HJC Symax Helmet product review Got my new Symax just in time to take it with me down to the Russell shop in Fall River Mills, CA. Thanks to the sometimes lousy weather, I was able to test it in virtually all conditions. In my opinion, it came up short. My previous helmet of choice has been the Nolan N100, so that's more or less what I'm comparing the Symax against. The Symax is comfortable as far as fit, perhaps a bit more so than the Nolan. But that's the only area in which I found the Symax to even hint at superiority. In the rain, the Symax faceshield leaks - badly. The Nolan does too, but I was able to cure that with a deflector of duct tape stuck to the top edge of the faceshield. No such luck with the HJC. Regardless what I did - duct tape deflector, faceshield closed tight, faceshield slightly open, any other combination I could think of, after about half and hour in the rain, there was as much water on the inside of the faceshield as on the outside. The only way to wipe it off was by taking off the helmet. Yeah, in the rain. So when I put it back on it steams up even worse. The Nolan has a geared interlock in the hinge so that when you lift the chinbar fully, the faceshield is automatically closed, making it very aerodynamic. Have never had it feel like the chinbar is catching wind. The Symax, however, has no such device and as a consequence, when riding with the chinbar fully open, the faceshield can be blown open to really catch the wind, and jerk your head back suddenly. Regarding ventilation: The Nolan has good ventilation, that can be controlled for varying temperatures. The Symax also has pretty good ventilation, whether you want it or not. The helmet probably would have been suitable for the hotter weather I ran into, but not having a dark faceshield (and my nose was already turning a bright red from riding into the sun) I switched to my Nolan N40 during sunny days. Oh yes, the Symax has a single lever latch system which was convenient, but not worth the inconveniences I had to put up with. Overall assessment - the Symax will sit on the shelf to be used around home when the weather is suitable. Other than that, I've ordered another N100, with a dark smoke faceshield. Jack Gustafson Glennallen, Alaska