from the look of it they are the N41..... nowhere near as good as the N42 but with 42 you don't have the plugs when visor is removed, only the half size tint visor. N41 can be found at a number of locations for as low as $160... N42 for $220... N42 also has accommodation for Nolans N-COM.

and for those thinking that the visor offers better protection than the 3/4 then they need to think again.... yes protect from bugs etc but on first impact the visor is likely to be ripped off....

Im getting that Nolan ncom flip up thingy on Friday...around 4oo bucks....Anyone got one and like it????most ill ever have spent on a helmet.....got a buet smaller tinted viser as well....  N1o2

hello ho where in perth can i look at this helmet

Any thoughts on this one guys??? geting it on Friday

Lol.....the force isnt with me Steve.....does look kinda tough though..................415 bucks...sound ok for this one????  I must be getting old....

Thanx Fat Boy................

you buying that helmet of the STIG Hoody
Ductor

Hehehehe..nah mate STIG germs..........................

Hoody, you have the same bike as mine............good choice. I usually ride with open face helmet (KBC) and find it works well behind the screen. However I do have a full face helmet (CMS) and recently I decided to try this out on the bike. I got a kilometre up the road and had to turn back and change the helmet. I found the wind was doing some weird buffeting which was very annoying. Bit like driving alon in your car with the 2 back windows down, if you get my drift. So I will be interested to know how your full face Nolan works.

Helmets...............what an issue. A mate is on the verge of ordering a new Harley and he has been looking around for an open face helmet that doesn't look like a baloon on your head. He tried and found that Shoei open face is the only helmet that looked half decent. However Shoei have stopped selling their open face helmet in Australia. I have done the research as well and it's true. All that is left in the shops is odd sizes and white. No medium blacks to be found. I tried several bike shops and they all had the same story.
Looking at the Shoei website, overseas I notice that they have a similar helmet with visor that looks pretty good. ( RJ-Air Platinum and RJ - Air
) The visor is removable. Anyway I sent Shoei an email on behalf of my mate yesterday, and to my surprise they had replied this morning.

My letter :

At the moment in Australia the Shoei open face helmet is no longer available/in stock. "They have stopped making them" they tell me.
Looking at your website, the above helmet looks much like I am looking for to replace my existing open face.
Are these available in Australia, and or are they going to be available?
Can I purchase direct from you?
What would be the cost of the helmet, and the shipping cost?

The reply :

Shoei North America does not sell helmets directly, nor do we ship outside the US. Also, US helmets are not legal for street use in Australia, as they do not meet the same safety standards. Please contact the Australian distributor, McLeod Accessories. They can be reached at tel: +617-3621-9000.




So in that letter probably explains why most open face helmets here in Australia do look like moon helmets. Good old Australian Government officials (pencil dicks) want us to be safer than anybody else in the world.........

TC

A further update on the Shoei open face. I spoke to a chap at McLeods and yes they don't make the SB3 anymore, but they will be getting in the RJ Air as a replacement around January. He gave me a rough estimate of the price but asked to not be quoted, but it's the average price, not your $100 helmet.

Another interesting thing he said is that they run M2R helmets and have asked the manufacturer to produce a helmet similar to the old Shoei SB3 as they know that they have been popular. This helmet should also hit the shops around the same time, hopefully.

So I guess I will be checking the McLeods website after Xmas.

Thanx for that TC88.........very informative post........I am tall so i find i get the buffeting real bad as it is cause my big noggin sits over the screen...The Nolan was how I would try to overcome that but from your post i may not get the desired effect.....BUT i still wa it cause it looks cool......lol.......Will give a report on the Nolan full face and let ya know how it is....
Ta mate...

Cheers big ears.....you just keep those two honeys bumpin and grindin........Look forward to the report

SuziQ, I'm guessing that your size is Small.........(woops I'm presuming you are female, forgive me if I'm wrong) (Is Suzi, named after a previous Jap bike perhaps.) Enlighten me. Yes I have seen them in the shop shelves and all they have left is the less popular sizes, eg Small and XXL and usually in white. No shiny or matt black mediums to be had.....TC

Many of the helmets that have SNELL or the Europe's ECE would easily pass Australia's tests. But most of the manufacturers don't bring their helmets into Australia due to the cost involved in having the helmet tested. When added to their usual price point and the small market here it simply makes the helmet too expensive to be competitive. This is especially true for open-face 1/2 and 3/4 helmets as cruiser riders as a market are less inclined to spend more than a couple of hundred dollars for a helmet.

I have a small head - 52cm. I have found it extremely difficult to get any helmet other than a full-face small enough in Australia. I currently have an Arai 3/4 with visor that is a friggin huge bubble, but very very comfy and it fits! No lift, no twisting, no parachute affects over 120. It is illegal here, I had to buy it in the US. But it has passed all standards including Europe ECE 22-04 & ECE 22-05 "P"; Japan JIS T 8133 : 2000; DOT; USA Snell M 2005. So I'll be pretty pissed if I cop a helmet violation; but I acknowledge that it may well happen.
I've got an XS Nolan N41 in matt black with the visor that has been worn half a dozen times, but on the road found it was lifting etc. If any of the girls (or guys) with small heads (53-54cm) out there are looking for just such a helmet, gimme a holler, this one is looking for a new home!