Good deal for 200.
Helmets, what to get and why?
- Thread starter Rico
- Start date
Good deal for 200.
You still need to check reviews for noise. If you use ear plugs anyway, doesn't matter.
One trick I use is to try on a helmet with my gloves on, because there are some expensive helmets that are PFU to use with gloves on.
For fit: tighter than you think, and you should never have to adjust the helmet level while riding due to wind pushing it up or down.
For premium lids, consider two things: the massive amount of sponsorship in racing is being paid by the customer, and, EPS liners don't last forever, so you shouldn't think like this is the last helmet you will ever buy.
Don't put any consideration into Snell certification, this is just a pricey marketing tool that costs the manufacturers big dollars.
In a series of independent tests reflecting realistic crash conditions, a 2006 study* found that helmets qualified to the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218 (known as DOT) and helmets qualified to both DOT and ECE provide better protection as measured in those particular laboratory tests than helmets qualified to the British Standards Institute and Snell. However, the same author notes that research has never shown helmets qualified to one standard to be significantly better or worse in actual crash protection.
http://www.ontariocanada.com/registry/view.do?postingId=8502
If buying a less expensive helmet, buy extra visors when new, because in a few years, they will be hard /impossible to find.
vociferous
Well-known member
personally i avoid any plastic shell.
plastic bounces, fibers shatter and absorb
plastic bounces, fibers shatter and absorb
Plastic shells crack, and there is no difference in impact force transduced between fiberglass, CF and polycarbonate. If anything, CF helmets are more likely to bounce.
Neither material is supposed to absorb impact, that's what the EPS liner is supposed to do.
Glass and carbon are better for weight.
kickstartt
Well-known member
Get one that fits your head, matches your bike and graphics you like. Cuz its part of the cool factor
Exactly.
Thanks.
I once started a thread on shoes. Not one person mentioned good fit. But helmets are different, those you wear. Thanks again.
edit, what's the deal on gloves, any wiggle room there?
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Are you just talking about 3/4 helmets? Because I would LOVE a non-dirtbike full face helmet with an integral sun visor.
Background: I buy full-face for safety, but take out the visor because I want to feel some air on my face. Without at least a little air, I almost feel like I might as well just be driving a car.
Because I don't use the full face visors, I can't use tinted ones. I can't get sunglasses because I have a ludicrous prescription on my regular glasses (well I can, I'd just have to get them custom made for a couple hundred and even then they wouldn't be that good). A sun visor like you can get on 3/4 helmets would be great , but I've never seen a full face helmet with one of those.
vociferous
Well-known member
nope.
once again, you're wrong.
carbon is NOT more likely to bounce.
yes. the foam liner takes the bulk of the impact
fibrous shells are designed to impact in place, think an egg shell, but retaining structural integrity. it is designed to help absorb the impact. they're a sacrificial layer
plastic very rarely cracks. the foam liner requires the outer shell to stay structurally sound to work. if the foam is able to move, or pull away (splits etc.) it does not efficiently absorb the energy
plastic will bend, then regain its shape (ala squeezing a plastic cup), increasing the coup-contre coup effect.
Your post is full of contradictions to me.
Tons of full face helmets have integral flip down sun visors.
But you also say you don't care for visors and like the wind. I don't. I don't like slamming into insects or the wind chill or rain stinging.
Here are 2 pictures of my own face shield, separate rides. Washed it with dish soap after I took the pictures.
The Biltwell Gringo helmet is maybe what you want. It's a full face in the old style using the same snaps as the 3/4s. Allows you the choice of both a bubble shield and half strip shield across the opening.
Okay, thanks for bringing up helmets. This has been a question I've had for a while now. I started riding last season, bought a "cheap" helmet at the bike show, before I even had my bike or had even ridden a motorcycle. A salesperson at GP Bikes at the show sold me a Joe Rocket Rant helmet for a little under $200. I have nothing to compare this too, but I like my helmet. It has a sun visor that drops down with the touch of a button, I can take it off and put it on wearing my gloves thanks to the "houdini" strap, I fits me well, even has an old school reebok style pump (made me laugh, but works!) etc. I was at Riders Choice over the summer and had a little time to kill so I was curious as to the difference between my helmet and the more expensive name brands, Arai, Shoei, etc. I expected the more expensive helmets to be much lighter, but I was surprised to find that they weighed the same as my Joe Rocket. So why don't more people wear the Joe Rocket helmets, is it a non-desirable name issue, or is it something else. Forgive my ignorance, I've only had the one helmet.
Cheers
Cheers
I think a little bit of it is money. I don't ride a Ducati and my helmet is a lowly Bell Custom 500 (partly for fitment reasons in a last minute hurry). If you're looking at people on a fancy 20k bike they won't be in Joe Rocket because of the name. It's not cool enough. Another reason might be internal head shape.
Your helmet is DOT certified and it probably is made by HJC or someone else like that and rebranded. I highly doubt JR has their own helmet factory.
Don't worry about it though. Built in sun visor is great, and a helmet that you have is better than having no helmet.
People will always judge.
Your helmet is DOT certified and it probably is made by HJC or someone else like that and rebranded. I highly doubt JR has their own helmet factory.
Don't worry about it though. Built in sun visor is great, and a helmet that you have is better than having no helmet.
People will always judge.
Roomie
Banned
You only get one head. I cheaped out on gloves. My hand is finally healing fully 6 months later. Cheaping out on a lid is not an option for some of us. Doesn't mean I judge those who buy a lesser helmet. The r and d in a pricey lid is reassuring when riding on the street
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Sent from my SM-N900W8 using Tapatalk
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CL-17 was highly rated and it's an affordable helmet. After a certain point I think you reach diminishing returns. There's only so much you can do without switching to entirely new materials or manufacturing methods.
HJC makes millions a year for the global market. How bad could they really be if they pass all the standards?
HJC makes millions a year for the global market. How bad could they really be if they pass all the standards?
there was the word "IF" and weight options there. lol
there is a 1075g full helmet, just costs $1300.
BMW also has great helmets, very light (around 1100g), little noise, but looking at around $1000
I have a Kaos, cost me $250, weights 1200g. one of most comfortable helmets i've tried.
next purchase I'm gonna be looking at HJC or BMW. (still a few years down the road) lol
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I think the confusion came from the fact that I'm referring two different things. When I said "visor" I just mean the usual pull-down transparent shield you get in a regular full-face helmet. When I said "sun visor" I meant the little brim over the eyes, such as the snap-on brims for 3/4 helmets:
I don't actually mind getting rain in my face or the occasional bug. Hell, I've had a dying wasp sting me in the head while I was riding, but I'm still fine with having no drop-down visor. My glasses are pretty big, so my eyes are protected.
That gringo helmet might work, actually. Too bad it looks like it has no venting at all. I wonder if there are any more modern full-face helmets with snap-mounts. Maybe if the push-button drop-down have improved I might look at those again next time I shop for helmets (last time they conflicted with my glasses).
Nice venting, but matte black is the last colour I would ever get a helmet in. Last time I was buying helmets I almost bought an all neon-yellow one. Haven't ruled out something that obnoxious for next time either.
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