Helmets & Headsets

The right helmet style depends on how much coverage you want and how often you take the helmet off during a ride. A full face gives the most coverage, including the chin bar, and is the quietest at highway speed. A modular has a chin bar that lifts, so you can talk or drink without removing the helmet, at the cost of extra weight and a hinge mechanism. An open face leaves the chin exposed but keeps the top and sides of the head covered. A half helmet is the lightest and coolest in summer heat, and covers the least. Most Pacific Northwest riders end up in a full face or modular because of rain and cold, but if your riding is short trips in good weather, a lighter option is a reasonable trade.

A motorcycle helmet should fit snugly enough that the cheek pads press against your cheeks and the helmet moves your scalp when you rotate it, without creating pressure points that ache after twenty minutes. It should not lift off or rotate when you shake your head with the strap fastened. Head shape matters as much as circumference, since a round head in a long oval shell will pinch front to back. Sizing charts get you close, but not all the way. At our Lakewood store we fit every helmet before you buy, so nothing leaves the counter that has not been on your head first. In-store helmet purchases are final sale. Helmets bought online may be returned within 7 days if the fit is wrong and the helmet is unworn and shows no signs of wear, since internal damage to a helmet cannot be verified after use.

Replace a motorcycle helmet immediately after any impact, even a drop in the garage or a low-speed spill that left no visible mark, because the EPS liner absorbs energy by crushing and does not spring back. Absent an impact, most manufacturers recommend replacement roughly five years from first use, as the liner and comfort foam compress and the shell ages. Other signs it is time: cheek pads that no longer hold the helmet snug, a loose or frayed strap, or a shell with cracks or crazing. If your helmet is fine, it is fine. There is no reason to replace one on a calendar alone if it has not been hit and still fits correctly.

Buy a helmet with a built-in communication system if you want a single purchase that works out of the box with speakers and microphone already positioned, and you are happy with the helmet itself. Add a system to a helmet you like if fit or style matters more to you, if you already own a helmet worth keeping, or if you want to move the system between helmets or upgrade it later without replacing the helmet. The tradeoff is real: built-in units are tidier and better integrated, but the system and the helmet are tied together, so replacing either means replacing both. Riders who care most about fit usually pick the helmet first and add a system.

Choose Bluetooth if you ride alone or with one other person, want to take calls and stream audio from your phone, and want the lower cost. Choose Mesh if you ride in a group, because Mesh links riders into a self-healing network where riders can drop out of range and rejoin without anyone re-pairing, and the group does not collapse when the lead rider pulls ahead. Bluetooth intercom in a group has to be chained rider to rider and breaks when a link drops. Most current systems do both, so the practical question is usually how much group riding you actually do. Our Motorcycle Gear Specialists can compare rider capacity, range, and audio features with you against how you actually ride.

Most communication systems fit most helmets, but the answer depends on the helmet's shell shape, whether it has speaker pockets in the liner, and where the clamp or adhesive mount can sit. Half helmets and some open face designs have the least room and the fewest mounting options. Rather than guess, bring your helmet to our Lakewood store and we will check the fit against the systems we carry. Purchase any communication system from our Lakewood store and we will install it in your helmet at no additional charge, positioned and ready to ride. This is worth settling before you buy: electronics may only be returned within 7 days in unaltered original packaging, so a system opened and mounted to an incompatible helmet is not returnable.