Cheap vs Expensive helmets and your preferred bike style?

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This is one of those topics which was mentioned many times and there's tons of similar threads created. But... what are you opinions on the expensive helmets vs cheapish helmets?

I personally have Shark S700S which is not bad for the price, but when I had in my hands Icon Airframe Ghost Carbon it felt a lot more premium, it was lighter, the ventilation seemed better and the inside of the helmet seemed to be engineered better.

I'm also interested what sort of bikes you ride along with your opinion, as from my observation people on naked and supersports have more protective gear and it usually costs quite a bit more as its usually leathers. Not saying other bike riders don't wear appropriate gear, as they wear appropriate gear to the bike they ride.

So what are you thoughts on this topic?

 

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Well... I've seen a guy on K7 black gixxer wit t-shirt, shorts and some casual footwear. But in general most people on naked/supersports have more protective gear than someone on a classical or harley bike.

I have Shark S700S, textile jacket with armour, kevlar jeans, bikers boots with ankle support and leather gloves that go past my wrist. I don't see too often other people on 125's with that much gear on, its usually chavs in jogging bottoms... I don't care what others wear, their life... their choice. To me no gear doesn't seem "cool", a biker looks so much better in full proper gear.


I'm still thinking of what bike to buy once I pass, it also depends on my budget and how much I'll be able to save up. But if I buy a classical bike such as triumph boneville then leather jacket, casual kevlar jeans, some casual protective footwear with ankle support and black leather gloves and for the helmet something such as the Shark RAW.

IF I buy a sport such as GSXR, I'll go with 2-piece suit, full facial helmet such as Icon Airframe or Shoei GT, boots that also protect your tibia, gloves that go way past your wrist and full back protector.

There's a reason for why I would do that, I would take the sports bike to trackdays and classical I would just ride normally like a good boy.

 

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I have an AGV K3 which cost in the region of £120/£130 and I came off recently with it at about 120mph and although scuffed, the lid (and my head) have been fine. I did suffer from headaches for a couple weeks but I think that would happen with any lid if you bang your head hard enough.

I have an R6 track bike with which I have an Astars GP pro 1 piece suit, SMX plus boots and SP1 gloves - all of which did its job well I might add

Ouch, how badly injured were you? I think the protection level stops at a certain price point, then its just looks, comfort, extra features, better air vents and other features which won't protect you better during a crash. But will make your life a lot easier during your normal ride outs.

 

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What's the consensus on us lowly 125 riders? I ride everywhere in RST blade textile jacket and trousers with RST racetec boots and gloves. Spada helmet from the Honda main dealer... A few friends have passed comment 'you're only on a 125' type crap... Better safe than sorry!

Just cause its a 125 doesn't mean you won't get seriously injured if someone sideswipes you or you take a tumble going full throttle. Ignore your friends and let them kill themselves if they don't want to protect their limbs

When you're busy sliding down the road it doesn't really matter what bike you were just riding, or what your mates think, its all about whether you had the right gear on.

My sentiments entirely, I may look like a 'tard but I stand a better chance than I perhaps otherwise would... Maybe it's because I'm a bit older than your average 125 rider my mates are faggots... It'll all be just as relevant once I do my A license and get a Daytona

It's because they are stupid

Wear some decent kit no matter what,that tarmac is hard,or whatever else you hit or get hit by

I don't care what people think, the protection I have ATM should be good for now. Most of the time I'm on 30/40mph roads, occasionally on 60mph dual carriageways.

My kit: Shark S700S, Dainese Seca D-Dry with Dainese D1 G1 back protector, Daiense MiG C2 Gloves, RST Kevlar Jeans, RST boots with ankle support.

Surely this type of protection for now should be good enough? I'll buy 2 piece Dainese leathers, Spada boots that also cover tibia and gloves that go way past my wrist. When I buy another bike, so in couple months time. I ride sensible on that little 125...

We all like pictures, well I do anyway...

 

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I should get some hip armour...

http://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/196629

Or

http://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/188559

 

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Not sure if I should swap out the CE rated knee armour in my RST kevlar jeans?

 

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Regarding full kit on small bikes, if I see a guy in full leathers on a 50cc moped I'd thing "good on ya" after chuckling to myself a little

Not a lot of people think that my 125 is actually an 125, most of the time people think its the 390. I lost the front L plate as it had a DIY mounting , police don't seem to care. I had a chat with a policeman during the meetup as it came out that he also rides, he didn't even say anything about my mirrored visor.

I would the D3O is much more comfortable, it's something I keep meaning to do with my RST jeans as well.

The Dainese protectors are really light and by looking at reviews they seem to be good. RST textiles which I tried on were all heavy AF and were pretty buggy compared to Dainese. :/

 

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I hit a bollard kerb due to wearing a dark visor,went skidding down the road on my back,clear visor from now on

Plus the coppers have an excuse to pull you

At what time of the day was this? I don't wear the mirrored visor when its dark outside, mostly when the sun is out. I don't ride at night as even with a clear visor its still dangerous, bike is not a car...

BTW Its been raining all day today, it pretty heavy rain... I hope it'll not rain tomorrow, as I use the bike to commute to work.

Edit

Oh and yeah I carry my clear visor with me, I always have rucksack with me for longer rides. Only my phone and wallet fits into my textile jacket...

 

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At night it wasthe road opened up to two lanes then back to a single and I'd forgot there was a kerb there,my own fault but you get lazy when you have a dark visor I didn't carry a clear one either,copper pulled me once with it aswell and that was in the day

I only bought it cos it looked cool,but now I'll stick to clear who cares what it lookslike

But during sunny days there's nothing better than mirrored visor, its so much better than the inbuilt sun glasses.

 

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The front L plate is already back on, it was only on Friday that I didn't have it. I'm not risking 6 points for my car license to be taken off from me...

My exhaust is loud, but compared to other after market exhausts it seems sensible. I carry clear visor with me, so I can talk my way out of it and can always insert the baffle back in. But when I do insert it back in, it sounds like stock...

 

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Do mirror/iridium visors make it much darker than plain tinted then? I have a plain tinted 'track use only' visor which I couldn't do without. I don't see how it's unsafe, it's no worse than wearing sunglasses in a car (which can easily be even darker than my visor) and stops me getting blinded, particularly sunrise/sunset. Granted, sunglasses can be taken off easily in a car, but I can see everything perfectly with my dark visor...

As long as you put a clear visor on when it's dark, or dull (raining etc.) then no problems. I carry my clear visor in the winter with me as my commute home is in the dark (can't wait for that).

No, its pretty much similiar. When I had a moped 4 years ago, my visor was dark/black. Mirrored visor is just a dark visor applied with foil, once its lifted just a tiny bit you can see through it depending on what angle you look at it from outside. Have you ever seen one of those mirrors in a police station? That's how that foil on that dark visor works, so its pretty much the same.

I prefer to wear mirrored visor on a sunny day, then get blinded by the sun and crash into something...

Edit

I hate wearing sunglasses, as they always make me misjudge the distance between me and an object. This also goes for those sun glasses built into the helmet, I think they're more dangerous than the mirrored visor...

 

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Quite possibly the gayest thing ever said in this forum

they're cheap bent plastic they are not optically correct so they will affect your perception.

visors tend to be better quality/standards.

I prefer just a plain black visor

Exactly, even my aunty who is a optician she told me not to drive/ride in cheap sunglasses as they make you misjudge. She bought me a pair of sunglasses which I still have somewhere, they're a bit small now. But these weren't cheap and they don't affect my vision like other cheap sung glasses do.

I agree, I find something not quite right about it, same with sunglasses really.

I have a clear visor and never seem to have had a problem with the sun. I never wear sunglasses either though, even abroad.

I was coming back home there was a sunset, the sun was shinning straight into my eyes as I was riding towards it. Without my mirrored sun visor, I would be blinded as I refuse to use those inbuilt sun glasses.

 

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Double post

 

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I was about to buy a shark helmet when I found that deal, jumped all over it, delivery was next day too.

I like that helmet, but already got the shark. I'll go to my bike shop and try them (GT abd XR) on.