Helmet - what should I buy?

Need2Ride - I wouldn't worry. First off you have covered the most important safety feature of any helmet - "the helmet I bought was not cheap or expensive, but it fits well and is comfortable" - a well fitting lid is by far and away the most important bit. Some folks heads just suit different manufacturers.

There are very few experts in the world of motorcycle helmet construction. The few that there are spend their time designing safety standards and new ways to break helmets; not in shops selling helmets, and, with the greatest of respect to posters here, the rest of us are left with some partial knowledge, some educated opinion, and experience.

I am not an expert. I'm not even in possesion of advanced chemical or kinetic forces knowledge.

However, your helmet, if sold in the UK, will have had to pass some very stringent safety standards. Your helmet passes ECE 22-05. Google it. Helmets certified to this standard are approved for competition events by AMA, CCS, FIM (Moto GP), Forumla-USA, and WERA (amongst doubtless others). I also understand your helmet is ACU Gold certified (look for gold sticker on the back).

There have been several studies of motorcycle crashes over the last 25 years that have attempted to evaluate any protective advantage or disadvantage of helmets meeting one standard or another (Hurt, 1981; Otte, 1991). No advantage has ever been shown in these field studies for any particular standard.

Ed Becker, executive director of the Snell Foundation, is on record as saying that a plastic-shelled—Snell-certified helmet is just as good at protecting your head as a fiberglass—Snell-certified helmet.

The "experts" in a bike shop are generally expert at one thing. Thankfully it's the most important thing - fit.

Citations and further reading, as I'm not going to spout facts without a citation:
http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcyc.../ece-22-05.htm
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/ge...iew/index.html
http://cordis.europa.eu/cost-transport/src/cost-327.htm

Originally Posted by MiniMatt

Need2Ride - I wouldn't worry. First off you have covered the most important safety feature of any helmet - "the helmet I bought was not cheap or expensive, but it fits well and is comfortable" - a well fitting lid is by far and away the most important bit. Some folks heads just suit different manufacturers.

thats what I thought

Originally Posted by MiniMatt

There are very few experts in the world of motorcycle helmet construction. The few that there are spend their time designing safety standards and new ways to break helmets; not in shops selling helmets, and, with the greatest of respect to posters here, the rest of us are left with some partial knowledge, some educated opinion, and experience.

and some anxiety

Originally Posted by MiniMatt

I am not an expert. I'm not even in possesion of advanced chemical or kinetic forces knowledge.

However, your helmet, if sold in the UK, will have had to pass some very stringent safety standards. Your helmet passes ECE 22-05. Google it. Helmets certified to this standard are approved for competition events by AMA, CCS, FIM (Moto GP), Forumla-USA, and WERA (amongst doubtless others). I also understand your helmet is ACU Gold certified (look for gold sticker on the back).

got it in HG, but it doesnt have on a gold sticker

Originally Posted by MiniMatt

There have been several studies of motorcycle crashes over the last 25 years that have attempted to evaluate any protective advantage or disadvantage of helmets meeting one standard or another (Hurt, 1981; Otte, 1991). No advantage has ever been shown in these field studies for any particular standard.

thanks for trying to explain

Originally Posted by need2ride

got it in HG, but it doesnt have on a gold sticker

That's interesting.

Mine has the sticker (Nolan N102 flip front)

Originally Posted by jamessunhill

That's interesting.

Mine has the sticker (Nolan N102 flip front)

Ive been swindled! its called a Classic N-Com N102

Originally Posted by need2ride

Ive been swindled! its called a Classic N-Com N102

Mine doesn't mention "Classic" anywhere, but it's the N-Com N102. Same helmet.

I'd give HG a ring and ask them (maybe the sticker came off). Every helmet I've come across in the UK has the ACU gold sticker (even a £35 one from ALDI).

Originally Posted by jamessunhill

Every helmet I've come across in the UK has the ACU gold sticker (even a £35 one from ALDI).

Indeed. Which is why I don't subscribe to the view that anything with an ACU sticker is good enough. Especially as the ACU bit isn't even the legal bit.

Originally Posted by 2mths

Indeed. Which is why I don't subscribe to the view that anything with an ACU sticker is good enough. Especially as the ACU bit isn't even the legal bit.

Even though a lot of people think it is. This in my opinion needs changing.

whereabouts is the EC sticker ?

It's on the inside. On the RHS chinstrap (behind the buckle).

it says E3 and some numbers is that right?