How to Choose a Motorcycle Helmet: Full Face, Open Face and Modular
Picking a motorcycle helmet is one of those decisions where small details have a big impact on how much you actually enjoy your ride. The right shape, fit, ventilation and visor system make a long ride feel effortless. The wrong one will hot-spot your forehead in 20 minutes. This guide covers the four main helmet types, how to fit a helmet properly, what the Australian standard is, and how to match your riding style to a helmet style.
The four main helmet types
Full face helmets
A full face helmet covers your head and chin in one piece. The chin bar is fixed and the visor flips up to open the face. This is the most enclosed style, with the most coverage and the lowest wind noise on the highway. Full face helmets suit road riders, sport riders, track riders and anyone who covers long distances at speed. They sit best on sport bikes, naked bikes, sport touring and adventure bikes ridden mostly on tarmac.
Inside this category there are sport-leaning shells (lower aerodynamic drag at speed, narrower vision) and touring-leaning shells (taller eye port, more comfort padding, often a sun visor). The Kabuto Kamui is an example of a touring-leaning full face commonly fitted in Australia.
Open face helmets
Open face (also called three-quarter or jet) helmets cover the top of the head and the back, but leave the chin and face exposed. Most use a flip-down visor or accept clip-on visors and goggles. Open face suits cruiser riders, scooter commuters, vintage and cafe-racer style bikes, and anyone who wants more airflow and a less enclosed feel. They are also lighter than full face shells.
The tradeoff is more wind noise at speed and less weather protection. If you ride mostly under 80 km/h on city roads, the difference is small. If you spend a lot of time on the highway, you will feel it.
Modular helmets
Modular helmets (also called flip-up helmets) have a chin bar that lifts up so the helmet can switch between full face and open face configurations. The hinge mechanism adds weight and complexity but the convenience is real, especially for touring riders who stop often and want to talk, drink or refuel without removing the helmet.
Modulars suit touring, adventure and commuter riders who want the option of opening up at lights and rest stops. The LS2 Explorer is a popular adventure-style modular available in Australia.
Off-road and motocross helmets
MX-style helmets have an extended chin bar, a peak (visor) above the eye port, and an open face that fits goggles instead of a flip-down shield. The peak deflects roost and sun. The longer chin bar adds airflow for the harder breathing of off-road riding.
Adventure helmets are a hybrid, blending an MX-style peak and chin bar with a flip-down road visor. They suit riders who split time between dirt and tarmac.
The Australian standard
In Australia, motorcycle helmets sold for road use must comply with AS/NZS 1698 or, since 2015, the UN ECE 22.05 (and now 22.06) standard, depending on state-level regulation. Helmets in our catalogue carry the appropriate certification stickers. Always check the certification mark on a helmet before buying. We do not make safety claims about specific helmets beyond their certification status. Refer to the manufacturer's documentation and your state road authority for the current legal requirements where you ride.
Fitting a helmet
A helmet that does not fit well is not doing its job, regardless of brand or price. Three steps to check fit:
- Measure your head. Use a soft tape measure around your head about an inch above your eyebrows, at the widest point. Compare to the manufacturer's size chart. Do not assume you are the same size in every brand. AGV, LS2, Kabuto and RXT all use slightly different shells.
- Try the helmet on for at least five minutes. A helmet that feels fine for thirty seconds can press a hot spot once your head warms it. Look in a mirror. The cheek pads should hold your cheeks firmly against your gums when you bite down lightly. The crown of the helmet should sit flat across your forehead, not tilted back.
- Do the roll test. With the strap fastened, grab the back lower edge of the helmet and try to roll it forward off your head. If the helmet rolls off easily it is too loose. A correct fit will resist the roll-off motion firmly.
Sizes XS, S, M, L, XL and XXL are common, but cheek pad thickness can be customised inside many shells. Replacement cheek pads in different thicknesses are stocked under helmet liners and cheek pads if your size sits between two off-the-shelf options.
Head shape
Helmet shells fit one of three internal shapes:
- Round oval: head is roughly as wide as it is long.
- Intermediate oval: slightly longer front to back than side to side. This is the most common shape and what most helmets fit.
- Long oval: noticeably longer front to back. Riders with this shape often hot-spot on intermediate-oval helmets.
If a helmet feels right around the ears but pinches your forehead and crown, the shell shape is wrong for your head. Try a different brand or model rather than a different size in the same shell.
Visor and ventilation
Replaceable visors are standard on full face and modular helmets. Look for clear, tinted, iridium and photochromic options for the helmet model you choose. Anti-fog inserts (often called Pinlock inserts) reduce fogging in cold and wet conditions and are worth fitting if your riding sees winter or rain.
Ventilation is the difference between a helmet that drains heat at 60 km/h and one that boils your head at every traffic light. Look for adjustable chin vents, brow vents and exhaust vents at the back of the shell. More vents do not automatically mean better airflow. The shell shape and channel design behind the liner determine how the air actually moves.
Replacement visors and shields for AGV, LS2, Kabuto and other brands are stocked under helmet visors.
Quick brand reference
Brands stocked at Star Cycle Gear:
- AGV is an Italian brand that has been used at the top level of road racing for decades. The catalogue includes road-focused shells like the AX9 Trail (adventure) and Pista GP RR (sport).
- LS2 produces a broad range across price points, including the MX436 Pioneer Evo (off-road) and the Explorer modular for adventure riders.
- Kabuto is a Japanese brand best known for the Kamui range, which sits in the touring-leaning full face category.
- RXT is a value-positioned brand with road and MX-style shells available in adult and kids sizes.
The full helmets collection covers all four shell types with sub-categories for full face, open face and modular options.
How to match riding style to helmet style
- Daily commuter on a sport or naked bike: full face for the wind noise reduction.
- Cruiser or scooter rider in the city: open face works if speeds stay low.
- Touring or adventure rider: modular for the open-up convenience at stops, or an adventure helmet if you split time on dirt.
- Track day rider: sport-leaning full face with a clear visor and Pinlock-ready insert.
- Off-road or motocross rider: dedicated MX helmet with goggles, not a road helmet.
If you have a question about fit or which model suits your bike, our team is available to help. Browse the full helmet range to start.