Helmet review: HJC FS-10

harleyxlc · 10-10-2007, 03:50 PM

Just some thoughts after using this for about 5-6 rides.

My helmet background, my only helmet for about 6 years was an Arai RX7-3RR (I think this equates to the Corsair in the current line up). For the past year or so I have alternated, the Arai for commuting to work and a Shoei RF-1000 for the weekends (this helmet has wired speakers).

To prevent me from leaving my sunglasses at one more store, I was very excited to see the Scorpion EXO 1000 announced with the built-in sun visor, but got tired of waiting and waiting and waiting.

Sorry to say this, but I am a helmet snob and never considered an HJC for anything other than those extra helmets for the rare passenger. When someone mentioned it in the Scorpion thread, and that it was available now, I thought wtf and bought one.

eBay, Helmet Depot. A good chunk under the going price. Slightly lower than NewEnough. But no returns, so NewEnough (again) would be your best bet.

Construction:
Not that different than my other two helmets. When opening and closing the vents, you can tell the difference, but then my Arai chin vent has fallen off three times.

The shield mechanism, you can see the difference here. The Arai is 100% open, smooth to a notch at about an inch and then closed. The Shoei has 5-6 notches, about an inch apart. The HJC has one notch right in the middle. In that useless spot that it too open to be comfortable.

Comfort:
All three are really comfortable. The HJC seems to have the cheek pads extending further forward, so it seems to squeeze my cheeks more, but nothing that isn't comfortable.

Venting is better in the Arai and Shoei, but it is quite decent. The helmet is very quiet when not moving, the sheild seems to seat better than the other two. When moving the wind noise is about the same as the Shoei (the Arai vents the best and lets me know it with teh wind noise).

Chin strap. The HC sits farther back against my neck, but they finally have a snap to hold the lose end (like the Arai). My cheap extra HJC has a strap. Still can't be fastened with gloves on, but I can't do that with my other helmets either.

Interior lining is supposed to be super duper anti-bacterial great. It is nice and smooth.

Features:
Top vent, chin vent. One thing I like about the Arai is the little vents at the top of the shield. The chin vent does not open very much. Comes with a breathe guard and a neck guard and an extra screw for the shield mechanism.

Anti-fog shield. This thing really works! I have used the Fogcity shields on both the Arai and Shoei with average results. This HJC really works! You can see the moisture on the shield, but it never fogs, you just look right through it.

Sun visor. This is great! It sits higher than my Oakleys, so it was strange at first to see the gauges with no tint and then look up and see a tinted world. But it worked just as advertised. The only downside, which would happen with any helmet like this, is I like to ride with the shield up when it is hot. My sunglasses protect my eyes enough from the wind. But the sun visor doesn't and I found myself always having the main shield down. The shield is opened and closed by a lever on the top of the helmet. A bit awkward, but it can be done while riding with gloves.

Removable pads. All three have removable cheekpads. The Arai has the top section that comes out. But both the Shoei and Arai leave the crown (where my sweaty forehead touches) in the helmet. The HJC allows you to remove this piece, too!

The Arai and Shoei are DOT/Snell. The HJC is only DOT approved.

Subjective marks:

Value for the money: A-

Nice features at a really great price

Comfort: A

Comfortable lining, good venting with moderate wind noise.

Construction: B-

You get what you pay for, but this may only matter for picky folks

Features: A

Sun visor, several removable pads, great ideas

Having to wear an HJC helmet: D (sorry, I had to add this)

f5nix · 10-10-2007, 08:03 PM

Nice write up. I found the visors on the HJC helmets to be lacking also. I tried one on at the local dealer and the visor isn't very smooth when you open/close it. Didn't notice the notch thing since it wasn't smooth to begin with.

harleyxlc · 10-10-2007, 08:59 PM

I am truly surprised at how much I like it so far. I will at least check out a Scorpion at a store when they arrive locally. I think it's pushing $400, so something would really have to scream at me to get it, though.

Ivan_markII · 10-11-2007, 09:58 AM

This might well be my next helmet. I have an HJC CL-SP that I'm pleased with but it's approaching its 3 year lifespan.

CrazyBiker · 11-22-2007, 12:17 AM

I got it and its awesome. Makes me go 10-15 mph more than normally I would do. I am a HJC fan.

Aero540T · 11-23-2007, 01:53 PM

Serious question here...why don't people like HJC?
I got a CL-SP, and as a cheap college student, I really like it especially for the price. I love how easy it is to switch out the visors on them too

BHW · 11-23-2007, 06:46 PM

I can't believe anyone actually puts Scorpions up on a higher pedestal than HJC. Scorpion is definately not on par with Arai, Suomy, Shark or Shoei. And the EXO-1000 is WAY overpriced.

harleyxlc · 01-02-2008, 03:14 PM

Just wanted to add some comments after using the helmet for a couple of months. I wear it almost every week day to commute, which totals 8 miles a day

And I have had a chance to wear it on the freeway a number of times, with and without ear plugs.

Construction:
I still feel that it is decent but not as nice as the big guys (like Arai). I haven't had any issues with the helmet like pieces failing. Even though my commute is short, the number of rides is high with alot of taking it on and off.

Comfort:
Some comments here....
The chin piece seems to stick out farther than my other helmets. This allows alot of air to come up under the chin. Which contributes to some extra wind noise and when it's in the 30's or 40's it is COLD! They have a chin guard thingy which is tiny and of no use. My Shoei has a nice cloth piece which actually blocks the wind from coming up.

The shape and extra wind also makes a big difference on the freeway. Without earplugs, the helmet is louder than my other two. Much louder.

Anti-fog shield:
The shield itself continues to work perfectly. No fog...but I have run into an issue. During the evening, I use the sun shield, but it can also be humid. The sun shield does not have any fog coating, so the main shield is fine, while the sun shield fogs up. Perhaps they assumed if it was sunny, fogging wouldn't be an issue. I do not know if the Scorpion has the same problem.

So overal my feelings about the helmet are still that it is worth the money, it was cheap compared to the Scorprion or other high end helmets. And the many removable pads will keep me smelling like a rose.

But my warm fuzzy isn't quite as warm because of the amount of wind and the fogging of the sun shield.

socalbiker · 09-06-2008, 08:58 PM

I just bought a new FS-10 this week and ever since I'm desperately trying to return it to the store, while I was using my old CL-12 again, with no success. They say something about a health code in the california law....... blah blah blah. Anyway, I was really trying to get rid of it. This helmet is a joke. It is alot noisier than any other helmet, the sunvisor is funny, because when you have it down you see the gages through the clear shield (reflecting the sun light) and when you look up it's tinted out there. The worst is the big distortion when you look in the rearview mirrors, can't really see a whole lot because its half and half clear/tinted. The shield is fog free and easy to replace but unlike other helmets where you have a couple notches between open and close positions this one has only one half way. Totally useless, you can't just open it a notch to let some air in, you have to go half way which puts the edge of the shield right in front of your eyes. I'm seriously thinking of just buying another helmet and not even use this one. I was using it for one day for about 160 miles round trip. One good thing, I was going alot slower tha usual because at 80mph I had the same feeling l normally get at 120mph.............. a very loud bike, extreme noise from the winds and it's almost ripping your head off your shoulders because that damn thing is so big and bulky. For me............ not working at all!

CrazyBiker · 09-07-2008, 03:40 AM

Your review doesn't make any sense. Use earplugs on highways, it is medically recommended. No helmet in market will offer you hearing protection. The FS-10 works as it is meant to be. It is not their fault that you have to see gauges in clear. It is how it is supposed to work. Given your requirements you should get a astronaut helmet from NASA. Bring the helmet a little down, the edge of the visor will be fine.