I purchased a Shark Skwal i3;

[p6x]

I know some will consider this full face helmet as a gimmick for nerds. But I have been riding in the darkened streets with no streetlights, and when stopping at dark traffic lights, I was always checking behind me to make sure cars would also stop.

I think the i3 Skwal concept is interesting. It is not one of those bionic helmets. If it makes me more visible, especially at night, then all the better.

Here's a video from UK. The Skwal i3 is available DOT certified from Revzilla in the USA. It is also ECE 22.06, the latest European norm.

 

[cowtownchemist]

What is the noise level inside the helmet when riding?  I am interested in the extra visibility and am in the market for a new helmet.  But I am looking for something quiet and comfortable.

[MartyNZ]

19 hours ago, p6x said:

...If it makes me more visible, especially at night, then all the better..

I hope you can get a brighter colour than matt black if you want to be visible.

[p6x]

7 hours ago, cowtownchemist said:

What is the noise level inside the helmet when riding?  I am interested in the extra visibility and am in the market for a new helmet.  But I am looking for something quiet and comfortable.

So, just to be clear, if you look at this study done by Champion helmets: https://www.championhelmets.com/us/magazine/post/the-top-10-quietest-helmets-of-2022,

You can see that the quietest one, in 2022 had a noise level of 97 decibels, while the loudest is 99 decibels.... so, 2 decibels difference, not much.

I have published several threads with the result of my investigations into the matter of wind noise. My current Shark Race-R GP Pro is in carbon, and was equipped with the proprietary Shark "tooth" Bluetooth audio. Unlike the other systems, the side wart is not as big because the battery fits in a small compartment in the helmet. However, as soon as you hit the highway, the wind noise is there, and you can't make out what the audio guidance tells you. So, I investigated motorcycle dedicated earplugs, equipped with filters that are tuned to only get rid of the wind noise frequency. Alpine Motosafe earplugs.

Unfortunately, wearing them attenuates even more the speakers in my helmet, making them useless. Also, under the sweltering Texas sun, they are very difficult to extract when you have perspired.

I have finally found solace and the answer to all my problems; I purchased the Snugs-Moto, and I am now completely satisfied. The actual helmet noise level is irrilevant since I wear the Snugs all the time. They are perfect.

As for the Shark i3, I have not yet received it. I will give you my thoughts when I do.

 

[p6x]

59 minutes ago, MartyNZ said:

I hope you can get a brighter colour than matt black if you want to be visible.

This is the one I chose, the Rhad. It has some red and black which perfectly match my V11 Le Mans.

The white lights on the front should make you visible, even more in high contrast with the black.

I hesitated to get the Flag one, but they did not have it where I purchased mine.

By the way, I got mine for $255, shipping to the USA included. Revzilla sells it for $400 + taxes.

[audiomick]

2 hours ago, p6x said:

... so, 2 decibels difference, not much.

I beg to differ. Decibels are a relative unit, and logarithmic. That means that 2 dB does mean a significant difference in sound energy. Whoever can be bothered can look here, for instance:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decibel

https://www.quora.com/How-many-dB-decibels-represent-a-doubling-or-halving-of-the-sound-volume

 

2 dB difference is a difference that the untrained ear registers as "that is louder". As far as exposure to noise goes, it can be quite relevant, depending on how loud the environment is and how long the exposure is. 97 dB, probably dBA, is quite loud. 99 dB is very loud.

To get it into perspective, look here. I don't know how reliable the publisher of the site is, but the numbers more or less correspond to that which I have seen elsewhere

https://www.asha.org/public/hearing/loud-noise-dangers/#dangerous

 

2 hours ago, p6x said:

...Alpine Motosafe earplugs.

Unfortunately, wearing them attenuates even more the speakers in my helmet

Any wonder. According to the information on their site, they dampen by 30 dB at 2 kHz. That is really a lot, and 2 kHz is a frequency that is really important for the transmission of information (speech, awareness of the surroundings, whatever...).

So an ear plug that dampens that much will indeed provide good protection, but will also isolate you from your surroundings.

 

By the way, this

Quote

filters that are tuned to only get rid of the wind noise frequency

is nothing more than marketing bullshit. I believe I wrote in another thread that wind noise is not a single frequency, but rather very broad band, i.e the entire range of audible frequencies is involved. You simply can't filter out "the wind noise frequency". All you can do is dampen everything. How isolated you feel then depends on the "frequnecy response" of the filters. If they are neutral (flat), you will still feel like you are in touch with the surroundings to an extent.

The Moto Safe ones are anything but flat. Their figures

Quote

Frequency Hz	63	125	250	500	1000	2000	4000	8000
Average noise reduction value dB	18.8	18.4	18.4	16.3	19.0	30.5	21.9	23.4

show that they dampen significantly more in the high frequencies than in the mids and lows. Particularly the difference between the damping at 500 Hz and 2 kHz is extreme.

They must sound like shit.

[Tomchri]

Was it 104db measured with 1watt in the desert, Clips horn was fun there for a period. Oops of topic, been a Good Friday.

cheers Tom.

[audiomick]

4 minutes ago, Tomchri said:

Was it 104db measured with 1watt in the desert, Clips horn was fun there for a period.

I think you mean Klipschhorn, don't you? These, for instance.

https://www.sg-akustik.de/shop/klipsch-klipschorn-ak6-stueck

 

Yes, right off topic.

Glad you had a good day.

[Tomchri]

Yes those   With 3 amps ++, yes of topic.
Cheers Tom.

[docc]

15 minutes ago, audiomick said:

I think you mean Klipschhorn, don't you? These, for instance.

https://www.sg-akustik.de/shop/klipsch-klipschorn-ak6-stueck

 

Yes, right off topic.

Glad you had a good day.

That price is what I paid for mySport!

[Tomchri]

Both well worth the money  .

Cheers Tom.

[audiomick]

38 minutes ago, Tomchri said:

Was it 104db measured with 1watt in the desert?

PS, as far as loudspeakers go, I quite like these

https://www.dbaudio.com/global/en/products/series/sl-series/ksl8/

At home, I have a pair of these

https://www.genelec.com/previous-models/1031a

but I must say, I'm more interested in how they sound than how loud they can be.

[p6x]

2 hours ago, audiomick said:

I beg to differ. Decibels are a relative unit, and logarithmic. That means that 2 dB does mean a significant difference in sound energy. Whoever can be bothered can look here, for instance:

I should be able to make the difference between my current helmet and the new one, once I get it. The one I have currently is not especially quiet.

[Chuck]

I had to return a Shark a few years ago. *Really* nice helmet, well made, but was noisy on Rosie the Rosso. It was ok on the AeroLario, though. Aerodynamics are a funny thing. Yes, I was wearing ear plugs.

[gstallons]

Helmets are like BBQ sauce . What you love , I just might turn my nose up to.

 A while back this progressive motorcycle shop was closing and I went over in hopes of getting a bargain on a NAME brand helmet . The owner told me "you better buy what fits you and disregard the name . It turns out I got what I needed and am enjoying it still.