Helmets?

[airBuell]

Hello. I have a shoei and an hjc helmet, but I'm ready to get another helmet. When I bought the above helmets they were pretty expensive. After searching ebay I have found cool helmets for less than 100.00. Why are they so cheap on ebay. Are they cheap helmets? Are they cheap knock offs? Do they still protect as well as the brand name stuff?

Thanks

 

[konarider94]

what brand are these cool helmets. my experience with 100 dollar helmets are that they really suck when you get over 80mph. if it wasnt for the chin strap it would probably come right off your head. what is wrong with your shoei? those are pretty nice from what i hear.

 

[GOduc]

Ya I wouldn't feel comfortable in a $100 or less helmet. I keep my head safe

 

[oh9bolt]

SNELL approved only for me. I wear a Bell Star Contra. Wearing a "cool looking" helmet is 2nd place to safety.

 

[agfish18]

I have had experience with "cheap" helmets. typically they meet the DOT standards, some meet snell standards... depends on the helmet. Usually what I find is just poorer quality materials used. not so much in the protection category as the "extras" category. My old helmets would constantly have issues with the vent open/ close mechanism breaking off, the inner lining cracking at the base, they are very loud, shields fog up easily... etc. You can find a nice helmet for under $100 but they are few and far between. I just picked up a seven zero seven helmet for $180. So far it is way beyond my old helmets as far as quality goes... I can only imagine what the $500 shoei would be like.

 

[oh9bolt]

sportbiketrackgear.com gives good reviews for helmets. Google what a snell approval is/means. I don't recommend a sub $100 helmet which is probably dot/or ece approved only, and will break when it ISNT in a accident because of the quality materials they DON'T use. Do your research its your head/life not ours.

 

[McMurphy]

I started off with a HJC CS-R1 3 years ago, paid about $115, now they're down to like $90.

Honestly I liked it. Decent ventilation, pretty comfy, wasn't to horribly loud, and never had issues with fogging or anything.

But, it's about 3yrs old now, and after my last accident I retired it to the shelf. Just some light scuffing, and honestly you can't tell without looking at it. But, it did the job it was supposed to.

My O'Neal Tirade gets here today. hoping to like it that little bit more.

 

[noone1569]

I went down in a HJC CL-SP and fractured my jaw. . .

I now where a Shoei and Icon Variant (Icon is acutally certified to the ECE 22-05 standard which is much higher than stupid hard shell SNELL standard).

I'll never skimp on $$ for my dome again.

You know the old saying "If you have a $100 head, wear a $100 helmet."

 

[oh9bolt]

Pulled from the interweb

A DOT rating is done by the manufacturer. The empty shell of the helmet needs to withstand a 10 foot drop fall, and it has to cover the head. That is it.

It is not enough because the results of a DOT test are conducted in house and are not done with any oversight by the DOT itself. They are only randomly independently verified. So if you trust the manufacturer, and it is a major brand, a DOT rating might be safe, but again maybe not. There is just no way to know.

The part of the helmet that really protects your head is the foam on the inside of the helmet and that is not tested in a DOT test. It is the foam that compresses to take the brunt of the impact to your skull. A SNELL rated interior has been crush tested to be sure that it is the correct consistency to take the impact..... Too soft and your head will take a hit against the shell, too hard and your going to hurt your brain.

SNELL is a test done independently of the helmet maker, and the test is done on the shell AND on the liner and foam. Anything less than a SNELL rating and you are taking a chance that the helmet will not do all it can.

ECE is the Euro version of DOT, but it is slightly more tough to pass. In addition to a drop test, they to a flex and pressure test for ECE. Unlike DOT, ECE is also independently done from the helmet maker.

 

[thrstrmech]

try sparx, rated just as good as Arai and Shoei, meets and exceeds DOT, Snell, ECE

got this one to go with my "Rumble Bee"...