Best helmet on the market??
- Thread starter blanc
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swazi_matt
Active member
I have recently been doing a bit of research on this, and it obviously depends on your budget, but for enduros the list from most expensive (more or less) down would be (in my opinion):
arai
shoei
Bell moto 8
klim f4 (especially if you ride in hot areas)
Thor force composite (this is what i ended up with, got a good closeout deal on 2010 stock)
Airoh
evs takt (this is wht i was going for, but no stock until dec)
scott
think the prices range from about $700 down to 200.
anything under 200 you generally looking at polycarbonate shell
I was looking for good ventilation so anything with minimal vents i ignored. Was also ordering online so not too keen to take a chance ordering above 250
arai
shoei
Bell moto 8
klim f4 (especially if you ride in hot areas)
Thor force composite (this is what i ended up with, got a good closeout deal on 2010 stock)
Airoh
evs takt (this is wht i was going for, but no stock until dec)
scott
think the prices range from about $700 down to 200.
anything under 200 you generally looking at polycarbonate shell
I was looking for good ventilation so anything with minimal vents i ignored. Was also ordering online so not too keen to take a chance ordering above 250
cyclecat
New member
I just bought an Airoh Stelt. Looks like it will stand the test of time AND it's very light. I'll be wearing it for the first time this weekend.
My Troy Lee Designs is a very good helmet. I have a buddy that could tear up a steel ball with a rubber hammer. He's been through 8 bikes and 3 surgeries but his Troy Lee helmet survived.
My Troy Lee Designs is a very good helmet. I have a buddy that could tear up a steel ball with a rubber hammer. He's been through 8 bikes and 3 surgeries but his Troy Lee helmet survived.
socalgasgas
New member
Arai just gives helmets and Airoh gives helmets and paychecks. Thats why they wear them.
ramcclure200
Gold Level Site Supporter
I have one Hebo CF and still love it, I have a bum neck and needed something light for short or long rides. The helmet has held up well and so has the head liner after 100's of wash cycles.
Vindicator
New member
Hi Guys,
the first thing I do when evaluating my options for an helmet is to check the Snell certification (http://www.smf.org/. If it meets this criteria I then move along to all the other items I consider important for my standards.
The way I see it, and having tried a couple of helmets along the way, weight is not a decisive factor on my choice , I tend to build the notion that very low weight helmets are missing something...I know this might be considered controversial but I had quite a few examples that more or less lead me to this conclusion. Back in my youth days,
, when riding 50cc Yamaha I had 2 helmets, both from Nolan, one a full face and another (later) a replica of Edi Orioli's Dakar race helmet. Edi's was much heavier than the full face and the difference in absorbing the hits was astonishing at the time. For sure this was due to materials used on the outer and inside shell, much different from the plastic used on the full face.
I now ride with a FOX V3 and the weight difference to Edi's Nolan is not that significant but the constructions and materials used is light years ahead.
Comparing my V3 to an Airoh in terms of weight reminds me of the 2 Nolans I had in the past, I don't mean to bash Airoh but just the other day I was reading on a KTM forum in Portugal that someone's Airoh fell of the bike and simply cracked...
. Like I said, I don't mean to bash Airoh or any other helmet low weight helmet but I feel they are missing something...
Arai in my perspective are top of the line simply because there's no difference between the helmet you buy at the store and the one pro riders use in races, except for the collors. This says it all.
my 2 cents
the first thing I do when evaluating my options for an helmet is to check the Snell certification (http://www.smf.org/. If it meets this criteria I then move along to all the other items I consider important for my standards.
The way I see it, and having tried a couple of helmets along the way, weight is not a decisive factor on my choice , I tend to build the notion that very low weight helmets are missing something...I know this might be considered controversial but I had quite a few examples that more or less lead me to this conclusion. Back in my youth days,
, when riding 50cc Yamaha I had 2 helmets, both from Nolan, one a full face and another (later) a replica of Edi Orioli's Dakar race helmet. Edi's was much heavier than the full face and the difference in absorbing the hits was astonishing at the time. For sure this was due to materials used on the outer and inside shell, much different from the plastic used on the full face. I now ride with a FOX V3 and the weight difference to Edi's Nolan is not that significant but the constructions and materials used is light years ahead.
Comparing my V3 to an Airoh in terms of weight reminds me of the 2 Nolans I had in the past, I don't mean to bash Airoh but just the other day I was reading on a KTM forum in Portugal that someone's Airoh fell of the bike and simply cracked...
. Like I said, I don't mean to bash Airoh or any other helmet low weight helmet but I feel they are missing something...Arai in my perspective are top of the line simply because there's no difference between the helmet you buy at the store and the one pro riders use in races, except for the collors. This says it all.
my 2 cents
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I got my Airoh from dirtbike express in the UK.
Do not be fooled by the light weight. They are a good quality helmet and pass the British standard which many consider to be better than the snell standard, which many consider to be deeply flawed.
If one cracked from a simple drop I am sure it was from previous damage or a defect.
The Airoh you can buy is the same as the ones the pros wear.
Do not be fooled by the light weight. They are a good quality helmet and pass the British standard which many consider to be better than the snell standard, which many consider to be deeply flawed.
If one cracked from a simple drop I am sure it was from previous damage or a defect.
The Airoh you can buy is the same as the ones the pros wear.
nhrider
Silver Level Site Supporter
Do remember that helmets have a life span of about 3-5 years.
I have an HJC that's about 6 yrs old, it is an average model. I just recently tried on a Fly helmet (average model) just for kicks. It felt good and much lighter then the HJC. The technology has made some of these lower models lighter and less expensive.
I have an HJC that's about 6 yrs old, it is an average model. I just recently tried on a Fly helmet (average model) just for kicks. It felt good and much lighter then the HJC. The technology has made some of these lower models lighter and less expensive.
It seems to me that one of the most important criteria is how it fits. Lets face it peoples heads are not created equal. Unfortunately there is no place near me that I could try on a dozen different brands, however one cycle shop had several and I found that some of the high dollar brands were not shaped at all like my head and were uncomfortable. Some of the others were like a pillow and I'm not sure if that makes it safer or not. I decided to go with the old school reliable helmet brand that I had as a kid so I ordered a Bell. It fit just like the 3 or 4 others I have had in the past, one of which definitely saved my life in a street bike meets drunk drivers auto encounter.
dank
New member
Vindicator
New member
I see your point and I cannot for sure say this wasn't the case, might be that the helmet was already damaged.
Regarding UK standards, do they enforce independent testing on the helmets or is just like DOT standards that are just guidelines for helmet safety ? In Snell's case you can only have the sticker if the helmet was tested .
Here is a link to a post with pics of an Airoh helmet after a crash he is still alive so i guess it did it's job. Didn't sound like that bad of crash but the damage to the helmet was pretty bad.I tried to copy paste the pics but it would not let me.
http://www.dirtrider.net/forums3/showthread.php?t=180081&page=2&pp=10
http://www.dirtrider.net/forums3/showthread.php?t=180081&page=2&pp=10
