Remote key fobs are almost universal in cars, but only a few luxury motorcycle brands offer them.
Most Harleys have remote key fobs
They can be handy for riders.
How many times have you put your gloves on and then had to take them off to dig your keys out of your pants pocket?
It’s hardly an inconvenience,but anything that seems to add convenience is an extra selling point for a vehicle.
However, the problem with a helmet that acts as a key fob is that after about five years you should replace your helmet and we expect this lid would be quite expensive.
The other drawback is that it would add weight to the helmet.
Upcoming smart helmets already have a lot of included technology such as head-up display, 360-degree cameras, bluetooth units and more.
One of the key recommendations was to never buy a helmet over the internet because it could be a fake, may not be correctly certified and may not fit.
“Never buy a helmet you haven’t had on your head,” Guy says.
“Many newcomers to motorcycling (and old hands) have absolutely no idea about why a helmet is useful, other than that you need one or you get a ticket,” Guy says.
“Fitting the wrong type of oil filter is as idiotic as wearing the wrong size helmet.
“Sometimes I despair at the stupidity and naivete shown by otherwise apparently sensible people.
“The same people would whinge if the replacement part they ordered online didn’t fit or caused poor performance or caused the engine to blow up.
“In many cases, they simply don’t know what they don’t know and make poor assumptions, too afraid to ask in case they look silly.”
Guy Stanford
Proper fitting
Guy says buying from a shop means you can try the helmet on.
“The great thing about most good shops is that the staff are usually keen to share good information and a simple question can lead to revelations and confidence,” he says.
Yet the UK report found only 40% of riders had their heads measured at the time of sale.
“This suggests a serious failure at the point of sale, and a lack of understanding by both the sales staff and the purchasers,” the report found.
It also found 30% of riders have had issues with helmet fit, often because a particular brand or range is the wrong internal shape.
“The majority of riders have the chin straps slightly loose, and can pass either one or two fingers beneath the chinstrap and their chins,” the report says.
Too-small helmets can cause headaches, double vision and fatigue.
Too-big helmets can swivel and vibrate which can also give double vision or blurring through the visor. They also have less impact protection and can come off in a crash .
Learn about helmets
Guy Stanford
Guy says riders have a lot to learn about roads, traffic, riding skills, motorcycles and riding gear such as helmets.
“There’s always something new to learn,” he says.
“We love the most that which we understand the most.
“Helmets are not made as a fashion item, although they can be made fashionable with colours and stickers.
“But, like an oil filter, it firstly has to be the correct fit and flashy paint jobs/stickers come second.
“There are those individuals who are shallow in their character and only value appearance as important.
“These buy stickers and flashy paint jobs and have no regard for whether the item actually works. They just like to be seen.
HJC’s Ironman might look flash, but is it the right helmet for you?
“It’s a pretty immature approach when compared to those riders who love what they do and deeply understand the value of a helmet.
“I say ‘value’ because that is what you get. The price is what you pay.
“The value is in having a helmet that will work for you when it all goes pear shaped.
“Buying a helmet takes patience, to try them on and learn how your head shape simply doesn’t fit some of them.
“It is difficult to get the fit right by yourself, as you need someone else to push the helmet around on your head while you stand there.
“Get help for this. Professional training in this is provided by helmet manufacturers who train shop staff.
“Buying online is a perfect storm for getting it wrong.
“The price might look good, but there’s little real value.
“Never buy a helmet you haven’t had on your head.”
Shoei released the latest version of it sport-touring helmet, the GT-Air II to motojournalists and industry professionals at Shoei’s agency headquarters in Costa Mesa, California. After a quick lunch, and mingling with our fellow guests, Matthias Beier, Shoei’s marketing coordinator, explained all the new features of the heavily updated helmet.
The engineers at Shoei put a lot of attention to reducing wind noise in the new GT-Air II. The outer shell has been redesigned to be more aerodynamic, including a chin spoiler, and beefed-up beading around the visibility port to improve the seal with the visor. There are three intake and five exhaust vents, providing more airflow in and out of the helmet to increase rider comfort. The internal drop-down sun visor goes 5mm lower than before, increasing the visibility for the rider while reducing sun glare.
One of the coolest features of the GT-Air II is its ability to fully integrate with the Sena SRL2 communication system. The helmet has specific cutouts and channels within the shell to accommodate the SRL2 components while keeping a streamline shape, which improves aerodynamics and increases safety for potential impact zones in a crash. Shoei has also added its patented stainless steel mini ratchet chinstrap for quick on and off functionality, which has been tested and proven in-house to be just as safe as a double D-ring.
The GT-Air II is offered in seven solid colors for $599, and 11 graphic designs for $699, and should be available for purchase beginning next week. With all these new features (and more) of the Shoei GT-Air II, we can’t wait to get one out in the wild and test it ourselves. We will report back with our own review to let you know how well this redesign performs. Stay tuned!
Dirty visors are not only a nuisance but a safety risk, but the glove-mounted Visorcat washer/wiper allows you to clean your visor on the go.
Visorcat is made of rubber with a webbing strap that goes around your hand.
There is a rubber loop to go over your finger or thumb, a reservoir for the provided visor wash and two 75mm-long (3”) windscreen-wiper-style blades that sit on the back of your hand, below the knuckle.
Underneath the blades is a sponge.
You wipe right to left to remove rainwater with the double rubber wiper blades.
Wipe right to left to clear your visor with the double rubber blades
If your visor is dirty and needs a wash first, you wipe left to right.
The curved edge of the wiper flap pulls back automatically to reveal the sponge underneath which is moistened by the supplied washing liquid.
Wipe left to right to use the sponge
There’s a wick connecting the sponge to the reservoir to keep it moist.
Make sure the sponge is wet to start with and the reservoir is full.
Win a Visorcat
You can win one of these $105 Visorcats simply by subscribing to our free weekly newsletter. Click here to subscribe.
If you’re already one of our subscribers, simply tell us what you think of Visorcat by leaving a comment at the end of this article.
We’ll randomly draw the winner at midnight on Friday (22 March, 2019) and announce their name in this article and on social media on Saturday. The prize will be posted to the winner. (Competition limited to Australian postal addresses.)
Visorcat review
I was initially quite sceptical of this product. It looked cumbersome and, frankly, a bit ridiculous.
However, it’s easy to fit over your left glove and tighten with the strap to stay in place.
Once in place you can hardly feel it’s there and it doesn’t in any way limit your clutch hand movement.
I also thought it would be a nuisance every time I took my glove off or put it on, but it actually stays in place, so there’s no need to remove it.
If you do want to remove it, just undo the strap and it comes off in a second.
The wiper blades are great for quickly and effectively wiping rainwater off your visor.
On wide visors you may have to wipe up to three times to cover the whole field of vision, but generally one wipe will clear enough of the visor for good vision.
I prefer to wash off grime, insects, dust, etc with water or a cleaning liquid. If you wipe it straight away, you are liable to scratch your visor.
Even if you can’t see the scratches, you may have made very small scratches which cause a blurry “starring” effect when looking into the sun or car lights at night.
I was reticent to use the sponge washer, so I tried it first on an old helmet.
You have to make sure the sponge is well and truly moist before wiping across your visor.
I preferred to pull over and check that the sponge was wet first. I even added an extra dob of the liquid directly on to the sponge just to make sure.
I tried it several times on the old helmet and it worked fine without any visible or even minor scratching. That made me confident enough to try it on a brand new visor. It left no scratches.
However, I would not use it on a very dirty or dusty visor. I’d rather douse the visor with plenty of water first.
The Visorcat works just fine for light grime such as a small bug straight after you’ve hit it.
And isn’t that usually the case? You’ve just cleaned your visor, hopped on your bike and in the first kilometre you hit a bug right in the middle of your field of vision!
With the Visorcat you don’t have to stop, but can keep on riding.
You can now wear an AGV helmet with exactly the same specifications as the one that nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi wore on the track in last year’s championship.
“The only difference is that his personal sponsors are removed from the graphics,” Don says.
“Out of interest , he wears a size MS Pista GP R.”
Italian made
What’s more, this helmet is not another Chinese-made product.
The design, research and development of the helmet was carried out by AGV technicians at their headquarters in Molvena and it is made at AGV’s facility in Campodoro.
All Pista GP R helmets cost $1999 which is $300 more than the matte black model.
Valentino Rossi and Aldo Drudi, the most famous graphic designer of the MotoGP, created a 1970s-inspired design for the 2018 season with linear shapes and large colour blocks.
The design is deliberately clean and simple, emphasising the Doctor’s famous sun and moon graphics.
Its paint scheme has been updated with a matte finish, also featured on the new Spoiler, and the carbon shell is visible on the chin guard.
Safety wear
Many racers in MotoGP and other world and national racing championships wear the AGV Pista GP R.
The shell shape is designed to maximise aerodynamic performance with the latest wind-tunnel-tested rear spoiler.
Developed under AGV’s “Extreme Standards” protocol, Pista GP R features a 100% carbon shell layered with a five-density EPS shell.
The lightweight structure exceeds the regulatory safety requirements and scores a five-star rating from the independent British certifying body, Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme (SHARP).
It includes MotoGP-derived innovations such as a removable hydration system with internal channels and a drinking valve inside the chin area.
There is an elastic tube at the back of the helmet which draws water from a hydration kit which you can wear as a backpack, or integrated into the aerodynamic hump in many modern racing leathers.
While most helmets only come in three sell sizes, this has four dedicated shell sizes and four internal EPS sizes to create a compact structure that minimises volume around the rider’s head.
It’s bad enough crashing into a car, but this Indian motorcyclist gets a double dose of bad luck when the post he runs into collapses on top of him.
The security camera footage shows the driver of the white car pausing at an intersection, then starting to turn left, right into the path of the rider.
It’s bad luck for the rider who then slides into a light pole.
He gets up and seems ok but bad luck strikes a second time when the light pole falls on his head.
Riders may soon have peace of mind their helmet is safe to use after a drop or crash, thanks to a new invention that uses a laser to scan your helmet.
The Helmet Doctors who developed the device now want to know if riders would pay $40 for the safety scanning service?
You can take part in their quick 10-question online survey by clicking here.
Early feedback on the poll shows strong support for a helmet scan service.
However, some riders have expressed concern that authorities could make such scanning services compulsory.
Why helmet integrity is important?
Scott, Brayden and family
The Helmet Doctors is a family venture founded by Brayden Robinson and his father, Scott, of the Sunshine Coast.
“We grew up with the kids and me riding motocross and we would often see kids crash then continue to use their helmets which appeared to be unscathed,” Scott says.
“When Brayden was hospitalised with a fractured skull, we were shocked to see how good the helmet still looked.
“So we started looking for a better way to assure helmets are still in a safe condition after a crash.”
Brayden is taken away in the ambulance
This led Scott and Brayden to invent a helmet laser-scanning technique with the help of a Belgian lab who primarily work in aeronautical and spatial technologies.
This Belgian experimental science lab develops, operates and makes solutions to improve the design, mechanical strength and durability, under a vibratory environment, of equipment and structures.
Scott and Brayden did extensive research and development with this Belgian company and with the help of the Composites Research Group in the School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering at The University of Queensland.
The father-and-son team investigated sound waves, x-rays and other non-destructive testing techniques.
“We found this laser scanning technique can categorically guarantee that, if there is any damage to the helmet’s outer shell, our technique will identify it.
“It’s ground-breaking, proven science.”
Helmet scanner
The Helmet Doctors have a Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) application that allows them to enter their patent application into any of 152 jurisdictions by 23 June 2020. At present the application has been examined by the international PCT body and all but one claim has been found to be novel over identified existing technology .
The Helmet Doctorsare keen to turn this into a commercial venture.
How the scan works
Scott says very few riders know exactly when to replace their helmet.
“We have all heard how if you drop your helmet once you should replace it. But very few do this,” Scott says.
“No one knows how much impact a composite helmet can tolerate before the shell is critically weakened.
“Composite materials have many layers and tiny fibres that can be damaged in a fall.
“The impact energy is dispersed among the fibres and away from the brain which it is designed to do.
“This is why a dropped helmet may still look ok.
“However, the impact could have led to a small crack or splintering which you can’t see with the naked eye.
“Our device can view, read and record the helmet 100,000 times better than the naked eye and find if there are any cracks, splintering or deformations which would make the helmet defective and unable to withstand another impact.”
Helmet-scanning scheme
The Helmet Doctors plan to test their service first in South East Queensland.
Riders would take their helmet to a participating motorcycle dealer where they would leave it and pick it up a few days later.
The helmet would be sent to the nearest scanner depot where it would be scanned, assessed and returned.
Scott says the Federal Government is considering some funding for the safety service but needs to know if it would be well received by riders, racers and the motorcycle industry.
“As you could imagine this experimental laser camera is very expensive, but our goal is to make this service accessible and cheap enough for everyone to use it,” Scott says.
If the project is successful, they hope to extend the service to other states and overseas.
The Sheene helmet will cost $899 when it arrives in March 2019, but you can pre-order now to ensure you don’t miss out on the limited-edition model.
It is part of the extensive X3000 range led by a $999 limited-edition tribute to the legendary 15-time world motorcycle champion, Giacomo Agostini. There are also 10 colour choices ranging in price from $599 in solid colours to $699 for multi-colours and $799 for the Gloria.
The Barry Sheene X3000 is highlighted by the iconic lucky number seven that became Barry’s trademark on the track as well as the quirky Duck on the crown of the helmet all tied together with the infamous black and gold graphic.
It also has the likeable larrikin’s signature painted on the back.
The fibreglass helmet is engineered in three shell sizes with a vented visor, leather and suede fabric, removable and washable interior, anti-scratch visor with micro-opening system and a double-D chin strap.
Barry Sheene history
Here is a history of Barry as supplied by Australian AGV distributors, Link International.
A true rockstar of the sport, Barry Sheene became a household name quickly taking the sport of motorcycle racing into the living rooms of people across the world. Even if you weren’t interested in motorcycle racing you were interested in what Barry Sheene was doing and his antics on and off the track. Known for his likeable demeanour and sex appeal Barry was envied by men and wanted by women, rarely ever photographed without a female companion by his side. He married a Penthouse cover girl Stephanie McLean who became his “lucky charm” as she attended nearly all of his races as a time keeper.
Barry went on to win two consecutive world titles in 1976-1977, a feat that had not been accomplished by a British rider at the time. A series of near fatal accidents threatened to derail his career but the attitude and determination that was Barry Sheene prevailed.
Barry was a dedicated showman who made time for his fans and enjoyed meeting and interacting with the people who supported him and came to watch his races. Barry’s larrikin personality lead to many headlines in the press over the years including the two fingers he used to show behind his back while racing again accomplished racer “King” Kenny Roberts.
Barry Sheene
In 1984 after unsuccessfully trying to reclaim his title as world champ Sheene retired to Australia in the late 1980’s seeking a warmer climate to aid his recovery from injuries and arthritis. It was here he pursued business ventures and even worked for the 9 Network as a commentator of the World Motorcycle Grand Prix and also appearing in Shell ads with the legendary Dick Johnson.
It was here that Australian riders and fans set in stone their love for Barry Sheene, as his sense of humour struck a chord with the Aussie population. His knowledge and opinions helped shape Australian motorsport today with many riders, racers and teams receiving a helping hand from the motorcycle racer including Mick Doohan and Garry McCoy. Sheene was inducted into the MotoGP hall of fame and in 2017 was inducted into the motorsport hall of fame with his former engineer and sister accepting the honours.
Motorcycle helmets are still being crash tested in Australia despite European-standard helmets being available here for several years because they provide riders with “more information”.
The NSW Consumer Rating and Assessment of Safety Helmets (CRASH) crash-tests 30 helmets a year and releases the details every November.
Centre for Road Safety active executive director Craig Moran says that while all helmets sold here meet either Australian Standards or global standard UNECE 22.05, CRASH ratings “give riders more information so they can chose the best helmet for their situation”.
Helmets tested
CRASH has tested 34 full-face helmets since 2017 and 1012 pre-2017, 17 open face helmets since 2017 and 35 prior and nine dual-purpose helmets since 2017 and 23 prior.
It is not as comprehensive as the similar British SHARP helmet safety scheme. It has tested and rated hundreds of helmets, almost all of which are now available for sale in Australia.
“The helmets are chosen based a number of criteria including their approximate number of sales or popularity or if the consortium identifies a particular helmet as requiring further performance testing,” Craig says.
“Helmets are proven to reduce the severity of head injuries as well as the likelihood of death and disability.
CRASH testing
“We also recently launched MotoCAP which is a consumer information program designed to provide riders with scientifically-based information about the protection and comfort of a range of motorcycle jackets, pants and gloves available in Australia and New Zealand.”
CRASH is run by a consortium of NSW government agencies and Swann Insurance.
It assesses and compares motorcycle helmets in terms of their ability to protect the wearer’s head in a crash and how comfortable the helmet is to wear.
Shoei is the first major motorcycle helmet manufacturer to join the growing smart helmet revolution with the announcement of their IT-HT helmet.
The IT-HT helmet will include Bluetooth intercom and head-up display which includes a translucent screen that shows vital information to the rider without them having to take their eyes off the road.
Shoei IT-HT screen
Information can be customised by the rider to include bike data such as speed and revs, but also navigation, incoming phone calls, etc.
Revolution
The revolution is yet to get off the ground.
While there are many start-ups with smart helmets and aftermarket add-on devices such as Hudway, Nuviz and Seemore, few have made it to the market or proved their reliability.
HUdway
Nuviz-770
Seemore
Shoei has a long history of making safe and quality helmets, so their addition to the smart helmet revolution is welcome.
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