What helmet should I get?

[CycleNoobNinja]

I have about $200 to spend. I could probably get away with spending $250. I like the way Icon and Speed and Strength fit on me and I was really looking at the Speed and Strength ss1600 cruise missile. I love the idea of the drop down visor for hot days (I know icon do not use those). What do you guys recommended?

[Roark]

Open your eyes, friend. Great options on the World Wide Web.

Scorpio EXO-500, AGV K3, AGV K4, and the Bell Vortex are all great helmets for sub-$250.

I was under the impression no one had the 1600 Cruise Missile yet..

Anyways, check out Revzilla.com. (there's a few great online retailers, but my opinion strongly favors Revzilla) Lots of reviews and videos of gear.. All of those helmets I mentioned included. The helmet is the single most important aspect of gear. Step 1 is always finding a quality WELL FITTED helmet. Try on as many as you can get your hands on (within your price limit).. And about the price limit, don't skimp on gear ESPECIALLY headgear because $250-300+ Vs 10,000s in hospital bills makes a helmet look like chump change.

Look for Snell or ECE rated helmets. I'm not sure if any major retailer even sells a non DOT helmet, and while DOT is the standard, Snell and ECE are more prestigious for a reason. Again, do you want to cheap out on your head? Your brain bucket?

[NevadaWolf]

Recommending a helmet is hard since the fit is the most important thing and that varies so much it's almost pointless to try. webBikeWorld has done a good job trying to categorize helmets based on head shapes.

What I try to do when buying a new helmet is find the brands/models that fit best, then wear them around the store for at least an hour. Some hot spots take awhile to develop.

$200-$250 is (IMO) a good mid range price point. If Icon or SS are the ones that fit you best, definitely look at the safety ratings of the models you are interested in. High price =/= safe. If anything is only DOT , remove it from consideration. Look for Snell preferably or at least ECE.

As far as features, I highly recommend the internal sun visor. Saves having to buy, carry, and swap between shields if you ride from day to night or when clouds or trees darken things too much for a smoked shield. I tried it on one lid I bought and loved it so much I won't bother with any helmet that doesn't have it.

[SteveL]

If you have a $200 head buy a $200 hat my BMW system 6 cost $800 how much is your head worth.

Steve

[antiant]

Or bypass the internal flip visor and get a photochromic shield (only certain brands of helmets have this though, unfortunately). Like others have said, there are a load of options, make sure it's more than DOT and fits right.

[JohnnyBravo]

I'm all about my scorpion helmets... Feels like putting an armored pillow on your head... It's comfy, quiet, rated by bout everyone, budget friendly, etc.
The choice comes down to what fits you an makes your head feel safe.

[Jono]

This one!
V

[dcj13]

Get what fits best, is most comfortable, and is something you can afford. And DOT and/or snell and/or ece.

I which I had a Bilt-shaped head...

[Brother Michigan]

It has been said, but I fell like it needs to be said again: FIT is the most important thing. It can be very hard to tell if a helmet fits correctly unless you've really spent a lot of time in a helmet that fits really well or really poorly. Here are a few things to look for:

• The helmet should be quite snug around the cheeks (a little fish-face is good, the cheek pads will break in a bit).
• If you shake your head side to side, it should not continue to move as your head changes direction or comes to a stop.
• When the strap is tightened correctly, it should not move significantly if you try to pull the helmet off by tilting it forward or back.
• Lastly, there should be even pressure all the way around the crown of your head. Even just a little too much pressure at the front and back or at the sides will lead to hot spots in an hour or so of riding and make you hate the helmet.

Good luck in your search! Honestly, you aren't going to find a tremendous difference in protection going from a cheap helmet to something much more expensive; a $40 (on sale) KBC VR helmet is ECE rated. You pay more for style, weight, and materials for the most part. Find something you like that fits your head well and go for it.

As for the internal sun visor, it IS a very nice thing to have, but it's honestly not too much trouble to either change shields every once in a while before you head out or to carry a spare visor with you.

[Ralgha]

Originally Posted by Brother Michigan

As for the internal sun visor, it IS a very nice thing to have, but it's honestly not too much trouble to either change shields every once in a while before you head out or to carry a spare visor with you.

Can't even compare the two options. Can't conveniently carry another visor around on the Ninja, not to mention you have to stop, take off your helmet, get out the spare, swap visors (which may or may not be trivial depending on your helmet), stow the new spare, put the helmet back on, and get going again.

Or you could just flip an internal sun visor up and down as needed without interrupting anything.

[Brother Michigan]

Yeah, but I can't complete my fat Power Ranger look with a clear shield!

[Hero Danny]

Go to revzilla,

Anthony makes videos on all the helmets and will give you a great basis to go by when buying a helmet.

I wouldn't buy a helmet that's heavy. My modular helmet weighs like 5 lbs and I HATE it.

Go for something light, and a quick release is also a nice feature to have.

[Bigballsofpaint]

i have been buying my helmets at motorcycle-closeouts.com recently. Their price difference is HUGE for some of the stuff if they have the pattern and size you want.

[Klondike1020]

Icon- to be honest- I would like to tell you I got them because of their excellent ratings. But alas the truth is- the graphics are amazing. They flow air awesome, and they are almost impossible to fog up.
oh did I mention they have good ratings for protection.

Some sick Shoei helmets are on clearance at Cycle gear.

Also some Icons are on clearance on Revzilla and Jafrum. Discontinued styles and graphics.

[fast1075]

Many have made a point on the FIT. It is most important. I have a "medium oval" head, and it is hard to fit a helmet. I used to buy them that "almost" fit, and then go at the foam liner with a ballpeen hammer until it worked well enough., but not really a good idea.

Some helmets, like the one for my scooter (HJC 3/4 with integral dark shield) are ok since the trips are short, I don't get brain squeeze too bad.

Longer sporting trips require comfort. I found a Scorpion R410 helmet fits me perfectly, and comes with a good anti-fog shield. And it is the quietest helmet I have had since my ancient Bell Star.

[Rustitution]

I got the Lazer helmet you see in my avatar (LINK HERE) they have a few on closeout what I like is that LaZer has a transitions visor that tints in sunlight, and they have 360 degree visor mount which is super secure. I would totally recommend this to anyone looking for a helmet

[Hero Danny]

Originally Posted by Roark

Again, do you want to cheap out on your head? Your brain bucket?

I agree, never cheap out on your helmet. I did on my first one, got it on amazon for $80 and it's horrible, so I just ordered another one for $135 that is ECE rated and DOT, the more money you spend doesn't always = better protection, more or less more comfort and features (blue tooth, more air flow, better comfort liner, etc.) Just look for additional protection like snell or ECE like Roark said...

Although, Roark, I don't think OP seems like he's cheaping out on a helmet, he's allocated $200 for a helmet and that seems like more than reasonable imo.

[Redgeneral]

I dislike the comment of "$200 head $200 dollar helmet"

Once you find a helmet that is rated properly, fit and comfort are the biggest factors. I'll use Bell as an example since that is what fits my head best, and I can give my experiences.

The biggest different between a $100 Bell Helmet (rated DOT and Snell) and an $800 Bell helmet (also rated DOT and Snell), is that the more expensive will be lighter and/or have higher quality parts like carbon fiber.

Bell Vortex (Can be found on sale for sub $100): http://www.bellhelmets.com/en_ca/pow.../street/vortex

Bell Carbon Star (~$699): http://www.bellhelmets.com/en_ca/pow...et/star-carbon

[adouglas]

This has all been hashed over, so use your search button and look at some of the threads.

My $0.02:

Fit. Yes. Fit. That is the first priority. Also the second, third, and fourth.

Make sure the helmet is not only comfortable, but that it's tight enough. Many people have helmets that are a bit too big because they seem more comfortable at first. Your cheeks should be smushed a little and move with the helmet when you try to rotate it. You shouldn't be able to pull the helmet forward so that it drops down over your eyes. You should position the helmet so your eyes are in the center of the viewport.

Be aware that a new helmet will fit a bit snug. The liner foam will compress with use.

[flitecontrol]

Originally Posted by SteveL

If you have a $200 head buy a $200 hat my BMW system 6 cost $800 how much is your head worth.

Steve

So you're claiming that becaus4 you paid four times as much for your helmet than the OP would like to spend on his, it will protect your brain better than his? If so, that's a really faulty conclusion you've arrived at. Using your logic, the person who pays more for their helmet than you did is better protected than you are, correct?

I've never paid more than $60 for a helmet, and all were purchased new and either Snell or ECE approved. Higher price doesn't always mean better protection.

[adouglas]

As a guy who owns both a $700-plus Schuberth S2 helmet (thank you, Mrs. Douglas!) and a $109 closeout Snell-rated Scorpion EXO-700, I will say this:

If you spend big bucks on a helmet you're going to get a good, safe helmet. Promise.

For some, that peace of mind is worth the money. I don't buy into that argument, myself. The same logic would have us all driving around in $50,000 cars. There is no direct correlation between price and safety. I'm perfectly willing to be proven wrong, but I'd need real data.

EPS is EPS, and assuming the shell remains intact that's what's absorbing the energy anyway.

If you spend low bucks on a helmet you CAN get a good, safe helmet, but you can also buy a POS that could fail catastrophically. There are plenty of videos on the Facetubes and Youbooks of cheap helmet fails.

Buy a name brand, look for certifications better than DOT (Snell and/or ECE), and buy a helmet that isn't too old (Helmet lifespan rule of thumb is 7 years from date of manufacture or 5 years from date of first use, whichever comes first).

You'll be fine. Really.

Another good resource is the SHARP ratings from the UK. Notice that the top rated helmets aren't all super-expensive, and that not all high-buck helmets get high ratings.:

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/

PS: I do like my Schuberth a lot. It flows air very well, is light, is quieter than the Scorpion, has great optics, and has a flip-down sun visor.

But in all honesty, the Scorpion has better build quality. Truth. So yeah, a nice lid. Worth more? Sure. Worth $600 more? No.

[dcj13]

Originally Posted by adouglas

This has all been hashed over, so use your search button and look at some of the threads.

My $0.02:

Fit. Yes. Fit. That is the first priority. Also the second, third, and fourth.

Make sure the helmet is not only comfortable, but that it's tight enough. Many people have helmets that are a bit too big because they seem more comfortable at first. Your cheeks should be smushed a little and move with the helmet when you try to rotate it. You shouldn't be able to pull the helmet forward so that it drops down over your eyes. You should position the helmet so your eyes are in the center of the viewport.

Be aware that a new helmet will fit a bit snug. The liner foam will compress with use.

I agree with Captain Oblivious on this one 100%: provided it's at least DOT rated, fit is 1 through 4 in importance.

Number 5 would be comfort (which you probably get with fit).

Numbers 6 and 7 are price and appearance. You don't want to get a $600 helmet if you can't afford it (I wouldn't want to spend that much even though I could afford it). And you might not want the pink "Hello Kitty" Arai even though it fits like a dream. (Then again, that might suit you to a tee. Dunno, don't really know you).

[Brother Michigan]

Originally Posted by adouglas

As a guy who owns both a $700-plus Schuberth S2 helmet (thank you, Mrs. Douglas!)...

Are you looking to adopt?

[adouglas]

Well, I drive an econobox, tow a $300 trailer, and use a 7 year old laptop.

I have my priorities straight.

[ally99]

I'm pretty Scorpion-biased, but I love the EXO-500. It has a flipdown visor, blocks wind noise well, and fits my head just right. The Everclear anti-fog faceshield that comes with it is another big plus.

[MirinNinja]

I've got an Icon Airframe as my track helmet. After about 6 track days, the lower rubber thing around the the bottom of the helmet fell off completely.



I'm talking about the black rubber bit at the bottom of the helmet in the above picture.

Pretty piss poor quality for a helmet that's had such little use.

Also, if you plan on using the helmet in winter, a helmet that supports Pinlock is absolutely essential IMO. These days every helmet will claim that their visor has been treated with a coating of anti-fog but in my experience, it's completely bullshit.

The only fool-proof way to avoid fog is a Pinlock. My Shark S600 which was a budget helmet came with a Pinlock compatible visor. Highly recommend that helmet if you're on a budget. Saved my noggins in a 70km/h lowside where I landed square on my jaw/cheeks.

[dcj13]

Originally Posted by MirinNinja

I've got an Icon Airframe as my track helmet...

Good honest review of a less-than-perfect product.

As a non-track rider, I gotta ask: Why a dedicated track helmet? Different requirements? (either mandated or personal...).

[Bigballsofpaint]

Originally Posted by dcj13

Good honest review of a less-than-perfect product.

As a non-track rider, I gotta ask: Why a dedicated track helmet? Different requirements? (either mandated or personal...).

I dont know about mr, but id like a track helmet just in case i spill so i dont ruin my normal helmet. Something cheaper where your not concerned about wind noise, air flow, etc since you only wear it 15 or 20 min at a time.

Thanks my take though, obviously it must be comfortable and still fit correctly, but maybe not have all the other bells and whistles.

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by Bigballsofpaint

I dont know about mr, but id like a track helmet just in case i spill so i dont ruin my normal helmet. Something cheaper where your not concerned about wind noise, air flow, etc since you only wear it 15 or 20 min at a time.

Thanks my take though, obviously it must be comfortable and still fit correctly, but maybe not have all the other bells and whistles.

This. That's exactly why I wore my Scorpion for my track days, not the Schuberth.

[dcj13]

Ok. Thanks to both you guys for the rationale.

But if I thought I might crash (track or street), I'd want the what I thought was the best protection available, rather than the cheapest.

This (accidentally) gets us to the discussion of adequacy or goodness of helmets. What I'm hearing from track riders is that cheap is ok, so long as it is DOT, Snell, or other international standard rated. And it fits well and is comfortable.

[csmith12]

Yea, price is somewhat/mostly irrelevant. That new model $400 lid will be on closeout in 3yrs for $99.

[Bigballsofpaint]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Yea, price is somewhat/mostly irrelevant. That new model $400 lid will be on closeout in 3yrs for $99.

Exactly, i wont pick a lid i feel is unsafe. But i can get a bell vortex for under 100 and not ruin my bell rs1 just in case. Same lid, same protection, but the padding is different material, no pin lock, different venting, etc.

[dcj13]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Yea, price is somewhat/mostly irrelevant. That new model $400 lid will be on closeout in 3yrs for $99.

My thoughts as well. I've kidded in the recent past that I wished I had a Bilt-shaped head (instead of an Arai-shaped head)... Last Sunday, I was buying a couple of sale-priced tools at CycleGear and, for the hell of it, I tried on their Bilt Evolution modular helmet: it actually felt about as good as my Arais. Ended up buying the hideous high-viz yellow one for $120.

In the past, the CycleGear helmets felt cheap and uncomfortable. It appears CycleGear is ramping up their quality. I checked out a pair of their house-brand Sedici gloves: they actually appeared to be of decent quality as well.

[NevadaWolf]

Originally Posted by dcj13

Ok. Thanks to both you guys for the rationale.

But if I thought I might crash (track or street), I'd want the what I thought was the best protection available, rather than the cheapest.

This (accidentally) gets us to the discussion of adequacy or goodness of helmets. What I'm hearing from track riders is that cheap is ok, so long as it is DOT, Snell, or other international standard rated. And it fits well and is comfortable.

I would counter that cheap can have the best protection if it meets what you need.

I agree with your statement, with one minor change: "What I'm hearing from --- riders is that cheap is ok, so long as it is DOT, Snell, or other international standard rated. And it fits well and is comfortable."

Track or street, IMO, cheap is perfectly fine as long as it meets/exceeds safety standards and has a proven record of being a reliable helmet.

Course, on the track, I would take my bare bones basic helmet vs an expensive lid with all the electronic bells and whistles I use while touring. No need to risk the gizmos in an environment where they are not needed and would only serve as a distraction to the reason I am on the track.

[MirinNinja]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Yea, price is somewhat/mostly irrelevant. That new model $400 lid will be on closeout in 3yrs for $99.

Yep exaclty this. The icon Airframe was on sale for $100. I don't want to bin my $600 Shoei if I can avoid it.

[Rustitution]

I used to be under the notion that an expensive helmet is a good helmet, alot of my friends ride with aria and shoei. I had a really nice Scorpion EXO 1100 snell with internal sunvisor, then I highsided on it and now it is on a shelf retired because I landed on my head. it sucks because that was 6 weeks after I bought it $400+ and while it saved my life, it was ruined and my HJC would have saved my life too. now I look for good rated, highly recommended, budget friendly gear. what you get in those high dollar helmets is higher cost components and materials but eps is still eps.

[dcj13]

I don't mind wrecking safety equipment if the safety equipment does its job.

[Roark]

Originally Posted by dcj13

I don't mind wrecking safety equipment if the safety equipment does its job.

It's just spending $400+ for the safety equipment (helmet) that is the issue..

If you drop your helmet in your driveway or slip on some gravel exiting a neighborhood, you'd more than likely wish you hadn't spent so much money on a helmet!

However, that doesn't mean skimp on the standards. DOT/Snell/ECE is a necessity.

[flitecontrol]

Just a reminder about helmet ratings/approvals. Snell and CE require that helmets be tested and pass their standards in order to carry their approval stamp. DOT simply requires manufacturers to certify that their helmet meets the DOT standards, but no testing is required. Naturally, this can lead to abuses by unscrupulous manufacturers who would like to cut corners. Every year, DOT selects a very small number of helmets to be tested. And virtually every year, they find helmets that carry the DOT approval stamp but do not meet the standards.

That's why I select helmets with Snell or CE ratings; I know they've been tested. That isn't to say that there aren't great DOT helmets out there. There are. Testing helmets is expensive and some manufacturers don't want to incur the expense. IIRC, a while back, some entity tested some DOT helmets and found they met the Snell standards, which is pretty much the top of the line in rigorous testing.

I've dropped my helmet a time or two when taking it off the bike's mirror. That low level drop with no weight in the helmet isn't going to make it unsafe. If it did, it darn sure wouldn't protect your head in a crash!

[Bigballsofpaint]

Originally Posted by Roark

It's just spending $400+ for the safety equipment (helmet) that is the issue..

If you drop your helmet in your driveway or slip on some gravel exiting a neighborhood, you'd more than likely wish you hadn't spent so much money on a helmet!

However, that doesn't mean skimp on the standards. DOT/Snell/ECE is a necessity.

To be fair, in an accident on the street my insurance company will pay for the helmet and any motorcycle related gear i had on, so i dont worry about price too much anymore in the regard where if i crash i would ruin something that cost xx amount.

They however dont cover me on the track, so theres another reason i need to pick up a lower cost track helmet.