anyone else ride with Nolan N43 Trilogy?

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pimaCanyon
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anyone else ride with Nolan N43 Trilogy?

Post by pimaCanyon »

My new helmet arrived last night. I had not been able to find one locally, so I mail ordered. Fit is good. However, the chin guard seems a little flimsy to me, so I'm wondering how it would hold up in a crash. Also, the guard is close enough to my chin that I can push the guard and helmet back so that the guard touches my chin. Wondering how that would work in a crash.

Does anyone else here ride with this helmet? If so, what do you think of the chin guard? Do you think it would offer chin and face protection that would be similar to what you'd get in a full face helmet? Any other comments on this helmet?

Thanks!
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DennisD
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Post by DennisD »

I've often wondered about the strength of the flip ups. As far as the bar touching your chin, I think I'd rather experience that than the touch of Madam Asphalt. My full face touches my chin if I move it around purposely but the one time the bar hit the pavement I have no idea if my chin touched the bar. Others things were going through my mind. It probably did as the bar was skinned.
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pimaCanyon
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Post by pimaCanyon »

thanks, Dennis.

This helmet is not a flipup in the normal sense of the word. You can flip up the face shield, but the chin bar does not flip up. You CAN remove the chin bar completely and that converts the helmet to a 3/4.

The chin bar is made of some kind of synthetic material, hard but slightly flexible plastic probably, it's like very hard rubber. I just wonder how far it would bend (or could it actually break?) in a crash.
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ericalm
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Post by ericalm »

You should search the Nolan and other sites and see if you can find any info on chin bar testing. I think Webbikeworld.com did a review of the helmet. There may be some info there.

I've had 2 Nolan helmets, my wife wears one now. The quality is very good. I'd be disappointed if, in their rush to get a new design to market, they compromised on materials.

I am still pretty wary of these designs but at the same time hopeful that the ingenuity and technology will yield some quality helmets that offer better protection than the traditional open face. Still, they could make the damn thing out of adamantium but no snap-on chin guard will be as strong as an integrated one on a full face. So it may just be a matter of realistic expectations about what these designs can offer at t his point.
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
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pimaCanyon
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Post by pimaCanyon »

thanks, Eric. Yes, I did read the webbikeworld review of both the N43 Air (not sold in US or Canada) and the N43 Trilogy.

Earlier this afternoon I spent some time in a local bike shop where I tried on a Scorpion and a Shoei, both full face. The Shoei is plush, but very pricey. Out of the box it's very comfy on the head.

Just now I re-read the webbikeworld reviews of the N43 Air and Trilogy. They are basically the same helmet except for the venting. The reviewers noted that the chin bar felt flimsy and that it was close to their chins as well. But they also noted that the helmet did pass European standards and testing for full face helmets, so that makes me feel a little better.

I'll probably continue to research over the next couple of days, wait to wear the Nolan on the bike until I'm sure I'm going to keep it.

If I can find a full face that would offer better ventilation than the Nolan and would be as quiet or quieter than the Nolan, I may exchange it for the full face.
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ericalm
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Post by ericalm »

I'm not sure any full face can offer ventilation that good!

There are some 3/4 style helmets that have carbon fiber mesh panels for better ventilation. The first ones I remember seeing were very expensive Cabergs—not DOT, hard to get in the US. Since then, the feature has shown up on some DOT models for sale here, but not on any full face lids I've seen. Seems like they'd need it more!

Most plush helmet interior I've ever touched is the soft, supple leather of a Ruby Atelier. If I ever have $900 to spend on an open face helmet with an awesome paint job… :shock:
Then again, if I drop, scratch and nick it as much as my current helmet, it'll just be a big waste.
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
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