Some thoughts on helmets

[Glyn]

So after sampling a few different brands of helmets I've formed a few conclusions. A good fit is one of the most important things to find. The helmet should fit snugly, and be comfortable to wear. It should also provide a good field of view.

I'm not going to talk about the pros and cons of DOT vs Snell or the Euro specs, as I'm going to assume that the base level is at least DOT compliant. Those specs all take a guess at what level of hit the helmet will translate into a surviveable force. That argument can be boiled down to "tell me what kind of accident you wil have" type of thing. Suffice to say, wear your helmet when you ride.

Anyway, after trying many helmets, from the original Bell Star ( yes, I know I'm dating myself here) to the newest Arai, I have found that the difference in price for the most part goes toward the fit and finish of the helmet.

I found after trading from a Bell to a Nava ( remember those?) to a Simpson, to an Arai, then a KBC, that the extra $$$ spent on the premium helmets made me want to keep them longer. Not because they cost more and I needed to make my investment pay for itself, but because they were more comfortable for a longer period of time.


What I am saying is that the KBC helmet that I just traded up from was a good fit and finish for it's price point. The Arai that replaced it is the difference similar to trading out of an economy car to a luxury car. It just feels better.

Now just because I chose the Arai as a replacement does not mean that it is the best, the fit on the Shoei is also very good, and might be better for many people.

I think that the premium helmets can justify their price on the fact that they are more comfortable for a longer period of time.




Now you can spend that extra coin on a new lid with a clear conscience

 

[Revolution]

i'm lovin' my arai rx7 corsair...

1. fits
2. fits
3. light weight
4. fits
5. vents

 

[greyrocket]

i got my dads 2 arai lids and they do vent better then my rf1000 RIP dad  

 

[Glyn]

(Revolution @ May 18 2007,23:40) i'm lovin' my arai rx7 corsair...

1. fits
2. fits
3. light weight
4. fits
5. vents

and thats exactly what I'm talkin' about

 

[Rylinkus]

I'm sporting an Icon Domain, and I like it quite a bit. Seems to fit very well, comfortable, and doesn't fog up and heat up as much as comparable HJC helmet I owned.

 

[BA BUSA]

Fit and comfort should be the first concerns when buying a new helmet

 

[justtight]

(Glyn @ May 18 2007,20:58)

(Revolution @ May 18 2007,23:40) i'm lovin' my arai rx7 corsair...

1. fits
2. fits
3. light weight
4. fits
5. vents

and thats exactly what I'm talkin' about  

+2

 

[Vic_E55_2001]

I always thought arai is for egg shaped heads. Shoei is more coconut shaped heads.

 

[ambulldog]

only shoei for me. they just fit my head better than the rest. i wanted an icon but couldnt fit my glasses on under the helmet comfortably

 

[SLA1500]

I'm only somewhat familiar with TrackAddix (http://trackaddix.com) racing. While I don't own a Scorpion Exo helmet, here's their take on where to find a very good helmet at a great price.


"What's the difference between a $600 helmet and a Scorpion Exo? About $400 bucks! We are so impressed by this helmet that our whole racing team has switched to them. In our opinion, this is an Arai helmet at an HJC price! Spend 5 minutes with this helment and you will want one. The shield system is the best we've seen. You can remove the shield in less than 2 seconds. Replacing it takes a little longer at a mere 10 seconds! The shield itself is thick and sturdy yet flexible enough to bend completely backwards and inside out without cracking or breaking. The anti-fog coating is laminated right into the shield. We have tried everything we know of and can not get this shield to fog up. The over all fit, finish, and venting of the helmet is excellent and on par with much more expensive brands. The liner is fully removeable and can be thrown in your washing machine for cleaning. You can even customize this helmet with personalized liners and accessory kits. And hey! Checkout that little hottie Dr. Nikki Sloan! We'd like to make her the official TrackAddix Umbrella Girl! www.ScorpionUSA.com "

 

[CCbusa05]

I've tried most all of them one time or another and for me the HJC is the only helmet that feels right and fits perfectly.
You want a helmet that fits so good that you almost forget you're wearing one when you're out riding.

 

[Shibumi]

Fit and comfort come first, protection being equal.

Then comes ventilation and noise level.

Noise is often overlooked, it is the low frequency "booming" noise you hear that WILL cause hearing loss. This is NOT a "yeah, yeah maybe not" thing: you will lose hearing acuity and volume if you ride without earplugs, and a noisy helmet will accelerate this process.

A higher-level consideration is replaceable interior. My next helmet will have this, my Shoei RF-1000 fit very snugly new and 6000 miles later I can tell it has loosened considerably. Now I wish I had bought the K-11 so I could replace the entire padding system and have a new helmet again! I snug my helmet down pretty firmly when I put it on, don't like that floaty feeling when it tries to lift at speed. Now it's not as comfortable on top of my head when I snug it down, would be nice to replace the crown padding by itself.

 

[kennym4]

I was going to buy an Arai, and one of the guys that works ther said "before you pay for that go look at the SCORPION EXo's". So I went and grabbed one, it is almost, if not the exact shape of the Arai, Fits nice, and snug, has removeable linner, and feels so lite on your head, and cuts through the air like butter !!!!!!! It does not fog up at all. The only draw back is at high speeds you get alot of air comming up under the shield, which is great for hot weather. I don't know what it's going to be like in January though !! He promised that I wouldn't be disappointed, and I can say HE WAS RIGHT !!!!

 

[SANDFLEA85]

I have an ICON Hooligan XXL...these are the only helmets that fit my grape.i am still getting used to this one,it isnt as nice as the Icon Domain I cracked up in the little crash I had a month ago but they werent in stock and i wanted to ride so i bought this one,there was a $200 difference in price that i would gladly have paid if they had the other style in stock,even though they are both Icon and are both XXL they definately fit different.last one fit like a glove,not so sure about this one and it fogs the hell up even with the vents.im not real happy with it come to think of it

 

[bigoltool]

I'm an Arai guy from way back mainly because they fit, and the excellent build quality. But also for a few of the reasons already mentioned. I still have my trusty old Signet which is still in great shape at over 7 years old and I have my Corsair which is my new primary. The only gripe I have about the Corsair is that my liner seems to be wearing at a much more accelerated rate around the opening (from dragging over/abrading my facial hair I presume). I ride with a polypropylene Balaclava most of the time so it is not much of an issue. Just surprised after all the years of service from my signet which still looks like new!

 

[species0113]

arai rx7 and shoei tz-r. i like them both but i've never rode with a helmet that did not fog up on a chilly mourning.

 

[dadofthree]

(SLA1500 @ May 19 2007,09:36) I'm only somewhat familiar with TrackAddix (http://trackaddix.com) racing. While I don't own a Scorpion Exo helmet, here's their take on where to find a very good helmet at a great price.


"What's the difference between a $600 helmet and a Scorpion Exo? About $400 bucks! We are so impressed by this helmet that our whole racing team has switched to them. In our opinion, this is an Arai helmet at an HJC price! Spend 5 minutes with this helment and you will want one. The shield system is the best we've seen. You can remove the shield in less than 2 seconds. Replacing it takes a little longer at a mere 10 seconds! The shield itself is thick and sturdy yet flexible enough to bend completely backwards and inside out without cracking or breaking. The anti-fog coating is laminated right into the shield. We have tried everything we know of and can not get this shield to fog up. The over all fit, finish, and venting of the helmet is excellent and on par with much more expensive brands. The liner is fully removeable and can be thrown in your washing machine for cleaning. You can even customize this helmet with personalized liners and accessory kits. And hey! Checkout that little hottie Dr. Nikki Sloan! We'd like to make her the official TrackAddix Umbrella Girl! www.ScorpionUSA.com "

http://www.scorpionusa.com/equipment/video.html?v=exo_1000

Did not see pricing on the 1000. Is it DOT and Snell

 

[Spike]

I bought the Scorpion EXO-700. That is just a great helmet. The visor changes quick, the clear visor does NOT fog. I even ride in below-freezing weather and my breath will not fog up the shield. The shield stays tight, even at high speeds and I get no wind leakage. The noise isn't bad at all but most people say I am hard of hearing anyway

Unfortunately I have a pretty good pressure point right at the front of my forehead, I think the Scorps are for round headed people and I am pretty oval-ish. I probably need an X11 or something. I can live with it for now.

And for $180 it is a steal. I would put it on par with an Arai. It feels about the same to me.

 

[dadofthree]

I have three HJC, they've been good for me, Owned a Bell Full Face, when full face wasn't cool

 

[JINKSTER]

I used to love my Scorpion EXO 700...until about 140...where it lost a LOT of it's aeros'..and by 180?..muscles in my neck were popping out trying to hold my head on...and once while doing a high speed roll-on against a zx14?..i heard a loud crack noise occur in my scorpion...at somewhere's around 185-187'ish...i thought it was a road pebble that popped up and struck my helmet..but the next day?..my scorpions visor seemed a bit tilted...at the hingepoint...so i popped it back in place with my hand...2 seconds later?..it popped back out...and i was like wtf?

Upon closer inspection?..my scorpions visor was cracked through right at the slender portion of the hingepoint...and i felt the hairs on my neck stand up as i put 2 + 2 together...and realized that...that was no road pebble i heard at 187'ish...it was my scorpion visor giving up the ghost to wind pressure...which could've very easily made a ghost out of me...a week later i grew a brain cell and dropped $498 on a shoei X-11....cause imnsho?...if you're ever gonna play at sustained high speeds?..$199 lids just don't cut it.

I still think the scorpion is a hella lid for the bux...but my scorpion has been downgraded to a standard comute to work lid....cause i dang sure ain't taking my $500 X11 in a machine shop!

Your lid is your primary cockpit...and if your head ain't comfy?...the rest of you won't be...fatigue will start sooner, rides will get shorter and the motorcycling experience in general will be downgraded...severly.

L8R, Bill.