The Oregon roads finally had a day of sunshine, and I jumped on the opportunity to take a 275-mile, six-hour, freeway, and mountain road first test ride of the ScorpionExo GT3000 modular helmet. I am a modular fan because I like the flexibility of being able to eat or drink while riding, and not having to take my helmet off when I go inside a gas station.
I know that some riders get itchy scalps or smushed cheeks after several hours in a helmet and can’t wait to get their helmet off at each gas or rest stop, but that isn’t me. I don’t know if my head is shaped just right, or I have never worn a poorly fitted helmet, but I have no problem keeping my helmet on for extended periods.
A zip-closure bag secures the warranty card and instruction manual—a good read if you have never owned a Scorpion helmet. There is info on how to take off the faceshield, pull out the drop-down internal sunshield, take out the wick away neck roll and cheek pads, and remove the crown liner. Also, in the bag is a chin skirt to clip in for use in cold weather.
The Pearl White looks like it has a gold metal flake undertone. It is very shiny, with a great appearance, but note that it is not “white” white, if that matters to you.
Examining the exterior, I am very impressed with the front air intake. It is generous and it closes with a vertical cover. Use your thumb push down the cover to open, and your index finger to close—at least that is how I do it. I can easily open and close the front air vent with my FirstGear heated gloves on. The same goes for the top vent—very positive movement.
The airflow is huge at freeway speeds. The rear exhaust vent is always in the open position behind a very fine wire mesh. Opening the top vent at a cool 40 degrees at 65 mph, I got a powerful flow of cold air rushing along the top of my head.
The locking mechanism for the modular front is metal to metal. Scorpion recommends that you use the opening thumb tab when opening and closing the modular front in both directions—don’t just slam it down.
I carefully inspected the faceshield locking and tension and the drop-down interior visor lever. The faceshield locking is important to me because I like to have the shield open. If it is down, I want to be able to easily get it open, such as when coming up to a stoplight. I have ridden with helmets that were a tussle to get the shield open while trying to also downshift before coming to a stop.
The lifting tab on the faceshield is large enough to snag securely with the side of my left index finger and pop it over the small detent. I like that the shield will stay just a bit open over the detent because I have ridden in heavy rain where my glasses fog up when there wasn’t a bit of front airflow to the lenses. You don’t have to worry about the faceshield fogging, as the GT3000 uses the ScorpionExo EverClear anti-fog technology that does double duty as a scratch-resistant coating.
The five detents of the faceshield are very secure, so I didn’t experience the faceshield changing position due to the wind along my 275-mile route to include riding just behind and also heading toward car carriers. The internal drop-down sunshield is a nice feature if you aren’t wearing sunglasses, or it is a very sunny day. Its positioning is infinitely variable and has enough tension to stay put.
The sunshield is also anti-fog and scratch-resistant, though it doesn’t block the harsh glare off car windows. It definitely does tone down the brightness of the midday sun. On a long trip, that is one less annoyance to help you stay in the saddle a little longer.
Wind noise is another annoyance that can make a long day’s ride feel even longer. I am happy to report that to my ears, the ScorpionExo GT3000 is quiet enough that, at speeds under 50, I could hear the sound of my tires on the pavement. At freeway speeds, it is comfortably quiet, and I don’t perceive any wind leakage at the joint line or from the faceshield, either closed or open. Keeping in mind that every motorcycle’s airflow pattern is different, the GT3000 head buffeting is very light compared to previous models of ScorpionExo modular helmets I have owned.
Helmets are supposed to be like the music in a movie. You are not supposed to notice them, but they enhance the experience. I put on this brand-new helmet and didn’t think about it until two hours later when I took it off to have a sit-down lunch.
I put it back on after lunch and didn’t take it off for four hours. I didn’t feel it, I didn’t notice it. There are no pressure points, rub points, or points of annoyance, at all. I was only aware of it when I was trying to think of what I was going to write about it.
To me, that is the measure of a well-fitting, good quality motorcycle helmet. Yes, it is supposed to protect your head in the event of a crash, but I am not willing to go that extreme as a gear tester. I leave that up to the DOT certification engineers.
The ScorpionExo GT3000 is a comfortable modular helmet with all the boxes checked for looks, comfort, price, warranty, and safety. ScorpionExo helmets are trusted by professional racers going a lot faster than I ever will, and they know there is a pretty high likelihood they will crash at some point in their career.
I trust Scorpion to design proper head protection, and my experience validates that trust. If you are in the market for a mid-priced modular helmet, I highly recommend you check out the ScorpionExo GT3000.
ScorpionExo GT3000 Helmet Fast Facts
- Sizes: XS-2XL
- Colors: Grey/Orange; White/Red/Blue; Pearl White; Matte Black; Hypersilver; Black (Gloss)
- ScorpionExo GT3000 Helmet Prices: Solids, $350 MSRP; Colors, $370 MSRP