What Helmet?

[Mr Tickle]

Hi,
I'm about to buy a helmet ready for my cbt and I saw a nice one knocked down from £70 to £50 (Takachi or however it's spelt). I told them I wanted a kwaka zx6r once I pass my test (I'm going for my DAS in the spring but until then it's the wifes nsr125.) but he then told me it wouldn't be good enough

It had a gold badge/sticker and a british standard kitemark. He tried to flog me a £100 agv lid reduced from £140 instead.

Is he just trying to get more money from me? Funds are limited to £90 so what can you suggest? I live in derbyshire so if you know a good shop then please let me know.

Thanks
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Mr Tickle

[Ste]

The best helmet for your £90 is whichever helmet has the best fit. Try on lots of different helmets and see which fits best and as long as it has the correct British standards markings then it's fine.

Have a look in the nearest Hein Gericke to you. Have a look through the Begin Motorcycling page of dealers in Derbyshire for other shops near to you.

[Mr Tickle]

Thanks Ste
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Mr Tickle

[The Tot]

Takachi's are VERY popular with the lads here in London - from ped bois to R6 riders - if you're talking about the TK30 that is, that was rated within the top 50 helmets in RiDE's product review. Just give it a try for fit etc, but ffs DON'T drop it like my friend did - foolishly in front of a group of mature bikers - me points at Sheldon and laugh my arse off! Recommended lid!
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[Mr Tickle]

Lol
Thanks I've tried quite a few on already. Glad to note I'm only a large for nearly all... so far AGV and Takichi are a nice fit
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Mr Tickle

[Sacarius]

If I were going to buy a helmet today it would most likely be this:

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=72278&item=2498141454&rd=1

Very good price, a lot of the frills, "Tamagatchi's" generally feel comfortable.
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[Mr Tickle]

Thanks for that link but a little late I just bought a HJC (cs12 Tatoo) It has a fog guard thingy that covers your nose and mouth. I just need a black visor and it's Top Gun

It fits really well and was reduced from £90 to £75. I was told that the makers had something to do with Arai Anyway I'm all set now with my lid, armoured jacket and trousers.
Thanks for your input
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Mr Tickle

[mchaggis]

[Villers]

I use a breath guard and if you can fit it correctly its a good buy, but im leaning towards the inserts as all the guard seems to do is deflect the air into my eyes!

A good helmet should fit well, like not push tightly against your forehead etc, and not produce too much wind noise. My AGV V flyer cost me £299 and has a cool pattern on it. BUT the only reason I got it (I went over budget) was because it was the one in the shop that fit me the best.

I bought my GF a cheap Takachi off t'ebay and in comparison to the AGV its fairly poor. Just doesnt feel as solid. (sorry takachi owners!)

luckily I only got a cheap one cos she cried first time out!!

you oly got one head so why scrimp?

[mchaggis]

Not meaning to sound smug or anything, but the helmet in question I got is a V Flyer. It was the last one they had with a pattern on; the plain black cost the original £210. I find mine to be really windy and quite noisy however. What cannot be argued with is the build quality. It really is superbly put together and has quality written all over it . On the £50 Nitro helmet I had to begin with, the chin vent broke on the first day I wore it.
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I must not be a troll...
Mmmm, Guinness
Discovering the delights of Hammerite and a 3/4" brush.

[Enverex]

I got myself a Kiwi helmet which is a poly lid and was on offer from £140 to £90 I think at the time. Did I make a good choice? (yes, it is comfortable ).

[jamie192]

I dont know if you will all agree but as long as a helmet has the british standard certificate it cant be all that bad, unless it breaks without you even crashing very quickly. To be honest if you in a crash thats bad enough to break a standard helmet your more likely to have some other massive injury like a neck injury any ways which will probably kill you. My friend has a mass of helmets ranging for 100 pound to like 300 pound and he said the only main difference he found in them was the weight.
This is only my view, but as long as u got a certified lid on your increasing your chances of surviving a crash considerably. And i think there was a thread about it as well on this forum, about the kid on the rs 50 on traffic cops that was on the wrong side of the road traveling at 20 mph hit the car and the bike followed him up the bonnet, i think he was crushed by it, and i doubt a 300 pound helmet would of saved him. But fi u have the more money to spend on a helmet do it! and dont drop it
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Ride Fast, Brake hard, don't fall off!

[Villers]

True they all pass the same test. If you think about it though, my helmet cos nearly £300 (or £210 if you buy it a year later eh mchaggis?? ) and my birds one cost £50. yeah The tackachi passed the test, but maybe only by an inch, whereas the AGV passed by a mile. Your not paying £250 extra for a fancy paint job!! And mchaggis, as far as the wind noise goes with the flyer your spot on, but alas the perils of your first lid!

[paulodd]

I used to have a Xpeed blue maze helmet which cost £100 but after a crash i bought a HJC helemt, the little clips that the visor clips into broke the first day tho, took it back and they replaced it straight away, no problems since.

What i must say is the XPeed had an easy realse button for the visor and a sort of like seat belt clip to do up, the HJC one is very complicated to change the visor and its harder to do up, looks nicer and cost less at £80 tho, from a Hein Gericke shop


Paul
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Paul
1999 Yamaha R6
www.coventrybikers.co.uk / www.norfolkriders.co.uk

[mchaggis]

[jamie192]

[bish777]

I have a simpson bandit, im very happy with. Noisy at high speed but exceptionally comfy.

[Mantzy]

As long as a helmet has a an E mark or a British kite mark then it's safe enough for the tests they put it through. They're all made from the same stuff so should actually be very similar in protection. Having said this, I currently have a £50 (reduced from £90) Caberg helmet. It's not great, not too comfy, noisy, fogs up like a bastard but, it's a first lid. One of the main purposes of first lids is to realise why more expensive lids are so much better.

Getting a Shoei next. Could get an Arai but find Shoei's fit better, and thats the most important thing after all.

Edit: After wearing it all day today with a balaclava on, I tried it on without the balaclava and it was way too big for me.
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Current Bikes: 2010 Triumph Sprint ST 1050
Previous Bikes: 2002 Sachs XTC, 1999 Kawasaki ZX6R, 2004 GSX-R 600 K4, 2006 Yamaha XT660X

[Laura]

I started of with a 90 helmet within 8 months the padding had gone I could hold the chin peice and turn it 90 degrees on my head.
I have now got a roof helmet nice and quite and a nice snug fit.
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[Rollins]

Been going around for 2 years with a free helmet - today i bought myself a Kagayama rep lid at the NEC - £80 off RRP!
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"... I wouldn't mind doing 130 up to a T junction, but unfortunately my bike tops out at 120 which is gay..."
2005 CBR600RR

[synaptyx]

I'm looking for a full face lid. A mate has been knocked off his bike wearing a flip, with the flip closed. When his head hit the deck the front of the flip disappeared and he scraped his face along the ground for a bit. I have a Lazer Revolution flip, but I don't feel safe wearing it any more.

[Rvf_FiRe]

Got me a Ltd Nakano Green arai @ the NEC today
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[Kickstart]

Hi

While a cheap helmet might just scrape through the tests and an expensive one pass easily, the chances are that you would break your neck long before reaching the limits of protection of either helmet.

Fit is the most important thing. More expensive helmets do tend to retain their fit for longer.

All the best

Keith
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[jamie192]

[Bendy]

In my experience, the main reason to buy a more expensive helmet is that they get lighter. Which you could argue is a slight safety factor (mass exerting force on neck and all that) but is really more relevant to day to day comfort.

I'm another one who agrees that they all do the same job, just the more you spend the lighter / quieter / less foggy / tartier / easier to change visor they get.

Also, consider that if you ding a £50 helmet, you'll be more inclined to replace it than your £400 helmet that you're still paying off. There's a reason everyone keeps their old shit lids for minimoto / go-karting / whatever.