Right, so my old helmet. Thing was getting pretty beat up. You know how it is, the padding gets all flat, couple of scratches on the visor you just can’t ignore anymore. Plus, frankly, it was starting to smell a bit funky no matter how much I cleaned it. Definitely time for a change. I figured I needed something a bit more serious this time around.
Started looking around. Man, the choices. It’s like every company under the sun makes helmets now. Went to a couple of shops, tried some on. Felt like Goldilocks, this one’s too tight, this one feels cheap, this one costs more than my first bike did. Saw a bunch of guys riding with Scorpion helmets, looked pretty sharp. Never had one before, always stuck to the same couple of brands.
Doing the Research Bit
So I went online, started digging into Scorpion. Read some reviews, watched a couple of videos. Seemed like people generally liked ’em. They weren’t the cheapest, but definitely not the most expensive either, kind of in that sweet spot. Liked the look of a few models, especially the ones with the built-in sun visor. My old helmet didn’t have that, always faffing about with sunglasses.
Decided to pull the trigger on one. Found a model I liked, the EXO-something or other, can’t remember the exact number now. Ordered it online, picked a colour that wasn’t just plain black for a change. Felt a bit weird buying a helmet without trying that specific one on first, but I measured my head like they said and went by their size chart. Fingers crossed it would fit alright.
Getting It and First Rides
The box arrived a few days later. Pulled it out, looked good. Felt solid. Put it on. Phew. It fit. Snug, definitely snug, but not painfully tight. That’s usually a good sign, means it’ll break in nicely. The internal sun visor clicked down smoothly. Nice touch.
First ride out, just a quick trip to the shops. Felt different, obviously. A bit heavier than my old lid maybe, but the weight felt balanced. The field of vision was good. On the way back, hopped on the faster road for a bit. Okay, yeah, noticeably quieter. Not silent, you still hear the wind and your bike, but less roaring, more whooshing. Big improvement there.
- Fit: Snug at first, broke in after a few hours.
- Noise: Way better than my old helmet.
- Features: That drop-down sun visor is brilliant. Use it constantly.
- Ventilation: Seems alright. Opened the vents on a warmer day, got some airflow. Haven’t ridden in proper heat yet though.
Living With It
Been using it for a few months now, commuting mostly, couple of longer weekend rides. It’s holding up well. The finish hasn’t scratched easily, which is good because I’m not always the most careful. Padding is still comfy. That visor mechanism still works fine, clicks up and down nice and solid.
Only niggle? The main visor fogs up a bit easy when it’s cold or damp and I’m stopped at lights. It came with one of those Pinlock insert things, supposed to stop fogging. Haven’t fitted it yet, keep meaning to. Should probably get on that before winter really sets in. Cleaning bugs off the visor is the usual pain, but no worse than any other helmet.
Overall, pretty happy with the switch. It feels like a solid, safe bit of kit. Does what it’s supposed to do, keeps the wind noise down, comfortable enough for a few hours. And that sun visor, seriously, game changer for me. For the money, feels like I got a decent deal. Yeah, I’d probably get another Scorpion next time my helmet needs retiring. Seems like a good workhorse lid.
