Why I wear a good helmet.

[White trash]

This is a result of my minor skirmish with the tarmac a couple of months ago. Although it looks like I've been break dancing or practicing orbital sanding on it, I assure you this damage was all done in one fall.

A polycarbonate (plastic) helmet would've broken, I'm sure of it. Although the pics don't show it, the back of the helmet has a big patch wear the fiberglass has begun to delaminate after a massive impact.

I walked from this huge hit with no more brain damage than normal.

[Kickaha]

I walked from this huge hit with no more brain damage than normal.

How would we tell? :yes:

Had a highside at the Nelson Street race this year with a similar result, some people think all helmets are the same as they have the same standard but some pass it and some exceed it :niceone:

[2_SL0]

Bit of bog, bit of paint, good as new. :niceone:

[Sensei]

Yep cheap Head / cheap Helmet . SEND the money !! :weird:

[Big Dave]

Motorcycle Trader - BRM and no Kiwi Rider! - you're barred.

[White trash]

Motorcycle Trader - BRM and no Kiwi Rider! - you're barred.

Actually. It's MTN, AMCN and no Kiwirider.

[eliot-ness]

Thats a pretty powerful argument for spending a bit more. Will have to have a word with my minister of finance. Hope the bike fared better

------------------------------
Support bacteria...... they're the only culture some people have

[k14]

Woah, thats some nice work.

I know very well the importance of a helmet (although its not a motorbike one), couple of weeks ago I did a superman impression on my mountainbike, landed square on my head. Split the helmet straight down the middle, was slightly concussed, but would hate to think what would have happened without it.

[sAsLEX]

Woah, thats some nice work.

I know very well the importance of a helmet (although its not a motorbike one), couple of weeks ago I did a superman impression on my mountainbike, landed square on my head. Split the helmet straight down the middle, was slightly concussed, but would hate to think what would have happened without it.

thats after your work down cumberland st in NP!!!

[Ixion]

Fibreglass has gotta be the way to go

[Sparky Bills]

When i last crashed, i dragged my helmet from front to back.Claimed insurance...
but get this!!

The insurance company wanted to see the helmet to see if it could be repaired! :rofl:
OHHH IGNORANCE IS BLISS!

[James Deuce]

When i last crashed, i dragged my helmet from front to back.Claimed insurance...
but get this!!

The insurance company wanted to see the helmet to see if it could be repaired! :rofl:
OHHH IGNORANCE IS BLISS!

Haha!

I've had the same. I said, "If you can provide the name of one reputable helmet repair company I'll happily surrender the helmet."

Got a call from a bike riding claims supervisor the next day, pissing himself and apologising for the attitude of the "Little Hitlerette" that asked the question.

[madboy]

WT - the helmet looked so much more impressive when it still had the clump of grass sticking out of the back. What d'ya clean it for??

[MOTOXXX]

my old Hjc helmet that i got about 6 years ago was in a crash in october. It was a cheap $200 hjc.

on saturday i tried cutting it in half with a saw. only cut a about 2 inch long and cm into the top of the shell. then hit it with a large hammer about 10 times then smashed it on the ground a bunch of times and it was still in good shape. ie it looked not much worse than yours jimmy. They take a hell of a beating wich is good to know.
:niceone:

[BNZ]

WT - the helmet looked so much more impressive when it still had the clump of grass sticking out of the back. What d'ya clean it for??

I wondered who would bring that up. Who ended up with the visor? From memory that got away without a scratch!

[Coyote]

my old Hjc helmet that i got about 6 years ago was in a crash in october. It was a cheap $200 hjc.

on saturday i tried cutting it in half with a saw. only cut a about 2 inch long and cm into the top of the shell. then hit it with a large hammer about 10 times then smashed it on the ground a bunch of times and it was still in good shape. ie it looked not much worse than yours jimmy. They take a hell of a beating wich is good to know.
:niceone:
Thats good. Mines only a cheap HJC helmet

[Bonez]

Not all riders are twats that do godzillian kph everywhere on public roads so cheaper brands are probaply quite adequate for most riders.

[Sensei]

Not all riders are twats that do godzillian kph everywhere on public roads so cheaper brands are probaply quite adequate for most riders.


I suppose thats one way you could look at it ? . For me nothing less than $800 Shoei thanks . Spent $1200 on my first one which I still have in
semi-retirement . To each there own . Had a good friend crash beside me at 200k & his Shoei was what keep him alive .

[250learna]

!!! HJC ZF7 !!! :Punk:

[Kwaka-Kid]

Sheesh! thats a hard hit.

Helmets are expensive though.

I use sub$100 helmets, especially for racing, because of the rate at which i damage them, i honestly couldnt afford to ride let alone race if i spent $500, or dare i say MORE! on helmets.

anybody else in my situation?

[gav]

Looks a fairly old Arai anyway WT, looks well overdue for a new one....

[erik]

I think if the helmet meets DOT or SNELL certification, then it's good enough.

Just because a helmet is made of fibreglass doesn't mean it's going to protect your head better. Fibreglass may be tougher and more rigid (depending on how thick they make it) than plastic shells, but that isn't necessarily a good thing as if the shell is too hard, it won't cusion the impact as gently. Plastic shells absorb energy elastically, fibreglass shells tend to delaminate and fracture because they are not as flexible as the plastic shells.
I tried doing a search on the net for any info about fibreglass vs plastic helmet shells. It was a fairly exhaustive search (well, I feel kinda exhausted, anyway...) but I couldn't find anything that definitively said one type of shell material was better than the other. I think since it's a balance between gently absorbing the impact and protecting from sharp objects, a tougher material might not offer an overall advantage.
Here's some interesting links I found...:
http://www.smf.org/response.html
http://www.perg.bham.ac.uk/pdf/motorcycle_crash_invest.pdf
http://www.perg.bham.ac.uk/pdf/EffectivenessOfFoams.pdf
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/drunk/
(the last one isn't anything to do with helmets, but looks interesting anyway)

[zeRax]

When i last crashed, i dragged my helmet from front to back.Claimed insurance...
but get this!!

The insurance company wanted to see the helmet to see if it could be repaired! :rofl:
OHHH IGNORANCE IS BLISS!

hahah, made my night

[scumdog]

This is a result of my minor skirmish with the tarmac a couple of months ago. Although it looks like I've been break dancing or practicing orbital sanding on it, I assure you this damage was all done in one fall.

A polycarbonate (plastic) helmet would've broken, I'm sure of it. Although the pics don't show it, the back of the helmet has a big patch wear the fiberglass has begun to delaminate after a massive impact.

I walked from this huge hit with no more brain damage than normal.

Hmmm, a splot of Selleys 'Spredsole' and a lick of matt-black primer and she'll look spiffing and be jake for another bin or two !! :rofl: :whistle:

[BurnCycle]

HJC's work just fine.

http://www.mariposaderojo.com/Pics/TLS/Track4/Gear2.jpg

[crazylittleshit]

Dame nasty :ride:

[White trash]

Not all riders are twats that do godzillian kph everywhere on public roads so cheaper brands are probaply quite adequate for most riders.

Actually, I think you'll find not all riders are twats that cruise around on 'orrible old Honda Fours wearing open face thingys with those stylish dome on plastic visors.

Whatever makes ya happy though, eh Bonez? :niceone:

[White trash]

Looks a fairly old Arai anyway WT, looks well overdue for a new one....

2 years old.

[White trash]

I think if the helmet meets DOT or SNELL certification, then it's good enough.

Just because a helmet is made of fibreglass doesn't mean it's going to protect your head better. Fibreglass may be tougher and more rigid (depending on how thick they make it) than plastic shells, but that isn't necessarily a good thing as if the shell is too hard, it won't cusion the impact as gently. Plastic shells absorb energy elastically, fibreglass shells tend to delaminate and fracture because they are not as flexible as the plastic shells.


Ahhhhh, that'll be why Valentino, Max, Kenny, Nicky, Hopper, Sete, Troy, Marco, Alex, Loris, Reuben, Colin and a whole host of others wear composite lids.

[Sniper]

Looks interesting, thanks for the tip WT. I must say I saw something funny yesterday. A girl riding her scooter home from school with a bright pink bicycle helmet on. Haha

[Lou Girardin]

Erik makes some good points. There's far more to helmet protection than just the materials used. Racers wear certain helmets for many reasons including it's aerodynamics, weight and sponsorship deals. Ther's no doubt that a Shoei or Arai is a better lid than $100 type, but the only way to say one saved you in a bin and another wouldn't have would be to duplicate the accident and try both.

[Sparky Bills]

Theres nothing like a good cumfy helmet!
Ive got an Arai RX7, before then a Shoei XR900, for racing I use a new Shark RSF2 race, yarda yarda yarda..

Will never go back to a cheapy.
When you try an expensive helmet you will never go back.
Even if you have trouble finding coin, Its well worth the wait!

I dont understand the people who skimp on helmets..
Let face it, Its only your head aye!?
You dont really need that, do you?

What really pisses me off is people coming in wanting helmets for their kids,
"I dont want to spend very much on them, do you have any crashed second hand ones out the back?" You'd think they would want to protect their kids from injury wouldnt you?
You'd be surprised how much i get that.
I know that people have their own views, this is just mine and in no way am I trying to put anyone down.

[White trash]

I know that people have their own views, this is just mine and in no way am I trying to put anyone down.

Pussy! :devil2:

[Sparky Bills]

Pussy! :devil2:


Just covering my own ass :niceone:

[vifferman]

A polycarbonate (plastic) helmet would've broken, I'm sure of it. Although the pics don't show it, the back of the helmet has a big patch wear the fiberglass has begun to delaminate after a massive impact.
.... and I'm sure you're wrong.
Way back, probably before you were born, there was quite a bit of controversy surrounding the introduction of injection-moulded (polycarbonate) helmets. (I'm sure the KBers that started motorcycling in or before the 70s will remember "Polstar" helmets, and the flak they got from other manufacturers). The basic premise was that the polycarbonate helmets tend to absorb the impact to some extent by elastic deformation, whereas the GRP / mixed composite helmets tend to dissipate the impact by spreading it over a larger area. The nett result is that plastic helmets can come away from an impact with barely a scratch on them, whereas a GRP one will chip, crack, shatter, or whatever. The positive aspect to this is that a plastic helmet can withstand the minor daily knocks from mishandling, without it effectively compromising its impact resistance.

But what of our heads? :spudwhat:

Who knows - apparently you can't find out much from the Interdweeb.

From a personal point of view, I've only ever knocked my head while wearing a polycarb helmet. It was a low-speed impact (falling off as the bike came to a stop) but it fugging hurt! The impact was just near the side of the visor opening, so there wasn't much in the way of padding, what with all the plastic bits, strap-retaining hardware, etc., but I had mild concussion for a few days. The helmet? You couldn't really tell it had taken a hit.

This really shook me up, and has made me determined that any helmets I buy have good internal shock-resistance, regardless of what the shell is made of.

But there must be a very good reason why the top of the line helmets are composite, rather than injection-moulded, otherwise the manufacturers would just slather polycarb helmets with fancy graphics and extra features, rather than go for the composite shells.

[Quasievil]

I just brought me a new Shoei X1000 (green) and it cost me $750.00 its the most expensive Helmet I have ever brought and at this stage the worst, my ears are so fucken sore from pulling the fucking thing of that my ears will look like a front rowers very soon, whats with that.

Ive taken the padding out and tried it and its still hurts !! the helmet opening width is just to damn narrow, never had this problem with any other helmet Ive owned:no:

Im sure it will be good in a crash but comfort so far 1 outta 10

[Fluffy Cat]

All helmets have to meet the same requirements sort of.Different standard do different tests the snell test is different to the British Standard etc.Also the number of helmets submited for testing by the makers again are different by standard,ie 4 helmets per batch or testing every 2 batches etc.
The tests may use different weights and angles for impacts.And the amount of energy passed through the helmet is measured on sensors.
The tests give an impression of how the helmets will perform over a given range and as such the testers and makers give you a disclaimer that the lid can not protect in all circumstances etc.
One of the probs in the late 80s early 90s was that helmet shells were in fact to hard.And were not breaking enough.It is a good thing that in certain types of impact,the shell delaminates as this action absorbs/slows down the deceleration ot he brain.A bit like a hard boiled egg when struck on top with a spoon.The next stage is the poly foam inside the shell,this is designed to further reduce deceleration of the brain some are single foam and others use dual density foam ie Giro mtb helmets.
The end effect is to slow down the deceleration of the brain.
There are a lot of variables involved in mc head injuries and helmets are subject to great forces.Similar type impacts on similar helmets produce different results ie delamination or just heavy scuffing.
So long as the helmet meets the standard a certain amount of protection is hoped for.The price of the helmet will not improve the level of protection you will however probably get better fittings ventilation and paint.
Once a helmet has suffered an impact it should be chucked in a bin.
If it still looks good for use smash the fuck out of it with a 9lb hammer till it looks less good then chuck it in the bin.This prevents some other poor sod from using it.
Please do not sell the lid on.Baaad!.
The problem is,the shell may look good but has delaminated under the paint or has cracked.
The foam liner even in seemingly small crashes will have compressed rendering its absorbsion qualities greatly.
So helmets are once use disposable items smash em then bin em.Price does not improve crash protection.
Me.in my line of work i have seen a few.

[ManDownUnder]

I walked from this huge hit with no more brain damage than normal.

GOOD GOD! Call the Medics.. We have a miracle here they need to see. No brain but it LIVES IT LIVES!!!!

(actually points all taken.)

[White trash]

I just brought me a new Shoei X1000 (green)

What kinda homo buys a helmet to match his bike?

[Beemer]

I have tried quite a few different helmets and for me the Shoei ones are the best for fit, comfort and protection. My husband just bought a new Arai one and he raves about it, reckons it is the most comfortable helmet he's ever worn. I have tried Arai but they don't feel comfortable to me, but then I've also tried a couple of dearer Shoeis that just about ripped my ears off too! My Nolan adventure helmet is the worst, after about an hour's wear it feels like someone is pressing just in front of my ears - we've tried removing padding there but nothing makes any difference. It's fine for up to an hour, but any longer and I can't wait to remove it.

Hey Quasi - did you try the helmet on before you bought it? If my ears were almost ripped off each time and it felt so uncomfortable, I would have been looking for another helmet!

I certainly wouldn't be keen to wear a second-hand helmet unless I knew its history because it's just not worth it. Besides, they mould themselves to your head so unless your head is identical, it would never be as comfortable. If you're not prepared to buy a decent helmet (and I'm not saying the less expensive ones aren't any good) then you shouldn't be riding. I'd rather have second hand clothing and splash out on a good helmet than the other way around.

[Quasievil]

What kinda homo buys a helmet to match his bike?

the same kinda Homo that buys a bike and a leather jacket to match his homo work mates:rofl:

[Lou Girardin]

No shortage of guys who'll drop $40,000 on a bike and buy a $60 open face matt helmet.
Image ya know!

[Quasievil]

Yeah I treid it on, but as ya know when you try a new Helmet on its always tight. Im going to fix it tonight by cutting slots in the side of the helmet to allow my ears to slot in. Should work a treat !

[White trash]

the same kinda Homo that buys a bike and a leather jacket to match his homo work mates:rofl:

Actually, dickhead, my Jacket is nothing like my work/flatmates. Mine was grey, his is blue.

My bike is also nothing like his. My one has a tinted screen, loud pipe and a shitload of grazing to the right hand side.

I suggest you get your facts straight before slinging mud around Mr Evil. Although, the amount of verbal effluent that spews from your vocal tract would make that pretty difficult, wouldn't it.

[Ixion]

Yeah I treid it on, but as ya know when you try a new Helmet on its always tight. Im going to fix it tonight by cutting slots in the side of the helmet to allow my ears to slot in. Should work a treat !

Ya big blouse, don't ya know that ya can't go cutting bits out of your lid. Do what a proper biker would do. Cut yer ears off. Problem solved.

[Ixion]

I suspect that there is a law of diminishing returns.

Has the $100 lid been tested to an approved standard. Almost certainly. Am I confident that ALL the 100000 helmets the manufacturer made last year meet the standard. Uh, not very. Manufacturing is an uncertain process, product does vary. A cheap helmet suggests that maybe the manufacturer doesn't have as much in the way of quality control as I'd like.

Does this $1000 helmet offer better quality relaibility and maybe a bit more protection than the $100 lid. Very probably.

Does this $1000 lid offer better protection than the $300 one ? Doubtful. It will probably have more gizmos, and fancier paintwork and the manufacturer probably spends a lot of money on advertising marketing and sponsership, which all has to be recovered.

It's like women's [HITCHER ALERT - is that apostrophe right ?] handbags. Does a $5000 Gucci handbag offer anything extra over a $100 knockoff ? Maybe a little bit, but not much. And not enough to justify the difference (As I keep trying to explain to Mrs Ixion. She is still unconvinced. Women never understand logic or economics)

So at the cheap end you probably save a bit of money but lose more in the way of quality than it's worth

At the very expensive end you spend a lot more money over a midrange lid and don't get much extra in the way of protection for the extra money (the other benefits of the pricier lid, noise reduction, pretty paint etc, may mean you still think it's worth it)

[Oscar]

I just invested in a new Arai Lid, and I'm pretty happy about it.

[BM-GS]

Always buy the best lid you can afford.

I remember a story in the UK bike press about 10 years ago, where a bloke got knocked off in the middle of a junction and a mini (an real one, not the newfangled German one) ran over his head. He walked away; the mini was a write-off cos the suspension had ripped out. The rider was gutted cos it was only a few weeks old and had cost more than he could afford, but it had saved his life. He sent in a letter to a bike mag under a "buy the best you can afford" sort of title, and the manufacturer saw the letter & sent him a new lid, saying: "you can't buy that kind of advertising". Certainly true,and I bet the guy still wears the same make!

Overall quality goes up with price - not just the impact protection, but how long the padding stays fluffy & cossetting, whether the vents work, how good the visor mechanism is, etc. A nice feature is a removeable lining so you can wash out the sweat/bugs/etc.

Different manufacturers make helmets for different-shaped heads. I had Shoeis for years, and was pretty happy, until I went touring and had to wear the lid all day - not comfy as the lid was round and my head is less round at the front that the lid. Am now happy in a 5-year-old Arai which will need replacing soon.

I thought that polycarbonate lids degraded with uv exposure, so had a shorter useful life. They certainly discolour over about 6-7 years.

I'd rather pay double for something I don't have to endure, than save $200 to wear something I hate - life's too short.

If you've had a helmet where the visor kept falling down; or needed unscrewing to get off to clean; or flipped up when you looked over your shoulder; or scratched every time you wore it; or the vents didn't let air through, but did let water in; or the lining ripped after a year; or the loose end of the strap wouldn't stay put & tried to shred your neck when you rode over 80kph, you'll know what I mean - especially if you did a 100km ride every day in all weathers.

This is my opinoin, and is worth exactly what you paid for it. :-)

[Wolf]

Just covering my own ass :niceone:
Unusual use for a helmet, I must say. Suppose you'd need quite a large one...

:devil2:

[Sparky Bills]

Unusual use for a helmet, I must say. Suppose you'd need quite a large one...

:devil2:


Yeah mate.
One per cheek! :rofl: