1. Good bang for the buck – just not right for me.
I have been shopping for an affordable flip-up helmet to use on an upcoming trip abroad – low speed riding with frequent stops for sightseeing – and thought a flip-up with an internal sun shade would be a good match. My head shape is on the intermediate to long oval side (Arai Profile and Signet-Q), so finding a flip-up that fits me well has proven to be a real challenge, as most of the lids in this segment definitely seem to fall into the "neutral" or "round" category.
I read a few reviews of the GT920 claiming that this helmet fits more oval than most flip-ups – which it does. Many reviews also mention the tightness of the cheek pads. I wasn't too concerned with this, as I have a fairly narrow face and jaw, and prefer a snug fit and thick cheek pads and neck rolls to help combat buffeting and wind noise. The cheek pads in the GT920 are definitely firmer than most, and I could see some people with chubby cheeks or a wider jaw having real trouble with this helmet. But again – if you have a narrower face, you should be just fine.
The deal breaker for me was my inability to wear my glasses in this helmet. Despite Scorpion's "KwikFit" cheek pads, which are supposedly designed to accommodate eyeglasses, I simply could not get any of my glasses to fit comfortably inside this helmet. I tried 3 different pair of eyeglasses with very differently shaped frames. The results were unacceptable, ranging from the lenses sitting way too high on my face to the frames painfully stabbing me behind my temples. On top of that, using the drop down internal sun shield in front of my prescription lenses resulted in optical distortion and glare. A lot of glare. Think "reverse anti-glare."
Otherwise, the helmet seems great for the price. It's definitely one of the more aggressively styled flip-ups, and at first (or even second) glance, most people would mistake this for a full face. Especially nice is that Scorpion bothered to manufacture three different shell sizes across the range, so if you wear an XS, you won't be stuck looking like a bobble head with a padded-down XXL shell. That's a huge bonus at the $200 price point. (Why does the AGV Numo have only one shell size at about $100 more?) The chin bar rotation is smooth and locks down securely with a confidence inspiring click. The control for the drop-down sun visor is on the upper-left side just behind the shield pivot. It's very easy to use, with smooth operation, and no overly complicated spring-loaded nonsense. I prefer this placement to the Nolan or Schuberth, which put their sun visor control along the bottom – exactly where you would want to mount an intercom such as a Sena 20s.
If you have a narrower face, are searching for a sporty looking flip-up that won't break the bank, and don't wear prescription glasses – give the GT920 a try.
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