helmets- what do you guys have? - SV650.org

22-07-05, 06:27 PM

As I now need a new helmet by Wednesday I was wondering what you guys go for?

Previously I just went to my scoot shop and spent about £50 - £70
My last helmet was a takachi which is by far the best i've had but now i'm knocking on the door of proper biker-dom...

What do you guys wear? and how much do you spend?

northwind · 22-07-05, 06:33 PM

I love my Arai Condor despite its poor venting... Well made, looks good, very comfy, and it's lasted far better than the HJC it replaced. I think it was £250 including the dark visor but I could be wrong. That was a year ago... I really wanted a Roof Daytona but they didn't fit

22-07-05, 06:46 PM

shoei XR1000 330 smackeroos..and 60 for the black visor

22-07-05, 07:01 PM

hjc ac-11 zeek 2nd best in ride magazine tests only £99 good for the money.

Scoobs · 22-07-05, 07:03 PM

AGV Like below. Reduced to £160 from £270, plus £34 for the black visor.

22-07-05, 07:18 PM

Any helmet will do - motorcycle attire is just as subject to the same designer-name syndrome as other clothing. Just because it's got Arai on it doesn't mean it will do any less of a job than a £60 HJC helmet - and at the end of the day if you do crash, the latter is much cheaper to replace.

I use a £70 KBC helmet and have a set of Hein Gericke Celtic leathers, armoured Richa gloves and unnamed boots - the whole lot cost me less than an Arai RX-7 helmet. Bonus.

22-07-05, 07:23 PM

AGV, got it cheap at the G-MEX show £80-.
Looking for a new one tho, maybe queiter and with less misting problems.

northwind · 22-07-05, 07:25 PM

True, any one will do- though it's not really accurate to say that they all do the job as well as the next. They all pass the basic certification but a lot of companies test to a higher standard. Also, cheaper lids tend to be heavier which has a strong causal link with vertebra injuries. Still, no doubt in my mind it's better to have decent gear all over than a great lid and cheap rubbish elsewhere.

The real difference, IMO, is comfort and lastability. A year and 10000 miles or so in, my Arai is as close-fitting and comfortable as it was straight after breaking it in. By comparison, my HJC was rattling on my head after about 6000 miles and if I wear it now, feels like it's got nails for padding. It eventually became so loose it was no longer safe, while the Arai's still a perfect fit. I've never found a cheaper lid that comes close to the Arai for comfort. Also, when I cracked a side-cover, I could get a new one over the counter at my dealership, while spares for the HJC I had were basically unobtainable.

But like anything else, you get diminishing returns- for me the Condor was about as high as I'd go. For daily use when your lid can get ruined so easily, the really expensive ones seem a daft expense to me.

22-07-05, 07:36 PM

Get yourself over to a Hein Gericke shop and try on a HJC AC-11. They have them at £99.99 instead of £200. Infinity are also doing them at that price. Did really well in a recent Ride magazine test.

Can't remember who it was without searching, but someone on here ordered a Shark S500 Air from racevisors.co.uk for £59.99 delivered. Very smart and that's is a great price - should have been about £110 I think. Also did well in the Ride test.

I've just got a Shark S500 c/o the T.W.O. magazine subscription offer and like it a lot. The visor change mechanism is pure magic.

The bottom line is that a proper and comfortable fit are for more important than a brand name and a paint job.

22-07-05, 07:41 PM

I think comfort/fitting is the most important aspect. Look for the gold stamp mark on the back and then try it on. Everyone has a different shaped heads and everyones helmet will change depending on this.

You could have the most expensive helmet and in a crash it didnt fit properly could ride up and you could bust your chops on the tarmac or worse.

From personnal experience my Shark RSR is very good but the HJC i had before after a couple of months just didnt fit, starting rattling about, I promptly changed after er testing said helmet (which it did very well i may add)

Also all helmets will loosen up after a month or however long and so its good when buying to go for one that is a little snug or tight then usual as it will loosen up by a certain degree.

Hope some of that helps!

22-07-05, 06:27 PM	#1
jenni Guest Posts: n/a	helmets- what do you guys have? As I now need a new helmet by Wednesday I was wondering what you guys go for? Previously I just went to my scoot shop and spent about £50 - £70 My last helmet was a takachi which is by far the best i've had but now i'm knocking on the door of proper biker-dom... What do you guys wear? and how much do you spend?

22-07-05, 06:33 PM	#2
northwind Moderator Mega Poster Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: In the garage where I belong Posts: 17,082	I love my Arai Condor despite its poor venting... Well made, looks good, very comfy, and it's lasted far better than the HJC it replaced. I think it was £250 including the dark visor but I could be wrong. That was a year ago... I really wanted a Roof Daytona but they didn't fit __________________ "We are the angry mob, we read the papers every day We like what we like, we hate what we hate But we're oh so easily swayed"

22-07-05, 07:03 PM	#5
Scoobs Vipers Pillion Bitch Mega Poster Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Waterlooville Posts: 3,933	AGV Like below. Reduced to £160 from £270, plus £34 for the black visor. __________________ I look good, I mean really good! Hey everyone come and see how good I look!

22-07-05, 07:25 PM	#8
northwind Moderator Mega Poster Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: In the garage where I belong Posts: 17,082	True, any one will do- though it's not really accurate to say that they all do the job as well as the next. They all pass the basic certification but a lot of companies test to a higher standard. Also, cheaper lids tend to be heavier which has a strong causal link with vertebra injuries. Still, no doubt in my mind it's better to have decent gear all over than a great lid and cheap rubbish elsewhere. The real difference, IMO, is comfort and lastability. A year and 10000 miles or so in, my Arai is as close-fitting and comfortable as it was straight after breaking it in. By comparison, my HJC was rattling on my head after about 6000 miles and if I wear it now, feels like it's got nails for padding. It eventually became so loose it was no longer safe, while the Arai's still a perfect fit. I've never found a cheaper lid that comes close to the Arai for comfort. Also, when I cracked a side-cover, I could get a new one over the counter at my dealership, while spares for the HJC I had were basically unobtainable. But like anything else, you get diminishing returns- for me the Condor was about as high as I'd go. For daily use when your lid can get ruined so easily, the really expensive ones seem a daft expense to me. __________________ "We are the angry mob, we read the papers every day We like what we like, we hate what we hate But we're oh so easily swayed"

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22-07-05, 06:46 PM	#3
zx6man Guest Posts: n/a	shoei XR1000 330 smackeroos..and 60 for the black visor

22-07-05, 07:01 PM	#4
kwak zzr Guest Posts: n/a	hjc ac-11 zeek 2nd best in ride magazine tests only £99 good for the money.

22-07-05, 07:18 PM	#6
Anonymous Guest Posts: n/a	Any helmet will do - motorcycle attire is just as subject to the same designer-name syndrome as other clothing. Just because it's got Arai on it doesn't mean it will do any less of a job than a £60 HJC helmet - and at the end of the day if you do crash, the latter is much cheaper to replace. I use a £70 KBC helmet and have a set of Hein Gericke Celtic leathers, armoured Richa gloves and unnamed boots - the whole lot cost me less than an Arai RX-7 helmet. Bonus.

22-07-05, 07:23 PM	#7
BURNER Guest Posts: n/a	AGV, got it cheap at the G-MEX show £80-. Looking for a new one tho, maybe queiter and with less misting problems.

22-07-05, 07:36 PM	#9
Jabba Guest Posts: n/a	Get yourself over to a Hein Gericke shop and try on a HJC AC-11. They have them at £99.99 instead of £200. Infinity are also doing them at that price. Did really well in a recent Ride magazine test. Can't remember who it was without searching, but someone on here ordered a Shark S500 Air from racevisors.co.uk for £59.99 delivered. Very smart and that's is a great price - should have been about £110 I think. Also did well in the Ride test. I've just got a Shark S500 c/o the T.W.O. magazine subscription offer and like it a lot. The visor change mechanism is pure magic. The bottom line is that a proper and comfortable fit are for more important than a brand name and a paint job.

22-07-05, 07:41 PM	#10
falc Guest Posts: n/a	I think comfort/fitting is the most important aspect. Look for the gold stamp mark on the back and then try it on. Everyone has a different shaped heads and everyones helmet will change depending on this. You could have the most expensive helmet and in a crash it didnt fit properly could ride up and you could bust your chops on the tarmac or worse. From personnal experience my Shark RSR is very good but the HJC i had before after a couple of months just didnt fit, starting rattling about, I promptly changed after er testing said helmet (which it did very well i may add) Also all helmets will loosen up after a month or however long and so its good when buying to go for one that is a little snug or tight then usual as it will loosen up by a certain degree. Hope some of that helps!