New 2013 Real Helmets

[KRS1]

Just picked up a new 2013 REAL G-Force helmet and am kinda impressed. Looks to be an improvement over last years version. Much quieter, better vents/movement and airflow, the strap/.lock is also new and very interesting the way it is designed. The helmet has air channels in the internal styrofoam and there are 8 channels in all. Not holes, channels...this helmet stays pretty cool.

Ive only taken this helmet up to 155kph, but it was very stable, no shaking from wind and was still very quiet, i could look left and right without the wind catching it.

The vents sliding action is also greatly improved from last year, firmer action and better build quality. My Limited Edition REAL last year started to fall apart, so we'll see if this one holds up better.

This helmet can be hung from the mirror and stay in place, its also EXTREMELY light.

cost 2400 baht, plus you get an extra rainbow tint faceshield right now, some shops may not give this too you.

Heres the helmet with the faceshield flipped up until it catches the first of 2 clicks. It can stay in place at any point before this. I crack mine open about one finger width when i ride for cooling and it stays in place.

This is the faceshield all the way up after passing the 2 clicks.

This is the new strap lock system, very easy and very fast, just stick the ridged piece into the red piece, the red piece locks the ridges with 2 teeth. You have to lift the red tab about 5 mm before it will disengage.

These are the air flow channels, the top model i had last year didnt have these 8 channels and had a few small holes instead. I could feel the air on top of my head immediately.

The bottom of the helmet uses a material that wont cause a squeaking sound when rubbed against a leather jacket. I had an OGK F4 that did this and was very annoying.

Here is the removable liner, the front part now uses velcro instead of having to tuck it inside between the shell and foam.The rear uses snaps.

ps....the left and right side pieces where the ears are also come out, but i didn't take any pictures.

Edited February 20, 2013 by KRS1

[Richard-BKK]

A Real helmet that starts to fall apart after 1-year costing +/- 2400 THB doesn't sound very safe, I would have more trust in brands like Shark which cost maybe 2 to 3 times more but also provide warranty of 3-years for their helmets.

Plus I have seen how a 'cheap' helmet looks after it hits a concrete curb at +120km/h, I would recommend that people reserve a bit more money and time to select a decent motorcycle helmet.

[canuckamuck]

Thanks for the review, I sure could use a new lid.

[KRS1]

A Real helmet that starts to fall apart after 1-year costing +/- 2400 THB doesn't sound very safe, I would have more trust in brands like Shark which cost maybe 2 to 3 times more but also provide warranty of 3-years for their helmets.

Plus I have seen how a 'cheap' helmet looks after it hits a concrete curb at +120km/h, I would recommend that people reserve a bit more money and time to select a decent motorcycle helmet.

Sharks are like 15,000 baht...and this is obviously a review for low cost helmets, which are better than not wearing anything at all or a half face.

...and just so no one gets misled by you Richard, the only thing that came apart were the air vent slides, which have nothing to do with the structural integrity of the helmet.

For the price of a Shark i'd take a new OGK over it all day long (old ones were loud). Much better fit and full composite , when you take off an OGK its like a suction cup attached to your head.

Edited February 20, 2013 by KRS1

[Richard-BKK]

A Real helmet that starts to fall apart after 1-year costing +/- 2400 THB doesn't sound very safe, I would have more trust in brands like Shark which cost maybe 2 to 3 times more but also provide warranty of 3-years for their helmets.

Plus I have seen how a 'cheap' helmet looks after it hits a concrete curb at +120km/h, I would recommend that people reserve a bit more money and time to select a decent motorcycle helmet.

Sharks are like 15,000 baht...and this is obviously a review for low cost helmets, which are better than not wearing anything at all or a half face.

...and just so no one gets misled by you Richard, the only thing that came apart were the air vent slides, which have nothing to do with the structural integrity of the helmet.

For the price of a Shark i'd take a new OGK over it all day long (old ones were loud). Much better fit and full composite , when you take off an OGK its like a suction cup attached to your head.

I'm not trying to mislead anybody, but the cheapest composite fiber 2013 Shark Visor-R helmet is about 9,000 THB, and I think I not need to convince anybody that a composite fiber helmet is better than an average fiberglass helmet. And they Shark Visor-R comes with life-long warranty, a helmet is good for 5-years... so 5-year warranty.

By the way you can get Shark helmets for much cheaper... if you not want composite fiber or the latest model.

I honestly need to say that I never seen a Real motorcycle helmet, so if you say that they good – I believe you...

[Woodsie888]

Does anybody here have an opinion on the Nolan with the flip front?

Thanks.

[KRS1]

A Real helmet that starts to fall apart after 1-year costing +/- 2400 THB doesn't sound very safe, I would have more trust in brands like Shark which cost maybe 2 to 3 times more but also provide warranty of 3-years for their helmets.

Plus I have seen how a 'cheap' helmet looks after it hits a concrete curb at +120km/h, I would recommend that people reserve a bit more money and time to select a decent motorcycle helmet.

Sharks are like 15,000 baht...and this is obviously a review for low cost helmets, which are better than not wearing anything at all or a half face.

...and just so no one gets misled by you Richard, the only thing that came apart were the air vent slides, which have nothing to do with the structural integrity of the helmet.

For the price of a Shark i'd take a new OGK over it all day long (old ones were loud). Much better fit and full composite , when you take off an OGK its like a suction cup attached to your head.

I'm not trying to mislead anybody, but the cheapest composite fiber 2013 Shark Visor-R helmet is about 9,000 THB, and I think I not need to convince anybody that a composite fiber helmet is better than an average fiberglass helmet. And they Shark Visor-R comes with life-long warranty, a helmet is good for 5-years... so 5-year warranty.

By the way you can get Shark helmets for much cheaper... if you not want composite fiber or the latest model.

I honestly need to say that I never seen a Real motorcycle helmet, so if you say that they good – I believe you...

You should look up the impact testing results for various helmet materials, ABS plastics (cheaper) actually come out ahead of composite and polycarbonate/fiberglass shells for impact force dispersal at moderate speeds. Look it up.

I wouldnt want to race the MotoGP with a REAL, but i wouldnt hesitate to ride the Samoeng loop with one or go to 7-11.

Here are more pics:

This is a pic of the rear vents and they appear to be functional working with the air channels inside the helmet, the top ones im pretty sure are connected to the channels, but im not sure about the lower ones on the sides.

This is a pic of whats behind the cheek pads, with the previous version (polycarbonate and limited edition) the foam stopped where the red line is, the foam now extends further forward BUT it is an additional piece indicated by the green lines. The yellow lines indicate another type of padding that isnt connected to the rest of the helmets main foam shell.

In this pic you can see how much further the added foam offers protection from frontal impacts and jawbone strikes.

In higher end helmets (eg;OGK and others) the foam shell will be one piece.If Richard would like to contribute to this thread maybe he can take one out of his inventory and take a picture to let us see if it is a one piece foam shell, the cheapest Shark as well as the best selling model should suffice. I think the one piece shell is important for structural integrity in frontal impacts, and if Shark's lowest priced model has it then great, that would be awesome.

The roost guard serves to keep out dirt from underneath as well as disrupt any airflow that may cause low frequency booming sounds, and this one is of much higher quality than the limited edition version, the polycarbonate version (1300 baht) doesn't have it. The old version would constantly stab you in the throat with plastic whenever you took it off.

Edited February 20, 2013 by KRS1

[JonnyF]

A Real helmet that starts to fall apart after 1-year costing +/- 2400 THB doesn't sound very safe, I would have more trust in brands like Shark which cost maybe 2 to 3 times more but also provide warranty of 3-years for their helmets.

Plus I have seen how a 'cheap' helmet looks after it hits a concrete curb at +120km/h, I would recommend that people reserve a bit more money and time to select a decent motorcycle helmet.

Sharks are like 15,000 baht...and this is obviously a review for low cost helmets, which are better than not wearing anything at all or a half face.

...and just so no one gets misled by you Richard, the only thing that came apart were the air vent slides, which have nothing to do with the structural integrity of the helmet.

For the price of a Shark i'd take a new OGK over it all day long (old ones were loud). Much better fit and full composite , when you take off an OGK its like a suction cup attached to your head.

I'm not trying to mislead anybody, but the cheapest composite fiber 2013 Shark Visor-R helmet is about 9,000 THB, and I think I not need to convince anybody that a composite fiber helmet is better than an average fiberglass helmet. And they Shark Visor-R comes with life-long warranty, a helmet is good for 5-years... so 5-year warranty.

By the way you can get Shark helmets for much cheaper... if you not want composite fiber or the latest model.

I honestly need to say that I never seen a Real motorcycle helmet, so if you say that they good – I believe you...

Richard, having been a cheerleader for crap Chinese bikes for the last 5 years I don't think you're in a great position to start criticizing helmets you've never even seen.

These helmets are fine as a local lid you can use for a couple of years and then throw away. If you avoid the repairs, depreciation, lack of warranty and possible accidents that are associated with the <deleted> bikes you promote then you can afford whatever helmet you like. Give it a rest mate...

[wantan]

I'm not trying to mislead anybody, but the cheapest composite fiber 2013 Shark Visor-R helmet is about 9,000 THB, and I think I not need to convince anybody that a composite fiber helmet is better than an average fiberglass helmet. And they Shark Visor-R comes with life-long warranty, a helmet is good for 5-years... so 5-year warranty.

By the way you can get Shark helmets for much cheaper... if you not want composite fiber or the latest model.

I honestly need to say that I never seen a Real motorcycle helmet, so if you say that they good – I believe you...

Richard, having been a cheerleader for crap Chinese bikes for the last 5 years I don't think you're in a great position to start criticizing helmets you've never even seen.

These helmets are fine as a local lid you can use for a couple of years and then throw away. If you avoid the repairs, depreciation, lack of warranty and possible accidents that are associated with the <deleted> bikes you promote then you can afford whatever helmet you like. Give it a rest mate...

In the mood for a new pissing match?

He started criticizing Real helmets exactly the same way like you always start to criticize chinese bikes:

A Real helmet that starts to fall apart after 1-year costing +/- 2400 THB doesn't sound very safe, ...

And you promoted cheap Real helmets exactly the same way Richard does with chinese bikes:

These helmets are fine as a local lid you can use for a couple of years and then throw away...

But unlike you Richard does not start childish personal attacks every now and then

Edited February 20, 2013 by wantan

[lemoncake]

In all fairness, i am all for good, safe, reliable helmet that can and does save your life, but wearing any one of those pictured while riding a 115cc or 150cc scooter not only looks ridiculous but also so so so hot, then when you park somewhere need to carry it with you, because it usually gets stolen.

MY 350 baht index half face helmets get stolen when i buy new if i do not take it with me.

[KRS1]

In all fairness, i am all for good, safe, reliable helmet that can and does save your life, but wearing any one of those pictured while riding a 115cc or 150cc scooter not only looks ridiculous but also so so so hot, then when you park somewhere need to carry it with you, because it usually gets stolen.

MY 350 baht index half face helmets get stolen when i buy new if i do not take it with me.

i'd rather sweat a little than slide down the road on my face.

They aren't so hot, the faceshield flips up, and a full face can block the sun off your face when riding.

I always run a cable lock through my bikes triple clamp and through the full face part whenever i park in public. Guess that would be hard to do on a scooter, unless it was a longer cable lock.

I always thought half face helmets looked dorky...lol...to each his own man

[lemoncake]

In all fairness, i am all for good, safe, reliable helmet that can and does save your life, but wearing any one of those pictured while riding a 115cc or 150cc scooter not only looks ridiculous but also so so so hot, then when you park somewhere need to carry it with you, because it usually gets stolen.

MY 350 baht index half face helmets get stolen when i buy new if i do not take it with me.

i'd rather sweat a little than slide down the road on my face.

They aren't so hot, the faceshield flips up, and a full face can block the sun off your face when riding.

I always run a cable lock through my bikes triple clamp and through the full face part whenever i park in public. Guess that would be hard to do on a scooter, unless it was a longer cable lock.

I always thought half face helmets looked dorky...lol...to each his own man

It only looks dorky because you do not know how to wear it kewl

[karlos]

My girlfriend's Shark cost 3800baht at the Bike Show last year.

Anyway, I think the Real helmets are ok for the money.

I'm not saying any more than that because a helmet debate rears its head every 4 months or so on this forum.

[Phatcharanan]

MY 350 baht index half face helmets get stolen when i buy new if i do not take it with me.

It's not stolen.............probably some Thai through it in the bin out of pity.

[lemoncake]

My girlfriend's Shark cost 3800baht at the Bike Show last year.

Anyway, I think the Real helmets are ok for the money.

I'm not saying any more than that because a helmet debate rears its head every 4 months or so on this forum.

no need to worry, there are cheaper options

[JonnyF]

And you promoted cheap Real helmets exactly the same way Richard does with chinese bikes:

You stalking me again?

I speak as I find, I've owned a Real helmet and it was fine, not great but good value for money. I have no commercial interest in the brand but share my opinions as it might help others make an informed decision. Richard makes a living in the motorcycle industry and uses this forum to spam his commercial interests. There's a difference.

And then of course we have the trolls .

[candypants]

A Real helmet that starts to fall apart after 1-year costing +/- 2400 THB doesn't sound very safe, I would have more trust in brands like Shark which cost maybe 2 to 3 times more but also provide warranty of 3-years for their helmets.

Plus I have seen how a 'cheap' helmet looks after it hits a concrete curb at +120km/h, I would recommend that people reserve a bit more money and time to select a decent motorcycle helmet.

i suspect you will not do well if your helmet hits the curb at 120kph no matter what you are wearing

[dave_boo]

You silly city slickers. Go nice and slow and watch what's going on and you don't need a helmet for your beer runs. I wear a full face when on long trips but to wear one on short hops? Would interfere with drinking the first on the way home!

[Richard-BKK]

Wow, what a discussion...

I just commented on the orignal post as KRS1 said that his one-year-old Real Helmet started to fall apart.... what didn't sound to me as motivation to buy another helmet from the same brand.

In a follow-up message KRS1 explained that only a air vent slide was failing, what is still not that positive but sounds much less than “My Limited Edition REAL last year started to fall apart”.

As I said before I have no experience with Real helmets and I actual like the review, I would maybe even look at Real Helmets next time I buy a helmet. Most recently I bought a Sparx Helios Modular helmet for one of my workers, the price was only 3,079 THB in a close out sale. The Sparx helmet comes with 10-years warranty...

[KRS1]

Wow, what a discussion...

I just commented on the orignal post as KRS1 said that his one-year-old Real Helmet started to fall apart.... what didn't sound to me as motivation to buy another helmet from the same brand.

In a follow-up message KRS1 explained that only a air vent slide was failing, what is still not that positive but sounds much less than “My Limited Edition REAL last year started to fall apart”.

As I said before I have no experience with Real helmets and I actual like the review, I would maybe even look at Real Helmets next time I buy a helmet. Most recently I bought a Sparx Helios Modular helmet for one of my workers, the price was only 3,079 THB in a close out sale. The Sparx helmet comes with 10-years warranty...

Ive always wanted to try a modular helmet, but most look like gimmicks, i cant see the plastic hinge holding up under impact. Especially a 3079 baht modular with no metal cross bracing to support the flip up part, much less the plastic hinge.

How about taking a picture of the lowest cost Shark? Im sure a lot of people here would be interested in seeing whether the lowest cost full face has a one piece foam shell.

Edited February 21, 2013 by KRS1

[mic6ard]

Does anybody here have an opinion on the Nolan with the flip front?

Thanks.

Don't know about the flip front model, but I'm using the N43-air. It's great, good ventilation (at 40+kph), great visibility. However the paint started chipping in 6mth.

NOTE: I don't take real good care with it, so it tends to bump around a lot.

Personally I like the Nolan helmets. But like most people, I also have the Index 300bht helmet for in the city, steal it and I'll just walk down the road to buy another.

Edited February 21, 2013 by mic6ard

[KRS1]

You silly city slickers. Go nice and slow and watch what's going on and you don't need a helmet for your beer runs. I wear a full face when on long trips but to wear one on short hops? Would interfere with drinking the first on the way home!

Atleast you'll have your beer goggles on, the only danger you'll face then is an ugly woman that looks good when youre drunk.

IMHO that can be worse than falling off the bike if she keeps bugging you.

[RED21]

I had a Real G-Force before and my only complain about it was that it stank after a few rides in heavy rain... Ventilation and noise suppression was actually better than my HJC helmet which was more than twice the price...

[biker Bob]

Thanks KRS1. Excellent review.

[KRS1]

I had a Real G-Force before and my only complain about it was that it stank after a few rides in heavy rain... Ventilation and noise suppression was actually better than my HJC helmet which was more than twice the price...

ah yes, helmet stank...the Limited Edition i had last year had unlimited stank thats for sure.

Hope this one smells better.

Edited February 21, 2013 by KRS1

[wantan]

Wow, what a discussion...

I just commented on the orignal post as KRS1 said that his one-year-old Real Helmet started to fall apart.... what didn't sound to me as motivation to buy another helmet from the same brand.

In a follow-up message KRS1 explained that only a air vent slide was failing, what is still not that positive but sounds much less than “My Limited Edition REAL last year started to fall apart”.

As I said before I have no experience with Real helmets and I actual like the review, I would maybe even look at Real Helmets next time I buy a helmet. Most recently I bought a Sparx Helios Modular helmet for one of my workers, the price was only 3,079 THB in a close out sale. The Sparx helmet comes with 10-years warranty...

Yeah, you just need to write one post and there is life in every thread. And these helmet threads are mostly very emotional

I have two Real helmets, full face and open face. Payed 1400Baht for each. They are absolutely OK for that price. The full face is a bit loud with air vents open. but at this price...

I will buy a Real again. Or maybe first have a look at Bimola? But for sure i will not spend more than 2-4k on a helmet that i throw away after 2 years bc it starts stinking. And the more expensive the helmet the more danger it gets stolen. No, better keep things simple and cheap and at low speed

Edited February 21, 2013 by wantan

[wantan]

And you promoted cheap Real helmets exactly the same way Richard does with chinese bikes:

You stalking me again?

I speak as I find, I've owned a Real helmet and it was fine, not great but good value for money. I have no commercial interest in the brand but share my opinions as it might help others make an informed decision. Richard makes a living in the motorcycle industry and uses this forum to spam his commercial interests. There's a difference.

And then of course we have the trolls .

Yep, one of the most obvious differences is that you like personal attacks. Thanks for the demonstration

Edited February 21, 2013 by wantan

[JonnyF]

Wantan, you remind me of an ex-girlfriend I had (in Thailand funnily enough!), always following me around wanting to have the last word. Fortunately she was pretty harmless as well

Back to the 'Real' helmets, I can't think of another brand that offers this quality for under 2000 baht in Thailand, the only alternative are Index which are the next level down IMO. HJC and Shark being the next level up before you get to the likes of Shoei and Arai. I guess it's a case of getting what you pay for like most things.

Edited February 21, 2013 by JonnyF

[KRS1]

Wantan is more like your exgirlfriend's best friend, always sticking her nose in her business where it doesn't belong and telling her your no good.

Edited February 21, 2013 by KRS1

[wantan]

LOL

You guys from the china hater brigade crack me up. I am too busy at the moment to discuss your problems with ex-GFs. But for once we agree in one thing, Real helmets are a good value for money, even though they are made in Thailand.

Anyone having experiences with Bilmola helmets, which seem to be made in China (or Thailand?)? Difficult to find information about them.