Helmet Safety Question.

[lrrs313]

I raced in an Arai RX7 Corsair. I landed on my head hard enough to knock the side pod holding the face shield off (the impact was about 3" away from the side pod, not a direct hit). I was a little loopy afterwords, but for the most part my head was fine. I've had my share of concussions from MX, skiing, and a few other sources; I was impressed enough with the helmet's performance that I bought another RX7 before I left the track that weekend. I know it's an apples-to-oranges comparison, but my cheaper MX helmets have left me feeling worse after much lighter impacts. Suffice to say my next helmet will be an Arai, and almost definitely purchased from DuncanMoto (btw, I don't even think I've met Ted, so I have absolutely no stake in his business. I just take my head seriously enough to drive 2.5 hours each way to buy a properly fit helmet).

["Dangerous" Dan K]

BTW, the crash that my scorpion did me well on, the impact was on the back of my head. After riding the R6, I'm pretty sure that had it been face down I'd have broken my nose at the least, and possibly lost (even more) teeth. I have enough porcelain in my grill as it is, not looking for any more. Them fuggers are expensive as well ($1500/tooth). As for the broken nose, god knows I don't need any help getting uglier. None of this even factors safety/survival in a serious crash...

[Rusty the Scoob]

xsiliconkid is right on.

As for Rusty The Scoob:
Polycarbonate injection molded shells with single density EPS foam protects you from impact like a '73 Chevy Caprice with a lap belt only.

Composite fiberglass or kevlar based handmade shells with multiple density EPS foam liners absorbs impact like a modern day BMW with crumple zones, shoulder belts and airbags.

I will never wear a plastic helmet on the track, so why would I wear one on the street.
That said... HJC and Scorpion make composite fiberglass shells as well and some of the upper end models utilize multi density EPS foam.

In closing.
1. Read about the helmet you are thinking of purchasing and know what it is made of.
2. Don't buy plastic (polycarbonate) shells.
3. Make sure it fits your head correctly. (Any doubts, pm me for some free self fitting advice.)
4. Realize that you only get one chance to protect your head in an accident. (the last thought I had when hitting pavement face first at 70mph was "Thank god I spent $600 on this Arai that I am about to destroy and walk away from".)

Huh! You've got me thinking... good info there. I wasn't aware of dual-density EPS but it makes a lot of sense... soft layer to absorb the small hits, hard layer to protect from the big ones.

I don't understand the shell difference yet... I was under the impression that the shell's only job was to make sure the EPS foam stayed intact both from wear and tear and crashes. From reading a little on Arai's site it looks like it provides rigidity as well?

What are your thoughts on helmet age and replacement schedule? I ride often enough to make an EXO-700 get loose and flexible after a year or two.


Nobody's ever actually articulated the construction differences to me before. Thank you!

[Pigman]

Once you own an Arai you will never buy another Brand.......I have 3

[Ken C]

I've worn several helmet brands, including HJC and Arai and settled on Shoei, because of fit, comfort and value. I'll be replacing my RF1000 with a Snell 2010 RF1100.

One thing to consider is that the new Snell rating appears to consider a more realistic and likely range of impacts that motorcyclists experience, i.e. not multiple hits in the same spot=stiffer shell.

[Danz19899]

did a lot of research before getting my first helmet a few years back. Got a Shoei RF-1000, great helmet love that it leaves spaces where your ears go so its a lot more friendly to head phones and blue tooth.

Went into last season with no intention of getting a new helmet but went to duncanmoto tried on a new Arai Profile and fell in love. The fit was perfect and arai was pushing them so i got a good deal.

overall I keep my shoei as a spare but will never buy anything but an Arai.

Shells matter a ton to the guy who wasnt sure about them. thats what fit takes the intital impact and the right fiberglass can disperse the impacts a lot better. The plastic ones are terrible and junk. dont do anything for the impact

[OreoGaborio]

I don't understand the shell difference yet... I was under the impression that the shell's only job was to make sure the EPS foam stayed intact both from wear and tear and crashes. From reading a little on Arai's site it looks like it provides rigidity as well?

From what I've been able to piece together, the shell provides the following services (maybe more)

1 - Keeps the EPS foam intact (I've seen pictures that prove polycarbonate shells can shatter and expose the inner foam.. never seen a kevlar/fiberglass/composite shell do that)
2 - Provides protection from penetration (giggity) (Again, polycarbonate seems to be more subject to getting "stabbed" than kevlar/fiberglass/composite)
3 - Distributes the force over a larger surface area (polycarbonate flexes more, while kevlar/fiberglass/composite stays more rigid which distributes the force of the impact over a greater volume of the EPS foam)

But again, that's just what I've come to believe as true through various sources and experiences... I'm not sure I've actually ever seen those three points scientifically proven and put in print so don't take this as proven fact cuz I don't know for sure that it is.

[OreoGaborio]

But to answer the original question that this thread was directed towards: No... from what I know, all Arai's provide the same high quality level of protection, given that the helmet is fit properly to the wearer.

[DuncanMoto]

Huh! You've got me thinking...

What are your thoughts on helmet age and replacement schedule? I ride often enough to make an EXO-700 get loose and flexible after a year or two....

Arai says replace helmets after 5 years of use or 7 years of manufacture date.
Track policy is 5 years of manufacture and other tracks may be different.

Arai internal pads are washable and replaceable on most models. So pads getting lose or smelly aren't a problem.

[HanktheTank]

This thread inspired me to go DuncanMoto and get a new helmt. Komaki spent over an hour with me, having me try on different types and sizes of helmets. She was genuinely concerned I got a helmet that fit properly and kept me protected. I ended up with an Arai Profile for a very fair price. I highly recommend going to see Ted and Komaki if you have any doubts or questions on the best helmet for you. Thanks DuncanMoto!!

[yesterdayze]

Semi related to this topic....

I high-sided 2 weeks ago and the first thing to hit the ground was my head. I was wearing a 7 or 8 year old Shoei RF1000 helmet. Not top of the line but decent. Neck was a little sore and I had two minor tender spots at the base of my head from the 2nd time my head must have bounced on the pavement from what I can tell. I was VERY pleased with the helmets performance. I weigh 215lbs and that weight was probably driving my head into the ground at a good rate. So the fact that I didn't get knocked out and I was able to get up, hobble back to my bike and manage to ride it home made me pretty happy.

So at least in my experience cheap worked out just fine!

[DuncanMoto]

RF1000 is an excellent composite helmet.
Glad you were wearing it.

[yesterdayze]

RF1000 is an excellent composite helmet.
Glad you were wearing it.

Yeah, I personally won't ride without one. Never have appreciated a helmet as much as I did that moment when I stood up.

[NobodySpecific]

Yeah, I personally won't ride without one. Never have appreciated a helmet as much as I did that moment when I stood up.

Boy do I know that feeling