Helmets - Are they worth it?

[URL]Infinity Motorcycles are using their massive buying power as the UK’s number one motorcycle & accessory retailer to offer British riders top-of-the-range helmets at HALF PRICE.

i thought Infinity had gone bust

(it must have just been the cardiff one)

I had Nitro before (for 4 months). It did the job, but I treated meself to Shoei XR 1000 and you will know why it is so much more expensive than Nitro as soon as you put your head in it. Go to few shops and try some new helmets on. But buy from internet. You can get XR 1000 for less that £180 with graphics these days! Bargain. I would personally never go back to Nitro. The Shoei is so much core comfier, and feels a lot more solid to my old Nitro.

Anything over c. £150 is going to offer similar standard of protection, and I had a very good Kiwi lid a while back which cost £180 and was the quietest I've ever owned.

That said though, I've been extremely happy with both of the Arais i've had, and consider them well worth the extra ££ for the quality, venting, etc.

You only get one head...hence my original wanting of a 80 quid helmet went to 300 quid arai (after seeing the fat barstard biker jump up and down on the thin kevlar carbon compound layer without it buggering)

Originally Posted by jambo

As a side note on the finish, my HJC AC10 looked a lot better after 3 years hard work than my AGV TiTech does after 2, unfortunatly the AC10 just didn't fit well anymore and while a new lining was tempting I figured the lid itself was probably past it's best. The lining in the AGV's holding up well

Yeah, after a few winters and balaclava usage, the inside stretches a bit, but had this on every lid i've had.

If replacing your lid every 2-3 years due to usage, it makes a difference.

tbh, the more i look at HJC, the better they seem, in terms of design, paint, features etc..

Will be considering other lids like Shoei and Nitro, but now im more educated in what to look for when getting a lid (i.e my requirements) so this will more effect my decision. Price isn't the decider for me, but doubtfull i'll spend £300 on a lid unless its for my "in a few years time" 2nd weekend bike

[the_lone_wolf]

I now have 2 HJC HQ-1 helmets, i liked it so much i bought another one for pillions, in different graphics. The dealer i went to stocked everything from Arais down to £80 jobbys, and they recommended the HQ-1 as one of the best bang for your buck helmets. can't see a reason to go for the latest most expensive ones, you'd do much better saving a couple of hundred and buying a better jacket/boots/gloves and a back protector IMO

My other half has just replaced her top of the line Nitro for an Arai Astro. The Nitro was well under 12 months old but it had most definately seen better days. The seal of the visor wasn't good at all.

The Arai seems much better in all respects.

I have just replaced my 3 year old £150 AGV with an Arai Corsair (last years Nakano colours with £125 off), which is on the whole better but whistles like crazy when the visor is half open.

Arai also offer a good aftersales service (with post-crash xrays to determine helmet condition I believe), and since the distributor is only a few miles from where I live it could be of use.

wheres the arai place then? anywhere near me in wolvo?

cant be too far if you're a stokey

[Lissa]

I don't have any choice when it comes to buying a helmet. The only one that fits me properley is the Shoei Raid XXS. Mine cost me £160, a small price to pay I think, considering the fit and comfort. I just wish there was a better choice of colours

There is a lot more to helmet design than what meets the eye.

In general there are standards that all helmet designs are supposed to meet. I think it would be fair to say that ALL branded helmets on sale in the UK will have had the design tested (probably to destruction) to ensure it meets these standards. So they are all safe to use.

What do you pay for? Well for sure there will be something for a name like Arai or Shoei with there experience in helmet design and sponsorship of motorsports. Younger brands like Nitro fighting for market space will reduce the cost to encourage sales, it doesn't mean they don't work! Other things you pay for, fancy designs (plain lids are sometimes upto £100 cheaper for the same helmet,) comfort (i.e. padding, inner construction (impact absorbing technology for your bonce,) trick bits like vents and visor release mechanisms.

IMO buy a helmet that is a good fit, this is the most important thing! IF you have a choice of helmets that fit then you can choose whether to go for the cheapest, comfiest, best looking, most vents etc.