Newbie helmet question

[wbks]

Money is an issue so I cant buy a 400-500+ helmet right now but I've got two helmets to choose from which i already own. One is a Nolan which is damn tight on me and the other is a "cms"? Which is a tad on the loose side. The Nolan isn't horribly tight but it sits about 5mm away from my chin which I thought may be a safety hazard? as in more of a hazard than a loos(ish) helmet?

[Jantar]

A good helmet is like a good woman. Tight is good, loose is not so good.

A helmet should be tight enough that it doesn't come off or move around even with the straps undone. If you are able to move the helmet on your head then it is far too loose.

[wbks]

so it doesnt matter that the front almost touches my chin?

[motorbyclist]

should have a snug fit - if your spares don't offer that then how much is your head worth?

all my helmets have generally been in the $150-300 range and worked just fine when they needed to - I recommend the HJC helmets if you're on a budget and can't afford to have $900 ruined

the protection offered by a more expensive helmet is marginal - though the pricier ones are generally lighter and quieter, and i'm not a fan of the quality of the one cms helmet i had for $100 back on my learners

[Big Dog]

so it doesnt matter that the front almost touches my chin?

It gets a little irritating, it is not bad though.

Being closer to your chin just changes the variable.

Further the bar gets from your chin the more effectively your visor clears and the better the bar deals with small impacts (birdstrike / branches etc) but the less stable your helmet is in the wind and the less effective it is at dealing with a road strike.

I am quite sure this has not answered your question fully.
In short, fitness for purpose. Chose the best helmet with the resources available.

Nolan is a better helmet assuming neither has been dropped or otherwise impacted. As is the fitment you have described.
(Don't even get me started on why you should never own / use a second hand helmet)

[jerm]

the thread at the top of the gear page has quite a good resource in it

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=75796

[wbks]

Yea well I plan on getting a better hjc helmet or something soon but I don't have the money right now. As for the expensive helmets, are more expensive brands like agv and shoei a lot more safe or just light and quiet?

[wbks]

It gets a little irritating, it is not bad though.

Being closer to your chin just changes the variable.

Further the bar gets from your chin the more effectively your visor clears and the better the bar deals with small impacts (birdstrike / branches etc) but the less stable your helmet is in the wind and the less effective it is at dealing with a road strike.

I am quite sure this has not answered your question fully.
In short, fitness for purpose. Chose the best helmet with the resources available.

Nolan is a better helmet assuming neither has been dropped or otherwise impacted. As is the fitment you have described.
(Don't even get me started on why you should never own / use a second hand helmet)

Maybe I'm a little dumb right now but I don't quite get what you're saying. So the further your chin is from the helmet the better it deals with small hits but is less stable in the wind and wont cope as well in a serious hit? As for condition. One has been for sure dropped on the ground from my tank(the cms helmet) and the other seems to be a little thin on cushion at the front which is a uncomfortable thing more than a safety hazard from what I think but otherwise doesn't have any deep scratches or drop marks.

[Big Dog]

Maybe I'm a little dumb right now but I don't quite get what you're saying. So the further your chin is from the helmet the better it deals with small hits but is less stable in the wind and wont cope as well in a serious hit? As for condition. One has been for sure dropped on the ground from my tank(the cms helmet) and the other seems to be a little thin on cushion at the front which is a uncomfortable thing more than a safety hazard from what I think but otherwise doesn't have any deep scratches or drop marks.

If you read here: http://www.saskma.com/content/view/20/61/ you will find that a dropped helmet has had some of the polystyrene has been crushed and has not returned to normal shape. Therefore the crushing that is designed to cushion is not available.

A short experiment to demonstrate to yourself:

1 Take your hand and place it 10 cm from your forehead.
2 Slap your hand hard enough for it to contact your head.
3 put your hand on your forehead
4 Slap it equally hard.
5 Take your hand away and slap your forehead as a control.

Unless you have an abnormally hard head or you were to chicken to hit yourself hard enough (Gee isn't science fun?) you should note the following.

On the first attempt there was a slightly dizzy feeling afterwards.
The slightly dizzy feeling is a mild concussion. (You might have to wait a second or two... lol yes someone reading over my shoulder just tried it)

On the second attempt you should note that you don't feel that dizzy feeling.

On the control you should find that the slap hurt but not as much.

I don't know about you but my conclusion is that a dropped helmet protects your head less than no helmet.

[Gizzit]

Hi mate,
There are a few good cheapies around. They may not be top quality the likes of Shoei, Arai, etc, but they meet the required safety standard, so can be relied on to look after you in the event of a crash.

Check out dealers, or you can see a few on TradeMe that I think are "ok" in the cheap end of the market.
What is most important, assuming they meet the safety standards, ... is fit! If it doesn't fit you right .... it could be a $1500 helmet, and it's not going to do it's job for you.

Check out these maybe ........

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-186186762.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-186391685.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-186413994.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-186467377.htm

All of these are "safe" helmets, well made, and will do the job ..... and they don't cost an arm and a leg.

I prefer the HJC models and the FFM - M9.
You do need to try them on though. Everyone has a different shape head, and it's a matter of finding one that is most comfortable for you. It has to be!!
Good luck with your choice.
Cheers,
Grant.

[wbks]

I'll check those out. Just took the nolan for a ride and couldn't hear my 250 at 15,000 in 5th over all the damn wind noise, along with the visor fogging up every breath unless i had it up...Which hurts your eyes at speed with all the damn bugs haha

[hayd3n]

I'll check those out. Just took the nolan for a ride and couldn't hear my 250 at 15,000 in 5th over all the damn wind noise, along with the visor fogging up every breath unless i had it up...Which hurts your eyes at speed with all the damn bugs haha

try breathing with your top lip over your bottom lip it sounds weird but it works and no one can see it either
or relax more my m8 who pilions sometimes always has fog lol

[wbks]

I think its probably just how close the visor is to me...Or i need some anti fog wipes. I wasn't breathing any different to normal. Doesn't happen to me with the other lid. Think I might just buy a cheap HJC

[Jantar]

I'll check those out. Just took the nolan for a ride and couldn't hear my 250 at 15,000 in 5th over all the damn wind noise, along with the visor fogging up every breath unless i had it up...Which hurts your eyes at speed with all the damn bugs haha

What model Nolan is it? I believe that all modern Nolans come with the pinlock anti fog as standard.

[wbks]

N37? I think I saw one on trademe that looked exactly like it so I'll assume that's what it is.