are all equally noisy on my RS. Less so on my Cafe and "S" bike.

One thing I've noticed is that even while riding my bicycle, there is wind noise. I wouldn't have noticed the noise except that I often test ride customer's bikes while trying to diagnose a noise they want to have eliminated. On the bicycle, I think the noise is the wind whooshing past my ears. I don't know that we can learn anything from that, but I found it interesting.

Chuey

Re: Your quietest helmet ?

Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:09 am
by Sibbo
SteveD wrote:
Sibbo wrote:I already use a neck baffle thingy and it makes some difference but I'm chasing up some very dense foam ,the kind used to silence diesels in boats ,it's designed to slow long wave sound ,the low deep notes ? you get with turbulence .The high pitched sounds are much easier to stop..I'm going to fix a few pads of it inside my helmet .I'll let you know the results .
tHAT'LL BE INTERESTING TO READ. wHERE DO YOU PLAN TO PLACE THE FOAM? oops...around the shell/over the ears, around the base? all the above?

I have used helmets with an underneath chin guard ala Schuberth and BMW helmets for years, and I find if I use another helmet without one the noise is worse. I do ride a RS though, and the turbulence has some effect, albeit much less so with a shortened screen.
Image
Hi Steve ,
I'm going to make up pads and fix them to the inside of the helmet with double sided tape , I have room right over my ears as there is a space there .I'm hoping there will be room for the foam although it 20mm (3/4'') thick.Probably about 80mm (3 1/4'')in diameter , more if there's room .If that doesn't work I'll try to find a way to seal them (like ear muffs ) over my ears .

I spent a fair bit of time playing with my screen ,height ,angle ,vent but eventually just gave up and stripped it off the bike .If I can't solve this problem though I may have a look at a K75 CS...have i got the model right ? Something with a decent BMW factory fairing .

Wish me luck ! :roll: