THE Recommend Me A Helmet Thread (FAQ's & Reviews)

[The Tot]

Okay, firstly I decided to make this thread because it would probably save the confusion of people going into search and constantly asking "what helmet fits me" etc.

The whole point of this thread is to have people's opinions and reviews of helmet products they have. I didn't know where to put it so i put it here. It's going to be a working thread, constantly being updated, so mods, if you re out and about, feel free to move it to an appropriate board and STICKY IT

Now put it simply. I'll list most helmets (trying to put them in alphabetical order) and have a picture, brief description of each and most importantly, I want YOUR own user opinions. This is effectively a database/review of all the helmets that BCFers wear.

Much the same to Big Ham's thread of recommendations


FIRST AND FOREMOST


Testing for fit
Before purchasing a helmet, it is important to consider the fit! You can worry about the price and the materials and ergonomics at a later stage. I can't reiterate this point enough.

It goes without saying that one must try on their helmet prior to purchasing. Most good dealers and accesories shop will measure your head and try to size it up against their range of helmets. Don't get tempted by paint schemes and colours just yet. You want to be able to get a good feel of the helmet, its liner and shell.

A good rule of thumb is to try on the helmet and securely fasten it;- it can be a double d strap or a seat belt clip, these are the two most common methods of fastening. Lift the visor open and try to see if you can push your index finger up the forehead into your crown. If you can push more than one bone of your finger through the helmet, chances are it's too big. You'd want to be barely able to push your first finger bone through so that it's tight against your forehead.

Your cheeks should be pressed out slightly as if you are forced to put your lips but there shouldn't be much pressure on your jaw. You may feel pressure points against your temples initially. For me, I find this a good thing, since i know that if the finger/forehead test was satisfactory and i'm getting a slight pressure point in that region, chances are after 2 weeks of breaking the helmet it, it will be reasonably comfortable to wear - i've broken in 4 helmets from 4 different manufactureres and at they all had that initial pressure. Most liners and inner shells will give over a period of time to mould with the contours of your skull.

With the helmet securely fastened, shake your head vigorously side to side like you're a spasticated dog. Your skull should not move within the helmet. Nod up and down a few times. Likewise, the helmet should not nove. If for instance you feel that there's now a gap being produced in various areas such as on the crown of your head, chances are that it's going to be a bad fit (as was the case with my shoei - cheeks fitted fine and so did the forehead, but the skullcap loosened during this test). This can become a cause of discomfort if you're riding long joureys.

IT IS FOR THIS VERY REASON WHY THE PURCHASING OF 2ND HAND HELMETS IS DISCOURAGED.

You also don't know if its been in a smash or a drop, unless you or the owner can guarantee it - one way to tell is through pretty intesive testing that you'd get at laboratories/universities (X-ray/ultrasonic etc).

Ergonomics

Once the fit of your helmet has been established, it's important to establish the ergonomics. 99% of the time you're sat on the bike, you'd have a helmet plonked on your head. Comfort is known to effect concentration levels, so the greater the comfort, the better your stamina and concentration level.

A road/race helmet should ideally be tilted forwards so that the centre of gravity and moment of inertia is closer to the rider's neck. Simply do this by making a fist with your hand and resting the crown of the helmet on the fist. The helmet should naturally lean forward. Any lid which remains level or at worse leans backwards will become a pain in the neck... literally! This was the case when i had a KBC AR1 and was complaining of neck pains on 200+ mile journeys. The helmet tilted backwards which put additional strain on my neck as it not only had to contend with the windblast, but also with the neck strain caused as a result of the helmet design.

Securing mechanisms commonly come in the form of Double D straps (commonly found on race lids and mid->top of the range models) or the seatbelt buckle system.

I've never owned a lid which had the seatbelt buckle, but after years of having double D's , i've found the system faultless. You essentially loop the strap through one ring, pull it back over itself and loop it through the other ring and pull back in the other direction, essentially like a zig zag with with the D rings providing restraining. Remember to clip the strap onto the button stud otherwise you'd have it flapping at your neck at 100mph which stings like buggery! This is the preferred method for racers and most helmet manufacturers since it allows for perfect retention 100% of the time. You don't need to adjust any straps or buckles since you are doing it up to the correct fit every time you secure it - it's pretty much failsafe.

Retetention systems: Quick release belt buckles may be practical for the city rider, but honestly, how many of you are that bothered to check your tension. With sufficient force, it's possible to unlatch the buckles as i have done on a cheapish helmet, which goes to show that if the lid aint going to be on your head, then where will your head be. With practise, you can do up a double D strap in the same time as you would with a seat belt (often with your eyes closed since it's a motion that you'd soon become acclimatised with)

Visor release mechanisms:

This is a topic of great debate. Most manufacturers produce visors which are common throughout their range although some offer different release/retention mechanisms. Here are some of my tutorial videos on how to release and replace an arai and a shoei visor - feel free to add your own.

A good shop will tell you how to do this process, so it's a subjective view on the matter. I have no problems with most of the mechanisms I've used. Good ergonomics dictates that you should be able to change your visor in 10-15 seconds without the use of any tools. Ask for demonstration. You can see if a seller has faith in the product or can demonstrate how intuitive it is when he can swap the visor over in <15 seconds. Some of you will loath the arai system, but i got on with it like a duck to water. You can see in that video the steps required to change the arai compared to the shoei.

Notice the scale of fiddliness between the two distinctly different visor retention mechanisms There is no right or wrong way, just the way that would suit your ergonomics better.
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The Tot 2007 Yamaha R1 4C8 2002 Yamaha FZS1000 Fazer &
www.youtube.com/Titot182 for your bike gear reviews and pop punk covers
Earl Of Easycore Pop Punk Will Never Die!

[Scouse]

Ok I'll start with the last thread of this type which can be seen in 'Show and tell' 'review contents' thread stickied at the top of the page

[Thom]

this is great, just what i was after, i understand about fitting but need some suggestions as to which lid. I'll keep an eye out here
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Current Bike: 1996 Yamaha TRX850 (The Japanese-Ducati One).
Previous Bikes: 1990 Honda NSR125 'Rothmans' (The smoking one), 1990 Suzuki GS500e 'Caf? fighter' (The loud one), 1987 Kawasaki GPX400r (The quick one), 1997 XJ600s Diversion (The reliable one), 2000 Kawasaki ER-5 (The spontaneously combustive one)

[The Tot]

OKAY, please feel free to add all the information - I will constantly be updating my first post (i did so last nite with a few reviews, but only found that the server timed out - hit back and lost my work!) So if you do have a lid, post it up, and i'll summarise.
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The Tot 2007 Yamaha R1 4C8 2002 Yamaha FZS1000 Fazer &
www.youtube.com/Titot182 for your bike gear reviews and pop punk covers
Earl Of Easycore Pop Punk Will Never Die!

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

Not point in chucking reviews in here too, I'll lob this one up in the sticky too though,

May as well put all the reviews in one thread so they are all together though IMO.
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