LS2 Stream II vs Scorpion EXO-R430

The LS2 Stream II and the Scorpion EXO-R430are the two budget full-faces we recommend most, and if you’re shopping under $200 they’re probably your shortlist. The good news is that the decision between them is unusually clear-cut: they made different, defensible choices about where to spend a tight budget, and you just have to decide which choice matches you. There’s no wrong answer here — only a right one for you.

Head to head

The one decision that matters: certification

Both helmets clear DOT, the US legal floor. Above that, they diverge. The Stream II adds ECE 22.06— the newest European standard, which includes oblique/rotational and multi-point impact testing — plus LS2’s own AREM rotational-energy management. The EXO-R430 adds the current Snell M2025, a stricter independent impact protocol verified by the Snell Memorial Foundation rather than self-declared. Our safety-ratings guide explains the difference in full; the practical takeaway is that both are legitimately top-tier for a budget helmet, and getting either certification this cheaply is the point.

The sun visor: the Stream II’s ace

The most useful everyday difference is that the Stream II has a built-in drop-down sun visor and the EXO-R430 doesn’t. If you ride into low morning or evening sun — which is most riders, most days — a sun visor you flick down with a lever beats carrying and swapping a separate tinted shield in a parking lot. That single feature makes the Stream II the more convenient daily helmet. The Scorpion counters with an EXO-COM comm-ready port, so if adding Bluetooth later matters more to you than a sun visor, that tips the other way.

Weight, shield and shell

Both are heavier polycarbonate-class shells — the Stream II’s Kinetic Polymer Alloy at around 1,550 g, the EXO-R430’s advanced polycarbonate at roughly 1,642 g — so neither wins on weight, and the gap is small. The Stream II’s shield is Pinlock-ready out of the box; the EXO-R430 ships with an EverClear anti-fog coating and sells a Pinlock-prepared shield separately. If fogging is a concern where you ride, that’s a small point to the LS2.

So which should you buy?

Buy the LS2 Stream IIif you want a sun visor, ECE 22.06 and a Pinlock-ready shield — the more convenient everyday budget helmet. Buy the Scorpion EXO-R430if you specifically want a current Snell impact rating and a comm-ready port, and you don’t mind skipping the sun visor. Both are near the top of our budget ranking and both make sensible first helmets. Read the Stream II and EXO-R430reviews for the full detail and live prices — then buy whichever certification you value, because you can’t go wrong on protection with either.