Tell me about helmets
 

Alright guys,

I have been researching helmets like crazy. The problem is, I don't even know where to start.

What I do know is this, I'm not about to cheap out on something that could save my life. I don't object to $500-600 on a helmet if that's what is necessary to buy a great helmet. But because I am not a part of motorbike culture I just don't know if certain brands or models carry price tags simply because they are a certain brand or model... rather than because of their construction, etc.

What are your thoughts guys? From a group/community that I trust, what brand/models to avoid?

Where to shop locally? I always prefer to buy locally but not if I can get the same helmet online (in Canada) for cheaper... that said, if somebody locally is happy to pricematch than that is all good.....

Thanks guys!

Don't ever cheap out on a helmet. It's your head that your protecting.

You get what you pay for with helmets but don't fall for gimmicky features like special paint ,extra vents etc.

You will feel the difference with higher and low end helmets.

Don't buy helmets locally b/c the markups are way too high. you should check ebay or online for sales.

I'd go with shoei/or arai. They are the most stable and snuggest helmets I've ever worn.you will feel the difference at high speeds.

Yeah as stated above, buying online has it's pros, one of which is a good price. Shoei and Arai are good brands, but it's not really about the brand as it is about safety testing. If you want top of the line safety go with a snell approved helmet. Below the snell approved ones are dot approved. I'd suggest you go to a local store to test out helmet size before you buy online tho as each helmet fits on a bit differently.

If you get a "combo deal" at Modern (3+ items in one purchase) the prices they give you are on par, or better than online from the states - the prices are really good.

Personally, when i went to try helmets, you really could tell the 'good' helmets from the 'okay' helmets. I bought a Shoei. The most important thing is fit though, so make sure you get one that fits your head shape.

i have a bell vortex and i like it, it fits a little small i think. i have an XL but i think i fit a L in icon. i like both these brands for the <300 range. i got my bell for <200 before tax, my friend got his icon alliance for just over 200.

i believe icon is rebranded (and decorated) HJC, i could be wrong on that though.

Arai seemed to fit me the best and was by far the most comfortable. As sil-300 stated, check out modern motorcycle. They have a huge selections and will match or even beat (in all my cases) any price, even online U.S. MSRP!

To give you an idea I paid $439 at Modern for this exact helmet:
http://www.gphelmets.com/arai-profil...ki-serpent.htm

go in stores and try on all the helmets...literally, all the helmets! its all about fit and comfort obviously. you'll most likely narrow it down to a couple brands that fit you best and from there you can choose colourways or whatever. if you're buying online, you better know your size before hand, which is why going to the shops to try them on before hand wouldn't hurt

each brand has a different shape, so some brands may fit an oval head better while some fit a round head better, so the try all the helmets method is probably best lol

http://i.imgflip.com/1bao8.jpgvia Imgflip Meme Maker

^^^
try on different brands and see which ones fit you best.

Motorcycle Helmets On Sale ? Buy Your Motorcycle Helmet - RevZilla

Motorcycle Helmets | Sportbiketrackgear.com

Those two sites have the best reviews.

Watch the reviews on the Revzillia site as the tell you the intended purpose of the helmet. As well as the best suited riding position, tuck, three quarter or up right. I like the Bell Star helmet but after watching the reviews the Bell RS-1 was better suited to my riding.

NEVER BUY A USED HELMET

For pricing if you shop around locally you can find the same prices as webshopping in most cases.

Two brands to look at are Scorpion and Bell. The Scorpion are mid priced line with very good value as the features offered are what is found on high end helmets.

Bell is a high end line of helmets that are on par with Arai and Shoei but a few hundred $$$ less.


For helmet fitting the best 'local' shop is Daytona Motorsport in Surrey, Rob is the best local helmet guy and he can order in any brand you want.

Now for a word of caution, as you are new to bikes. ALL Shops are closed on Sunday & Mondays

except bayside, they are open mondays, but are the exception to the rule lol

id say any helmet with that has more than just the DOT rating is a good helmet (Snell, ECE)

For helmets, I'd say the single most important factory is fitment and comfort, not brand. Our heads come in all sorts of different shapes (round, oval, squarish on top, etc.), and different helmet models come in different shapes to cater to our needs. So the single most important thing to do is to find that properly shaped helmet that will fit the shape of your own head. If there are any pinch points, the helmet is no good for you. So helmets are one of the things I'd only buy locally. Showrooming in this case seems like a "wrong" thing to do.

Also, I'd try to test-wear as helmet for as long as a shop would allow. One of my first helmets was some sort of HJC. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the helmet itself, and when I first put it on, it felt reasonably comfortable. But I soon found out that about 15 to 20 minutes into my ride, I'd start to feel tired. And then by the 1/2 hour mark, I'd start to get dizzy / nauseated. It turned out that that particular helmet wasn't quite the right shape for my head after all, and the pressure from the helmet / padding on my temples were cutting off circulation to my head. When I switched to a Shoei later, the problem went away.

Obviously, it may not be practical to test-wear a helmet for 1/2 hr at the same. But my point is, try to test wear the helmet for as long as you can. This will reduce the likelihood of the helmet being a poor fit to your head.

Incidentally, I found that my head overwhelmingly prefers Shoei and Arai helmets. There are certain Shoei and Arai models that I put my head into, and it just feels like a perfect fit right from the start.

Different brand helmets have different fits.
Helmets of the same brand are also made for different head shapes.
I can tell you, Arai is the only brand that fit me well and most comfortable.
You need to try on helmets and see for yourself which is the best fit.
Alot of ppl buy helmets because of the brand, personally I would get something that fits you well.

Check out modern, bayside, carter honda, holeshot

Different manufacturers make helmets in different head shapes. I would say aside from Arai which makes the most variation of head shape sizes in their helmet lines, the majority of them are an intermediate oval shape.

The vast majority of helmets produced by helmet companies for our part of the globe are tailored to North American head shapes. (Helmet companies tried to do that anyways). Hence the same model of Arai helmet bought in Asia would have a significantly different shape than one purchased in North America. They tailor helmets to the average head shape of the local demographics.

As everyone has stated, try on as many as you can, and see which best suits you. You can narrow down design/graphic later on once you have established what make of helmet fits you best.

Entry level helmets can start off as low as the $200 range and goes upward to $1000

If they're sold in North America there is a minimal safety rating they have to meet before allowed on the market. However you can expect higher end helmets to further exceed the minimal safety rating required with the types of materials incorporated into its construction.

With entry level helmets, shells are generally made out of Thermal Plastic Resin.

As you move up the food chain in helmets, you will start to find the shells to be made out of things like Fiberglass instead of plastic, or Fiberglass and Carbon Shell combination instead of plastic.

This hierarchy moves all the way up till you hit the helmets that are constructed with a full carbon shell, and is ultimately reflected in the pricing of the helmets as you move up.

The more expensive the helmet, generally the lighter, and better ventilated they will be. Also expect to find small creature comforts like nice helmet inner liners that are constructed of suede, or air-wicking antimicrobial material.

The reason why helmets get lighter as they get more expensive, comes down to the material construction of the shell.

For a shell constructed of full carbon, the materials are more expensive, but they can use a lot LESS of it, to offer the same level of protection. Where as with an entry level helmet, constructed of thermal plastic, they have to use a lot more materials to ensure it passes safety standards.

You will also find that with a lot of the entry level helmets, replacement parts are almost non-existent. So when vents or visor mechanisms break you may have to replace the whole helmet. A lot of the mid-range and higher end helmets have replacements parts that are sold separately.

Sizing is also arbitrary, just like shoes, different manufacturers have their own idea of what a small, medium or large is. There is no universal agreed upon sizing between different helmet manufacturers, you must try them all on for yourself to see. I can wear a Medium or a Small depending on the brand of helmet.

Hope this helps.

Absolutely correct. Icon is a design house, all their helmets are contracted out to HJC and then rebranded. Just like their their line of apparel its all contracted out to larger established companies in the industry.

what is the original brand for their gear? (aside from helmet that is)

It really varies for anything outside of their helmets man. They utilize different factories overseas and give the contract to the best bidder. They would say I need X amount of these boots by this time, who can meet this deadline and for how much can you do it for.

For this reason, large industrial motorcycle shows such as the one hosted in Milan are littered with factory representatives from all around the globe, especially coming out of Asia, and South East Asia. That is where they congregate to secure contracts from companies like Icon.

Arai iz bez bro. bez quality from japan bro. iz bez bro.

This is the most important thing. Once you find this, then look at graphics.

I completely forgot to thank you guys. ;) after tons, and tons, and tons, and tons of searching I found exactly what I was looking for. Jay at Burnaby Kawasaki gave me a terrific deal... the helmet screams racing but I promise you I am far beyond that age...

http://www.revscene.net/forums/attac...29-photo-1.jpg

nice looking helmet is that the x12?

So people say don't cheap out on a helmet but this helmet appears to be of good quality and price. Any input?

Best Motorcycle Helmet - webBikeworld

super cheap for a SNELL rated helmet. i've never worn HJC before but they must be doing something right if they managed to get jorge lorenzo on board for 2013 lol

I've owned an HJC helmet before. Mind you, it wasn't one of their higher end ones, just a run-of-the-mill entry level/mid-entry level helmet. Let's just say, you get what you pay for (and I've owned a lot of helmets.) Would I buy another one? Fuck no. Would I recommend it to anyone? Only if I hated them. :D Despite whatever people say or online shop reviews or ratings - fuck the Internet (my opinion included.) Everybody has their own opinions and everybody is different.

My experience with HJC was just "okay." I got what I paid for. Was it comfortable? It was at first. Did it fit? Yes. Did it fit for as long as I wanted it to? Uh, no. So it came down to workmanship and materials and I will simply summarize it as a disposable helmet. I don't think it lasted even a season. Maybe half a season at most. It was a piece of shit.

I think the more experienced riders like CharlieH and fT-z33wor will agree with this: Try on as many helmets as you can. Prioritize it by fit and comfort then cost. Buy the best helmet you can afford but also use common sense and don't take out a mortgage for one. The last thing you need is a shitty helmet that not only doesn't fit, but isn't comfortable while paying for it with your left nut.

I have an entry level hjc (I think CL-16 ful face helmet) and I am content with it. A tight but comfortable fit. Doesn't fog up much at night, and hasn't irritated me on 1+ hour trips. For the $140 it cost me or wtv I'm happy. Didn't see the need for a $749 helmet on my ruckus, as long as they all protect my head
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