Background
So in August 2011, I bought a 2000 Suzuki SV650 and some riding gear to go with it. All my purchasing decisions were heavily influenced by my tight budget. Got the bike simply because it was the best value bike I came across when shopping around and I'm very happy with it!
I used to ride a Honda CBR250RR with a KBC VR1 lid in 2006. The VR1 was a great full-faced helmet! Decent fit and finish, very comfortable, looked and felt like a quality product. Having personally crash tested it, I can fully recommend it.
Introducing the VR2
So this time, I bought the KBC VR2R in Matt Black: A new and improved version of the VR1 (supposedly), certified to meet SNELL, DOT, and AS1698 standards. For AU$280, the VR2 ticked all the boxes and was an excellent buy... or so it only seemed.
The KBC VR2 has been nothing but disappointment since the moment I unboxed it. Yes, it is certified to SNELL, DOT and AS1698 - meaning helmets of the same design have been tested and shown to provide satisfactory protection when subject to certain types of impact and stress. But that's about all it has going for it.
First impressions
The first thing I noticed when picking it up was it looked and felt CHEAP. The materials used look like they came out of a plastic recycle bin. The moulding of the plastic bits looks unprecise. The paintwork looks worse than a DIY rattle-can job. The fit and finish looks rushed and tacky. The VR1 and VR2 may as well have been made by two separate companies who have nothing to do with each other. The helmet screams a lot of things but "build quality" isn't one of them.
After 1 month
First thing I noticed when riding with it was that it is noisy. My SV650 is naked with no windshield. At speeds excess of 60kmph, the wind/air rushes into the helmet from underneath (passed my neck). This makes it extremely difficult to hear what's going on around me - all I hear is "woosh". I like to be able to hear other traffic around me as it helps my situational awareness when riding.
At most, the helmet would have seen 40 hours of riding time over the first month. In just 2 weeks, the helmet started to feel a little loose. When I first put it on, it felt a little tight (as it should) and I expected it to become nice and snug as it wore in. But instead, the helmet "wore out" in just a matter of weeks! If I wanted a loose and worn out helmet, I could just buy a second hand one for less than $200!
After 6 months
The helmet has spent the last 3 months just sitting in the garage while I was overseas. As you'd expect, I came back to it looking rather dusty. So when I tried to remove the face-shield to give it a clean, the release mechanism on the right side just broke apart! It was fine when I removed and replaced the face-shield just a week before going overseas, and a couple of times before that. In a way, I was not entirely surprised. It looks and feels like a poorly made product, so I sort of "half-expected" something to fail or break.
I lodged a warranty claim today. But even if it gets fixed, I'm still not going to be impressed. I am fully convinced that every aspect of its quality lives up my first impressions.
Recommended?
NO! DO NOT BUY! The helmet is certified to 3 well reputed safety standards so we know that it will protect your head in a crash. But that's all it will do. If all you want is a cheap and basic lid to protect your head, and you are willing to compromise on comfort, appearance and features, just get a second hand one that's in good condition. You'd be getting a better helmet for less money.
KBC once upon a time had my trust. But that trust has been shattered. It will take a LOT of coercing and persuasion for me to even consider a KBC product ever again.
