Well I was looking at the avg freaking beautiful color scheme top of the line yada yada, now. We all know what happens with helmets, they fall, we drop them, rock chips etcc. the black one I have no it's a cheap icon has chips on only from 1,300 miles of riding. I would seriously hate for that to happen to an expensive helmet. so what do you guys wear?
Would you spend a lot on a helmet?
- Thread starter Merc250r
- Start date
if you could find a road that doesn't have one pebble, i would be amazed... Chips are going to happen whether you like it or not. if you're riding behind a car or truck their tires will fling pebbles like no tomorrow (not all the time, but you'll see it more than often). It's a price we have to pay...me personally i try to keep my helmet looking good for a couple months but the chips in my visor and helmet are inevitable...
i would buy something that you think would save your life in the event of a crash, because really that's what there made for. And plus, when your driving by people, they wont even notice a chip in your helmet
oldtouring b
New Member
Being a cheap old fart..
If I buy new, I will go with New Enough in their closeouts. Last year I bought a Scorpion for $40 shipped.
If I see one I like on ADVrider that is used and in like new condition--buy it and wash the inside liner and all set. Have never been disappointed.
The question has been asked"What is your brain worth?" In my case-under $100
If I buy new, I will go with New Enough in their closeouts. Last year I bought a Scorpion for $40 shipped.
If I see one I like on ADVrider that is used and in like new condition--buy it and wash the inside liner and all set. Have never been disappointed.
The question has been asked"What is your brain worth?" In my case-under $100
First I had a POS icon beater that I got from a friend. The I bought myself a Bell Star on closeout for 250$ and it is amazing. I just bought my GF an AGV Miglia 2 in XS for 180$.
Honestly, how much do you value your life and your creature comforts. Motorcycles can be a tad bit uncomfortable sometimes, if I can make it better just spending a little extra on my helmet why the hell not. Usually more expensive helmets vent better, are lighter, and you don't have to struggle with the wind at high speeds.
Honestly, how much do you value your life and your creature comforts. Motorcycles can be a tad bit uncomfortable sometimes, if I can make it better just spending a little extra on my helmet why the hell not. Usually more expensive helmets vent better, are lighter, and you don't have to struggle with the wind at high speeds.
Buy the helmet that is the most comfortable and fits your head the best. Nothing worse than trying to ride with nasty pressure points or your helmet too loose and not fitting right. Any of the reputable brands are great helmets. I dont go buy the top of the line just to have the top of the line, because those helmets do NOT fit my head shape. So I go with the best fitting that has the features I want. If I cannot find that, then its down to just the best fitting.
Agreed! I started out with a SS1000 $169. Was comfortable but had allot of buffeting. Damaged in accident.
Then stepped up to Icon Airframe $260. I like this helmet. Doesnt buffet, Very good antifog, and relatively quiet (as much as can be). It is a comfortable helmet but after about an hour or so, I begin to get a bad pressure point.. No problems till after an hour. Still have.
Now I got myself an Arai RX-Q Diamond Blue $440 (on sale and extra 15% off for AMA membership at time). I wanted a paint scheme but didnt want to pay over $100 more for that. I was borderline sizes. Tried smaller at dealership and felt uncompfy after 20 minutes. Got next size larger and purchased thicker comfort liner. Feels GREAT, Very Quiet (again as much as can be, and use earplugs), Very light weight, Very Nice safety features. God forbid I crash and need Ambulance/ER, there are tabs they can pull that release some of the pads, making it easier to get helmet off without moving my head.
There are some EXCELLENT cheaper helmets. Comfort is an individual perspective. What one finds comfy another wont. Try MANY different helmets and see what is most comfy for you and in a price range where you wont wake up tomorrow or in a week and regret the expenditure. Main thing, is that they are DOT/SNELL approved.
Then stepped up to Icon Airframe $260. I like this helmet. Doesnt buffet, Very good antifog, and relatively quiet (as much as can be). It is a comfortable helmet but after about an hour or so, I begin to get a bad pressure point.. No problems till after an hour. Still have.
Now I got myself an Arai RX-Q Diamond Blue $440 (on sale and extra 15% off for AMA membership at time). I wanted a paint scheme but didnt want to pay over $100 more for that. I was borderline sizes. Tried smaller at dealership and felt uncompfy after 20 minutes. Got next size larger and purchased thicker comfort liner. Feels GREAT, Very Quiet (again as much as can be, and use earplugs), Very light weight, Very Nice safety features. God forbid I crash and need Ambulance/ER, there are tabs they can pull that release some of the pads, making it easier to get helmet off without moving my head.
There are some EXCELLENT cheaper helmets. Comfort is an individual perspective. What one finds comfy another wont. Try MANY different helmets and see what is most comfy for you and in a price range where you wont wake up tomorrow or in a week and regret the expenditure. Main thing, is that they are DOT/SNELL approved.
My first helmet was the new line Scorpion just came out with. Exo-500. Has high end features of the Exo-1000 (Sun visor, cheek pad inflation) with some lower end features (Not too many vents) for $229 this past May. I had it before the shops did. I got the black/gray Ardent.
Just bought my uncle the newer HJC CL-2 Max Modular Helmet in black for $129.
I'll probably get a new one next spring or so and going to spend about $400. I don't really intend on going to the track anytime soon so I don't think I need any Snell approved helmet.
Just bought my uncle the newer HJC CL-2 Max Modular Helmet in black for $129.
I'll probably get a new one next spring or so and going to spend about $400. I don't really intend on going to the track anytime soon so I don't think I need any Snell approved helmet.
if you have the $ to blow and want to buy a nicer lid then fine. any DOT or SNELL approved helmet will protect your head the same, a $400.+ won't save you any more than $100.
sizes differ from even the same maker, some fit a oval type head better, and others more square
keep in mind also that the inside shell/foam is what breaks down over age, some say good for a couple years while maybe more
if you ride for a long time you'll probably have many helmets through the years. if you find one you like, fits and price is right then it's for you regardless of make/model
sizes differ from even the same maker, some fit a oval type head better, and others more square
keep in mind also that the inside shell/foam is what breaks down over age, some say good for a couple years while maybe more
if you ride for a long time you'll probably have many helmets through the years. if you find one you like, fits and price is right then it's for you regardless of make/model
I agree with you all day long. I found only 2 helmets seem to feel good, the Bell vortex/star and the shoei Rf1000....anything else has pressure points that hurt and Id rather be comfy with a cheaper helmet. Shoei and bell have the same safety charictaristics not to mention bell is made in the USA and all staff are american based. :wav: Keep jobs at home!
Your helmet is the last thing you should cheap out on. Your head is worth it. My first hemet I bought was a GMax. (See my review of it here http://www.600cc.org/forum/f9/helmet-review-gmax-gm68-17856/) I was under the impression from a review I'd read that it was a high quality helmet that just hadn't had all the money spent on SNELL testing so that's why it was cheap. WRONG! You really get what you pay for to an extent with a helmet. I'm using a Shoei RF1000 now and love it. I've had it for about a year and a half and it's great. The biggest thing is to just make sure you get one that's SNELL rated. Beyond that, you're going to be paying the extra money for the fit, feel, comfort, and looks. My helmet was $350 (I paid $275 with a discount from a friend) Now will a $650 Arai protect any better? No. But it may fit someone elses head better (ill fitting helmets will not protect as well) it may have features, like better ventilation, lighter weight, etc... But once you get to a certain level, the protection doesn't get any better. I actually can't wear Arai helmets. Every one I've ever tried on hurts like hell. My head just isn't shaped right for it. But it's shaped just right for a Shoei RF series. I have an Icon Domain 2 and had to get a different forehead pad to make it fit better. It was too tight in the front. So I put an XL center web into the size L helmet. Fits much better now, but still not quite as well as my Shoei. And it was actually $100 more than the Shoei. I do like a few things better about the Icon (the visor and the visor locking is much better, the chin bar hangs lower and covers more of my lower jaw, etc...) but overall, the Shoei is far more comfortable so that's the one I wear. Since helmets do have a life span, even if they're not damaged, I plan on getting the NEW Bell Star helmet (not the old one) Expensive, but I've never felt a helmet that fit my head so perfectly and was so comfortable.
Not true. DOT and SNELL test the MINIMUM for their respective standards. Two SNELL tested and approved helmets are not necessarily the same, they just both meet the minimum standard for the test. One helmet might very well exceed that standard, while the other simply meets it.
So while in many cases this might be true, if you see my comment above, that extra cash may very well go into extra protection and safety as well.
But I 100% agree with you JonKerr, if I were to spend money on something it is a helmet. Trust me, as a multiple concussion collector, and someone who developed post concussion syndrome (and with the help of a great neurologist, recovered from it...after about a year) your head is precious...protect it.
And I would also point out that confort and fit IS safety and protection. A better fitting helmet will protect better than an ill fitting one of the same general construction/features. Period. IMO, if you had the option between a $100 Model X and a $500 Model Y, and the only difference between the two was that Model Y fit slightly better, you better believe I am going with Model Y. In a crash it will function better for you.
I LOVE my RF-1100.. Great choice!So I went to thE bike shop picked up this
Compared to the icon it's like night and day. More comfortable, less wind drag, safer, more wind = cooler head weighs less as well
redprodigy35
New Member
+1 for the RF - 1100.
I must have tried on 20 helmets before I got mine. Granted some I left on for more like 5-7 min as opposed to 15 to really get a feel -- but the Shoei's just felt right.
When I tuck in its just feels right and I think really comfy. I've worn helmets in other activities that felt more like a chore but with this one I really have no complaints.
Either way, I agree with not skimping on the dough for a safe, comfortable helmet.
I must have tried on 20 helmets before I got mine. Granted some I left on for more like 5-7 min as opposed to 15 to really get a feel -- but the Shoei's just felt right.
When I tuck in its just feels right and I think really comfy. I've worn helmets in other activities that felt more like a chore but with this one I really have no complaints.
Either way, I agree with not skimping on the dough for a safe, comfortable helmet.
That's kind of what I was trying to say. Guess I didn't convey it. The more expensive helmets are going to have better fit and finish. And a helmet that fits better, protects better. BUT what I was also saying was that a $600 helmet that is shaped wrong for your head and didn't fit right isn't going to be safer than a $350 helmet that meets all the same safety standards but fits your head better.
I've been knocked cold more than once on bicycles, one was a face plant from 6' in the air racing BMX that broke the chin bar of a $300 carbon fiber bicycle race helmet. (I'm still struggling with cervical damage from that one) So I know what it's like to have a head injury even when wearing the proper safety gear. I wouldn't even consider cheeping out again on protecting my melon.
As long as a helmet has either DOT or Snell or ECC 2205, then it is a helmet that meets safety standards- regardless of the price. Just make sure it's a more recent certification- ie 2000, or 2005 or newer... etc. And, make sure it's a proper fit & comfortable...
My primary helmet is a HJC IS-16 Scratch that was $150 w/ DOT & a retractable inner sun shield. Extremely comfortable, reasonable wind noise, & looks great. I also bought a closeout HJC CL-15 Mutant for $60 w/ DOT & SNELL. It's actually a higher safety rated lid, but it's actually slightly noisier... For my "vanity" helmet, I bought- on impulse- an AGV GP-Tech Rossi Continents, which I found on closeout for $475. It's light as a feather, DOT, ECC 2205, but noisy as heck... <lol>
I like keeping a couple helmets, cuz it (a) spreads our the wear n tear, and (b) it's fun mixing things up a bit...
My primary helmet is a HJC IS-16 Scratch that was $150 w/ DOT & a retractable inner sun shield. Extremely comfortable, reasonable wind noise, & looks great. I also bought a closeout HJC CL-15 Mutant for $60 w/ DOT & SNELL. It's actually a higher safety rated lid, but it's actually slightly noisier... For my "vanity" helmet, I bought- on impulse- an AGV GP-Tech Rossi Continents, which I found on closeout for $475. It's light as a feather, DOT, ECC 2205, but noisy as heck... <lol>
I like keeping a couple helmets, cuz it (a) spreads our the wear n tear, and (b) it's fun mixing things up a bit...