Bustling with features but a little noisy

Posted by Pete Thomas on 12th Mar 2010

After watching in horror as my AGV ti-tech tumbled from my bike onto concrete, I felt duty bound to replace it. However, having been well and truly credit crunched my budget was well below £200 this time so I searched around. Of course, on-line and ebay meant I could get another ti-tech but I wondered how the world had moved on in the 2+ years since I bought it.

So this brings me to the HJC, having looked at the Spies race rep (still over the budget) I saw the FS-11. It really does offer a lot for the money. The pump system does work and gives a really close fit. I overinflated mine to begin with but I have it just right now.

The quality of the liner feels cheaper than my old ti-tech and it doesn't look as well finished. However, it is good enough and given that most of my riding is on roads, the HJC has great practical touches that makes it more fit for purpose than a track helmet. The sun visor is really convenient and easy to use and it saves having to carry another visor for changing conditions. Also the breath guard and chin strap included keep me a little warmer.

The only real downside are that it is a little noisier than my AGV, particularly at motorway speeds. Oh and its not a premium brand like Shoei, Arai or AGV which does matter to some - yeah me too.

Still for the money it seems a great buy. I got mine for £185. Early indications are that it is worth it and if I do drop it, it won't cost me that much to replace.