Flip Lids ...

[Neil178]

Or whatever they’re called.
I had a BMW one about 20 years ago and that’s too long ago for me to remember much about it except it seemed to be bigger than a non flip hat.
I’m contemplating a new lid for this year and here is my first bit of research!
I’m thinking that when doing some long distance days, inside the petrol station I could pay for the fuel, grab a coffee and sarny, all whilst keeping the helmet on. I wear glasses too so it would save me a good 5 or 6 minutes faffing about. Splash and dash if you will.
So, any recommendations or experiences guys?

[Al]

Recently bought a HJC RPHA 90, my first flip, I always use a very thin under helmet thingy and can put on and remove helmet wearing my glasses, riding flipped up is ok ( if possibly illegal)round town and it can be shut with one hand when you get used to it, it’s a bit heavier than my RPHA 10 but most flip lids are heavier than a normal full face. I got a really good deal from helmet city £249 instead of 449. Not done too many miles yet but pretty happy so far. My wife has one too and neither of us has had any issues paying for fuel etc with it flipped up.

Al.

[andy griff]

A lot of the flips are now homologated in both closed and open states so the 'problem' of being pulled over for riding with the front up has gone.

The police use Shoei Neotec and they have a new version out Neotec 2 which gets good reviews and has an inbuilt comm set up
Schuberth C4 Pro and C3 Pro also are big sellers - big difference in price between the two . C3 is probably going to be deleted this year .
C4 is a lot dearer and again has integral comms. All of these lids have drop down sunshields.
My wife has a Shoei head and I have a Schuberth head - very different shapes .

The Shark flip is a bit of less well known helmet but gets good review and AGV have a Sport Modular ( flip ) in their range.

[BoxerCup R]

I had a flip up helmet when I was training to become a Riding Instructor 2 years ago and I can definitely see he benefits if you ride a bike for a job and need to speak to people when stopped without taking your helmet off but I still much prefer a solid full face helmet myself #justsaying

[jeznewsome]

I've had Shoei Neotec 2 for a little over a year now. It was my first 'modular' helmet and though initially looking at an HJC modular, the integrated nature of the intercomm and the fact that Shoei helmets have been my head protection for over 30 years, swung it.

It's comfy and well made. Heavier and noisier than the GTAir that I had before it, though modular means there will always be compromises. The flip up nature is good to keep security guards happy on the secure site where I work - they have periods where they like to get motorcyclists to remove their helmets at the gate, the flip up negates this. Occasionally it is nice to ride a low speed with the chin out of the way.

It'll be a few years until it is up for change ....... and I am undecided whether a modular / flip up is a necessity or just nice to have.

[GerryB]

I have an HJC flip up .

Its ok for shortish rides , town rides and such like .

But , for a long day out at fairly brisk speeds , its just way too noisy for me

So , on the special days, even though I wear specs now, I rather ride with my old race full face on .

[Paul]

I have been using the Schuberth flip fronts for donkey's ages now. My current one is a C3 pro with integrated comms, which I love to bits. My head is Schuberth shaped, rather than Shoei shaped, so that possibly helps. They are expensive, but occasionally a dealer will sell a load off in a less popular colour at a discounted price. Motolegends will also beat any discounted price by 10%, which is how I bought my current C3 Pro for £300 after another shop was clearing them out at £330.

I prefer my C3 Pro to a regular full face because it is less noisy as it can seal the opening at the bottom closer to your throat than a full face could. The ability to flip it open to talk to people or pay for petrol is also handy. The Sena comms package you can get for this (and the Shoei) integrate neatly into the helmet without adding lumps and bumps on the outside, and use a fixed microphone rather than the flexible swan neck jobs on other systems, which are never in the right place.

As the C3 range is phased out in favour of the C4 Pro, there should be some discounts on the C3 Pro. The new C4 Pro looks good, but as a new product it is still eye wateringly expensive. Don't buy a regular C4 since that had issues with visor sealing/steaming and the comms were not very effective.

None of the Schuberth flip fronts are certified as open face helmets so you shouldn't ride with them open. The chin piece would act as a big sail on the top your head so wouldn't be ideal anyway. If that's something you would want to do, I'd take a look at the Shark Evo One Two. With that, the chin bar flips around to the back of the lid and becomes a spoiler. The helmet is certified for open face use as well as full face. Earlier versions had issues with the complex opening mechanism, so go for the latest.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,

Paul

[nab 301]

I have used a flip helmet in the past , but by coincidence when I stopped using it I accidently discovered the cause of some chronic neck / shoulder pain . I can only assume it was caused by the extra weight ? My current helmets weigh 1500gms or slightly less, I've weighed them ,( the actual stated weight on the helmet is always less than the actual weight) flip helmets in my experience can be 1750gms and the lighter ones can have very poor performance in the Sharp tests.

[2Twins]

I currently use a Shark Evo one two. It’s great but needs two hands to close the chin piece - perhaps I got one of the faulty ones (was bought discounted at the Scottish Bike Show last year)? Otherwise, no complaints and I’m happy with it. Replacement visors are quite expensive though. The chin piece does lock behind the helmet too, which is quite pleasant when riding gently, and when the weather permits.

I used a BMW System flip up lid a few decades ago - it was excellent, and allowed much better peripheral vision than a subsequent and disappointing Caberg. The Shark is still not as good in this respect either.

I’ll probably look at BMW helmets when I replace the Shark.

I wouldn’t go back to a non-flip helmet though,

Cheers
2Twins

[Neil178]

Guys, that’s an amazing amount of great information so many thanks to you all.
I have a BMW and Aria shaped head so I’m going to have to try before I buy.
Comfort is obviously important, cooling too for the summer months so I don’t mind spending a few extra quid to get something I can wear for hours.

[BoxerCup R]

Guys, that’s an amazing amount of great information so many thanks to you all.
I have a BMW and Aria shaped head so I’m going to have to try before I buy.
Comfort is obviously important, cooling too for the summer months so I don’t mind spending a few extra quid to get something I can wear for hours.

Hi Neil
I've always had an Arai shaped head but over the past, I'm gonna say, 5 - 6years I've tried various helmets on and I think Shoei have changed the shape of their lids because they now feel a good fit and comfortable to me Might be worth trying one on again just for context

[dave the german]

Ive got a System 6 flip with comms system fitted. Hardly used, for £200

[Neil178]

I expect my head has changed over the years so I’m going to try them all! Thanks for the heads up BC R (!).
A day out to SportBikeShop in Lincolnshire is on the cards as I want to visit a friend near them.
Just had a look at the BMW site Dave to read up the system 6. They now do a carbon flip with sun visor and Bluetooth. I want to take a look at that one purely for weight.
What size is the one you are selling? I’m a 61 off the top of my head (!).

[dave the german]

I expect my head has changed over the years so I’m going to try them all! Thanks for the heads up BC R (!).
A day out to SportBikeShop in Lincolnshire is on the cards as I want to visit a friend near them.
Just had a look at the BMW site Dave to read up the system 6. They now do a carbon flip with sun visor and Bluetooth. I want to take a look at that one purely for weight.
What size is the one you are selling? I’m a 61 off the top of my head (!).

It's a 60 - 61 in silver with internal sun visor - there's a slight mark on the visor but the few times I used it, it never bothered me

[andy griff]

IIRC the BMW helmet connects to other BMW comms but is fussy over other types