Helmets- LS2 Explorer (new version) VS LS2 Blaze (old version) VS other?

[DT675]

As the title suggests, I’m interested in trying one of these two LS2 helmets. I currently have a Bell MX-9 with MIPS technology.

 

Generally I like the Bell. But I don’t like the fact that it doesn’t have a chin curtain. I’ll never get another helmet without one ever again. The visor is super flimsy, like jello in the wind. I have both a clear shield and a smoke shield for it, but I dislike having to change them out. I always seem to get caught heading home late from a days ride when its getting dark with the smoke one on… It has MIPS.  I’d prefer to have this in any new helmet going forward. 
 

The LS2 Blaze is around $170. The new LS2 Explorer is $299. For reference my Bell was around $250ish if I’m remembering correctly. The reason I interested in the LS2’s are they are similar price to my current helmet (for replacement reasons), they both have built in smoke drop down shields with chin curtains. No MIPS though.  Also, last year I picked up a good deal on a LS2 Carbon street helmet for tracks days and it fits excellent and I like the quality quite a bit. 
 

Anyone have/ had these? Suggestions on an equivalent with built in sun sheild and chin curtain? 

Edited March 9, 2022 by DT675

[Landshark]

I'll watch this thread as I'm looking for a new helmet.  I ordered one back in Dec. but it won't arrive until August now.  I'll probably cancel that order and look for something in stock.  I have looked at the LS2 online but I need to try one on.  Lets see what the other inmates say.

[jdub53]

I'll be due for a new helmet next year (5 year change cycle), and am watching this thread for comments on the LS2 helmets also. Recent past helmets include two XD-4s and now using a carbon Touratech Adventuro that's great.

 

One comment about changing clear/dark shields: Many of my riding friends do this, but I always keep a clear shield on my helmet and wear sunglasses during the day. Darker sunglass lenses in bright sunlight, and lighter lenses on cloudy days. When I hit dirt I often ride with the helmet shield open to cut any reflections and to get airflow at lower speeds, and my eyes are still protected by the lenses. This eliminates the need to carry two shields around and has worked for me for decades. 

[NeilW]

I just got n the LS2 Valiant 2. I only rode with it once at 39 degrees F on the freeway for about 45 minutes. It is the flip over modular. I really like it so far. It is intermediate oval and fits me comfortably. Just for comparison the HJC rpha 90 is comfortable. Any  full face or modular scorpion is comfortable. I wear a medium in those. It is very well built and comes with a pinlock which is a must in the Pacific NW. About the same noise level as any other modular I have used. Hope this helps. 

Edited March 8, 2022 by NeilW

[Jesse]

I just bought a  Schuberth E1 I really like it, super comfy I've only ridden for a few hours with it but I'm happy. Its a fairly large helmet when compared to others but it is also modular with an internal visor  it is pricey but worth it. I tried on most of the ADV style helmets, I really liked the ARIA X4 and the Shoei Hornet x2 as well but hard to find in my size and not black right now.  But I really wanted modular with flip down visor and this one ticked all the boxes for me.  

[DT675]

On 3/8/2022 at 7:29 AM, DuncMan said:

I have the MX-9 MIPS and really like it so far. I wonder if you could fit a universal curtain into it?

It’s a comfortable helmet and contrary to some reviews I don't think its too terribly noisy. I’m not sure id even want to try and fit a universal chin curtain in it because the visor and shield are still too big of an issue for me. 

[Boondocker]

In your price range, you might consider the Scorpion EXO-AT950. I've been wearing one for several years and think I would replace it with the same.  Not everyone likes modular helmets, but as a glasses wearer, I find it much easier to put my glasses on/off with the chin bar up.  A drop-down shade is a must for me - perfect flexibility in all light conditions. Ventilation is mediocre but cracking the visor open usually suffices.

[Redline]

Just ordered the LS2 Explorer today.  The short list also included the Bell.  My choice was mainly down to fit - LS2's seem to suit me - aesthetics, and the discounted price.  I personally think that within specific price bands the major brands are more or less equivalent to one another so its down to fit and personal preferences than one being better than the other.

 

Couple of days and I can come back with some impressions.  

Edited March 14, 2022 by Redline
Typo

[Landshark]

I just got an HJC Aventa i90 helmet from the bike shop that so kindly sold me the T7.  Just under 300 Canadian dollar coins.

 

Here is a link to see what it looks like.  The color is matt black.

 

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Edited March 15, 2022 by Landshark

[lwmcvay3]

I have been riding in a LS2 Blaze for almost a year. Fits a little loose in my normal size. I'm impressed with the visor in the wind, doesn't try to take my head off if  I look to the side at speed. I must admit that first thing I did was take out the chin curtain... My buddy was riding in the Explorer, he had issues with the strap latch. I thought he was just clumsy but the fasteners are  actually different.

[MPAPD]

I have owned the ls2 carbon explorer now for a few months, because of winter I've only ridden 3000ks with it. I'm quite happy with it, the fit is quite good and I think the visor is quite well behaved with the wind. It is quite loud though, I have custom made earplugs but I can definitly tell so if that's something you want maybe look at other options. If you wanna know more ama.

[DT675]

On 3/14/2022 at 4:40 PM, Redline said:

Just ordered the LS2 Explorer today.  The short list also included the Bell.  My choice was mainly down to fit - LS2's seem to suit me - aesthetics, and the discounted price.  I personally think that within specific price bands the major brands are more or less equivalent to one another so its down to fit and personal preferences than one being better than the other.

 

Couple of days and I can come back with some impressions.  

Great! I’ll be waiting for those impressions!  I’m about to order one or the other just to try it out. I kinda feel like it’s taking advantage of the stores return policy if I order them both just to possibly ship them back…

[DT675]

On 3/14/2022 at 9:20 PM, lwmcvay3 said:

I have been riding in a LS2 Blaze for almost a year. Fits a little loose in my normal size. I'm impressed with the visor in the wind, doesn't try to take my head off if  I look to the side at speed. I must admit that first thing I did was take out the chin curtain... My buddy was riding in the Explorer, he had issues with the strap latch. I thought he was just clumsy but the fasteners are  actually different.

What didn’t you like with the chin curtain? Or just generally don’t like them? It is hard to itch one’s nose with it in. 
 

Can you expand more on your buddies latch issues? 

Edited March 17, 2022 by DT675

[lwmcvay3]

6 hours ago, DT675 said:

What didn’t you like with the chin curtain? Or just generally don’t like them? It is hard to itch one’s nose with it in. 
 

Can you expand more on your biddies latch issues? 

It is pretty hot in the summer and I like the ventilation without the curtain.

 

My friend was having trouble getting the tab into the correct part of the latch. The explorer has more padding around the latch that was causing difficulty at first, until he used to it.

[DT675]

I recently picked up a Carbon Challenger (at least I think its the challenger) street helmet.  I haven't worn it much but I think it may have a similar latch system as you describe. I just remember its different than others. Ill go dig it out and have a look. Thanks. 

[Richarddd]

On 3/10/2022 at 8:23 PM, Boondocker said:

In your price range, you might consider the Scorpion EXO-AT950. I've been wearing one for several years and think I would replace it with the same.  Not everyone likes modular helmets, but as a glasses wearer, I find it much easier to put my glasses on/off with the chin bar up.  A drop-down shade is a must for me - perfect flexibility in all light conditions. Ventilation is mediocre but cracking the visor open usually suffices.

I’ve been wearing a Scorpio EXO-AT950 for a couple of years now. I find on long stretches of dirt roads with a lot of dust. The dust gets Into the chin bar release mechanism. and it becomes very difficult to latch it. Sometimes taking a half dozen tries. Very disconcerting to be riding along at a fast clip and realize your chin bar is not latched. At the end of a trip. I’ll clean it and silicone spray it then have the same problem the next trip. At this point I’m trashing the helmet and changing to a regular ADV helmet instead of the modular. Thinking of trying the Klim Krios. 

[NeilW]

53 minutes ago, Richarddd said:

I’ve been wearing a Scorpio EXO-AT950 for a couple of years now. I find on long stretches of dirt roads with a lot of dust. The dust gets Into the chin bar release mechanism. and it becomes very difficult to latch it. Sometimes taking a half dozen tries. Very disconcerting to be riding along at a fast clip and realize your chin bar is not latched. At the end of a trip. I’ll clean it and silicone spray it then have the same problem the next trip. At this point I’m trashing the helmet and changing to a regular ADV helmet instead of the modular. Thinking of trying the Klim Krios. 

I love the Klim Krios- Note that I wear a medium normally but the sideways width of the medium Krios wouldn't fit over my ears, so I had to go to large.  Try it on before you buy it. I love mine. Freeway and off road! When it has been cold I have taped over the air inlets. It has amazing air flow. Here is my review 

Klim Adventure Helmet Test: Krios Karbon On- and Off-Road Lid

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Klim Adventure Helmet Test: We put lots of miles on the Krios Karbon, and we share everything we found out about this premium ADV lid.

 

[Ray Ride4life]

I also wanted a Klim but i don't have a Klim head.

[Robo]

Have had my explorer since Xmas, (gifted myself) and have to say I’m pretty happy with it. Replacing an O’neal sierra I find it a lot more comfortable, slightly quieter and the peak doesn’t catch the wind as much. Also another plus is it comes with a pinlock. Only downsides so far is the neck strap was a bit fiddly till I got used to it and the visor doesn’t have any detects to hold it slightly open. Overall good lid in my opinion. 

[Richarddd]

3 hours ago, NeilW said:

I love the Klim Krios- Note that I wear a medium normally but the sideways width of the medium Krios wouldn't fit over my ears, so I had to go to large.  Try it on before you buy it. I love mine. Freeway and off road! When it has been cold I have taped over the air inlets. It has amazing air flow. Here is my review 

Klim Adventure Helmet Test: Krios Karbon On- and Off-Road Lid

---

Klim Adventure Helmet Test: We put lots of miles on the Krios Karbon, and we share everything we found out about this premium ADV lid.

 

Thanks

And Great review 

[Lewie]

I’ve just received the LS2 Pioneer evo

i think a bargain at £51 delivered to my door in graphite 

get a good review- no pin lock but pin lock ready - chin curtain, gold stamped and internal ‘glasses’

 

[DT675]

Well I've ordered both, the LS2 Explorer and the LS2 Blaze.  The seller will except one or both back with free shipping both ways.  I dont intend to take advantage of them and hope to not have to send both back.  But this way I will be able to do a direct comparison between these 2 and my current Bell MX-9 Adventure.  

[DT675]

I had only about 10 mins tonight to take a quick look at these. My 1st impressions in that 10 mins are-

 

Blaze, $180 Explorer $300. I thought for the price difference their would be an immediate clear winner. So far there isn’t. 
 

Blaze- easier to get my head into. When it’s in, it’s not quite as comfortable as the Explorer. It has the ratchet style chin strap and is easy to use. It has a chin curtain. Is pin lock ready, no pin lock shields come with it. The front of the helmet is lower profile than the Explorer making it a little easier to see the motorcycle dash. The visor is MUCH MUCH more sturdy than my Bell, but kinda narrow. The face shield “appears” like it doesn’t/ won’t seal all that well. 
 

Explorer- noticeably more difficult to get my head into. When it’s in it’s more comfortable than the Blaze. Has a different ratchet style chin strap than the Blaze, It’s weird, haven’t quite figured it out yet. Comes with a chin curtain. Is pin lock ready and comes with a pin lock shield. The front of the helmet is kinda tall. The face shield  positivity “latches” closed. The face shield “appears” like it will seal much better than the Blaze.  The smoke interior drop down visor appears like it drops down a little farther than the Blaze. Very very much unfortunately, the visor is not as sturdy as the Blaze and is maybe just slightly more sturdy than my Bell. (For reference, my Bell visor sucks)

 

(Ok, after writing this out I’m now leaning towards the Explorer) 

 

Soon I’m going to do a back to back comparison between them to hopefully get a clear decision. And I’ll need to do a short road test to check for face shield leakage.   

[DT675]

So the next step in this was to go for a test ride. I neeeeded to find out how these two helmets handled the wind and air at speed, that would be the final maker-or-breaker of this decision. 

 

For a baseline, I went for a 4 mile down and back ride with my Bell MX-9 Adventure.  Next I did the same run with the LS2 Blaze on.  It was immediate that I noticed the pretty dramatic increase in wind noise over my Bell.  It's a loud helmet.  I didn't necessarily feel like it let "in" more air than my Bell but was definitely no better and much louder.  This is a deal breaker for me, the LS2 Blaze is out.

 

I then put the LS2 Explorer on and went for the same ride.  As a few reviewers have already stated, it has a little less vision than other helmets on the lower part of the helmet (nose guard area).  For example when you want to look down at your instrument cluster.  While this was slightly noticeable to me it didn't seem to bother me all that much.  What was immediate and very noticeable to me was compared to the Blaze AND Bell it is a much quieter and calmer helmet.  What I mean by calmer is that the wind didn't seem to blow my head around as much, with less turbulence than either other helmets. When I look from side to side like I often do while riding checking out the scenery, the Explorer is a much more stable helmet.  The visor, while it appears (and kinda feels) a little more on the flimsy side like the Bell, and not nearly as sturdy as the Blaze, in the wind so far it didn't seem to deflect at all.  So maybe it's just designed better? I'm not sure, time will tell on that one.  For reference, it was a pretty windy day on this test ride and I rode each of them up to around 75 MPH.  It was too cold to go faster lol. 

 

Overall my thoughts about the Explorer is that it feels more like a robust street bike helmet with a large shield and visor while the Bell and LS2 Blaze feel more like off-road helmets with a large face shield.  The Explorer feels like "more helmet" if that makes any sense.  It feels bigger like there is just more material everywhere, and very well built.  The others feel more minimal in comparison. I love the fact that I had all the vents closed except the chin vent and it was quiet and had very little unwanted air flow.  But when the hot weather begins I should be able to open all the vents and it should flow lots of air to keep me cool.

 

Last impression was when I actually took off for my day's ride after this testing.  I went back to the Bell for that and within 5-10 miles in that helmet I quickly remembered on this cold day how much unwanted air rushes through it when I turn my head side to side and that air seems to always go directly into my eyes.  The LS2 Explorer does not do this much at all. 

 

Conclusion= I returned the LS2 Blaze immediately, cleaned and put my Bell MX-9 Adventure up for sale locally.  I’m keeping the LS2 Explorer. 

Edited April 24, 2022 by DT675

[Wintersdark]

Strongly considering the LS2 Carbon Explorer myself, but holy hell are they ever cheaper south of the border.  Maybe I should put my crappy old 6yr old helmet on, ride down south, grab one there and toss the old helmet, then ride back.  

 

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$650cdn. 

 

Edit: Ah, $460USD, so pretty much the same price really: 

LS2 Explorer Carbon Frontier Helmet

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The LS2 Explorer Carbon brings state of the art high performance Carbon Fiber shell technology. Offering a plush, technical fabric interior with 3D la…

 

Further Edit: Ah, it seems it's just a $200 premium graphics?  Really?!  Good lord.  

 

Further Further Edit: Oooooh, the cheap one has a fiberglass shell.  Much heavier.  Got it.  That makes more sense. 1650g vs 1450g.

 

Edited April 24, 2022 by Wintersdark