Inexpensive Helmets??

[mike_papps]

Im looking at purchasing a new helmet but the selection in my city is very poor. Just wondering if you guys know a online company that sells for good prices or what kind of helmets i should be looking into for 100 - 150 dollars. I dont wanna spend 600 on one and thats what they all are here except for cheap cheap ones that i wouldnt put my head in...

[Kobe]

ebay

HJC is prob the cheapest, but they go for about 200...

helmet is the most important thing, spend some extra cash...

[Graham_A_M]

Originally posted by Kobe
ebay

HJC is prob the cheapest, but they go for about 200...

helmet is the most important thing, spend some extra cash...

X2. You have to wear your helmet: whenever your on your bike anyway, which translates to drag at high speeds (which tires our your neck REALLY FAST) or wind noises. Not only that but comfort too, why pay a little for a POS helmut that fits poorly?

Ebay is great, but try on a helmet at a local place like Blackfoot cycle, and see what fits and what doesn't. Certain manufacterers make helmets differently then others, and continue to do so, since people with big heads (for example) may choose Shoei. or People with a not-so-pronounced cheek bone/jaw may want to go with Arai.
Its best to try them on, and see if you can get them on ebay.
My best friend just got his helmet through these guys.
http://www.performancemoto.com/
He paid $270 for a $600 helmet (brand new of course, never used and not a factory blemish)
Good luck!

[scboss]

man its what protects your head in a crash spend the money, if u are serious about riding u will keep it forever anyways

[Graham_A_M]

^ Bad idea, helmets have a 5 year life span, after that you should get a new one as the UV rays from driving damage the helmut casing, which really hinders its ability to do its job in the name of an accident.
Some helmuts have a 3 year life span, after that sell or whatever whereas it least it would make a decent ATV helmut.

[5hift]

Originally posted by Graham_A_M
^ Bad idea, helmets have a 5 year life span, after that you should get a new one as the UV rays from driving damage the helmut casing, which really hinders its ability to do its job in the name of an accident.
Some helmuts have a 3 year life span, after that sell or whatever whereas it least it would make a decent ATV helmut.

Who told you this a helmet salesman?

[bbcustoms]

Universal Cycle off edmonton trail has a couple good helmets under $200

Thats where I got my last two helmets from

[Graham_A_M]

Originally posted by 5hift


Who told you this a helmet salesman?

um no, email the helmut manufacturers and they'll say the same thing. Its common knowledge for experienced riders. Ask a racer if thats true, if he know's what he's talking about then he'll say the same thing. It always irks me to no end when I see riders still putting around with these 1980's helmuts. I can only hope they dont get into an accident with those on, since an aged full face helmut will have the same amount of impact displacement as one of those classy "brain bucket" helmuts you see some harley riders sporting.

[The Cosworth]

Originally posted by Graham_A_M
^ Bad idea, helmets have a 5 year life span, after that you should get a new one as the UV rays from driving damage the helmut casing, which really hinders its ability to do its job in the name of an accident.
Some helmuts have a 3 year life span, after that sell or whatever whereas it least it would make a decent ATV helmut.
he is right, any riding course should tell you this

[MrSector9]

please do not waste a shops time in "trying" on helmets to buy them off ebay.

look into KBC helmets, nice helmet, decently priced and i find they fit pretty nice.

also i think on groundpilots someone posted www.blackfootdirect.com and they had some decent prices on helmets.

[MrSector9]

Originally posted by Graham_A_M
^ Bad idea, helmets have a 5 year life span, after that you should get a new one as the UV rays from driving damage the helmut casing, which really hinders its ability to do its job in the name of an accident.
Some helmuts have a 3 year life span, after that sell or whatever whereas it least it would make a decent ATV helmut.

I woudl liek to see a safety test done on this, i am not saying that it is not true, i would just like to see what the difference is/could be. depending on how much you ride and such if this holds true then some people woudl have to replace a helmet every year.

[scboss]

still cheaping out on something which will save ur life is sorta messed, when i got into an accident last year it save me from having alot of road rash on my head. im not saying the cheaper ones wont work but wouldnt u want the best product when it comes to ur life?

[Graham_A_M]

Originally posted by MrSector9
please do not waste a shops time in "trying" on helmets to buy them off ebay.

how are you "wasting their time" if you do it on your own, and when a salesperson asks if they can help you, say "no its fine thanks, I'm just looking on my own to see whats out there"... you know? 90% of the salespeople will leave you alone, unless they have nothing better to do; then willingly help you out. Either way the majority of the salespeople at bike dealerships are riders them selves, and they understand, I dont see why anybody would get overly pissed off with you. :dunno:

[BlueGoblin]

You do not have to pay $600 to get a good helmet, but you should still not cheap out on the protection.

Fit is the most important thing, bar none. It is worth buying a cheaper helmet and having a knowledgeable person help ensure it fits properly than it is buying a more expensive one sight unseen.

Somebody mentioned HJC as a good inexpensive helmet; I totally agree. I have an 'HJC head' but not at all a 'Shoei head', and by buying a plain old white or grey HJC, I have gotten several great fitting, comfy, quiet helmets over the years for pretty reasonable outlay.

A lot of what you will end up paying for in expensive helmets is the paint job. If you want to pay less, just get the cheapest paint job on the best quality, best fitting helmet you can afford.

[scat19]

Its HELMET not HELMUT

Feel like im reading something about dogs right now.

[Fusion]

Originally posted by scat19
Its HELMET not HELMUT

Feel like im reading something about dogs right now.

Hahahaha

[SOAB]

$5 helmet for a $5 dollar head.

get the best helmet you can afford that FITS YOU WELL.

[8Ball]

wasting time... pfffft its your job so do it.


Think of a helmet in terms of your body. No matter how good it may look, or how well you take care of it, age still takes its toll. Even with minimal use, a helmet is affected by things like the acids and oils in sweat, haircare products, pollution, exposure to UV rays, etc. At about the five-year mark, helmet interiors begin to show wear and/or deterioration, which should serve as an alert to its overall condition. The helmet's fit may begin to feel a little "loose", not as snug as it once did. This unseen aging and deterioration of the EPS liner and fiberglass shell can affect the helmet's ability to perform in an impact as it was originally designed. If a helmet suffers an impact and any doubt exists as to its further ability to protect, it should either be returned to the manufacturer for competent inspection or discarded and replaced.

These are the reasons to replace your helmet after five years. Of course, if your helmet becomes less than snug in fit, or damaged, it should be replaced before the five year mark. And when you do, you may want to remember that Arai was the first company willing to warranty its helmets for the full Snell-recommended usable lifespan.

[Spoons]

Is it just me, or does that sound totally copy and pasted?

[BlueGoblin]

Originally posted by Spoons
Is it just me, or does that sound totally copy and pasted?

Yep..... it was taken from Arai Helmets.

[Graham_A_M]

^ :rofl: Oh God:rofl:

[8Ball]

Originally posted by Spoons
Is it just me, or does that sound totally copy and pasted?

did the fact a brand name is mentioned give it away?

you guys are quick!

[Spoons]

Nah I wouldn't say we are quick,
basically just all forms of personal opinions from you are thrown aside as bullshit :D

[Graham_A_M]

I just wanted to offer a few things to consider in regards to helmut choosing.
There are two certifications that decent helmets fall under (ALL helmets HAVE to be DOT approved, thats a given, but asides from that; decent helmets such as Shoei or HJC are typically one of the two certified,

BSI or SNELL.

BSI stands for British Standards Institute, basically they choose the same path as GP racing teams follow, given the fact that the helmet is designed to be the primary absorbsion cushion, at the expense of it internally falling apart upon even light impacts. These are the better of the two, as instead of SNELL certification, these BSI ones are designed to disintergrate upon impact, to minimize the amount of energy that gets transfered to your head. There is internal cushions that implode based on the amount of force exterted on the helmet. Thats why if you drop your helmet on the ground, its a good idea to get a new one, as frusterating as it sounds. Over the course of a few years, with regular use; the helmet will be commonly banged around enough to destroy some of the impact-absorbing cushions, to the extent that the crash protection goes down in time, to the point that the helmet in time will only offer little crash protection. (remember that 3-7 year replacement policy that I was talking about)
Thats why. :)

Of course people can forget about that, but its their lives at stake here. with a BSI-certified helmet, its important that after even a minor tumble (such as a low side) that the helmet is replaced.
A few common BSI tests require there to be a maximum amount of G force exterted on the whole head, like I said before, the helmet is supposed to disintergrate in a suitable manner so that it will still remain in one piece, but by delievering the least possible amount of impact onto the head.

With Snell certification, the impact absorbing cushions are much (MUCH) more firm, essentially following a design philosophy that the helmet should remain in tact as much as possible: in the event of a severe blow to the helmet. Whereas there is less consideration towards a given maximum tolerance of G force to be exerted on the head.
What that means; a hard hit to the head will lead to a concussion, a lot more likely with a Snell certified helmet then a BSI one.
A typical Snell certication process would be for the helmet to have to absorb a 50 pound impact, by something the diameter of a pencil; while not showing any structural damage. Thats great and all, but Snell certification processes aren't at all "real world" as their commonly known in the streetbike world.

Dont get me wrong, both are fantastic, and will make all that much more difference, but BSI is the way to go whenever possible. :)

(I hope that clears somethings up)

[BlueGoblin]

Originally posted by 8Ball


did the fact a brand name is mentioned give it away?

you guys are quick!

It's just that anything written by a marketer or a PR sort has got that special whiff about it.

Even without the name being mentioned, Googling a whole sentence out of the PR piece can usually turn its source up pretty quick.

[Graham_A_M]

well, I have some good news, I did some more research and I found these guys. Suomy helmuts. Their italian based, some of them are available over at Blackfoot cycle.
http://stores.ebay.com/Speed-Addict-Cycles_Suomy-Helmets_Suomy-Extremes_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZQ2d1QQfsubZ2374522QQftidZ2QQtZkm
But ^ that guy is by far the best bet. He moves a ridiculous sum of these helmets overtime so he can wholesale these MSRP $650 USD helmuts for about $300 USD. So about $400-450 by the time their here.
They are "BSI" certified that I mentioned earilier.
Check them out on www.suomy.com (go to the US section)
the graphics and detail are unbelievable.
I hope that helps to anybody thats interested.

Just make that ebay seller a fairly low offer, and he'll probably be interested in making a deal ;)

[MM93]

^ Bad idea, helmets have a 5 year life span, after that you should get a new one as the UV rays from driving damage the helmut casing, which really hinders its ability to do its job in the name of an accident.
Some helmuts have a 3 year life span, after that sell or whatever whereas it least it would make a decent ATV helmut.

The above is realy incorrect. it the inside foam or Polystyrene that shinks inside the helmet over time thuse decreasing the impact absorbing qualities. the outer shell will last a very long time.
a good artical to read was release by a third party tester showing that SNELL is merly a business rather then a standard.
Sure it does provide a bench mark to measure what is deamed acceptable for use on a race track.

Great web site and good artical
http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/motorcycle-helmet-faq.htm