I thought I'd write up a little review about my first helmet now that I've been using it for a bit over a month.
I searched around for a low cost helmet before I took my MSF class as I didn't want to spend a fortune on a helmet and end up deciding not wanting to or able to get a bike. I found an article online (unfortunately I can't remember where) that talked about the SNELL testing and how expensive it is. (Approximately $80k-100k for every model a company wants to have tested according to this article.) So that's why many helmets are so extremely expensive. Especially some of the ones that have a lower circulation. They have to pay for that testing somehow. They talked about how some smaller companies are building helmets to the SNELL specs but not actually submitting them for SNELL approval. GMax was one company that was specifically noted. So finding that the GMax GM68 was a good looking helmet and fit me extremely well and that I could get it online for $104 shipped with a free tinted visor! I was stoked.
Well after about 5 weeks now, I can tell you that you really do get what you pay for. Especially with a helmet. Honestly this thing is a piece of crap!
As you'll see in the pictures, it's falling apart. First thing I noticed was suddenly I had a whistle coming from the visor. I had to hold the visor down to get it to stop whistling or open it up completely. Got to my destination to find that the rubber seal around the face opening was peeling up. So far that's needed to be glued 3 times. Then I just happened to notice that the rubber finishing edge around the bottom had bulged and is coming up in the back. Then this week i noticed I was getting some really loud whistles from the top of the helmet at freeway speeds. I start to check the vents to see if there's something stuck or something. I find that the vents themselves are coming apart. I also noticed that the breath guard that's not supposed to be removable keeps trying to come apart from the front of the helmet. Then to finish it off, the cheek pads aren't so much breaking in as they're breaking down. They've broken down so much, I don't even need to pull the chin straps out to expand the helmet to get it on. I can just set it on my head and it'll slide on.
So in short, if you're looking into this helmet, I'd suggest you look elsewhere. This week I'm going to be biting the bullet and buying a new helmet. But the way I see it, my head is worth the money I need to spend on a good helmet. I'm going to be getting the Icon Domain 2 Serpecant in Slayer Black.
I've tried on a lot of helmets this week and this one fits my head great and feels SO much higher quality that the GMax helmet.
Just thought I'd give my take on this helmet to date. I don't think I'll ever think about buying anything from GMax again or going cheap on a helmet again. It's just not worth it. I mean that was $100 on a helmet that lasted a month. That's just wrong to me.
I searched around for a low cost helmet before I took my MSF class as I didn't want to spend a fortune on a helmet and end up deciding not wanting to or able to get a bike. I found an article online (unfortunately I can't remember where) that talked about the SNELL testing and how expensive it is. (Approximately $80k-100k for every model a company wants to have tested according to this article.) So that's why many helmets are so extremely expensive. Especially some of the ones that have a lower circulation. They have to pay for that testing somehow. They talked about how some smaller companies are building helmets to the SNELL specs but not actually submitting them for SNELL approval. GMax was one company that was specifically noted. So finding that the GMax GM68 was a good looking helmet and fit me extremely well and that I could get it online for $104 shipped with a free tinted visor! I was stoked.
Well after about 5 weeks now, I can tell you that you really do get what you pay for. Especially with a helmet. Honestly this thing is a piece of crap!
As you'll see in the pictures, it's falling apart. First thing I noticed was suddenly I had a whistle coming from the visor. I had to hold the visor down to get it to stop whistling or open it up completely. Got to my destination to find that the rubber seal around the face opening was peeling up. So far that's needed to be glued 3 times. Then I just happened to notice that the rubber finishing edge around the bottom had bulged and is coming up in the back. Then this week i noticed I was getting some really loud whistles from the top of the helmet at freeway speeds. I start to check the vents to see if there's something stuck or something. I find that the vents themselves are coming apart. I also noticed that the breath guard that's not supposed to be removable keeps trying to come apart from the front of the helmet. Then to finish it off, the cheek pads aren't so much breaking in as they're breaking down. They've broken down so much, I don't even need to pull the chin straps out to expand the helmet to get it on. I can just set it on my head and it'll slide on.
So in short, if you're looking into this helmet, I'd suggest you look elsewhere. This week I'm going to be biting the bullet and buying a new helmet. But the way I see it, my head is worth the money I need to spend on a good helmet. I'm going to be getting the Icon Domain 2 Serpecant in Slayer Black.
I've tried on a lot of helmets this week and this one fits my head great and feels SO much higher quality that the GMax helmet.
Just thought I'd give my take on this helmet to date. I don't think I'll ever think about buying anything from GMax again or going cheap on a helmet again. It's just not worth it. I mean that was $100 on a helmet that lasted a month. That's just wrong to me.
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