Are more expensive Motorcycle Helmets really any safer?

[Fred W]

Here's an Interesting find online that will not make the Schuberth fans happy.

 

[Mr Bill]

Do you want snell or dot rating?

Oh wait Fred needs a helmet with an air snorkel rating

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Soon there will be questions about how the data was gathered, the criteria, the reliability/integrity of the study, etc.

I wear a helmet to protect myself. Since the fact that I will wear a helmet is set in stone, I spend a few extra dollars for a helmet that fits, feels, functions, and vents in such a way to insure my comfort and happiness. I wear Shoei and Nolan helmets for that reason. If the Schuberth worked as well or better for me, I would spend that extra money. For now, it does not.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Good post and link Fred.

Now if only I could try on all those brands at my local store...

 

[RJAMT]

Soon there will be questions about how the data was gathered, the criteria, the reliability/integrity of the study, etc.
I wear a helmet to protect myself. Since the fact that I will wear a helmet is set in stone, I spend a few extra dollars for a helmet that fits, feels, functions, and vents in such a way to insure my comfort and happiness. I wear Shoei and Nolan helmets for that reason. If the Schuberth worked as well or better for me, I would spend that extra money. For now, it does not.

Hey! Let's not bring logic into this. How will it degenerate into the mud-slinging, insult trading rant it should be if you do that!

Here let me start.

Nolan sucks!

Shoei rulez!!

 

[drc32-0]

Very interesting reading,especially since I just bought Shoei Neotec.The Caberg Trip was the highest rated modular helmet in the article,but looking around the net it gets some bad reviews from owners.Good reviews from magazines though.

The Marushin would get some looks...https://m.dhgate.com/product/marushin-sportbike-motorcycle-helmet-c609/215106819.html#pd-112

 

[LKLD]

I doubt anyone here has a "cheap" helmet. Maybe not spending $500+, but doubt anyone going for the <$100 types. But, in case there are, they should watch this



Went from Arai to Shoei, and I have no idea how they would handle a serious fall/accident, as I haven't had one (knocking on wood).

Their fit and finish are top notch, and they pass most, if not all, safety ratings. So in reality, I'm hoping they'll hold up.

 

[PhilJet09]

I get what the article is saying, but I don't buy a more expensive helmet because I think it's safer than a more moderately priced one. I buy a premium helmet because it's lighter and my neck is old and getting crunchy. I buy it because it has more features that I want. I buy it because it fits my face better the cheaper ones. I buy it because it's more aerodynamic and quiet than the lower priced ones. Safety aside, in most cases you still get what you pay for.

 

[Gaoler]

I think a helmet that's too cheap is probably not worth buying at all.

I just bought a Shoei GT AIR. $800, but it fits great and is light. I bought a flat solid colour (black) so it cost about $150 less than one with ghey graphics.

I'm okay with that as graphics won't help in a fall.

It puzzles me that some guys riding $20k bikes sweat over spending $500 on a skid-lid...

 

[stose85]

It puzzles me that some guys riding $20k bikes sweat over spending $500 on a skid-lid...

This ^

I'm ashamed to say I once owned an KBC thinking they were similar to HJC, but clearly they were not. There was a recall on the shield mechanism because it would break causing your shield to blast off of your helmet at highway speeds....yes it happened to me, and yes it scared the every living daylights out of me as well.

My first helmet was a Bell, but it was entry level with few features. After the KBC I upgraded to my current Scorpion EXO-1100 which is comfortable and middle of the road on the safety side. It appears my next helmet is going to be a Bell or a Shoei (very surprised at how light they are!)

Good article Fred!

 

[PapaUtah]

Best helmet is the one you will wear. You can buy the absolute best rated helmet but if it fits like crap you will not be wearing nor enjoying the ride. While I enjoy the star rating I would rather see a distribution of the scores for all of the helmets. I think in reality they will all cluster near the mean with little variation if they meet DOT/Snell requirements with a few outliers in the tails. Based on the animation I do not know the difference between 2 and 4 stars other than its 2 stars.

I think the most sage advice is to get a helmet that fits your noggin' as close to perfect as you can get it and wear the damn thing every time you swing your leg over your saddle.

 

[2fjr]

Klim is coming out with an extremely light helmet very soon. Maybe out already, I didn't look at their website. I think it's carbon fiber and includes a photo sensitive shield that darkens in the sun. This thing is the lightest helmet I have ever picked up. It might make me give up my Shoei Neotec!

 

[jmgrif]

https://www.southbayriders.com/forums/threads/152354/ This guy rides very well! If he has the most expensive helmet that money can buy so what! If he has an accident or falls off at speed he will peel off tremendous amounts of flesh? Infection may set in and kill him? Or not? His helmet won't mean squat? Buy the best gear you can afford and ride within your limits! ATTGATT!

 

[2degreesout]

If it's good enough for Jack

 

[Denver_FJR]

From the article:

Apparently an 80s commerical for the helmet manufacturer Bell bore the slogan: "If you've got a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet". Nowadays it's a deeply-ingrained and widely accepted idea among bikers that it's worth spending a lot of money on your headgear.

Deeply ingrained? Speaking only for myself I never thought so. And looking at the price vs safety rating doesn't give me the impression of a strong correlation between price and safety.

I wonder how many folks buy a poor fitting expensive helmet thinking it's safer than a great fitting cheaper helmet.

Does anyone really think one mfg's EPS is better than anothers?

 

[Gmann]

Sharps ratings are interesting. I looked to see the 5 star modulars (system). The Xlite Evoline 3 was rated 5 stars but the face guard remained fully locked only 57% of the time...My helmet the Neotrec was 93%. I'm thinking I would like my helmet chin guard to stay locked in an accident more than 50% of the time......

P.S. My girlfriends cheap modular has the same rating as the Neotec for 2/3 less $. And I thought I was just a cheap bastard!

Great article. Thanks for posting Fred

 

[N4HHE]

My first helmet was a Bell, but it was entry level with few features.

My first helmet was a Grant's Dept Store store brand. About $20. Flat face shields with 5 button clips were about $1.

Then I upgraded to a full face Bell! About $60 IIRC. Used the same generic flat face shields. Seems there was only one model of Bell full-face, and one model open-face back in 1975. This was genuine original Bell, before Mr. Bell got p.o.'ed about competition from "unfair imports". I don't know why companies keep buying the name and folding, then someone else buys the name. Don't know why one would try to sell a premium motorcycle helmet with the Bell brand when the bicycle aisle at Walmart is full of low quality Chinese junk with exactly the same licensed logo.

Currently wear a Shoei RF1100 on street, a Thor SuperLite II off-road (must research a replacement, I love this helmet but its getting old). Was wearing an Arai Signet in 1998. Later an HJC AC10 but that didn't last long because its more round-head and pressed on my forehead. An AC-X1 fit perfectly off-road and I wore one until its liners were coming apart.

Just for laughs I wish I still had the Bell. Still have the Arai and HJC's.

 

[redneckj]

Is this the proper way to test a helmet?

 

[900gc]

Nice find Fred, things that make you go hmmmm... Interesting that Arai landed where it did considering their advertising makes them sound like they are the last word in helmets.

I bought a Zeus ZS-3000 flip front 4 years ago, having been touted to be the only modular to have passed Snell (the S-M shell size). Nice helmet for the $195 I paid on flee-bay.