Helmet Question

[Cindy]

Today I bought a new Arai Quantum ll helmet. It was very light weight, very comfortable and fit perfectly. It was a little less noisy than my Symax though not as quiet as I had hoped. Once I got on the interstate the buffeting was unbearable. Thankfully they let me return it.

Now for the question. How can a helmet cause wind buffeting?

Cindy

[asp125]

Aerodynamics. A helmet's shape actually generates a small amount of lift. In effect its profile is similar to a very fat airfoil. Things like visor shape, vent placement, the angle on the wearer's head all affect the airstream to some degree. The turbulence generated is like the eddies in the wake behind a boat, swirling in different directions to push and pull the object - causing buffeting.

A lot of top end helmets that racers wear have ridges, spoilers and devices to tame the airflow to combat lift at high speeds. Arai has a clear spoiler that attaches to their helmets but it's kind of pricey for a piece of plastic. http://www.ompusa.com/helmets.htm

[Cindy]

You wouldn't think a small helmet would have that large an affect on buffeting, but that answers a lot of questions for me. THANKS!

When I first got my bike I had a problem with buffeting and tried adjusting the windshield and added a laminar lip with no results. I got a new helmet, the HJC Symax, and I never noticed the buffeting again. I find it very strange that I had buffeting with a high end Shoei and Arai and none with the HJC Symax. I'm glad I didn't change the windshield.

That leads me to another question. Who knows which is the quietest of the HJC full face helmets?

Cindy

[VulcanVoyager]

Cindy,
I guess I can't answer which HJC helmet is quietest, but I have an HJC CL-14 and have found you can alter the wind noise significantly by fiddling with the face shield opening.

On my Concours, the helmet is quietest when the faceshield is about 50 percent open, very noisy when the shield is just cracked on the last notch before closing, and moderately quiet when completely closed. Oddly, when fully closed, it is still noisier than when it's in the 50% open position.

All of this occurs as a combination of my windshield, where my head resides in the windblast off the windshield, and how the helmet faceshield is set.

Aboard my Vulcan 750, with no windshield, the helmet is quietest with the face shield completely closed, by a great extent.

Anyway..sorry to divert your topic a bit...but i thought the way the wind noise can vary may be of interest to you and other folks, since there are so many factors involved. A quiet helmet for one person could be a noisy one for a different person on a different bike.

--Roy

[lionlady]

Today I bought a new Arai Quantum ll helmet. It was very light weight, very comfortable and fit perfectly. It was a little less noisy than my Symax though not as quiet as I had hoped. Once I got on the interstate the buffeting was unbearable. Thankfully they let me return it.

Now for the question. How can a helmet cause wind buffeting?

Cindy

I always wear earplugs. Then there is no issue with wind noise. If the Arai helmet fit you, it would be worth a second look with plugs - the .50 foam ones are fine and comfy. Even if your old helmet was quiet, you do get wind noise, you've just gotten used to it.

I finally invested ($60) in the custom fit earplugs at the DC show this weekend. They fit amazingly well and I'm anxious for some less windy weather to do a ride test.

Pam

[Cindy]

Roy,

I have tried on the CL-14 and it was a good fit so I may go with that.

Pam,

I wear custom plugs, it is the wind buffeting with the Arai and the Shoei that was giving me fits.

Cindy

[El Guapo]

Hey Cindy, maybe the Arai would work better without a windshield? The airflow caused by the shape of your shield may just not vibe with the helmet. Who knows, there are a lot of variables.

As for your question about HJCs, I used to have a CL-14 but moved up to the AC-11. I noticed the AC-11 was a little bit quieter, but more than that I just found it to be more comfortable and with some nicer hardware and features, like a fully removable liner, beefier vent openings, and an included nose cover for anti-fogging. I don't use the nose cover thingee, though, it doesn't work for me with my glasses. I catch a lot of wind in the helmet on my bike because the fairing is designed to let the wind hit me in the chest and I only notice bothersome buffetting at speeds of over 85 mph. But I don't usually go that high, and when I do it is only for short periods (like passing).

I do remember reading something by Whizbang on the old site about how he used to have a CL-12 (older version of the CL-14) and moved to a Shoei. He didn't mention it on the article, but I remember I asked him if his new Shoei was quieter than the old CL-12 he had, and said its was a little quieter, but he also said getting a helmet without vents is what will really quiet your helmet down. If you want to read the editorial he did then just click here (http://www.beginnerbikes.com/editorials/spinning1203.htm).

[Cindy]

Isaac,

I had a Shoei before the Symax and it was quieter, but a flipup is usually louder. The Shoei worked fine with my last bike, but buffets with the windshield I now have and I refuse to ride without a windshield. Not only because of the bugs, but I will be blown off the back.

I think I will go to the dealer and borrow some helmets for a test ride. Hopefully, I can find one that is a little quieter without the buffeting.

Thanks for the suggestions all.

Cindy

[anthony]

It's possible that the high-end Arai and Shoei helmets were designed with racing in mind, where the helmet is usually fully in the wind. Introducing a windshield into the mix may mess up the airflow just enough to cause problems. I had some minor buffeting with my Arai Signet GT helmet on my first bike, where the windshield was routing air up over my head (or was trying to, at least). My current bike's shield keeps air off my chest, but my head is fully in the wind. It's noisy, but I get very little buffeting.

[JohnBryer]

Cindy, Julia & I both wear Arai Quantum /f helmets and we both have experienced this issue. It didn't bother me on the ZR7 without a wind screen, but with, there is buffeting.

I just tolerate it because the helmet is so comfortable.

[Cindy]

My windshield comes to my chin and the wind is diverted to the top of my head. I had no problems with the HJC, but the buffeting was unbearable with the Arai. My neck couldn't take more than 10 minutes of that at interstate speeds.

Cindy