I rode about 300 miles with the new IS-MAX on Saturday and here are my observations. The fit is and finish are better than the Sy-Max i wore previously. The chinbar is a little farther from my chin (a good thing!)and the pivoting action and latch feel are smoother and feel more solid than the Sy-Max too. The noise level seems about the same. I would imagine that most, if not all modular helmets are bound to be somewhat noisier than a regular full face helmet. I broke down and put earplugs in for the last 50 miles and voila!,
almost absolute silence! Ventilation is fair, due mostly to the air coming up under the chin bar. I have yet to feel any mentionable ventilation in
any helmet, regardless of the brand, size,
or location of the "vents". I suspect they are mostly for looks. It was pretty hot and humid, but my head wasn't particularly sweaty whenever i stopped, so i'd have to say that there is a degree of venting going on. The internal visor is easy to operate, though modestly tinted. I found that i could comfortably wear shades and employ the visor at the same time. Very nice when riding into the sun! In the fully lowered position,(2 positions available) i felt like the visor was too close to the bridge of my nose, and somewhat sharp edged, which meant the helmet had to be rotated up slightly to keep it from rubbing my nose. I may try using a Dremel tool and a small piece of tubing to correct the fit for me at a later date. The detents for the shield worked well enough to ride at nearly any speed with the shield in any position, and when it's closed, it wouldn't open itself if you turned your head at higher speeds like the Sy-Max does. It is pretty comfortable to ride with the shield fully open and the visor down, but you risk getting a bug or sand in your eyes due to turbulence.
Overall, i'm pleased with the helmet, and i feel like it is a really good deal for $200.00
