Reevu Helmet

[tonered]

I am guessing that this thread will get moved, but I really believe this helmet screams for ST riders. SPORTtourers specifically. I believe everyone could benefit from it, but it suits us best, IMVHO.

My DOT Reevu arrived last Wednesday and I have only had two rides with it due to the holiday weekend, but it is quite amazing. I've wanted to post up something sooner, but I needed a bit more time with it for all the details. I will reply later today with the write up. Anyone looking for a new lid needs to consider one of these.

Have a good one.

[RUNnDUC]

Interesting, how many $$$$?

[tonered]

About $475usd delivered including an additional dark visor. Here's the website for the DOT helmets:
Reevu

The prices are in GB pounds, but it ships from Hong Kong. Since it was designed in Italy, I find it to be quite a global organization. It was airmailed, but had a hicth in customs. I declared that it was a DOT helmet. It ended up at my door shortly after.

There are some on eBay now for over $50 more.

Have a good one.

[Puffin64]

So do you think you'll be brave enough to remove and park your rear view mirrors, for a better looking bike?

[tonered]

No, I won't remove them. But, I defintely have the same coverage to the sides with the helmet as I do with the ST mirrors even when set as wide as possible. Although, the view in the helmet is a lot smaller.

I will cover that in the post to come.

Have a good one.

[tonered]

So after 6yrs and three decent get-offs with my Shoei X11, it is now retired to shelf duty. I feel it is still serviceable with zero crash damage, but the age, the idea of a rear view system, and just something new got me interested enough to buy one. webBikeWorld's review and the recent DOT certification made me feel good enough to order one. I was almost ready to take the risk with the non-DOT version in a close race with the Shoei Quest and Shark EXO-500. Truthfully, I did not think that I would be okay without Snell certification, but this helmet is ECE and UK gold star rated with the promise of Snell cert in the future. The extra dimensions, to be explained, make the DOT-only compromise okay with me, esp as Snell 2010 cert seems to encompass DOT and ECE standards and has become more of a global spec. The DOT label is under the clear coat per the policy change for US helmets.

Overall, my medium-sized helmet is larger (wider and taller) and heavier than the medium Shoei which was a very light helmet to start with. Although the medium Reevu is supposedly built off of the smaller of the two shell sizes, it will not fit in the side cases. Top case stowage is all there is for this helmet. Sorry.

As noted by webBikeWorld, the weight is not noticeable while wearing but is very noticeable in your hands. The lining and chin strap (ratchet, quick release style) are very comfortable, more so than the X11. As some extremely pleasant added benefits, it is also quieter than the Shoei and seems to enhance the ST’s exhaust note, making it deeper. The neck roll fits a lot tighter than my well worn helmet. From the start, the materials around the neck opening feel like it may stay tighter, longer. Lately, the X11 seemed more ‘boomy’ in the wind than I remember. Holding a hand near the neck opening really changed the sound levels, which was less than pleasing.

The paint does have a few imperfections near the eye port and rear mirror cover and the clear coat, though quite thick, is not perfect either. I’ve only cared to notice them once (just looking again, they are more of the new out-of-the-box noticeable rather than $50 brain bucket noticeable ). After the first ride, it could have serious nastiness and it wouldn’t have mattered. Because:

The mirror system. Wow. It has performed better than expected day and night. As I said in the previous post, I can see just as much as the ST’s mirrors plus the massive blind spot to the rear. The front eyepiece is easy to adjust, even while in motion if necessary. With the provided plastic hex tool, it can be extended and retracted to a preferred spot. I have mine down pretty far, but it does not affect any vision on the top of the eye port. (Note: the bottom of the eye port is a bit high, enough that I can’t scan the instruments without rotating the helmet down a tad.)

If it projected about a 50% taller image, it could be the only mirror on the bike. The convex image is a very wide angled. To give an idea, it is more convex than typical right-hand automobile mirrors. Cars directly behind me look quite wide (imagine a Focus looking like a Ferrari). Also, at stops hot breath does lightly fog the mirror and the reflectors in the shell. This takes a bit of distance and speed to clear once it develops. So, in town spotlights will reduce the usefulness of the mirror.

Although, the anti-fog capabilities of the visor simply shame Shoei. WTF? I can wait at stoplights in these cold days with the visor down and no fogging, just a bit of haze. Of course, the mirror system is affected. Not having to mess with anti-fog applications is nothing but shear joy.

I haven’t been in anything but light rain so far. The visor and seal seem to be doing well. I have not been out with the dark visor, but I expect similar performance. One note: changing visors, even though the attachment method uses a design similar to Shoei, takes a bit more work. Once initially positioned, you have to pull on the release levers to allow the lock tab to engage in the track, unlike the Shoei where a push is all that is needed to re-seat a visor. Also, the visors spring outward several millimeters when not engaged. That was initially a bit worrisome, but seemingly not significant in function. There is no gap at the seal, unlike the one noted by webBikeWorld. Although, I do get a slight whistle off the right side. It could be a small air gap or some interaction with the ST. Any slight head movement cancels the whistle.

With my ST, a Zero Gravity SR windscreen, and Cycle Cat bars (no risers), I do get a bit of a buffet at highway speed. Not a noise, but just a bit of induced motion with the helmet. It has not been annoying in the commute, just something noticeable. It also seems better insulated out in the cold weather. I’ve been riding without a balaclava where I would typically have one on.

The mirror is perfectly position for our riding posture. I can see over the top of my top case and as far down the road as necessary. Given the miles we ride, this helmet should be on anyone’s short list to consider. Looking back, my delivered cost was actually $464 at that day’s exchange rate.

In the end, I really could not be happier after a very long time with one of the best helmets there was. I would have preferred a hi-vis color to go with the safety theme, but the Reevu helmets only come in shades of grey. I initially chose silver, but it was not available in DOT spec, so mine is the slightly darker titanium color that I do like. I was told all colors other than silver were available.

The helmet was held in Customs. I declared on the form that it was DOT-compliant equipment, which seemed to get it moving. The box was not opened as far as I could tell. Speaking of, one review on another forum noted that it was shipped unprotected in the box. Mine came in its helmet bag over a light foam bag on the helmet itself, similar to the way my Shoei was packed from the factory.

Please let me know if there is anything else that you’d like to now.

Have a good one.

[chutrain]

When you get to try it in the dark, let us know if there are any glares coming off of
headlights and such. Sounds like a great concept that we will probably see from other
manufacturers.

[MarkST]

Nice writeup Tony.

I'd possibly be interested in one of those, but I'd have to try one on first and I can't find a supplier near me.

[stryder]

It sounds interesting but the fact that it won't fit into a side case is a deal breaker for me. That is a *must* for any helmet for me, as that's the primary reasons I keep the cases on, ie helmet/gear storage. Nice write-up nonetheless.

[tonered]

Originally Posted by chutrain

When you get to try it in the dark, let us know if there are any glares coming off of headlights and such. Sounds like a great concept that we will probably see from other manufacturers.

Umm, where we are, just north of Seattle, it is dark when I leave and dark when I'm coming home. LOL! It is a bit like Alaska being this far north. So, I'm kind of excited to try it in the sun with the tinted visor. =P

There is absolutely no glare through the mirror system even when in front of cars with HID retrofits. The rear mirror cover on the back of the helmet has silver metal coating and is tinted slightly. Although, while riding under street lights or with anyone behind me, I can see the color of the yellow line on the road. Hell, I was able to tell the car behind me tonight was a BMW and not a Pontiac.

They do have lighter and darker rear covers, but I did not opt for any. The other reviews I have read said the same about the glare, or lack of.

Originally Posted by stryder

It sounds interesting but the fact that it won't fit into a side case is a deal breaker for me. That is a *must* for any helmet for me, as that's the primary reasons I keep the cases on, ie helmet/gear storage. Nice write-up nonetheless.

Thanks, Stryder. I'm with you on the side case thing. I ride most of the summer without the top case, so it will be more of an issue then. I guessed that it was going to be a problem for the side cases, when I saw a couple pics of it actually on a rider, but the benes that cause the issue (the mirror, the quietness, and the warmth) outweigh that problem for me. Of course if I had a larger melon, most any helmet would fit the side case.

You see what I did there? Self justifcation is a wonder thang! Ha!

Sadly, less than an inch of extra width of the side case would be needed for it to close.

Originally Posted by MarkST

Nice writeup Tony.

I'd possibly be interested in one of those, but I'd have to try one on first and I can't find a supplier near me.

Thanks, Mark.

I was told that I had a "Shoei head" when I bough the X11. It fit great after a time, but when very new, it would give me some discomfort in the very front of my forehead on long rides. The Reevu does fit a bit differently, but feels just fine. I guess I am lucky to go 2 for 2 with mail-order helmets. I'm not sure if I can distinguish between the two as the X11 padding is so broken in that I doubt it would fit anyone else and the Reevu lining materials are so damn comfy. A Shark EXO-500 does fit me a bit better with similar lining material and more even pressure everywhere. I believe it was similar with the Shoei Quest.

The brief exchanges that I had with the Reevu folks were quite nice. You might want to ping them since you are kinda local. Their business office is in the UK:
Reevu | Contact

Have a good one.