This full-face helmet from AGV attempted to combine the best features of the sport and touring designs. Its carbon and aramid shell is aerodynamically designed like a racing helmet. But inside are many features to keep you cool and comfortable on long rides. LS2 Valiant II | This is a discontinued helmet now, but it’s still available in stores. There’s a new Advant X out now, which we’re hoping to review very soon; that’s certified to ECE 22.06, and is a new design that won’t draw the legal attention of Shark. As usual when looking at safety with an open face helmet, we’ve gotta start off by saying something along the lines of ‘it won’t be that protective… there’s no chin bar so if you come off, things could get messy.’ So, here’s what the Shoei J-Cruise II is actually like – taken from the comments and opinions of riders around the web who actually own one.

The Nolan N 40-5 is a bit of a leftfield alternative to think about. It’s cheaper than the Sena, massively versatile (open face helmet all the way to a full face) and is ready to accept Nolan’s N-Com bluetooth system to give an integrated experience just like the Savage. Shoei J-Cruise Corso There, think that about covers it. It’s an open face so don’t expect it to stop your chin/face/nose taking a battering if you have an off. Helmet roll-off is a potential thing with all helmets – but a double-d ring fastener should be good for keeping it firmly on your head. Just make sure you’re diligent with fastening it – any strap’s only as effective as the piece of meat who’s fastening it up. OK, we’ve gotta mention the Sena Momentum full face with intergral bluetooth kits of various specs and that comes in heaps of different flavors and prices. And of course, you can buy the same bluetooth spec that’s in the Savage separately if you buy the Sena 10S– and fit it to your helmet of choice. Arai Urban V EraBluetooth motorcycle helmets rely on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Depending on the model, you’ll generally get between 5 and 8 hours of continuous talk time — so you can use it pretty much all day — and a week or more on standby. You can’t damage the battery by recharging it, however frequently you do it, so it’s not a bad idea to get into the habit of topping it up overnight. Sound quality

But if you’re a touring rider who’s often on the road for days at a time, battery life might be a much more important factor in your decision. Think about how you’ll use the device when figuring out how much extra battery life is worth to you. Control Scheme Don’t worry about missing directions if you’ve got music playing. With a good helmet, you can prioritize GPS so it will automatically mute other devices while instructions are given.As a helmet, most owners think it looks good with a low profile fit and heaps of classic open face style. But it’s the fact that there’s an bluetooth headset integrated into the helmet that’s gonna sell the Savage to most folks. Riding the Kawasaki Versys 1000 (which of course has a screen), the clarity of speech from the microphone – which is hidden up in the brow of the lid – is acceptable up to about 40mph, but unsurprisingly not up to the clarity you’d expect from a full-face helmet. Beyond that it drops off significantly as the electronics try to cancel out the buffeting caused by the screen. However, if I stand up into clean air – the kind of wind blast you’d be more likely to get on a bike without a screen –the performance improves again, becoming pretty usable up to 70mph if you speak loudly. Of course, if your bike has a huge screen that leaves you sat in a bubble of still air, you’ll also find clarity much better; it’s the buffeting that’s a problem.

Shoei have made the sun visor a bit longer than the old J-Cruise too. That’s often welcome as there’s always a few folks saying their sun visor doesn’t drop down low enough (just like we found with the J-Cruise I). Unfortunately, this helmet doesn't come with the Bluetooth system itself, so plan to buy that separately. The helmet also creates a lot of wind noise, starting at around 50 miles per hour. Some riders may find the face shield difficult to use as its extra-wide length makes it more flexible, which means it can bow out when attempting to latch. Specs LS2 Bob | With a drop-down sunshield and a removable peak, the retail price is good, our only small criticism being of the sunshield. You can see what they thought were the best helmets in our video below, but here are the headline awards:What’s not quite so great apparently, is that the corresponding rear air vent is actually just a couple of small holes, thereby apparently restricting the air flow a little overall, according to one owner. From a dead battery, it takes 3 hours to fully charge and is, according to owners, usually good for a full day’s riding, chatting or music streaming. Sena Savage Video Like all helmets, open face helmets come with a list of items to pay particular attention to. More complex than every other type of helmet, knowing what to look for can be the difference between an awesome experience and a terrible one. Look For:

There's one major problem with this helmet; you are forced to use the LS2 proprietary communication system. The actuator to work the face shield is located right where you would install any other system. This makes it awkward, if not impossible, to use another system. A smaller, slightly less annoying problem is the small size of the vent controls. They can be difficult to catch with your gloved finger. Specs You’d have thought that because it’s an open face helmet, you’d get pretty much all the ventilation you need without really trying. Three top vents venting through to a single rear exhaust. Word is that it’s effective. Other touring-type features include a retractable sun visor and excellent ventilation. We found the Outrush to be relatively silent during testing. But of course, your mileage will vary according to your head shape. It’s not their most technologically advanced shell construction – that’s their AIM+ shells. But it is a solid helmet shell material, evidenced by other AIM helmets scoring pretty well when SHARP tests them. To charge it up, there’s a micro USB cable that peeps out of the strap and Sena gives you a handy inflatable hoop to cushion your helmet while it charges. Nice touch.Arai Rapide | The Rapide shares a lot of similarities with other Arais, but that speaks more of the consistency in the brand’s shell shapes over the years. Distinctive graphics, a squared-off chin and a very effective visor help this lid stand out. Sena helmets are covered by a 5 year warranty (very good) but it seems they’ve less faith in their electronics because that’s only covered for 2 years (what?!). I bet Sena wrang their hands a bit over that decision because it seems like an admission that the electronics won’t last. Still, if I’m feeling charitable, I guess there’s a lot more can go wrong with electronics than a helmet. Best places to buy a Sena Savage? Depending on how proficient you are with stuff like that, that’ll be either a walk in the park or – as a couple of owners found – a real pain in the arse.