flat black helmet

[dingley00]

hi,
i love all black helmets, but i've only had gloss black helmets. how do flat black helmets look? opinions? how do they hold up to scuffing? i'm thinking of getting the GMAX GM68S in flat black, but they also have a cool dark silver gloss... which one would you suggest. this will be a passenger/spare helmet... so dont' tell me to go buy an arai/suomy/shark/shoei/etc.

[QuarterGig]

my icon held up ok for 2 years. my HJC wore off to shiny black on the chin in 1 season i was very dissapointed.

so depending on how they put on the finish it may be great clean up well or it may be crap and just come off on it's own.

[Pigman]

I would pick the Flat Black Icon over the GMax for sure but its your life and if you think buying a cheap helmet is cool and not worth spending money on, then this post really isn't worth shit cause ur a DUMMY and needs to be deleted...

but be smart and buy an ARAI YA chep prick...just my 2cents

[dingley00]

but be smart and buy an ARAI YA chep prick...just my 2cents

this will be a passenger/spare helmet... so dont' tell me to go buy an arai/suomy/shark/shoei/etc.

maybe someday you'll learn to read...

[NinjaMegz]

I have the flat black Barbwire Helmet by HJC...it's nice

[spicy]

passengers have the right to have their heads protected from getting splattered all over the pavement, too, you know...

[dingley00]

does the DOT not have good standards?

[schleppy]

My flat gray HJC held up fine for almost three years. Just make sure you stay on top of cleaning it off if you get a lot of bugs/fingerprints on it.

[flintoid]

does the DOT not have good standards?

helmet opinions are very broad. People also swear by certain brands because they've been down in different ones. Whether they get a face full of dirt in a certain turn or not up in Louden can create good or bad impressions.


As far as flat black helmets go, I've got an icon mainframe flat black helmet. It's had 2 years put on it and it's held up 'ok.' It scuffs fairly easy, but helmets scratch just as easy, too. It tends to retain grease from oily hands, too, but it is cleanable.

If I were to get another flat black helmet, I'd go with an icon airframe flat black. I have an airframe (the eternal sinner version) and I"d have to say it's one of the nicest lids I've ever worn. Stable, light, and fabulous venting. I love it.

[QuarterGig]

does the DOT not have good standards?

i have lampshades that will pass DOT.. make sure it is SNELL

[dingley00]

i have lampshades that will pass DOT.. make sure it is SNELL

i checked out the website. especially this page. Snell/DOT Comparison

obviously it's a biased article since it's from the snell website. however, there doens't seem to be too much difference between the two criteria. the snell test is done from a higher height 3.06 and 2.3 m vs. the DOT's 1.38m fall. 150J/110J is the impact severity standard, while the DOT has less than half that in some cases...

what is the real life application of Snell's 150J/110J vs. DOT's 110J/110J?

[flintoid]

i checked out the website. especially this page. Snell/DOT Comparison

obviously it's a biased article since it's from the snell website. however, there doens't seem to be too much difference between the two criteria. the snell test is done from a higher height 3.06 and 2.3 m vs. the DOT's 1.38m fall. 150J/110J is the impact severity standard, while the DOT has less than half that in some cases... but, it mentions in the 5th paragraph of the article that "The amount of energy is dependent upon the speed or velocity of the head at the moment of impact and it's mass or weight. In helmet testing, the higher the fall or the heavier the headform, the more severe the impact." So obviously, they could have a higher impact standard since they are dropping from a higher height. the weights are about the same, depending on which size your comparing to (the DOT uses more weight for size L but less for size S).

maybe i'm misinterpreting this?? if i am, please correct me.

also... what is the real life application of Snell's 150J/110J vs. DOT's 110J/110J?

SNELL has more strict penetration standards ie: sharp things going through the outer shell of your lid.

[QuarterGig]

really i am exagerating.
i will only wear a SNELL for 3 primary reasons.

DOT looks primarly at flat inpact SNELL looks at hitting corners and edges as well (like curbs)

To be SNELL it must also be DOT.

SNELL is required for racing.

[kbroderick]

The Motorcyclist Online article on helmet testing (where they did their own testing) suggests that the Snell standards are suboptimal, and some of the cheaper helmets outperformed the more expensive helmets in brain protection (with better performance defined as the transmission of lower force to the brain). In short, the Snell testing requires helmets to meet a particular threshold, and a lot of people think that the threshold is too high, thus causing helmets to be designed to hold up in an impact that is probably going to be fatal anyhow (due to internal organ damage, etc) while not protecting as well as they could in more common, lower-impact scenarios.

The whole article is Motorcycle Helmet Design, Helmet Standards and Head Protection - Gear Box - Motorcyclist Online.

The one reason I would be reluctant to wear a DOT-only helmet is that DOT testing is virtually non-existent. The DOT requires helmet manufacturers to certify their own helmets and only does occasional spot testing of products in the marketplace; I don't like to trust the manufacturers to police themselves.

[Jayspeed]

about the passenger. If they want a better helmet, let them pay up! But if you care for them, maybe get an arai/suomy/shark/shoei/etc.

[ultraTwist]

Scorpion Exo 700 in flat black, about 200.00

[mrezra]

+1 on the Scorpion. Great helmet for the money. I've got the gloss version, my wife has the flat black (I think hers looks better).

[OreoGaborio]

Yeh I've heard those gmax helmets are juh juh juh JUNK but the exo700's a pretty good budget lid in a world of crappy budget lids.

Personally, I tell my passengers buy their own damn lids. But if the occation arrises that I want to put a friend on the bike that isn't willing to buy their own lid, I've got a couple of extra helmets that i've bought for MYSELF as back-ups or what have you.

How bout you just buy yourself a new quality lid to mix it up a bit?

[Phate]

Ok I'm not getting in the "what kind of..." debate but I will tell you I have two flat blacks and they both look good and have stood up for some abuse. I definitely second the washing and care after riding though because they do tend to show the bugs like a demon. I have one of each of the below although without the chrome look on the HJC.

[Brian675]

Buy what you want but snell is a great rating.

And imo flat black.

[GNTurbo6]

i have lampshades that will pass DOT.. make sure it is SNELL

I like ECE 22.05 certification better.

[vintage ex race]

maybe someday you'll learn to read...

Don't like your passanger

[mikeb]

Scorpion Exo 700 in flat black, about 200.00

thats what i have. still in good shape after 4 years. rarely used now.... they do scuff easier, just the nature of that paint.

[DucDave]

...the semi quarterly religious discussion resurrected...

I am always amused by these 'style' questions. And even though this was 'couched' as a durability question form wins over function in 97.33% of these cases! (I can provide the statistical analysis of that statement if anyone cares...)