HELP!! Im looking for a good helmet

[Red]

And my experience was exactly the opposite - which shows how important it is to try on various helmets before buying them:

I also agree with Ken - TRY ON and KEEP ON for 20 mins or longer if you can!!! Its not about the money (although I've found a corralation with amount of $$ and comfort when it comes to my head - I hope you're not as "lucky" as me!)

My REAL point is if you spend and extra $500 and do 10 track days a year for 5 years the $10 extra per track day is meaningless, so don't let the upfront expense freak you out - Thats why you shouldn't wait to buy better safety gear - the faster you start amortizing it the cheaper it gets!!!

 

[stuntman]

Don't skimp on safety gear and buy a $100 helmet.

I do agree that just because a helmet costs more dosn't mean it's better. Personally I havn't been a simpson/impact fan, but that dosn't mean their products arent good.

My favorite would be the HJC AR 11 http://www.thebellstore.com/Auto/HJCHelmets/hjcautohelmets.html

It costs $400 vs. the benchmark Arai GP5 selling for $1,100. I've worn those two helmets and more including Sparco, Bell, etc... and for the price, you can't beat it.

The GP5 and AR11 are both great helmets. Unlike most other manufacturers, both of these helmets are very small, light weight, and are closer to the size of your head than other helmets (which have a giant shell which makes you feel like you are inside a car vs. a smaller shell that makes it feel like you're not wearing a helmet atall).

Plus it's the same shell that Michael Schumacher wears, so it can't be that bad :biggrin:

 

[NSXDreamer2]

anyone tried the HJC carbon fiber one? Much like the Arai, they are HANS compatible. I emailed HJC themselves, and they told me they have no dealer in Washington state (For Automobile helmets, almost all the motorcycle shops carried their product. )...

I had been saving and wore my Arai quantum M rated helmet for years, and I'm ready for a new Proper device for my melon......

Does anyone had any source of buying the helmet online, if, in case I needed replacement, they will let me do that??

I also wear glasses, that makes a fitting helmet that much more important and difficult to choose...!!!

 

[Red]

Don't skimp on safety gear and buy a $100 helmet.

I do agree that just because a helmet costs more dosn't mean it's better. Personally I havn't been a simpson/impact fan, but that dosn't mean their products arent good.

My favorite would be the HJC AR 11 http://www.thebellstore.com/Auto/HJCHelmets/hjcautohelmets.html

It costs $400 vs. the benchmark Arai GP5 selling for $1,100. I've worn those two helmets and more including Sparco, Bell, etc... and for the price, you can't beat it.

The GP5 and AR11 are both great helmets. Unlike most other manufacturers, both of these helmets are very small, light weight, and are closer to the size of your head than other helmets (which have a giant shell which makes you feel like you are inside a car vs. a smaller shell that makes it feel like you're not wearing a helmet atall).

Plus it's the same shell that Michael Schumacher wears, so it can't be that bad :biggrin:

I don't know much about the HJCs (for example), but the best way to find out how good a helmet your helmet MAY be is to search reports on the Motorcycle varient of the Helmet (Can't do it with Arai since it is SA specific, but buy the GP5W (for Wide Eyepoint) and its built for sedans and MUCH better for them!)

The reports will point out that some of the cheaper helmets are NOT as good. Generally, they use the same mold to make an "M" helmet as an "SA" and the real differences are:

1) SA has Nomex lining and all lining is fireproof, there is NO fireresistance requirement for M helmets (which is a great reason NOT to wear one in a car - if there is a fire I'd hate to have the inside of my helmet catch on fire or start melting!!)

2) SA helmets are designed to take more continous knocks/bumps vs. an M helmet which is paded for ONE BIG hit. The difference is in the foam inside, which will give and NOT come back on an M and the SA foam is denser and will come back. AND the shell tends to be thicker as well as the gelcoat on the outside so it won't chip up like your M helmet probably already has started to!

Buying a cheap (poorly reviewed in biking magazines/web sites) M class helmet to run laps in is a sign of a brain that may not be worth protecting!:wink:

 

[BioBanker]

For that reason, I bought a cool suit too (my car has no AC) and this way I am comfortable on high heat days when the other guys are dying - I go faster too since I am able to be fully relaxed!:biggrin:

Sorry for the off topic, but here is Red in his suit. What the picture doesnt show is that 10 minutes before this, he froze his ass to the lawchair as he waited for his run group.

 

[stuntman]

I have an AR11 and now an HX11 (carbon). I don't believe you can get the carbon helmet anymore. You can try www.thebellstore.com but I don't believe HJC is selling the HX11 to people anymore. The AR11 is still around and it is an extremely light helmet in it's own right, way lighter than any other non-carbon helmet ive worn.

Arai GP5 and AR11 are both in Formula 1 - both are great helmets, but for the price, it's a no-brainer to go with the AR11 IMO.