Nolan N91 Review

Nolan N91 Helmet Fit, Internal Shape and Liner

The internal fit and shape of the N91 feels very similar to the N90, so as with several sections in this review, the wording will seem similar if you’ve also read the N90 review.

The N91 has a “Neutral” internal shape that tends just towards round on top but is slightly tight on the sides. It should be a comfortable fit for the majority of owner head shapes.

For example, like the N90, the internal shape of the N91 even fits “Round” heads like me, so we’ll also call the N91 a “Neutral” in the webBikeWorld Motorcycle Helmet Shapes chart.

On thing’s for sure — the N91 feels very solid with the rotating flip-up visor closed. In fact, on at least two rides, I forgot that I was wearing a flip-up when I arrived back at the garage.

The N91 just feels and “rides” more like a full-face helmet than just about any other flip-up I’ve tried. Indeed, now that I think about it, the N91 feels more like a full-face helmet than some full-face helmets!

Our N91 is an ECE 22.05 version; Nolan makes two separate helmet shells and homologates both separately for the ECE and DOT standard.

No dual labeling here, as Nolan says it’s not possible to make a shell that will pass both standards.

In fact, they have purchased and tested a few dual-labeled helmets (helmets labeled as meeting both DOT and ECE standards) and they discovered that those helmets don’t fully meet either standard.

In any case, there may be some differences in fit and internal shape between our ECE helmet and the DOT version of the N91, but we don’t think so, as Nolan sounded pretty confident that both helmets have the same specifications.

Our N91 is a size XL and we do think it fits more like a size L and will fit a maximum head circumference of about 61 cm. “Neutral” to maybe “Slight Round” head shapes should fit.

Over 61 cm though, it’s up to the XXL size for you, the largest of the N91 range, which starts at XS.

The removable liner has the Nolan “Clima-Comfort” washable fabric with the same type of large neck roll found on the N90 for wind and noise reduction. This extra section of neck roll is thickly padded on on the N91 and has a soft feel.

Also similar to the N90, there are no defined ear pocket cavities on the N91.

The small indents in either side of the EPS for the Nolan N-Com Bluetooth intercom system speakers are there but the relatively thick liner over the speakers may dampen the sound quality of your intercom system.

The absence of defined ear pockets makes the sides feel a bit tighter than they probably are but it helps eyeglass wearers, because the temples of the eyeglasses can’t get caught in a pocket that isn’t there.

The Randolph Engineering Aviator (review) fit with no problems.

The N91 has a chin curtain installed on the rotating flip-up visor with some reflective material, which is repeated on the back of the helmet liner with a pattern that is slightly different from the N90.

The helmet has adequate chin room but the chin bar seems very tall at approximately 100 mm, so it does impede vision out the eye port slightly.

Curiously, the back of the chin bar is not molded to accept the N-Com microphone like the N90.

More information on helmet fit can be found in the webBikeWorld Motorcycle Helmet FAQ page, along with the chart that lists the helmet weights of webBikeWorld reviewed helmets and also by shape on the webBikeWorld Motorcycle Helmet Shapes page.

Score: We’ll give the Nolan N91 an “Outstanding” rating for shape, comfort and padding with a comfortable liner and padding.

Nolan N91 Face Shield, Eye Port and Outward Visibility

The face shield, rotating flip-up visor and internal sun visor on the N91 appear to be identical to those used on the N90. Just for kicks, we measured the thickness of the face shield on the N91 at 2.2 mm, identical to the N90.

Nolan is a vertically integrated company, making everything right down to the moldings, face shield and even the Pinlock right in their own factory in Italy.

The face shield is made from Lexan and has UV 400 protection and it has excellent optical qualities.

The eye port of the N91 has slightly better than average horizontal sight lines, but the vertical plane is less than average due to the thick 100 mm tall chin bar.

The N91 now comes with the Pinlock anti-fog insert (review) installed. This was installed on the European version of the N90 but it was optional on the U.S. version.

If you don’t like the Pinlock insert, which can cause slight halos around headlights at night, try the Clarity Defog It (review) anti-fog coating.

The face shield on the N91 still raises through five positions, and again we wish that the first opening was a touch smaller than the 20 mm or so for the first detent.

Otherwise, the face shield on the N91 feels identical to the N90; it operates smoothly and the central lift tab prevents any twisting of the shield as it’s moving.

It’s also very easy to remove and replace by simply pressing the buttons on either side of the rotating visor (see video).

The eye port gasket does not completely surround the opening on either the N90 or N91, but it is slightly thicker towards the center, which keeps a fairly tight seal.

Water does not get past the seal, except on the sides where the gasket ends. Water can drip down along the sides behind the face shield on either side but so far it hasn’t entered the eye port itself.

Rotating Flip-up Visor

The rotating visor on the N91 also feels identical to the N90. It has a smooth and secure operation. It features two unique safety devices.

To lift the visor, pull out the small red tab under the chin bar and a second red tab, located just below the chin vents, also pops open. Squeeze both tabs and you get a nice “handle” to lift the visor.

This design helps to keep the rotating visor securely locked in position and makes it virtually impossible to knock it open accidentally. I suppose it will also help keep the visor closed in a crash.

When the rotating visor is lifted all the way up, a small lever on the left-hand side of the helmet will lock it in place. This is an extra step but a positive one, in that it ensures that the visor will stay up.

The alternative, used in most of the other flip-ups, is to build in a strong detent to hold the visor open.

But then you’re depending on the friction to hold the visor open and the hope that it won’t wear out over time. The lever on the side is a positive lock and it works very well.

The N91 includes the internally rotating sun visor that appears to be lifted directly from the N90. It works via a slider on the left-hand side of the helmet.

The slider is located at an angle, just next to the split line formed by the rotating flip-up visor. It works smoothly and can be stopped at any position and held by friction.

The sun visor on the N91 appears to be identical to the sun visor used in the N90, with a cutout for the noise along the bottom that is visible in my peripheral vision, but overall it works well and seems to add little extra weight to the helmet.

Score: The Nolan N91 visibility is rated as “Very Good”. The tall chin bar is a slight impediment to vision out the bottom of the eye port.

Nolan N91 Ventilation and Air Flow

The vents have been completely redesigned on the Nolan N91 compared to the N90. The chin vent on the N91 has a tight-feeling snap rocker switch and the air has to flow up and over the vent opening.

This type of system usually impedes air flow but it seems to work pretty nicely on the N91, despite the fact that there are no direct air channels through that big, wide (tall, actually) chin bar.

The narrow built-in chin curtain helps block some unwanted air from flowing in underneath the chin bar and I think it helps make the chin vent more efficient also.

The top vent opens with a big ribbed plastic slider that has a tight feel. The vent cover opens in the front to two narrow positions: 2 mm and 4 mm measured vertically. Underneath the cover are a pair of small holes that appear to be about 3-4 mm in diameter.

Each hole flows air down through matching holes in the EPS, but the air is blocked to a certain extent by the liner along the top of the N91. Bottom line?

The top vent isn’t as efficient as we’d hoped; we can’t feel a strong air flow but there is some ventilation along the upper part of the helmet and through the channels in the EPS that direct the exhaust out the back.

Score: We’ll rate the ventilation system of the Nolan N91 as “Very Good” overall.

Nolan N91 Sound Levels

The N91 seals up pretty tightly when the rotating flip-up visor is closed and locked (as it should be whenever you’re riding). This, and the fairly robust neck roll, helps keep noise levels under control.

We’d say that the N91 is a bit less noisy than average when riding an unfaired bike, and that’s very good for a flip-up helmet.

Most/many flip-ups can be pretty noisy, due to the various openings and cracks that usually have seals with poor tolerances, allowing air and noise to seep in.

One quirk we noticed on the N91 is that if the helmet is a correct match to the head shape, with a firm seal between the liner and head, there seems to be a sort of pressure built up inside.

When riding behind a windscreen or fairing, some noise can be heard along the sides of the helmet, but we noticed as soon as the face shield is cracked open, the noise levels actually drop.

This is unusual and I can’t remember this happening on any other helmet we’ve reviewed. It’s more of a quirk than an annoyance and it probably says something about the way the N91 is constructed more than anything else.

So this is a tough helmet to rate for noise control. We’ll call it slightly quieter than average for now and hope to learn more from owners as the helmet becomes available.

Note that our helmet evaluations are a combined effort of several riders over time on different types of motorcycles with and without windscreens.

Evaluators wear correctly fitted, high quality ear plugs (even when evaluating motorcycle intercom systems).

Always protect your hearing when riding a motorcycle. See the wBW Earplug Reviews for more information on choosing and wearing earplugs.

Note also that perceived noise levels will vary, depending on the individual.

Noise can be caused by many factors, including helmet fit, the type of motorcycle and windscreen, wind speed and direction and even the rider’s clothing.

For more information on helmet noise, visit the wBW Motorcycle Helmet Noise page.

Score: We’ll give the Nolan N91 a “Very Good” rating for average noise control.

Helmet Weight

This Nolan N91 in size XL weighs 1809 grams, or 3 lbs. 15-3/4 oz. This puts it around the same weight as other flip-up helmets like the HJC IS-Max (review) in size L/XL at 1803 grams and theCaberg Justissimo (review) in size large at 1806 grams.

Also the Bell Revolver (review), also in size large at 1808 grams; the Shoei Neotec (review), size large at 1812 grams and the old SCHUBERTH C2 (review) in size XL at 1827 grams.

The solid build quality, good fit (for us) and the shape and aerodynamics give the N91 good balance, so the extra weight isn’t really noticeable when riding.

Note that all of the helmets reviewed on webBikeWorld have been weighed and the weights are available on the wBW Motorcycle Helmet Weights page, along with a chart that lists the helmets by weight and shape on the wBW Motorcycle Helmet Shapes page.

Score: We’ll give the Nolan N91 a “Very Good” rating for its weight with good balance.

Miscellaneous

The N91 uses the new “Microlock2” chin strap retainer and the padding is adequate. Nolan provides a five year warranty on the helmet.

The N91 meets the ECE 22.05 standard when sold in Europe and the DOT standard when sold in the U.S.

It might be difficult to fit a third-party intercom to the Nolan N91, due to the design of the gasket along the bottom and the built-in port for the Nolan N-Com intercom system.

Conclusion

The Nolan N91 is an evolution of the N90 and the most significant area that has been addressed is a redesign of the ventilation system.

Some owners complained about weak top vent covers on the N90 and the N91 system should be more robust.

The best features of the N91 are the solid feel with the rotating flip-up visor locked shut. The helmet feels more like a full-face than a flip-up when riding.

Nolan N90 owners may not find enough here to upgrade, but anyone looking for a high-quality flip-up that feels much more solid than average should definitely take a look.

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