After 4 years, I finally pulled the trigger on a new shell. I am certainly no helmet expert, so take this review with a grain of salt. I'm rather new to motorcycles, only 4 years, and have only ridden one(mine) motorcycle. I have also only used one helmet, so I only have one helmet to compare the N43 Trilogy to. My previous helmet is a Vega Summit II modular helmet. Never having to wear a full face helmet kinda spoiled me. I love being able to flip up the chin-guard to drink, have a cigarette, or to speak to someone with ease. This was definitely a criteria for me in my new helmet purchase. I know there is a lot of talk about modulars, and their safety, compared to a full face, but i'll just take my chances on this one. I really loved the review from webbikeworld about the N43 "AIR" (European version). The whole helmet seemed like everything I was looking for. Lets start with some info on my Vega Summit II. I got it for probably $150 a few years back. This was a very reasonably priced modular, with a pretty good review from webbikeworld as well. I never tried it on before purchasing, and relied on webbikeworlds helmet sizing charts. I'm a medium guy all around when it comes to purchasing things to wear....shirts, pants, gloves, hats, jackets, shoes....etc....not too many surprises for me. This helmet was definitely a tiny bit snug for me in the cheeks, and Vega certainly doesn't sell different sized pads. It was fine for me though. The liner quality is pretty cheap. It has frayed and glue has separated. A few of the snap-pins inside have broken, and the rubber strip around the neck area lost the adhesive pretty quickly. Nothing a bunch a crazy glue couldnt fix. The venting was pretty lousy. Also, the helmet seemed to be pretty noisy. Reminder, Ive never used any other helmets before, but I have a feeling that others vented better, and were quieter. The lens never closed 100% without a good downward smack, once it was already in the down position. The modular chin bar always closed correctly, and felt safe & secure. It was also very easy to open with one tab. All in all, it was a good helmet that served me well for years. My gf should accept the fact that she'll be wearing it from now on, lol. Ill be nice and wash the inside liner & pads. Now the N43 Trilogy: Upon opening the box, it was obvious that this was a much better quality unit than my previous helmet. The liner it great and doesn't move around. It has the "micro-lock" for the straps, which amazing for me since Ive been using D-loops for 4 years. Its the little things that I can appreciate, like weather stripping where the visor meets the shell when closed. I like the variety this helmet has to offer. The chin-bar removes easily. It also comes with "blanks" to fill the chin-bar slot, if you choose to ride without it, probably reducing wind noise. It has pin-locks on the visor. I read some reviews that said it didn't come with them. The visor is humongous, and provides excellent visibility. I'm a fan of tinted visors, but this has a retractable sun shade on the inside, which is very easy to operate. This thing fits me perfectly. I was a little nervous, ordering it online, but it worked out well. Definitely less pressure on my cheeks & jaw compared to my Vega Summit II. The liner just feels really good on my face and head, maybe because its new. came with a "peak" also. I just placed it on top. the visor must be removed, and the peak will mount in the visor slots, with included hardware. SENA unit could be a bit more flush against the outer shell, but its sturdy either way. There were speaker perforations in the interior foam shell for the N-Com unit, so they're nice and flush, behind the padding. Unfortunately, its been raining here for 4 days straight, so when it stops on Friday, I'll be able to take it our for a road test.
I had the Nolan N100e and my current helmet is a N102. I found the European Nolan N43 Air intriguing. I checked and ordered one from www.fc-moto.com . Nolan N43 Classic Air $210 including shipping! USA MSRP is $299, without the "Air" top vent. I work at a BMW dealer and that is less than my employee price. The helmet is not DOT approved. Neither is my head.
I was gonna order the ece approved "air" anyways, but then I read something that made me nervous. If you're in an accident in dot-required areas, and you're not wearing a dot helmet, the insurance company has the right not to compensate for head injuries. Is this true?
If I have serious head injuries wearing a good but not DOT helmet, insurance is not my biggest worry.
As a risk manager, I can tell you that any such limitation or exclusion on coverage is going to be specifically listed in your liability policy. I have read a lot of policies and have not seen any such limitations or exclusions. But the only way to be sure is to read your policy.
Following is the official U.S. regulation, or "law" for what we motorcyclists in the U.S. know as the DOT regulations covering motorcycle helmets. In other words, a motorcycle helmet manufacturer would have to submit a helmet model to testing to the following regulations to meet DOT standards and the right to place the DOT sticker on the back of the helmet. The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) known as FMVSS 218 (49CFR571.218), describes in great detail the requirements for "DOT" certification of all helmets sold in the United States for use by motorcyclists. Helmets that do not meet the minimal DOT certification standards may not be sold as "motorcycle helmets." http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/DOT-standard.htm
Well, the weather finally cleared up, and I've had a good week to test out the helmet. First off, it seems to be very quiet. When I flip the face-shield down, I cant hear any wind noise. A decent amount of air does come in from under the chinbar, probably because its a little smaller than a full-face chinbar. It mainly stays around the neck area and doesn't creep into the helmet. Could be a problem in the winter, but I wear a balaklava and dont think it'll be an issue. The top vent doesn't seem to be too functional. I honestly cant tell the difference whether its open or closed. I'm gonna take another look under the liner, and see if some sort of packaging material is there that was supposed to be removed. Also, I probably couldn't tell the difference because it has been hot here (90 f +). Honestly though, my head really wasn't too hot. All of my gear was totally soaked though.....time to look for some new summer stuff. The internal sun visor, is easy to access and works pretty well. It might be a little high, but if you pull the helmet down a bit, it works fine. It doesn't do a fantastic job directing air away from your eyes when the main shield is up. But, I dont think it was designed for that. When the face shield is up, there is no buffeting, even at higher speeds. I have a really small windscreen on my GS, and my head definitely got thrown around much more with my Vega summit II. There recessed speaker mounting points in the shell are placed perfectly, and the sound travels very well through the ear padding area. The holes were designed for the n-com, and my sena speakers were a tiny bit bigger. I just pressed in the foam a little bit to make the hole accept my speakers....no biggie. The helmet is comfortable. Fits my medium head very well, with no play. The cheeks aren't too snug either. Its a little more snug on my left cheek, because of my sena unit pushing the padding out a little more. Not an issue though. The temperature drops a lot at night lately, and I haven't noticed much fogging on the inside either. The chin bar has the tiniest amount of play when it is locked in, but doesn't feel cheap, or unsafe. I think because the chin bar is rather small, and lets a decent amount of air in, my microphone might be picking up excessive wind/exhaust noise. It seems a little more difficult for my iphone to recognize voice commands while riding. Its a little better when stopped at a light. BOTTOM LINE: I love this helmet. It works well, looks cool, and is obviously good quality. At $239 USD, its a steal. Plus, you look like RoboCop when the visor is up ans sunshade is down. Whats not to love?
I know it's impossible to say for sure, but do you feel like the chin bar would hold up in a face plant? bete.
honestly, it feels really strong. ive tugged, twisted and yanked on it. seems to lock in very well. but.... in a faceplant scenario.....i dunno....could go either way I guess.
I have on order a Nolan N43 Air from http://fc-moto.com/ in Germany. The "Air" model has extra vents on top not available on the USA "Trilogy" model. Obviously not DOT approved but European standard open face AND full face approval. Cost shipped about $210. That is less than a Trilogy would cost me as a dealer employee. Helmets in the USA have a high price because of the liability insurance costs. I'll report when I have it.
I've had my N43 for about a year now and your few complaints will magnify themselves soon. The sunshade, while semi-functional, will get annoying as it does sit too high to shade the normal feild of view. Also, this helmet will fog up the instant the temperature starts to drop. Mine gets worn daily with a chin bar and no facesheild, and is stored inside my topcase during the day. The paint is starting to chip badly around the vents. I hope this helmet works out for you. But this is my first and last Nolan.
I've been using my N43 Air for around 1.5 years and its been holding up well so far. I wish the inner visor was a tad lighter but other than that, I am very satisfied with my helmet. I'm even considering the upcoming X-Lite (Nolan's 2nd brand) X-402GT as my next helmet if it fits me well... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0emhw422Q3c
The wife and I both have N43s and really like them. I noticed that after several hours, I'd get a doozy of a headache due to a pressure point right at my scalp line in the middle of my forehead - basically at the peak of my forehead. Before we left for a 3-week, 8000 mile ride in July, I peeled back the liner and removed just the smallest little bits of foam and - viola! - no more discomfort. One thing I would recommend: if you're going to have the visor on in cool (or colder) weather or in the rain, get the Pinlock. My visor fogs like a mofo without it.
Since the discussion wandered off into the Air helmet, I just wanted to clarify that the N43 Trilogy IS DOT approved just in case there was any confusion. Actually, I just picked up mine yesterday and so far I love it. I get just a little claustrophobic in a FF and this visor is HUGE. It feels like you're wearing a 3/4. Also, you can put it on like a 3/4 over your eyeglasses and then pop the chin bar on. Makes on/off a breeze. Mike
Have had the N43 (Trilogy) for awhile now and love it. The shield that comes with the helmet had the pin locks, but there is not an anti-fog lens included. I had an anti-fog lens from my old N100E. it will work..BUT clean them both well before putting it on, as it is VERY hard to get back off. I carry that setup for when I need it. Bought a light smoke shield to use daily.
I have the European "Air" version. Every helmet is a compromise. I think the air flow thru the "air" is incredible. wore it every day in nyc heat and traffic and was never uncomfortable. The chinbar is interesting; its made from a somewhat flexible plastic. I think european testing standards are actually more stringent then ours so I'm sure it would do its job if necessary. I have noticed with the cooler weather that the visor seems to fog up quite easily. I may treat it with something like fog-x and see if that helps. I feel the quality is very good overall and it has provisions for the n-com system if that is your thing. The micro adjust strap is nice for an exact fit. The field of view out of the visor is incredible. I ditto the comments on the internal sun-shield; it could use a serious re-work.
Check out the upcoming X-Lite X-402GT for a full jet helmet with chin bar (N43 is demi-jet) and it's also made by Nolan... <object style="height: 390px; width: 640px;"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yeQ6C7v7vxU?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="640" height="390"></object>
Aren't X-Lite's really hard to come by in the US. The Duc dealer by me always complains that they are hard to get... That N43 looks good with the Sena SMH10... Nice review of the N43, I am wondering how the wind noise compares to the EXo-900 since they are similar in concept.
I just received my N43 Air from FC Moto. Took it out for a spin last night in 50 degree weather. I really like this helmet. I am used to a full face helmet and I found that the field of view is huge. I was hoping it would be a bit quieter, it is better then my crappy Arashi but I definitely will wear earplugs on the highway (I have yet to try a helmet that is quite enough for me) . My favorite configuration so far is with the chin guard removed, face shield down. There isn't a huge difference as far as noise and an acceptable amount on more air on the face. Actually, with the chin guard on, there is little air on the mouth and chin. At a stop the shield fogs around the nose and mouth. I think this may be partly because it is clear down there and you can see it, vs a solid chin bar. A little venting in the chin bar would be nice. I loved the fact that when I stopped for gas all I had to do was flip up the visor to talk to the attendant. The helmet is very light and doesn't put pressure on your checks like a full face does. Also has space around the ears so no pressure on ears so wearing earbuds or plugs is comfortable. Compared to my full face this helmet just floats there unobtrusively. Venting. This is probably not a cold weather helmet. Even with all the vents closed I could feel air moving out at the back of the helmet. Not enough to make me cold over a 45 minute ride but on a colder day it might be an issue. I'll try it with a balaclava next time. The European venting system is sleek. Definitely pulls a lot of air through the helmet and doesn't seem to be any noisier with vents open. Looking forward to summer to see how cool it is.
