[Stonewheel]

Okay, after 42 helmet-less years on two wheels and the only mishap being a laydown on loose gravel in a long-ago moment of youthful exuberance, I have nonetheless arrived at a point of common sense (albeit kicking and screaming all the way lol,) and decided that maybe I've tempted fate long enough and should pop for a quality skidlid to improve my survival chances against the idiot 4-wheelers infesting the highways these days.

I'd like to say this decision is a result of the great wisdom that comes with age, but, not having seen any of said wisdom thus far , I'll say it's more likely due to the number of close calls I've managed to avoid as a medium-haul trucker averaging 2300-2800 miles a week thru the midwest. I can say for a fact I've managed to avoid a number of accidents, by being a *seriously* defensive driver, that would have been serious or even fatal (for the 4wheeler, not for me), where the auto driver "didn't see me."

This is pretty amazing, consider my rig consists of two 13' 5" tall 28-foot long pups, connected by a roughly 10-foot converter gear, stuck on the back of a day-cab type freight tractor. In other words, I'm as long as a small ranch house, and, *somehow* PEOPLE DON'T SEE ME!!! So I'm thinking if drivers can miss something that huge, a guy on a motorcycle is a mere flyspeck in comparison size-wise, and without the near-invulnerability of a 40-ton rig wrapped around me, I'm startin' to feel kinda ... well ... *vulnerable* out there.

All that said, I started researching motorcycle helmets, and have decided on one, but since 95% of you guys are experts (compared to me) at wearing helmets, I wanna tell you what conclusions I came to and ask for any/all suggestion or criticisms anyone wants to offer. ANY and all feedback appreciated, since my noggin's kinda precious to me lol ...

I decided I should find a full-face helmet that met European ECE 22.05 standards, not just Snell, and certainly higher than plain DoT. Here's a webbike world excerpt I used:

A major benefit for U.S. riders is that the ECE 22.05 standard does not directly conflict with the DOT standard. Limited testing shows that ECE qualified helmets will also meet the demands of FMVSS 218. Of course, not all DOT helmets will meet ECE 22.05 because the European standard does require testing at higher velocities than DOT.

Another advantage of the ECE 22.05 standard is the requirement for mandatory batch testing of helmets before they are released to the riding public. What this means to the consumer is the quality of the helmet in meeting the ECE 22.05 standard is assured by a mandatory sample testing of every production of helmets before they leave the factory, not with random testing performed after thousands of helmets with unknown quality are delivered to the dealers.

It also says:

Helmets certified to the ECE 22.05 standard are approved for competition events by AMA, CCS, FIM, Formula-USA and WERA and are chosen by nearly every professional motorcycle racers competing in world championship road racing, motocross and off road events, including the ultimate sport of Moto GP. Helmets that are certified to both DOT and ECE 22.05 offer the highest level of realistic protection with the added benefit of light weight for day-long comfort and rider performance.

I also factored in comfort/light weight. I know myself; if the thing is heavy, hot, and sweaty, I won't wear it. and the best helmet in the world is no help sitting home in the garage.
These helmets are both Nexx' which seems to offer the best comination of protection and comfort although like I said *ANY* suggestions/alternatives appreciated. It's a little pricey:

Open face helmets ? get open face helmets for scooters and motorcycles from nexx-usa.com which conveys comfort, design, style, versatility and safety. - Open Face Helmets | Motorcycle Helmets | Scooter Helmets

or maybe, to save a little $$:

Open face helmets ? get open face helmets for scooters and motorcycles from nexx-usa.com which conveys comfort, design, style, versatility and safety. - Open Face Helmets | Motorcycle Helmets | Scooter Helmets

I found a few others that were Ece/Dot certified but in every case they were 1-3 pounds heavier.

Sorry, this got to be a kinda long thread but I was trying to be clear on things. If you guys think my reasoning is sound that's great, or if ya think I'm on the wrong track please lemme know why. Thx guys/gals ...

 

[Fury10]

I have two that I love....
1. Icon....light weight and quiet...fits the best
2. Scorpion (Black Dahlia)...pretty light weight...quiet...very comfortable...very stylish
I would advise you to try some helmets on before ordering one. Try the brand specific one you are interested in. Every head is different and what is comfortable to me may not be to you. I like to go to industry bike shows to try before I buy.
Good luck...and I'm happy you are going this route.

 

[ogwutang]

and a large on your head, might be a medium on someone else's, and vice versa...

errr, what i should have said is, a large from one manufacturer might fit like a medium from another manufacturer, and vice versa. lol

 

[Painter]

I have a 'Skid Lid' brand 1/2 helmet and that is the only helmet I wear. It is light (the lightest DOT approved helmet) and safe IMO.

On a fury without a windshield, wind is a big factor. That's why I don't wear a visor . (the wind catches that thing and I'm worn out trying to hold my head up straight! )

My wife (the Doctor) seldom wears a helmet. (Hard to believe) When she does, she wears the 'lid' also.

The force to damage you beyond what a DOT helmet will save you would surely be too much force for any helmet period!

 

[BarFury]

"......decided that maybe I've tempted fate long enough and should pop for a quality skidlid to improve my survival chances against the idiot 4-wheelers infesting the highways these days.

ANY and all feedback appreciated, since my noggin's kinda precious to me lol

I also factored in comfort/light weight. I know myself; if the thing is heavy, hot, and sweaty, I won't wear it. and the best helmet in the world is no help sitting home in the garage. ...

Glad to see you're getting onboard with the helmet thing. I have 8 or 10 helmets, color or function-matched (road, dirt, Fury) to different machines. Let me suggest you get 2 helmets: a full or half-face for cold or inclement weather, and a "shorty" for the "local" runs and hot summer months. Myself, I have full and open-faced Shoei road helmets, and added a Bell "shorty" for the Fury. Go to leatherup.com for a full range of brands and styles at great prices. Use your wife's/girlfriend's flexible tape-measure to measure your forehead; the inch/centimeter sizes run pretty accurate.

Cheers

 

[RedspawnSilver]

Shoei makes some of the best full faced helmets on the market, but so long as they are DOT or more approved, any choice you make should be good. Also, half helmets... proven fact 70-80 % of head injuries that happen on a bike, happen to the face or frontal region, so ride more carefully if you get a half helmet of any brand! I have a half helmet and every time I wear it, I pay more attention to the idiots on the road. I also wear my full faced helmet to work everyday, because let's face it... there's more idiots on the road when when we go to work and when we come home than any other time of the day... oh, I like my face too

 

[RedspawnSilver]

Use your wife's/girlfriend's flexible tape-measure to measure your forehead; the inch/centimeter sizes run pretty accurate.

Cheers

Ditto, go by the size of your forehead, mark it down... this will allow you to buy from anywhere, so long as you know "your size"...

 

[BarFury]

Stonewheel;

I just noticed a banner at the bottom of the helmet lock thread, announcing that LeatherUp is offering 50% off on all their helmets. Talk about your timing!

Cheers

 

[RedspawnSilver]

Stonewheel;

I just noticed a banner at the bottom of the helmet lock thread, announcing that LeatherUp is offering 50% off on all their helmets. Talk about your timing!

Cheers

... always interesting.... who's sig? ... just an fyi... I have 3 helmets of my own... just remember how big your noggin is

nm... just read above...

 

[macxpert]

Helmets and Australian Standards

Down under we have our own standard which is supposed to be the toughest in the world and includes both DOT and EU standards. The good part about our standards is that they are strictly enforced and all helmets are tested at random from each batch, so if a manufacturer tries to get an approval on a sample and then make cheaper helmets for production and gets caught he looses approval for every helmet he makes. The manufacturer is then forced to remove all stock from the stores and then has to have every thing re tested. Not to mention some huge fines.

I have seen some helmets with both DOT and AS stickers (Icon was one of the brands), these should be a good bet for you. Personally I always wear a full face helmet as I want the maximum protection I can get. Good helmets have plenty of vents and don't really get hot and sweaty even in summer with 40 deg C temps and 95% humidity.

As the other folks have said, try them on before you buy. They are all a bit different.

 

[RedspawnSilver]

Motorcycle Helmet Weights - webBikeWorld

Just click on the individual helmets for a full review.

Any news on the wire wheels ???

Only a weight comparision from that clicky unless u click on the helmet... which, if you went through all of them... would take a long time... just an observation...

 

[RedspawnSilver]

One of my primary concerns has always been helmet weight and if you reread Stonewheel's post he has mentioned that as one of his as well. No need to click the heavier ones .

ah... ... I just go by feel personally so I missed this point...

 

[tdebeers]

Stone,
If you can ware a small I have four extra helmets. ! full face the other three are 3/4. You pay for the shipping and you can have whichever one you want.
T

 

[Stonewheel]

Thx for the offer TD

Stone,
If you can ware a small I have four extra helmets. ! full face the other three are 3/4. You pay for the shipping and you can have whichever one you want.
T

That's very generous of you TD, and I want you to know I appreciate it. Unfortunately, apparently I have a great big head lol ... I can't see it in a mirror, but my hat size (and I assume helmet size) is in the 61-63 cm range, (XL, maybe high end of L) depending on how I hold the tape.

Very decent of you though; many thx

 

[tdebeers]

That's very generous of you TD, and I want you to know I appreciate it. Unfortunately, apparently I have a great big head lol ... I can't see it in a mirror, but my hat size (and I assume helmet size) is in the 61-63 cm range, (XL, maybe high end of L) depending on how I hold the tape.

Very decent of you though; many thx

No worries.
T

 

[BarFury]

As an a priori principle, avoid any helmet whose main shell constituent is poly-carbonate, as opposed to composite. Poly-carbonate does not absorb energy, but mearly transmits it, essentially unaltered, to the liner, and thence to the skull. Composite shells, by contrast, begin to absorb energy upon first contact, self-destructing and absorbing energy. Any remaining energy, greatly diminished, is then passed to the liner. A poor-man's demonstration of this is the fact that you can "dribble" a poly-carb, from a considerable heigth; the same test on a composite will result in a "mushing" fracture. There's a reason why poly-carbs can't achieve a Snell rating. Check it out!

Cheers

 

[Adirondack_Furian]

I wear a Scorpion Exo-100 series helmet. It is not a full face helmet and is styled somewhat like the Kevlar helmets the military wears. It has an integrated face shield that can be moved up inside the helmet. I like it because it provides more protection than the really short skid lids, I can easily raise and lower the face shield without removing the helmet and it is not as heavy as a full face shield.

 

[BarFury]

I wear a Scorpion Exo-100 series helmet. It is not a full face helmet and is styled somewhat like the Kevlar helmets the military wears. It has an integrated face shield that can be moved up inside the helmet. I like it because it provides more protection than the really short skid lids, I can easily raise and lower the face shield without removing the helmet and it is not as heavy as a full face shield.

Ya, I was interested in those also. Cool helmet, IMNSHO.

Cheers

 

[Stonewheel]

Lotsa good info thx

Apreciate the many suggestions; have checked them out and gotten a lot of usable criteria for helmet selection. For anyone interested, I've finally narrowed down to two based on what I decided were two most important criteria to me, with a 3rd close behind: Certification; weight; and then peripheral vision. Two helmets seem best and I'll have to choose between them; the Nexx XR1R, and Akuma Phantom. They are the 4th and 3rd lightest helmets ever tested by webbikeworld respectively, and both are ECE 2205 & DoT certified. On the certification thing, because of the debate raging amongst professionals in the helmet field over the efficacy of the snell 2205 standard, I decided to go with ECE and DoT together as my certification requirement. My understanding is the new Snell 2010 standard will be a very positive certification change; it's apparently too new to be seen yet in conjunction with ECE *and* DoT together. Apparently it'll be the way to go in the near future.

The Nexx was lauded as nearly lightest and with the best eyeport/peripheral vision of wbw's tested helmets so I'm leaning towards it. The akuma's is slightly lighter apparently but the vision thing is enough to swing me toward the Nexx. Disadvantage: few Nexx dealers in the U.S. yet; only a handful of states. I'll probably have to order and try one and return for exchange if size is off, which nexx is supposedly good about if it hasn't been used over the road. Hate to do it this way but don't see an alternative at this time.

Both are good looking but neutral styles; I like a lotta the wild graphics these days but they strike me mostly as kids styles, and I myself need to stay with the old-geezer motif to be comfortable. Here's a couple links; I haven't decided which one yet so any feedback positive or negative always appreciated:

Open face helmets ? get open face helmets for scooters and motorcycles from nexx-usa.com which conveys comfort, design, style, versatility and safety. - Open Face Helmets | Motorcycle Helmets | Scooter Helmets

Akuma Helmets Official Website

I wish Akuma had seen fit to put the two LED's in the rear vents of the phantom that they have in their other models, which strikes me as a particularly good idea for nighttime visibility, but they didn't. Might've swayed me toward the Akuma.

 

[BarFury]

Thanks, Gar, for researching and posting the video on the Scorpion Exo-100 helmet. I kinda had the hots for one, but ordered a Bell shell instead. I don't need another helmet (got too many already), but I think I'll order one of these anyway; I'm a sucker for technology!

Cheers