[Ducati] Helmet purchase(was two up riding)

[Steve Abramson]

Here's an unsolicited plug for the Service Pavilion. I have always had an 
Arai head. When I retired my Signet S last year, I decided (hoped it would 
fit) to get the new Profile. I live in Northern NJ, about 3-1/2 hrs from the 
Service Pavilion out in the Amish countryside of PA. Even though I see them 
each year at the Bike show at the Javits Center in NY, the intensity of the 
crowd never made for a desirable purchase environment for me, so I decided 
that at some point I would make the trip out to their shop. My 16 yr old son 
made the trip with me, and numerous things slowed our travel time to the 
point that we were not going to get to the shop until about 45 mins after 
they closed-. I was on the phone with Dennis along the way for help with 
directions, and told him I had just driven about 180 miles to get to the 
shop. He told me not to worry, he didn't have any pressing needs after 
closing-he would wait for me, and this was on a Saturday! Nobody does that 
in Jersey, or anywhere else I have seen We got to the shop, and after 
finally leaving 2 hrs. after his closing time, (spending half the time just 
bullshitting-you would think he would be just business focused at this 
point...........)I walked out with the best fitting helmet ever. We actually 
ended up using two different size cheek pads on either side if the helmet, 
because using same size pads had the helmet staying turned ever so slightly 
to one side. I have an asymmetrical head, don't you know.......They have 
priceless racing memorabilia on display in the shop, die-cast models, and 
other cool stuff to buy. It is not the place I thought it would look like 
from the outside-surprisingly nondescript and a little worse for wear 
looking, but like people, it's what's on the inside that counts. At no time 
during our after hours shopping did Dennis ever project anything other than 
complete interest and concern for my needs-I thought I was going to end up 
with a super-rushed buying experience-just what you want when you're getting 
fitted for a helmet. I never felt rushed. He even put other Arai helmet 
models out to try just to make sure that the Profile was going to be the 
best fit. He must have put head liners and cheek pads in and out of helmets 
50 times during my fitting. If you're going to buy and Arai helmet, make a 
point to see them at a bike show or at the races-it will be the best 
investment in a helmet you could make.

Steve




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alec Moss" <amoss at coastside.net>
To: <ducati at ducati.net>
Sent: Monday, December 25, 2006 2:48 AM
Subject: Re: [Ducati] Two up riding (was holiday cheer)


>I rode an '84 Harley FXR with an older, very comfy FLH seat for almost 20
> years, and my wife rode with me when we were younger, but not much later 
> on.
> For most of those years I wore an open face helmet, but had a windshield.
> Not a large one, but large enough to get behind.  In '99, before a trip to
> Colorado from the SF area, I bought an Arai Quantum, size large.
>
> And now I'm getting to the point.  When purchasing that helmet, no effort
> was made by the salesperson to 'fit' me with the right size.  Arai helmets
> come in four head shapes and the Quantum is next to the roundest one.  I
> bought a large Quantum and it felt fine.
>
> At the recent IMS show in San Mateo I tried on some Arai helmets and the
> large Quantum still felt the best.  I then talked to Robert at his The
> Service Pavilion booth, tried on another large Quantum and it felt good, 
> but
> he wanted to measure my head and found it to be a medium.  So I tried on a
> medium Quantum and, while it fit the top of my head, it was way too tight 
> on
> my face, in short a cheek muncher.  So Robert switched out the cheek pads,
> putting in thinner pads until I could close my mouth without pinching the
> inside of my cheeks.
>
> The result, a medium Quantum with fitted cheek pads is the most 
> comfortable,
> best fitting helmet I have ever worn.
>
> Maybe many of you get your helmets fitted, but from what I've been reading
> about on-line and mail order purchases, many of you don't.  I highly
> recommend having whatever brand you buy fitted if possible.  You'll be a 
> lot
> more comfortable and probably a bit safer.  Might even find it less noisy
> too.
>
>
> Alec
>
>
>
> On 24/12/06 6:25 AM, "Steve Abramson" <desmo900 at optonline.net> wrote:
>
>> Although it was
>> refreshing in a different way, I don't know if I really want to have half
>> helmets slung over our heads. I would prefer to be in my cheek muncher, 
>> and
>> maybe get some non-obtrusive intercoms.
>>
>> Steve*****
>>
>> Our sponsor, oncycles.com, is extending a one-time, limited-time offer
>> that's too good to miss.  $17 buys the new 2007 Moto Millennia catalog, a
>> $15 credit + free shipping for a year at oncycles.com, plus a year's
>> subscription to Robb Report Motorcycling, Road Racer X, and Two Wheel 
>> Tuner
>> magazines.  All of it for $17.  Check it out!
>>
>> Visit http://www.oncycles.com/
>>
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>
>
> *****
>
> Our sponsor, oncycles.com, is extending a one-time, limited-time offer
> that's too good to miss.  $17 buys the new 2007 Moto Millennia catalog, a
> $15 credit + free shipping for a year at oncycles.com, plus a year's
> subscription to Robb Report Motorcycling, Road Racer X, and Two Wheel 
> Tuner
> magazines.  All of it for $17.  Check it out!
>
> Visit http://www.oncycles.com/
>
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