there are tons of helmet threads. so i apologize if this is a repeat. point me in the right direction if it is.
many of you have a FF and i have decided to go that route also. until now i have use a motocross style. this year i would like to ride a bit more into the colder season and my helmet sucks for that. so the question is: what makes a helmet " a good helmet"? if it fits my head and is dot approved, what more makes it worth a higher price tag. i know i should not put a price tag on safety but the helmets i like are a lot of dough. and then flea-bay has some dot approved for under a hundred.
I'm just looking for others experience/opinion on what they have found. was there something that brought you to buy this over that. other than fit and price. (if there is more) thanks.
example of a cheapy.
I can't offer much personal experience but I can share this website which was very helpful to me in researching helmets. http://www.helmetharbor.com The owner of this shop has several youtube videos on the site with his personal reviews of different helmets.
Obviously he is in the business of selling helmets, but I can tell you from personal experience that he is pretty unbiased. He talked my husband out of a $300+ helmet into a $160 helmet that was a better fit for his head.
The biggest thing I've learned about helmets is what a dramatic sizing difference there is between various manufacturers. For example, I wear a Large in Z1R, and XXL in KBC. Also, for FF helmets, different brands fit different shaped heads better or worse. Some brands fit a round face better, some fit a longer face better. The only way to know which is best for you is to try them on. I think probably any/all FF helmets that are DOT approved will protect you well enough.
One other factor to consider is noise/ear protection. Both excessive ambient noise and wind noise will damage the ear over time. Protect your hearing for the long term. I've heard there are some FF helmets that actually direct the wind towards your ears. That is something you'd want to avoid. (FYI, I've recently started wearing earplugs with my FF).
As for what FF I wear, I have a KBC VR-2R. It's the only FF I have ever owned so I have nothing to compare it to, but I like it. I got it on sale, $79 marked down from $220. Maybe that's why I like it
That being said, I bought mine after trying a few different FF and modular helmets. One of the best things to do is just put the helmet on and leave it on for a few minutes. Take good notice of any area that pinches or feels uncomfortable. If it bothers you for a few minutes, it's going to be that much worse when you're on a longer ride.
I also went with Fulmer because they stand behind their product, and the warranty is kick'n. A few months back a snap sheered off on the liner, and I brought it back to my dealer. Long story short the sent me old helmet back to the factory and let me pick out a new one. Since then no problems and it still fits great.
As others have said, fit is extremely important. In terms of a FF, you'll want something that cannot easily be pulled forward, backward, or to either side. A couple of the veteran riders at my company advised that when trying on a helmet, a good test is to move your jaw as if chewing gum. If it's almost to the point where it feels as if you're going to bite your cheeks, then it's tight enough.
As for me personally, I chose to spend more and get a Shoei. Some folks think they're overpriced; they may be right or they may be wrong. But, being a newbie back then, I decided to dig deeper and go with something with a track record. Same reason I chose a Genuine product over something cheaper. Among helmets of similar safety ratings, it all boils down to fit and personal preference, but in the grand scheme of things a coupla hundred bucks extra really doesn't represent all that much of an outlay. (In my opinion).
Yeah, fit and noise are good points. I also consider venting and aerodynamics as much as I can. I've been told by other people that ride that a good test for a helmet's aerodynamics is 60 mph and above. I've heard horror stories of helmets that were wonderful up to 55 mph, but the effects of wind change a bit once you go above that, and their wonderful helmets would buffet in the wind something awful. I haven't experienced that yet, so I must have gotten lucky and picked a good fit for my head from the start.
One of Arai's selling points was the even-ness of weight. It's something you really notice when you turn your head at speed. Mine's noticable, but not bad. My brother had to ditch a helmet because of this factor, though. Gave him a sore neck after an hour of riding.
To some I think a helmet is an accessory to a scooter lifestyle and to me it has the possibility of becoming a big investment. The advice so far has been exactly what I'm looking for, keep it coming. Thanks to those who have posted so far.
no i don't ride a scooter, i am a scooter pilot!
VICTUS MORTUUS VENATOR
bigbropgo wrote:To some I think a helmet is an accessory to a scooter lifestyle and to me it has the possibility of becoming a big investment. The advice so far has been exactly what I'm looking for, keep it coming. Thanks to those who have posted so far.
It's a HUGE investment. Think about it...you're protecting your head! I have friends who have spent upwards of $500 on a helmet, but is it worth it? Totally!
Non-full face helmets are kind of a novelty to me. I thought about getting one, but I truthfully would probably never wear it while I was actually on the road.
I always thought I would only ever wear a FF helmet, but I picked up an open face for riding with friends (much easier to communicate).
I have had to go to wearing the open face because of the cold.
I have 3 helmets, I have tried all sorts of solutions but the fogging is a significant safety issue. Monday, I rode to work and rode nearly the whole way with the visor wide open just so I could see. I thought my eyeballs were going to freeze-no, seriously. When I had to close the visor the fogging of the inside of the visor and/or my glasses was impossible to see through.
There is no problem with the open face helmet.
I hate to say this, but being able to actually see where I am going seems a lot safer than scooting blind with my chin protected.
Just something to be aware of, fogging when the temps drop but humidity is high, can be a big problem.
I have heard of these things that supposedly work, I think they are called Fog Buster or something like that. I am going to give it a try.
Hmm I have Shoei rf1000 and I sit at lights with the shield down and I dont have a fog issue really. Sometimes, the shield will start to fog but it goes away after about 15 ft of moving.
It might just be your helemet so dont diss the FF just yet
Vic wrote:I always thought I would only ever wear a FF helmet, but I picked up an open face for riding with friends (much easier to communicate).
I have had to go to wearing the open face because of the cold.
I have 3 helmets, I have tried all sorts of solutions but the fogging is a significant safety issue. Monday, I rode to work and rode nearly the whole way with the visor wide open just so I could see. I thought my eyeballs were going to freeze-no, seriously. When I had to close the visor the fogging of the inside of the visor and/or my glasses was impossible to see through.
There is no problem with the open face helmet.
I hate to say this, but being able to actually see where I am going seems a lot safer than scooting blind with my chin protected.
Just something to be aware of, fogging when the temps drop but humidity is high, can be a big problem.
I have heard of these things that supposedly work, I think they are called Fog Buster or something like that. I am going to give it a try.
-v
This is a problem I have when it rains. My solution is to crack the visor a notch. You get a little breeze on your face, but it's not too bad, and it really helps with the fogging.
Now if only the wind redirect from my windshield would quit smacking my visor shut when I get above 45-50 indicated if I don't hold my mouth just right....
Cheshire wrote:This is a problem I have when it rains. My solution is to crack the visor a notch. You get a little breeze on your face, but it's not too bad, and it really helps with the fogging.
Now if only the wind redirect from my windshield would quit smacking my visor shut when I get above 45-50 indicated if I don't hold my mouth just right....
That is my problem, cracking the visor works fine when the wind does not snap it shut for you, but on my commute I am either stopped or going 50+mph indicated and the visor does not stay open. I am thinking about maybe sticking a straw or something in there to crack it open ever so slightly. I have tried blowing down but that just makes it fog up a bit slower, only thing that works is to not breathe, and passing out is probably not a good idea either
I get paid on Friday, and I am going to go check out the Fog Buster things and see if that works in my winter helmet (I have a FF Bell that is a bit on the big side, but it fits perfectly with a balaclava (sp?) underneath, so it is a winter only helmet) right now, I have all my hopes pinned on this thing, so we will see...
2. Try on different brands in that price range. Some won't be comfy. Think head shape.
3. Be sure it is snug to tight. The foam will conform and compress as you wear it.
4. Be sure it is DOT approved, at least.
5. Buy it, wear it.
You might end up buying a couple before finding the one that is best for you. Not that your first one won't be satisfactory; you'll just fine tune your requirements as you use it longer.
I have found a brand that is very comfy for my head and in my price range and have stuck with it for over 10 years. So far only one of those has seen the asphalt closeup.
Ms_Kady wrote:I want something colorful, but not PINK! Just cause I'm a girl doesn't mean I want something with pink on it.
Ok, so you want a mauve, rust, or peach helmet ... or one of those shades of colors that my wife talks about and I have absolutely no idea what she means. I only see red, blue, green, etc. .... real (primary) colors. I suppose that's just one of the reasons she refers to me as a "knuckle dragger".
Rob
"Sponges grow in the ocean. That just kills me. I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be if that didn't happen."
- Steven Wright
Matter of personal preference... But this particular ~cheap~ helmet looks in the pics like it has a huge lower chin guard area and a resultant very small eye opening. I would never buy something like this w/o trying it on first to see how well I could see out of it!
Also ~cheap~ helmets sometimes have very poor liners and interior padding, resulting in a hard, uncomfortable fit....
Vic wrote:
That is my problem, cracking the visor works fine when the wind does not snap it shut for you, but on my commute I am either stopped or going 50+mph indicated and the visor does not stay open. I am thinking about maybe sticking a straw or something in there to crack it open ever so slightly. I have tried blowing down but that just makes it fog up a bit slower, only thing that works is to not breathe, and passing out is probably not a good idea either
Fogging has been a problem for us during cold morning commutes. We just ordered All Kleer and received in 2 days. I used it this morning and I had all my vents closed and no fogging at all. Granted it was up to the 50s this morning instead of the 30s/40s, but no fogging at all! Might be worth a shot. They reviewed it on webbikeworld too.
thanks.
