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Showing results for tags 'n102'.
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I am partial to flip front helmets, and I have been using Nolan helmets for a number of years and 100,000 miles, first the N100E, then the N102. I just recently purchased an N103, and if you have either the N100 or N102, you REALLY need to try the N103, it is a great improvement! Combined with the J&M 584 or 629 headset, this thing is fantastic. I really liked my N102 with the integrated headset and extra sun shade that flipped down over the normal shield, but the N103 is WAY more comfortable, and the new internal sun shade is fantastically better than the old external one. I didn't use the dark flip-down sun shade on the N102 very much because the dark top half and light bottom half of the sight pattern was very distracting. With the new internal sun shade on the N103, it works much more like a military flight helmet with a sun shade that covers your eyes like a pair of sunglasses. This give you the darker shield when you want it, and without the distracting dark/light split. And with the choice of also wearing regular sunglasses at the same time, you can easily select four or five different levels of darkness to match whatever conditions you are in without having to stop and change the face shield on the helmet - very flexible and convenient. And if you do want to change the main shield for any reason, it is now one of the easiest ones to change that I have ever used - another great improvement. Nolan was the first company to offer a helmet with an integrated headset capability and the extra dark sun shade, but now lots of others have copied them. Nolan sells their own n-com headset and bluetooth system, but I have never tried them. I buy the J&M unit that is made specifically to fit just like the n-com does. I thought it was nice in the N102, but the updated system in the N103 is way better still. The mounting of the speakers is really slick recessed into the inner liner and behind the screen in the ear piece. Finally, I am very pleased to note that the vents on the N103 work much better than they did on either the N100 or N102. They look pretty much the same in location and size, but I could feel a significant effect from them on my first ride, even in 100 degree temps. And the top vent is soooo much easier to operate now. I only bought this new helmet because I had worn the old one so long that the liner was completely collapsed, allowing the helmet to move around and create hot spots and itches. After seeing how nice the N103 is, I wish I had bought it sooner! Goose Oh, one more thing - Sierra Electronics had the best price on BOTH the helmet and the headset, didn't charge anything extra to mount the headset before shipping, and has always provided me with great service. They shipped this helmet the same day (and I didn't even place the order until 3:00 pm!). http://www.sierra-mc.com/nolan.asp
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Just got my new Nolan N102 n-com helmet - man, do I love it! Some great improvements over the N100E that I have been using for three years. I loved the N100E too, but she's yesterday's news now that I have had my head in the N102!! (The N102 n-com is $250 at Motorcycle Accessories Warehouse, and the Platinum color is very close to the 2005 RSV) Both the N102 and N100 are modular flip-front helmets. The N102 is proportioned a bit differently, giving slightly more forehead and chin room (both front and sides of the chin). The new latch release mechanism is really sweet - much easier to use than the old one, once you figure it out. Just pull forward with your thumb on a little lever in the center of the chin bar, causing a bigger lever to push out from the front of the chin bar - squeezing these two together causes the helmet to open. The shield ratchets and covers are significantly improved. Both helmets have Nolan's proprietary anti-fog shield that works really well, and the N102 has a new dark 1/2 shield outside the main shield that works like sunglasses. Nolan calls this the VPS (vision protection system). I am a little disappointed that the VPS is not extra dark, as it will not make a significant difference when riding directly into a setting sun, but it let me make one simple mod that solves that problem too. I just put a strip of blue painter's tape inside the top of the VPS shield. This is above the normal line of vision, but allows a slight tip of the head to completely block the direct rays of the fire ball. Here are a couple of pictures: [ATTACH]7589[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]7591[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]7590[/ATTACH] That last one is with the VPS shield flipped up and the main shield down, but it looks a little strange because the whole front is flipped up too, so you are looking at the top of the helmet through the shield. For someone who already has the N100E with extra shields, the shields are ALMOST interchangeable. Actually, without the VPS on the N102, they ARE interchangeable. But to use the VPS shield too, you need a little notch cut in both sides, like this: [ATTACH]7593[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]7592[/ATTACH] A rotary tool with a small steel cutter works fine to modify the older shields. I modified my old extra dark shield so I have both it and the VPS for summer riding. On to the Headsets. I have the cheapest J&M clip-on headset on my old N100E, and I have been very pleased with the quality of the sound. I ordered the mid-level 277 series for the N102 n-com. Love the way the helmet is designed to take an integrated headset and the way J&M used that for theirs. The sound of the 277 series is better, but not by a huge amount. Although the mid-range is more crisp, the bass is not as pronounced as it was with the cheapies. I verified this was the speakers instead of the helmet by unplugging the speakers from the old one and putting them in the N102 after I had completely mounted the new headsets. This weekend I am meeting my brother who has a new set of J&M 584 series (their best, and lot more expensive). I'll compare them and report back next week. Ride safe, Goose