For new riders looking for a cheap helmet.

hlxbravo

hlxbravo

hlxbravo

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Joined
6 May 2006
Posts
1,107
Location
Rowley Regis, West Midlands
We all know funds can be tight when first starting out, what with multiple tests, getting a bike, insuring and taxing it....thats before you even look at getting all the right gear and no doubt we will all try and save a few pennies here and there .....
Remember that £30 or £40 helmet you saw...a bargain surely ?

Tested

Never ever scrimp on a helmet. Sure, you don't need a £700 one to do the job right...but if you buy a cheap Chinese one, I wouldn't even keep the receipt, God forbid if you come off, you may not be in any fit state to ask for a refund!
 
Helmet hammer test
Click to expand...

I'm not Googling that. :eek: + :p


Great vid that mate, You'd never expect it to react like that unless you saw it.
I got a 170 quid HJC protecting my head that I got a 50 quid discount on so 120. :cool:
 
Blimey!

Makes me shiver at the thought of what I had on my head from a scooter rental in Laos...I think it was probably purely aesthetic (despite being pretty hideous).
 
Just ask yourself the question.

If you woke up after a crash. Lying in hospital not being able to speak but conscious of things around you. How much would you pay to be "Normal" again.

I have an uncle who has been in a coma for 4yrs after being knocked off his bike.

I also lost my best mate to street furniture. Helmet cracked wide open.
 
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you can pickup some decent cheap helmets,they aren't all Chinese rubbish

only paid £70 for my airoh and its decent,also used a few avg helmets in the past
 
About the cheapest I'd ever go (and my usual choice of model) is the original style Caberg V2. Costs just over £100. Co-incidentally, most Cabergs score 5 stars on the Sharp rating. Better than can be said for Arai...
 
hlxbravo said:
We all know funds can be tight when first starting out, what with multiple tests, getting a bike, insuring and taxing it....thats before you even look at getting all the right gear and no doubt we will all try and save a few pennies here and there .....
Remember that £30 or £40 helmet you saw...a bargain surely ?

Tested

Never ever scrimp on a helmet. Sure, you don't need a £700 one to do the job right...but if you buy a cheap Chinese one, I wouldn't even keep the receipt, God forbid if you come off, you may not be in any fit state to ask for a refund!
Click to expand...

Its a good post and test, but your conclusions are wrong.

The helmet that did well was still only a £50 helmet.

The one that didn't probably wasn't a great deal cheaper, but didn't have any Sharp rating or passed any tests, hence why trading standards are seizing them.

So the outcome is make sure you buy a genuine helmet that has the relevant Sharp test, and not one off the back of a lorry / ebay.

You absolutely do not need to spend £700 on a helmet, and if you think that money is going towards safety you're wrong. It will be a better, lighter and more comfortable helmet for sure, but it won't necessarily by any safer.

My helmet is a £460 Schuberth C3, but scores lower than the £50 one in that test. It is comfy and light though.....and when you're wearing it all day it might make the chance of crashing less due to being less fatigued....perhaps.
 
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I've just purchased a cheap helmet - a Box BX-1 which cost ~£40. It does score 4/5 on the SHARP test, and sure may not be the best looking, lightest, comfiest etc. but it is a cheap, and going on the SHARP test, safe helmet.

Cheap does not necessarily mean bad or unsafe - but definitely do your research and make sure the helmet fits well.
 
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Is the situation the same for motorbike helmets and bicycle helmets in terms of protection degradation over time?

I'm not sure if it's a marketing ploy, but my bicycle helmet suggested replacing it within two years due to the materials used degrading, thus reducing the protection provided.

Any truth to this?
 
I bought an X-lite 603. It's a discontinued model but it's still retailing for nearly £279 in a couple of places, picked it up for £150.
 
It's the inner foam and lining that tends to degrade more than the shells. Composite shells especially should retain their integrity for a long time.
 
Might be a good thread on its own.
What helmet do you wear and what's it like to live with...?

I have a Shark S600.
It was £140 but I got a discount to £80 because the colours fade in direct sunlight.
Mine is the moonlight (yellow and black) version and it's not faded yet.
It's comfortable and has removable liner, takes a pinlock insert but is a bit noisy.
SHARP rating: 4/5
 
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