LS2 Pioneer

[greatbuffalo]

I picked up this LS2 Pioneer Helmet the day I left for Nebraska last week. I waited for like 3 month for it to come off backorder. The wait was worth it.

The shell design and the fit are not unlike that of my AFX FX41. That being said, thats where the similarities end. The helmet is smaller than the AFX for the same marked size but not by a lot. The cheek area is a bit tighter compared to the head shell as well which I like, I like snug cheeks. The shell has better aero and the sunviser doesn't catch the wind as bad as the AFX. Weight wise, the LS2 comes in at 3.36 lbs where the AFX is 4.1 lbs. The inner padding seams better quality and more comfortable as well. I would say noise is decreased by 20%. I can hear the com much better and use much less volume or music. Lastly, the shield has a positive lock mechanism. the thing that has annoyed me about the AFX from the start is that with a strong cross wind the shield can be lifted causing nasty turbulence around the face. Just plain annoying. No possibility of such an issue with the LS2.

All is not perfect with the LS2. First the sunviser is attached with the same screws that hold the face shield. Not a huge issue but I do like the AFX design where yu can remove the visor without messing with the shield. Second, although I love having a dropdown sunshield, I like the AFX design better. The AFX drops down lower and has a positive latch mechanism when it does. The LS2 could drop just a bit lower to eliminate the the need to drop the front so that you look through the shield more and get rid off the bright gap at the bottom. Kinda nit-picky I know and after spending 600+ miles in it, Im getting used to the little niggles.

If you look at Revzilla the LS2 is around the $140 where the AFX used to be in the $120 - $130 range, is now at $165. I bought mine at my local dealer where I can make sure my dollars stay local. He matched the price plus tax, of course. Money well spent.

I really like it.

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/ls2-pioneer-trigger-helmet