Modern Vespa

As I have been riding since I was 6 and licensed for over 20 years, my head has seen nearly every type of helmet. From mini bikes to trail bikes, to cuisers, sportbikes, modern BMWs, vintage BMWs, and a few scooters thrown in the mix.

The recent helmet thread peaked my interest in stylish Italian helmets from MOMO (to match my Vespa). I ordered a Fighter in M (head size 57.75cm) from the only authorized dealer, tophelmets.com.

I am absolutely thrilled with the quality and fit of this helmet. In arrived in two days via 'free' DHL.
In hot weather I usually wear a carbon-kevlar HD DOT approved half helmet which is pretty good looking and cool. In cold weather a modular Nolan.

The MOMO fighter is a masterpiece as much as it is protection. Extremely well made, and from the official dealer, DOT approved. It is hot, but considering the weather this week is 90 deg F with 80% humidity I will not hold that against it. This weather only really last 10 weeks or so. The helmet is amazingly light, lighter than seems possible.

I will post some pics shortly, but it looks great with my Corazzo 5.0 whether riding a vintage BMW or my Vespa GTS. Highly recommended.

No connection with MOMO or the dealer other than an extremely satisfied customer.

I will post some pics shortly.

I like mine too.

Only gripes comes from the visor.
It get scratches a bit more easily than wanted, and make some noise when flipped up at speed + guides air to your eyes. The latter ones only appear only with relatively high speeds though.

I am shopping for a new helmet and do like the design of the fighter, but can't find one in this area to try on before buying. It seems that most of the helmets in this area are shaped for "round heads" and mine is more of what is typically described as a "long oval."

Is the fighter a round helmet, or is it shaped for an oval head?

I love (LOVE) that Momo fighter helmet. Sadly, I don't own one. When you guys talk about a helmet being for a round or a oval head, how do you mean that? Looking down on a head from the top? I don't get it ...

Here is a .pdf file about head shapes and helmet fitting.

http://www.metricbikes-superstore.com/How_to_fit_a_helmet.pdf

That's great! Thank you so much. One less thing I'm clueless about!

I love my MOMO Essenziale but like the Fighter's visor a bit better. The Fighter visor looks a little deeper and may prevent some of the wind buffeting into your eyes. The Essenziale's visor is pretty slim and at high speeds wish I had goggles.

Do these helmets fit under the seat of a GT or GTS? If so I want one.

Mine is a size S, and it doesn't fit on the pet carrier, or at best it's such a tight squeeze, that I haven't tried.

And oh, the inner cushions/liners on my European model are not detachable, so washing is not so practical.

But who cares. Le look le plus cool.

My M Fighter does not fit and must be placed in the topcase or locked with the underseat post.

I am going to mod the chin strap for quick release from another helmet I have.

+1 I've had mine for about a year and I need a new visor. I love how light it is though. Wind-noise, and tendency to lift at higher speeds (75km/hr+) when the visor is up, fine when it's down.

sorta on topic - is there any way to not just clean, but polish out the scratches on the visor? Buffing wheel?

My wife loves this helmut but wouldn't let me buy it for her (she's a fruGAL).

I think they are very, very cool... we ended up with black agv Dragon helmets.

great thread, been looking for this exact discussion. Trying to buy a helmet online never having tried it on in the store is scarier than attempting the same for footwear.
After all, we are talking about important factors such as safety and comfort that are undoubtedly heavier weighted than style or color...
That being said, I myself have been having a hard time understanding the exact parameters of these very same factors: after seeing so many different styles, shapes and manufacturers, I simply cannot make any concrete decisions regarding one or the other.
I've been drooling (almost) over the Momo Fighter for a few weeks now but simply dont know if my "head shape" is going to be "fitting "
The above link is dead, but here is another one from webbikeworld. I found this to be very comprehensive and easy to understand. A great read if you are curious about helmet shapes and head shapes and rider comfort and how this all factors in to choosing the most appropriate helmet.
Good luck to us all
http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/motorcycle-helmet-faq.htm

I've had the Essenziale for about three years now and still use it fairly regularly. I'm really more of a full-face guy now, but when I'm going somewhere with my girlfriend in tow, I wear the MOMO so that we can chat while she's on back.
The Essenziale has held up very well, in my opinion. No real degrading of foam or the liner. The only complaint I would have would also be the scratches on the visor, but I wouldn't necessarily call it an abnormal amount. I also don't think that the Essenziale visor buffets wind any better or worse than the Fighter. I had the opportunity to wear the Fighter when a friend bought one and thought it felt the same as mine. I think the frame on the visor of the Fighter was slightly distracting when compared to the Essenziale, but I probably would have gotten used to it pretty quick.
As far as getting those scratches out, I use Novus Plastic Polish. It's a three step cleaning/buffing compound that works like a charm.

Thanks for that Essenziale review. Just ordered my Momo Fighter today, matte green. Hope for it to arrive next week.

I fell in love with the Momo helmet when we were in Spain last summer and saw a few riders with them on. I have been unable to find a dealer in North Carolina, or even the East coast that carries them...so I have not bought one yet. I may give your "top helmet" guys a shot as I do love that lid!

On a side note, we have a house on Lake Norman, but I usually don't take the GTS there. Do you ever make it to Raleigh? We could always plan a ride sometime for a spot more in the middle....say Greensboro?

I have this H.J.C. Solid. It fits under the seat on the GTS

Advanced Polycarbonate Composite Shell: Lightweight, superior fit and comfort using advanced CAD technology.

Integrated SunShield: Smoke-tinted shield deploys easily when needed.

SilverCool Interior: Moisture-wicking and odor-free interior with advanced silver anti-bacterial fabric. Comfortable, removable and washable.

DOT Approved

SIZES: XS-XXL


M.S.R.P.
Solids (Black and White): $94.99

Where can i buy the momo helmet in the US ?

Looks like goto http://momohelmets.com/

they ship to the US.
Shipping Costs


UK - FREE
Continental Europe £20.00
USA / Canada / Aus / NZ - £25.00
Rest of World £30.00

i want one! but i'm not sure if i want to take the risk and not wear a full-face helmet. it wouldn't really make sense to own two.

I got my MOMO from atlanticmoto.com, the same place shown in the picture of the Essenziale. They were the cheapest that I found at the time, but that was quite some time ago.

I've got the mini momo size small and it fits under the GTS seat with a slight squeeze. I feel the small detatchable visor does a good job. My only complaint is that the inner lining is not detatchable, I have the older model, but the later models have the detachable lining

Oh, I don't know. Many of us own two or three helmets. Partially for the heck of it and partially to match the helmet to the weather and other riding conditions.

...or how about so i can bring someone along with me for the ride!

simply the best helmet i've used on the Vespa... for full face check out shuberth c3

just got home from my first short ride on the scooter with the MOMO Fighter! will post full review soon, give it time for a few rides...
straight off the bat i can say it feels like a tight fit - i have a 56-57cm head and thats right on the border between S - M for helmets, in general - and i bought a S

will post more detailed review soon
PS it looks great!!

I have the fighter, and i must say that in my experience using it these last few days that it seems to bufffet more wind to my eyes than just having it down at around 35-40 mph. It also seems noisier than when it is up :?

I was riding it with the visor up though, and a fly hit my cheek. It gave me a little sting. Then I thought, what if that was my eye...I promptly put the visor down and rode like that all the way home.

Its happened to me too... too close to the eye for my confort.. I just put back my large wind screen and i am really happy. Rode home today in a big rain and didn't need to put the lid down. I'm sticking with the screen even if it looks quirky and hot in the summer..

Novus plexiglass and plastic scratch remover

http://www.rplastics.com/novuspolish.html