I’m a helmet snob. Don’t hate me, but in my decade with Ultimate Motorcycling, I have worn dozens of only the most expensive helmets from the high-priced brands—really through no fault of my own. This may not be a good thing as I review a helmet in the lower price echelons. But wait for it, I just received a Scorpion Exo-GT930 helmet, and the MSRP is $250.
It has a dedicated spot to install a Bluetooth communicator called the Exo-Com (by UClear). However, the Exo-Com is not yet available. When ready, the whole package will cost $425 (Exo-Com unit alone is $190).
To me, this is a bargain price compared to the $800+ lids I’ve worn. Upon first wearing, I am greatly impressed at what this Korean company has produced at this price point. Scorpion has a vast lineup of products through the parent company Kido Sports, and Scorpion USA offers dozens of helmets in all styles. Spoiler alert: I really like it.
The Scorpion Exo-GT930 is the brand’s all-new, top-of-the-line modular helmet. It has pretty much all the bells and whistles found in the most expensive modular helmets from other manufacturers. I do like the look very much, with its robot-like nose flowing back toward the molded spoiler.
Let’s start with fit, although this is purely subjective. Scorpion states this helmet falls into the intermediate oval head-shape category. That’s me, and I’m usually a Large in most brands. The fit on the GT930 is just right. We recommend that you always get a helmet fitted for you by a trained professional.
It is available in XS to 3XL spread across three shell sizes (XS/S, M/L, XL/XXL/XXXL). My home scale reads 3 pounds 13 ounces (1730 grams) for the Large size helmet.
The appearance, finish, and materials look and feel nice. There are no blemishes or manufacturing oddities. The shell is polycarbonate with dual-density EPS inside. The fabric liner is removable, washable, and comfortable against the skin. The chinstrap is fastened with traditional double D-rings.
The modular chin bar operates smoothly and has a satisfying, secure click when closed. There is a chin bar lock that does just that and allows safe riding while wide open. According to the rep, “This gives the GT930 an ECE P/J certification and means that it meets both of ECE’s full-face and open-face standards. To achieve this, the chin bar had to surpass ECE’s impact criteria, and surpass ECE’s roll-off criteria, which is achieved by the addition of a chin bar ‘up’ locking mechanism to keep it from slamming shut, plus a chinstrap system that has two anchor points on each side, as opposed to one anchor point per side on typical full-face helmets.” It’s DOT-certified, as well.
The chin bar is removable, which will be an appealing feature for some riders. Also, an ADV-style peak is included, though it can only be installed when the chin bar is removed. Chin bar removal and installation requires no tools, another nice feature.
There is an internal, drop-down jet fighter pilot-like sunshield actuated with a left-side slider. Operation is smooth and easy. The sunshield, as well as the main outer faceshield, is optically clear and bright with no noticeable distortion. Both shields are claimed to be fog-free, though that’s hard to test in SoCal on a string of sunny days.
The faceshield closes using Scorpion’s ratchet system, which pulls the faceshield against the rubber eye port seal for a tight fit and for tool-less shield changes. It works well, too, as there was no wind seepage during a ride on a naked test bike at speed. I also like that the faceshield has thumb-friendly tabs that help me open the faceshield with either hand. Some brands only put them on the left.
The shield has a “city” detent as the first stop upon opening. As you lift the faceshield, there are micro detents that only work at slower speeds. Higher speeds will slam the shield shut, but that’s okay because venting is excellent. I found the city position to direct airflow up higher than other brands. This sent the wind into my eyes and, unless going slowly in town, I keep the faceshield shut and the chin vent open—no real problem.
Spending some time on the road at speed with the GT930, I found it neutral at all speeds with no lift, oscillation, buffeting, or whistling in any position.
There is one closable top vent, with an always-open rear exhaust. I like the monster chin vent, as it does a great job and only adds a bit of airflow noise at lower speeds. At high speeds, wind noise increases, though I cannot locate any specific source. I would give a subjective wind noise rating of good or average—not too loud, yet not as quiet as some of the expensive brands I’ve tested. The included and removable chin curtain and breath deflector probably help a bit.
This Scorpion Exo-GT930 is Exo-Com ready, and the communication unit is promised when it becomes available later this year. I will follow up with a review as soon as I get it. It’s said to utilize mesh radio for the intercom feature. I’m excited about the move to mesh from Bluetooth that’s happening in the industry.
The implementation of the Exo-Com unit is a bit unusual. According to Scorpion, if the helmet is ordered with the Exo-Com unit, it only comes in Matte Black. The speakers, which have the microphones built into them, are installed in the helmet. Buyers must then plug in the remaining components. Other colors and graphics are available and compatible with the Exo-Com, but you’ll have to complete installation. I suspect the speaker/mic installation can’t take more than 15 minutes.
All things considered, the Scorpion Exo-GT930 Transformer helmet is a comfortable quality piece of kit, especially at this price.
Scorpion Exo-GT930 Transformer Helmet Fast Facts
- Sizes: XS-3XL
- Certification: DOT and ECE
Colors
- Matte Black (only color w/ Exo-Com installed)
- Gloss White
- Gloss Black
- Modulus Hi-Vis
- Modulus Phantom
- Modulus White/Blue/Red
Prices
- Scorpion Exo-GT930 Transformer w/ Exo-Com: $425 MSRP
- Scorpion Exo-GT930 Transformer in solid colors: from $250
- Scorpion Exo-GT930 Transformer in graphics: $270
- Exo-Com Bluetooth Communicator Kit: $190
