My current lid has about 25k and 3-1/2 years on it. It has been dropped from seat height numerous times as well as getting fairly banged up in a low-speed crash where is saved me from facial reconstruction. The visor took it hard and the chin was a bit scratched, but over all it faired well and protected me.
I wear a Modular/Flip up because I also wear prescription glasses, and not having to put them on and off every time I mess with the helmet is a real saver. I also like the ability to catch some air, talk or drink/eat without having to remove the lid. On an extended trip this is invaluable. I originally saw the Justissimo (Caberg/Jarrow/etc) on a Rider at the Bennington Vt Rat Raid a few years back.. '04 I think... I had seen the Nolan flip and a few other and was hoping to not have to spend $500 on a helmet. A clincher for me was the drop down internal sun shade.
Nearly 4 years later I am shopping again, and was horrified to learn that Caberg was no longer was being imported to the States... and methinks that if a Helmet passes the EU standards then it should be automatically approved by the DOT... the EU std is, in my opinion a better thought out std than the DOT version... it costs enough to get EU product into the states to begin with, without running product through duplicate testing procedures.
So, I started shopping for an alternative or a way to get one from the EU or UK. Either the vendors wouldn't answer emails or they replied with they didn't ship to the US. (problem solved eventually)
I evaluated many flips ups and
www.WebBikeWorld.com is a good starting point for evaluating choices. The Nolan N103 looks promising, but appears to be having teething problems and isn't available in the States yet, and the external sunshade on the N102 just doesn't compare with the internal Caberg style.
The HJC SyMax II looked promising, but the snap/pop/spring loaded sun shade mechanism was an issue for one reviewer, and I suspect that long term that over complicated whiz-bang implementation will be problematic.
The Schuberth C2, while an excellent helmet, doesn't have the sun shade and this is one feature that is a "must have" for me. Add to that the top of the line price and it drops out of contention.
Caberg Trip, also a decent helmet with good value, but also not sold in the States. Additional negatives are reported poor circulation and plastic latches for the chin bar.
Vega Summit XVP - While this is one heck of a value and the boys at WBW drool all over it, without a sun shade it just drops out.... and... there is just something about a $129 helemt that worries me...
The Boxer is cool, but also very trendy/spendy as well as noisy. It also lack the sun shade.
In many reviews the wBw folks seem to not like the quick release systems offered out there. Having lived with the Caberg version for the last few years, it is a one handed very predictable and efficient latching system. It did take a bit to learn the right approach to releasing the latch. D-rings?!? Ick... I can hook up my Caberg with all but winter gloves on and take it off either way... I have to have gloves off to handle a Dring.
I looked over all other offerings out there and found that they either didn't have the sun visor or had other issues that sent me away, looking for another Caberg.
There ARE trade-offs when choosing a Modular over a std full face, and for me the Justissimo GT has the least amount of those with the best set of features for me. The sun shade system has worked without trouble for thousands of miles. The chin bar mechanism has likewise done its job. I have had no issues with the Justissimo I have used, so I went looking again for a UK reseller.
I found one that gladly ships to the USA... and I bought a Caberg Justissimo GT, in Cobalt Blue, and because there was no additional shipping charges involved I added a replacement outer visor and an Iridium Blue inner visor.. .links below.
Link to the Cobalt Blue Caberg Justissimo
Link to Iridium Blue Inner Visor
$298 for the Helmet
$ 60 for the clear outer visor
$ 51 for the Iridium blue visor
$80 for shipping (39.99uk anywhere in world shipping
about $500 total after exchange rates ....
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