Quiet, reasonably priced helmet?

[Thorgrim]

When I bought my bike I also bought a Vega Attitude helmet because it was the one brand that fit my semi-oval head. It's a decent hat, but above 55mph or so it howls because the visor doesn't fit flush at the top edge.

So, I'm looking for another modestly-priced helmet, this time a quiet one. I can stand $200-300 in price for a known brand. Ideas?

[alex.s]

earplugs cost only $5 for a quality pair of reusables.

[Aodrn]

Motorcycle closeout.com has vortex helmets for 90. They are crazy good for that price. They are good for twice that.

[JohnnyBravo]

My scorpion exo400 is the quietest helmet I have, would not wear it on a hot day for anything, but the durn thing is whisper quiet

[astricklin]

I have a bell vortex, and while being affordable (i paid 180 retail for mine, but they can be found for under 100), it is very loud. I understand that stepping up to the RS1 gets a lot quieter. I have seen those for around the $200 mark online.

[alex.s]

every helmet will be loud when you are in 65mph+ wind next to a loud exhaust. earplugs. they reduce noise by 30db. no helmet will come close to that.

[Jiggles]

Look for Clarence shoeis, I got both my shoeis for $200

[JohnnyBravo]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Look for Clarence shoeis, I got both my shoeis for $200

I was over here wondering who Clarence was and where he sold his shoeis

[alex.s]

clarence is a shoemaker.

you want richard soucker

[Jiggles]

Sorry I was texting and motorcycling

[moonwalker]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Sorry I was texting and motorcycling

Surely, sir, you're joking?

Read reviews that Shoei Qwest supposed to be fairly quiet, but that's not my experience - it whistles quite a bit at anything above ~30-40 mph. Earplugs are life savers. Also, I need to keep working on my "360 degrees awareness", as I keep noticing cars approaching from behind (yes, I don't speed) a bit too late for comfort even with panoramic inserts in mirrors

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by moonwalker

Surely, sir, you're joking?

it's jiggles, I wouldn't put it past him

another one for earplugs, I have a scorpion exo1100 and a hjc cl-16 passenger helmet and both are pretty loud while the scorpion is a lot better at noise cancelling earplugs do a lot more than any helmet could.

[JohnnyBravo]

I'm with the ear plug crowd, I don't wear them every trip, as I lost them in the move, but they do make the bad noises quieter and lessen fatigue for me personally

[Thorgrim]

Ended up buying a Bell RS-1 online, as Bell's tend to fit my head well. Also got a photochromic/Transitions shield for it, and am very happy I bought both.

I do a lot of short trips to town shopping, running errands, etc., and often it's handy to pop up onto the Interstate for a bit to cut out stopping at 12-15 traffic lights. Earplugs are a great idea, but the way I ride most of the time it's enough of an aggravation taking off a snug-fitted helmet and locking it to the bike at every stop. I'm rarely at more than 50mph for more than a few minutes at a time, but ... if I pop up on the Interstate for a couple of miles, the wind buffeted me severely in my old hat. This one handles it great! As for bike noise, all I can hear is the valvetrain until the wind drowns it out, this is a really quiet bike.

[Aodrn]

I loved my RS-1 till I wrecked it. I hit really hard and the helmet was in one piece. I had no idea what was going on for about 24 hrs, but I didn't crack my skull so it gets high marks from me.
I would have bought another, but the vortex was so close in features that I couldn't justify the price difference in light of my medical bills.
My riding style is similar to yours, but if I am going on a long trip or on the track I am in the ear plug group. Wind noise is exhausting after an hour or so.