As I was preparing for my trip to Sturgis, for the rally, I decided I needed a new helmet. Besides the normal reasons I wanted to upgrade to one that handled rain better.
I had been using a full helmet with a snap-on, flip-up face shield, and it just was not doing what I wanted it to. I always seem to get caught in one of them heavy rains where you can hardly see the road and there is really nowhere to stop. It takes a lot of fun out of the ride.
I started researching helmets, and I came across the Harley-Davidson Boom-Audio NO2 Full-Face Helmet.
It is made of a fiberglass composite and weighs about 3 pounds 12 ounces. It has a washable removable liner and standard Double D-ring chin strap and of course meets all the Dot FMVSS 218 safety standards.
It also has chin and forehead cooling vents, which I later found to be very desirable during the heat of the day, by allowing some cool air to enter. There is also an exit vent on the back of the helmet.
The helmet has a battery in it that must be charged before it is used. Simply plug the supplied cord into the helmet and wait for the red light to come on. When the blue light comes on, the battery is fully charged. I do not know how long the battery lasts as it worked all day for me. I ran through 10-12 hours of riding, and the only time I turned it off was when stopping for gas and I took the helmet off. I charged this helmet overnight and was good to go again.
Since I have my son Dale program my cell phone, I took him the helmet and my phone. He had a Blue Tooth allowing for all kinds of communications. This allowed me to listen to the music from my cell phone, and even though I do not take calls or talk on the phone while riding, that was an option as well.
For those who are interested, it will let you communicate with other people you are riding with, get GPS information and all kinds of cool, confusing and distracting things. Beware!
As it turned out the radio on my motorcycle stopped working the day before I was scheduled to leave, so it turned out choosing this helmet was a good idea.
I was impressed with the sound and less noise and wind noise reduction. The controls on the helmet were very easy to operate even with my gloves on.
And YES, I did hit a lot of rain during different parts of the trip and the helmet did its job perfectly, allowing me to see the road ahead of me. With with the new H-D helmet and my Harley Rain Gear I stayed dry as well.
Like the songs says – I had a long way to go and a short time to get there. The helmet and rain gear made all the difference. Plus being able to listen to music while doing it, was like having Ice Cream with The Cake.
Prior to getting this helmet I went to my local Harley Dealer and tried it on. I usually wear a X Large. The X Large was a little tight going on but fit well once it was on. Taking it off was a problem, getting caught on my ears. The sales lady assured me that would go away after I had worn it for a while. After my 6000-mile trip to Sturgis and back I never mastered the way to remove it. I suspect I should have ordered a 2X Large. This is definitely MY BAD. I am only mentioning this because Due to strict DOT safety and health restrictions helmets may not be returned or exchanged.
I am going to recommend that if you are looking for a Full-Face Helmet this one should be at the top of your list. Just try a few on to make sure it fits you properly.
To find out more about this helmet go to https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/shop/boom-audio-n02-full-face-helmet/p/98208-20VX
