The first thing any rider would do as soon as he books or gets his motorcycle delivered is buying a helmet. As I always say ‘Hell is met when you don't wear a Helmet'. Wearing a helmet is always good, but it is always better to wear a helmet that is properly tested and certified. After I got my new motorcycle, I made sure that I will spend some time to choose the helmet that will suit my face and my ride. Since I wear spectacles, I had to find a helmet that will accommodate my spectacles without any hassle. I fixed my budget for a helmet to Rs.5000 and started testing helmets like MT, LS2, SOL, Kranos and KBC. Out of the following brands I came down to SOL and KBC brand. And finally decided to go with a matte black gorgeous SOL helmet, let's check it out how did I find this lid after using it extensively for over 8 months from now.
Built quality:
Out of the box the SOL helmet comes with a DOT certification, like almost every other helmet in this price range. The shell is made out of poly-carbonate material that offers decent amount of protection during a crash. Well it doesn’t look very impressive or expensive like the other helmets for the same price tag, but looks very neat and simple. I am pretty sure no one would want to flick it just because it looks plain like a cheap helmet. But as they say appearances are deceptive, at the end of the day it is just the quality and safety the helmet matters and not its looks.Visibility and Comfort:
SOL claims that the visor comes with a UV coating and is scratch RESISTANT. The coating can be seen clearly when the visor is removed and viewed at an angle. Removing and cleaning the visor is very easy unlike many other brands. The helmet offers decent visibility. Since it is a clear visor, night rides aren’t very hard. Smudging of finger prints is a little annoying at times, if it is not handled properly or not cleaned on regular basis.Getting towards the comfort side, the pads are pretty good and give a tight fit. Sometimes it gets irritating when I have short facial hair, since the pads try to pull the hair. There is another product called Baitos Hair Guard that I have attached inside the helmet, its main duty is to avoid sweat and prevent bad odor and has proven to help me out for the past 6 months. They have used some kind of fragrance in it so even after wearing the helmet for a few hours under the hot Sun; the helmet will still smell pretty fresh. Otherwise the helmet gives a tight fit and doesn’t have any wobbling issues even after 100 kmph. The D-ring fasteners are a bit hard to getting used to, but once it gets friendly, you don’t want to switch to any other type of locking mechanism. A Chin guard is also offered.
Air Ventilation:
This is my favorite part of the helmet. It offers really good air ventilation. There are nearly 10 visible air vents, and they provide good ventilation even on a sunny day. The breath guard is provided and it does its job in preventing fog inside the helmet. The wind noise is nil under 85kmph. After which the air’s sound begins to ooze in slowly.CONS:
* It gets a bit hard to get rid of small bugs that might enter at speeds after 100kmph.
* Being a matte finish, it is a scratch magnet and maintenance is a bit towards the harder side.
* The Chin guard tends to get a bit loose over the period of time.
Even after 7000 km and over 8 months usage the helmet still fits well as it used to on the first day. So I would suggest everyone reading this article to go for a good helmet and stay safe. * It gets a bit hard to get rid of small bugs that might enter at speeds after 100kmph.
* Being a matte finish, it is a scratch magnet and maintenance is a bit towards the harder side.
* The Chin guard tends to get a bit loose over the period of time.
By: Rishath Suresh