Hi,
I was wondering what the best helmet would be to get for a beginner? There are a few I really like, and would be pretty awesome, to get something that looks pretty futuristic.
Cheers,
John

Any of the majors, Arai, Shoei, AGV etc offer the best combination of comfort and protection but at a price. The main thing is to try helmets on. You want it to be comfortable. It's no use buying a flashy helmet and then realize you hate wearing it.

Mad

There's no way of knowing if a cheap one offers a lot less protection than an expensive one. I'd say if it's easy to put on and fits just right when new, it will soon be too loose. The padding squashes down and a too loose helmet is kind of floppy and doesn't feel secure to me. It's hard to know what size is best until you've worn the lid for 30 minutes and even harder to know what will fit securely after using it a month. I'd suggest trying some cheapies that you can often find online for under $50. There are many cheap helmets that look great and probably are close to as good of protection as you're going to get as long as they are DOT approve. If you want to drop $600, wait until you have a good idea of how to choose a helmet. Various brands fit different shaped heads though, so don't rely on the size alone. Visibility is different among various brands as well. I would find out what you like and dislike in various helmets before spending big.

I got this one for ...I think it was $16. Looks great fits good now after a few years of using it. I knew it was much too small but for $16, it's an inexpensive way to learn what's good and bad in a helmet. The visor pops open when I turn my head at high speed and the peripheral visibility is somewhat more limited because of the padding. i still like it best because it fits my head so well after a few hundred hours of pain on my ears. This thing won't move now though I have to be careful not to turn my head at high speed. Air seems to flow over it very well--no pulling my head around.

This one was $600. Comfortable and good visibility but too big for my head. I hate wearing it now. Also seems to be pulled around by airflow worse than other helmets.

The more expensive helmets like Shoei and Arie have a few dif sized shells to accommodate the range of sizes they offer. Other helmets have one size shell and make up the size dif with more or less padding and foam.

Hey Bikernewb
When I started riding the dealer i purchased my bike from tossed in a zox helmet but the helmet put too much pressure
on my forehead so i purchased a Shoei helmet and that was very comfortable and affordable. I now use 2 AGV GP tech helmets and alternate with them depending on which pattern i wanna wear. Just remember don't buy a cheap piece of crap it could be the difference between life and death in an accident.

Snuffy

* Last updated by: SnuffyZX on 2/2/2016 @ 4:39 PM *

Just remember don't buy a cheap piece of crap it could be the difference between life and death in an accident.

It just might be. There should be more hard evidence out there but I'm sure it is very hard to test without using live test subjects. They can't just stick a mellon in a helmet and toss it out the window or hit the helmet with a hammer to see how hard of a blow the helmet will withstand. You can suffer fatal head injuries without breaking anything. All it takes is your head to reflect off of something abruptly enough to bounce the brain against the inside of the skull real hard. It's either a bruised brain or a busted brain. From what if your head hits an immovable object at 25 mph or more, you will most likely die with a helmet or without. Fortunately, your reflexes play a big part in protecting your head.

HJC and Scorpion make terrific helmets at a much better price point for beginners. They both pass all the same tests the more expensive helmets have to pass.

I was a rep for Helmet House in the 70s . My understanding of a helmets' job was that it was to diminish the force from a blow to the head. Snell was for a very long time, the recognized leader in Helmet test acceptance. After the Hurt study of 900, IIRC, MC accidents, opinions were split as to whether the Snell test used too high a strike force on its' tests. It seems most accidents involved more of a glancing blow which while still disastrous , did not reach the force of teh Snell limits. What this meant was that in most cases the Snell Approved helmet , instead of absorbing force was transmitting force to the head , much like the very early "plastic" helmets did. The BSI and European equivalent of the Snell have lessened teh impact force limits so that the helmet liner could be constructed to be more affective in stopping the shock from reaching the head .
I have worn Shoei helmets 90% of my riding time . On occasion, I have tried a half dozen other brands. If you Google helmet construction and helmet shape, you can get enough information to put you fast asleep..
Bottom line for me is Fit , composite construction and finish.
Here is teh type of article I think you should read before buying any helmet..
Revzilla on Helmets

I've always bought HJC. Idk how good they are safety wise but I think they're pretty affordable and they have cool designs. I would like to have a shoei or arai or something but I can't bring myself to spend the money on it. Not when I have other expensive hobbies that I can put that money towards.

Interesting about the Snell certification.

Still can't get on a drag strip (around here) without Snell certification and
they check every time.

Do they not constantly update the standards for the Snell rating, like
latest snell 2015, wouldn't they take findings and follow recommendations
for the new ratings?

Snell has always been my baseline for a helmet. Has to be Snell certified or I won't
consider it. Just about anything can get a DOT certificate.

Then again I really do not know that much about helmets.

You'll end up trying several so don't over think it, just find one you like and go for it. I would recommend a Bell rs-1, there extremely comfortable and priced nice.

Most helmets offer a high level of protection. Snell (often skipped due to the licensing fees), DOT (which agreed isn't difficult to get but it is good to see), ECE (similar to Snell, maybe better), are all good certifications for a helmet to have.

Why does one helmet cost $600 and one $200? Most of it is in the features of the helmet. More expensive helmets are going to normally be quieter, have more features, features that work easier or better, made of more exotic materials, lighter, maybe more comfortable with more expensive liner foam, more aerodynamic etc. I imagine overall when it comes to markup the higher end helmets probably have a wider profit margin than low or middle income helmets. Or basically, it might cost $75 to make a $200 helmet and it cost $150 to make a $700 helmet.

So don't get caught up that a $700 Arai will proect your head better than a $175 HJC.

The most important thing is that you get a helmet that's comfortable and fits property. Different manufacturers have slightly differnt fits and sizes. I suggest trying some cheaper helmets to determine which type of helmets tend to fit you best (oval, round head, etc.)

In SoCal not only do the track's require DOT/Snell but the date stamp of the Snell also - if the bucket is older than 5 yrs, better get a new one....

Cruderudy.. Same here in the Noth for up to date Snell certified if you are going to take it on a track.

It's NHRA that sets the requirements for SNELL ratings and
they expire every 12 years from the SNELL Certification date.

NHRA Helmet expiration dates

SNELL 2005 -> expires 2017
SNELL 2010 -> expires 2022
SNELL 2015 -> expires 2027

Thanks Piken Didn't know that about NHRA and Snell ratings!

determine your head shape. Go to revzilla.com and pick out a few helmets in your budget with high ratings. Watch a few videos to find one that fits your head shape. I was a diehard Shoei fan till a few years ago. Started getting pressure points. Tried a Bell shaped for an oval head, and it's a huge improvement in comfort and safety.

Think about the cost of faceshield replacement. Arai's shield is expensive. I have a Quantum/e that I love. The single air vent on top blew off. The vent uses double sticky tape. Last week the tiny black clamp piece fell off the shield-held in place with a tiny screw-$45.
I wear glasses so I bought a C3 Schuberth helmet. It's nice to talk, get a drink of water without removing your helmet. I like the D-ring strap on the Arai more than the ratcheting buckle on C3.
Arai has cool graphics.

You can buy cheap helmets at the same store where the sell cheap parachutes!

You really shouldn't buy a plastic (polycarbonate) helmet, they bounce on impact and don't absorb shock like fiberglass which provides a second crush zone.

NO helmet, $75 or $750 will protect you if you don't wear it!!!

Helmets can't protect a direct impact much above 12-13 mph. The helmet can't decelerate your brain cavity slow enough to prevent shearing force, you only have about one inch of padding and glass to slow things down.

I will repeat what I said before, NO helmet will protect you if you don't wear it!!!

Rook that reminds me of the old South Park episode about the slapping father.

Honestly, Ive had cheaper helmets (HJC and Joe Rocket), midrange helmets (Icon Airmada), and expensive helmets (Shoei and Arai). I really feel that the current quality of the lower end and even midrange helmets EASILY surpasses what was top of the line 5-7 years ago.

I would buy another Joe Rocket (made by HJC) at closeout for 90 bucks - two years ago; or the Icon Airmada I bought last year for $190 over a shoei or Arai. My shoei was almost 400 on closeout, and my arai was cheap because I bought it from a dealer going out of business; but it would have been 800+. The Airmada is just as good IMHO.

First and foremost, get what FITS PROPERLY. Then spend as much as you can, but keep in mind that over 3-400 your just spending on the name (mostly).

This article below sold me on the airmada. well, that and the fact that my friend has one and I checked his out.
They do fit tight, so you may need a size larger than normal. OR you may need to order a different size cheek pad once you find a shell that fits. (this is more common than poeple realize) and why Arai want you to buy in a store so a helmet can be properly fitted which INCLUDES proper inner pad sizing. Both my Arai and Icon fit too tight with the supplied cheek pads, but are perfect after swapping them for ones that are 5mm smaller.

https://rideapart.com/articles/gear-icon-airmada-helmet

read that article, and its the last line that got me. Quote: "At $180, why would you buy anything else? Heck, I can get any helmet I want for free and I’m still choosing to wear this budget Icon. Not just one of the best deals out there, one of the best helmets out there, full stop."

* Last updated by: rod442 on 3/19/2016 @ 3:28 AM *

Rod442 is EXACTLY correct when he says make sure it fits correctly. Few things are more uncomfortable than a helmet that doesn't fit right. Lots of different helmet and head shapes, get the one that is right for you. Also, like a lot of things, a helmet has to break-in before it gets really comfortable. Revzilla has some good videos on helmets that are worth watching if you are interested.

Very happy with my HJC IS-16 straight black that has a flip down sunvisor underneath... lessens the sun and gives an extra bit of wind protection when riding at slow speeds with the visor flipped up.

I agree that SNELL ratings are not always better - they were designed to test to 2 hits, not one... I remember reading a very interesting article on helmets - they did a comprehensive test on the certifications -DOT up through SNELL. Surprise, surprise, the average plain, lowly DOT helmet actually provided better G protection (that is, lower G forces measured) inside when hit by a single impact force. The SNELL helmets are designed almost too hard? Because they are designed to take a multiple hit... really all I am worried about is the first hit on the ground or against the car...

Just like the oil article, I believe that much of it is in marketing and brand name. Go on a rated helmet that you will wear.

Check out this Australian site for good ratings. My lowly "DOT only" IS-16 rated a higher crash rating than the Arai's and Shoei's tested.

http://www.crash.org.au/ratings.php

Sport rider had a very interesting write up on these guys this month. I am intrigued with the design but definitely would need to try one on to see how well it fits my head before I would consider taking the plunge. Figured I would share: http://www.6dhelmets.com/

* Last updated by: danfzx14 on 3/23/2016 @ 11:38 AM *

I cracked my icon airframe in my track day crash

and I just now bought a torc T10 prodigy in gloss black

my wife where is the same model so we will match (lol
This is by no means a high dollar helmet but I love the futuristic look at it and it's good enough for me