Evaluating the LS2 FF386 Modular Motorcycle Helmet

After owning my Vega V-Tune motorcycle helmet for about three years, it was time to upgrade.  I had a couple of reasons for upgrading, but the primary one was that the bluetooth on the Vega went belly-up.  This is my third motorcycle helmet, and with each purchase, I learn a bit more.  My first helmet, an entry-level Bell helmet protected my head, but that's about it.  It was heavy, and had none of the nice-to-have features of a higher-end helmet.

The V-Tune was a step up, but isn't something that I'd buy again.  It was lighter, but it was kind of cheaply built.  It was noisy, and the bluetooth was effectively useless at highway speed.  I was also disappointed that it went belly-up after less than three years.

This time, I decided to buy the helmet and bluetooth module separately.  I went this route for a couple of reasons that I will discuss later.  The bluetooth I purchased is the Sena SMH10, but I haven't finished evaluating that yet.  That will come in a separate write-up.  For now, let's get back to the helmet.

Let me start off by saying that I like the LS2 better than the Vega in every possible way.  The construction is far more solid, without adding a significant amount of weight.  It's a little bit heavier, but I believe that's more a function of purchasing a modular helmet this time.  The V-Tune isn't modular.  The external visor on the LS2 doesn't vibrate like the V-tune did.  The field of vision on the LS2 is clear and undistorted.  The V-Tune distorted things a bit in the periphery.  The drop-down sun visor is sturdier.  It's not quite as dark as the V-Tune, but I didn't see that as a problem at all.  The LS2 does a far superior job of keeping out environmental noise (which helps for bluetooth communication) and wind.  It's not absolutely silent... I can still hear wind noise (obviously) and the sound of my engine/exhaust (which I like... it makes me feel more in tune with my bike), but again, it's better than the V-Tune.

Since it's still early in the year, I kept the vents closed, so I can't yet say much about warm-weather airflow.  I also can't say much about airflow with the visor partially opened.  One thing I can say though, is that I'd like to see an anti-fog feature on the clear visor.  The sun visor didn't fog up at all, but at stop lights I had to open the primary visor to prevent fogging.  I also haven't yet spent a lot of time using the modular opening.  My main reason for getting a modular helmet is so that I can talk to other riders who don't have bluetooth when I'm at stop lights and so forth.  I have opened the modular face once or twice, and I've noticed that it's a tad difficult to close it from the fully opened position.  This might work itself out over time, but I did notice it.

One last negative with my specific configuration.  The sun visor opens and closes via buttons on the right side of the helmet.  This is very close to where the bluetooth headset is mounted.  As a result, the microphone boom is kind of in the way of raising and lowering the sun visor.  I don't see this as a problem during the summer months, but it's a bit problematic when I'm wearing thick gloves.

While my configuration isn't perfect, I am pleased with the initial performance of my rig.  The LS2 helmet is far superior to the Vega helmet, and the Sena bluetooth module is (based on what I've tested so far) is head and shoulders above the bluetooth that came with the V-Tune.  As I said, I will do further testing on the Sena bluetooth and write a separate review in the not-too distant future.

Since this is a review of the helmet, let me wrap up by saying that the LS2 is a solid helmet with a lot of features and a good price range.  The only thing I really would like is anti-fogging on the primary visor and for the sun visor open/close lever to be located where the V-Tune open/close lever is located.  Overall though, I fully recommend the LS2 FF386.

Oh yeah, I bought the LS2 at J&P Cycles.

Finally, here's a link to my original review of the Vega V-Tune helmet.