Motorcycle Modular Helmets
- Motorcycle Gear Reviews
- Jan 8, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 18, 2024
Modular Helmets are often confused with full face helmets as they look very much alike and offer many of the same benefits. A modular helmet is simply a full face helmet, but the chin portion of the helmet, referred to as the chin bar, is hinged and can be raised in the same fashion as a visor on a full face. There are a few variations of a modular helmet where the chin portion is not raised, but rather removed. The visor may also be raised separately.
Modular Helmet Style
As with full face helmets, most riders love the sporty appearance of the modular helmet. When first introduced, modular helmets were almost exclusively worn by riders on sport bikes. But now, you find riders of every style of motorcycle wearing these versatile and stylish helmets. The designs in this segment can vary from very traditional full face styling to pretty extreme. It is this variation, or ability to pick a style that fits you, within this category that many riders find very appealing.
Like a full face helmet, modular helmets have removable visors. Most manufacturers offer a variety of colors and tints for their visors. This allows you to customize the look of your helmet even further. Personally, I love the look of a blacked out visor, but is just not practical for me. Fortunately, with a tinted drop down sunshield, I achieve that same look with a clear visor. Tinted and colored visors can greatly decrease your ability to see at night. That is why I opt for a clear visor, as I ride to work everyday and it is usually dark when I leave.
Comfort
Modular helmets, like their full face counterparts, can offer thick interior padding that adds a great deal of comfort to the helmet. The helmet should fit snug and with a proper fit, you should experience no helmet lift, or the feeling that the wind is pulling the helmet off of your head. A well designed modular helmet will have great aerodynamic qualities to eliminate head bobble, or the feeling that the wind is pushing your head from side to side. Also, many riders say that the ability to lift the chin portion of the helmet makes them not feel as claustrophobic as they do in a full face helmet. With added parts and features, that make the modular design possible, a modular helmet is often heavier than a full face. This added weight can cause rider fatigue. Personally, I have never found the little extra weight to be an issue, even on 600 mile rides. I wore half helmets for decades. When I started riding everyday, I decided a safer helmet was a good idea. I thought the modular helmet would be hot, heavy and make me feel claustrophobic. None of those things are true! I honestly love everything about my modular helmets. I really only wear my half helmet when I am running local errands or going to dinner, where it is nice to be able to stash my helmet in a saddlebag.
Features
There are a lot of features and options on a modular helmet. As I mentioned earlier, most all modular helmets allow you to raise the chin bar of the helmet to allow a rider to speak or take a drink of water. Some helmets even have the ability for the chin portion to rotate over the helmet and lock into position. This allows the rider to safely ride with the helmet in the open position and function as an open face helmet. There are also helmets on the market that allows the rider to remove the lower portion of the helmet instead of flipping it up and convert the helmet into a 3/4 helmet or half helmet.
Most all of the same features that are found on a full face are also found on a modular. Vents and exhaust, allowing air to circulate through the helmet and keep the rider cool and comfortable are usually a given. A flip up visor that operates separately from the chin portion of the helmet is also universally common.
Bluetooth helmets usually have their own classification, but I look at Bluetooth more of a feature than a helmet classification. With that said, there are many helmets with integrated Bluetooth in this segment. Helmets that do not have integrated Bluetooth can usually have it added pretty easily. The Bluetooth features allows you to pair your phone or mobile device to listen to music or make and receive calls. And yes, you can talk on the phone on a motorcycle. This is a great option if you commute on your motorcycle or rider everyday. Riding is supposed to be an escape, but sometimes you do need to communicate with the outside world.
Most modular helmets use a D-ring to secure the chin strap. This is the most secure way to fasten a helmet. If you are not used to it, it can get some getting used to. I used to find it difficult to take my helmet off with gloves on, I've got that mastered now. I still can not put it on with gloves. With the modular design, you do not have to remove the helmet as often as you would with a traditional full face. You can simply flip up the chin bar to speak with someone or walk into a store.
Safety
The DOT certification is the bare minimum of safety standards. All helmets after 2013 must display the DOT certification on the back of the helmet to comply with state laws, where such laws exist. The helmet must have 3/4" of protective foam, a hard outer shell and a chin strap attached with solid rivets. Every modular helmet that I have seen on the market at least meets the DOT certification standards. Some of these helmets will even meet the more stringent requirements of SNELL or other private organizations. A traditional full face helmet is the safest option, with a modular helmet coming in a close second. The reason a modular is not as safe as a full face is because it is two separate pieces that are attached at the hinge and locking points. With an impact, the hinge or the locks holding the chin bar in place could break. That is not a common thing, but something worth considering, if safety is your primary deciding factor in choosing a helmet.