Triumphrat

R-X

Wearing my Suomy Spec-1R for the first time, I felt the helmet was a bit uncomfortable.

Not wanting to immediately return the helmet, I decided to call Suomy here in the United States in an effort to purchase some smaller cheek pads as that was the area that was putting the most pressure on my head.

After explaining my problem to a customer service rep she asked if I would hold the line while she got someone who could further assist me.

The next person I spoke to broke down the "science" of the Suomy fit. He explained that the Spec-1R helmet is designed to fit a bit more snug not unlike the way professional racers wear their helmets (and leathers for that matter). He also recommended that I give it a good 500-1000 miles before I changed the cheek pads. Other helmets I have owned felt broken in by the end of a 200-300 mile day. Not the Suomy! I reluctantly took his advice.

I'm happy to report he was right! After several hundred more miles, the Spec-1R was beginning to feel quite comfortable. Now it fits as though this helmet were made for me. Perhaps the slightly snug fit forced the padding to conform to my head shape. After thousands of miles, these helmets still fit perfectly and there is no lift even at speeds in excess of 130 mph.

The build quality is first rate all the way around. Noise levels are not noticeably lower or higher than either the Arai or Shoei I used to own.

Shields are relatively inexpensive and certainly cheaper than Arai's shields. I like the helmet so much I decided to purchase another one in a different color. I'll wear nothing else now.

As a side note, the gentleman who schooled me on The Suomy fit is the President of the North American division. A super nice guy who definitely knows his stuff. The fact that this guy took the time to take my call and patiently explained how the product works inspired me to write this review. There's a lot of misinformation out there about how these helmets are supposed to fit. It's time to set the record straight.

So the next time you hear some kid or self-professed "gear expert" at the motorcycle shop say "it's a Suomy, order the next size up", ignore them and order your true size.