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Quietest Helmet

Joe_13

Joe_13

Calmer than you.
Joined
May 20, 2021
Location
Livermore, CA
Moto(s)
2014 Suzuki VStrom DL1000
"Rudy"
Name
Joe
I wear a cheap HJC i10.
My only experience with a full face.
It's gotten me to this point; comfortable, fits my head well, breathes decently.

Problem is, I find it noisy.
The wind noise, particularly above 70mph, is deafening.
I have nothing to compare it to, though.
So how does it compared to Shoei, Arai etc...?

Not considering safety, or fit... Just noise.

Thanks
 
Boy, good luck with this one! I have been searching for the "quietest" helmet for years! I bought a Shuberth C4 pro after seeing actual decibel readings from a YouTube video. Love the helmet but you still need very good ear protection at speed.

I had an HJC modular and don't see too much difference from that to the Shuberth.

Bottom line is "Good ear plugs"! Some people are way more sensitive to the buffeting than others.

If you find one that drastically reduces wind noise, Please let us know!!!!
 
I think the heavier the helmet, the better chance it has of being quieter.

No science there, just presumption.
 
I think your bike setup is going to have a much more noticeable effect on noise in the helmet. For example, I typically wear an Arai XD4. Last year, I was riding a Multistrada with a Puig Racing Screen on a trip to Oregon with a good friend who had an Africa Twin with a Madstad windscreen. At one point, we traded bikes. Obviously, my helmet was the same, but the difference in noise between the two bikes was MASSIVE. The Multistrada and Africa Twin aren't known for their wind management; that Madstad screen made such a difference in buffeting and wind noise. I could easily hear the conversation in my Cardo whereas on my Multi, it was a struggle at higher speeds due to the wind noise.

Looks like you ride an SV650. You can chase unicorns with helmets all you want, but I think you'll have to accept having wind noise as a reality on a naked bike.
 
It doesn't matter how quiet the helmet is. Just air rushing by the shell produces enough noise to damage hearing. Wear earplugs.

Mad.
 
My orange foaming ear plugs do a great job. My riding jacket pockets are full of them :laughing

And... yeah.. a legend if you nail it. :teeth

berth said:
I think the heavier the helmet, the better chance it has of being quieter.

No science there, just presumption.
Click to expand...

Heavier is not better in terms of crashing and neck injuries so I look for light, but still with solid protection. That 2K AGV is supposed to be the lightest and offer superior crash protection.

I thought those reviews were here somewhere.
Bottom line is for me I am sticking with a Bell and orange foamy things.
 
Maddevill said:
It doesn't matter how quiet the helmet is. Just air rushing by the shell produces enough noise to damage hearing. Wear earplugs.

Mad.
Click to expand...

This, a million times this.

I buy the foamy ones that offer the highest noise reduction, 33db if I remember correctly.
 
Joe_13 said:
I'm using these earplugs now.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y29FZ1M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

With a 20db noise reduction, these seem better than foam in terms of comfort while allowing enough sound for Sena (under 70 mph or so).
Click to expand...

I ordered a set of these earplugs after reading this thread and wore them out on a ride earlier today. I'm not impressed, to be honest. My old International Motorcycle Show custom earplugs seem to do a better job.
 
That's the great thing about custom plugs. They go into the right position every time. When I used to wear the foam disposable type they could take a bit to expand and by then I was already riding. Sometimes they weren't in the best spot so one side would work better than the other. That bothered me a lot so I just popped for custom. My first pair lasted over 6 years. I just replaced them with new ones which are a bit different. I think I like them more. The old ones still work well but over time the ear canal changes so they need to be updated for a perfect fit. I was told every five years by the audiologist I got them from so I was happy to get six years out of them. I get plenty of use out of them in non motorcycle applications as well.
 
I broke down and bought a Shoei GT-Air 2.

The difference in noise versus the HJC i10 is dramatic.


Is it $350 difference?
Considering the lifespan of the helmet,... I believe the improvement in comfort, noise reduction and features:

Yes, I believe it is.
 
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