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Scorpion EXO-900
Scorpion EXO-900
"Transformer" Motorcycle Helmet
Review
by "Burn" for webBikeWorld.com
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Summary: The EXO-900 is the first flip-up
helmet from Scorpion. It can be easily converted
to an open-face helmet with the included parts and the
helmet also features Scorpion's inflatable cheek pads
and an internal sun visor.
Background
Scorpion has really grown in the last several years,
and the company that was originally known only for
motorcycle helmets now also has a unique and
cutting edge line
of motorcycle clothing.
The EXO-900 is Scorpion's first flip-up
helmet, but in typical Scorpion fashion, it had to have
a unique twist; thus the "Transformer" name, which
coincidentally (or not) is being released just as the
film of the same name has hit the top spot in the Summer
of 2009.
We'd put the EXO-900 in the modular
category; that is, helmets that can be converted from
one style to another by adding or removing parts.
This trend started a few years ago, with helmets like
the
Airoh TR1 (review), the
Givi X.01 (review) and even the
Shark Evoline (review) and, at its most basic level,
perhaps even the
Schuberth J1 (review).
The EXO-900 is a good match for the
touring rider, because both flip-up and open-face
helmets are popular choices for riding behind a big
fairing. The helmet can be converted, or
transformed, from one style to the other very easily in
a matter of seconds, with the only issue being where to
store the unused part (I suggest the fleece bag that
comes with the helmet).
Scorpion EXO-900 Paint, Graphics and Overall Quality
The EXO-900 is available in Black and Matte
Anthracite in addition to the "Hypersilver" color shown
here. I'm not sure if more colors will become
available, but let's hope so.
[UPDATE (8/09): Scorpion will add
White, Hi-Visibility Yellow and Black Cherry colors in
the Fall of 2009.]
The silver metallic paint is perfectly
applied on this example though, and it does have a more
brilliant appearance than other silver paints I've seen.
The paint is evenly applied with no faults or dust
bunnies underneath, which is not as easy to do as it
seems, because many other helmets I've handled lately
have one fault or another.
A fairly thick clear coat has been
applied over the paint, giving the surface a nice finish
and feel. The plastic surrounding the chin vent,
top vent and exhaust vent is a solid color silver, just
barely noticeable as different than the metallic paint
covering the rest of the helmet, and this gives it a
subtle but good-looking appearance.
The build quality is very good, with
just a touch of the flip-up helmet creaking noise to be
expected on a helmet of this type. But the shell
feels very stiff for a flip-up helmet, and it's labeled
as meeting both DOT and ECE helmet safety standards, a
slight anomaly, because ECE rules say that helmets sold
outside the EU should not carry the ECE approval
sticker. But who's checking?
The design and operation of the vents is
especially noteworthy, because the entire vent covers
act as rockers that open or close the vents. This
gives a smoother aspect to the design and the vents have
a nice positive feel.
The liner and other fitments are also
nicely done, and the engineering of the parts that allow
the helmet to be transformed from a flip-up to open face
and back again work easily and feel secure.
Score: I'll give the
Scorpion EXO-900 an "Excellent" rating for overall quality,
surface finish and clear coat and excellent
overall fit and finish. See
the ratings descriptions in the summary table at the end of this page.
Scorpion EXO-900 Helmet Fit. Comfort and Internal Shape
We get many emails from webBikeWorld readers asking
about flip-up helmets with a "long oval", or narrow
internal shape, and the EXO-900 is good news for them.
The helmet has a fit that I think is just a touch to the
narrow side of neutral, with slightly narrow sides
towards the top, opening up slightly on the sides down
towards the cheeks.
The fit feels very similar I think to the full-face
Scorpion helmets, but the EXO-900 probably splits the
difference between "Slight Narrow" and "Neutral" in the
table below. Riders with very round heads of the
Arai Quantum II shape might find a bit too much pressure
with this fit from the cheekbones up. But
otherwise it is just slightly narrower than neutral or
average, and it should fit a large number of riders.
The EXO-900 fits my particular head shape very nicely. The helmet also has the inflatable cheek
pads first seen on the Scorpion EXO-1000 reviewed on
webBikeWorld a couple of years ago, which allow some
customization of the fit. This time, the
inflator is towards the rear of the helmet at the bottom
of the liner edge.
The effect is not quite as noticeable as it is on the
EXO-1000 because the EXO-1000 has a stiffer shell
without the cutout for the rotating chin bar. But
it's fun to puff up the cheek pads and hear the air
blowing in and the hiss when the release button is
pushed.
So the lower part of the inside of the helmet can be
adapted to fit those with narrower cheeks; in effect,
this can make the helmet go from a Slight Narrow to
Medium Narrow, based on our new helmet fit chart:
The bottom row in the table above includes links to helmets that
currently serve as the benchmark for the particular fit,
and the red "X" indicates the helmet that is the subject
of this review. We plan on changing the shape ratings on the
Motorcycle Helmet Weights page to match.
Remember, this is only an opinion.
Note that it usually isn't possible to compare
multiple helmets (or other products) for a variety of
reasons that are detailed on
this section of the Site Info page.
The EXO-900's liner has a generous amount of padding,
and it feels comfortable. The fabric is not as
plush as some helmets, but it's better than others.
This helmet is a size large, and it feels
possibly about 1/2 size larger than expected. In
fact, I thought it was an XL until I read the label
inside. I'd say it should fit a
60.0 to 61.5 cm head, which is slightly larger than the size range
indicated by Scorpion.
The chin bar is closer to my chin than I expected and
my chin just touches it, so owners with larger chins may
want to try on the helmet first. Otherwise, the
shell shape feels pretty much standard to me.
The liner has cutouts or mesh in the front, rear,
sides and center to allow air to flow through and the
liner looks and feels well made.
One thing that is curious is that I have trouble
fitting my sunglasses in the helmet when I'm wearing it.
I have to spread the helmet over my ears while wearing
my sunglasses to put on the helmet, which sort of
defeats the purpose slightly of a flip-up helmet.
Many motorcycle owners buy a flip-up helmet because they
find it easier to use when wearing eyeglasses.
Note that this may just be a quirk of my head shape and
the helmet fit.
One other interesting feature to note is the pop-out
on the left side of the helmet, which appears to be
something designed for an intercom system. The ear
pockets seem deep enough for speakers, so I'm wondering
if at some point Scorpion will team with an intercom
manufacturer to offer a communications system for the
EXO-900.
Scorpion confirmed that the
intercom "door" is designed to be universal for any
intercom kit (Updated 8/09). Also, the helmet
features an innovative internal bladder system that may
help the fit for some riders; see the noise section
below.
As always, make sure you try the helmet on before
buying, and try a variety of sizes. The smallest
size that fits comfortably is usually the safest.
For more information on choosing and
fitting a motorcycle helmet, please see the
wBW
Motorcycle Helmet FAQ page, which also includes a
discussion on head shapes.
Score: I'll give the
Scorpion EXO-900 a "Very Good" rating for conformance to
fit and liner comfort.
Vent covers work as rocker panels to open and close the
vents.
Scorpion EXO-900 Ventilation
The interesting vent system on the EXO-900 allows the
part that covers each vent to also operate as the device
that opens or closes the vent to allow air to flow
through. For example, the chin vent cover can be
pushed in at the top to open the vent, and the bottom
portion of the cover is pushed to close the vent.
The top vent operates in a similar
fashion, and the rear vent can also be opened or closed
by sliding the cover back and forth. This seems
less complex than other vents with more parts, and it
also allows each vent to close completely, leaving a
smoother profile on the helmet.
There are no air channels directly
through the chin bar, so the air that comes in through
the vent directs the air up on to the rider's face from
behind the breath guard. The helmet does feature a
removable chin spoiler, which prevents some of the air
from flowing up from underneath the helmet.
This helps to make the chin vent more
effective, but between the closeness of the chin bar, no
direct air flow through the chin bar and the chin guard,
it can feel pretty hot in that area. The face
shield does have a small initial setting to allow
defogging though, which helps.
The top vent looks like it forms a big
scoop when it's opened, but the ventilation it provides
doesn't seem to match the size of the opening. It
only flows what I consider to be about an average amount
of air for a flip-up helmet. But although I can't
directly feel any air flowing over the top of my head,
the system does seem to circulate enough air to keep the
temperatures down.
The rear exhaust vents can be opened by
sliding the cover back and forth. This could
probably have been made simpler by leaving the rear
exhausts open all the time; I've never found it
necessary to close the rear exhausts on any helmet, even
in the coldest temperatures, because it's usually always
a good idea to have at least a minimal amount of air
flowing through the helmet.
Score: Overall, the
Scorpion EXO-900 provides what I consider to be about an
average amount of ventilation. This actually isn't
a bad thing, it's just that the good-looking vent system
seems to me to promise more than it actually delivers.
So I'll give it a "Good".
Helmet Weight
Some bad news here -- all those features don't help
in the avoirdupois department. This
size large Scorpion EXO-900 weighs in at a
hefty 1888 grams (4 lbs., 2-5/8 oz.).
That puts it at the upper end of the helmet weights
for all of the helmets we've reviewed, although it's not
the heaviest flip-up by any means. But don't
forget, this is a size large, and it weighs nearly as
much as some of the XL's we've reviewed.
For comparison purposes, some of its
current neighbors on the
wBW
Motorcycle Helmet Weights page include:
The EXO-900 does feel well balanced though when
riding with no unusual tendencies towards lifting or
buffeting, and the inflatable cheek pads can help also
to keep the helmet firmly in place.
See the
wBW
Motorcycle Helmet Weights page for a matrix and chart comparing the
weights of all
of the open-face, full-face and flip-up helmets we've
reviewed.
Score: The Scorpion EXO-900 gets a
"Poor" rating for weight,
but a "Very Good" for balance.
The EXO-900 rear exhaust vent slides open and closed.
The rotating visor on the EXO-900 can be removed by
pulling the recessed D-ring (L).
The helmet includes a large chin curtain with and
additional snap-on piece (R).
Visor and Transformation
The most unique feature of the EXO-900 is its ability to
transform from a flip-up to open-face helmet.
Scorpion has designed a very easy to use mechanism to
accomplish this. Scorpion says the helmet meets
DOT safety standards as both a flip-up and open-face
helmet.
Two hidden D-rings, one on each side, are located
under the sides of the rotating flip-up visor. Pull down
on the D-rings and the visor just about pops right off.
It is located on the helmet with "T" shaped posts on
either side that can be pulled away from the helmet when
the spring-loaded cover is released by pulling on the
D-rings.
Installing the supplied sun peak or visor is just as
easy; this is illustrated in our video below. The
peak snaps on and then is rotated downwards, where the
two cheek sections are snapped on to the front of the
helmet shell.
Unfortunately, other than the internal rotating sun visor, the
helmet does not have a separate clear face shield that
can be used when it's in open-face mode. This
somewhat limits the usefulness of the conversion,
working best for the aforementioned touring riders when
they're riding a motorcycle with a large windscreen to
block the wind.
Think of it as a helmet with an optional open-face
capability that might be used for a small percentage of
the time. I consider the EXO-900 to be primarily a
flip-up. To be honest, I'm not sure how much this
feature will be used; it probably would have been more
useful if the helmet included a full length face shield
for use in the open-face mode.
The ability to remove the rotating flip-up visor allows very
easy removal of the clear face shield, and it also makes
it much easier to clean the face shield, which can be a
problem on many helmets.
The face shield has good optical properties and it
also has strong detents, moving through about 6
positions on its way up or down. It is treated
with Scorpion's "EverClear" anti-fog coating, which has
worked well in other Scorpion helmets I've tried, but
the weather is too warm here now that it's summer, so I
can't really comment on how the anti-fog treatment works
in this helmet.
The internal sun visor operates via a slider on the
left side of the helmet shell. It rotates down far
enough to just remain out of the rider's line of sight,
but like most of these internal sun visors, it could
probably rotate downwards a bit more. Personally,
I never use these internal sun visors and find that they
just add weight and complexity to the helmet.
They're usually not dark enough to do much for me
anyway.
Score: I'll rate the transformation
process, visor clarity, operation and
visibility of the visor and face shield on the EXO-900 as "Outstanding".
Scorpion EXO-900 helmet liner with cheek pad inflation
button at upper right.
Noise Levels
The smooth covered air vents on the EXO-900 seem to help
reduce noise levels. Overall, the helmet is
relatively quiet; probably about average or slightly
better for noise control on a flip-up helmet.
The rear of the liner seems to be slightly short, and I
notice that if I place my hand in the back of the helmet
that the noise will noticeably decrease, so a slightly
fatter liner in the rear may help. This, of
course, may also be due to a mis-match between my head
shape and the way the helmet fits.
The front of the helmet and the smooth sides seem to do
a good job at controlling the low-frequency "booming"
noises often resulting from turbulence in this area,
again making the EXO-900 a potential good choice for
touring behind a windscreen.
The helmet also has a feature Suomy calls the "AirFit",
which is an evolution of the cheek pad pump on the
EXO-1000 (review).
The AirFit pump is located in the rear of the bottom of
the helmet and it can be pumped to inflate a bladder
inside that tightens the cheek pads and neck roll.
The system didn't seem to have much of an effect, but we
think it might be useful for some owners, depending upon
their head shape and how it matches to the helmet's
internal shape.
Note that our helmet evaluations are
normally a combined effort of several riders over time,
on different types of motorcycles with and without
windscreens. We always wear correctly
fitted, high quality earplugs and a helmet liner.
We strongly recommend that you hearing protection is
always used when riding. See the
wBW
Earplugs and Hearing Protection page for more
information on choosing and wearing earplugs.
Note also that noise levels will most
likely differ from rider to rider. Noise levels
are caused by many factors, including the rider's
head shape and the how well the helmet fits; the type of
motorcycle and windscreen; the individual rider's noise
level tolerance; and even prevailing winds and the type of clothing that is being worn. For more information on helmet noise, visit the wBW
Motorcycle Helmet Noise page.
Score: I'll give the EXO-900
a "Very Good"
rating for noise control.
Miscellaneous
As this is being written, Scorpion is in the process of
releasing the EXO-900 to dealers and there isn't a lot
of information about the helmet on the Scorpion website.
The helmet appears to be made from some type of
polycarbonate composite, but we're not sure. The
rotating visor connects to the helmet with metal hooks.
The chin strap uses a double D-ring attachment system
and it includes a snap to control the loose end.
Conclusion
The Scorpion EXO-900 is an interesting new design and a
bit of a paradox. On one hand, the ability to
easily convert the EXO-900 to an open-face helmet is
a somewhat useful feature, limited by the absence of a full
coverage clear face shield. The helmet is also
very heavy, unfortunately.
It works much better as a pure flip-up helmet, with a
smooth outer shape, a clever air vent design and very
nice fit and finish, along with the interesting Scorpion
inflatable cheek pad system. The limited number of
available colors at this point and the conservative
overall styling is also uncharacteristic for Scorpion, a
company known for its edgy design -- yet one more clue
that this helmet is designed for touring riders, who
seem to be a conservative lot.
But overall, the EXO-900 is a very good first go at a
flip-up helmet for Scorpion, and Scorpion fans should be
pleased.
|
webBikeWorld
Review: Scorpion EXO-900 Motorcycle
Helmet |
| Manufacturer:
Scorpion Sports |
List Price: $269.95 to $279.95 |
Colors: Black, Matte Anthracite,
Silver.
Sizes: XS to XXL
Shell Sizes: Unknown. |
Made
in: China |
| Review
Date: July 2009 |
| Ratings Scale: For
reference, our ratings scale is subjective and ranges from Unacceptable
to Poor, Good, Very Good, Excellent and Outstanding. |
Note: For informational use only. All material and
photographs are Copyright © webWorld International, LLC - 2000-2009. All
rights reserved. See the webBikeWorld®
Site Info
page. NOTE: Product specifications, features and details may
change or differ from our descriptions. Always check before purchasing. Read
the
Terms and Conditions!
►Reader Comments and
Owner Feedback
Please
send
comments to
Comments are ordered from most recent to oldest.
Not all comments will be posted. Posted comments may be edited.
From "D.E." (11/09): "Just one
comment on the Scorpion EXO900. Our local going
out of business dealer had some in stock, and at a 1/2
off price they were a very attractive offering.
I normally wear a Schuberth Concept-II helmet in XXL
(63cm). The Scorpion in XL fit wonderfully, better
than the Concept. It appeared to be a winner to me
with all the features I desired (internal sunshield,
flip-chin-bar, anti-fog shield, easy one-hand opening,
quality feel) and I was ready to purchase it until I
tried looking DOWN with the helmet on.
OUCH!
The strange protruding bottom of the chin-bar hit me
dead center in the chest... painfully so.
I imagine this might not be a problem if you have a
long neck (chicken neck? :) It does appear to be a
problem for those of us without long necks. I
would be concerned about this contact in an accident.
(Darn) shame. If it hadn't done that I would
have bought it. It appears the pointy extended
bottom of the chin-bar was done just for styling.
Shame since the rest of the helmet is so well done."
From "F.B." (11/09): "First, I love
reading your reviews. You do great work.
I bought a Scorpion Exo900 Transformer about 2 months
ago, and have used it a handful of times.
It's very functional, fits well, and very warm even
in freezing area temperatures, I agree that Scorpion
should have made arrangements for a face shield when the
jaw section is removed for open face use. I do
like many of the features, including the removable liner
for cleaning. The interchange of parts from full
face to open face and back again is simple and easy to
do. I do think the sun shade could be a little darker.
Haven't tested in rain yet nor an accident -- hope
not to.
I was surprised to learn that it was made in China,
so am a little concerned about what pollutants like
lead, etc. might be in the materials.
You gave it an average to good noise rating. Not
having tested other modular helmets, I can't comment on
that. My bike has a small Hellcat windshield that
results in buffeting. At high speeds (60+ mph) I
find there is a lot of outside wind noise (tested
without ear plugs to get a good feel for it) and some of
that low frequency booming noise. Next time it's
warm, I want to test it again on a naked bike (no
windshield) to see whether there is any difference in
noise level.
It definitely cuts down wind noise compared to a
half-pot, but in defense of the half-helmet with face
shield there is no booming noise with it. I
expected a lot better noise reduction, but after reading
your review, maybe that's too much to expect."
Editor's Note (November 20, 2009:
Our "Good" rating as used in the helmet reviews is
actually a neutral, meant to bridge the gap between the
negative and positive ratings, which run from
"Unacceptable" and "Outstanding" (see the Ratings Score
explanation in the summary table at the end of each
review). Perhaps using the word "Good" is
misleading and should be changed to "Neutral". I
will do that in the next review.
From "J.W." (7/09): "Well it is nice
to finally see a helmet company that distributes to the
Mainstream U.S. I have been trying for a couple of
years to get information from Scorpion (and other US
distributors) if they were going to make something that
was not so homogenous, bland. This looks like a
half hearted attempt though.
Zox makes the Etna SVS with more features for a $100
dollars less. Zeus, who makes one with the same
features for a little over $100 less too, but with many
more paint schemes. I would love to see a
"head-to-head" like the reviews in Car and Driver.
Thanks for the info. you do a great job in keeping us
informed."
Editor's Reply: Product comparisons
are very difficult for a variety of reasons detailed
in this section of the Site Info page.
From "J.S." (7/09): "I just looked
briefly at your review of the Scorpion EX 900. I
like Scorpions mainly because an EXo-700 saved my
cabbage two years ago. But, I can't help myself
when I see offered a finish called Matte Anthracite.
I assume that's flat black and wonder why a reputable
company would even offer stealth in a motorcycle
product. Is it for the same reason tobacco
companies still sell cigarettes? I guess I should
be thankful we still have some rights."
Editor's Reply: Tastes differ; many
motorcyclists still prefer black or matte colors.
Scorpion does make the
EXO-700 in
Neon!
From "C.G." (7/09): "As always guys,
great job on the review! I've been wondering
when/if Scorpion would make a flip-up helmet. I'm
on my second EXO-700 helmet (the first was stolen), and
I love it. It's always been a very comfortable
helmet and I had planned to buy an EXO-1000 within the
next 12 months (primarily to gain the internal sun-shade
visor) but not anymore! The EXO-900 is now on the
wish list instead! Thanks again for the great
site!
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