Learn Me: Helmet Ratings

If you expect to slide against pavement, you really want a closed helmet. You have no idea where on your head you're going to drag or what debris might be kicked up into your face or your upper rear neck. Every motorcycle racing incident I've observed while flagging at Gateway used the whole helmet, not just the "top" portion that'd be covered by an open model.

This is what the Midwest Cafe Racing Association requires in full face shield helmets:

• Snell M2010
• BS6658 TYPE A (Great Britain)
• ECE 22.05 (Europe)
• JIS 8133:2007 (Japan)

Another thing I've found regarding helmet fit: not all helmets from the same mfr fit the same. I have an old HJC that fits me like a glove. I bought a newer one, same size, virtually identical design but a different 'model'. It fits, well, differently. Not bad, but not the great comfort of my old slime green one. Try before you buy, but if you can't, most big vendors like Dennis Kirk and M/C Superstore are pretty easy about returns/exchanges.

foxtrapper wrote:

Beer Baron wrote: Unfortunately the local guys have basically nothing in stock.

At the very least, the local guys and even walmart have some helmets that you can plunk on your head to get some fitment notions. Take written notes! Who's helmet, where it was tight, what the sizes were like. That lets you get some idea of your head shape and size for the various brands you try on. This will help you to figure out what helmets will likely fit your particular melon. Webbikeworld has good information on the shapes and fitment of helmets and can help you better estimate if a particular brand/model will fit you or not.

No. They don't.

We have two motorcycle shops. One caters to the stereotypical Harley Rider and only carries skull caps, many of them without any impact lining (yet with a DOT sticker, hence my dubious feelings about it). The other shop currently only has like 4 or 5 helmets in stock. Not models. Actual helmets. Only one is a size L that will fit. It fit okay, but did not wow me as the perfect fit. It was also all-black, and I want something with some color.

We have no Target/Walmart/K-Mart around here. The auto-parts stores do not carry helmets.

Nearest bike shops with any kind of inventory are about 1-hour 20-minutes away. Although my current helmet works okay. It's a Snell M2000 rated helmet I got for doing Auto-X 6 years ago. Not sure if that is getting old enough to retire. I can wait a month or so until I'm up for making the 2 hour drive to Santa Rosa where there are several bike dealers I want to go to to test ride some bike models.

We got into a spirited discussion of DOT vs Snell a while back and, well, everybody agreed to disagree.

There's as many pros as cons to pretty much any helmet design. FWIW: I wear a full face for several reasons, not the least of which is protection for the lower part of my face if I go down. I also don't much care for June bugs in the face at 70 MPH either. Yes, it does cut down on what I can hear but in my case since I am deaf in one ear that really doesn't make much difference. They are less likely to tire my neck out from holding steady against wind, a half helmet or standard will catch a LOT of wind, particularly with a visor. A well designed one will be reasonably quiet, mine is a Scorpion EXO which is measurably quieter than my G Force full coverage car helmet. Again that's an advantage (in my book) over open face or half helmets.

Grtechguy wrote: Why are you looking down at your tires? It's too late to do anything and you can miss whats ahead of you.

Because I can prepare for the kick in the handlebars when I go over that squirrel. Because I can get ready for the drag of the dog biting my pants leg. Because many times I can take a last minute dodge. Because many times I'm riding on terrain where I've only got a few inches on either side of the tire. And because I don't like surprises when riding, especially unnecessary surprises.

Grtechguy wrote: Difference of opinion here... I feel the helmet clears out the wind noise and I can hear traffic more clearly

Wind noise isn't an issue in city riding. That's where I said I'm inclined to wear a partial.

Grtechguy wrote: Vs grinding off your chin?

If my neck is snapped, my ground up or ground off chin is a moot point. I didn't say I go along with this line of thought regarding neck breakage from full faced helmets, I just brought it up as a talking/thinking point.

I've also kicked around the idea of ordering say three helmets that look like they'd be about right from an online retailer with a good return policy (I got my pants and gloves from RevZilla). Then I can try them on, pick the one I like best, and return the other two.

Revzilla has a good reputation about doing just that.

Your profile says Ft Bragg, there's nothing in the area? Really?

Don't forget the likes of atv dealers or snowmobile dealers. They will usually have helmets.

Personally, I think you're thinking about taking a trip to Santa Rosa to try on different helmets is a superb plan of action. Take notes of the results.

I used to sling parts and accessories when I wasn't greasy from wrenching.

In my opinion, the single most important issue with a helmet is fitment. You're going to be spending a lot of time in the thing. So whether you want to order three and send two back or make the drive where you can try some on, do whatever works to make sure the thing is comfortable.

That said, do your best to squeeze your melon into the smallest size you can. All the padding, especially around the cheeks and jaw is going to bed-in to your head/face shape in relatively short time. That helmet that was comfortable at first will then be too big, which is undesirable from both a comfort and protection standpoint.

I personally have no desire to buy a Snell rated helmet, but I won't avoid a good helmet just because it carries the rating. I won't pay a premium for their sticker, though. I have a Shark RSR-II (I think...) that I love, and will always recommend highly. Like many other European helmets, it carries DOT and ECE certification. I like the ECE standards best of all out there.

Believe it or not, one of the big three parts/accessories distributors, Tucker Rocky, has their own line of helmets called Sparx that are astoundingly nice for their price. They're also DOT/ECE. If you're watching the gear budget, you may want to seek them out.

(Disclaimer: I've been out of the game for a while, so this may all be outdated information.)

About looking down at the tire: 30 mph is 44 feet per second. Average human reaction time is around 3/4 second. You travel 33 feet in that 3/4 second. If you are looking down at the tire you see maybe 35 feet in front of you. That means by the time you react the whatever it is is right there in front of you and you are now out of options.

This got pounded into my head (literally!) when riding dirt bikes. You have to look far ahead to give yourself enough time to react to something; you cannot look at the top of the fender and be able to see as far as you need to. That was the standard, if you could see the top of your fender you were not looking far enough ahead.

foxtrapper wrote: Revzilla has a good reputation about doing just that. Your profile says Ft Bragg, there's nothing in the area? Really? Don't forget the likes of atv dealers or snowmobile dealers. They will usually have helmets. Personally, I think you're thinking about taking a trip to Santa Rosa to try on different helmets is a superb plan of action. Take notes of the results.

Really.

Ft. Bragg CA, not... wherever the one with the military base is. No snowmobiles. The shop with only one helmet in my size is also the ATV shop/"dealer". Next nearest one is probably Willits or maybe Booneville, both over an hour away. It's worth the extra 15minutes to go to Ukiah which has a couple small to medium sized bike dealers. Unfortunately they've all been closed the past two times I've been out there. None are open Sunday and close by 5pm Saturday. Which seems stupid. They have a decent sized Harley/Buell dealer, and that is closed on Sunday.

Yeah, I probably will just go to Santa Rosa once I get some extra cash. Not only do I want a new helmet for myself, I'm going to want to buy gear for SWMBO to ride in something other than a parking lot.

Curmudgeon, I'm not disagreeing. Nor have I said I spend my time riding staring at my tire. In fact, I generally can't see the tire.

BUT, I also don't like the cut-off to my lower vision that I get with a full faced helmet. I cannot see my gauges easily (especially on the Harley), nor can I see things moving down low around me. If nothing more than to grip the bars tightly as I go over that racoon.

By all means, I want a smooth full faced helmet for those times I'm smacking along the pavement, especially when I'm smacking it face down.

I'm also willing to say that sometimes I'm pretty sure I can avoid or mitigate a situation that could have me smacking the pavement a wee bit better in an open face helmet, and even sometimes with a shorty helmet.

So what I need is an instant deployment modular helmet! A Boxer with crash detection to fling down the chin bar just when I need it.

And if any of you know where I can try a Nolan N43 on my head somewhere in the Maryland area, I'll be greatful. Nolan is no help, as the dealers they list in this area generally don't carry Nolan on the shelf, and none carry the N43. I may take a trip up to Revzilla, as hearsay is that they do play showroom to people who knock on their warehouse door, and apparently there is one in Philly, and they list the Nolan N43.

I'll second Revzilla. They have excellent reviews on YouTube and have a very reasonable return policy. I ended up with an Arai Vector. I knew it would fit as my brothers have RX7 Arais and our heads came out of the same mold. Perhaps you could find a person with a similar shaped noggin and see what he wears.

Fox,

My little KLR slide-in-drop resulted in a scratched helmet on the chin guard portion. My ugly mug continues to delight my reflection today. The same can't be said of my knee protected by Wrangler's best denim, which took weeks to heal (and subsequently forced the purchase of some nice mesh riding gear).

I respect your right to choose an open face helmet, or none at all. But if asked, I'd advise strongly against your choice. Even though I don't really like you all that much.

ddavidv wrote: My little KLR slide-in-drop resulted in a scratched helmet on the chin guard portion. My ugly mug continues to delight my reflection today. The same can't be said of my knee protected by Wrangler's best denim, which took weeks to heal (and subsequently forced the purchase of some nice mesh riding gear).

What about those flip-up modulars? Would you trust the latches on them to hold the chin piece down?

(This is totally out of curiosity. I still plan to go full face. Safer, less bulky, and generally cheaper for the same level of quality.)

There are "narrow" and there are "round" helmets. That and size are the usual distinctions motorcycle helmet manufacturers use to account for most people's heads.

Take a flexible tape and measure around your head to get the circumference. Match that to the manufacturer's size chart.

Order a "narrow" helmet in that size. Put on an indoor karting head sock.Try it on. If you think your temples are going to burst out the sides, you have a "round" head, and should send the one you bought back or sell it. Then buy a round one.

At worst, you'll lose the cost of a cheap helmet and will have one for passengers.

Beer Baron wrote: What about those flip-up modulars? Would you trust the latches on them to hold the chin piece down? (This is totally out of curiosity. I still plan to go full face. Safer, less bulky, and generally cheaper for the same level of quality.)

Quality is all over the place on modulars. I've seen some you could likely hang a Buick from (shoei). I've seen others I bet I could snap with my hands (GeForce).