Third Helmet

Southbank Motorcycles called me through the week to inform me that the rear reflector has arrived and is ready for me to pick up. I guess they are thinking locally and assuming I live in the next suburb across not two hours away. If the weathers nice I'll make a day of it.

Saturday was nice, so I rode down to Southbank to have the reflector fitted, remember, this is a warranty job. The lady at the desk happily remembers the part and goes out back to get it. Very nice except there aren't nuts or washers provided. You have to understand the way BMW think to make any sense of this. Let me fill you in. The bracket supporting the reflector and registration label failed and it was replaced under warranty. The bracket didn't have a reflector fitted out of necessity That being that if it was fitted, the registration label would be at a rather extreme angle, so an engineering decision was made: Lose the reflector!

A little while later the registration label fell off, so I made an engineering decision to make a backing plate to support the flimsy plastic label holder. All went well until the bracket fatigued, nearly breaking in half. I removed the bracket and fitted the registration label and backing plate to the hole drilled into the number plate by the clever staff at Southbank. Again all went well for awhile until yet again the registration label/backing plate assembly fell off. Fortunately I heard it fall off. I then made another engineering decision. That being that there was no way the registration label was ever going back on the back of the bike. There must be an enormous amount of vibration back there. I then invested in a bracket and have the registration label attached to one of the struts on the left hand side of the bike as prescribed by law.

Southbank Motorcycles replaced the bracket under warranty. Here comes the catch. The idea is that the bracket is a replacement part, it should already have a reflector! "Oh you don't have a reflector, we'll have to order one in." comes the standard reply. And as standard I have to wait three weeks for delivery.

Now back to the second paragraph. The reflector is a replacement part. "Oh, no washers and nuts! They should already be there!" "No" I pleasantly inform them and can hear the three week wait clock starting up. Happily, Scott Norman comes to the rescue and procures the missing bits.

I really have to wonder how BMW systems work at a more difficult level (maybe I don't, see the clutch story) if this is just a story about the reflector.

Hang on a minute, this stories about the third helmet. My apologies, I digressed somewhat.

While I was waiting, I looked at the array of helmets on display and thought now is as good a time as any to buy my belated birthday present: a new helmet.

My first helmet was an AGV and lasted about 16 months. The second helmet was a BMW System 4 Evo. This helmet lasted me nearly three years and yes, it has worked for a living.

The reasons for getting a new helmet are:

• The visor seal at the top is coming apart and is no longer water proof, and, I can feel a distinct draft when I turn my head to the side.
• The leather parts near the strap have worn to the point where holes have started to appear. For those in the know, there is a leather strap with a push button attachment at the end. This strap has worn through twice. As you pull your helmet on, the straps really stress the leather. My mother has sown them up once before, but they are falling apart again in different places. Not a great design at this point.
• The helmet is noisy. If you a riding for anything over an hour ear plugs are required.
• Lots of scratching, I really should have used the carry bag that is provided.
• The colour matches the bike.

I like the flip up design. Great at police checks and not having to remove your glasses/sunglasses.

Being adventurous, I decided on the new SportIntegral.

The observations so far:

• It's lighter, no doubt it is!
• It's quieter, no doubt at all, it is. No more ear plugs.
• I couldn't get the same colour as the previous helmet, so I opted for Avus Blue Metallic.
• Hey it's a tight squeeze! You really know you have this helmet on. Talk about cheek bulge. By the end of the day my jaws were aching with the constant pressure. Hopefully my face will get used to it.
• Sure miss that flip up.
• Can't get a double pane visor!

P.S. After two weeks I have a better understanding of how the helmet functions:

• Although it is quieter, I found that my tinitus came back in force after my trip to Dargo.
  Now tinitus is a strange beast. Yes my ears ring all the time, but the level is a function of a few variables:
  • The level of stress I am under.
  • How fatigued I am.
    
    

  What seems to happen is that it's NOT the ringing that increases in volume, its the overall sensitivity of my ears that increases. I in effect can hear better and that is why the tinitus appears louder. I suspect that my ears sustain an abuse of noise and I become 'punch drunk'/'shell shocked', call it what you may. It appears that I really should keep the remaining ear plugs that I have purchased at the ready.
  This has only happened once and I have made a few rides of similar distances since and have not had the same effect manifest itself.

• The visor really doesn't cope well with high humidity situations. Rain, fog, just plain cold weather and the visor fogs up and worse. I can see I will have to purchase a new 'Hyper Optiks' stick on. This worked wonders on my last helmet and I have complete faith it will work similar wonders on this helmet.
  
  
• I really miss the ability to leave my glasses on when putting on/taking off the helmet. The procedure now is:
  • Open the visor.
  • Remove my gloves. (You can reverse the order of these two steps if you prefer.)
  • Remove my glasses. (This is the extra step)
  • Remove the helmet.
    

  I know it's only one extra step, but it's a pain! Of course you have the extra step when putting you helmet back on.
  I haven't had to stop for a breathalyser test since I've bought the helmet, but I can see this extra step being a real nuisance.