Adding Comms To My Stilo ST5 Helmet

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One of the best features of Stilo helmets is how adjustable they are. Many of the internal cushions come in different sizes to provide you with a custom fit at an affordable price. These are super easy to remove and replace as well. The ST5 also comes with ports on either side of the helmet to add comms or hydration. After reading several articles with HPDE instructors complaining about their comms units getting beat up during instruction, I decided to install my own as part of my track prep.

I ordered the Stilo Helmet Wiring Kit that works with my ST5. Unfortunately, it didn’t come with any installation instructions and I couldn’t find any online either. So many times I depend on YouTube to show me how to do something, it felt like a real challenge to have to figure it out myself.

Here are the steps I took to add the AE0210 radio kit to my ST5 helmet:

The first step was to remove the front and two side cushions from the helmet. I found it easier to start with the side cushions and then remove the front one. When pulling out the side cushions you need to work the chin straps back through the slots in each cushion.

The next step was to remove the plug to make room for the comms port. You can pick either side of the helmet. I picked the left side port as that is where my connection point is for my Speedcom intercom system is in my car. I was able to pop the rubber plug out by pushing on it from inside the helmet.

I inserted the comms port inside the helmet and held it in place while I used a socket wrench to tighten the bolts on the port. I am a nut for keeping wiring neat and out of site so I paid particular attention to how the wiring would feed to the mic and ear cups once it was locked in place.

I ran the wiring for the right side ear cup around the back of the helmet. The wire tucked neatly into the small lip that runs around the base of the helmet. There was no need to remove the rear cushion, just a little pressure from a finger and the wire disappeared. Then I inserted the right cushion with the speaker back in place.

The next step was adding the microphone to the front cushion. Stilo makes this easy as well. The cushion is pre-fabricated to accommodate the mic so it is as simple as popping out the place holder and adding the mic. There are even three velcro circles for the back of the mic so you can adjust the depth for the best fit. I ended up using all three spacers.

Getting the cushions back in was the hardest part of the install as they fit snuggly together. I had to make several attempts in order to get the front cushion to wedge between the two side cushions. In the end it was easier to put the helmet on and pull on the front cushion through the shield to get in firmly in place.

The final step was to hook it up to my Speedcom and test it out. It worked perfectly!

Where's Bernie?

Is The M2 My Mid Life Crisis?

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This February I turned 45 which is by my account the middle of my life expectancy. My main reason for buying a BMW M2 was as an upgrade to my M235i for use at the track. I have always loved cars and “racing” cars has been a life long dream. So now that I have started down this path, I am wondering if this is nothing more than my mid life crisis.

2017 M2 Delivery

I have to give a big shout out to my wife who is typically supportive of all my crazy ideas. About the only thing she doesn’t “allow” me to do is have a motorcycle. That is a small price to pay to keep my wife happy. I am surprised she still “let” me keep pursing track days after we went helmet shopping. You should have seen the look on her face when the salesperson encouraged me to get a full face helmet so my jaw doesn’t get broken when I wreck my car!

My wife made me a birthday card this year with a picture from the day we picked up my 2017 BMW M2 with the caption,

“May This Be Your Best Year Yet.”

What you may not notice is that Bernie Sanders is sitting in his now famous inauguration day outfit watching us pick up the car. My wife has a great sense of humor and loves life as much as I do. Mid-life crisis or not, I can’t thank her enough!

Tracking any car is an expensive and time consuming hobby so the main point here is your family has to be supportive. I have only been to one BMW CCA event so far and that was just a Cars & Coffee a few minutes from my house. I have spent countless hours working on my car and I have spent a good bit of money on new tools to maintain the car as well.

If you are like me and your love of cars is inspiring you to move from dreaming to doing, make sure you budget some extra funds for the gear you need to keep you car track ready. I would also pre-negotiate for how much time you will spend away from home and family to hit the track. Both time and money add up quickly…

What The Hell Is A Snell Rating?

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One of the first things I needed to prepare for my first track day event was a helmet. I noticed on the tech sheet that the helmet needed to be rated SA2010 or higher. Not knowing what the SA2010 stood for, I started doing some online shopping to get an idea of helmet types and cost. Ultimately, I knew I needed to go try on helmets before I bought one to make sure the fit was good. A friend recommended I go to Discovery Parts at Atlanta Motorsports Park (AMP) and I am glad I did!

The open face helmet on the Discovery Parts clearance page would have been the absolutely wrong one for me to buy.

It looked like a great “deal” online as it was over 75% off. First of all it was a Bell helmet and it turns out Bell helmets are not a great fit for my head. Each helmet brand fits a bit different, so it is critical to try them before you buy one. After trying helmets from Bell, Arai, Stand and Simpson it was the Stilo helmets that were the most comfortable fit for my head.

The next wrong move would have been an open faced helmet. I wish I had a picture of my wife’s face when the salesperson recommended a closed faced helmet so I don’t break my nose and face when I put my car into the wall. I thought my track days were over before they started! The closed helmets give me more options for driving karts, convertibles and dedicated track cars as well as offering a bit more protection.

The biggest take away from my helmet shopping experience was learning about the Snell Foundation Rating. If I had ordered that “great deal” helmet with a SA2010 rating, I would have learned the hard way that the 2010 part of the rating is the expiration date and the helmet would need to be replaced in just a few months. My Stilo helmet has a SA2020 rating and should be good for years to come. Be sure to check your local/event helmet rating requirements as not just any old helmet will do.