The C91 flip-up helmet from HJC is a budget friendly 'allrounder’. Almost everything is there, with the comfort and a degree of finishing you usually find in a slightly more expensive segment. A top-notch motorbike helmet. In many areas.
Connoisseurs will recognize a lot of the HJC IS-MAX II in it and that's absolutely correct. As striking new feature is the ability to place a SMART HJC intercom worth mentioning. The C91 is additionally even more competitively priced and otherwise mostly very similar to Motorrad's 2015 buying tip. Starting with the helmet shell in polycarbonate. Or better: Advanced Polycarbonate Composite. With different helmet shells to include all helmet sizes, the HJC C91 always remains a compact motorcycle helmet. Aerodynamic, sleek and good for 1700 grams. That seems like a relatively high weight, until you start to list the multitude of built-in and standard features.
A flip-up helmet you want to open easily - preferably with one hand - and with the C91 you can do so even with your motorcycle gloves on. The red, centrally positioned lever on the chin piece is easy to find and operate. Even when the wind curtain chin is present. When unfolded, the C91 stays in that position, although there is no double homologation. That should be about the only thing. The chin and top ventilation are controllable and the combination creates an airflow which leaves the helmet at the back through the always open outlets. Those same connoisseurs from earlier will no doubt notice that chin ventilation has become a tad sharper in design since 2015.
The transparent visor is one with 99% UV-resistance - like all HJC visors for that matter - and everything is in place to attach a Pinlock® lens. Only the Pinlock® itself is missing. The visor is flexible and can easily be removed or replaced. Behind the transparent one you will find the integrated, dark sun visor. It is operated from the top of the helmet, in line with the top ventilation, but even with gloves on, the difference is obvious and the sun visor can easily be lowered and removed again. It is fog- and scratch-resistant, as you would expect from a helmet of this caliber.
The interior has been developed with the aim of keeping moisture in, not retaining odors and providing a serious anti-bacterial boost. A healthy climate is what it's called and, in a helmet, this is never a luxury. The cheek pads stop where the chin piece starts, which is normal for a flip-up helmet like this. With the wind curtain chin in place, the airflow in some flip-up helmets is not too bad. The cut-outs in the interior will also charm the spectacle-wearers. The interior is of course completely removable, replaceable and washable.
The closure of this motorcycle helmet is micrometric, adjustable and integrated into a soft, wide chin strap. Together with the well-designed neck rim of this motorcycle helmet this reduces the risk of whiplash and increases comfort.
In some countries (e.g., France) it is mandatory to provide your helmet with reflective stickers. The C91 is delivered without these reflective stickers. Reflective sticker sets can be found here.
Maintenance tips:
- Are you reluctant to disassemble the interior of your helmet in order to wash it? You can also clean the interior without removing it with S100 Helmet Interior Cleaner.
- The outside and the visor of your helmet should be cleaned with S100 Helmet and visor cleaner.
Safety above all! Never ride with a scratched or dull visor. Especially at night, scratches cause blinding reflections of street lights and headlights of oncoming vehicles. This effect is even more pronounced in rainy weather. It is best to replace a worn visor as soon as possible. Planning a long trip? Then don't forget to take a replacement visor with you. Never ride in the dark with a tinted visor.
