For those of you who ride motorcycles for hours or are trying to make a profession in racing, you should always wear the lightest full face motorcycle helmet. After hours of critical analysis and research, I can now tell you why you need to use a lightweight motorcycle helmet. This article is a guide for the lightest full face motorcycle helmet.
Why Lightweight?:
For long commuting, tours and courier services, I will always suggest using lightweight motorcycle helmets.
If the weight of a motorcycle helmet is too much, you’ll get fatigued on your neck muscles. This will cause neck pain, headaches, and at the worst-case scenario, a neck sprain.
If your helmet positioning is not right, incorrect fitting of a heavyweight helmet can severely damage your neck during high impact accidents. But lightweight motorcycle helmets can help to reduce this damage to a great extent.
Besides, if you are in the racing profession or own a sports bike that goes super-fast, you should always consider buying the lightest full face motorcycle helmet. Aerodynamics is always better in a lightweight motorcycle helmet. Moreover, having a lightweight motorcycle helmet which is full faced, will protect you from heavy impacts during high-speed accidents.
How are lightweight motorcycle helmets made?:
A motorcycle helmet’s physical layers can be divided into three parts. Let’s see how all the three parts of a lightweight helmet are made:
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Outer Shell:
If the outer shell is mostly made out of thermoplastic materials, the helmet will turn out to be heavyweight.
The outer shells of the lightest motorcycle helmets are usually made out of carbon fiber, fiberglass or Kevlar, or a composite of all three of them. These materials reduce the weight of the shell keeping the protection level.
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Inner Layer:
The inner layer of a lightweight motorcycle helmet is made out of EPS or Extended Polystyrene. This expanded polystyrene foam helps in cushioning the rider’s head during heavy physical impacts.
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Padding:
There is a liner of comfort underneath the inner layer which is known as padding. Padding needs to be light in density but enough to comfort the head of the rider during long commutes.
Factors to be Considered in a Lightweight Full Faced Motorcycle Helmet:
There are 4 factors that need to be considered in the lightest full faced motorcycle helmets. These are:
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Cost:
The First thing that will come to mind while buying a lightweight full faced helmet is if it will fit the budget or not. Usually, the lightweight ones are more expensive than the thermoplastic heavyweight helmets.
A budget lightweight helmet can be found at $200 price. You can find SNELL helmets on that budget.
Then there are the more improved and lighter helmets made out of composite material like carbon fiber, fiberglass and kevlar. The starting price of these helmets is $500.
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How expandable is it?:
It is important that you make sure that the helmet can be upgraded with accessories. You might need to use different accessories at different times. So it’s always wise to have a lightweight helmet that is expandable.
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Use:
The lightweight helmet that you are going to use also depends on your use.
Are you going to use it for long commuting? Are you going to go on tours by your bike?
Or is it just for occasional riding? Maybe you are a professional racer, who knows.
The lightweight motorcycle helmets come in varieties based on the rider’s use.
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Weight:
The lightest full face motorcycle helmets weigh approximately 3 to 4 pounds. Make sure to buy yours within that range of weight.
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Safety:
Always make sure to check DOT, SHARP and SNELL rating while buying a lightweight full face motorcycle helmet.
Some helmets have the EPS layer in a lower density to reduce the weight. If a lightweight helmet has not met the above safety ratings, chances are the rider may go through severe or fatal head injuries during heavy impact accidents.
Best Lightweight Full Face Motorcycle Helmets of 2021:
With the guide for the lightest full face motorcycle helmets, comes the list of the best lightweight full face motorcycle helmets in the market right now:
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Bell Eliminator Carbon:
This full face motorcycle helmet is one of the top-tier lightweight commuter helmets. This helmet weighs just 2.98 pounds. While the price might be a bit overwhelming, it’s worth the money. Carbon fiber is used for making the shell of this helmet.
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AGV Sport Modular Carbon:
One of the best lightweight modular full face helmets is the AGV SportModular Carbon.
Made out of Formula 1-grade carbon fiber, this helmet weighs just about 2.85 pounds.
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Shoei GT-Air 2:
The best touring helmet in the market right now might be the Shoei GT-Air 2.
It’s lightweight. It weighs about 3 pounds.
This helmet has a large sun visor which is placed in the internal section of the helmet. The aerodynamics of this helmet is off the charts.
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Shark Race-R Pro Carbon:
For sport bikes, this is the perfect lightweight helmet.
Weighing not more than 2.75 pounds this is one of the lightest full face sports motorcycle helmets in the market.
Even at a speed of 186 MPH, this helmet is as stable as it gets.
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1Storm Motorcycle Modular Dual Visor Sun Shield Flip Up Full Face Helmet:
The brand 1storm has a lot of motorcycle helmets. This is a budget full face motorcycle helmet which is also lightweight. It weighs about 5 pounds. You will find most of the motorcycle helmets of 1storm are lightweight. Even though it weighs a little more than what I said a lightweight helmet should weigh, this is still a quality lightweight helmet.
This helmet is made for dual sports. So, it can be used for multi-purpose riding.
Moreover, its dual visor design offers you an outer clear shield and also an inner smoked visor, which is more than what a helmet should offer having a price so low.
Some honorable mentions for lightweight full-face motorcycle helmets are as follows:
- Shark Spartan 1.2 Carbon (Commuter)
- X-lite X-1004 Ultra N-Com (Modular)
- Arai Signet-X (Touring)
- AGV K5 S (Sport)
Final Words:
The lightest full face motorcycle helmets are going to cost you the big greens. But hey, with big budgets, comes greater user satisfaction.
You will feel a huge change in your riding while wearing a lightweight full face motorcycle helmet. You will feel very little muscle fatigue with almost no pain on your neck and shoulders.
I hope this guide along with the list helps you buy the lightest full face motorcycle helmet. And as always, Ride Safe, Folks!