Kali Nira CF Ying Yang Helmet
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GREAT helmet with a few flaws...
The album: http://imgur.com/a/797Jv#0
I bought the helmet from Revzilla since they seem to be the only company that carries Kali helmets at the moment. I was caught in between the Scorpion EXO-500, Shark RSF3 (my second one), and the Kali Nira CF. Kali has been making motocross stuff for a while but this is their first foray into the world of motorcycle helmets, and I figured I should give them an honest shot/review.
So I ended up paying $229 and 5 days later received the box from UPS at my front door. I opened the box up and was met with the typical helmet box that most manufacturers send. However, this is where the similarities in packaging end for me. The most I have ever spent on a helmet is $250, so if you are used to Arai/Shoei/Suomy priced helmets, stop reading here. The helmet came packed inside a nice, quality feeling bag with a double zipper, velcro, handle, shoulder strap, and a vent.
Inside the bag I was met with an extra visor (clear), extra cheek pads, and a helmet bag containing my helmet. The helmet bag was the same material most miod range bags are, a thin, silky material. Nothing like the ICON helmets I owned before which came with plastic trash bags.
The helmet finish was bright and detailed, in contrast to my comparison helmet, my old Shark RSF3 Smoke. The helmet was also noticeably lighter, and had a solid feel to it. The padding, though new, was still a bit stiffer than the Shark, and most of the pressure when I put it on was placed on the cheeks and top of the head. It was much more snug on my head than the Shark, however without riding with it yet, I can't speak to how well it fits at speed. The Shark shakes noticeably and whistles above 100mph, and if I try to look behind me I feel like it is going to be torn off my head.
Overall this Kali Nira CF helmet has surpassed all expectations for Kali's entry into motorcycle fullface helmets for me. I may seem to be bashing the Shark RSF3's shortcomings, but the Shark has been my favorite helmet for a long time, so I am excited to see what this Kali helmet can do during rides.
I will update this review when I get some miles under my belt.
EDIT 19 Jan 2012: Kali Protectives have backed their product and are replacing the visors. This is a huge bonus for me considering the company is proving they support their product and their customers!!
- The padding as started to break in and the helmet is becoming extremely comfortable and easy to slip on and off.
- The chin strap material seems to catch on the D-ring, so when pulling it to tighten, or pulling the red tab to loosen, I feel I have to do a bit of extra work.
- The tinted visor, though suffering optical problems, seemed to provide a better seal, as the wind noise was cut quite a bit, and the whistling was completely gone. I think as Kali improves these shields the helmet will become much quieter. There is very little buffeting.
EDIT 16 Jan 2012: So after a couple hundred miles, and speeds up to 160mph, I have noticed a few major points (but no gamebreakers!):
- Wind noise is substantial below 80mph, but above it becomes rather deafening with a noticeable whistling sound. I attribute alot of this to the visor (keep reading#
- The visor... sucks. The company that produced the visors for Kali obviously failed to meet the standards of the helmet. While the helmet is sturdy, comfortable, beautiful, and obviously well made, the visor is like something I would get off a Wal-Mart helmet. Optical clarity is crud with noticeable distortion. All 3 of my visors have these issues. One of the visors I actually had to peel/scrape extra plastic off the edges like it was cut out of a press in a hurry.
- I can turn my head at 140 for a shoulder check and the helmet stays on my head!!!!!! Awesome!!!
- I can see EVERYTHING, the visor opening is super wide and the padding doesn't suffocate my vision... now if only the visors were any good.
- Air flow is like riding with no helmet at all. I can feel the air blow across the top of my head.
- The helmet feels super light, though I haven't done any weight measurements. The RSF3 was no lightweight by any means though.
- The chin curtain seems somewhat short #from nose bridge to curtain# -- if I open my mouth, my chin comes out from under the helmet.
Read the full review here #updated):
http://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/ojj86/just_bought_a_new_helmet_kali_nira_cf_ying_yang/
January 19, 2012
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