Bike helmet

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Got my CBT booked next week and will be using my parents 125 for a few months before taking my bike test possibly in the summer.

I'm looking at buying a bike helmet but prices range so much and I don't really know what I'm looking for..

What are the main differences between a cheap and an expensive helmet?
I assume it's more than just the design..


Any help would be great
 
go into a bike shop and try them on, find out if its comfy etc, other than that make sure its got the kite mark or the eu certification, a higher price doesn't always mean a better helmet.
 
important for all the lining to be touching your head and feel quite firm... grab the chin guard and check you can't wobble lid about on your head.

remember that they 'give' after a while so get a snug fit...

afaik the best lids are 'type a' british standard, but I think most mid range lids are this now...get something made of fibreglass or kevlar / mix. (top of the range stuff just adds expensive brand / venting / paint so pointless)

btw, good idea taking test, get in there fast before it toughens up in oct.
 
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How much is your head worth?

A test I always do with a helmet is that once it's comfortably on, is to try and pull it off. If you can pull it off with your hands, it won't stay on when yoiur bouncing down the road.
 
Thanks for the advice, will go into a bike shop later.
Obviously I want something decent but no point in spending £200 if something that's £60 is good enough.

Flukester said:
btw, good idea taking test, get in there fast before it toughens up in oct.
Click to expand...

Yep after reading about the added section it definitely makes sense to get it done before October.
 
I got my AGV stealth from the bay brand new for £79 delivered.

These are great lids and cost £200~ Heigh Gerike.

There are bargains to be had.
 
I'm not all that bothered about the cost of my helmets. As long as I find one with the features I want (ie, looks half decent and has a flip down sun visor), is kitemarked and, most importantly, fits well then I don't care if it costs me £20 or £500.

Probably the most important thing is that it fits properly. You could spend £1000 on the world's safest helmet but it's it's not comfy then it's no good to you.
 
One of the differences between the cheap and the expensive brands is shell sizing. Brands like aria will make a different shell for every size they sell in a model, whereas brands like shark make one size and simply increase or decrease the lining material, this means if you have a small head your helmet can look huge or a big head and you can get less protection.
 
Suomy make great helmets.

Its the one piece of equipment you cant skimp on.
Its also one of those hand full of items that you actually "get what you pay for" they all have to reach a basic safety standard, but there is a world of difference between sub £100 lids and lids £200+
 
If you try it and it fits you nicely, get a decent Arai...free servicing at their trucks that go to race meets from then on...
:D
 
Its always worth gettin a top of the range helmet. I used to wear Caberg and Nitro, and they did the job. But in an accident the Caberg was useless. Thats why i always wear Shoei Xr series now, such a fantastic helmet, well worth the money.
 
As already said, best thing to to do is go into a shop and try a few on.

Sounds daft, but I'm sure other bikers will relate to this:-

Some people have "Arai" shaped heads and some folk have "Shoei" shaped heads or "Suomy" or "OGK" heads.

I'm currently running an OGK FF4 but it will soon be time for a change.

For some daft reason, no Shoei I have tried as yet feels like its "right" sat on my ugly bonce.

Suomy are a wee bit the same as above but Arai's and OGK's fit me fine and feel "right".

Go figure.:cool:
 
when you go and look for a helmet make sure you check the date it was made which is normally on a label sewn to the chin strap or a sticker under the lining.

i've lost count of the amount of "brand new" helmets which are well over 2 or 3 years old that i've seen.

My dad is the chief technical officer for the manx grand prix & deputy cheif for the TT, he quite often has to turn racers away because the "new" helmets they bought before coming over to race are outside the 4 years age limit that the ACU allow.

You will have a problem with some of the european lids though, they have codes instead of dates which are a pig to decifer, an arai will be labelled 04/07 for example whereas an AGV will have a string of letters/numbers.
 
It's more important that it fits you properly and confortably than any particular 'technological innovation' that any one manufacturer or price point can offer. Having said that, money does buy quality and attention to detail so set a budget and get the best quality you can afford. Don't pay any extra for a replica paintjob either, tarmac doesn't care what colour your lid is, it'll eat through it at the same rate whatever.
 
A decent lid is worth the money - my first was an AGV S4, which cost £160 after a bit of bartering at the shop :D
The AGV was really light and well made, but very noisy, and I think this contributed to me getting a bout of tinnitus in my right ear.

I have since picked up an Arai Chaser at a knock-down price and it is a world of difference from the AGV, it's nice and quiet, even more quality made and feels like silk on my bonce.

I'd look to spend somewhere between £150-300, but as someone already said, bargains can be found.

Scort.
 
pinkaardvark said:
One of the differences between the cheap and the expensive brands is shell sizing. Brands like aria will make a different shell for every size they sell in a model, whereas brands like shark make one size and simply increase or decrease the lining material, this means if you have a small head your helmet can look huge or a big head and you can get less protection.
Click to expand...

I've been told by a dealer that the only brands he knows of that have three different sized shells are Arai, Suomy and Shoei, all the rest apparently use a single shell size. No idea how well informed he is but he's a good lad so presumably it's true to the best of his knowledge.
 
I usually ignore price and just go on fit alone. Last time I bought a lid I finally found the only one that fitted in the shop, happened to be a Arai Quantum F though.. and the most expensive they had at almost £400 grrr (that was a lot of money 6-7 years ago)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Arai-Quantum-F-Motorbike-Helmet-Small-Helmet-Bag_W0QQitemZ150221685652QQihZ005QQcategoryZ72278QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Still fits snug though getting close to replacement I think as it's had a few knocks. (mainly when driving into garage with door too low lol)
 
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