Modern Vespa

I have a big head. Guess there's no escaping that fact. And after 48 years this has posed me no real problems or embarassment until I started riding and purchased a Scorpion helmet which is, of course, also big. So this morning, my daughter calls me MARTIANHEAD and my son puts the helmet on and starts staggering around under its supposed weight. Ha ha ha. The word "bobblehead" was also thrown around.

I'm not too hot to invest in a new helmet, but should ask: are there particular brands of helmet which are either less voluminous or more flattering to the big-headed rider?

I feel for you bobblehead.
Perhaps you could buy a medium and a shoe horn?

Just a random thought .. maybe u can explore ways to disguise the helmet - use lines or arrows to create an illusion of a smaller helmet

I suffer from the same problem... plus I have a somewhat slender build so the big helmet is exaggerated.

Some makers do use a somewhat smaller bucket(outer shell) size for their helmets. However, to meet Snell there has to be a certain amount of foam between the shell and your skull.

I guess you could just get a really big armored jacket to make the proportions better... other than that... embrace the bobble.

Yes but the problem is finding them. Most helmet manufacturer's make different shell sizes. Your particular size might be at the bottom range of the helmet manufacturer's larger size shell or it could be at the top end of their smaller size shell. I am assuming the latter is what you are looking for.

Now if you are buying too big of a helmet because your head is not shaped as an round oval to intermediate oval you can get a smaller size helmet by going with the correct shape. For example I bought an XXXL helmet because I couldn't find any helmet smaller that fit me. The XXXL helmet I had had huge amounts of room on the side of my head but front to back it fit well. Turns out I have a long oval head shape and I wear an XL in a long oval shaped helmet. These helmets are hard to get and only a couple companies have helmets in this shape. Arai is one but there are others. Before with the XXXL helmet I looked like the looney toons martian. Now with my XL helmet in long oval shape I look more normal.

Here is a great video from Arai on this:

http://www.araiamericas.com/default.aspx?pageid=92

Join us....

I have a big head too, and thus a big helmet. I look ridiculous wearing it off my Vespa, but my significant has assured me that it doesn't look so weird when I'm sitting on my bike.

Make sure it actually does fit though. Take out the cheek pads, and see if it fits just the crown of your head. If it is too big you could get a smaller size and switch out the cheek pads with thinner ones. Don't buy a helmet based on the fit of the cheek pads because those are often able to be replaced.

This video is very helpful on helmet fit: http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Oct/091016arai.htm

I have a big head too... I wear a size 7 7/8 cowboy hat. I'm supposedly sized for a XXL helmet, but since that size was too tight I special ordered a XXXL helmet. I wear a Fulmer modular, btw.

The size definitely sucks, it won't fit under my Kymco's seat and takes up a lot of real estate in my top case. If I hook it to the peg I have to hope it doesn't rain... something that's been happening a lot down south here lately.

Fortunately I'm also broad in the shoulders, so the big helmet looks proportional on me. Maybe the solution is to wear jackets with more padding in the shoulders?

If it makes you feel any better, helmets of nearly any size also look pretty goofy on us smaller people. I've just gotten used to the fact that I'm going to look goofy with a helmet on, and people are going to call anyone with a helmet "The Great Gazoo." You just try to go for the helmet that fits, and looks the least like Gazoo as possible.

I have the same sized cowboy hat size. Watch the video and measure your head you might not be in a XXXL after all.

Yeah, it might just be the Fulmer brand that runs tight, or the fact that its a modular. I also have an XXL "beanie" that fits fine, but the Fulmer XXL was much too tight. I thought about putting smaller pads inside, but decided it might not be the safest alternative. The Fulmer XXXL fits pretty snug, so I think I'll stick with it.

Fulmer solid shell FF's (D4, S1, etc) do run a bit snug, but fairly true to size. I wear a large D4, and despite being the least expensive, it is the most comfortable helmet I own. My AGV has much better venting, for summer riding, but is not as comfortable. Fulmer modulars, as do most modulars, fit a bit more loosely than their solid shells.

As far as the perception of the size goes, everyone thinks a helmet looks ridiculous when standing in the living room, especially to those to whom they are unfamiliar. I assure you that when you are riding, children in the backs of cars aren't pointing and laughing at you about the size of your head.

Shoei helmets seem to fit well and don't look overly huge on big headed peeps. (me included).....

Yeah, the video was interesting. I might just need an XXL with smaller cheekpads after all.

I hope my Fulmer XXXL will last a bit longer yet. It has a couple scratches from an accidentally rolling on the concrete drive (fortunately my head was not in it at the time!)

When I get my next full-face or modular, I'll probably look into smaller pads. I did spend over $100 bucks on what I have now, so I'm going to stubbornly get more use out of it first.

Haha my wife wishes I spent $100 on mine. When I found a helmet that fit I was so amazed I dropped $425 on it and I managed to get it about $200 off. The other helmet that fits me pretty well but not as well as the Arai is the Shark Evoline.

Paint it orange put some vertical black lines on it and a stork on top. Make the most of its size pumpkinhead

Is your helmet black? Black helmets look smallest. How tall are you? If you're tall with a big head then no need to worry, you're proportional. I'm 6'3" with an XL helmet.

love it Paul.

Thanks everyone for your replies, esp. the illustrated ones! Heaven forbid they'd all be technical. I do appreciate the technical advice also, of course! My helmet is a dark charcoal grey, which I bought thinking it'd be more visible than black (yeah, by 3%). It's not an ugly helmet, and with a Corazzo jacket it probably looks fine. But in the summer with less bulky clothing it is a bit much. And quite honestly, my son flailing around the kitchen with it on his head is pretty damned funny.

+1 Is there a motorcycle gear store anywhere near you? If so, go and try on a bunch of helmets. I found the HJC helmets suited the shape of my head well enough to keep me from getting helmet headaches which was a huge plus, even though I wasn't able to get into a smaller size. Maybe you can get into a smaller helmet by finding one that is a better fit. If not, pretty much learn to embrace the bobble as someone suggested already.

You must have seen the women's beach T-shirts with a sexy young (skinny) body being worn by an older, lumpier women ... not unlike myself. Well, I am sure you could have your helmet painted white with some sort of graphic which would make the helmet "appear" smaller!

Graphics on a beach cover up can do wonders to make one look less lumpy. I don't see why the same concept wouldn't work on a helmet!

Pictures! We need pictures!


My solution to this problem was simple
I chose to view anyone riding with a helmet that's smaller than mine
as a "pinhead"

I used to wear a bicycle helmet back in the days when they were identical to rock climbers bump hats. So few cyclist wore them people would drive past in cars and shout "Dickhead" and give the 'wanker' motion out the window.

+1 I'm roughly a 7 3/4 hat size, with an odd-shaped bean. I had to try on dozens of modular and FF helmets at a motorcycle show before finding one that fit properly (Vega Summit II XXL).

And yes, it looks freakin' huge on my head. My former 3/4 helmet also looked huge. There's no way around it.

I have the problen of not only having a head the size of a $5 cabbage, but of having to fold my ears in every time i put my helmet on.
I have to wear a HJC. XXXL . I think they are one of the only companies who make this size,,
Im now used to being called "Trophy Head" and "Wingnut"
Dont give a shit any more since my hair fell out...