Long Oval Head? Try a Shark RSI! My mini helmet war:

[jmdaniel]

And very cheap, cheap price, cheap feel. Scratchy liner, web bike world couldn't figure out what to call the "fit type".... It is very light for a $79.00 helmet though.

Well you know what they say about opinions... I like mine.

 

[Checkswrecks]

I was lucky enough to know who I got the Shark from and just took it back. It's a great helmet and there wa a lot to like. However, sit the two next to each other and the Shark is much bigger than the Shoei RF1000, especially toward the bottom. Riding, I could tell the difference and got tired the neck exercise so went back to another RF.

Well, the RF1000 is a round type helmet and has a bit more weight? Its not a long oval helmet, maybe slightly oval but nothing close to my head. The RSI is very slim at the bottom and compact to me. Did you have a RSI?

Had the RSX. The RSR2 is even bigger. The fit of both it and the Shoei are great and if I were on a 'Wing where there was always full wind shield I probably would've stayed with the Shark, but on the FJR I noticed more drag on the Shark.

 

[Fred W]

Can't believe no one has mentioned Z1R helmets yet. They are a great option for the long ovals, are very reasonably priced, and fully certified.
Z1R Clicky

And very cheap, cheap price, cheap feel. Scratchy liner, web bike world couldn't figure out what to call the "fit type".... It is very light for a $79.00 helmet though.

...and as I recall, the Z1R was the helmet that kicked ass in the DOT vs Snell testing in the (real world) low speed impact testing.

Personally, I think people get duped into paying a lot of money for the top tier ~$600 helmets because they "look" better. Consider that the primary goal of any helmet is to protect your melon, and that you should be replacing your helmets fairly often for them to accomplish that job, I can't see laying out the coin for one of those big money lids.

I tend to go with the mid tier units KBC, HJC, etc. and try to get them on sale. But an occasional rider may find his price point closer to the Z1R

Your helmet choice may vary.

 

[Sagebrush]

I was lucky enough to know who I got the Shark from and just took it back. It's a great helmet and there wa a lot to like. However, sit the two next to each other and the Shark is much bigger than the Shoei RF1000, especially toward the bottom. Riding, I could tell the difference and got tired the neck exercise so went back to another RF.

Well, the RF1000 is a round type helmet and has a bit more weight? Its not a long oval helmet, maybe slightly oval but nothing close to my head. The RSI is very slim at the bottom and compact to me. Did you have a RSI?

Had the RSX. The RSR2 is even bigger. The fit of both it and the Shoei are great and if I were on a 'Wing where there was always full wind shield I probably would've stayed with the Shark, but on the FJR I noticed more drag on the Shark.

Yeah the RSI is a long oval, the RSX is Round / Neutral and the RSR is round. This web bike world page really helped me see whats out there for my long oval head. So far, the fit info from them has been right on the money for me. I agree with the L/O, R/N, R etc. fit guides. Thier findings match mine for the most part. Helmet Weight / Fit Guide Clicky

 

[spalkin]

The release for the shield is one of the best in the business. Just push a button. the Shark line got great reviews everywhere.

Anybody wear a Fulmer? My North side Yamaha dealer stocks them along with Suomy.

 

[Rolavine]

Rolavine,
I found with "our" big heads that the cheaper helmets just don't cut it. Wasted lots of time and gasoline shopping, only to return to Arai. Could have saved myself the trouble.

The only possible fit for me int he Arai would be the Vector in XXL I've never found to try on, the others don't fit.

The only cheap helmet I have that fits is the SparX in XXL. I think SparX is making something close to an Arai Vector copy. This seems like a pretty smart thing to do too. Too bad the visor is cheap crap and mine smells like new rubber for weeks now. I ordered this helmet without trying it on because it was $70, based on the Webbikeworld review. I don't have access to dealers with all the helmets, maybe in a more urban area, but not here.

But I agree with Sullivan, big oval head forget about KBC, HJC, Scorpian, and a host of others, they are too round!

 

[jmdaniel]

...and as I recall, the Z1R was the helmet that kicked ass in the DOT vs Snell testing in the (real world) low speed impact testing.

You recall correctly, and that was the reason I looked into the Z1R. Protects better, at a MUCH lower price, seems pretty simple to me. YMMV.

 

[Rolavine]

I've been searching for a helmet to fit my big head with a snug fit with out spending $400 or more. I actually recently figured out I'm an alien head. I've been wearing round head shape helmets not knowing that I was actually a true long oval type. I started with a Fulmer Modus years ago and it fit very well till the thing broke!
So, I've tried:

HJC CL-15 XL Good and cheap helmet for my ride to work. Its Round but, works for short trips. Easy to modify for fit. I can't stand the stiff screen adjustment, you can't crack it open. But for $80.... its a good work helmet to leave around the office.

Nolan N-102 XL I made it fit taking a knife to the foam. The weight is the issue for me, not enough chin room too. I got by with it last year and a half I really liked the flip up, the thing is huge and heavy though. Lots of noise even with plugs. Its beat up from daily use now. I will not buy another.

AGV Stealth XXL Better for very mild oval shaped heads. Sizes run small, very light, good quality. The liner is not as plush. The XXL is too tight for me. I have never really ridden much with it, to much pressure on the noggin up front. I don't know why I bough the thing... Looks good though.

Shark RSI XL Acid graphics, Bought for $168.00 shipped on Ebay. Long Oval fit, good air flow, weak shield adjustment, felt tight for a change, graphics are great, shield is thick and clear, shield comes off very easy, very light weight..... This is my new main helmet.

I took a chance and rode 500 miles with it and my head did not hurt, my neck is not sore from the weight and I will be buying a few of these things to put back! If you shop them, prices under $200 are out there. The retail prices are $300 to $400 depending on the graphics and year model. I didn't like the RSI the first day, felt too tight on the cheeks. But, its breaking in very nice yet staying snug. It has less noise than my Nolan flip and my head is stable at 100 mph unlike my CL-15 which try's to rip my head of at anything over 80 mph. Its nice having a helmet exceed expectations.

If your long oval, try on the Shark RSI. YMMV :clapping:

I finally got to try on an RSI and it squashed my ears right into the side of my head. The top felt good and the cheekpads weren't too tight. Ear comfort has been a problem for me and I wonder if I can stand this helmet? Any of you RSI proponents, are your ears pushed in by this helmet, and has that been a problem? I disliked the feeling when I tried on the helmet but I'm thinking that maybe the ears being touched all over is less annoying than my usual experience, in which only one part of the ear seems to comes in contact (my left ear lobe or the upper part of either).

 

[Sagebrush]

Nope, I'm a true long oval head type. The Shark RSI is the only helmet that actually fits me. Have you tried a AGV stealth? Its a bit shorter up top front to back but, it does have more room in the middle. More oval than long oval.

I feel special here in Daytona Florida since I have a well stocked helmet shop 5 miles away! It's so nice to be able to try on all the popular brands and models. I love the RSI, its not perfect..... it just fits. Yeah!

 

[Rolavine]

I looked up some info yesterday that indicated that the average caucasion crown shape was an oval of about 1.33 to 1, length to width. By that token I guess I'm just a normal oval and not a long one. The material I found on the web indicated that the average Asian crown shape is about 1.2 to 1. Maybe that is why so many of the low cost Asian helmets are round?

I don't have a good helmet shop closeby but have managed to find enough helmets I like to carry on. I got an Arai RX7 and that works pretty good for me, best most comfy ever, I love how that soft interior craddles my head without poking me anywhere. I've even got it working pretty well as my winter helmet all I had to do was shove foam ear plugs in the 4 front interior holes to cut down the wind. I drilled the visor and used nylon screws to attach a pinlock (a Shoei one because it was at a store and I could measure that it would fit). I think between this helmet, my Suomy Vandal I use in summer (damn thing vents like a bicycle helmet) and my Sparx cheapie also with a similar customized pinlock I've got enough hemets that work.

 

[Sagebrush]

Yep, at one time I had at least 5 helmets or more to switch between. I actually do well with a "custom trimmed" Nolan N102 in a XXL size. I feel more secure with a proper fitting helmet though. With round helmets I have to go up a size. The shark RSI is the first XL helmet that my head will fit in. I used their fit guide and it was actually correct for a change.

I also found the Fulmer Modus does fit my long head too but, after a face plant I've moved back to a regular full face. Not enough protection for me, I here the new ones are improved. It is an option you may want to try if the flip up is wanted, after breaking one I switched to the Nolan and then went to the lighter and probably safer RSI.

Hope you find the a good fitting helmet, when you do it will probably get discountinued....... :glare: I'll be getting another RSI to put back as a spare. :yahoo:

 

[Rolavine]

Well I got an RSI in XL and put 300 miles on it over the last three days.

Really nice helmet, quiet, very little buffeting, like the smooth racheting visor, and it does fit me well.

My ears are not squashed but are touched by the shallow ear pockets.

What I'm finding is that having my ears touched is far less disturbing than having only one part of your ears touched.

The XL is actually a bit large for the crown of my head but I bought this as a winter helmet and it fits perfect with that coolmax tube over my head.

By comparison to the RSX I just got the RXI is a much better fit, has a much easier to move visor, has a larger eye port, has more room above the top of metal frames of my aviator type eyeglasses, and I can actually put the glasses on the RSI without having to mess with compressing the cheekpad uppper extensions. The RSX is the least eyeglass friendly hemet I ever had, but if it fit me I would have made some easy mods to fix this. The RSI seems to me to not be a very good venter compared to my RX7 or the Soumy Vandal (master of wind head). Since I really needed a helmet for winter this is not a problem and I was afraid that all the space under the crush bars in the top of the helmet would make it drafty (like the suomy is). I did get to verify that this is a dry helmet in the rain and that is a major +++, the Suomy actually has holes right through the top so it leaks like a soaker hose. The anti fog visor is as good as the best I have used but I will probably put a pinlock insert in it.

So, thanks for starting this post, I now have a really great winter helmet to go with my my better vented summer ones.

I've upgraded my helmets over the last month getting rid of the cheap ones, taking some advice from this thread. I now have helmets that fit me well and are safe and comfy.

Arai RX7, added a pinlock to it, nice comfy, soft, loving bit of a helmet that jsut feels great to wear. Visor is a pain both the change and to use but what the heck. Windy and noisy too on my FJR but really great anyway, I use earplugs.

Suomy Vandal, pretty, comfy, super light, very vented, great summer helmet, sort of like a dot approved bicycle helmet.

Arai SZ/M 3/4 helmet, very comfortable like it is part of my head. Deep as the ocean ear pockets where nothing touches your ears, visor is a bit too curved in the center and distorts a bit, visor is very deep covers what a full face helmet does, helmet seems heavy but super solid and I feel safe in it and hope I avoid the statistical face plant.

And this new RSI.

I'm giving away, destroying or selling the rest of my helmets, I think I'm over my helmet war.

 

[FJRBluesman]

NOTE: My earlier post in this thread I had trade in my Arai Profile Medium for a better fitting Large. That did the trick.

 

[Phugedaboudet]

I've got the Shoe RF1000 too. Nice to know there's alternatives

I'm liking the Sharks too. Had several Shoei RF-1000 and predecessors and the Sharks were just the same shape but more comfy and far lighter.