vinmansbrew
Junior Member
I am not surprised at the scorpion. If i remember correctly, webbikeworld had a good review of them.
What lids (helmets) have actually PROVEN to hold up best in a crash?
- Thread starter FIZZER6
- Start date
I have had 2 HJC AC12 Carbon helmets....smashed both of them, both in nasty accidents, neither time disd i end up with any headache, blackout, or pain at all...and both times my head hit the ground real hard, destroying the helmet, but saving my head....
The reason why i have owned 2! I was so impressed with the job that the first AC12 carbon did in a 140km/h highside, where i pretty much came down on my head! That i bought a 2nd helmet!
Now i am wearing a Shoei XR1100, which thankfully i cant give you a crash report on....
Sharp safety rating's are a pretty good guide...
SHARP 5 Star Motorcycle Helmet Rating System - webBikeWorld
Different Helmet shapes...
Motorcycle Helmet Shapes - webBikeWorld
Different helmet weights...
Motorcycle Helmet Weights - webBikeWorld
helmet reviews by the truckload...
http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/motorcycle-helmets.htm
Gotta love Webbikeworld!
Happy reading anorak's!
The reason why i have owned 2! I was so impressed with the job that the first AC12 carbon did in a 140km/h highside, where i pretty much came down on my head! That i bought a 2nd helmet!
Now i am wearing a Shoei XR1100, which thankfully i cant give you a crash report on....
Sharp safety rating's are a pretty good guide...
SHARP 5 Star Motorcycle Helmet Rating System - webBikeWorld
Different Helmet shapes...
Motorcycle Helmet Shapes - webBikeWorld
Different helmet weights...
Motorcycle Helmet Weights - webBikeWorld
helmet reviews by the truckload...
http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/motorcycle-helmets.htm
Gotta love Webbikeworld!
Happy reading anorak's!
FIZZER6
The Angry Blue Mantis
I'm in the market for a new helmet after my little helmet impact with a 6 lb vulture at 60mph....
Does anyone have any experience with Icon? Are they comparable quality wise to Shoei?
Does anyone have any experience with Icon? Are they comparable quality wise to Shoei?
keira
Mrs. Reiobard
It depends. Are you looking at the nice Icons, or the $30 Icons? Anything by them that is inexpensive is crap.
Rob crashed in a KBC. Got it cause it was a smoking deal, and we have a good friend who races in one. He rode away from this crash (with a broken collarbone), and didn't even have a headache. Although that may have been overshadowed by the other broken bits. The side of the helmet cracked like an egg, and the visor stayed (mostly) attached and kept his face and nose looking purdy.
We both wear Scorpions now (Mine replaced an Arai). I buy helmets that are the same models of friends who race, and if they have crash experience, I value that higher than if they don't. I do know someone who was in an HJC fiberglass that was pretty seriously seeing stars after an off, and many more friends whose lives/brains were saved by their Arais, Shoeis, Scorps, etc. The most important thing is that it FITS. Helmets are made for different head shapes (yes, even within brand), so make sure you are trying on different models to get the size - what fits in one Shoei may not fit in another.
Speed_Racer
Junior Member
I have a Shoei Qwest and I unfortunately wrecked just a couple weeks ago but I didn't even notice the impact on my head and that's what hit first! (according to onlookers I landed on my head after flying off my bike). Got up and limped away just fine. Bike needs some lovin now tho :shakehead:
Not much you need to know about helmets except:
1) Fit
2) Weight
3) Build quality
It should fit right so it protects YOUR head....not someone elses. If it fits right, it protects right.
If it weighs a bunch, that's weight in a crash that could aggravate or worsen an injury. Higher quality helmets tend to be lighter and have less size to them to keep the weight close to your head to minimize it's effect. Helmets like some ICON ones are huge and heavy.
More expensive does usually mean better build quality.
I recently went out to buy a top of the line Arai or Shoeieieiei or AGV lid. Found none of them fit just right. Ended up with a Bell helmet for $400. Didn't need their higher end ones as the build quality seemed to be the same and it was just fit and finish that improved marginally.
Crash tests? I've crashed multiple times in ICON helmets. I've crashed in the SAME helmet three times before. That is not in any way useful data. The only tests that matter are the in depth scientific ones and they routinely find higher end helmets to protect better.
$100 helmets are for $100 heads.
1) Fit
2) Weight
3) Build quality
It should fit right so it protects YOUR head....not someone elses. If it fits right, it protects right.
If it weighs a bunch, that's weight in a crash that could aggravate or worsen an injury. Higher quality helmets tend to be lighter and have less size to them to keep the weight close to your head to minimize it's effect. Helmets like some ICON ones are huge and heavy.
More expensive does usually mean better build quality.
I recently went out to buy a top of the line Arai or Shoeieieiei or AGV lid. Found none of them fit just right. Ended up with a Bell helmet for $400. Didn't need their higher end ones as the build quality seemed to be the same and it was just fit and finish that improved marginally.
Crash tests? I've crashed multiple times in ICON helmets. I've crashed in the SAME helmet three times before. That is not in any way useful data. The only tests that matter are the in depth scientific ones and they routinely find higher end helmets to protect better.
$100 helmets are for $100 heads.
PhotoAl
Junior Member
I do a lot of race photography and have seen many helmets meet the ground. Remember a helmet can only do so much, first rule should be ride smart and avoid if possible. That said, my criteria are:
1. Fit - the best helmet wont protect if it does not fit properly.
2. Rating system, ECE or the new Snell standard. All helmets (in USA) have to be DOT
3. Comfort, If it's comfy you will be better focused on the road and not the discomfort. If the helmet buffets too much at speed will it cause problems with seeing what's ahead.
4. Shell - prefer fiberglass over ABS because it will crush absorbing some of the impact.
Remember what is absorbing the force of the impact is the styrafoam lining. It crushes and does not spring back into shape and therefore will not be there again. The problem with the old Snell standard is that it caused the helmets to be "stiffer" to pass the double impact which meant the G forces on the brain are higher for a given impact than a similar ECE helmet.
Typing from memory and hope I have the acronyms correct.
Have/had:
Shoei RF1100 - recent putchase, bought a tight fitting helmet, size smaller than previous took two days to break in. Less buffeting, very comfy, love it!!! Lots of accessories available.
Shark RSI - great helmet but bought a size to big. Pity not available is US, would buy another.
AGV S4 - very cool, loud Rough D rings cause the chin strap to wear out in 6 months!!!!
1. Fit - the best helmet wont protect if it does not fit properly.
2. Rating system, ECE or the new Snell standard. All helmets (in USA) have to be DOT
3. Comfort, If it's comfy you will be better focused on the road and not the discomfort. If the helmet buffets too much at speed will it cause problems with seeing what's ahead.
4. Shell - prefer fiberglass over ABS because it will crush absorbing some of the impact.
Remember what is absorbing the force of the impact is the styrafoam lining. It crushes and does not spring back into shape and therefore will not be there again. The problem with the old Snell standard is that it caused the helmets to be "stiffer" to pass the double impact which meant the G forces on the brain are higher for a given impact than a similar ECE helmet.
Typing from memory and hope I have the acronyms correct.
Have/had:
Shoei RF1100 - recent putchase, bought a tight fitting helmet, size smaller than previous took two days to break in. Less buffeting, very comfy, love it!!! Lots of accessories available.
Shark RSI - great helmet but bought a size to big. Pity not available is US, would buy another.
AGV S4 - very cool, loud Rough D rings cause the chin strap to wear out in 6 months!!!!
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All DOT helmets are not created equal. Some DOT helmets fail tests that other DOT helmets pass.
Different rating systems have different levels of protection. But just because a helmet only has one doesn't mean it wouldn't have passed the test for another one it may just mean it wasn't tested for it.
Google for independent tests and studies done in a proper indepth/scientific manner to start to figure out which brands routinely do poorly.
I found ICON to be pretty poor in one study I read. Only a handful of their helmets passed a handful of the tests. But that was just one study and I was specifically looking for ICON helmets in the result. There were some other manufacturers that didn't do so great either.
I try to find one that works well for me and stick with it. I will probably never buy any helmets other than Bell helmets as long as they keep making the model I have or something close to it. It fits me perfectly and the build quality is very good for things like visor/vents/etc. But fit is different for everyone.
Personally, I tend to need a bigger helmet on account of my exceptionally large brain. Incidentally, that's the same reason I find I need relatively large pants.
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FZsixRider
Junior Member
I have field tested an HJC IS-16 at 55mph face first. Was struck by a deer on left side of helmet, knocked faceshield off. Then I slid face first down the road. I ended up with a fractured nose and a minor brain hemorage. It was good enough to save my life, that's what matters most!
Ssky0078
Junior Member
I took a recent head plant on an HJC CL-Max II. I bought it because it FIT well when I bought it and was a modular design (I get air hungry really easily, especially when warm).
I have minor conucssion symptoms from landing on my head probably only going 5-10 mph when I hit.
After reading many of the other posts on this thread I have to give some credence to the notion of helmit weight, helmet composition, padding composition. I am a doctor and would say that the physics behind what may have contributed to my concussion were present. My helmet was only 2 weeks old/1800 miles. The lining had already began to squish down and was not a snug. If I did not properly tigthen the chin strap it would rise off my head at high speeds. The helmet was heavy and I could believe that the extra wieght could translate into force jostling my brain inside my skull. The helmet composition is a high end plastic and I could see how maybe a fiberglass that could absorb the force more would have been more helpful.
I will be checking more closely into a fiberglass helmet next as the increase in price will be nothing compared to sitting around worrying how badly i may have hurt my brain.
The biggest problem is that my large head (I wore a XXL in the HJC) and shape made it impossible to fit on many of Scorpion, Shoei and Arai that I tried. I'm sorry but motorcyclling seems biased toward more average height/size guys and big guys like me are supposed to be stuck riding Harley's or something.
I have minor conucssion symptoms from landing on my head probably only going 5-10 mph when I hit.
After reading many of the other posts on this thread I have to give some credence to the notion of helmit weight, helmet composition, padding composition. I am a doctor and would say that the physics behind what may have contributed to my concussion were present. My helmet was only 2 weeks old/1800 miles. The lining had already began to squish down and was not a snug. If I did not properly tigthen the chin strap it would rise off my head at high speeds. The helmet was heavy and I could believe that the extra wieght could translate into force jostling my brain inside my skull. The helmet composition is a high end plastic and I could see how maybe a fiberglass that could absorb the force more would have been more helpful.
I will be checking more closely into a fiberglass helmet next as the increase in price will be nothing compared to sitting around worrying how badly i may have hurt my brain.
The biggest problem is that my large head (I wore a XXL in the HJC) and shape made it impossible to fit on many of Scorpion, Shoei and Arai that I tried. I'm sorry but motorcyclling seems biased toward more average height/size guys and big guys like me are supposed to be stuck riding Harley's or something.
I disagree with some of this $100 can purchase a helmet that will provide protection. When I purchased my HJC AC 11 in the UK it was in the budget range. However it out performed the so called better helmets.
When I get internet back ill post the article.
More $ certainly gives you more comfort though.
Neil
Sent from my HTC Desire S
When I get internet back ill post the article.
More $ certainly gives you more comfort though.
Neil
Sent from my HTC Desire S
Are you sure your wearing the correct size? A large number of people have a size to large. The initial bedding in you describe sounds like the helmet may have been to big to start with. Over a few weeks the fit should still be firm but not uncomfortable.
Glad your ok though.
Neil
Sent from my HTC Desire S
Glad your ok though.
Neil
Sent from my HTC Desire S
Ssky0078
Junior Member
I was beginning to wonder about the size issue over the last week. It fit perfectly when I bought it, pinched the cheek in a little, couldn't move on my head, etc. The thing is I tried on a Scorpion Exo-900 XXL and couldn't even get it on fully because it was too tight and my jaw didn't fit in the chin bar when the modular was down. I guess the question is do you buy a helmet super tight and then plan on breaking it in like a pair of fancy shoes for a week or two. But like fancy shoes those get kicked off first moment they can.
JPH
Junior Member
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The DOT/Snell rated one that FITS properly.
I spent hundreds of hours trying helmets by brand/model/size. I found Shoei RF1000 fit the best but I was a little short on $. Next best was KBC for the shape of my head. I wouldn't recommend the cheaper models of the cheaper brands ONLY because they are difficult to fit properly. I chose the high end of KBC with the VR-2.
Personal Crash Experience: I high sided into a ditch at 50MPH and hit a culvert head first. The impact crushed one vertibra in the middle of my back (known as a compression fracture) but ZERO head or neck trauma! Thank you God and thank you KBC VR-2, I am 100% recovered and riding today!!
I replaced the VR-2 with another one, after five years the pads are worn and I'm looking for a RF1100 to replace it but only because they have slightly better features: a slimmer shell in the Large, are less noisy at speed, have better ventillation for NC summers and more comfortable liner fabric.
I spent hundreds of hours trying helmets by brand/model/size. I found Shoei RF1000 fit the best but I was a little short on $. Next best was KBC for the shape of my head. I wouldn't recommend the cheaper models of the cheaper brands ONLY because they are difficult to fit properly. I chose the high end of KBC with the VR-2.
Personal Crash Experience: I high sided into a ditch at 50MPH and hit a culvert head first. The impact crushed one vertibra in the middle of my back (known as a compression fracture) but ZERO head or neck trauma! Thank you God and thank you KBC VR-2, I am 100% recovered and riding today!!
I replaced the VR-2 with another one, after five years the pads are worn and I'm looking for a RF1100 to replace it but only because they have slightly better features: a slimmer shell in the Large, are less noisy at speed, have better ventillation for NC summers and more comfortable liner fabric.
JPH
Junior Member
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KBC VR-2: 50MPH highside into ditch. Hit Culvert with top of my head. Zero Head or neck trauma!
My wife and mother of my children wears a propperly fitting Scorpion EXO-1100.
My wife and mother of my children wears a propperly fitting Scorpion EXO-1100.
JPH
Junior Member
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Propper fit has more to do with head shape than size. HJC are verry 'round' in shape and don't fit me, they are loose in the ears and cheeks, so I don't wear them. I would certainly recommend their RPHA or IS-16 if it fit your head shape.
That being said...I'm down on Vega's and some other very cheap helmets simply because they are very difficult to fit well for anyone. I have yet to meet a rider who has found a good fitting Vega.
That being said...I'm down on Vega's and some other very cheap helmets simply because they are very difficult to fit well for anyone. I have yet to meet a rider who has found a good fitting Vega.
YZF73
Junior Member
Going to throw this post of mine back in from a few months back, as I feel strongly that the only real way to prove a helmets safety is through a consistent testing program.
When you consider the many variables at play during any accident, the impression someone may have of how well their helmet actually protected them only reflects the protection that helmet provided within the specific set of variables of that accident. This makes determining a helmets level of protection based on peoples experiences quite difficult and likely to be inaccurate in my opinion.
When you consider the many variables at play during any accident, the impression someone may have of how well their helmet actually protected them only reflects the protection that helmet provided within the specific set of variables of that accident. This makes determining a helmets level of protection based on peoples experiences quite difficult and likely to be inaccurate in my opinion.
Ssky0078
Junior Member
I couldn't even get the IS-16 on my head. I think for my the headband area (where a hat sits) where the helmet has to get past for me is the largest point and then my cheeks and such are slimmer (not much
). This is why I went with a modular design because I can swing the chin plate out of the way to get the helmet on and then secure it afterward After the crash and dealing with the concussion symptoms I can recall my helmet hitting first and then my head slamming into the wall of the helmet and feeling the cushion give all the way down to the hard foam.
The hardest thing about finding a helmet is finding a place to try them all on.
airoh69
Junior Member
I used to own a shark s900. Had a really big fall and seriously that helmet saved my life. Took a beat with over 150 Km/h and still kept my head safe. So after that i went a bought the shark vision-r myth and just love it
Ssky0078
Junior Member
Unfortunately I can add an Arai Vector to my crash tested helmets. The part where my head hit wasn't as bad this time, just some sand but no concussion symptoms.
