Time for a new lid - Advice?

Well it is time for a new lid for me and I have found one on ebay for £59.99, the lid in question is a Nitro n1700-VF. This particular lid comes with a 5 star sharp rating. I already own a 4 star Nitro lid which is a great fit for me, but has bounced down the road (slowly) with my nut inside, so needs outing.

I know there is a lot of label snobbery with lids, but is it well founded and how good is the Nitro?

Cheers,
Kev

I was carried away from this :-

40mph head on into a crash barrier after a police car didnt see me.

I was wearing the nitro you are looking at.

I suffered smashed ribs from the screen and a smashed thyroid cartilage as well as other nasties.

The lid did protect my head and brains etc as it was really mashed when I took it off BUT...


I think it was the chin guard that smashed my thyroid cartilage and crushed my windpipe as it tipped forward.
The helmet did fit properly but the visor slid over the barrier and the egde of the armco dug into the top of the chin guard, causing the pivot point.

I was lucky i didnt snap my neck.


This all being said, I doubt that anyother lid would have done any differently.

I always try the lid on and check for any potential nasties now (once bitten etc...)

The lid did its job, I'm still here to tell the tale.

All lids must be off a minimum standard so if its uk spec you like it it fits well and is the right price go for it. Yes some will say you must get this that or the other it is a personal choice. Obviously nitro are ok as riding schools use them and you have already said yours saved your bonce as you went down.

Originally Posted by krhall

This particular lid comes with a 5 star sharp rating. I already own a 4 star Nitro lid

FFS!

The SHARP tests were proven to be inaccurate, the bleedin' testers openly admitted the did 't know how to translate their data into results. This has been covered in the press and on this forum countless times!

The fact remains, SHARP have still not produced any amended results. Why, because they don't know what to do with the data they gathered.


Find a helmet that fits your head best, this is the only advice everyone will agree on.

It has a 5 star sharp rating, which very few lids manage including some of the more expensive Arai and Shoei ones, so I am sure it is fine. Just thought I would see if anything came up here.

I have seen the threads DD, but any test is better than no test for some guidance right?

If it fits and is comfortable is one thing, but if there is a bit of guidance too then that has got to be worth something, otherwise surely they'd remove the site completely. Otherwise incorrect finding could be the difference between life and death.

[fastdruid]

Cheaper brands make their helmets to pass the crash tests, more expensive brands have programs feeding back from actual crashed helmets to see what happens in the real world. This is of course a sweeping generalisation as there will be brands at every stage inbetween.

That plus comfort and quality can be far higher, not so much a problem if you ride ~1000miles a year as the lid will be "too old" before it wears out but if you ride any distance or for any period of time you'll be grateful.

I'm just glad I've never had to test one (my wife OTOH has written off three lids!)

Druid

Originally Posted by krhall

a bit of guidance too then that has got to be worth something

Any helmet with side pods would fail to get 5*, this is because they impact tested the side pods and not the actual shell underneath that protects your head.

If they couldn't get this simple bit right would you honestly trust the other results fully?

Im with Dangerous Dave the Sharp test is a load of s**t.

The Nitro will meet the required standards and that is about it, if you went for a more expensive lid it would have the required standards and more protection.

Always remember as well whats your head worth? £59.99 or £299.99?

Go and try on some other lids, my local Hein Gericke got hold of an Shoei XR1000 and battered it, with great big tools, threw it along the floor, you name it they tried f**k it up and it was still as strong as it came out of the factory with no major breaks (just no longer safe for the road)

[Viney]

If notro fits, then buy one. If they dont, then buy a different brand. As long as its ACU approved, or whatever the UK std is, and its fits properly, it shouldnt matter what it says on the lid. I would go and try the lid that you are wanting on. I made this mistake buying my Shoei. I used to have an XR800 which was loveley and fitted briliantly. However, the XR1000 the i bought to replace it didnt. It was too big and wasnt the same fit. I have now had 2 Arai's, my current being an AstroJ.

Its slightly misleading that a £500 lid will portect your head 5 times better than a £100 lid. At the end of the day, youa re hoping that you will never get to try it out. My cheap n chearful impluse buy Tamagochi lid (Or whatever its called) done a good job of saving my head in a low speed highside a few years ago.