[gfloyd2002]

Originally Posted by Lil_Green_Demon

I'm in need of a new helmet, but I'm too broke to drop $200+ on one.
What do you guys think of this one?

Flip-up street helmet

It's only $40, but the price is making me wonder if it'll be extremely cheap in build quality.

Don't buy this helmet. The company is terrible, and the quality is bad as well. Here is an entry I made in another thread on T-motorsports.

Originally Posted by gfloyd2002

Great you are gearing up . . . That said, t-motorsports, who makes TMS gear, is a crap company that one should be very careful dealing with . . . the company itself has a terrible reputation for product quality, customer service, etc. The company is Chinese, and there appears to be zero testing on the products. They are the poster child for what is wrong with the DOT standard for helmets - DOT lets companies self certify, and TMS claims DOT compliance on it's $25 helmets -- I've seen one, and that is laughable -- better protection from a bike helmet, imho. Requests to prove their DOT certification with study results or specifics go unanswered. And responsiveness to complaints is nil. Their Better Business Bureau rating is the rarified "F" grade for a huge number of complaints and a number left completely unresolved. Here is their Better Business Bureau page: Look, Mom, We Got an F!

Personally, I wouldn't buy their product because of serious concerns over their commitment to safety, their refusal to certifiy testing, and generally their unresponsiveness to motorcyclists. I would not be surprised if their products have killed riders.

I subsequently was able to contact the actual manufacturer of these helmets in China (as opposed to T-motorsports, who is the Chinese company who merely sources the gear) and speak to them. (I speak Chinese.) They had no idea what the DOT standards required, and do not test their products for DOT, but assured me that it was okay to put a DOT sticker on their helmets.

This is why you want to go with a reputable, name company. One that prides itself on its safety testing, like an Arai or Shoei. I also have faith in HJC and Scorpion helmets. But not TMS.