Nolan N63 Helmet review

Nolan helmets which are manufactured in Bergamo, Italy, has been in existence since 1972. They sponsor many motorsports personalities who are in MotoGP, WSBK, etc. One of the most iconic helmets Nolan has come up with is the one worn by double MotoGP Champion Casey Stoner.

It is with this reason that we bought, not one but 2 Nolan N63 Gemini Casey Stoner full face helmets. Nolan N63 is, according to Nolan, “designed for young people and city use. It is characterized by a sophisticated and attractive design, as well as an excellent price-quality relation”. We do agree on the excellent price part but unfortunately not on the quality part. One of our N63 helmet’s inner padding “disintegrated” and the padding broke into many pieces after only one and a half years of hardly use. In that period, I probably use the helmet less than 12 times and it is use only for city and leisure riding. No hard knocks and it is not exposed to extreme weather. I always store the N63 in a room with the cover on and I wore balaclava most of the time when I use it. It is however use in a country where humidity is high (averagely 80%).

The N63 ventilation system, made up of an air intake located on the chin guard, a direct air intake on the front (forehead) part and one on the upper part (Crown) of the shell. There are two rear extractors which facilitate the discharge of the hot and stale air. Air flow into the helmet is not very effective as I can hardly feel any even when riding in a fast pace. The open and close mechanism on the front (forehead) air intake part is difficult to operate especially when you have a leather gloves on.

Sound proof is terrible for this Nolan N63. The sound of the wind coming into the helmet can be very irritating when you are riding on a long distance. It takes me off my focus on the road and eventually I decided against using this helmet for long distance rides. I do not mind if the wind coming in provide cool or refreshing air, but that was not the case. All I hear is wind blasting into my ears but I could not feel any wind at all.

Fortunately, not all are bad for this 1.4 Kg Nolan N63. Two things I like about it are the quick release buckle for safety and fast removal of the helmet, and the easy changing of visor.

Safety wise, it receives a 4 out of 5-star rating from SHARP, a U.K Department for Transport consumer information programme.

https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/helmets/nolan-n63/