What are the trusted helmet brands these days?

When I was a kid "Bell" was the most trusted brand. I loved my Bell Star 2.

I need to replace my 20 year old Shoei RF 200. Back then Shoei's were bargain helmets, now I'd love to have a RF1200 but don't want to spend that much.

You really have to wonder when some manufacturers offer helmets from under $100 up to $500. What's up with that?

Anyway what brands do you trust and which ones would you steer away from?

 

20 years old? Damn that's like trusting a 20 year old condom.

Shoei is great and still is making the older model RF1100 for 300 or so, maybe even cheaper at some spots. Very good helmet still. Made in Japan

Bell still makes excellent helmets.

AGV is alright, but the QC isn't the best and I have slight issues with mine only after 2 years. It's also Made In China.

 

Shoei's have never been bargain helmets, especially back in the 90's. They and Arai were the top quality helmets then, and they still are a couple of the best. I used to buy Bell helmets when they offered them in hat sizes.I took a 7 1/4, 7 3/8 was too big and 7 1/8 was too small. I owned a Bell Star and hated it because you couldn't see any direction other than straight ahead without turning your head. Total crap peripheral vision. And gawd it was hot!!

Personally I like the fit and finish of the Shoei, but I like the modular helmets and, for me, Shoei and Schuberth have priced themselves out of the market. I have an AGV and am really happy with the fit and finish, but it's noisy and heavy. IMO good helmets don't have to cost an arm and a leg. If you don't insist on Snell foundation approval you have a large selection of makes and models.

 

I crash-tested a shoei RF1000 -IRC- and it did what is supposed to do, save my face from road rash and scratches so I can still make a living. I switched to scorpion since because it fits me better with less wind noise.
Not sure which ones are the most trusted ones, but I'd go with the one that better fits my head.

 

That's another thing I was wondering about. What are the benefits of a modular helmet?

 

Easier to talk and listen to someone while still having the helmet on? Cops would definitely benefit from that.

Problem is, while it's definitely safer to have than a 3/4 helmet, not many modular meet SNELL standards. Might have something to do with how it flips up.

 

I've crash tested the Scorpion EXO 400 and EXO 700 the 400 did its job well but the 700 did amazingly well in a violent 60mph crash.

 

For me the main benefits of a modular helmet is since I wear glasses I can easily put the hemet on or take it off without having to mess with my glasses. The downsides are they tend to be pretty bland as far as design and colors go, and they are heavy and noisy.

I also like the fact that I can just flip up the front while filling up and cool off a bit, and it's easier to talk to someone. I can make a quick stop at the store without the hassle of removing my helmet too.

Personally I don't even consider Snell approval as a criterium for my helmet selection anymore. JMO of course.

 

HJC fits me the best...go figure. I am currently using the CL-16 and really like it. I don't get you old farts complaining about helmets being loud? Never had that problem.....but I'm already deaf from spending yrs (in my 20's) in a C-182 Cardinal flying pipeline....so I dunno.







Huh?

 

It also depends on how much you think your heads worth.... You want a 69.95 helmet, well...you get what you pay for.... I did the research on here and other sites. What I was looking for was (1) safety and (2) quietness... I ended up with a Shoei... They fit both the requirements I was looking for at the price range I also was looking at. I am very happy with my 1000 but its due for an update. My standards/requirements still haven't changed and I will gladly pay for quality in this regard. That being said anything is a whole lot better than nothing (nothing = squidly). Good luck with your search.


Sent from my iPad using Using my thumbs

 

Just bought myself a new Shoei NXR or RF1200 as you call them in the US, perhaps they are a bit pricey compared to their competition but have been extremely happy with my last 3 Shoeis so expect I'll be happy with this one too. Perhaps its graphics are a little Robotech then again it was at a good discount.

 

I LOVE my Shoei Neotec. Absurdly priced but it is a damn nice helmet. I got it because I had a pocket full of cash! Plus when I ride my girl she has a modular as well and they are a bit more convenient. I believe it is the most quiet modular out there. Lots of nice features. Good ventalation
No modulars are snell approved. I think they don't even bother trying.
I like a helmet with a laid up fiberglass shell or carbon/aramid or whatever. Better impact resistance then a molded (polycarbonate) shell I think. Maybe that is no longer the case though.

 

I won't be able to explain this scientifically, but something to consider with vision, especially peripheral.

Some of the cheaper helmets basically take visors/faceshields that are flat, and then they are bent to the shape of the helmet. Your better helmets will actually mold/extrude the visors in the shape of the helmet. Basically, the latter allows for a truer definition of what you see with less interference. When the flat ones are bent to meet the helmet, there can be distortion or (here's my made up word of the day) "prisiming".

So vision/clarity are also something to consider as part of your safety measures.

 

Shoei and Arai always seem to be at the top of any list. Yes, they may be pricey but you have to look at the over all package to appreciate the money you'd spend on them. Shoei has always been my go to helmet as they just fit my head the best and for the most part, offer a lot of features and performance that is to my liking i.e. Airflow and field of vision. Although probably not in most budgets, I did pick up a Schuberth C3 modular as I was interested in a modular but also interested in a quieter helmet. They seemed to fit the bill for what I was looking for. More recently I have been looking at other makes, more so for a "secondary" or spare helmet and found that HJC have a decent offering and I just picked up one from motorcyclegear.com for $139.99 + shipping but with a $130 gift card, which I can redeem through them later. Looking at their website, the gift card deal is gone but the helmet is now $69!

Have not received it yet, it arrived yesterday at my company's UPS box so I'll be picking that up sometime today. Once I do I'll let you all know what my take on it is. I couldn't pass up on the deal, yes, I spend $140+ but with the gift card, which I know I'll use later on something, I thought it was too good a deal to let it get away.

http://www.motorcyclegear.com/street/closeouts/helmets/hjc/cl_16_machine_helmet.html

Although it didn't get the ravest of reviews, it was considered a great buy for a sub $100 helmet by webbikeworld.com

Picks...
Excellent bargain price.
Good quality.
Excellent face shield operation.
Comfortable liner and fit.
Meets Snell 2010 and DOT standards.

...and Pans
Limited colors and graphics.
Weak Ventilation.
Needs chin curtain.
Higher than average noise levels


Conclusion
All I can say is that the HJC CL-16 is definitely a bargain, even with the few shortcomings mentioned above. Any time you can buy a name-brand helmet, now meeting the latest safety standards, for less than 100 bucks with a Pinlock system included and a three-year warranty, you have a certified deal. NOTE: Warranty was later corrected to one year

 

At a recent safety talk, an accident investigator gave us the following advice: go for a helmet with a fibre shell construction, rather than a plastic shell. The plastic shells tend to split open after the first impact (but are cheaper to make and hence cost less), leaving your head unprotected for the subsequent impacts. Most of the main makes (such as Arai, Schubeth, Shoei, and others) are fibre shell but a good retailer should be able to tell you which are fibre and which are plastic. (Most times Fibre also sounds different to plastic if you tap it - which is one way to tell). Full face are generally more protective than flip ups, since there is a small risk of the locking mech failing on impact. One of the most important bits is that the helmet fits you well. There is a link to a fitting guide on this UK website:

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/

The site also rates helmets for protection, but I've heard (from the ex-Police accident investigator on the course) that the speeds they are tested at are not very representative (something like 18 mph!), so the plastic helmets (which are cheap) can do better on the tests than in real life. Arai also contest how accurate these tests are too. My favorite at the moment is the Shoei NXR, which is a good improvement over the Shoei XR1100 I currently have. The XR1100 has started to be discounted in some UK stores since it is no longer in production, maybe US stores will do the same? The Shoei is only any good though if it fits your head shape well and is comfortable for you. Good luck with chosing!

 

If you already know what size you want, www.motorcyclecloseouts.com has some amazing deals on high-end closeout helmets...Bell Star, Shoei RF-1100, etc.

 

X 2 on the Shoei NXR / RF1200

I just replaced my 8 year old RF1000 with this helmet excellent peripheral vision and comes with breath guard to help keep the visor from misting along with the pinlock insert, and the chin curtain (cuts the noise considerably even on this quiet helmet)

Quieter than the old helmet by a large amount
lighter and no buffeting when turning my head to the side (6'4" tall with std 6th gen screen)

Mirrored iridium visors are really expensive here in Aus though $150 each

 

Seriously, I saw that at CycleGear ($95.99 in USD) and let off a few choice words in front of the salesman. It's crazy what they want for that when AGV or other helmet brands can offer theirs for 40-50 less.

 

And the RRP for the RF1200 here in Australia is $699.00 incl tax for plain colours and $799 for graphics

I haggled them down to $720.00 including tax for the helmet in gloss White and a chrome iridium visor should have been $848.00 incl tax

Still bloody robbery compared to some others but it is incredibly well made and finished

Bell sell chrome visors for $80 Aus but their helmets don't fit me and I feel they are cheap plasticky looking

 

That's cool OOTV. Exceeds both SNELL and DOT. I'd like to hear what you think about it.

I'd really like an internal sunshield. I've haven't see this feature before (I'm old) and don't like wearing sunglasses or dark shield.

Do tracks these days require a SNELL helmet? I'd like to race again someday.