Review on 🏍️ O'Neal Sierra II Men's Full-Face Helmet for Slingshot Sports by Young Rich

I got this helmet while trying to do dual sport/adventure riding and didn't want something "too expensive" buy if it weren't right. hobbies for me. Well, 15,000 miles later I'm absolutely ready, but have since switched to a Bell MX-9 MIPS helmet. I've done most of those 15,000 miles with this O'Neal helmet and I've worn it summer, winter, pouring rain, crossed rivers, done a few BDR rides in it etc and it has performed very well. good and protected me. This O'Neal is good but has flaws. The overall build quality is very good with a few caveats. He checks all the boxes for strength and security, but there are little things here and there that aren't as polished as they could be. The tabs on the padding don't really stick to the lines of the helmet, especially after you remove the padding for the first wash. It doesn't have very good facilities to set up a communication system like SENA or Cardo. Not only does the helmet have NO cutouts for speakers, but there isn't a very convenient place on the outside of the helmet to install a SENA or Cardo unit. Due to the helmet's sharp corners and contours on the sides and bottom, it was a real pain to find a place on the helmet that my Sena 20 would fit. I was able to fit my SENA but the lack of speaker cutouts didn't affect the comfort of the helmet, but it wasn't painful by any means. The helmet is great too. Surprisingly tall, to the point that I look more like an astronaut than a horseman. I'm smaller so it doesn't help with perception but with this helmet my head looks three times larger than it actually is despite the helmet fitting properly. The contours are nice and aerodynamic, which I'll get to below, but it still has a very tall profile, and the very angular, pointed contours and looks make it feel a bit 'extra'. The styling is less in line with the modern, streamlined ADV look you get with the Bell, Arai, or Klim. The style of the helmet with its sharp angles and points makes me feel like I should get a Metal Mulisha t-shirt and sleeve tattoo, which doesn't really match the "style" seen in a lot of ADV material at the moment. Whilst this is a fairly subjective point depending on your taste I personally prefer the sleek look of the Bell or Arai but due to the price and safety features this helmet was my top choice and it did the job perfectly. Windbreaks that fit around your chin are junk. I see there is a photo posted by another buyer here that highlights the same issue, the windshield just won't attach. There are hooks on the windshield and there are slots in the helmet to 'snap in', the problem is they haven't finished the job yet. The windshield does not "snap" into the helmet as it should, making it a very good fit in the helmet. fall out of the helmet. Finally, I used black tape to tape the windshield in place. Now it stays in place, but I didn't have to do it with a well-known brand like O'Neal. Another issue I have with this helmet is that it is HEAVY. Very heavy, unusually heavy considering what it's made of and how much padding it lacks compared to other helmets. This helmet has foam and then padding. My Bell MX-9 MIPS has styrofoam, MIPS liner, mesh liner/sweat guard, then padding and weighs only 3 pounds. My friends LS2 helmets have foam, mesh lining/sweat protection and padding and weigh 3.5 pounds. This helmet has foam and then padding. This helmet doesn't weigh 3.5 pounds, mine weighs about 4.5 pounds BEFORE I attach Sena and GoPro. I ride all day, even in winter I usually ride 7-10 hours on Saturdays and after half a day I definitely feel the weight of this helmet on my neck. It's not uncomfortable or painful, but I know it is. This helmet is meant to be a great adventure helmet for beginners. This is a DOT and ECE rated branded helmet for less than $150, that's great! The peaked visor is really good, bigger than many other brands and much more effective at blocking the sun and debris. I would like my Bell MX-9's visor to have the same coverage as this one. The helmet is also very quiet, almost as quiet. like my old Shoei. Compared to my Bell and GF LS2, they are significantly louder. I didn't feel the need to wear earplugs with this helmet like I did with my Bell. Part of the reason it's quiet is also because of the design: for a budget helmet, it's extremely aerodynamic. It has to do with the style of the helmet, all the weird angles, dots and lines make this helmet very aerodynamic which helps keep it quiet. The number of studs, vents, angles and other design aspects ensure excellent airflow around the helmet. My Bell is aero because it's small and compact, this helmet is aero because of its style and looks. It actually feels easier on the freeway at 70mph because the lugs and corners help airflow. Although the visor is huge, its shape allows it to cut through the air very well and I've never had a problem with the wind catching the visor and my head. The aerodynamics of this helmet are really very good. It's also slightly warmer in cold weather than other helmets I've used, which is also a plus. After almost a year, however, this helmet started to feel "loose". Maybe I really need a medium size, but my head size is suitable for a large one. When I first got it, it was a snug fit, but never too tight. Now, after a year and a lot of travel, it feels too loose to be comfortable and moves too easily. It's still a great helmet and I'll keep it as a spare. If you have a big head and don't mind some of the above limitations, this is a good choice for the features you get at this price point. Mine failed and still hasn't given up.