BigDogs New favorite Helmet--and it's cheap

I own 5 helmets-------3 Arai XD's. One's got my POV.1 helmet cam mounted on it--which I don't wear unless
I need the camera.
I seem to wear helmets out as fast as tires.

I love my Arai's----they are really expensive-----I never buy the most expensive thing thinking it is the best.
I buy what works----they do.

My buddy Bill Asher (Bash3r) showed up at my house to go riding with this really good looking Florescant yellow
Fly Racing Helmet. I looked it over and really liked it-----fit so well and had really nice venting---more than the XD and
the shield seemed to function better as it had a really good rachet system that kept the shield where you wanted it.
Also the visor is vented better to let air pass and not pull on your head--the vents open and close of course.

A really nice soft rubber seal when the visor is down.

So I bought one-----------I think it was $120 ??? from atomic moto. I wear an XL in an XD---and this is sized the same.

3 thumbs up

BigDog



First ride out-----I came into a town and this guy in a old van pulls up beside me with this big smile.
He yells out "I saw you a mile back----it works" and gave me thumbs up.
I think having the hi-viz up high is more visible than a hi-vis jacket.

By visor you mean what some call the Peak? I look at the visor/peak on that helmet and it doesn’t look like it will block the sun and reduce glare nearly as well as my XD does.
Am I wrong?

Man that hurts to look at.

I like fly racing stuff. I had a 150$ Fly Racing Patrol jacket, it held up pretty good for a while. That's all you can expect from it.

I would say that Fly Racing stuff is exactly the same quality as Icon, and styled as effectively as Icon, and as Durable as things that Icon makes. May not be of the same materials, or have the same lightness.... But you don't have to pay for Icon's marketing department when you buy it.

Yes----it works just as well------I'm like you the visor blocking the sun is one of the big reasons I love
wearing a helmet like this.

I use to wear flip--flop helmets with some tape on the shield---love this so much more.

BigDog

Thanks, I am going to need a new helmet soon. I was going to buy a XD4 but this helmet is inexpensive enough for me to try.
Now can I find a local dealer? I need to try the Helmet on before I buy. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>

My wife just measured my head around the biggest part----it measured 23"---and the XL fit's me.
I'm thinkin' I wear a 7--5/8" hat ???

Hope that helps-------like you----I hate ordering something like this not knowing if it fits or even if you'll like it.

Fortunately my buddy came over and I got to try one on and see the thing and really look it over.

BigDog

'Not in need of a new helmet right now, but with the BigDog seal of approval, I'll definitely consider the Fly Racing Helmet when I am.

ktm950se

Thanks--I saw the Fly stuff in some catalog and was wondering about it. +1 on the hi-vis for the helmet. On the road the other day I noticed a guy way off on a bike because of his hi-vis helmet, despite all the rest of his gear being black and grey. It really works.

This Fly helmet is also the MSR Xpedition which i have. Weird thing is when I bought mine they were all MSR branded and now they're almost all Fly branded. I love mine, but bought it in Matte Black.

And also the AFX fx-39 ds. Sizing is just slightly different due to pads. The AFX medium feels like it is right in between the Fly medium and large. Effectively a bit like half sizes so if you really want one of these you have lots of options. The AFX has a ratchet closure though.

I also own an XD3. Both are great helmets.

And thanks to Bigdog, I own a TE610 and want a WR250r.

A---hah---another convert-----my old 610 was really good to me. Almost Japanese reliable---but I do love the WR better.
Me and Dingweeds WR's are both right at 35,000 miles.

Crap----I've hi-jacked my own thread

BigDog

A friend of mine just got a KLX250 supermoto and I was surprised at the power it had verses my DRZ400. Definitely impressive but small for my 6'2" 215 frame. The DRZ is perfect size for me but I would imagine the WR is an awesome bike.

Yeah, I've been following your posts on the WR. Next for me maybe.

thanks for all the great posts and inspiration.

Now back to the helmet topic.

I tried the AFX-39 and while it uses the same shell as the Fly, I thought the padding was thin and flimsy. Mark, can you take a shot of the inside of yours? I'd like to see if the padding is any better.

The padding in the FX-39 is definitely a tad thinner, but I don't think it's too thin or flimsy. I chose that one because a Large in the AFX fit well, which put me between a Large and XL in the Fly. It's no Arai, but it does the job just fine for the few rides a year that I want a peak on.

Compared to even an HJC, I found it to be lacking enough that I return the helmet for a refund. YMMV

I had the AFX version of this helmet and sucked for wearing glasses. I gave up on it. YMMV

Mark,

Great to hear of your approval! I bought mine back in February and really love it. I also have Hi Viz and get a lot of thumbs up for being seen. A nice feature is that you can also wear goggles while using the face shield and my visor does a great job of keeping the sun out of the eyes. The only negative like a previous poster is that is really tough to wear glasses with it.

35k miles on the WR! That is awesome and keep up the great work!

I have this helmet, bought it a few weeks ago when looking for a dual sport helmet. I tried to like it, Really I did. I took it off road and on road and for a few all day trips that were a mix.

Off Road: I felt it was heavy, and hot even with the vents open. The chin strap is real stiff and digs into my neck. The visor when down distorts the ground pretty badly, so that I will always run with the visor up off road, This means I have to bring goggles or glasses. So if I have to do this I will just wear my off road helmet, that is lighter, breathes better and fits goggles/or glasses without pinching my sides, And the chin strap does not feel like a piece of cheap stiff webbing.

On the road the visor grabs the wind and twists my neck around the same as my MX helmet so no win there.

So if I am around town or know I will be doing major off-roading I will wear my HJC dirt helmet. If I am going to be riding 60mph and up on road then i will wear my street helmet and just live with the heat offroad.

That's my two cents, in the fall when it is cooler I will try it back out and see how it goes.

I sent my new Fly Helmet back---and got the new BigDog version.

For those having trouble with your glasses-----it takes 3 minutes to fix that.
Pull the cheek pad out---easy---just 3 snaps and it's out.
Take a razor knife and slit the top of the cheek pad open and cut out the offending foam that pushes on your glasses---I cut out about 3/4". I used some adhesive to glue it back together----easy, quick and it works.