Scorpion EXO 700 Helmet Review

I must confess that I am a little bit of a gear snob and especially a helmet snob. I am one of those riders who begrudgingly wears a helmet and I sure as heck am not going to wear cheap motorcycle helmets that don't fit me right or is a pain in the butt to ride in for any length of time. Once you have worn a helmet the likes of a Shoei X-Eleven or an Arai then just any old helmet won't do. Riding with or without a helmet can be a matter of life or death, so picking out the right helmet for you is absolutely critical.

I recently had a chance to road test a Scorpion EXO 700. Scorpion is not what I would consider one of the high end motorcycle helmets and while the EXO 700 is their top of the line helmet, it is still $200 dollars less than what the typical helmet is that I might buy. I wasn't expecting much but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked this line of relatively cheap motorcycle helmets.

I've worn this helmet off and on over the last 3 months of riding including a trip to Myrtle Beach, SC for the 2008 Bike Rally. It has performed flawlessly so far and the finish is holding up well with not a chip or flaw in site. Other cheap motorcycle helmets that I have owned typically start showing a significant amount of wear, quite quickly. Not the Scorpion, at least not yet.

Scorpion Motorcycle Helmets

Scorpion helmets are manufactured in China but they are designed in the good old USA as many things are these days. The business model they are following is to offer the same features and comforts of the big boys like Shoei and Arai but at a Chinese (cheap motorcycle helmet) import type price. You will find that like many of the high end helmets, the Scorpion offers a nice quality, soft wicking liner, a good venting system and a quality anti-fog visor. Not bad for a cheap motorcycle helmet.

How would these features line up against the top brands? Well I have to say the anti-fog shield performed well for most of my riding so no issues there. The helmet offers a removable breath guard to help the visor perform it's job as well. It is also a nice feature to note that you can buy replacement shields in smoke, darker smoke and clear at around a 36 dollar price point.

The soft wicking liner seemed to work pretty well but I was using this helmet from January to March and even in Georgia, it isn't that hot that time of year. I would expect it to work well based on the feel and design but one nice thing that I will say about the liner is that it is removeable. You can pull it out and wet it down on a hot day and combined with an open vent, it's almost like AC. Ok not quite but you get the drift.

Motorcycle Helmet Venting

I know many riders place a lot of stock in the venting system of their helmets and the vents on the Scorpion were not bad at all. It has a mouth, eyebrow and crown intake vents and the venting system seemed to work just fine. I did notice a somewhat odd airflow across my mouth and under my nose but I don't know if it was my imagination or if it was really an issue. It wasn't too awfully bothersome but you can outfit your helmet with an aero skirt that functions as a chin spoiler.

I would have to guess that the Scorpion was tested in a wind tunnel when it was designed because I must say, it's a pretty quiet helmet. In fact, it's a remarkably quiet helmet considering the price point. I must advise that if you turn your head to either side, then the noise level increases noticeably.

What endeared the Scorpion EXO-700 to me is that it was pretty damn comfortable for an inexpensive motorcycle helmet. The liner felt nice and soft against my head and it was a joy to wear. I wish that a helmet in this price point had existed when I first swung my leg across the seat of a motorcycle because I probably would have developed a helmet habit earlier in life. The cheap motorcycle helmets back then were pretty uncomfortable and usually pretty ugly. I will admit that the Scorpion EXO-700 is not a perfect helmet but it has nice features and will save you money. It will also offer a TON more protection than no helmet at all.

I would recommend the Scorpion EXO-700 to anyone on a budget that wants to wear a helmet but doesn't have the scratch to pop for a Shoei or an Arai. It is available in a number of different colors so check out the paint schemes below. You can find a great deal on some cheap motorcycle helmets.