[l3uddha]

who do u think offers the best protection?

i'm looking at shoei, agv, arai, suomy

i really like arai & suomy.


probably just go w/ a solid because damn they're expensive! not taking any more chances though...

[l3uddha]

actually, only the ones w/ the funky ass graphics are really expensive.

[Pappy]

I like AGV personally. My old AGV wasn't that expensive and it had wonderful build quality.

However, I have a Caberg Trip for my street helmet now. It doesn't offer the best protection, but it's really sweet. Flip up, and a flip down sun visor. I don't think it's DOT certified though

[l3uddha]

i think i'm gonna go with this in the solid blue, I just want to know it there is anything "better":

MetricBikes Superstore | ARAIRX7OL

[LaRNZ]

cant go wrong with any of those, have you looked at shark models? i have one now, super comfy, ive owned a suomy which was very noisy but very comfy and light, also had an AGV which was nice as well, ive only heard good things bout arai

[l3uddha]

i'm torn between arai & suomy, i need to see them in person. anywhere i can have them fitted by someone who knows wtf they are talking about?

[Wishbone]

Arai

go to mm to get fitted for one

[Currently]

The best helmet is the one that fits you perfectly.

They have tried to fit an Arai to my head and it was kind of OK.

Then I put a Shoei X-11 off the shelf on my head .... no comparison,
the Shoei was molded for my head shape.

The best helmet is the one you wear all the time. Period.

[Crash Dummy Denno]

Suomy!!!!! SOuth SHore motorsports keeps those and arai in stock

[imkindafkedup]

i do love my suomy, a little noisy but great fitting/protection, never fogs, and lite.

[CMG241]

Buddha if you get up in the Derry area go see Pat at Seacoast Sport Cycle and try on a couple of Arai models. She knows her chit about helmets / fit and will make sure you have the right cheek pads for your head. I crashed hard enough to make my helmet a throw away (after owning it for a week) and walked away clear headed with no ill effects - a lot different from my HJC crash. They sell Suomy also but didn't fit my skull all that well. Watch out for the outdated Ebay stuff, its all out of date.

[duey]

Buddha,

I've got plenty of different models of Arai's instock that you can try and wear until you feel comfortable with making the buy. I'll hook you up on the pricing (cheaper than that website you posted even).

[Crash Dummy Denno]

Originally Posted by CMG41

Watch out for the outdated Ebay stuff, its all out of date.

+1

[smf]

...disclaimer: i was lazy and didn't read all the posts...

between arai and suomy i'd go with the arai. i've hit my head hard with arai and was fine. i hit my head _really_ hard with a suomy and was out for a little while. it was enough to make me switch back to arai... aside from that i think the arai interior is far more comfortable.

and yes, i do think suomy is a very good helmet. arai just gets my $$ now.

[CMG241]

Originally Posted by duey

Buddha,
...(cheaper than that website you posted even).

wow their prices are way out of line for solid colors!

[Honclfibr]

Originally Posted by Currently

The best helmet is the one that fits you perfectly.

Every SNELL certified helmet out there uses an EPS lining. Styrofoam. In a blunt force impact, the compression of the styrofoam is what absorbs the impact so the forces aren't transmitted to your head. We can argue the impact of shell deformation but it's still a second order effect in blunt trauma, it's the styrofoam's compression that's going to save your life.

Only two things really matter, how thick and dense the styrofoam lining is, and how much your head accelerates before the styrofoam starts compressing. To the best of my knowledge, the thickness and composition of the EPS lining in all SNELL certified helmets are approximately equal. That only leaves one thing: how much your head accelerates before the styrofoam does it's job. Get the best, tightest fitting helmet you can stand. Some of the better helmets have multiple padding thicknesses that can be varied within the same shell size to give you a better fit. The padding itself doesn't absorb the impact, that's the job of the EPS lining. But properly fitted pads will make sure that the helmet is snug but tight which allows the impact to be absorbed by the EPS lining rather than gaps in the helmet.

A good helmet fitter can help you make sure the helmet fit right and is as snug as possible without being uncomfortable. That's your best bet. Even still, it's a thin layer of styrofoam protecting your brain and it can only do so much. The scary fact is, it doesn't take a very large impact to exceed the compressibility of the liner even given a perfect fit, and once that liner is compressed nearly all the blunt force will be transmitted directly to your skull. Helmets are our only line of protection out there, but they're not a panacea. My advice: seek out the best fitting helmet you can, and realize that the best protection against head injury will always be inside your helmet.

[highsider]

Like has been said above, buy the best quality helmet you can afford that fits you right. Dont buy just for a name brand, each brand fits a different shaped head, you want the one you're most comfortable in.

[Honclfibr]

Oh, one more thing. If you're stuck between two shell sizes, deciding whether to go with the bigger shell with thickrer pads or the smaller shell with thinner pads, safety dictatest the smaller shell with thinner pads.

The padding is design to be comrpessible, for comfort. That means that it doesn't absorb impact. The best helmet in a crash is the one that gets you in contact with the EPS lining the fastest, and that will be the smaller shell with thinner pads. The thick pads will just compress as your head accelerates in a crash without absorbing the impact, giving a higher G load to your brain once you finally compress the padding and hit the EPS liner.

There's a reason that bicycle helmets are almost all foam with just a thin layer of passing. Full face helmets need thicker padding to be worn comfortably, but the goal is still to get the smallest amount of padding that can be worn comfortably. The styrofoam is where the safety is. There's a reason why children's bicycle helmet are giant mushrooms of foam. Children's brains can absorb less impact without damage than adult brains, so the bicycle helmet manufacturers add extra styrofoam to keep them safe in the case of blunt impact.

[highsider]

Yeah, i told Honclfucker all that shit he typed 'cause I'm real smart, yo.

[LuvDog]

Ditto the others.... get the one that fits you the best.

Otherwise... I've tried a lot of different helmets.

Right now, I've got a Suomy, Arai, and a Shark in the rotation.

They're all great... personally, I like my Shark the best.

[Doc]

AGV's are hard to find but I like them. Arai's are great too.

[35racer]

First, I agree that the one that fits you best is the one to go with.

Shoei does it for me.

Like you, I go for solid colors for the lower price. Good helmets are pricey enough without adding lots of $$ for something that isn't going to help save your head/life.

And it makes it slightly easier to throw away after a big hit.

[l3uddha]

Honclfibr thanks. I've been reading some helmet descriprions & that info is very helpful in piecing it all together.

[l3uddha]

Originally Posted by 35racer

And it makes it slightly easier to throw away after a big hit.

hahah exactly what I was thinking.

[Puppet]

The guys at Motomarket in acton know their Arai's and are very good at fitting. Take a ride up and talk to Allen, he'll get you set up with the right helmet for your head shape and get it fit right