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Harley-Davidson Women's Skyline 3/4 Helmet
April 3, 2009
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| Editor Ratings * | |||
| Quality |
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8 | |
| Style |
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10 | |
| Comfort |
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9 | |
| Portability |
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9 | |
| Price |
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10 | |
| Value |
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9 | |
| Overall | 9.2 | ||
| Spectacular | |||
| A product that receives a rating in this range scores high on all of its rating criteria. It succeeds at meeting all of its intended users' needs and has no meaningful drawbacks. | |||
| *Out of a possible 10 points | |||
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Let me start by saying I’m not a motorcycle helmet fan. Now wait. Before lecturing me on the hazards of riding without a helmet, I am well aware of the pros and cons of riding a motorcycle without a helmet. There are several articles on this web site debating the topic. It is also appropriate for me to point out that not being a fan of helmets does not mean that I don’t wear a helmet.
I am a woman and the owner of a number of helmets; full-face and half helmets. Why, you may be wondering. Well, it’s not a girl thing. I don’t need different helmets to match my outfits. I also don’t enjoy spending large sums of money on helmets. There are more enjoyable ways to spend that cash. The reason is I have been unable to find a comfortable helmet that fits. Helmets are heavy. Helmets are hot. Helmets are uncomfortable. My current helmets press the stems of sunglasses into my head. Full-face helmets give me headaches. A helmet also takes an attractive hairdo and transforms it into something resembling roadkill. Who doesn’t want to look good when they arrive at their destination? Consequently, on occasion, I choose to ride without my helmet.
The good news is women increasingly have a voice in the motorcycling industry consumer market. Unisex doesn’t work for us. For example, women have smaller hands, narrower shoulders, shorter torsos, longer legs, and different shaped heads than men. For a number of years, Harley-Davidson Motorclothes has been a leader in designing women’s riding gear that fit a woman’s body. Harley-Davidson has also listened to women motorcyclists and made changes to their Sportster line; lowering the seat and making smaller handlebars and brake levers for the smaller rider. Now they have released an all new helmet exclusively designed to fit women riders. How cool is that!
First Impression
The Harley-Davidson Women’s Skyline Helmet is more attractive than the photos. This is really a nice looking helmet with a gloss black fiberglass exterior and a silver Harley-Davidson emblem on the front. The pseudo flame design molded into the sides of the helmet adds a feminine classy touch. Viewing the helmet from the front with the visor down, the helmet almost appears to be a full-face helmet. The design of the visor is narrower and longer than some other helmets providing a clean modern look.
Features:
The Harley-Davidson Women’s Skyline 3/4 Helmet has a gloss black fiberglass shell, styrofoam interior, and removable washable liner. The helmet, designed to fit a woman’s head, is 10 mm deeper than standard helmet dimensions, allowing it to fit more comfortably on a woman’s forehead and the back of her head.
“We started hosting helmet seminars at dealerships, and women told us they often have to fit the helmet over more hair than a man, which can leave the helmet sitting too high on the head, resulting in poor fit,” says Matt Thompson, Harley-Davidson Category Manager of Riding Gear, Leathers and Outerwear. “We determined that a woman’s helmet needs to be more adjustable both front-to-back and side-to side.”
The result is a new Skyline helmet with an interchangeable liner side panel to keep the helmet from being too loose or too tight on the sides. The panels, sold separately, simply slide and snap into the helmet liner in place of the side panels that come with the helmet. Panels are available in seven different thickness sizes and can be fitted with thin pieces of foam for a customized fit.
Another nice feature is an anti-static comfort liner to reduce ‘helmet hair’ that often results after removing a helmet, and a ‘pony tail notch’ to provide extra room through a special cut-out section in the back.
Other features include a double D-ring chin strap with comfort chin pad and a removable visor. The helmet is sold only in gloss black with a clear visor. A smoke visor is available for $51.00.
Sizes: XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
MSRP US $195.00
The Harley-Davidson Woman’s Skyline Helmet is also available in a 1/2 helmet style and full-face version.
Operation/Application:
It is important to mention at this point, for a helmet to be effective, it must fit properly. Harley-Davidson recommends you visit a dealer to try on helmets to determine the proper size and fit. It would be a mistake to base the purchase of this helmet on the size of a helmet you have previously worn. Remember, this helmet is designed to fit a woman’s head. Try it on. Wear it around the store for fifteen minutes or so to ensure it is comfortable. Because once you carry it out of the store, it is probably non-returnable.
My new helmet is a size medium. My other helmets are either small or extra-small. I wore the helmet around the store for fifteen minutes, and it felt great. So with my new helmet in hand, I was excited to get on the road. Would a helmet designed to fit a woman’s head be any different than unisex helmets? I decided my first test would be on a five-day 1,200 mile trip.
There is nothing like a good road test to determine the degree of love for a product. In this case, this is my first ¾ helmet. I have tried full-face helmets and hated them. They were too confining, hot, the visors fogged up when stopped, and they hurt my head. I have also tried several half helmets. Half helmets require ear plugs to eliminate wind noise, neck curtains when it is cold, and some press sunglasses stems into your head. But, this ¾ helmet is just right. It is not too confining and hot. The visor does not fog up. There is no wind noise around the ears, and no wind curtain to drag around. There is no ear pain wearing sunglasses. Perfect? Well, not quite yet.
The back of the helmet, around the pony tail notch, hurt my head after about forty-five minutes. That was a bit disconcerting. Wasn’t this helmet designed to fit a woman’s head? I decided to explore the interchangeable liner possibilities in hopes of customizing my helmet to fit my head.
At this point, I must confess that several local Harley-Davidson dealers where unable to be of assistance with the new interchangeable liner concept. But, a call directly to Harley-Davidson produced great results. They were friendly, helpful, and explained exactly what I needed to remedy my problem. A pair of larger interchangeable side panels were the ticket. I removed the original side panels, attached to the helmet with Velcro, and attached the new ones. In less than five minutes, I had customized my helmet. A six-hour road trip later confirmed the fit to be perfect. Why didn’t someone think of this sooner! Ladies, you can now adjust your helmet to fit your head as easily as wearing a Miracle Bra can create cleavage! You are gonna like this.
I also like the visor on the Skyline Helmet. It’s not so wide that it looks like a windshield or so short that it interferes with your line of vision. The visor lifts up over the helmet and can also be removed. One problem with the visor is it rattles slightly in the wind. Adding silicone buttons at the corners solved that problem for me.
Value:
At $195.00, I think this helmet is a steal. You can pay much more for a helmet and still not have a helmet that fits. This helmet allows the wearer to replace the inside panels, sold separately, to create the perfect fit. Replacement panels cost about $20.00 and are available in seven different thickness sizes.
Final Comments
This is a helmet I would recommend to women. It is attractive, comfortable, and the customized fit ensures the helmet can function properly. The removable liners are washable; another nice feature. The helmet meets DOT requirements. Helmet bag is included.
I have finally found a helmet I will wear and enjoy. I love having a helmet designed to fit me. When we encountered some unplanned pea-sized hail on our recent trip, it was nice to have a face shield. I also found that I arrived at my destination with better looking hair and make-up than before; important things to most women. (I think I hear men moaning.) As a contact lens wearer, the visor is also great in the rain, dust, and wind. Harley-Davison has another winner.
Check this helmet out at your local Harley-Davidson dealer or online at www.harley-davidson.com.
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