Lucinda H. from Connecticut

August 8, 2008
The HJC Sy-Max II Metallic Helmet is a convenient helmet. Great running in to get (and sip) a coffee or pay for gas, without having to take it off. I found the cheeks pressed in on me at first, but they have finally gotten compressed some (took a few weeks), so they are more comfortable. The helmet felt heavy at first, I had a 3/4 helmet before, but have gotten used to it. I can hear the wind roaring, and sometimes I hear whistling if I tilt my head a certain way. So far, this hasn't really bothered me, even for long periods of time. Venting seems good (I didn't have vents in the 3/4. I have more air cooling my face in the symax II than I did in my 3/4 helmet. I get some fogging on the bottom of the shield on cool mornings (or rainy/damp days), so the venting doesn't eliminate that. Cracking the visor open a bit helps with it. The sunshield is handy - went on a group ride and it was raining for a few hours on the way home, so had put my sunglasses away during the last gas stop. The sun finally came out, and I didn't have to stop to put sunglasses on, just put the internal sunshield down. The shield isn't as dark as some sunglasses, but it's a good combination with sunglasses, or convenient alone when riding. Very easy to retract when going through a tunnel. I wish it was a bit lighter, but overall, I like it.