GEAR REVIEW: HJC CSR2 Helmet: My "Plain Janer" Starter Helmet

HJC CS-R2

HJC CSR2 Helmet: My "Plain Janer" Starter Helmet

I figured I would go ahead and add this to the review even though it was purchased awhile ago since it is still available for purchase.

Size Purchased: XS. My head circumference size is about: 55 cm. I purchased my helmet locally after trying on both the small and x-small. Per the sizing chart that is listed on Revzilla, XS = 54-55 cm/per the chart on Canada's Motorcycle/FortNine, XS = 53-54 cm. So in my particular case, the sizing chart per Revzilla was spot on for me.

This was my very first (Yay!) "rider" purchase! Honestly, for the price (about $100.00 CAD), I would say this helmet is a good buy, especially for a starter helmet (aka not sure if riding is for you) and perhaps as a back-up helmet (what I am keeping mine for now that I am upgrading to the Shoei RF 1200).

This was my choice for my "Starter Helmet" since I wasn't exactly thrilled with the notion of purchasing an expensive helmet in case this whole riding thing ended up not being up my alley. I can now say give me any dark, damp, dismal alley - I'm in 100%!!! Thus, my new Shoei brain bucket is currently en route. Granted, I DID add some reflective tape to the HJC so I'm pretty sure I get some points for that, right? 

In all seriousness, this HJC helmet offers many pros for the price point:

1. Quite light (about 3 1/2 lbs)
2. DOT rated
3. Quite comfortable for my oval-ish shaped head (this helmet should be a decent fit for oval-ish-round heads but as with any helmet, it is always best to try them on since all of our heads can vary in what they do and do not like for helmet fitment)
4. Visor does not have any significant distortion
5. Field of view is pretty darn good
6. The shield is super easy to on/off for cleaning/swapping
7. Vents decently enough at higher speeds
8. I did not experience any significant break-in pain with this helmet and found it quite comfortable overall
9. The size of it's shell (exterior) is quite compact-looking so it doesn't make your head look out of proportion for those of us who are smaller framed.

Cons (of note, the cons for the price of this helmet are really not a deal-breaker IMHO:

1. The visor fogs up quite a bit in cooler and/or humid conditions even with the vents open (I did not add a breath box to it) 
2. The padding seems to have compressed a fair bit after about 3500 kms of ride time
3. The shape of it when it's on my noggin just seems too "bucket-like" for my tastes. It kind of reminds me of Bender; If any of you are past or present Futurama fans, you will know what I mean ;).

Edited June 5, 2016 to add a photo that helps to illustrate my above "bucket-head" Bender analogy ;). Note the Shoei in the photo below (white helmet) looks more rounded as compared to the HJC so rather than...well...the Bender pic above lol. I'm not dissing the HJC - it is actually a very comfortable entry level helmet (and it is nice and small so doesn't make your head look like gigantour, particularly if you have a smaller frame :) )

CanadianMotoGal's Shoei RF1200 versus HJC CSR2 Side by Side Comparison: Front View

CanadianMotoGal's Shoei RF1200 versus HJC CSR2 Side by Side Comparison: Back View

CanadianMotoGal's Shoei RF1200 versus HJC CSR2 Side by Side Comparison: Side View

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