Nexx Viljord flip front helmet very first impressions

Yesterday this much anticipated (by me) helmet arrived in my front porch. It seemed the slightly pragmatic answer to my plan to use a flip front on my next trips, making immigration, buying petrol and having a drink or snack much easier. The newly released (and v expensive) Schuberth E2 was my first option but trying on a couple of sizes at the MCN motorcycle show back in February revealed to me that my head seems to fall between M and L for Schuberth. So plan B, Nexx was cheaper by a couple of hundred pounds and also, I realised, could save me buying a new Bluetooth headset as I could use my existing XComm and the expensive moulded wired earbuds that are on order, arriving soon.

First nervous impressions out of the box: the sun visor had not been attached, and rattled around and seemed broken. On the verge of returning the helmet I found instructions on how to fit it – first problem solved.

So trying it on: hmmm Large is probably the right size for me but – when closed the helmet is very tight around my manly jaw. Perhaps I could live with that. Perhaps it will give slightly as people say. The opening is a bit more slit-like than my other open face helmets and because I’ve pushed the helmet slightly upwards to make it more comfortable around the jaw my field of vision is restricted downwards – but I can probably also live with that. Sunglasses do fit inside it but slot in at an odd angle. Again that could be made to work. Flipping up is clunky. Flipping down is a bit of a struggle and the visor closes itself when you flip up – annoying – again just a bit. I see why Schuberth made such a fuss about their new helmet not doing that. When it latches closed the tightness around the jaw becomes on the verge of unacceptable. But weighed against the excitement of a new lid, I can probably live with this.

But now the first real disappointment: my Nexx XComm does not fit this helmet. The cut out is too small so I’d need to shell out on their new version XComm2. (Its £195) . Not exactly the end of the world – but a careful look at the XComm2 manual on line shows that it does not have a separate connector for the earbuds so my clever adapter from Sena and custom earbuds on the way will not work with this model. So that could be another £190 wasted. So back to another plan – the Sena 10S if I can get it to fit on the side of this helmet. It is what I had planned to do, after all.

But with so many niggles, am I going to keep this helmet or return it? The decision is too emotional – after having this in my hands it would be a bit painful to return it and start the search all over again even though it might be the sensible option at the moment… lets sit with it for a while.

I’ve just seen Sena 10S is discontinued at Sportsbikeshop, though available at a discount at other places. I will go for it though expect fitting the clamp to be difficult – actually it seems its not a problem. I’ve now ordered a Sena 20S Evo (£165 from Sportsbikeshop) which seems it will meet my requirements with an earbud socket, and with more recent firmware updates so a better option than an already discontinued item.

The more I wear this helmet around the house, the more the uncomfortable parts are starting to soften. It will be very satisfying to get this helmet sorted with the bluetooth and GoPro mount.

Travel tripods – its a nightmare

Well, not quite that bad – just a difficult choice. A huge leap in interestingness of motorcycle travel video is some variation from the overused first person POV helmet camera footage to actual footage of rider riding into and out of shot on some beautiful corner on a twisty road. We’re so used to seeing seamless continuity on feature films that we don’t even notice it on motoYoutubers efforts, yet effort it takes to achieve. We must make some unconscious assumption that there is a film crew riding with our favourite motoYoubuer. Maybe on occasions there is but often its not the case. And how’s it done? With a laborious setting up of a shot in advance: scouting, stopping, riding back, getting out your tripod, trusting leaving your beloved camera running and unattended while you jump back on the bike, ride off, turn round and ride back into shot looking nonchalant; then stop again, ride back, pack everything away and ride off and repeat a few times a day. You really wouldn’t get very far in a day. It takes high motivation to record something to go to all this trouble. The other far less troublesome use of tripods is to film yourself unboxing and trying out various gadgets from camping stoves to er… new tripods.

So, having thought that I might just possibly try this, at least use number two, I am searching for the ideal lightweight tripod. There are actually a huge number to try to chose from. The high end carbon models cost over £300. They tend to get good reviews – but that’s a lot to spend on something that may be a very short-lived experiment. Then there are the scores of mid to cheap models, often praised highly by Youtubers who probably have only used them once or twice and like the design. Amazon reviews provide usually more sober evaluations. These cheap tripods are cheap because they might use a soft component where a slightly expensive piece of aluminium would have been better. So reviews show that these are often not very strong. I have been on the verge of ordering so many of these then read poor reviews and stopped in my tracks. The latest is this:

I have never heard of Sirui – but then I have never heard of most of these brands. Its small, its light and its cheap. I may risk it. But will I risk actually trying it out on a windy corner in Norway on my next trip?

2023 trip planning for the Arctic Circle

Its 180 miles from Hoek Van Holland to Eemshaven where a brand new ferry company has just started a route to Kristiansand on the southern tip of Norway, saving one night in Germany compared with the journey from Kiel to Oslo. And the price is a little cheaper. The cost in time is a rather longer journey in Norway.

From Oslo the route to Mo I Rana is 623 miles; from Kristiansand its 793 miles – 3 hours more riding on day one.

Mosko Moto Tank bags compared – Nomax and Hood

About a year ago – or was it two? – I bought my first piece of Mosko Moto kit, the Nomax Tank bag, for my then new KTM 790Adv. When it arrived, I was surprised, maybe a little disappointed, that it was so small, and not only small but divided horizontally into compartments that made it even smaller. This was not the tank bag that you could dump a small supermarket shop, or your large DSLR into and ride off. It encouraged or rather forced you into organising the number of necessarily small items that you might want to have at hand. Even the additional map holder was so small I had to search for an A5 size road atlas to fit into it. But then the KTM, and other off-road-ish bikes, are smaller than BMW R1200s that my previous Touratech bag perched on. Touratech tank bags are described as being 15L in volume, compared to a third of that for these MM bags. That’s got that out of the way.

I think it was the influence of a Youtube motorcycle traveller that brought the Hood tank bag to my attention first. I liked its simple design and the fact it seems to be one large compartment and one that’s meant to be highly waterproof too. So I shelled out and it arrived from somewhere in Europe without me having to pay any extra tax. I wanted to know whether it had the carrying capacity of the Nomax so tried this experiment:

Soundtrack inspired by David Lynch

Pretty much all of those small tools for minor maintenance and some personal things like Ibuprofen and folding cutlery fit into the two separate pouches that fit inside. That leaves the centre of the bag for the usb charger and the tangle of wires and battery chargers that most motorcyclists carry around on their trips. The bag has some waterproof holes and routes for a charging cable to reach the bike’s usb charging socket installed now by the new tower. And that’s just about it. So just like the Reckless 80 that I also have, instead of opening it and reaching for the item you need, you have to take a bunch of things out first to find what you want – maybe not so much fun if its raining and you are by the side of the road. That’s the price of the ‘light is right’ approach, I suppose.

The real test is to try it out on the bike which I haven’t done yet.

Old School motorcycle garage in South London

Everything I do ends up with lashings of anxiety. My bike was/is due its first MOT just after Christmas so at my KTM dealer getting a service done a couple of weeks back I asked whether my high beam Baja Squadron Pro would pass its test. I knew that it was sold as not street legal and I also know that it is blindingly bright. I was told that it would be ok but the dipped headlight would bring ‘an instant fail’. And why? Because its beam sloped up to the right rather than the left which is how LHD countries require headlights to point. (See below – subtle, eh?)

So, on the mail to Aurora Rally equipment, based in definitely RHD Greece. They pointed me helpfully to a Hella light on Amazon with a LH slope, ordered then delivered a few days later. I thought I would replace both headlamps and brought the bike back home from its usual location in Cambridge. Its not really that difficult to remove the front of the tower, just a little time consuming. For me though, the new light looked like it could never fit because the connection seemed totally different, so every step proceeded with a sense that everything would go pearshaped on this job at any moment.

Needless to say everything worked out well. The dipped beam is a small LED (over €100) which easily replaced the halogen bulb that came with the new light, though the Aurora tower does not seem to have enough upwards adjustment for the dipped beam.

So, rather than head back up to Ipswich I took the bike to a local MOT and mechanics, ChasBikes on Kennington Road. I was uncertain that the bike would get through.

It was easy to book, and there was no waiting time when I arrived and the test was done in half an hour, possibly less. The place is great and a welcome antidote for those corporate dealers where you get a coffee from a machine while your bike is whisked off and the mechanic’s space is out of bounds to customers. This is an Old school motorcycle garage at its best. I sat about 10 feet away from the mechanic testing my bike and could explain its oddities – like the headlight only comes on after the bike has moved a couple of yards. Chas and his mechanic both have an enjoyable dry humour (‘when electric starts came out I thought this won’t catch on’). I’ll be back for sure – next year at least. Chas mentioned that he had lived in East Africa, but I didn’t enquire further. The bike passed and I learned a few things about how the bureaucratic MOT system works. Interestingly this is what I found when looking them up to do a Google review:

‘CHASBIKES was started in 1984 by Charles Holt M.A.(OXON), a former East African wildlife biologist. Originally located on an industrial estate in Greenwich, the company hired out Honda CX500’s to dispatch riders, before beginning to specialise in repairing them for the public. The company then moved on to work on other popular dispatch riding models….’ https://www.yell.com/biz/chasbikes-ltd-london-6519580/

And here he is:

On Britany Ferries from Santander – going home

Sunday 4th September

I made it onto the ferry and parked on level 3 green stairs – I must remember that. This morning at the campsite I was offered coffee by two separate people. This made me feel more welcome than my arrival yesterday evening into what felt like an impenetrable packed crowd of Spanish all speaking too loud (that says more about me than them). I should not be surprised, but I am, by how much nervousness can influence my sense of the atmosphere in a place. But it was noisy last night on the campsite with dogs barking, thudding disco distant beats and camping neighbours talking. But I had a good strategy. After an ok pizza and beer in their cafe bar I walked on the sand in the beautiful evening and watched some families ride hired horses in circles cleverly instructing well trained horses to make smaller and smaller circles. All in the slowly goldening evening. When I did return I lay down in my tent and listened to some music I had on my phone with H’s earbuds (that I had thoughtfully brought with me). Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits and then my tracks on SoundCloud. I learned or noticed for the first time that Leonard Cohens live recordings were all about emotional and sonic crescendo with vocals (both his and his amazing backing singers) and instruments soaring to some hallelujah. Something to take to my own music though plenty of songs don’t do that big emotional thing. Kraftwerk for example. They just go on and on.

This morning I lingered on the beach then left at about 10.30.

was this the morning or the evening before?

By 11.30 I was at the ferry port and whisked through at such speed that the immigration officers had to call me back without a smile as I obliviously rode past the place where I should have showed my passport. Did I say I have decided to get a new flipping front helmet?

Brittany Ferries Galicia - hull made in China

After passport control at Santander awaiting Brittany Ferries — Fellow travellers

Leaving beautiful Santander — Leaving Santander – a beautiful resort not just a ferry port

We got on first, about 6 or so riding bikes all in glorious sunshine. And I was showered and changed and up on the for once really sunny sun deck 40 minutes before we left diagonally at first then we gained more speed. Santander and its long beach on a spit was stunning in the sunshine with sailing vessels of all kind across the wide water. Then I slept as the wind seemed to smash into the side of the boat where my outside cabin is. Everything seemed to rattle and vibrate. But still I managed to snatch some brief sleep.

Brittany ferries apologised for the lack of staff to serve us our hugely expensive meal so we leant against the swaying wall in a long queue for self service. I would have enjoyed my meal and chilled wine a little more if the sea were slightly calmer. But I am back after some fresh air on my bed.

As usual I woke in the night and instead of lying awake I read some more All Tomorrow’s Parties. Gibson is the perfect author for these trips.

Endless corridor on Brittany Ferries Galicia

First sight of Blighty from Brittany Ferries Galicia — First sight of Blighty

What worked well on this trip: my helmet lock and disk lock. They were easy to use on supermarket and other brief visits; the bike apart from the odd clutch problem before I even left England. It was easily manoeuvrable on campsites and other spaces, it would have been fine in the ACT if I had more skills and confidence, I think it needs some device to alter the low end fuelling also discovered by some searching . I think I will purchase (though now on a closer look, I am not that sure). The tent worked fine. The Klim gear: It’s ok as it’s inconspicuous but in hot weather it is undeniably hot. It has too many pockets or rather I did not use them well and had too many things in them so I was always searching for things I thought I had lost – like my phone. The Nexx helmet and its own Bluetooth set up. It did the job but putting in the earbuds each time I start off was annoying and they pulled out when caught on something unpredictability as I moved my head to look over my shoulder. The helmet inner is getting tatty and is falling out from so many rewirings of earphones. It needs sorting properly. Needs replacing. New Sony still camera good but I didn’t use to its potential. Drip coffeemaker is fun but it took a while to get the strength right. It flows too quickly. I think it is a design fault. A porcelain or even a plastic version just has holes at the bottom. This is one big sieve. Mosko Moto gear: that’s a topic for a post of it’s own (see Previous post). At the very least I need one more dry bag in the mix. I envied the bikers and the bikes will good old hard panniers. My Xero Z-trail camping shoes: These worked well and were comfortable and took up hardly any space. Much better than the too small canvas shoes I had before. Garmin Inreach.

I didn’t really need it (little surprise there). Sharing my location was slightly nice and could have been important. Camping clothes: ok and take up little space – if boring – but who cares?

Total miles was 1,629. My GPS unfortunately deleted the first half of the tracks. Very odd.

captured by InReach – with the ACT route added

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Where will the next trip take me? And when will I take it?

Obliquepanic’s blog