What's wrong with cheap helmets?

[TCGS]

So I've been looking around.

Last time I bought a £30 of Ebay. Whenever I tell anyone this they cringe.


Why? I mean, the £19.99 helmets sold by GhostBikes for example, seem to meet the same safety as the £400 from GhostBikes


So, what am I missing?


FYI

GhostBikes are doing this offer ATM

https://www.ghostbikes.com/products/1224-oneal-honolulu-motorcycle-helmet.html

O'Neal helmet for £35

I didn't like the shape...

[Bendy]

[Itchy]

They all should meet the min safety regs.

The difference usually is the shells, in that cheaper helmets have a tendency to use one universal big shell, and reduce the internal size by sticking padding and pipe lag material on the inside.

Nicky Jano (where is she these days) for example has a fairly small head but wore a cheap helmet and it looked enormous on her head.

My shakr RSR2 has very little internal padding and I've been to a shop and seen the small shark helmets and they really do have a smaller shell rather than a big shell filled out with padding.

Note the padding sort of affects the fit btw.
____________________
Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Ed Case]

I bought a 'Box' helmet six months ago brand new £50. Meets the "Euro" (bastards) standard, best fitting helmet I've ever had, I'd certainly buy another.

[jimspeed]

yes even the cheapo helmets should meet the min standards i think the main differances are in the quality of the extra's like air vents and noise etc.
i just bought a £25 BOX helmet from george whites sale, to use for travelling to and from work and it fits nicely and seems good quality. but i also bought an £85 NOLAN at the same time for non work rides and the differance is in the weight and stuff like sunvisor and a clip for the intercom to go thru the shell..
in short as long as it fits you correctly and has the correct markings to be legal it will be ok
____________________
Hyosung cruise 125(passed test on, sold) Kawasaki el 252 (better than expected but sold on) Kawasaki GPZ500S first "big"bike.(sold) ZZR600 E5..Z750 2007,ER5, currently on a 2008 Enfield bullet electra x and loving it..
,"Alpha-9: Is there any correlation between dyno rod and dyno kits?"

[tsmith]

I too buy cheaper helmets. There is absolutely nothing wrong with them. As you say, they meet the same standards as helmets costing ten times as much.

Unfortunately image is a big thing with motorcycling and some people pay a fortune for their matching branded equipment.

[Itchy]

[colin1]

There is no reason that helmets need to be expensive, they are only a plastic shell, with polystyrene to absorb energy.

Arguably, it makes more sense to have a cheap lid and replace it more frequently, as each time you take it on and off, you compress the polystyrene and over time it becomes a looser fit.

However, more expensive lids tend to have better vents and visors, which is worth it in my opinion.

I'm a fan of second hand lids.

The way I see it, if it's not marked, its not damaged, although strictly speaker, the previous owner is going to have stretched the polystyrene to the shape of their head, so it may be a looser fit than a new one.
____________________
colin1 is officially faster than god

[Old Git Racing]

Each to their own but next time I throw my head at the road again it will be with the £250 Shoei. Might cost more but it fits well, is light and does what its supposed to, save your life.
I don't have a problem with £30 lids, I just don't have a £30 head.

OGR

[T0MMY]

I have an RST helmet I got for £30 which actually scored better in the SHARP tests than my previous £200 Arai.

As has been said by just about everyone though, the difference is in the quality of the fittings rather than the safety. The Arai was a lot more plush inside and had a much better visor lock that allowed it to be open slightly to vent which I really miss. To be honest though, given I could have 7 RSTs for the price of that Arai it's a no brainer.
____________________
ZX6R + CBR600RR

[27cows]

There's nothing wrong with cheap lids, but they probably are a false economy. Visors tend to scratch more easily, the lining doesn't last as long and the padding often flattens quite quickly so the lid no longer fits like it should.

But surviving an accident is 97% luck, 3% gear.
____________________
The RXS100: vehicle of choice for Chuck Norris

[T0MMY]

...but that all encourages you to replace it more frequently which is probably a good thing.

I know when I have a mega expensive lid I'm tempted to keep it a little longer than I know I really should.
____________________
ZX6R + CBR600RR

[Kickstart]

Hi

Often with the cheaper helmets I find the fit rather "lumpy", rather than fitting all over. Like sitting on pile of over stuffed cushions rather than a bean bag.

Quality of fittings definitely changes.

That all said it probably rapidly comes to diminishing returns. Not sure the quality, fit and protection of a bottom of the range Shoei is any worse than a top of the range one.

All the best

Keith
____________________
Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Seb]

Weight is another (admitedly rather inconsistent) factor as well, pick up a budget 30 quid lid, then pick up something like a Shark RSR2 Carbon. The difference side by side is rather shocking
____________________
2010 Triumph 1050 Sprint ST

[P.]

i use this...

https://www.2wheeljunkie.co.uk/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=24309

Yes its DAMN cheap, i spent more on the tinted visor for it

Its only a runaround 125 job anyway

[cyberglass]

If your looking at ghost bikes and are local to preston i recommend going in and having a look and trying a few on. They have a huge selection in store all reasonable priced from there own £20 brand to £300+ Arai lids.

Have just got a some leather trousers from there for 40 and a set of boots for 50.

Deffo recommended
____________________
DL650 Vstrom 2004
DRZ400S 2003
Yamaha R1 2005

[Spit-Fire]

whats wrong with them?

well they don't have an aria badge on the front which is worth its weight in gold to some .

i know a gent that has recently spent £700 on a lid....
i informed him that was a excessive amount to spent on a lid.... he reply "i know, but it fits so snug".

i doubt you have to spend the that much to get a good fitting lid but each to there own,
my agv and carbon lid fit perfect and cost less combined

i guess brand just means a lot to some, not just in helmets but every thing....
____________________
they say the good die young... i say we just live faster

[JP7]

I must admit I'm not a brand snob, when I was buying my new helmet last summer I went into the store intending to try loads on and buy whatever fitted me the best. A well-fitting £30 helmet is arguably safer than an ill-fitting £500 Arai.

It so happened that the Arai Viper GT fitted me better than anything else in the shop, so that's what I came out with. £300 lighter too though...

[ttr]

my first lid was a nitro. Lasted about 1.5 years, got wet on the inside, and ALL of the lining (polysyrene bits too) fell out when I tried to take the padding out to dry, haha.

second was an x-lite, generally great helmet, visor got too battered in general use after less than a year.

third was a kbc, year so far without any complaints whatsoever!

I think cheap is a bit hit and miss tbh. I wouldn't pay over £150 for a bash hat though I don't reckon.
____________________
GS125-> NT400->VFR400->CRM250->Z750 + GS125->NTV650 rat + VMX1200->GSF600 + GPz550

[Dazbo666]

I paid nearly £200 for my AGV lid in a Hein Gericke sale some years ago, and in the last few weeks paid £60 for a Duchinni lid...
I can honestly say that I didn't realise how much the fit of the AGV lid had changed over the years, because comparing the fit to the new lid, the AGV was probably getting dangerously loose.

The new cheaper lid immediately feels better quality, a better fit and lighter than the old AGV - and I'm guessing some of that is due to the development in technology etc during the intervening 4-5 years.

I'd be the first to admit that I originally wanted the AGV lid purely because of the marketing relating to Valentino Rossi - and I guess I'm lucky that I have an AGV shaped head. But after using this Duchinni lid for the last few weeks, I'd have no problem getting another budget helmet as long as the fit and safety specs are up to it!
____________________
1st bike (Sept'06 - May'10) : 1991 GPZ500S / Current bike (since Nov 2009) : 2003 Suzuki Bandit 600N
Word of the day : DILLIGAF

[Ichy]

[Rob W]

I bought myself this - https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Spada-RP750-Red-FANGORN-Motorcycle-Motorbike-Helmet-XL-/190388163644?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Motorcycle_Helmets&hash=item2c5404d43c about 9 months ago now, and it's been one of the best lids I've used. Quiet at high speed, fits really nice and doesn't make my neck ache after a long ride.

It's easily as good as the £300 AGV I had before it. Dunno whether it would be any worse in a crash, as fortunately I haven't dropped either of them, but it should be just as safe, seeing as they all have to pass a minimum saftey test.
____________________
'16 GSX-S1000F

[G]

[arry]

[Itchy]