i like HJC

[ZX-12R]

Irrational argument.

That is like saying don't wear the Armor in combat because you'll get blown up by a bomb!

Your scenario is the equivalent of Kham not wearing a helmet at all when it's clear that isn't what he said. A better example would be using level II body armor due to its overall good performance instead of level III-A which costs a lot more. Both are still susceptible to bombs and center fire rifles just like no helmet is going to protect you in a head first collision with a tree at 80 mph.

[Doc]

Hey, it retails for $425, I got it for $275... not too awful deal-wise.

It was the first thing I bought when I got into bikes. Didn't know too much about brands at that point... Live and learn...

Xmas and birthday are coming up.... too bad my family is so small... there's so much shit I want haha

i like my hjc ac-12 carbon... HJC higher end stuff is LIGHT and works... and doesn't have a stupid price tag.

their plastic shells are my street/passenger lids.

The HJC helmets made of fiberglass or carbon composite are good. It is the Plastic shells that are the bad ones. Even for your "Street/passenger lids"

Hate to have Sara's pretty lil head in a plastic helmet...

[OreoGaborio]

+1 to what Doc says... the AC-12 (composite) is actually a pretty good lid if it fits ya right. the HJC's in question are the CL and CS line (polycarb).

[highsider]

Arai make 2 shell shapes, an "oval" and a "round" a good shop will get you the right fit by selecting the correct shape for your head then fitting the foam. Arai dealers are supposed to stock both shapes in most sizes and several foam size options for the head liner, and cheeks. Shoei has a round shape shell and some pad options. The composite HJC's seem to be acceptable for protection. I would never buy a polycarbonate regardless of brand or fit. I also would never buy a helmet online. You really need to go to a qualified dealer and have the helmet fitted to your head. Since one of my suppliers sells the Arai brand, I had to complete fitment training before we could purchase the Arai brand of helmets. I would find a dealer local to you that has completed the training, (just because they sell them doesn't mean the sales person you get has been through the training) and go in for a fitment. I know that Alan at Moto Market has a lot of experience with fitment. The process should take 30-45 minutes. If they don't have a suitable fit you will at least understand how a helmet should fit and can make a better choice among other brands. I would always go for the best brand with a good fit rather than a discount brand with a perfect fit.

Lastly the service life for a helmet is 2-5 years. Five years if you rarely use it and keep it clean, in a bag, and in a closet. Two years if you wear it a lot as in 2-5 days a week for two seasons. And of course have it inspected after every crash. You can crack the shell and not knick the paint, send it back to the manufacturer and they will inspect it for you.

I swear all of the bike dealers in VT are total fucktards. I had no idea that Arai made two different shapes of helmet, and I've definitely tried to pick the brains of the salesmen at the bike shop with no luck. They're just like, "Yeah, this helmet costs a few bucks but its a good one!" Then when I tell them it fits like crap they say, "no, thats just how a good helmet feels".

Maybe I'll make a trip to Motomarket.

[Doc]

Believe it or not I bet I could fit you.

Wanna take a trip to Land Air or Roadside? Just to try on a bunch?

[CEO]

The HJC helmets made of fiberglass or carbon composite are good. It is the Plastic shells that are the bad ones. Even for your "Street/passenger lids"

Hate to have Sara's pretty lil head in a plastic helmet...

+1 to what Doc says... the AC-12 (composite) is actually a pretty good lid if it fits ya right. the HJC's in question are the CL and CS line (polycarb).

Ahh alright... that was my thinking when I got it... i.e. the middle of the line helmet company's top helmet should be alright. Guess I didn't screw up.

Although I do have a cl-15 for passengers.... eh, whatever

[rjh200]

Speaking only from experience.

I had a pretty decent HJC helmet and I crashed at a fairly low spead on an oil slick hitting my head at not more than 15 miles per hour. From the look of the helmet it took the force very well yet I had a low grade concussion and a headache for 3 days. Fast forward a bit.

I bought a $600 Arai that was a much nicer helmet in general that I just liked more. I had it for 3 years and I loved it till an accident catapulted me to the ground a 40mph. To give you and example get your bike going 40 mph and stop it dead, I mean 40-0 in 0 seconds. Head first into the pavement. Helmet was pretty scraped up but no cracks or structural damage and I did not have as much as a slight headache. I don't care if the Arai cost me $2k versus the $300 HJC and all the tests say they are equal the HJC will never see my head again.

In other words you can show me all the stats you want but you will never convince me there is no difference. If my real life experience was not enough for me the fact that most profesional racers wear Shoei or Arai when HJC will pay just as much in sponsorship should be reason enough.

[Kitt]

The HJC helmets made of fiberglass or carbon composite are good. It is the Plastic shells that are the bad ones. Even for your "Street/passenger lids"

Hate to have Sara's pretty lil head in a plastic helmet...

well I ride on the street like you ride on the track, so if anything happened sarah could probably just hop off and and on her feet...

but in honesty, the difference in a composite and plastic shell is a very minor elasticity factor, which only comes into play in certain instances.

I think we have a lot of folks riding the band wagon and want to be "uber duper anti-squid" If you have $500 to drop on a helmet, great... if not, rock what ya got, as long as it's impact free. I love the guys who act like riding with a cheaper snell approved helmet is like riding with a hard hat, yet drop their helmet, or have scuffs from a "light crash" and think they are in the clear because their $500 paint scheme helps repair incurred stresses in the helmet.

[rjh200]

well I ride on the street like you ride on the track, so if anything happened sarah could probably just hop off and and on her feet...

but in honesty, the difference in a composite and plastic shell is a very minor elasticity factor, which only comes into play in certain instances.

I think we have a lot of folks riding the band wagon and want to be "uber duper anti-squid" If you have $500 to drop on a helmet, great... if not, rock what ya got, as long as it's impact free. I love the guys who act like riding with a cheaper snell approved helmet is like riding with a hard hat, yet drop their helmet, or have scuffs from a "light crash" and think they are in the clear because their $500 paint scheme helps repair incurred stresses in the helmet.

I can honestly say my current helmet I tried on about 10 different models in various sizes and changing the pads out and ended up buying the one that fit me best. Which bummed me out cause that model did not have the paint scheme I liked but atleast it was a good bit less then the one I originally wanted.

[a13x]

/me looks around the Pro pits @ the Morongo.

Nope, don't see any polycarbonate helmets. That Motorcyclist article is a joke.

[CMG241]

I swear all of the bike dealers in VT are total fucktards. I had no idea that Arai made two different shapes of helmet, and I've definitely tried to pick the brains of the salesmen at the bike shop with no luck. They're just like, "Yeah, this helmet costs a few bucks but its a good one!" Then when I tell them it fits like crap they say, "no, thats just how a good helmet feels".

Maybe I'll make a trip to Motomarket.

Nooo a bike dealer? Most are fucktards will little lore concern than getting the sale and getting you out of their hair. I always have the best help at Seacoast Sport Cycle in Derry NH - glad I had on the right helmet with perfect fitting chin pads when I crashed. Thanks Pat!!

[Crash Dummy Denno]

which helmet will help me wheelie better?


aside from a few posts i feel dumber from this thread

[Kitt]

i feel dumber

pigs fly

[Doc]

well I ride on the street like you ride on the track, so if anything happened sarah she could probably just hop off and land on her feet...

Wait....











You actually watched me?

[Kham]

Your scenario is the equivalent of Kham not wearing a helmet at all when it's clear that isn't what he said. A better example would be using level II body armor due to its overall good performance instead of level III-A which costs a lot more. Both are still susceptible to bombs and center fire rifles just like no helmet is going to protect you in a head first collision with a tree at 80 mph.

thanks Bill. you said it much better.

since i have no personal experience i can only go by the experts written article.

"The shell is there for a number of reasons. First, it's supposed to protect against pointy things trying to penetrate the EPS夕 though that almost never happens in a real accident. "

"The great thing about EPS is that as it crushes, it absorbs lots of energy at a predictable rate. It doesn't store energy and rebound like a spring, which would be a bad thing because your head would bounce back up, shaking your brain not just once, but twice. "

that's all i need to know for now.

[Doc]

"The great thing about EPS is that as it crushes, it absorbs lots of energy at a predictable rate. It doesn't store energy and rebound like a spring, which would be a bad thing because your head would bounce back up, shaking your brain not just once, but twice. "

EPS is in ALL helmets, MY point is that Polycarbonate COULD "bounce back up", Where Fiberglass doesn't so much.

If you don't want the EPS to do it why would you want the Polycarbonate to?

[Doc]

well I ride on the street like you ride on the track, so if anything happened sarah could probably just hop off and and on her feet...

but in honesty, the difference in a composite and plastic shell is a very minor elasticity factor, which only comes into play in certain instances.

I think we have a lot of folks riding the band wagon and want to be "uber duper anti-squid" If you have $500 to drop on a helmet, great... if not, rock what ya got, as long as it's impact free. I love the guys who act like riding with a cheaper snell approved helmet is like riding with a hard hat, yet drop their helmet, or have scuffs from a "light crash" and think they are in the clear because their $500 paint scheme helps repair incurred stresses in the helmet.

OH and another thing... Any good fitting helmet, with the chinstrap securely fasterned IS better than nothing.

[Kitt]

OH and another thing... Any good fitting helmet, with the chinstrap securely fasterned IS better than nothing.

The helmet that fits me the best is AGV... love em... but I crashed one and one got stolen, and my AGV dealer is back home in NY.

and Yea, I watch everyone...

[Doc]

The helmet that fits me the best is AGV... love em... but I crashed one and one got stolen, and my AGV dealer is back home in NY.

and Yea, I watch everyone...

If you know your size i have an AGV dealer that I use. In Arizona but I can get XR2 for $250 plus shipping. (I think)

[Kham]

EPS is in ALL helmets, MY point is that Polycarbonate COULD "bounce back up", Where Fiberglass doesn't so much.

If you don't want the EPS to do it why would you want the Polycarbonate to?

polycarbonate acts like spring? how?

[hammadown]

polycarbonate acts like spring? how?

If it flexes then returns back to its original shape it is acting like a spring. You want something that will absorb the energy of impact and not "recoil" thus returning some of the energy it absorbed back to your head.

[Crash Dummy Denno]

kham is such a shit stirrer

[Kham]

If it flexes then returns back to its original shape it is acting like a spring. You want something that will absorb the energy of impact and not "recoil" thus returning some of the energy it absorbed back to your head.

the initial impact is the one with most energy that counts. it's not going to be spring like.

[ultraTwist]

The foam is going to dampen any spring like effects. I somewhat mis-wrote above the shell is for sharp impacts or puncture protection. In any event, no matter what is going on cheap helmets are cheap for a reason; materials, engineering, testing, manufacturing process, design, sitting on the shelf for who knows how long, no one wants them....

the initial impact is the one with most energy that counts. it's not going to be spring like.

[hammadown]

the initial impact is the one with most energy that counts. it's not going to be spring like.

Everyone just wear what you are comfortable with. For me, as I think Oreo or Doc said before, if there is even a chance one will protect me head better than the other, that's my choice.

Just remember, if your head hits hard enough to cause something relatively minor like a concussion, you are not far off from significantly more serious damage and every little bit counts. But hey its your head and your wallet.