Helmet- fibreglass or polycarbonate?

**peterpan** · 2nd August 2007, 13:29

Does anyone have preferences which is best? considering a KBC TK8 vs RJays GP1.
i know the old $2 helmet for a $2 head, but was in a bike shop the other day and he reckoned that fibre glass was the only way to go- 'over here we have a nice $10,000 shoei, thats what you need'

**Rosie** · 2nd August 2007, 17:18

I've got a TK8 and I really like it. Mr Rosie has one too, and he likes it.
All helmets sold in NZ have to pass the same safety standards. There are lots of reasons why helmets differ in price, not just because of safety features.
Get a helmet that fits you well and fits your budget.

**Mom** · 2nd August 2007, 17:21

And one that meets your riding needs. Trust me you will not want a heavy helmet on your head for any great length of time, so if you are planning rides out, invest in the best, lightest one you can afford.

**James Deuce** · 2nd August 2007, 17:35

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/ge...helmet_review/

Motorcyclist lost Shoei and Arai as advertisers after the above article was published.

Price and "features" are secondary to design, construction, and fit when it comes to helmet performance.

**vifferman** · 2nd August 2007, 17:53

D'Oh! I was going to post the same thing as Jim.

The most important thing is not necessarily the shell material, but what's underneath it, and how that fits your head. Light weight is also important - I've had whiplash from lowsiding onto my shoulder. My Shoei is supposedly the same weight as my AGV X-Vent, yet it feels lighter - it'd be interesting to actually weigh them.

From personal experience, despite having hit the deck more than once, I've only ever hit my head once, and that almost at standstill. I was wearing an AGV with a polycarbonate shell, and unfortunately, it hit the road right at the side next to the visor opening. Kinda dumb that despite this (the temple) being a vulnerable part of your head, there's not a lot of padding/cushioning in this particular helmet at this point, and I had mild concussion for a few days. No sign of the impact at all on the helmet, and it was enough to make me ditch it - not because it was now 'toast', but because I was pissed off that a minor impact hurt so much. It made me worried that a significant impact would scramble my already marginal brain.

Presumably all helmets being sold here meet some kind of standard, but that doesn't mean that they all offer the same kind of protection. AGVs in particular seem to have very hard polystyrene liners - they may stop serious head injury from a hard blow, but I wonder how much of the impact is absorbed rather than transmitted. Certainly in this example, it would seem not very much at all. Maybe it was just an unlucky case of the wrong part of the helmet hitting the road, but I notice my current Shoei seems to have much softer padding so I'm fairly sure the same incident would've left me without any injury.

**SPman** · 2nd August 2007, 17:54

Thanks for that Jim - I'd lost that article and forgotten which website it was on.......
With helmets it comes down to - which one fits the best out of the designs and colour schemes you like - most things after that are bragging rights.....

**Kwakajack** · 2nd August 2007, 23:46

Originally Posted by peterpan

Does anyone have preferences which is best? considering a KBC TK8 vs RJays GP1.
i know the old $2 helmet for a $2 head, but was in a bike shop the other day and he reckoned that fibre glass was the only way to go- 'over here we have a nice $10,000 shoei, thats what you need'

If I may put in my 2 cents worth. I've had two polycarbonate shelled helmets, both moderately cheap. The only reason they got replaced is my head changed shape as I passed out of my teens. Personally, I've found the KBCs heavy, nice lookers and comfy, but heavy. I would look seriously at HJC's recently remodelled range, the new CL14 is aerodynamic, quite light and good value for money. If you can do it, look further up at the models immediately under the HQ1 Lordship, or better yet, get that as I have found that carbon trumps all

**Chrislost** · 2nd August 2007, 23:53

KBC saved my ass...

err head...
but you know what i mean.
i hope!

**Swoop** · 3rd August 2007, 09:58

"The great thing about EPS is that as it crushes, it absorbs lots of energy at a predictable rate. It doesn't store energy and rebound like a spring, which would be a bad thing because your head would bounce back up, shaking your brain not just once, but twice. EPS actually absorbs the kinetic energy of your moving head, creating a very small amount of heat as the foam collapses."

Very important in the "no need to replace the helmet after my last bin, it looks fine" argument.
IF the EPS has been partially crushed then it will not function correctly at your next crash.
The outer shell is only part of the issue.

**rwh** · 3rd August 2007, 16:32

A thought occurred to me while reading that article, as it was talking about getting the right crushing resistance - has evolution (or God, if you prefer) made that choice? Is bone about right? Not that I want to wear a bone helmet ...

Richard

**Chrislost** · 3rd August 2007, 16:40

i think you need somthing that is a little more crushable then bone!
its your brain bouncing around in your skull that messes you up.
unless you hit hard to break skull... but then your up shit creek a very long way.

**James Deuce** · 3rd August 2007, 16:54

Originally Posted by rwh

A thought occurred to me while reading that article, as it was talking about getting the right crushing resistance - has evolution (or God, if you prefer) made that choice? Is bone about right? Not that I want to wear a bone helmet ...

Richard

No, your hair and scalp are the "crushable" bits. The bone is to stop penetration.

**Pancakes** · 9th August 2007, 21:41

I have problems at the moment from whiplash from my crash 2 weeks ago. Will be a while longer before I'm right. Helmet didn't hit anything but I'm replacing it with a Shoei cos it feels so much lighter. Better fit (for me) than the HJC too.

**imdying** · 10th August 2007, 10:51

Originally Posted by Jim2

No, your hair and scalp are the "crushable" bits. The bone is to stop penetration.

Hmmm, perhaps, in the name of safety, we should all get affros!!

**slopster** · 10th August 2007, 12:18

Originally Posted by rwh

A thought occurred to me while reading that article, as it was talking about getting the right crushing resistance - has evolution (or God, if you prefer) made that choice? Is bone about right? Not that I want to wear a bone helmet ...

Richard

I think it will be a wee while till we actually evolve to better suit our motorcycling requirements