MotoReview- Sena Outrush 2 Modular Helmet
Hello my loyal MotoReaders! I'm back from Daytona and today I'm bringing you a fresh new MotoReview- the new Sena Outrush 2 Modular communication helmet! Grab a snack, settle in and get comfortable... because this is going to be a comprehensive review!
Full disclosure
For starters- as you all know by now, I believe in full disclosure when I review any products. I want you to know how I decide to do a review on a particular product, or products. It's pretty simple, really. I'm not a spontaneous buyer- I have to work for my money, so I'm pretty discerning with how I spend it. With that said, most of the products I review are products that I've already done a fair level of research on before I bought them, so I'm naturally predisposed to give a good review of them. Typically, I end up reviewing overall quality and will make a recommendation based on that, but today's review is a little different- I didn't buy this one.
When I connected with Sena Communication as a brand ambassador, I thought it was going to be like the others- a simple agreement and a discount code with a small percentage of each sale kicked back to me as an incentive to advertise their product on my website. I was more than a little surprised to see that this collab actually required some formal documentation, but in return, they sent me a helmet for free.
The terms of agreement were pretty simple, really- use the product, review the product, don't bash the company or any of it's representatives. That's about it. Pretty straightforward and some parameters that I can definitely work within. So, notwithstanding the fact that I got a new helmet out of the deal, I'm going to give my MotoReaders a full and honest review of this helmet. While the helmet was free initially, I look at it like this: the helmet was pre-payment on a product that I'm offering- my full and honest review for all of my MotoReaders worldwide to read. That's a fair trade, in my opinion, so I can assure you that I'm not being influenced by Sena or any representative of Sena (or anyone else, for that matter).
What is the Outrush 2?
Sena has been making communication helmets for several years and the "Outrush" name is not unfamiliar to most folks that have been in the market for a new comms helmet. A lot of you may recognize it as a Harley-Davidson helmet, which you can check out here. Here's a newsflash for all of you MoCo brand fanatics though- Harley-Davidson Motor Company doesn't actually produce their own helmets. If they did... they would probably call themselves the Harley-Davidson Motor and Other Products Company... which doesn't really roll off the tongue as easily, or sound as cool for that matter. Common suppliers of helmets to H-D is Sena, HJC, Bell, LS2 and maybe a couple of others. That means that when you go into your local H-D dealer and buy that Harley-Davidson Outrush R Helmet... you are actually buying a Sena Outrush R with a H-D logo. The same goes for their helmet comms- they simply rebrand Sena and Cardo products as their own. Rebranding is a very common practice for many companies- including the company that claims to have been around for a few more years than H-D.
So, what is the Outrush 2, well... according to my rep at Sena:
"The Outrush 2 is a mid-price-point modular helmet." Sena wanted to create something that was accessible but also has some of their staple features. A couple things to note are:
- The Outrush 2 does not have bluetooth intercom, it only has bluetooth connectivity. You should be able to pair it to your phone to listen to music, take direct calls, and listen to your turn-by-turn navigation.
- The Outrush 2 only has Mesh intercom.
- This helmet is "backwards" compatible, but only with other devices that run the Sena mesh network, 2.0 or 3.0.
- The Outrush 2 also has Wave Intercom which requires each user to use their own phone/app and comm device. Each comm device must be bluetooth paired to the corresponding phone and, when opening the Wave Intercom app, the user should see their bluetooth device paired on the screen. This technology uses the phones to connect, instead of the mesh network created by Sena.
Now, again, full disclosure here... I made a video review of the Outrush 2 helmet before I knew any of this. That was a little foolish on my part, but I reached out to my rep at Sena before writing this and have decided not to post the video review... at least not until I have a chance to revise it.
What does all of the aforementioned tech stuff mean? Simple- in order to use the Outrush 2 helmet- make sure that your riding buddies are running comms with more modern tech than the ole MotoWriter was using (a 20S EVO).
The Test(s)
When I first received the helmet, I was eager to try it out. The day before, I had taken a pretty decent ride on the MotoWriter Road King Special, wearing my Nolan N100-5 modular helmet outfitted with my 20S EVO, so I decided to do a back-to-back comparison of the same trip, same roads, same distance (just over 200 miles with speeds ranging from 30-65mph), same length of time using the Outrush 2. After that, I decided to put the Outrush 2 to the test on a few more rides... one being a big one. My judging criteria for each ride was simple:
- how comfortable is the helmet?
- how heavy is the helmet?
- how noisy is the helmet?
- how are the comms?
- how is the audio quality for music?
- how long can I comfortably wear this helmet?
The next ride was a bit longer- just over 230 miles, again, on the Road King; after that, a 3rd, much shorter ride (less than 25 miles) on the Janus Halcyon 250. The next, and final (for this initial review) test for the Outrush 2 helmet was a trip from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi to Daytona, FL for a visit to Bike Week and, more importantly, the Daytona 200 and King of the Baggers races. The last ride was over 1,450 miles in 4 days and consisted of a variety of rides, roads and speeds. Overall testing miles for the Sena Outrush 2 Modular helmet so far, is just under 2,000 ridden miles. So, how did it do?
Comfort Level
I've worn a few different helmet brands- HJC, Nolan, Shoei, Super Seer, "Harley-Davidson", Fulmer, Thor and probably a few others that I'm forgetting. The Sena is just as comfortable to wear as the most comfortable I've ever worn. If you're confused by the wording- simply put- it's a comfortable helmet to wear. It's relatively lightweight, has an appropriate amount of wind noise as any modular helmet that I've ever worn (more on that later, though) and I can wear it all day without any fatigue. The shield is wide and offers a clear view and the flip down sun visor is easy to use and offers just enough tint to take the edge off the sun, without being so dark that you go blind in the shadows or when the sun starts going down. Ventilation on the helmet is good... no, better than good. You can actually feel the air moving in the helmet when you open the vents, which has not been all that common in most of the full face or modular helmets I've worn. The Sena Outrush 2 has several vents- 2 adjustable and 4 non-adjustable. The two adjustable are located on the chin bar and on the top and both control the flow of air into the helmet to cool your dome while you're riding. The 4 non-adjustable are laid out as such- 2 on the chin bar that act as defrosters for the face shield, and 2 on the back of the helmet to act as exhaust vents for your hot breath. All of the vents work, better than expected, but the two adjustable vents are especially nice. When open, even behind a small windshield, I can actually feel the air flowing through them. The only problem that I've noticed with the top vent, is that it does tend to increase the noise level a good bit. But... if given the opportunity to choose between trading out the wind noise of the open vent for airflow- I'll take the airflow all day long. I can tolerate the noise, but as many of you can attest- riding with an itchy, sweaty head just plain sucks, so I'd rather have a cool head and turn up the volume a little higher. Speaking of sound quality...
Sound Quality
While I will have to update my wife's comms to a mesh compatible device, and get my buddies to update theirs (which they can do AND save 10% off their order, by clicking my affiliate link here- hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge), I mostly use my helmet comms for listening to music or answering calls while I'm out riding solo. My 20S EVO is a good device and has great sound quality on phone calls. The sound quality for listening to music is just okay, though, and it gets noticeably worse as speeds increase. The Outrush 2, however, offers a vast improvement. The highs, midrange and bass are significantly better and I've noticed that I actually need to turn it down some while I ride, as the music sounds great anywhere from slower city riding, all the way up to much higher interstate speeds. The trip to Daytona consisted of a good mix of city riding, beach road speeds and jamming on the interstate. On each ride, the Sena Outrush 2 speakers did a fine job of keeping the beats. My music tastes are pretty diverse... I'll listen to everything from heavy metal or Indie folk music, instrumentals to '80's Pop and Rock. The Outrush 2's design, or maybe the speakers themselves, offer a great overall sound quality. I was able to go from having some music playing in the background while cruising down Main Street Daytona, to having a full-on concert going down the highway. Adjusting the volume is easy- simply push a button. Compared to the toggle dial on the 20S EVO, it did take a little getting used to, especially with gloved hands. Since the Outrush uses the volume controls of the paired phone, instead of a separate volume control on the device, though, I mainly used the phone controls since I use a Quad Lock and my phone is easily accessible, right in front of me, near my hand.
Answering calls is simple and easy, too. A simple push of the button on the helmet controls, or as I mentioned before, pressing the "button" on my phone. The sound quality for calls is exceptional, too. My wife said my voice was nice and clear, even though I was on I-95 keeping up with the Florida traffic. That tells me that the microphone on the Outrush 2 is obviously a high quality, noise filtering device. The only issue that I found with the mic, though... is that it's a boom mic. It's not adjustable (that I could tell, anyway), so it does tend to rest on my face. It should be noted that I'm currently sporting the thickest beard I've ever had though, so I'm sure that some of that could be me. Maybe if I shaved it would be less noticable.
Fit, Finish, Color and other Features
Not everything in this world is black and white- but this helmet is. Gloss White or matte black to be precise. Those are your only two color options, for now, at least. I went with the gloss white because, well, truthfully I don't have (and can't remember a time when I did have) a white helmet. It was different and I liked the "gloss" part of it, too since my last several helmets have all been black or mostly black with a matte finish. The mattes are nice, but for this one (especially since I wasn't buying it), I wanted to do something a little different, and I'm so glad I did. The finish on the Outrush 2 is really nice- it's gloss white with some very tastefully designed silver-gray stripes. The Sena logos are simple, and not obnoxious, on the front and back, and since the only criteria that I was given for adding my own decals was that I couldn't cover their logo, I was able to throw in a couple of nice, reflective "The MotoWriter" decals on the side and back that I think compliments the design of the helmet very nicely. The gloss finish makes the Outrush 2 very easy to clean, too.
The fit is right on the money. I normally wear a medium so I ordered a medium and it fits very well- not too tight and not too loose. I do get a little vertical line on my forehead after a few hours of wearing the helmet though, due to the way the front padding is designed. That's nothing more than a minor inconvenience, however, and fortunately, it goes away pretty quickly after taking the helmet off. The flip-up chin bar is easy and simple to operate, with a quick lift of the button. The chin bar lifts up high, and out of the way. It locks quickly and securely when brought back down, but you do have to make sure the boom mic is inside though, which is such a minor detail that I wouldn't even call it an annoyance or inconvenience, but rather a barely noteworthy detail.
The Outrush 2 is pretty light for a modular helmet. It's about the same weight as some of the more expensive modulars that I've worn, and a good bit lighter than some of the less expensive ones. The weight of a helmet will make a big impact on comfort, especially the longer that you wear it and the Outrush 2 isn't bad, at all. Even though I could have (legally) removed my helmet once I entered the "Free State of Florida", Mrs. MotoWriter has a strict rule that I don't die, so I always opt to wear my helmet to protect this ole noggin of mine as much as possible. My son and I took our time getting down to Daytona, so it took us about 11 hours on the road, with several stops and a few helmet removal breaks. On the way back, however, we pushed pretty hard and only stopped for fuel, shaving off a few hours on the return. My head and neck never got fatigued from the weight of the helmet, going to, or coming back from, the East Coast.
I'm not sure if replacement shields or sun visors are available for the Outrush 2, yet... as I haven't been able to find them and I haven't contacted Sena about them. The shield comes Pinlock ready, although, the helmet does not come with a Pinlock insert and, again, I haven't found one specifically for the Outrush 2 helmet yet (and I'm not sure if the insert is interchangeable with other Sena helmets like the Outrush R). I do recommend that, once available, you get one though... as the Pinlock inserts work incredibly well to keep your hot breath from affecting your visibility, especially during adverse weather conditions.
The fastener is the easy to use, modern, ratcheting buckle with a quick-release pull tab. I can tell you that if you've never worn a helmet with one of these- they are a game changer. No more fumbling with the D-rings or side-push "buttons". The mechanism is well made and features metal-on-metal components for a secure fit and solid retention if, God forbid, things go bad.
The liner on the Outrush 2 is soft and comfortable, but, like I said previously, there is a relief gap between the forehead pads that will make a weird, vertical indentation on your forehead after a few hours.
The battery on the device is incredible. As in... surprisingly so. I left the house for Daytona with a less than full battery and, 11 hours later, when I finally turned it off for the night, it was still saying "battery level medium." I charged it that night, then rode the rest of the weekend without plugging it in again, using it for several hours each day, and over 8 hours the last day, and when I got back home and turned it off, it gave me the "battery level high" notification. That was constant on, several hours of playing music and several phone calls worth of use on a single charge. As a matter of fact, as I write this today, I still haven't charged it and the battery level is still "high."
Pros and Cons Summary
Pros:
- Finish is nice, looks awesome and is easy to clean
- Chinbar and sun visor controls work as expected... better actually
- Nicely designed shell that looks stylish and is comfortable
- Comfortable inner liner
- Airflow is fantastic
- Awesome sound quality
- Battery life is outstanding
- Background noise filtering (not sure if this is in the electronics or the helmet design, but it works and works well)
- Intuitive controls- only 3 buttons
- Overall fit and weight of helmet
- Pinlock ready
- Ratchet buckle
Cons:
- Wind noise (but only when top vent is open)
- Limited selection of colors and finishes (which I'm hesitant to even call this a con, but I know that some of you like to be more colorful than me)
- Limited connectivity to older, non-mesh, devices and NOT backward compatible with all Sena products- ONLY Sena Mesh products. It can connect to other non-Sena products via open mesh or wave mesh, but will not connect to bluetooth comms like the Sena 20s and other Bluetooth-only communication devices.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I really like this helmet. While I initially just quickly threw my decals on the Outrush 2 for the trip to Daytona, since I was planning on taking them off after I got back anyway, I've since decided to reposition them and leave them on. Mainly because the Outrush 2 looks as good as it does, and the color and graphics design lends itself nicely to the task of representing my little corner of the interwebs. I think I'm going to use the Outrush 2 whenever I'm out doing MotoWriter stuff and keep my other helmets for when I'm just doing me stuff.
The Outrush 2 has a retail price on the Sena website for $379, but you can get it for $341.10 by clicking this link and using my discount code. As for my thoughts on the price- most modular helmets sell between $150 for the lower end of quality, up to $950, according to the current offerings from Revzilla, with the majority of them fitting in the range of $300 and $400 USD. Keep in mind that those prices reflect the helmets only and no comms. Comms typically range from $98 for the old stuff, to well over $400 for the newer stuff. The mid-range mesh comms sit right in the middle, around the $200-$300 range. So, with consideration to the fact that this helmet has the mesh comms already installed, you could easily make the argument that the package deal is well worth it, especially since it's ready to go, right out of the box (especially when you buy it through the MotoWriter link).
Look, I know that some of you don't like to wear helmets, and I know that some of you don't care about listening to music and that you don't want to answer the phone while you're out riding... I get it. This helmet (or any helmet, for that matter) isn't for you. But I've seen first-hand what happens to the human head when it hits a solid object like the side of a car or the pavement and I'll tell you this- your old pal, the MotoWriter, will always wear a helmet. I'm also a husband, father, son, brother and uncle and I have a family that loves me, and that I love... so if they call, I want to be able to answer. Lastly, I've tried it, and I personally don't like my motorcycles to have big fairings with dashboard-mounted stereos, but I do like to listen to music sometimes, especially on long trips. Having a good set of speakers to listen to my favorite singers and bands, belting out their best music is pretty dang nice.
You might be asking, though...would I buy it? Before seeing it and trying it out myself, I can honestly say that I would have been hesitant- after all, a comms company making a helmet? But after seeing how well this helmet is made- it has a good quality shell, a nice design, good aerodynamics, good quality materials and hardware and has a really nice finish... I can honestly say that I would be willing to pay up to $250 for the helmet itself, and for the comms- I'd easily pay another $200. That's a total of $450+ and would require me to install the comms, so for the asking price of $379 (or $341 with the MotoWriter discount), I think this helmet is a bargain, and I'd absolutely buy it, without hesitation.
Until next time, MotoReaders...
Ride safe and make good choices!
