Helmets

[saquib3005]

Re: Helmets

Here's a pic of SOL SF1, on the way back from B'lore -> Hyd.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]103699[/ATTACH]

Dude is this pic of a Dhaba nearby Ananthapur on Bangalore-Hyderabad route????

[xpranav]

Re: Helmets

Hello guys, I am back and I think this is the last question I am going to ask regarding buying a new helmet

Ok

It was a Vega Helmet (forgot the exact model name and little lighter in weight too), superb looking, (pics will be updated tomorrow has don't have card reader presently), he said it costs me somewhere 2k or 1.97k something. . . I really liked the helmet, it's a full faired helmet, with some ventilators, and good view and the finish also looks neat and tidy


. . . One more thing I observed and he said me is that "IT DOES NOT HAVE ISI MARK, IT HAS DOT ON IT".

Should I pay ......... "no way" unless I am convinced enough that the purchase is worth making an advance payment.

Continuation, forgot I had mobile and here are the pics of it,

@Sird, nope it's not Cara, the name was something different, he said it's a new launch and it's kind of an introductory model, so asking your reviews. . . The name was something like AXoR or something else, don't remember exactly but it has x in it, probably second letter or so. . .

I guess you are making a right guess as the sticker is saying too (marked in pic below)



Let me tell you "my story" (not joking). I have a Vega Shadow, it is a ECE rated "so called newly introduced series of imported helmets from Vega" (as told to me by the shop guy), which came to me at 3.5k back in 2011. I made this purchase when I was having null education about the various brands available in India. Only thing that I knew was ISI and ECE. I chose it as it was a ECE rated product.



it has enough vents to keep me cool, has an easy strap locking mechanism. The removable padding has been good (but when I came across the LS2, it looked inferior when compared in terms of comfort and build quality).

ok, this was the boring part of the post. Allow me to introduce the interesting stuff.

Recently, I had a minor accident while I was at the pillion and the rider was the guy under my training. Unfortunately at one corner he lost control and we were on the road . During all this, my helmet visor suffered severe scratch, rendered it useless with visor on, (rest everything is all good) and now when I have knocked all doors including of Vega for a new visor, and I have been told that those visors are out of stock as they were BLOODY IMPORTED . Although, I will soon be replacing my helmet as it has already met an impact and the shell is no more safe enough as was before, but before I put again my money to buy one I only needed a visor to extend it for a few months.

Coming to the point to conclude all this in a fair work:

If you are going to buy a good helmet (which is surely at a hot price) you should put your money behind the players who has been in the same business segment for many years. In case you are an experimental head, try your luck on the newbies.

If you go with, say a genuine LS2, you are not going to regret it at any moment, and the chances of finding such minor replacements (say visor, strap locks, pads etc) are better. If possible buy an extra visor. In case, you have issues in finding the perfect shop, mail/call the person of the respective brand as given in the "Contact Us" section of their website. Even, Bangalore is around 150 kms away from Mysore on a side (as say the G Maps), which is a possible ride to make on a holiday. Go there and you will have your CROWN !!

I hope this post has already taken enough of your attention to make the point crystal clear and I have taken every care to make sure that you find further no reason to continue discussion on this particular topic. Please go ahead, buy a helmet, and let us know where you ended .

[HeartBrokenBiker]

Re: Helmets

Dude is this pic of a Dhaba nearby Ananthapur on Bangalore-Hyderabad route????

Not sure if its Ananthapur.. but yes B'lore -> Hyd route... this dhaba is just beside a fuel station.

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Ok


[ATTACH=CONFIG]103790[/ATTACH]

But this particular one looks like a fake Axor to me.

Here's Axor and Cara... they dont really have that sharp cut on nose.

[xpranav]

Re: Helmets

But this particular one looks like a fake Axor to me.

Here's Axor and Cara... they dont really have that sharp cut on nose.

Whatever, I have already been through the situation of buying a GENUINE VEGA, and therefore I fail to pay an attention to such douchebag brands, who even lack the quantum of an idea of what they are dealing with.

[Rakesh Rok]

Re: Helmets

@HeartBrokenBiker, yes it's a Axor, now got the name and the helmet looks kinda the same like the one I saw. . .

Cheers!!!

[chaosaddict]

Re: Helmets

@HeartBrokenBiker, yes it's a Axor, now got the name and the helmet looks kinda the same like the one I saw. . .

Cheers!!!

So what have you decided??!

[Rakesh Rok]

Re: Helmets

So what have you decided??!

that's what I am still speculating whether to give some advance (300rs or so, not more than that) or else wait and trial other brands. . .

Cheers!!!

[chaosaddict]

Re: Helmets

that's what I am still speculating whether to give some advance (300rs or so, not more than that) or else wait and trial other brands. . .

Cheers!!!

Dude, a humble suggestion from my side - If I am not wrong, your location reads Mysore. Spare a weekend, maybe tomorrow, come here to Bangalore, head straight to Lalbagh road, park your bike in a safe spot, walk around looking and you will realize that you are in a helmet mela. Since you are coming for the helmet alone, maybe you can consider some other addresses for your research as well - Tirumala pitstop (Lalbagh rd-double rd junction), Orion motors (koramangala). These two alone can satisfy your search. Tirumala is on the brighter side of gettin' a good bargain. You can try different makes - fit, finish, quality & of course looks.
Why ponder upon advance for an introductory product while you have so many options like LS2, in the same price range and which has been reviewed here extensively; later there is a chance that you might regret.

PS - I will be busy tomorrow. PM me if you change your dates and I can help you.

[xpranav]

Re: Helmets

that's what I am still speculating whether to give some advance (300rs or so, not more than that) or else wait and trial other brands. . .

Oh my God ............ seriously !! Your reply is making me feel like I wasted my time writing that huge post for nothing .............

[Rakesh Rok]

Re: Helmets

Oh my God ............ seriously !! Your reply is making me feel like I wasted my time writing that huge post for nothing .............

no no no @xpranav, don't get me wrong. . . It's just that what to do. . ? You know first time buying a good helmet, so confusions, you know what I mean . . . The shortlisted companies I have presently in mind are LS2, Tih, Studds and now this Vega, will have to make my purchase within this and if I get some other good one, will go for it. . .

Cheers!!!

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BTW I wish we had only around two to three brands in everything so it would had been easier but having so much brands, makes us go confused but will try to make a good choice. . . BTW is LS2 with Vega or is it a single one because I saw some helmets as Vega LS2 (PS: correct me if I am wrong as I don't know about this)

Cheers!!!

[2wice]

Re: Helmets

I'd just like to share an experience i had yesterday. I've been following this thread for quite a while looking to get myself a good helmet and based on the reviews given by the members as well as some outside reviews (Shumi-OVERDRIVE), I zeroed in on the the SOL s68 s II. It seems great and everyone says they're quite satisfied with it.
So as i was in blore for a day to finish off some work, i thought it'd be a good opportunity to try out and hopefully buy the above helmet, because i felt it'd be easier to get a proper size for a good fit than buying it online without wearing it first.

So after visting the spartan progear site and getting the addresses of their authorised resellers in bangalore, i went to Lalbagh road to check them out. I visited a bunch of helmets shops on that road. Now here's the weird part. When i asked the people of one of the bigger helmet stores for SOL, although they had it in stock, they asked me not to go for it saying that the quality is bad.. blah blah. Even though I told them there were a lot of people who were satisified with it they were quite insistent. They even showed me comparisions with a lower priced LS2s especially the lining at the top which looked surprisingly cheap and thin on the SOL. They said that if i really wanted to go for the SOL they'd sell it to me, but they wouldn't recommend buying it. They showed me a lot of LS2s, CROSSs which actually looked better in quality and felt better than the SOL. Even the main guy (i assume, because he was quite senior and ii felt he knew what he talking) came aside and for quite a while tried to get me to buy a helmet, but still was against the idea of getting a SOL. As i left, i thought the attitude was like that maybe because of smaller profit margins or some other reason. Went into another reseller who was ready to give me any helmet i pointed at, but the weird thing was that the SOL helmets that he had of the SAME model, SAME size (just different color) felt different when worn. The first felt okay, but the second barely felt it had any padding when worn even though the interior didn't look deteriorated. Seriously, it felt like i had worn a helmet which had its lining removed at the top. The third felt great, padding was perfect. But all this was getting slightly suspicious. Eventually i left without buying, visited a bunch of other shops with no luck.

The final shop i visited was quite good. The young guy there was quite friendly and seemed knowledgeable but even he seemed hesitant to recommend to SOL. When i asked him him why he said that he said that it wasn't great as it didn't feel very strong. He said LS2s and CROSSs were stronger (with illustration by trying to flex the shell with his hand) and it wasn't worth the money, though if I really wanted a SOL, he'd give me one. Bottom Line: I didn't buy a helmet and I'm really confused now.

I don't know why the retailers have such a low opinion about SOL. I mean nearly everyone here has positive reviews about it. Is there somehow a possibility that there are fake SOLs out there that are being delivered to these guys?. Some of them are actually supposed to be authorized re sellers and yet because of the feel of the helmets, i cant help the shake the feeling that the helmets could be fake. I'd be grateful if anyone could shed some light on this matter.The approx 5k that ill be spending is quite a large investment for me that took a lot of saving over a period of time and the choice to get a SOL has been done after a LOT of researching. I still am leaning towards a SOL but i want to be sure that i'm getting what i'm paying for and i cant think of a better place to ask for help than here.

[mohan-san]

Re: Helmets

[QUOTE=2wice;954704]I'd just like to share an experience i had yesterday. I've been following this thread for quite a while looking to get myself a good helmet and based on the reviews given by the members as well as some outside reviews (Shumi-OVERDRIVE), I zeroed in on the the SOL s68 s II. It seems great and everyone says they're quite satisfied with it.
So as i was in blore for a day to finish off some work, i thought it'd be a good opportunity to try out and hopefully buy the above helmet, because i felt it'd be easier to get a proper size for a good fit than buying it online without wearing it first.......]



It appears to me that the only reason why these guys are driving you away from SOL helmets is that they make more money
by selling LS2 or Cross or whatever. Don't let these guys make the decision for you, if you have done the research on the various
helmets you should know what you want and you should stick with your decision and not persuaded by some bozo at the helmet
shop. I have a an SOL Metalman helmet and I am more than happy with it, I bought it directly from the Spartan website. I suggest
if you know your size get it directly from Spartan progear website.

[xpranav]

Re: Helmets

So after visting the spartan progear site and getting the addresses of their authorised resellers in bangalore, i went to Lalbagh road to check them out. I visited a bunch of helmets shops on that road. Now here's the weird part. When i asked the people of one of the bigger helmet stores for SOL, although they had it in stock, they asked me not to go for it saying that the quality is bad.. blah blah.

These are the listed names ........ right !!

Bangalore
Megha Enterprises
84, Lalbagh Road,
Bangalore - 560 027.
Tel: +91 080 - 22233330 Mob: +91 9945672094 Contact: Mr. Gaurav Goyal

Bangalore
Rydercity
84, Lalbagh Road, Opp MTR Hotel,
Bangalore - 560 027.
Mob: +91 9845819143 +91 9008800777Contact: Mr.Chandra Kanth

They showed me a lot of LS2s, CROSSs which actually looked better in quality and felt better than the SOL.

What was your experience at these two above mentioned shops ?? were they echoing the same chant ??

Went into another reseller who was ready to give me any helmet i pointed at, but the weird thing was that the SOL helmets that he had of the SAME model, SAME size (just different color) felt different when worn.

Boy, looks like you came face to face with the fake ones !! But, I think SOL fakes are very rare in the market, while with LS2 and Cross, fakes are pretty well distributed in the market.

You can expect a better clarification from Sunny sir on it

[Sunnyside_up!]

Re: Helmets

I'd just like to share an experience i had yesterday. I've been following this thread for quite a while looking to get myself a good helmet and based on the reviews given by the members as well as some outside reviews (Shumi-OVERDRIVE), I zeroed in on the the SOL s68 s II. It seems great and everyone says they're quite satisfied with it.
So as i was in blore for a day to finish off some work, i thought it'd be a good opportunity to try out and hopefully buy the above helmet, because i felt it'd be easier to get a proper size for a good fit than buying it online without wearing it first.

So after visting the spartan progear site and getting the addresses of their authorised resellers in bangalore, i went to Lalbagh road to check them out. I visited a bunch of helmets shops on that road. Now here's the weird part. When i asked the people of one of the bigger helmet stores for SOL, although they had it in stock, they asked me not to go for it saying that the quality is bad.. blah blah. Even though I told them there were a lot of people who were satisified with it they were quite insistent. They even showed me comparisions with a lower priced LS2s especially the lining at the top which looked surprisingly cheap and thin on the SOL. They said that if i really wanted to go for the SOL they'd sell it to me, but they wouldn't recommend buying it. They showed me a lot of LS2s, CROSSs which actually looked better in quality and felt better than the SOL. Even the main guy (i assume, because he was quite senior and ii felt he knew what he talking) came aside and for quite a while tried to get me to buy a helmet, but still was against the idea of getting a SOL. As i left, i thought the attitude was like that maybe because of smaller profit margins or some other reason. Went into another reseller who was ready to give me any helmet i pointed at, but the weird thing was that the SOL helmets that he had of the SAME model, SAME size (just different color) felt different when worn. The first felt okay, but the second barely felt it had any padding when worn even though the interior didn't look deteriorated. Seriously, it felt like i had worn a helmet which had its lining removed at the top. The third felt great, padding was perfect. But all this was getting slightly suspicious. Eventually i left without buying, visited a bunch of other shops with no luck.

The final shop i visited was quite good. The young guy there was quite friendly and seemed knowledgeable but even he seemed hesitant to recommend to SOL. When i asked him him why he said that he said that it wasn't great as it didn't feel very strong. He said LS2s and CROSSs were stronger (with illustration by trying to flex the shell with his hand) and it wasn't worth the money, though if I really wanted a SOL, he'd give me one. Bottom Line: I didn't buy a helmet and I'm really confused now.

I don't know why the retailers have such a low opinion about SOL. I mean nearly everyone here has positive reviews about it. Is there somehow a possibility that there are fake SOLs out there that are being delivered to these guys?. Some of them are actually supposed to be authorized re sellers and yet because of the feel of the helmets, i cant help the shake the feeling that the helmets could be fake. I'd be grateful if anyone could shed some light on this matter.The approx 5k that ill be spending is quite a large investment for me that took a lot of saving over a period of time and the choice to get a SOL has been done after a LOT of researching. I still am leaning towards a SOL but i want to be sure that i'm getting what i'm paying for and i cant think of a better place to ask for help than here.

I can reply to this with some authority, since I work with the company and know the problem in Bangalore.

SOL has a strict policy of limited resellers, in an effort to control distribution and pricing. There is ONLY ONE on JC road, so you obviously did not visit the authorised reseller.

Seeing the huge success of SOL over the last year, MANY of the dealers in JC road and Lalbagh area have approached the company for distribution but have been firmly denied the product for sale, in keeping with the exclusive distribution concept. As a result, disgruntled shopkeepers have resorted to purchasing helmets, purposely damaging them and trying to demote the product. Regrettably, even the biggest name on that street has been doing it, with the owner himself indulging in this petty misinformation - simply because the company refused him distribution. So their policy has been - if we can't get the product, demote it. Among the worst rumour-mongers are Helmet Paradise and Adeshwar Helmets. Both owners have personally contacted SPG several times and been refused and hence have resorted to these cheap tactics. Even Tirumala PitStop who was earlier being supplied SPG products via Megha Enterprises was terminated after we found him selling well above the listed price. Like I said, I speak with authority since these things happened in my presence.

SPG has gone to great lengths to list it's authorised resellers on its website. NO OTHER reseller has access to these helmets and gear, so if you are getting them elsewhere, you are probably getting a fake or unwarranted product. My question to you is why do you go around looking for the product when you know where it is available? How can a shopkeeper who has never sold the product because he cannot even get his hands on it give you advice about the product? He will obviously try to sell you what he has!

As far as the product itself is concerned, SOL users now number in the thousands in India and is today the largest selling premium imported helmet in the country with many seasoned riders both here and at other forums having opted for the brand. Shumi knows what he's talking about and so do the guys at Bike India and AutoCar. The latest editions with the KTM 390s test drives have them using SOL helmets even when they travelled to Austria for the reviews. This despite them having many other helmets from which to choose.

Do your research and form your own opinions. Then take a ride away from the poison of the bazaar and head to an authorised reseller like Let's Gear Up in HSR layout, or Biking Spirit in Church Street. Both are owned and managed by bikers, who know what they're talking about. See for yourself and decide.

Cheers!

[pcgamer]

Re: Helmets

Original DOT and ECE helmets are mandated by law to leave factory ONLY with clear visors. That is why when you buy a genuine helmet abroad, you will have to buy the smoked or iridium visors separately as after market. The only other option is when dealers themselves swap visors to woo customers with the looks - but I don't think that is the case here.

iridium coating is done in two ways. In the cheaper, short- lived method, it is sprayed on, while the proper way to do it is to actually dip the visor in a baking process called flow coating. This is more expensive and time consuming, so cheaper helmets use the first method. The sticker peeling off the iridium coat is symptomatic of the first method.

Oh. I didn't know that. Thanks for sharing.
BTW, I bought an LS2 Phobia FF350 about 3 months back. It came with a reflective visor. Not sure if the shop guy had changed it or not but some LS2s he had were with clear visor and some with reflective visors. Also, when I asked for clear visor, he pulled out one from the stock of the clear visors he had in a cupboard. Those weren't in any packaging. I didn't buy it because I don't ride much at night thought tinted ones are better for me. So, I guess they were removed from some helmets. Coming to my helmet, the reflective visor didn't have any scratch or paint peel during purchase. But after a week or so, it started to develop minor scratches one by one(some mistakes are mine like when the visor got hit with a belt buckle). Now it has more than 10 scratches. Those scratches are more like minor cuts on the coating. Is there any chance I have got a fake helmet? The paint and the shell seem to be of top notch quality and don't look fake. The helmet rolled once over the rough concrete flooring of my college parking lot. The damage to paint was very minimal and it seemed to be of very good quality again. Sorry for the long post but to summarize, should I be worried about it being fake?