Roof

DangerMoose

DangerMoose

DangerMoose

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Joined
23 May 2005
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1,086
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Nottingham
Anyone have any experience with Roof helmets, in particular the Boxer and Desmo? I'm considering a flip front model and the ability to ride with it open would be a plus. For a cheaper option, I also quite like the look of the Caberg Duke.
 
Me dads got the Caberg Duke (bought it him for xmas last year), he really rates it, although states it to be quite noisy especially at motorway speeds - he wears ear plugs anyway so not too bad for him.
 
DangerMoose said:
Anyone have any experience with Roof helmets, in particular the Boxer and Desmo? I'm considering a flip front model and the ability to ride with it open would be a plus. For a cheaper option, I also quite like the look of the Caberg Duke.
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Friend of mine has had 3 over the years he loves them nice lid and look cool but cold in the winter and drafty.
 
I would stick with a standard full face personally.

Just the simple fact it's not a one piece construction puts a needless weakness in it's protective function.
 
atpbx said:
I would stick with a standard full face personally.

Just the simple fact it's not a one piece construction puts a needless weakness in it's protective function.
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It's not a "needless" weakness is it? It provides more functionality/versatility and the helmets still meet the required standards. Plenty of them even get a full 5 star Sharp rating.
 
Dogbreath said:
It's not a "needless" weakness is it? It provides more functionality/versatility and the helmets still meet the required standards. Plenty of them even get a full 5 star Sharp rating.
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Its a personal opinion, as stated.

However, one of the helmets mentioned, the Roof Boxer, on the sharp website the front piece only stayed locked in 57% of the impacts tested.
The Desmo isnt tested.

None of the Schuberths are 5 star.
Or the AGVs
The cabergs however, 3 of the system helmets get 5 stars, but none of the front pieces recorded a 100% rating when it came to keeping the front secure.

So in my personal opinion, based on the facts available to me, i wouldnt wear one over a one piece helmet, because of the unnecessary weakness that a flip front introduces over one piece construction.

The OP, as of course are you, are perfectly free to put your heads in what ever you like :)
 
Must admit I feel the same.

And to be honest I'm never stopped for long to feel any benefit from cooling and I can barely ride with my visor open for 10sec without getting something in my eye due to dust in the city so having the full face open doesn't appeal.

The only plus point is going in the shops but my local don't seem to bother when I wear my helmet on the odd occasion I do. And I use pay at the pump.
 
havnt used roof or caberg but can recommend the airoh flip helmets,worth a look and trying them on

mine has flip down sunglass visor so you can ride with lid up and no flies get in your eyes
 
atpbx said:
I would stick with a standard full face personally.

Just the simple fact it's not a one piece construction puts a needless weakness in it's protective function.
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I respect that point of view and I am hesitant to take the chance on one of the models that Sharp test results have given a low probability of staying closed but I am otherwise willing to risk it, if I like the fit and features. So yeah, the Boxer is probably not a great option on that note and the Desmo is a bit of an unknown quantity, which is off putting at the price. But I am not all that surprised at the poor score for the Boxer as the closing mechanism is pretty low tech and exposed. I reckon the Desmo should do a bit better. One of the reasons I'm asking about them, to be honest. If I want to spend that sort of money, I'm also a bit put off by the Shark Evoline 3 for the same reason.

On the other hand, the Duke seems pretty well specced for the price and the Sharp results are nice.

I am a new rider and my current lid is a HJC IS 33. I know open faced is living a bit dangerously but I quite like it for the fairly short, low to moderate speed commuting that I am mostly doing at the moment. Its just that it unsurprisingly gets rather windy even at quite modest speeds, which I can live with on a hot day but reckon I will regret choosing it on colder and/or wetter days.

wazza300 said:
havnt used roof or caberg but can recommend the airoh flip helmets,worth a look and trying them on

mine has flip down sunglass visor so you can ride with lid up and no flies get in your eyes
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I'll give it a look. The tinted internal visor is a nice feature that has already come in handy.
 
I ride with a Caberg Justissimo. Definitely noisy, but I wear ear plugs which makes the noise irrelevant. I don't often ride with the flip up - normally only after we've stopped in a group and only have a very short distance to go. I do like the convenience though, and as someone who wears glasses I find it easier to put them on before lowering. I also couldn't do without the inner sun visor, although I'm sure there are one piece helmets that also offer this.
 
Caberg lids overall are cheap and sometims noisier than more expensive models, but very very good on the safety side. I personally prefer full-face, but would consider a Caberg flip.

However, riding with the flip front up (whatever lid you have) is always advised against, as you can still have an accident and end up face-planting the road even at low speeds...

Your face, your call.
 
I like my Caberg duke. Great every day helmet and the flip up is very useful, particularly for glasses wearers.
If I go on a long tour I will consider a full face for less wind noise.
 
Glasses are a factor for me too. To be honest though, I'm not sure I would wear a conventional flip up in open faced mode whilst riding. I'm not keen on the open faced with visor up, even with shades down and would rather have a visor that directs air flow away from my eyes a little more than just an internal sun visor. I wanna have a look at the Roof helmets as they look more convincing as an open faced option. But best bet with the Duke might be to compare with similarly priced full face lids.
 
i do love the look of roof helmets.

how about a nolan n44?

full face, open or flip

rated good and solid too iric.


and how sexy is it

nolan_n44_classic_n-com_flat-black.jpg
 
DangerMoose said:
Glasses are a factor for me too.
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Likewise for me and the wife - We both found Cabergs good for this, especially with their internal sun visors. Other makes tend to be too short or bash frames, noses, etc.

Tefal said:
how about a nolan n44?
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Nolans are apparently pretty decent, too.
4-star on the Sharp tables and decent features. The wife has one as her current lid. Nolan 102, IIRC.
 
The Nolan looks interesting but I cannot help thinking I would just end up leaving it in one favoured configuration or another most of the time, without the ability to change it on the go. I do quite like how it combines the large view port with the increased safety of a chin bar though.

ttaskmaster said:
Likewise for me and the wife - We both found Cabergs good for this, especially with their internal sun visors. Other makes tend to be too short or bash frames, noses, etc.
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The one on the IS 33 is not bad but could maybe do with covering just a little more. It does at least fit over my glasses pretty well though.
 
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