helmets and opinions

#1

OK, so I recently rode through a crash (RIP 1991 325i) and need a new helmet. I’ve had a Bell and a G Force, but after riding through a real crash I’ve thought about going up a couple notches on the helmet food chain. So now I’m considering anything from another G Force (cheap and heavy, but did the job well last time) to a Stand21 (lightest, bestest, most expensivest).

I guess I’d love to know what the bulk of other SE30 folks are using and "would you buy the same again?"

Since I dunno how to start a real poll, any feedback is appreciated. B)

#2

There was a long discussion on helmets a while back on Bimmerforums. Naturally, the high end helmets got good reviews, but the HJC helmets also were favored as being only slightly heavier than an Arial (.2lb in a medium) and less expensive. Based on that I replaced a somewhat worse for wear Bell M2 with an AR10 and have been very happy with it.

#3

Sorry to hear about your accident. I hope your OK. You’ll have to fill me in on what happened.

I’m no help on helmet recommendations as I have the same one that you are replacing. I also plan to replace mine with a better, lighter model so I’ll be interested to hear what is recommended.

  • Ken
#4

i’ve been very happy with my bell vortex, pretty light and very comfy…

i’ve tried on lots of helmets from bell, sparco, simpson, and arai…bell fits me the best and the ultra series seems to be the lightest and most comfy of the bells…

i haven’t had a chance to try on any stand21’s yet but i would like to as i am considering an upgrade…i’m also waiting for the new bell infusion to come out since i’m thinking about doing a helmet blower setup this summer…

my recommendation is to try on as many helmets as you can and buy the one that is the best fitting, lightest helmet that fits your budget

#5

Some excellent points by Dave - I’m the same way in that certain helmets just fit better. For me, the Bell’s seem to fit a lot nicer. When I was shopping, I went to OG Racing in NoVa and tried on a whole bunch. I really liked the Sparco’s but they just didn’t fit my head right (something about not making them small enough…)

Conversly, I had to have extra crotch-room sewn into my fire-suit.

-Vic:silly:

#6

victorhall wrote:

[quote]

Conversly, I had to have extra crotch-room sewn into my fire-suit.

-Vic:silly:[/quote]
For what…a sock?

#7

Head shapes vary about as much as the helmet shells (padding can only take up so much), so the best bet is to try a bunch on and see what fits you. I know this probably makes it more difficult to find stuff (esp higher end stuff, shops tend to keep less of them in stock and in limited brands).

Me personally I’ve had good luck with Arai’s (my motorcycle helmet is an RX-7 corsair, which I got an amazing deal on, BTW) and find their quality to be top notch (they should be for that price). The SA helmet that I could find that was close (read not exact) and didn’t break the bank was a B2Z (basically a Euro market Bell, made in china) RZ-3. Right in the middle price wise, fit is decent, and its actually quite light (and pre-drilled for HANS). That being said the next time around (which I hope is when the Snell rating expires) I’ll probably spring for a more substantial helmet (probably an Arai) just for the comfort factor.

#8

I’ve got a Bell. I like it and that may be the same brand I get next time.

As others have said. Brands seem to vary in shape, so try them on before you buy.

Here are a few observations:
Simpsons seem to be rounder than most.
Arai’s are close in shape to the Bell’s with a smaller outer shell.

Skip one event and you’ll have saved the difference to get that nicer helmet.

#9

nasaregistrar wrote:

[quote]victorhall wrote:

[quote]

Conversly, I had to have extra crotch-room sewn into my fire-suit.

-Vic:silly:[/quote]
For what…a sock?[/quote]

No, so when he craps himself, he does not feel it :slight_smile:

#10

Basically you have to try it on. The stand’s are really nice but don’t fit my head (super light). In fact bell’s are the only helmet that seems to fit my head well. I tried on every helmet at the PRI show in Indy one year, Bell, Simpson, Sparco, Arai, Stand, Impact and probably a few more I can’t remember. Also the Arai did not fit like my motorcycle Arai which fits me perfectly so take that into account as well.

#11

Thanks to everyone for responding. It’s interesting to hear what brands you are using.

#12

I started with a Bell Mag 5 open face, and now got a Bell BR1, and I like the S2R and M2.They fit me great, and they are of great quality.
Fitment is the most important part, and I didn’t want to spend $1k for a helmet that is a few ounces lighter for a 25 minutes race.

#13

BETO, Understood. The only reason I’m taking such a keen interest in the WEIGHT of the helmet is that I realized the weight of the helmet plays into its crashworthiness. The heavier the helmet, the more strain it will put on your neck at a given G load.

After the crash at WGI (right-side impact, I was on passenger side), I realized my GF brand helmet did a great job absorbing crush loads on the right side and front left, but it is heavy, and thank goodness I was wearing a brand new foam collar (Pyrotect- purchased the previous morning). That collar stayed right under the helmet and over my shoulders and I believe it supported the huge weight of the helmet during the crash. I have a sensitive neck, and while the rest of my body was sore for a week, I never had the slightest neck pain. I couldn’t wear my HANS since I was riding in a car with 3 pointers (not that we know how much it would help in a side-hit).

Anyways, that’s why I made it a point to choose my next helmet with at least some concern for what it weighs.

I agree with you about the helmet weight vs. race lenth. I did a one-hour enduro in my old GF helmet and didn’t begin to feel any real fatigue until the last 5-10 minutes of the race. It was fine.