What are your options if no helmet fits?

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Forget the idea that there must be one out there and assume that there isn't. Other than getting by with poorly fitting dangerous helmets or giving up riding entirely are there any better options?
I had at one point got excited about a custom helmet but the only company I'd heard of that produced them in the States, Bell Helmets, didn't exactly make the service widely available.

 

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I have a HJC 4XL that's a bit too big for me that I've just persevered with for years, I didn't notice it so much when I had a 'fuller face' and wearing a balaclava but getting on the bike in summer now it really feels loose. I've recently tried on 6 different 3XL helmets and not a single one is a good fit. It's now becoming a reality that soon I will have exhausted the option of finding a helmet that fits properly and have to make one of them fit, not an ideal solution for normal folk but that might be all I'm left with.

 

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Try the shoei xr1100 xxxl

Yeah I'm gonna eventually try everything but started at the lower end to have more options. The Shoei is £350+ so I'll try it but that's more than double what I'd hoped to pay for a helmet. Then there's an Arai RX-7V which at £700 is so out of my budget that knowing my luck will fit like a tailor made glove.

Silly question how do you put on a modular/Flip up helmet, are they supposed to be open before putting or do you treat them like a normal full face?

 

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Open when you put them on, or at least that's how you put the schuberth I had on.

Great I got A Schuberth C3 Basic that's tight but that's better than loose and hopefully it'll break in a little, I'm just trying to decide what is too tight.
I have a living room full of helmets and 2 more on the way next week, gonna cost me a fortune to return them too, hoping at least one more fits as the Schuberth is the most expensive of the lot so far.

 

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The Arai won’t fit.

The Shoei is like a better fitting and more comfy hjc xxxxl.

Where in London are you? Bring a balaclava and you can try mine.

Well that's good to hear my Shoei should be coming Tuesday next week thanks to paypal credit but it's so expensive. I was hoping to have a spare helmet but it is what it is.

 

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I'm kinda surprised there isn't a custom service. I don't 100% understand how helmets work but it's an outer shell then a EPS foam then you have the liner, now surely that's the part that could be made to measure. It'd break me but I'd pay £500+ quid to have my head measured and have the liner custom fitted by Bell, Shoei, HJC etc.

I read about Shoei's Personal fitting service and I wish we had something like that here.

Might have to go to Amsterdam.

 

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Trouble with this approach which is what I did is with the best intentions you can only try the helmet on for a short period of time. I have a Shoei Neotec 2 that once fitted and adjusted in the store (H City) felt ok wandering around for 10 mins. Took it home and went for a ride - an hour or so later pressure points on my forehead.

It is frustrating when you don't have a 'normal?!' shaped head.

Agreed, according to my measurements I should be wearing a 2XL Helmet but I've never managed to get one past my eyebrows.
Anyway I decided to sit with the Schuberth C3 Basic for about 20 minutes to see if it's too tight and within 5 mins I can hear my heartbeat which is probably a bad sign lol.

Honestly I'm almost 100% sure I'm just gonna add padding to a helmet now.

 

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After buying and trying on 8 helmets, not one was a proper fit. No more 2XL Helmets as they're all too small so I'm definitely a 3XL or there abouts. The Schuberth C3 was close and the only one that actually had a snug fit around my head but it was too tight, I might have persevered and hoped it'd break it in if it wasn't £300 quid.

The Bell Qualifier probably was the closest to being a comfortable fit, just not quite enough pressure around my cheeks, similar problem with the HJC CL-SP and the Shoei XR1100 which surprisingly felt too big in general.

I don't have many options left but I think before buying some foam and adding it myself I might make the trip to Milton Keynes to Sportsbikeshop shop and try the remaining 3XL helmets, I think they let you order them to store which will save me some money if they don't fit. I think I've spent around £40 quid in returns thusfar.

I got one of these Helmets, It has a personalised AirFit system. maybe that will be of help
https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_cat/1957#
I ended up with this one.
https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/426961

Yeah I saw a similar helmet on Fortnine's Best helmets video. Be nice if they put that in 3XL helmets

Sometimes you just need to get as close as you can and persevere. The lining will give a little in time but not in a few hours / days.

Yeah I think you're right.

 

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So it's more about finding an affordable fit than simply one that does fit?
Same boat as many of us, then - Best fit you can find for the money and live with it.
For ages I went with Cabergs and Nolans, both for the internal sun visor (glasses, y'see) and the affordability. Only ever found a Shoei Neotec that fit well enough for comfort.

No it's all about fit, if there's a £700 helmet that fits I'll buy it, reluctantly. I just probably won't be insuring my bike this year I'd also pay out for a custom made one if that service existed

I just returned over £1k worth of helmets and yeah ideally I wanted a cheaper helmet to fit but I'd have to taken the Shoei even though £360 is a lot of money to me.

 

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Then you'll have to try them all until you find what fits and pay the price, even if it's a custom.
Otherwise, no, there are no options other than the aforementioned compromise, or giving up riding.... Most people find a compromise.

I'm well on my way to trying them all but there's always the option of modifying the helmet liner with foam as in the video, which is likely what I'm gonna do cause I'm not giving up riding.

I’m told there is a custom service... trying to get put in touch with them... but I’ve been told to expect £10-20k

Bell have a custom 3D scanning service in the States or at least they did have one and it wasn't anywhere near that much, I think it was around $1000 which seems reasonable. I'll e-mail Bell to see if they're still offering it.

 

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For the padding yes, not the helmet shell

Well yeah they're basically customising a helmet they already manufacture for you. The EPS liner and then the comfort liner is a custom fit your head. So assuming they have a suitable shell size it should be close to perfect. My problem is the the Bell Star only goes up to XXL, so there's that and I don't think they're legal here.

 

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Anyway I just got an e-mail back from them and they don't do it anymore.

 

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Become a Sikh, wear a turban.

become a sikh problem solved

Hmm!

 

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So frustrating, just tried on a Caberg C10A5017 XXXL and that's too large which is so annoying given that the last 3 XXXL helmets I tried on last week, the
X-Lite X-403 GT Ultra, Icon Airflite Battlescar 2 & Nexx X.WST 2 were all too small. So I think that might be it now. I've tried them all. Time to buy some memory foam.

 

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I think I finally found my helmet. LS2 Arrow R Evo 4XL. It's fits almost too tightly but it's not killing me wearing it. Based on my measurements there's no way I should be wearing a 4XL helmet but finally I think I'm good and it's got the ACU gold sticker on it too which is something I wasn't even dreaming about not that I'm planning on going for a track day. Still I do have one more helmet coming, it'd be nice if at least one other fit me.

Only thing left is to see if there's a way to replace these D-Rings things, not a fan.