For those of us who want a helmet that doesn’t hinder our ability to communicate, and whose riding style has us frequently at a standstill – whether we're making deliveries, commuting or simply enjoying a casual cruise around town, the Crown Racing FL900 modular helmet offers the type of practicality you'll want. Rather than emphasizing aesthetics, it emphasizes functionality. As such, it's a "tool" for the practical commuter.
Specs and Value
One of the most useful features of the modular design is that you never have to remove the helmet itself. Flip the chin bar up, which takes seconds, and you go from full-face coverage to open-face. Delivery riders live in that transition: talk to the customer, check the GPS, flip it back down and ride. In addition, this helmet is DOT certified to FMVSS 218. That is the minimum legal bar for US roads, not a premium safety claim.
In terms of aesthetics, the helmet has a carbon-fiber-inspired paint scheme. This paint scheme gives the helmet a bold appearance and helps the helmet fit into today’s aggressive motorcycle landscape. Additionally, since the paint used to create the carbon-fiber inspired look isn’t actually made from real carbon fibers, you save money on something that would normally cost an arm and leg – namely, the carbon-fibers themselves.
Think of it as two helmets in one shell. Chin bar locked, your face is covered. Chin bar raised, you can breathe and talk without cooking in your own helmet at a red light. Commuters who sit in traffic all day will use that constantly.
The value here is adaptation. The helmet adjusts to your stop-and-go day instead of forcing you to choose one mode and suffer the other.
The Modular Design
The chinbar mechanism is really the key component of this helmet. It contains a single button that releases quickly. The quick-release nature of this mechanism is crucial to riders who wear eyeglasses, or for those riders who wish to cool off while idling at lights. Furthermore, the interior lining of this helmet is completely removable and washable – which is huge for riders who experience excessive sweating during their commutes. Skip washing the liner for a few weeks of daily riding and the helmet will let you know about it. The fit is snug enough to keep the helmet stable at moderate speeds, and the fit of the helmet is snug enough to maintain stability during moderate speed rides.
When the chinbar is in the closed position, the shape of the helmet is designed to minimize drag – therefore minimizing wind noise generated at higher speeds. Modular helmets carry extra hardware, so this one weighs more than a plain full-face. The penalty is mild around town but adds up on all-day tours, where neck fatigue is real. The outer shell of the helmet consists of a durable plastic material that has been engineered to withstand environmental elements (such as rain). The plastic shell gives up some strength to carbon-composite lids, but for urban speeds it covers the job.
Ventilation and Daily Use
Ventilation is where this helmet earns its keep. Channels run through the shell and feed air across the top of your head, and the flow adjusts naturally with your speed. In summer traffic that is the difference between a comfortable ride and a sweaty mess.
That through-flow also keeps the visor clear on cold mornings, when fog is the hazard that catches riders out. The interior lining material is sufficiently soft to be comfortable against your skin and maintains positioning during movement about city streets. Together – these aspects make FL900 a prime candidate for individuals who regularly ride their bikes every day.
What Amazon Reviewers Are Saying
Reviews are limited but consistent. Delivery riders praise the flip-up chin bar for customer interactions, and ventilation gets repeated positive mentions. On the other hand – there was some dissent regarding whether or not the carbon fiber appearance was convincing or merely painted. Some reviewers felt it looked quite convincing when viewed up-close while others were able to tell immediately that it was simply paint. There was also some discussion surrounding whether or not the chinbar lock/latch would loosen after prolonged use.
Buyers call the weight reasonable for a modular, find the padding fine for short and mid-length rides, and several report it running small, so measure first. Despite these few complaints however -- most agreed that this is a functional tool that performs as advertised. It isn't a high-end item but rather a reliable partner for navigating pavement.
Who Should Buy This
Buy it if you stop and talk to people all day: delivery routes, campus commuting, errands around town. You get full-face protection while moving and open-face convenience at every stop.
Don’t purchase this if you're an avid high-speed motorcyclist/racer or someone seeking ultra-lightweight equipment for competition. The modular hardware adds weight, so it is not a track helmet. And if you want real carbon fiber, the painted plastic here will disappoint.
Compare it against the rest in our motorcycle helmet guide, or dig through the GoMotorbikes blog.
Check the latest price on Amazon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to quick questions prior to deciding if a modular helmet fits into your riding style.
Is the Crown Racing FL900 DOT Certified?
Yes. The FL900 meets DOT certification standards to fmvss no. 218, which governs all motorcycle helmets sold in the u.s. Under federal law. Fmvss no. 218 defines minimum requirements for testing basic impact absorption and retention testing of shells. However, it does not define independent third party safety assessments conducted by entities such as Snell foundation, which independently conduct crash tests and rate helmets according to their own criteria.
Does the FL900 Come Equipped with a Visor Installed?
Yes. The FL900 comes pre-installed with a clear outer visor, along with a sliding inner sun visor. You can adjust the inner sun visor to sit anywhere along the slider track within the eyeport, and remove/reinstall the outer visor easily using a standard pin-and-socket fastening method.
How Does the Flip-up Mechanism Feel Like While Riding?
The chin bar lock lever is positioned on one side of your head and requires a deliberate action to disengage/lock in order to open/close the chinbar. The lever does not unintentionally open/close while riding normally. conversely, it provides ease-of-use when stopped at traffic lights.
Which Size Should I Order?
The product page strongly recommends comparing your head measurements against our size chart instead of merely relying upon your past experience with helmet sizes. Based upon our customer reviews, many customers suggested that they ordered a size smaller than they normally wear for comfort.
Can I Purchase a Tinted Visor for This Helmet?
The pin-and-socket fasteners used for attaching/removing visors are common throughout many intermediate range motorcycles helmets. Therefore, third party visors should be readily available for purchase through various after-market helmet part manufacturers. You don't have to seek Crown Racing branded visors, thereby allowing for greater flexibility when choosing colors or tints for your desired upgrade.