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The Helmet Hype?

Ghost8475

Ghost8475

New member
Joined
Nov 15, 2010
Location
Sacramento
Moto(s)
2007 Honda CBR600rr
So, I have asked a couple people about what helmet they wear, and what they would want to wear (if they already don't). And the general consensus is either Arai, or Shoei (depending on your heads shape). So my question is is there really a huge difference between lets say an 800$ Arai, and a 300$ Scorpion? I know that they are made out of different materials, and are different brands. But I thought that if they are both DOT / SNELL certified, then one is just as good as the other, am I wrong? Has Arai / Shoei been around long enough so that they have a brand basis (like A* or Dainese) and can charge what they want for there products with out making them any better than the lower priced brands?
I ask this because I am looking into getting another helmet (nothing wrong with my current, I just am wanting to upgrade from my Scorpion to an Arai, but if there is no difference, then I am not going to).
Let me know what BARF thinks about this, I am really curious to see what the mob believes.

- Ghost
Nick
 
Icon was rated to be just as good as Arai recently. A lot of other helmets are very decently priced and if it's good enough for a pro racer it's good enough for me.
 
i hi-sideded @ treeple degit speeds wear'n a scorpyan hulmet... my brain be affacted not so much.
 
Fwiw, I happen to own both the $899 arai (La Ducati Day raffle prize-WOOT!) and the $200 scorpion mentioned. Heavy and noisy among other dislikes if I was comparing but most likely just as safe if involved in an accident.
 
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I've had good luck with the very light carbon kali helmet...definitely good value too. [edit: I bought after trying on the Arai corsair I was intending on buying for quite a bit more! It just fit better and was lighter...not to mention cheaper]
 
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i wear an O'Neal... used to have an Icon. i like the O'neal much better in terms of fit and finish. I wanna get a Reevu MSX1.
 
Ghost8475 said:
:rofl
That or you got your edumucation from the souf
Click to expand...

in all seriousness, i have crash tested both a scorpion & HJC helmet with unequivocally positive results- I'm talkin' head-first, high speed wrecks with no injuries. Although, I noticed the 'quick release' visor feature on the scorpion also means that your visor is the first thing to fly off in a crash.

The 'quick release' feature sounds like something you'd expect to hear at a japanese massage parlor but it's actually meant to make swapping your clear visor out for a tinted one much easier. Now the only down side of this is that they are borderline dangerous in how secure the visor is on the Scorpion helmet: I was racing a high end porsche onto the freeway once whilst on my R1 & the sheer force of acceleration after we got past a certain speed :shhh caused the right side of my visor to pop off!! Still annihilated the clutch-frying porsche driver so it all ended well.
 
If they meet the test (Snell / DOT), I guess there isn't much of the different - from the test standpoint. But the test never tells you the fitment, craftsmanship of the helmet, and how loud it may get inside the helmet. After all it is probably the single most important piece of gear... it's your head, so it's your call.

I personally won't trust anything beside Shoei, Arai, and AGV. Here is the pict after I hit by a deer at 45mph - the back of my head hit the gorund pretty. With this top-of-the-line helmet, I still suffered about 5 to 15 mins of memory lost - imagine if I ride without it, or riding with some cheap POS helmet out there. Thank you Shoei X-11 - if not I probably won't be here typing....

5501719004_38d517b9c5_z.jpg


Inside is all compressed and absorbed all the energy...
5501126241_e45d143024_z.jpg
 
I currently wear a shoei RF1000, would buy a RF1100 but it has a different head shape, sonow I'm looking at other brands, might end up getting a HJC RPS-10, solely based on fit.
 
Get the pretty one. Anecdotal information that you're gonna get in a thread like this is useless. They're mostly all good. Make sure it fits and decide if you want to pay more for some of the additional features (better liners, ventilation, noise, removable/adjustable padding, etc.) or not.
 
Style of helmet matters...full face protects a whole lot better the HD style yamakas, for example. Snell rating is trustworthy for protection (or EU equiv). What REALLY matters once your in the range is FIT! That is head shape specific. These don't corollate necessarily with price.
 
Fit, fit, fit, then things like visor mechanism, venting, weight, noise, liner material, grafix and the label, and aerodynamics. Fit is a huge safety issue, the other things more comfort and wearability concerns. Until you really KNOW how a helmet is supposed to fit, get advice from a knowledgeable person and do some research on the web.
 
I wear a Shoei but am looking around for a new helmet. Tried on a Scorpion which fit very nicely, but it felt like mah head was going to fall off. Heavy fucker.
 
My favorite video for years disappeared from Arai's site (bad link) but here it is on NBC's site. It's a slow load but worth the wait!

Arai's standards exceed those of DOT and Snell where the cheaper helmets will meet the standard which IIRC, is 2 impacts done in the testing. I believe the quality in materials and construction that we're paying for in an Arai are what will give us more than what the standard calls for. I love to watch this video as they show Shinya Nokano's crash at 192 mph at Mugello during a MotoGP race. Nearly 9 impacts to the head and never lost consciousness. It's in the middle of this video and is well worth the 10 minute viewing length. Do you think that now $300+ Scorpion or XYZ helmet that will be on sale at Sport Bike Track Gear for $99 next month would handle the same?

Personally, I don't.

http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/arai-helmets/283819/
 
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Momo-san said:
I wear a Shoei but am looking around for a new helmet. Tried on a Scorpion which fit very nicely, but it felt like mah head was going to fall off. Heavy fucker.
Click to expand...

Heavier than a Shoei? I like the fit of Shoei's, but they feel like I'm wearing a big concrete box on my head compared to my Arais.
 
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