Best bang for the buck in a Snell rated helmet ? | FerrariChat

Best bang for the buck in a Snell rated helmet ?

Discussion in 'Motorcycles & Boats' started by LightGuy, Apr 22, 2012.

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  1. LightGuy

    LightGuy Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Oct 4, 2004
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    David
    My car racing helmet, much as I am in love with it, does not provide enough peripheral vision for safe street riding.
    Hotter'n'hell here in TX so ventilation is critical.
    Looking at Snell 2010 Bell Stars for @$300 ($600 retail) on sale.
    I found a NIB Snell 2005 Bell for $200
    What else to consider ?
    Need to stay under $500.
    THNX.
     
  2. parkerfe

    parkerfe F1 World Champ

    Sep 4, 2001
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    Franklin E. Parker
    You should never use an SA auto helmet for M motorcycle use. They have different design parameters in light of the different type of impact and skid they are expected to encounter. That being said, I like Shoei, AGV and Arai helmets.
     
  3. b-mak

    b-mak F1 Veteran

    +1 and vice versa.
     
  4. wang

    wang Formula 3

    Feb 23, 2004
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    You can't go wrong with shoei or arai :)
     
  5. 2000YELLOW360

    2000YELLOW360 F1 World Champ

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    Road tested many Araris and they work. Daytona get off at 150, destroyed the helmet no concussion.

    Art
     
  6. m5guy

    m5guy Formula 3

    Aug 17, 2008
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    For at least 10 years I wore nothing but Arai helmets for both street and dirt. Then I bought a Suomy helmet and was surprised at the improvement in interior comfort. I find the padding inside my Suomy to be much nicer than my Arai RX7RR Corsair. Try out a Suomy and see what you think!
     
  7. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    have you guys priced Arais lately?

    nice helmets, for sure, but hardly "bang for the buck".

    I had a couple of KBC helmets that I liked, affordable, comfortable, reasonably light. never "crash tested" them, though.
     
  8. ferraripete

    ferraripete F1 World Champ

    i have crash tested an arai or two as have many of my friends from my road racing days. arai is w/o compare. hard to measure bang for the buck until you really need to measure bang for the buck.

    i would never risk it.
     
  9. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    OP wants/needs a helmet under $500. Arai is out, I believe.
     
  10. Devilsolsi

    Devilsolsi F1 Veteran
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    Scorpion has some nice helmets that are DOT/Snell and under $500.
     
  11. Innovativethinker

    Innovativethinker F1 Veteran
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    Aug 8, 2009
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    Best advice I can give is the sign I saw 30 years ago when shopping for helmets:

    'If you have a $10 head - buy a $10 helmet"

    On the flip side, beyond about 8 mph, nothing will help with a direct impact.
     
  12. parkerfe

    parkerfe F1 World Champ

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    I too like Suomy. Doesn't Schumy wear a Suomy?
     
  13. parkerfe

    parkerfe F1 World Champ

    Sep 4, 2001
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    I agree. Price should not be a determining factor when shopping for safety equipment, helmet, neck brace, boots, gloves, riding suit, ect... If you can't afford the gear, you can't afford to ride! I am surprised when I see a rider on a $20k motorcycle wearing a $100 helmet, jeans and tennis shoes!
     
  14. raptorduck

    raptorduck Formula 3

    May 18, 2009
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    Mr. Raptorduck
    I got all kinds of brands in my garage, Arai, AGV, Bell, Ikon, etc. I think Arai is the best, but Ikon's are pretty good and cost less. I also have some brand (I forget) where my helmet is like a fighter jet helmet with an internal shade, way cool. :)
     
  15. LightGuy

    LightGuy Three Time F1 World Champ
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    I looked at helmets for about a week in stores and more importantly in online reveiws. Shop sales people knew little of any help. Most shops had the entry level name brand helmets with a handfull if any premium versions. Only saw one Star in six shops that carry Bell.
    Because air venting is critical here in TX I narrowed it down to the Bell Star.
    Most of the SHOI's and ARAI's even though great helmets fell short in ventilation even on their top of the line (X 12) etc. Corsiar was rated good but closer to $900.

    Another advantage of the Bell is that it can be had with a self dimming shield :SOLFX for $120 or so. I found no other helmet in any price range with this feature.

    Found an NIB old stock 2008 (SNELL 2005) for < $150. Same construction as their 2010 SNELL helmet but tested for 2005 until the 2010 tests came out. Same helmet passed them and was rebadged.

    PS my head is worth about a million. They were fresh out of million dollar helmets.
     
  16. LightGuy

    LightGuy Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #16 LightGuy, Apr 26, 2012
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2012
    Looked at Soumy and Schumy's Schuberth Brand helmets. Soumy was nice but the Bell blew it away.
    Schuberths were totally a let down IMOconsidering the price. I had high hopes.
     
  17. LightGuy

    LightGuy Three Time F1 World Champ
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    ROOF Boxer.

    Also the Nexx carbon was high on the list but I found none to examine with my paws.
    Mail order too risky.
     
  18. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    I'll see you one of my helmets for $1mm!

    :p
     
  19. LightGuy

    LightGuy Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Then there is the $100K gloves, the half mil jacket to protect the vitals $50K boots, and $50K knee/leg protectors.
    Not enough left over for a bike.
    Think I'll just lock the doors and play it safe with my virtual X-box life.
     
  20. raptorduck

    raptorduck Formula 3

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    Mr. Raptorduck
    I forgot to look, but that may be it. I also have Shoi's and Suomy's. I have a lot of helmets from riding and racing so many years and different helmet sponsors. The best quality and support I think are Arai. But the best designs/aesthetics are HGV and Ikon (the latter having never been a helmet I raced with).
     
  21. 2000YELLOW360

    2000YELLOW360 F1 World Champ

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    A lot of talk about comfort, not much about whether they work or not. One important factor, the helmet has to be very, very snug. If not, they can come off, and then they aren't worth a dam.

    Art
     
  22. parkerfe

    parkerfe F1 World Champ

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    Very true. Always dress for the crash!
     
  23. Devilsolsi

    Devilsolsi F1 Veteran
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    That may be the Scorpion EXO1000. It has an internal sun visor.
     
  24. 2000YELLOW360

    2000YELLOW360 F1 World Champ

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    Everybody here is talking about features on the helmet. Remember this: you are buying one for the protection, not the style, looks, or features. I think that the Japanese helmets, and the Bell and Simpson are clearly the best, and while others may or may not be good, a known protector is better than taking a chance.

    I've used several Arais over the years (I think 5 at last count), some of which got very banged up, not just scraped up, and I know they work. It's too big a risk to trying something untested.

    Art
     
  25. Systo

    Systo Karting

    Feb 15, 2007
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    A.J.
    I use an HJC CL-16. The exact one I have (Hellion) is on closeout from most websites for under $100, it's $78 on one of the websites I've purchased gear from before. It's loud as all get out (I wear earplugs no matter how short the ride) and provides a lot of air flow up under the chin bar. Most of the reviews state that the air vents provide little throughput and I can confirm that as it makes seemingly no difference if the vents are open or closed, but the amount of air coming up from under the chin bar makes up for it. I rode last summer during that incredible heat wave and didn't die and I've ridden at a little under 40 degrees Fahrenheit (before I used a balaclava) and had a frozen face but feeling returned shortly after warming up. It's the only full face helmet I've ever known so your mileage may vary. And on a side note the GoPro curved 3m adhesive mount lines up perfectly to the curve of the helmet just behind the top air vent.

    While it's only DOT approved I've ordered a Gmax GM68 that should be here next week (going on a long bike trip this summer and I want more airflow). It's one of the cheapest and best reviewed helmets for air flow that I've seen. I've also read two crash reviews that were positive so I feel like it's a pretty good deal for $100.
     

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