Need Helmet advice

Airoh is a good value for money helmet. Was looking at one for my wife the other day at Tracmac.

Uvex is also good but more expensive.

Arai are unfortuately these days stupidly expensive. The Tour X I wear would cost me R8900.00 to replace today.

Shoei Hornet also up there boyond R7000.00.

I am not aware that Shark make a Duel Sport helmet.

BMW is the same as Uvex if I have my facts straight.

Dewald

I’m not necessarily convinced that more money means better quality as far as helmets are concerned.  At the same time, though, I don’t think there is a price on head / neck injuries when you are part of the biking scene.  With this in mind I bought myself a Shoei two years ago (I had an Arai road helmet before that).  All I can say is that my next helmet will also be a Shoei.  I am really impress with the Shoei.

Hi Dewald - my experience is limited to System 4, and latterly System 5 helmets.

Heavyish, but a good price/quality compromise, I do not think they look the best, BUT once you've used a flip-up, especially during a instruction session on a super-hot day, or picking your way thru' a technical section, the 'freedom' is brilliant, and of course you are assured of BMW quality (IMO).

And of course if you commute, you can flip up the lid when talking into an intercom, easier to get glasses on/off, and a snack, etc.

I may eventually purchase an Enduro helmet, but I do think flip-ups (BMW in particular) offer good value and usability.

Cheers

A few times now, while doing a technical section where I would have flipped up a flip-up helmet, I have hit my screen or landed on my face.  Luckily I have a Uvex Enduro helmet so my face has been protected.

The Uvex works well, has a clear vision and gives good ventilation when doing technical stuff.  It is also very good quality.  And it is light and at R3500 good value.  And since this is the same company that makes the BMW Enduro helmet, you are assured of BMW quality ...

YMMV

Best helmet that I have owned, had it for 2 years now and IMO better value than BMW and Arai. It has excellent ventilation and no-fog visor. If you shop around you will find that you do not have to pay R7K for this helmet.

The BMW Enduro helmet has had issues with the visor ratchet wearing out and your head needs to be a particular shape to be comfortable.

Arai is good but the peak vibrates at speeds in excess of 100km, to the extent of blurring my vision when I tried it.

* Shoei Hornet DS, it fits MY melon like it was made for it

* Flip-up helments is a NO GO for me. You are only suppose to flip up the helmet when not riding. I see MANY people ride with the flip-up open until one day you leave your jaw behind.

* Comfort and fit... nothing worse than a helmet that pinch your ears or pressure your forehead... In saying this your helmet should NEVER have a loose fit... Put the helmet on your melon, keep your neck stiff and try to move the helmet around. If there is any slipping movement on your head, the helmet is too big for you. It is better to purchase a cheap helmet that fits perfectly rather than an expensive one that fits poorly. A bad fitting helmet can be a distraction.

This is the worst thing you can do and NOT recommended. Always have the flip-up down when riding even when riding at walking pace, or doing slow technical stuff. If your helmet mist up on hot days when doing slow stuff it means you are using the wrong helmet for the kind of riding you are doing.

I tried on the Hornet DS some time back.  Totally lovely.  But it would have given me brain damage when Julie saw the price and beat me about the ears with it!

If you are in the market for a helmet in that price range, it is definitely one of the helmets on your shortlist.  But I don't fall for the sales scare tactics of 'what is your head worth?' - there are R700 helmets that will protect your head well enough, and there is nothing that can protect my head if I run out of money for food by spending it all on a helmet.  And nobody wears a helmet in the shower - where you are much more likely to sustain a life-threatening head injury.

You should consider both the active and passive safety features when purchasing a motorcycle helmet.

Active safety elements are those which protect your head in an accident, both friction (sliding/abrasion) and the deceleration forces when "stopping" near instantaneously after colliding with an immoveable object.

• general construction and materials used
• helmet fit
• age of the helmet

The various certification agencies (Snell, DOT, etc) ensure that helmets meet a minimum standard in terms of the physical safety. A helmet which does not fit properly may not offer the rider adequate protection. Also the ability of the polycarbonate liner (commonly used in helmet construction) to absorb impact may be reduced over time. This is due to exposure to perspiration and the liner becoming compacted through normal usage.  

Passive safety elements are those features which reduce the likelihood of the accident occurring

• weight
• noise levels
• optical correctness of the visor
• field of view
• anti-fog technology / UV protection / tinted visors
• ventilation

These all help reduce rider fatique (especially on, but not limited to, longer rides). Reduced rider fatique (or put another way, improved alertness/concentration) enables the rider to be more aware of (and better assess) their environment and thereby avoid potentially dangerous situations. Reaction time in response to unexpected events is also reduced. All in all many avoidable accidents remain just that - avoided!

By and large the physical safety component of all certified helmets are similar. These components however only protect the rider in the event of an accident!

In general, the more expensive helmets tend to offer more and/or better passive safety features. These features may enable the rider to be more alert and thereby avoid having to rely on the active safety features of their helmet. A much better scenario (IMHO).

So, think carefully when next purchasing a helmet. Which risks are you trying to minimse?

PS I have no commercial interests in the motorcycle helmet industry. And yes, it has been a slow morning at the office

the outer shell is made from poycarbonate, the inner liner is made from expanded polystyrene.

Well put Tony.  But then we get onto another thought:  it is all very well improving your alertness by wearing a great expensive helmet, but for many, many riders, the constraint is not their awareness of a situation as much as their ability to deal with it.  I see these riders all the time:

• pulling away at intersections with both feet out skimming the ground,
• riding on the far left of the lane, or right behind a car,
• clumsy at slow speeds, and dangerous at high speeds.

So, if you want to minimize risk intelligently, for many riders it would be more useful to buy a R3500 helmet and spend R3500 on training, than to go for the most expensive helmet.

There is no single solution to the "crash/accident" problem.

Many other variables are involved - skill level, riding style, environment, etc, etc ...

The above singles out the factors to consider when looking at a helmet in isolation - i.e. an "all things being equal" scenario - which seldom occurs in real life!

Good health is the slowest form of death

Ride today like there is no tomorrow, so when tomorrow doesn't come you didn't miss any thing.

If tomorrow does come then deal with it tomorrow.