£30 helmet. Get one or not?

Originally Posted by Dave20046

Trying to be as optimistic as possible: I know someone who's crahsed badly in a '£50 rrp' lid (nitro) and it saved him, only downside was it split in two which they shouldn't but who cares it saved him. My mates crashed in the lid you've just bought before and he was ok was only a 20mph one but still managed to grindaway a lot of the chin piece. Every crash is different so it's impossible to predict anyway. A 200mph slide designed arai may not save you from a 20mph sideways impact a cheap hjc would no point trying to read into it too much. Only thing you can do is keep an eye on the linings and make sure they fit properly after a few weeks,month years if it get's too loose it'll just snap your neck in a crash.

being pessimistic: don't crash.

your a real bundle of fun on a sunday night arn't you?

Also, please note that crashes on track are very different from those on the road. Faster, maybe; but with a distinct lack of oncoming vehicles, fences, potholes etc.

If the lid is on sale then it meets legal requirements. The more you pay, the better quality you usually get. The more you pay the safer they are? Not so likely.

HJC make good quality "value" lids - they are also one of the largest manufacturers. I've had HJC and while it does not have the quality feel of the Arai I've just bought, it was a third of the price and lasted me well for a couple of years. I'd recommend them.

[Dave20046]

I can't help but be the least reassuring person in the world And I was still trying my árse off then! Left some details out and everythin

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by simesb

Also, please note that crashes on track are very different from those on the road. Faster, maybe; but with a distinct lack of oncoming vehicles, fences, potholes etc.

If the lid is on sale then it meets legal requirements. The more you pay, the better quality you usually get. The more you pay the safer they are? Not so likely.

HJC make good quality "value" lids - they are also one of the largest manufacturers. I've had HJC and while it does not have the quality feel of the Arai I've just bought, it was a thrid of the price and lasted me well for a couple of years. I'd recommend them.

Erm not trying to stray from my reassuring efforts but I agree with the track and roadcrashes being different thing (had a face full of car myself 6months ago) but with the they're all as safe as eachother thing as I understand it the legal standard is mostly determined by the hard shell (so your skull won't cave in ) but not the ('epa'?) foam inside which stops your brain movement surpassing the 200G's or whatever it is that stops it smushing permenantly.
My understanding is the extra work that goes into a more expensive lid makes it safer; layered iternal foam, plushlinings that don't sag quickly, lightened for less neck snappy snappys, dlink fastenings etc.etc.

Originally Posted by Dave20046

My understanding is the extra work that goes into a more expensive lid makes it safer; layered iternal foam, plushlinings that don't sag quickly, lightened for less neck snappy snappys, dlink fastenings etc.etc.

Unfortunately there is no definition of "safer." Snell tests result in different helmet designs than EC tests. Sharp tests were going to tell us, then the manufacturers decided they were flawed.

I think the more expensive lids generally feel better, in the same way as more expensive cars feel better. Same as a car, there may be little difference in what they do but they feel nicer to live with, and look better.

[jambo]

It's easy to be a snob about lids. Telling someone to get a Shoei or Arai isn't the wrong advice but if this is the cash you've got, then this is the cash you've got.

Get what you can afford, I'd rather have a brand new £40 lid than a 10 year old £90 lid. But If it was me I'd try to make sure that the lid wasn't a 2-piece construction with a seam down the center.

The more expensive lids are generally (unsurprisingly) constructed in more time-consuming ways using fibre glass or carbon fibre.

Get what you can for now

Jambo

I paid £200 for my open face helmet. What's £200 about it? Hand made and leather interior. But it probably won't protect me as well as the £30 helmet. It's all a question of how everybody feels comfortable I suppose.

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by Haluk

I paid £200 for my open face helmet. What's £200 about it? Hand made and leather interior. But it probably won't protect me as well as the £30 helmet. It's all a question of how everybody feels comfortable I suppose.

If you feel most comfortable and confident in it it might help you avoid the accident altogether to be honest

Did anyone see the top gear Vietnam special when they got bikes? I want a colander helmet!! Top of the range pre-drilled steel for drainage, and also you can use it as a colander too... Mmm yeah. That's good cooking.

I started this topic, not as a cheap-ass miser, but as someone who's recently returned to biking after having to start again from scratch. I had to give up my beloved SP-1, my Dainese suit and gloves, Sidi Vertebrae boots and Arai Quantum F lid due to personal reasons (a lying b17ch and the CSA).

I dug out my old gear which comprised of Akito leathers, Swift boots, no-name gloves and my trusty old Shark lid (which hadn't seen the light of day for a couple of years). Rather than take the easy route and buy an old car, I bought my SV, thinking it would be cheap to run and less likely to financially ruin me every time I entered a petrol station. Now a few months later, my old lid and me are needing to part company before it all ends in tears. I'm temporarily a biker on a budget, but at least I'm not a car driver, eh?

*joke*