ransom
ransom New Reader
2/13/11 7:05 p.m.

My Arai Signet has reached it's "use-by" date, and I'm looking for a replacement. I definitely have a "long oval" head, as Arai calls it. Hats have a tendency to sit on my head as though they're mounted on spindles at the front and rear and don't even touch the sides...

Unfortunately, Arai no longer makes the Signet. I gather that their replacement, the Profile, isn't quite as Long Oval as the Signet was, but is probably the best bet anyhow. I've also heard about the Shark RSI or S 650 as other candidates, along with the Schuberth S1, though I'm not certain how current the info over at Web Bike World is. Anybody else with a long, skinny head have any input? I ride a bit on the street, and will also hopefully be doing a little vintage roadracing on the old CB160, and perhaps a track day or two... I don't rack up a ton of miles, but I'm a big believer in good safety equipment. I have a lot of faith in Arai, but am willing to consider any quality helmet.

asterisk
asterisk New Reader
2/15/11 12:02 a.m.

I can't comment on the Signet but I recently went through the helmet buying process and ended up with a Profile.

I went into a local Arai dealer looking for an XD-3 in stock to try on. They had a few but the large didn't fit front to back so I was about to go with an XL. The apparel guy cautioned me that he thought the XL was too large and demonstrated by pulling it up and forward which allowed more movement than I felt would be safe in a crash/slide situation (even with the chin strap tight.)

I followed up with a Profile in large. It fit much better front to back without being too loose on the sides and didn't move at all when tugged on.

Just something to consider if you are on the border between sizes.

ransom
ransom New Reader
2/15/11 9:41 a.m.

Thanks!

If nothing else, it's a good confirmation that the narrow/long (Long Oval) shape is a necessity for someone whose head is shaped that way. I do look longingly at some of the other Arai models just because the color and design options for the Profile are dismal. They even dropped the Yuki Takahashi replica for 2011...

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