I went in to the local m/c shop a few weeks back with all intentions of buying a Shark fullface helmet after some good comments here on HDF. It was time to upgrade after wearing the same openface bucket for the last 18 years....... Anyway, after trying on multiple brands and styles with the assistance and good product knowledge of the staff, I settled on the Nolan N87 polycarbonate fullface in matt black. I found it the neatest fitting helmet for my shaped skull. The Shark, and some other brands, left space above my head which wasn't a good feeling and some others felt too top heavy. I was happy to spend around $500 and found the N87 was $399 RRP. They didn't have one in stock my size (L) so I left to mull it over and do some homework. Ebay searches revealed I could have one delivered for $300. So I dropped in again the next week, different salesperson, and asked for price and availability of what I wanted, fully knowing the answer, and explaining that I could have one delivered for a good price (not letting them know the online price) but would give the shop the opportunity to do their best. I like to shop locally when I can. The girl quoted me $329 and expected delivery within a week so I ordered it on the spot, no deposit needed. Not a bad price match for a shop front I thought. It turned up five days later. Well done to Cycle World, Launceston.
So to the helmet its'self.
The Nolan N87 is an Italian made polycarbonate fullface helmet with quick release chin strap, integrated sun visor (uv400), pinlock faceshield included as standard, is Ncom bluetooth ready and can be worn with sun/prescription glasses. It has ventilation, removable/washable liner, ultra wide visor and a 5 year warranty. The Large size weighs in at 1.52kg, not the lightest but far from the dearest. Matt black comes with subtle branding (charcoal grey) and no bling, just how I like things.
On the road it's comfortable and gives good vision, particularly to the sides where I expected it to be a little claustrophobic after wearing the openface for so long. The sun visor is handy but on a sunny day I still wear sunnies aswell. At highway speeds there's a little wind noise to the sides, even with the vents closed, but not to the point of it being a problem. It's much quieter than the old open face helmet, no earplugs required. Surprisingly, I can hear my own bike a lot better now wearing the Nolan fullface than I ever could with the open face helmet due to the reduced wind noise. This fact alone enhances the ride.
The other bonuses are obvious, no bugs in the teeth, no sandblasting from log trucks, no raindrops at highway speeds feeling like darts in your face.
All in all the Nolan N87 appears to be a good quality, value for money helmet with plenty of features for the price.
Oddly, there is no AS certification sticker on the rear of the helmet. I wonder how I'll go if I get pulled up by an over zealous Mr Plod?
The online blurb talks about ECE 22.05 and DOT certified, will check it out when I get home from work.
Thanks Geoff.
