Light and strong
- Thread starter daler
- Start date
Warren
2
Take a look at the AFX line of helmets. They are reasonable quality at very reasonable pricing. Many are less than $100.
http://www.afxhelmets.com/
http://www.afxhelmets.com/
As long as your helmet is DOT approved, everything else comes down to your budget and whether or not you like the helmet.
If you want to go really cheap, visit your local Cycle Gear store. Their house brand, "Bilt" is very inexpensive. You can even get a modular Bilt helmet for $100. Just depends on if you like the helmet or not.
Also, Motorcycle Superstore is/was having a huge sale.
Bottom line is you can get a great helmet for under $200...after $200 its all about fit and finish and bells and whistles
But you can spend under $100 and still be protected
Go to Revzilla.com and watch the tutorial video about different helmet types and how to shop for a helmet
If you want to go really cheap, visit your local Cycle Gear store. Their house brand, "Bilt" is very inexpensive. You can even get a modular Bilt helmet for $100. Just depends on if you like the helmet or not.
Also, Motorcycle Superstore is/was having a huge sale.
Bottom line is you can get a great helmet for under $200...after $200 its all about fit and finish and bells and whistles
But you can spend under $100 and still be protected
Go to Revzilla.com and watch the tutorial video about different helmet types and how to shop for a helmet
I have visited the Cycle Gear stores in St Louis, MO and Ventura, CA. I tried on the Solar Modular and Pilot helmets at both stores. EVERY SINGLE HELMET I TRIED ON FIT DIFFERENTLY.
Personally, I would never mail order one. You MUST go to a store to find one that fits.
And, NO, I did not buy one.
Personally, I would never mail order one. You MUST go to a store to find one that fits.
And, NO, I did not buy one.
Bottom line is, it has to fit your head. Some helmets are rounder and some are more oval. Price is not necessarily and indicator here. As suvcw04 said, you have to try them on.
I liked the Nolans I had (N-102 and N-104). I really like the Schuberth C3. It's expensive, but it's by far the quietest helmet I've had.
The Bilt helmet has been blasted by the folks on the Long Distance Riders list as the noisiest helmet any of them have ever worn. Several people had ordered them and taken them back in short order.
The Bilt helmet has been blasted by the folks on the Long Distance Riders list as the noisiest helmet any of them have ever worn. Several people had ordered them and taken them back in short order.
To quote the old Bell Helmets advertisement from the 60's "If you have a $10 head, buy a $10 helmet"...just add another zero for inflation, you still get what you pay for.... That being said the most important thing is proper fitment, even an expensive helmet like Phil's Schuberth, won't protect you properly if it does fit you correctly. I've been wearing Shoei for many years (currently a RF-1100 and a RJ Platinum-R) and I can't necessarily wear the same size in all their models, and their modular helmets won't work for me at all, you really need to try different brands, models and sizes to see what fits.
A good place to research helmet performance is the Sharp website in the UK. It is run by their DOT equivalent and has very good reviews of how well helmets do their "primary" job... The downside of that website is since it is in the UK not all brands sold here are listed and some listed aren't sold here...but most of the major brands are listed...
A good place to research helmet performance is the Sharp website in the UK. It is run by their DOT equivalent and has very good reviews of how well helmets do their "primary" job... The downside of that website is since it is in the UK not all brands sold here are listed and some listed aren't sold here...but most of the major brands are listed...
Bear
2
Helmet sizes are a total mystery to me. They make no sense. My N-103 Nolan is a Medium, The HJC Modular is XL, HJC Open Face is L, The Bell Revolver is L. So far I like the Bell best.
Wayne's very first sentence says it all best, IF you think your brain isn't worth protecting go t0 the five and dime and buy cheap. Getting a quality helmet that will fit you properly is important. i usurally will have a minumin of 3 hours and sometimes twice that walking / setting arround a helmet store before buying. Yes I am differnt than a lot of y ou, but on many occassios I will put mine on when I start my day and it never comes off my head until at the end of the day, like 12 + hours later.
Remember once you go out the door and wear it foro a ride you have no return to the store for it.
Remember once you go out the door and wear it foro a ride you have no return to the store for it.
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Fit is one of the most important aspects of buying a helmet. While I used to insist on Snell certification for any helmet I bought I have come to accept that the european standard is just as good and might even be better. The bonus is that they also certify non-FF helmets, something the Snell tends to reject.
I disagree about the cost vs performance thing. 90% of the cheap helmets out there will protect your head just as well as the most expensive...as long as it FITS.
The Bilt line doesn't fit me at all or I'd probably have one of theirs by now. I have an HJC and a Shoei. I do not feel less protected with the HJC.
Your biggest choice is 3/4, modular or FF. 3/4 is typically lighter than the FF, and the modular is usually heaviest.
Brands? Not really important. Fit is more important. The more expensive you get typically they are less noisy (but not always).
So go to the local bike shops and try on as many as you can. Make sure the store allows returns. You'll weed out some as soon as you put them on. The second round are the ones you can stand to have on your head for more than a few minutes. You can do that in the shop (the good shops will encourage this). Then pick one and buy it. Wear it for at least an hour at a time. If it hurts, take it back and try another. Like winger said, if you can't wear it most of a day then it isn't right for you.
I disagree about the cost vs performance thing. 90% of the cheap helmets out there will protect your head just as well as the most expensive...as long as it FITS.
The Bilt line doesn't fit me at all or I'd probably have one of theirs by now. I have an HJC and a Shoei. I do not feel less protected with the HJC.
Your biggest choice is 3/4, modular or FF. 3/4 is typically lighter than the FF, and the modular is usually heaviest.
Brands? Not really important. Fit is more important. The more expensive you get typically they are less noisy (but not always).
So go to the local bike shops and try on as many as you can. Make sure the store allows returns. You'll weed out some as soon as you put them on. The second round are the ones you can stand to have on your head for more than a few minutes. You can do that in the shop (the good shops will encourage this). Then pick one and buy it. Wear it for at least an hour at a time. If it hurts, take it back and try another. Like winger said, if you can't wear it most of a day then it isn't right for you.
I like my Shoei Qwest a lot. However, I got a AVG open face helmet I us around town sometime. It's great too. I haven't tried their full face helment but I bet they're pretty good.
that $10 head/ $10 helmet attitude is off the mark...DOT is DOT even if you only pay a 25 cents
Then wear a 25 cent helmet.... DOT is the minimum standard... You can buy "skid lids" that are DOT approved that will not meet ECE, Snell, or any other standards.
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For the most part, the quality is well beyond reasonable. I have two different models and both are very comfortable. Webbike World has reviewed several of the models, and given them sound reviews.
Ken
Just because a person can't or won't spend 400-800 bucks on a helmet doesnt mean they arent doing their due diligence by buying the lowly DOT approved lid. It also doesnt mean they dont care about their personal safety
We dont all have the resources that some have
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You don't need to spend "400-800" bucks, or even $300, for a good helmet. But saying "DOT is DOT" isn't the case.... A $30 DOT Approved "Skid Lid" is not going to offer the same protection a DOT Approved Full Face helmet will offer...much less a ECE approved helmet. Buy what works for you...it is your head and your choice...
I guess we agree after all RedLdr1, as I can't imagine wearing anything less than a full face or modular. MY $160 HJC IS16 is a wonderful helmet, and I doubt I would ever spend more than $200-$300 unless i hit the lottery
But I will stand by my original statement...
Full face vs full face or mod vs mod
DOT is DOT
Everything else is fit and finish, bells and whistles
But I will stand by my original statement...
Full face vs full face or mod vs mod
DOT is DOT
Everything else is fit and finish, bells and whistles
I did some brief "Googling" and noted the following. DOT does not "approve" helmets. DOT issues a standard "FMVSS 218" and the manufacturers certify that they meet the standard. Fake DOT stickers are for sale. Beware. NHTSA tests helmets and issues a report on whether they pass or fail relative to DOT. NHTSA does not "approve" helmets either. Snell does approve helmets. Manufacturers have to submit production samples for destructive testing. The process is resource intensive and expensive. European Union (CE) also approves (I understand) and their standard is more stringent than DOT.
All of this is under review and there is controversy. When I started riding 5 years ago there were several good articles in the MC press about these standards. One researcher (can't quote) tested several helmets by measuring G-forces applied to a crash dummy. The "winner" was the least expensive helmet in the test. Since then, Snell has revised there standard with regard to multiple impacts to a single point (intended for car racing).
It IS an interesting area,
All of this is under review and there is controversy. When I started riding 5 years ago there were several good articles in the MC press about these standards. One researcher (can't quote) tested several helmets by measuring G-forces applied to a crash dummy. The "winner" was the least expensive helmet in the test. Since then, Snell has revised there standard with regard to multiple impacts to a single point (intended for car racing).
It IS an interesting area,
I agree with both of you. I don't know the requirements for any of the helmet standards, but the old Snell standard apparently resulted in much more severe brain injuries because it was designed to protect multiple severe impacts. I remember the series of artilces in Motocyclist that challenged the Snell standard's dominance. It seems to me that I remember reading that G forces of over 300Gs did severe damage to the brain. It seems amazing to me thag something as soft and pliable as a human brain can withstand 300Gs!
I would remind you that in the fit and finish, bells and whistles category are things like faceshields (with varying degrees optical clarity, varying peripheral vision, and widely varying resistance to fogging), ventilatioon, and noise levels. But you sure can't say that the cheaper helmets are automatically junk or dangerous.
I may be wrong but I believe MotoGP riders wear DOT helmets