Verboden

Overview
This review includes my impressions of the OMP Sport helmet and assessments of fit relative to several other helmets I was able to try on at the time I selected the OMP.

I’ve ridden bikes for a long time and find the HJC brands to fit my head well. As of this writing, HJC has not introduced the SA2015 models yet and I did not consider their older Snell model, also there were none available at the store to try on. I cannot say if the HJC auto helmets have the same general fit as their motorcycle line.

My Head
My problem area is the ears. Mine slightly protrude and if there is rubbing or pressure on them for extended periods it becomes a pain point. Otherwise a semi-oval head shape.

Zamp
Both Zamps fit so tight that going up one size was required. The salesperson said this was a known quirk for all Zamps. I normally take a medium but a large was a good tightness.



Both models have an interior padding zone that I have not felt on other helmets. The above image shows the area in question. When putting on the helmet, initially it sat so high the cheek padding was almost into the eye area. It turns out the padding zone was pushing in so far that the helmet was not seating fully down on my head. I had to pull down and keep pressure on the chin straps in order to keep the helmet correctly positioned. My guess is the padding would give over time.

Zamp RZ-58
As mentioned above it required tension in the chin straps to keep my head pressing into the top of the helmet. There was some slight touching to my ears, but it seemed tolerable. The cheek pads came uncomfortably high, about an inch away from my eye.

Zamp RZ-44C
As mentioned above it required tension in the chin straps to keep my head pressing into the top of the helmet. The cheek pads came uncomfortably high, about an inch away from my eye.

This model is setup so that earphones can be added. The pockets around the ear are very large and so there was no touching. Aside from the cheek pads, very comfortable.

Simpson Voyager 2
Overall OK but where the chin straps mounted they hit the bottom of my ears. Heavy tension on the straps alleviated the problem but the amount of pressure was as problem. Unclear that break-in would lessen the issue.

Simpson Bandit
Immediate pressure on ears. The fit was noticeably different than the Voyager.

OMP Sport (model OS 70 or whatever the SA2015 version is)
Fit around the ear is great, not touching at all. Overall fit good, medium size. However the cheek area is a little less pressure than I would like. If the padding stays as is it will be good, if it compresses over time I expect a Balaclava would tighten the fit. I normally wear al fresco.

Features and Finish OMP Sport
It’s a basic helmet, no bells and few whistles.




It has two closeable vents above the eyes. If you look inside the helmet the vents exit into the area between the padding and at the rear of the helmet are 3 non-closable holes. Two of the holes are in the area without padding, but the top hole is covered by the topmost liner. All the holes are about ¼ inch diameter. I am highly skeptical about the amount of air these can flow.

The chin vent slits cannot be closed, they have a mesh covering.

The cheek padding is removable, but the rest of the liner does not appear to be so. I mentioned earlier that the cheek padding might be loose for my head, it might be possible to tailor the fit with different pads.



The chin straps are covered/padded where they will touch skin, however the extended strap feels a little rough. The D-Rings are flat stock, so the edges are somewhat sharp. It could be a wear issue on a heavily used helmet.



The visor uses friction for opening position adjustment. When fully closed, there are 3 points locking it in. On a personal note, I prefer the visor mechanism to have positive detents and not rely on friction holding. The visor has tear off provision, if you look at the photo the end of the tear off is hitting the visor pivot point. If the helmet is worn in an open car that area might cause fluttering in the tear off.

There are holes for HANS, but not the actual hardware. If you look at one of the pics there is foam expanding out of the hole. It makes the helmet feel unfinished.



They hid the damn Snell sticker under the liner. There is plenty of open area where they could have put it, but I have to hunt for it during a tech inspection. The back of the helmet has script saying Snell 2015, but a strict inspector should want to see a sticker.

Finish is pretty good, some small aesthetic seam issues in the liner but nothing functional.

I run in a closed cockpit, so have not tested in the wind to judge noise or buffeting issues.