Wednesday 28 May 2014

New Toys to go with the New Bike

Well as I said in the last post Terry and I both got new helmets. My old helmet was starting to see a bit of wear, mainly around the chin guard where I carry it when not wearing it, the lining was starting to come undone. The whole helmet was also starting to get a bit too loose on my head, so that if I turned my head a little bit while riding it would move just enough to not be straight, and really annoy me. I was starting to think that I'd gotten a size too big. Not to mention the old helmet, while I love the design on it, just doesn't go with the new bike! So while we were in Newcastle, we stopped into a new bike store that I'd never seen before. It had a good range of helmets, but none that I really liked. Terry, on the other hand, found just the ticket.

He chose this Shark Evo-line series 3


The main reason he chose it was because he hates full face helmets, but also sees that he needs one for highway riding. So he has two helmets, one open for round town and one full faced for highways. The open face is standing up to the test of time quite well, but the full face one is starting to show some wear, mainly in the lining. This little beauty does both!


As you can the chin part that folds up, actually clicks into place way back on the helmet, so it's safe to ride with it like that.


He seems to like it, it's just taking a bit of getting used to how to unclip the swivel bits, and while the first trip he said it was quiet, the ride the other day he said it was so noisy he couldn't even hear me over the Sena. We think that the visor isn't closing properly, I guess it's just one of those things you have to get used to, it is a touch awkward to adjust things just because nothing is where he's used to it being. Other than that he's loving the convenience of it all. And of course he loves the red! It also has a handy sun visor inside that's great for us glasses wearers.

Mine is another Shark, I wanted Shark because I loved my old helmet so much. I was looking and looking, and while at Robertson's (where I bought the bike) I had looked at a few over a couple of visits. There was one that I kept going back to, but I wasn't really sure about it because it was an extra small. Now I knew in my head that if the last helmet was a small, and is too big for me, then the extra small would be right, but I just wasn't sure.

So the last time I was in there the guy spotted me eyeing it off again, try it on again he said. Then he helped me to decide by telling me he'd give me a deal on it. Oh I just cant pass up a bargain, either that or I'm a sucker!


It has the things I want, it's a smaller size, and while that felt a bit too tight at first, I have to admit that after only a couple of short rides it's already feeling very comfortable. It also has the sun visor that I was really after, no more being caught at night with a tinted visor that I had to lift up so I could see, and freezing my face off at the same time.


Plus I really loved the design. I don't know if I'm imagining it, but I also think it's quieter than my old helmet was, I was always impressed with that in the old one.

Both helmets have spots for you put on the Sena easily, they also both have sections cut out for you put on your glasses easily, which was just a bonus. The lining doesn't go round the chin guard like my old one, so I'm hoping that means it wont fall apart like the old one did. Oh yeah and it has a little clip that lifts the visor up just a touch, to help un-fog you on cold mornings, haven't tried that yet.

Now I'm just working on finding a way to take my stuff with me on the bike. I have ordered a backrest/rack and expect that to arrive sometime in the middle of next month from USA. I haven't been able to ride to work as I cant take all the stuff I need, like lunch.

And then the solution presented itself a little while ago, I saw a post on Theo's blog where he reviewed a bag from a place I'd never heard of before. I checked out the site, www.vikingbags.com and was pretty impressed with the prices and the range. Before I'd had much of a chance to really think about it, I was asked if I'd like to do a review for them. I've never been approached to do a review for anything before, I'd seen a few on other blogs though. I am not really sure that it's something I'd do, I am not really a promotion type of person, and I knew that I couldn't lie about something .. so I told the contact that. And got a good response, please tell it like it is was the gist of the response. Well if they are that confident in their product well why not.

I do like the looks of their stuff, and I've already spotted just the bag that I like. I should receive it soon, and the review will come along just as soon as I can get it on the bike to test out. Oh and they have an Australian site too www.motorcyclehouse.com.au which is great, no more waiting months to get things from America.

10 comments:

  1. Hi Brenda
    I like your new helmet and I see you got the pull down visor like me. They are really good, the best of both worlds. My fat head wouldn't fit into a shark and I went with the shoei but if it did fit a shark I would have saved a couple hundred bucks.

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    1. Hey Steve,

      I love the pull down visor, it's the one feature I knew I had to have whatever helmet I bought this time. Terry was looking at another helmet that does the open/full face thing, think it might have been a shoei but could be wrong, it wasn't approved to be ridden as an open face tho because it didn't lock into a safe position, that's why he went with the shark.

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  2. Nice helmets. It's fun to get new gear.

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    1. Ta Ally :)

      Always fun to get anything new isn't it :D

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  3. Brenda:

    I do the same as Terry and have two helmets. Both with built-in sun shades. One 3/4 face for around town, and a modular for on the highway or road trip. I liked his dual helmet, will have to look into that. Wearing glasses is the challenge when you try on full face helmets with the fixed chin guard. They generally wreak your glasses and the opening is so claustrophobic. I generally purchase a new helmet every two years, that's when the lining gets ratty and the face shield gets too many scratches.

    bob
    Riding the Wet Coast

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    1. Yeah Terrys is pretty cool, I didn't go with it tho because I don't mind the full face helmets. Mine also has a larger opening with more vision at the sides and the top, so its not really claustrophobic. Also it didn't come in green!

      The new sharks have these glasses adjustments which are just great, terrys is really good as he can remove two little bits of padding and the glasses slip on as if you aren't even wearing a helmet.

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  4. Love the new helmet. Always nice to get a new one that is snug. I find when I can wear a ponytail inside my helmet, it is time for a new one.

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    1. That's a good point Brandy, I've been wearing a ponytail or braid lately in the old one, didn't even think about how I couldn't do that when I first bought it.

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  5. You can't have enough helmets. I have about four - most of them in the loft! They do wear and get a bit loose compared to when you first bought them and you can't really wash them either! I just bought another HJC with internal flip-down sun visor. It does actually work well.

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    1. Hi Walter

      Well I have three now, including the old open face one I used when I just rode the scooter to work which I wouldn't wear now in a million years.

      Oh the shark helmets all have fully removable linings, I have washed the one out of my old helmet twice, which probably helped make it a bit looser. But the first time was when there was hair product in it that was giving me a rash on my cheeks and forehead .. I learnt not to use hair product when I'm riding after that. Second was when it just felt a bit manky during a hot summer ... eek sweat!!

      I am loving the flip down sun visor, round town I ride with that down and the visor up, it's great! Must remember to give it a clean when I clean the visor tho.

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