So sorry about the accident and your injury. At least you are on the road to recovery. I didn't see the prior thread on what happened, and why there are advocates (lawyers) involved. Is it clear who was at fault? Regarding helmets, Schuberth C3 almost always ranks as the quietest helmet, but they are very expensive. My wife's helmet is a Scorpion modular, and she finds that pretty quiet. I have a Bell modular, and it is ok, especially on the Trophy. But I wear ear plugs when I ride the Sprint GT, as the wind noise is much greater. Good luck with the bike. I agree that it seems like a good idea to compare the repair cost estimate with the price of a new-to-you bike. If Ducati monster parts are so hard to find, parting yours out could be very profitable! Good luck!
Advocate is involved because I will most likely have to take the driver to court to get any sort of justice. I was overtaking a cement truck on a clear road when it suddenly turned left into a construction sites access track. Advocate is also needed as I am English and preference is given to native Bulgarians it is to protect myself. It seems from the letter from the Police that hey have interviewed the driver and it seems if the translation is correct say he is at fault but as we do not have the Police report as yet I cannot ever make an insurance report and I am not even sure if the insurance company will even help with this matter. As for the helmet choice unless buying online the selection is limited to what the localish dealers have on hand even though the intention is to increase the budget from what my LS2 helmet cost but top of the range helmets are way beyond what I can afford. Plezier
I agree with affordability with helmets yes we want to be safe and can depend on what we put our heads in but I don't see how an £1100 helmet from the likes of Arai or the likes can be worth that much more than £100 helmet from some of the bigger brands entry level helmets I just paid under £90 for an AGV K3sv ok well below list but no way is that Arai going to be 11 times better or specifically safer it has a lot to do with brand snobbery imo I find the same with my fishing tackle there is such a difference in price for essentially the same tackle with just a different name on it and most of it comes from the same Chinese factories as was evident during COVID when fishing tackle suppliers in this country couldn't meet demand due to know exports at the time . Property is another thing why would you pay £1000000 for a terraced house in London when the same property in say Manchester or Liverpool or even Birmingham could be bought for around a quarter of the price It's all because people will pay it so they will keep charging it so essentially we are all pricing ourselves out of the equation if you are a first time buyer you have no chance and I know a few people on here have some Chinese bikes and are much better than initially when they first hit these shores when most other mainstream dealers wouldn't service them never mind selling or take one in on a part ex but they are now so good and some are partners with some of our trusted brands such as KTM until they fell into difficulty and the Chinese stepped away anyway that's my weekly rant you may agree or disagree but it's just my opinion
I agree on the helmet pricing. My first helmet was and HJC 17 for US$100 (US DOT and Snell approved). My Bell was $350 as a modular and reputed to be a bit quieter. Shoei helmets have visors with much better optical clarity and the removable neck pad in the event that the helmet is to be removed after an accident with minimal force on the neck (the neck ring comes out of the shell). For $1,000 or more, you get a carbon fiber shell that saves some weight and theoretically has some structural advantage (that's what racers use). These are not features that I will ever spend that kind of money on! I fully agree that your local choices are best, so you can try them on! Good luck!
There is no substitute for a decent helmet. If wind noise bothers you try earplugs, they will still allow you to hear your comms or satnav on the phone. The helmet that I use is used by many racers and it is a tad noisy but I’m ok with that because it’s the best protection I can buy.
I have to agree that pricing seems to be rather mercurial and driven by greed sure companies have development and testing costs but honestly over £1000 for a "skid lid" the bike shop that I found in the city stocks a fair size range makes include:- LS2 ( was not really happy with the fit as it hurt my ears and very noisy) Nolan Shoei Aihoh Arai IXS Now perhaps a more costly model of the LS2 range would be more comfortable and quieter my Rapid 11 Circuit cost 159 bgn (lev) I see that they have the models Storm11, Stream 11, Challenger Solid, Vector 11, prices seem to vary on the paint scheme and not really on features? Now jumping up in price in the LS2 range we have the Vector LS2 FF811 Vector II Solid at 469 bgn LS2 FF811 Vector II is a closed, sporty, motorcycle helmet, adapted to modern standards. The shape of the motorcycle helmet is suitable for everyday driving around the city and at high speeds as well. It is made of HPFC , which guarantees comfort and safety. The integral helmet is available in six sizes, allowing for a better individual fit. The internal foam, which is the basis of the protection, is made of laser-cut EPS material with high density. The micrometric buckle is fastened using reinforced metal clips for more security. The visor has the FFS anti-fog system and provides an excellent field of vision. The helmet is prepared for Pinlock, which is included in the kit. In addition, it can be easily dismantled without using additional tools. Patented ventilation channels with air inlets in the front of the helmet and outlets in the rear, provide excellent air circulation, noticeable even at low speeds. The deflector limits the fogging of mica when breathing. The breathable, hypoallergenic and antibacterial lining guarantees comfort and prevents unpleasant odors during long hours of riding. The LS2 FF811 Vector II is also equipped with an EQRS system, which allows third parties to safely remove the helmet in the event of an accident. The motorcycle helmet has built-in dark glasses with UV protection. The blurb sounds good and multiple shell sizes would perhaps mean a better fit and possibly less wind noise (tried riding with ear plugs and hated it) they also offer it in just plain gloss white which I would be happy with. Now Aihoh is a name I do not know but they offer the Spark Colour helmet though it only shows it in a dreadful matt black on offer at 378 bgn (probably not selling dur to the awful colour) supposedly designed in a wind tunnel not sure if that means it will be quieter? Nolen helmets models N60-6 & N80-8. So when ready, be a few weeks yet, will drive over and spend some time looking and trying on the various models available and see how they feel. Plezier
Tried riding with plugs and hated it I don't have comms or satnav for bikes also don't know anyone local to ride with so comms is a moot point. In all my years riding have only it the helmet in two incidents first was when I was 18 and the Stadium 9 open face snapped the left side off had a concussion from that! second was this collision with he cement truck now age 66 no concussion that I am aware of this time and the reinforced/padded leather jacket saved me from the severe bruising on neck and shoulder am probably lucky not to have broken my neck or being killed a 1000 euro helmet would have done no better a job than my 80 euro helmet did. OK I am looking to spend a bit more this time on my helmet more so that the aim is better comfort and hopefully lower wind noise. Plezier
Rob have to say you sound like a man after my own heart and thank you for you input . Must say that I only look at helmets when I actually need one have only ever had 6 helmets 2 of which were 2nd hand the new ones were 1st one at 16yrs old was a Griffin open face then an Owen open face then a Centurion Firebird full face (really loved that one rodents destroyed in in storage plus the foam lining fell apart with their help) then this LS2 Rapid 11. Plezier Plezier
I hear a lot about helmets "aging out". Not sure that I buy that as long as the lining is intact (sorry to hear that some rodents made a home in a helmet that you liked!). I have converted to modular helmets, though. I find them easier to put on/take off with the face guard in the up position. The ear flaps are a bit more flexible with the face guard up. Since I usually ride 2-up with my wife, it is handy to be able to stop briefly and raise the face guard to chat or cool off (and keep the tinted lens down) when we just have a short stop. It also makes it easier to take a quick drink of water. I have found that claims that helmets will reduce wind noise are hard to correlate to my experience (the Bell was supposed to be really quiet- not really what I found). Sorry that you didn't like ear plugs; there are lots of options there and extended exposure to loud noises (like wind) will surely damage your hearing in the future. It does take some getting-used-to, but worth it in the long run. How many people our age (I'm 64) have hearing aids? Too many.
If your hearing is good, then look after it. I have two hearing aids, white noise tinnitus, and musical hallucination tinnitus. Would not wish it on anyone, it is life changing, and plays havoc with your mental health. What makes it worse is we don,nt know what caused it. LOOK AFTER YOUR HEARING.
Am well aware of tinnitus have had it for years noisy engineering workshops and possibly helped a little from shooting.we know from hearing tests that I have lost some range but it's not bad enough to require help from aids. Plezier
Rob in the past have had to use plugs for protection mainly when shooting but have also had to use them at work at times or muffs. Also until I bought the Ducati my last bike was a little loud it was a Honda FB750 running straight through pipes in fact I cut the original front pipe off where they joined two together and ran with just the headers (front pipes) she sure howled on large throttle openings . That's when I had the Centurion helmet it was thrown into the skip back in 2017 when we cleared the garage for the move abroad it has been in there for about 15 years by then. Plezier
Couldn't agree more, I have tinnitus in my 40s and have had it for quite some time (although do know what caused it, which helps somewhat), it drives you a little bit mad sometimes!!
Sorry to jump on your thread. Seeing the topic was raised, thought i would add my twopenneth. Wishing you a speedy recovery, and the legalities are soon sorted. Tony.
Mrs V, tinnitus i can cope. The musical hallucination is the headbanger. Never heard of it till i told my audiologist what was going on, then he named it Not nice at all, drives me crazy sometimes. Tony
Have you tried the very thin beanies or skull caps these do help a bit and don't irritate to much in the cooler months