ICON helmets. Are they any good?

MONSTRBUSA

Registered
It's time to update the lid but I need some input. I like the looks of the Icon "Carbon" helmet, but I don't have any experience with Icon helmets. Are they any good and do they hold up?

Anyone have any experience with an Icon helmet? Below is a pic of the Icon "Carbon" helmet. The other two helmets that I a'm looking at are the Shoei RF1100 and the Arai Corsair-V Rea. Pics of each are below as well.

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I have an ICON Mainframe thats 7 years old but has only been worn for a couple. I think the helmet is better than most of the reviews I read about them, but it definately is not the highest quality. I have about a half a tube of Devcon all purpose adhesive applied to the rubber around the bottom and the rubber seal around the face shield. The new helmets seem to be a little higher priced now, maybe I got mine when they were newer on the market? (meaning maybe they are improved).
I was looking at a new ICON at the dealers recently, and the salesman has got me leaning toward the new RF1100....FireStrike me think will match colors of the 2011 nicely.
Sorry I`m not more helpfull.

ETA- I never had the lens come out of mine or any kind of malfunction with the vents...although I do wish it flowed a little more air.
One rather neat feature is that when cruising along at a leisurely pace with the visor open a smidge, it slams shut when I `gitonit`!
 
plain and simple the loudest helmet you will wrap around your dome and ride the highway with. you might like it on city local rides and such but on long trips or on the highway you will regret the day you hit submit on that purchase if you are not a fan of windnoise.

I also wear ear plugs to listen to music and couldnt hear the music for **** cause of wind noise.

designs are freaking top notch and a great looking helmet but function is lacking. See icon helmets on all stunters but whens the last time you watched a moto gp race and saw a icon lid being rocked.
 
From best to worst:

Arai & Shoei > AGV> Bell> Nolan> Scorpion & Suomy > Icon > HJC

Just my opinion. I put on an ICON helmet and to me, they're very loud (wind noise) and cheap feeling.
Their gimmick is all the fancy graphics on their gear.

I usually see squids and young kids who've only been riding for around a year wearing them.
Helmet of choice by me is a Shoei RF-1000. I wear a Shoei X-11.
 
i have worn icon helmets for a long time. its got nothing to do with squids or anything else. squids dont wear gear. they are decent helmets with affordability in mind. they pass the same quality inspection as the big name guys. you just arent paying for the name. they are a little louder then some it seems but that never bothered me. lets face it if we wanted quiet we would ride in a cage.
 
I dont know mang. My Icon domain 2 decay helmet was $400 new and my educated shopper self found a shoei rf1100 on clearance for $275 on compacc.com just sayin

the look was amazing but the fitment/noise was over the top

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I am a satisfied owner of ICOn helmets: 1st one was a Domain Decay 2 (see pic in post #6 above) and now an Airframe (see pic below). For the money, fit and finish is pretty competetive vs the main brands.
FWIW, I have also owned an Arai (quantum f) and Shoei RF-1000 and like the Icon as much as I did these 2.
For the wind noise issue: EAR PLUGS, guaranteed to make any helmet the quietest.

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ICON's seem to fit tighter then the rest. (may want to get the next size up)
I have an HJC that is a lot louder then my ICON. The vents are easier to open/close on the HJC with gloves on.
The ICON is lighter then the HJC, but while riding, the air flow over the ICON bats my head around.. really bad in a cross wind.
I had a Shoei. It was awesome. Expensively awesome.

All that being said. I bought a $180 ICON helmet. I got an "okay" helmet. No way would I ever pay over $200 for one.
On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it a strong 7.5
 
i have worn icon helmets for a long time. its got nothing to do with squids or anything else. squids dont wear gear.
Helmets are required by law here... so the squids run out and get the semi-cheap, trendy helmets. That's all I meant.

Why deal w/ wind noise and fitment issues? I'll get the world's cheapest bike, but never a cheap helmet...
 
I wore Icon for a while, the mainframe. My wife has one too. The padding was shot after a year and I had to glue the black trim around the bottom on both of our helmets to keep it on. I went back to Shoei and couldnt be happier. The Icon is louder than other helmets I have worn, and I seemed to have neck issues for whatever reason with it, not so with the Shoei. I will stay with the brand that fits, and functions the best for me, Shoei. :beerchug:
 
I've had my Main Frame Icon for a lil over 1 1/2 yrs now still fits great. Yes its a lil noisy but my music more than takes care of that:thumbsup: If the wind noise drowns out your music you need a different set of headphones:laugh:
 
Shoei bar none.My shoei is quiet, fits well and is high quality.The venting isnt that great and it fogs up some on cold mornings but that goes for a lot of helmets.
 
To tell the truth, Icon has great quality, much better than some Shoeis, but it feels like you're wearing a trash can on your head. Way too big. Swapped it to a HJC FS-15 Carbon, and much more happier. Only minus HJC has - it's kinda loud...
 
Never owned an Icon but I have had an Arai and my current lid is a Shoei RF-1100... I LOVE BOTH OF THEM! You really can't go wrong with any of them on the list thogh.. but I think my overall fav is the Arai. Seemed to fit my head a little better and less wind noise than the Shoei.
 
ineresting tidbit i was told during the latest cycle of classes the military has made me take: Shoei is the only brand that is dual approved (DOT and whichever the other one is) on the FULL helmet. If you look at the back of the helmet where the sticker is placed, there is usually a ridge just underneath that, which would typically be closest to your neck/shoulders while wearing it. Everything BELOW that ridge on a Shoei is tested, whereas on other helmets it is not.

As for which I would buy, I own both. I FEEL safest in my Shoei, whether it is just mental or not I cant say. The icon looks pretty but I wont wear it for long rides or freeway runs. Also, in regards to price, I dont even look at price when buying a helmet. How dumb would it be to get to the pearly gates, and Peter looks at you and says, "You know, for the extra $150 you had a good 10 yrs left..." My life is worth much more than the price difference between brands.
 
If your'e talking about snell approval, then that is actually considered a bad thing. Snell approved helmets are harder and transfer more energy to the head during impact. I have a new Icon helmet that I haven't tried yet but I can tell you that it meets all of the safety requirements in every country (literally worldwide approved, only DOT in the states not snell) and to me that means that it will be fine.
 
Good Helmets aint Cheap and Cheap Helmets aint Good'

You get what you pay for ;)

+1!!! I've owned Icon, KBC, Scorpion, Shoei, and Arai... I currently ride with a Shoei RF-1100 and it is by far the best helmet I've owned thus far. All of mine had the same safety rating but the Shoei is lighter, has less wind noise and is the most comfortable. If you can afford it, go with Shoei or Arai....
 
My Domain Decay 2 was loud, but I usually ride with my music and earbuds.
After my accident on Aug. 8, 2011, the Domain Decay 2 did its job which is protecting my dense nogin


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