Helmet – LS2 Advant

This helmet has been the only modular that I have been comfortable in for hours and hours. My head shape is a long oval, and most shells just simply don’t accommodate the shape of my head. I end up with hot spots, or pressure points that become unbearable after just a few minutes. The Advant any discomfort like that at all. My ears do hurt after 10 hours or so from my glasses, and I did have to modify the cutouts for the speakers of my Cardo. The only other change I made, and truthfully, its still a bit snug, I bought the 3XL cheek pads because if I move my jaw at all, I will either bite my cheeks or have raw spots. The cheek pads push my cheeks between my teeth, so eating, talking, after a long ride results in some issues.

The sun visor, like every other helmet I have ever seen with a built in sun visor, the clarity sucks. It works if you don’t have any other options, but its blurry at best.

The visor and pinlock:
I am still struggling to get used to the visor. It doesn’t have the traditional “tab” off to the left side that you can catch with your thumb and push up, or pull down. Instead, there is a little recess in the lower, absolute middle of the visor. For me that means I am constantly putting thumb prints and smears all over the visor. That being said, the visor field of view is huge. Like sitting behind a picture window. I love the pinlock (first helmet I have had with it), however both Maker and I have experienced issues with the pinlock posts rotating and letting the pinlock visor depart the helmet. Not the end of the world, but its never fun trying to figure out what the hell just flew off of your head at 70mph.

Ventilation:
It’s not the best, it’s not the worst. Here in the south east in the summer, it’s never going to be enough.

In the Rain:
The helmet does a decent job even in the monsoons I find myself in. If you have to crack the visor at all though, you are going to get water travelling up the inside of the visor. This tends to happen more with the Advant than it did with my Bell full face. I assume it has something to do with the aerodynamic differences between the 2, but it’s noticeable to me.

180° Chin Guard:
This feature is the main reason I went looking for LS2 helmets. I had a Bell Revolution and riding with chin guard up was like mounting a sail to the top of your head. On the Advant, the chin guard ends up fully behind your head out of the air flow. The only extra resistance is what gets caught inside the helmet, like with a 3/4 helmet. Having the option of flipping the chin guard back has been a life saver in the Georgia heat. Plus grabbing a drink or a snack, well lets just say its fat guy approved.

Wind Noise:
Yep, there is a lot, even with the visor down, this helmet is loud. Full disclosure, I have some hearing damage from years of being a dumb ass around airplanes. Years of riding with a brain bucket hasn’t helped. In the past 2 years I have been riding with ear plugs so I can hear at the end of the day. If I don’t wear ear plugs under the Advant, its as loud or louder than riding with no helmet at all. My ears will ring for hours afterward. There have been multiple times that I have had to close the visor in order to hear Maker talking over the Cardo.