Helmets R Us in Kuta Bali

Today I went to Global Xtreme internet cafe in Kerobokan which was packed with people, I got the last machine, but still the connection speed was decent although everybody was trying to push data through the same pipe.

Its getting hot outside so I resisted drinking one of their large Bali coffees.

Inside Global my cell phone went off and it was Made from Bali Land and Houses asking me to pay the electric bill. Their office is located close to Warung Lesung Padi and Warung Batavia on Jalan Raya Kerobokan.

Riding there from Global I saw a familiar backside on a motorcycle in front of me. It was Mick Turnbull heading to work at the airport. We stopped and chatted and I told Mick I was going to buy a new helmet sometime. He asked me if I wanted to go to the store right then so he could show me what to look for. We shot down the bypass, my old helmet trying to pull itself off the back of my head due to the wind and arrived at K&N Motorsport on Jalan Iman Bonjol in Kuta. This place has a ton of parts and accessories as well as helmets. They stock Korean and Italian helmets ( the Korean ones run from 500,000-600,000rp , the Italian ones 2-3 million rp).

I tried on a couple of the Korean ones to get an idea of my size. Mick told me that a proper helmet fits very snuggly on the head and around the face and you should be able to life someone off their feet by their helmet, even without them using the straps. My current helmet is XL, doesn’t fit my head at all and the strap attachment is very loose. We figured that my head is about a medium and Mick suggested that a motorcross helmet would be perfect for me. I rarely exceed 30mph and am jumping on and off my bike around town. The motorcross helmet has lower face protection and is open to the air (its hot here in Bali ). It also has a visor for the sun. I found one that fits great and it really doesn’t move on my head at all when its on.

Mick told me I can’t leave this one hanging on my bike anymore or someone will steal it. We ended up paying 470,000rp for it and I got a lock and cable just in case I have to leave it with the bike.

The main difference I found wearing this helmet apart from feeling great, is reduced vision low down. I now have to tilt my head to see the dashboard instead of a quick blink of the eye. This would be the case with any full-face helmet though.

For newcomers here’s the deal with helmets. You have to wear something on your head when riding a motorbike or the cops ill pull you over. I do see many locals and foreigners riding without one. Many people like to wear small helmets that resemble bicycle helmets while probably most people wear a kind of open face deal like my old one. There are locally made fullface helmets on the market too.

I’ve talked to about 4 people here in Bali, all but one foreigners who had accidents. They all had some level of facial injury hence my upgrade. I’ll let you know how it goes and hope I get to retire it someday without any dents.

This afternoon I visited hotels in Seminyak taking to their sales managers. One guy told me that during the Bali bombing lastbyear they had 100% occupancy which dropped to 70% a couple of days after and dropped off in the new year. Things are getting better all round but we really need a good Christmas season to fill the place out and put money in people’s pockets.

Related Posts

• Thurday Oct 23rd in Kuta Bali
• New helmets is a tight fit in Seminyak Bali
• Key points about the Supra motorbike
• More photos from Ubud
• Visiting hotels in Nusa Dua

Subscribe Bali RSS Feed

Print

Share