The CL-Max helmet is a lower priced flip up type helmet from HJC. THere is a higher model called the Symax also from HJC.
First Impressions:
The helmet seems well made and the paint is half decent, not great but a coat of Nu Finish on it does wonders and protects it. The latch system is the easiest I've seen as it's one button underneath the helmet. It comes with a full set of extra screws and plastic bits and a free helmet bag(nice touch) I got mine in plain black. Also the obnoxious(to me)"HJC" logo can be taken off without a hair dryer or leaving gunk behind.
Fit:
Get an extra size up these things are extremly well padded. It took over a month for mine to have any semblance of breaking in. I think they are made for small Korean heads or something. I have a small head and I got a Large which fit me slightly tight untill break in. Once on your head it's very confortable. If you have the flip up part up with the visor open it creates an air brake effect and pulls back on your head. If you are going to ride with the flip up part up(not too safe) close the visor.
Venting/Air Circulation:
This helmet is extremely well ventilated. Almost too much so. Definately a summer helmet as it does get a bit breezy. Windshield had a whistle untill I took the visor off and remounted it properly. There is some air that comes from underneath the helmet and flows in front of your face to the windshield at speed. Great for hot days, not so good at really cold temperatures. However the main part of your head gets no circulation untill you open the vents which work well. Top vents could be larger but work ok, since it has good circulation anyway you wont get too hot. Front vent is huge!! No leaks during rain with visor in any position.
Usage:
This helmet has better than average visibility, however with that comes a price. The visor can fog up fairly easily even with the vent open a hair in the front. I should have bought the optional breath box which would have fixed this problem. Also the helmet is noisier than a full face but not by much, those that are super noise sensitive should wear eraplugs or look elseware. Another minor problem if you could call it that, is if the lid is flipped up with the visor down it's hard to get a good enough grip to lock in place with one hand unless the helmet is on tight or the lid is up and the visor is up so you have something to grab on to. I know you aren't supposed to ride with it up but sometimes in stop and go traffic it's nice to get some fresh air.
My score out of 10:
8.0 out of 10
Pros:
-Very reasonably priced
-Good build quality
-nice "extras" like helmet bag, screws, etc.
-once broken in confortable and cool in summer
-Perfect for summer commuting.
Cons:
-Need to buy breathbox for cold weather riding
-ALmost too breezy for cold weather riding
-Slightly noisy
-Might not be good for super long hauls
Topic: CL-Max Helmet (Read 7495 times)