Which brand helmets are good?

[WackyDan]

I had one like that, flip up chin bar. It was great. Even had flip down sun visor built in so you didn't have to keep changing your visor. You could put it up or down as conditions demanded. Actually ended up importing one from the UK as I couldn't get it in the US.

I'll never go back to full face non modular. Mine has the sun shade flip down too. Love it.

I wear plugs or custom molded audio ear buds for anything over a few miles so the wind noise a helmet can make doesn't bother me much, though the lower the wind noise the lower you have to have the volume on your tunes.... hence why I'll probably try one of the more expensive but quieter modulars soon.

 

[Imported]

I have a Bell M4. Fit me the best when I was trying different ones out (Shoei, HJC, Simpson). Autocross/track day helmet though.

 

[olds]

Spider

 

[Ferzerp]

you know they do make motorcycle helmets to snell standards, right?

It's a different set of standards due to different testing methodology. There is SA (sports applications) and M (motorcycle). Both are snell standards, but they are very different standards.

Typically you need SA rated, not M rated. If it is a motorcycle that has a "SA2010" (or 2015, or 2005, etc) then it an SA rated motorcycle helmet. There are M2010 etc ratings for motorcycle specific type ratings put out by Snell too.

SA helmets have higher impact and fire resistance testing requirements than then M rated helmets as well as lower visibility requirements.

 

[MiataNC]

When it comes to helmets, fit is everything. Find a helmet that fits your head first, then worry about fitting your budget. Also ALWAYS wear ear protection. Wind noise will damage your hearing over time.

Pricier helmets usually come with nicer liners (softer, odor resistant, moisture wicking, fully removable), sturdier hardware (vent controls, visor mechanisms and locks, etc.), and better venting.

I personally have a "Shoei head", and wear Bell Helmets. I think Bell makes a great helmet for the price, and you can always find "closeouts" deeply discounted on last years designs. I ride every day, and I currently rotate a Bell Vortex "Grind" and Bell Star Carbon "Liner" depending on my mood.

 

[jdoggg12]

I'm a longtime rider and work in the industry (currently for a distributor, formerly at Cycle Gear HQ). There's lots of assumptions, marketing hype, misinformation, and conjecture in this thread...

That said, here's my $0.02 on a few things.

Shoei/Arai... good stuff but they've rested on their laurels due to their success for many, many years. Their liner materials and processes haven't kept up with advances from the competition (I'm looking at you, Arai, with your 1990's fabric)

Icon... they've come a long way from the Biker Boyz image of old. The stigma remains but their stuff is (IMO) solid mid-level gear at this point. I have a variant and I love it for around-town riding. The visibility is awesome and the airflow is unparalleled in my experience.

Scorpion... I agree with many, it's one of the bang for the buck. I've been down a few times on the track in one. They did their job well, especially for ~$200

BiLT/Sedici... please don't buy this crap. Even at (a constant 'sale' of) 50% off, it's overpriced. Employee pricing on a $100 MSRP helmet was ~$15. (For reference, a Shoei was around 40% off MSRP for employees... and CG is the biggest reseller of Shoei so they get the best prices)

If you can find it in a style you like... buy a helmet that's DOT -AND- ECE certified. The 2 certifications do a reasonable job of covering all the bases.

A tight fit (that borders on uncormfortable after no less than 5-10min of wearing it) is the key to maximizing a helmet's protection to your dome. If it's slightly loose when you try it on new, it WILL stretch and become loose after 5-10hours of use. You've just lost a good chunk of protection if this happens.

"If I drop my helmet it's done for" Yes and no. It depends on the protective impact layer of the helmet. A small drop from 3ft or less is not going to be an issue 99% of the time. My rule of thumb was whether it cracked the outer shell. A scratch is no big deal. A crack in the shell is like a crack in an egg and is definitely a sign of potential damage to the impact absorbing liner beneath it.


Try on several brands helmets before buying. You could be surprised how much you like a brand you handn't considered prior to trying it on. People often jump on Shoei and Arai b/c of the status... when you could get 90-110% of the helmet for 30-75% of the price.

Read non-industry reviews of the lid. Lots of them. Magazines make a lot of money off of ads from the big players... they're not nearly as harsh on those guys as they might be on a non-advertising brand.

Your head is the one body part you can't replace. Don't skimp.


Current lid http://i.imgur.com/He6Vt6c.jpg

One of my old lids http://i.imgur.com/OrmphOX.jpg

 

[pauldun170]

Good resource
http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/motorcycle-helmets.htm

Check out the reviews but also keep an eye on comments at the bottom

 

[olds]

Last Activity: Yesterday 02:29 AM

 

[jlee]

What size? I believe I have a spare Scorpion (M) you can have.

 

[z1ggy]

Cheap & protect your dome? Maybe an HJC will do.

But, they are loud as all hell and somewhat heavy. You definitely pay for what you get with a motorcycle helmet, if that's what this thread is about.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Good resource
http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/motorcycle-helmets.htm

Check out the reviews but also keep an eye on comments at the bottom

I've written a few reviews for Shoei helmets on that site. Great resource for helmets but ultimately you need to try them on to see what fits best.

 

[pauldun170]

Cheap & protect your dome? Maybe an HJC will do.

But, they are loud as all hell and somewhat heavy. You definitely pay for what you get with a motorcycle helmet, if that's what this thread is about.

Side note: HJC manufactures Icons helmets and probably a couple of the other "brands". KBC is another manufacturer that does contract work.

HJC has RPHA line which is supposed to be a premium sub brand using better materials

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Another vote for Shoei.

Besides the safety aspect, which arguably an expensive helmet might not be significantly or at all safer than another cheaper brand, the comfort and feature aspect is huge. Shoei and Arai helmets are lighter and quieter than their cheaper counter parts. They also include niceties like Pin-lock visors, flip down sunshades, replaceable cheek pads (with different sizes), removable washable liners, well made vents, etc etc. All those little things add up if you are doing a lot of riding.

I wear a Shoei GT Air.

 

[pauldun170]

Another vote for Shoei.

Besides the safety aspect, which arguably an expensive helmet might not be significantly or at all safer than another cheaper brand, the comfort and feature aspect is huge. Shoei and Arai helmets are lighter and quieter than their cheaper counter parts. They also include niceties like Pin-lock visors, flip down sunshades, replaceable cheek pads (with different sizes), removable washable liners, well made vents, etc etc. All those little things add up if you are doing a lot of riding.

I wear a Shoei GT Air.

I'd also like to add warranty coverage.
Shoei, ARAI, Nolan, Shark and suprisingly BiLT give 5 year warranties on their helmets. HJC offers 5 year on their RPHA line and 3 for the rest. AGV is also a mix of 5 year and 3 year.
Scorpion offers 3.
Schuberth and Nexx offers 2
Icon only gives you a year.


From what I hear, Arai is pretty good with warranty claims and just about every part of the helmet is serviceable.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Another vote for Shoei.

Besides the safety aspect, which arguably an expensive helmet might not be significantly or at all safer than another cheaper brand, the comfort and feature aspect is huge. Shoei and Arai helmets are lighter and quieter than their cheaper counter parts. They also include niceties like Pin-lock visors, flip down sunshades, replaceable cheek pads (with different sizes), removable washable liners, well made vents, etc etc. All those little things add up if you are doing a lot of riding.

I wear a Shoei GT Air.

please tell me it's a GT Air Journey TC-1 (red/black). That thing is straight up hotness.

 

[twinrider1]

None more hot.

 

[saratoga172]

I prefer Shoei myself. I've got an RF-1200 right now. Beyond the safety rating they are very comfortable for my shape of head. Arai also fit me pretty well (usually either Shoei or Arai fit, not usually both) but they tend to be really expensive and provide next to no more safety than Shoei.

I used to work for Cycle Gear (over 4 years now) and Built/Sedicci are the house brand they have made by cheap Chinese manufacturers. A $100 helmet cost the store less than $10 and employee cost was about $12. We had a 1 time yearly deal with Shoei to get a helmet at 50% off retail. Otherwise it was around 20%. Similar to Arai discounts.

Icon make a pretty good mid range helmet. They've improved over the couple year I worked there and if they've improved since I worked there last they are even better.

Scorpion was probably the best price/performance helmet that could be purchased at the time. It sounds like they're still right there at that mark. At the time it was the EXO-1000 that we sold a ton of. For $300 you could get a fully Snell rated helmet with a built in visor and removable liner. Good safety ratings as well. The only downside to all of the Scorpion helmets at the time was that they were heavy compared to the more expensive brands. This might have changed in the past couple years.

 

[pauldun170]

I prefer Shoei myself. I've got an RF-1200 right now. Beyond the safety rating they are very comfortable for my shape of head. Arai also fit me pretty well (usually either Shoei or Arai fit, not usually both) but they tend to be really expensive and provide next to no more safety than Shoei.

I used to work for Cycle Gear (over 4 years now) and Built/Sedicci are the house brand they have made by cheap Chinese manufacturers. A $100 helmet cost the store less than $10 and employee cost was about $12. We had a 1 time yearly deal with Shoei to get a helmet at 50% off retail. Otherwise it was around 20%. Similar to Arai discounts.

Icon make a pretty good mid range helmet. They've improved over the couple year I worked there and if they've improved since I worked there last they are even better.

Scorpion was probably the best price/performance helmet that could be purchased at the time. It sounds like they're still right there at that mark. At the time it was the EXO-1000 that we sold a ton of. For $300 you could get a fully Snell rated helmet with a built in visor and removable liner. Good safety ratings as well. The only downside to all of the Scorpion helmets at the time was that they were heavy compared to the more expensive brands. This might have changed in the past couple years.

I have both the EXO-1000 and the updated version, the EXO-1100.
The EXO-1100 is noticeably lighter the the EXO-1000. They also improved airflow a bit.
Open up all the vents on the EXO-1000 and it kinda helped on a hot day.
Open up all the vents on the EXO-1100 and it's like someone opened up the face shield. Very breezy inside, along with the noise to go along with it. I also noticed that the vents are very effective at catching bugs and flinging them at your face.
The EXO-1000 held up very well with age. I bought it when it first came out 8 years ago.

 

[ringtail]

Any good brand beside STUDDS(which I am familiar with) to go with?

Looking for moderate price and good quality(for safety obviously)

Thanks in advance. Have a good day

Depends on what fits your odd head shape, with that point on top...


My HJC-17 has BOTH DOT and SNELL certs, and wonderful airflow, and low price/very high quality

It literally SAVED MY LIFE when a car in the inside lane of a 2-lane traffic circle cut directly to the exit, ignoring me in the outer lane beside him

HJC, THANK YOU FOR MY LIFE

 

[The Day Dreamer]

Update - None of the brand available in my country so had to go with proven STUDDS

This one but in white STUDDS WHITE

A big thanks to each one of you who shared their experience, thoughts, opinions and suggestions.

Sorry for late reply. Have been travelling a lot for last few months on my bike. Kind of country side backpack riding.


All hail Anandtech !

 

[Phanuel]

Is that... ~$12USD?

I wonder how badly it gets destroyed by a baseball bat or a tire iron in one hit.

 

[NutBucket]

I'm guessing their helmet laws are very...relaxed LOL

 

[Phanuel]

And if he's in India, all of those brands are available. But not for $12-15 USD.

 

[Z15CAM]

I like the Italian CABERG JUSTISSIMO modular Helmet.

You kinda look like Snoopy:

Been using it for years = Light, breathable and multifunctional.

Mines Black with Red Ears to match my Red Breganzie and Black Leathers.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I like the Italian CABERG JUSTISSIMO modular Helmet.

You kinda look like Snoopy:

Been using it for years = Light, breathable and multifunctional.

Mines Black with Red Ears to match my Red Breganzie and Black Leathers.

Man, that's pretty obscure... I had to google it.

I'd love to see pics.