I advise that you try to do some 80mph crashes on the freeway with cheap helmets and see how it goes...

The thing is that as far as I know there is no central database with helmet safety statistis.

I have a 300 quid (600$) Shoei helmet cause I feel that my head is worth at least that amount.

If you dont feel the same way, I wish you luck...

Until someone make a EURO NCAP for helmets I buy the best I can get my hands on.

Sorry if that doenst answer you question, but I wanted to give my opinion since I spent alot of time thinking about the same before buying my first helmet (which I still have and use, so the investment has been quite low looking over a period of time)

Also when you buy a good helmet, you get better aerodynamics which for me first of all means less noise. Secondly it is lighter and more plesant to wear all day. Thirdly the windshield doesnt wobble/make noise when driving with it open, even at 150Kph (yes I tried) Fourthly you can take the padding out and wash it.

__________________
Peter Kongsbak
South East Asia, USA, Central and South America and Scandinavia.

I wouldn't wear anything but an Arai anymore.... but i did really rate the Airoh Firefox.

__________________
Bonis Se Aliovorsum Avertentibus Hic Crescit Pravitas

That is one of the points I raised above - the UK government are due to implement a brand new system of helmet testing which will enable users to make a better informed judgement. At the present time the helmets are certified to meet a minimum standard after undergoing crash/dropping/penetration tests. The data from these tests is NOT made public at all. The new system will ensure this data is available to all and sundry which is a massive leap forward for bikers health & safety.

I wish I could agree with you about buying the most expensive headgear. I don't because I genuinely believe that some of the "designer" manufacturers inflate their prices to allow them to undertake expensive marketing programs. The Big 2 (S+A) have only really come to prominence in the UK in the last 20 years before that I think I'm right in saying that the big 2 were Bell and AGV.

What is very clear is that there must be many Executives of helmet manufacturers who are waiting with baited breath what exactly these new tests will prove to their customers. Time will tell but I will not be at all surprised if a few of the BIG boys find their portion of the market under threat from cheaper manufacturers who sell their helmets at a much reduced profit level.

There are plenty of tests in M/C magazines that rate cheaper lids highly. "The Rider" magazine last month had a £78 ($140) NITRO N800V helmet in it's top 10 and it beat some helmets costing 5 times as much! That's a FACT.

I value my own life very highly and I can assure you that if I honestly thought I could obtain premium protection by spending more money I would gladly do so. Surely it is better to try and obtain the same level of protection for minimum cost? You insinuate that I'm somehow defective just because I refuse to spend maximum money on a skid lid! I refuse to be one of the "sheep" led to believe that the most expensive is always the best.

Time will tell but don't be surprised if you all find out you have been spending big bucks to pay for flashy marketing drives...

I understand it is not always just about protection either - comfort, noise and looks do come into it as well.

Is anyone going to agree with me or do you all possess these expensive helmets and do not feel inclined to admit you have been DONE good and proper?

NO MORE ONE LINERS PLEASE...

__________________
Triumph Bonneville 800 (2004), Yamaha XT600E (1999), Honda XBR500 (1986).

Well I would not disagree with you kentfallen (excuse the double negative!).

I have read many of the reports about helmets over the years that have been in the printed press; apart from your latest information about new testing standards, another factor that I recall is that most, if not all, helmets in the world are manufactured in either Italy or Japan - not significant in itself, but this leads to the deduction that many of the factories are producing the premium priced products right alongside the cheaper ones, using similar shells & other materials. It is little wonder that some brands of cheap helmets perform as well as the "quality" premium versions. The opposite is also true IMO, because of "badge branding" (Try on a Ducati branded helmet for instance).

Having said that, I use an Arai because it fits my head better than some others!

__________________
Dave

Dave, I agree totally with what you say... Well that's 2-2 so far...
(better make sure my reply runs to more than 1 line!). I currently wear a NITRO helmet (£80)

__________________
Triumph Bonneville 800 (2004), Yamaha XT600E (1999), Honda XBR500 (1986).

Neil

I can appreciate your position, as I was thinking along the same lines.

The craic is that if the lid bears the appropriate kitemark (depending on the country you buy it - eg the US is snell or summat), then it should offer the same minimum protection.

The fact that we're not really informed as to what testing consists of and the detailed results (excuse my ignorance if it's out there but I couldn't find it) means that it's really up to personal preference, and the marketing hype encourages that "well, £80 isn't much for a lid, so £200 should be better" feeling.

I bought a new shoei xf-1000 in the US for my trip down to south america, single colour coming in at USD $380, at that time around £190. It's really light, detachable washable padding, quiet at speed & fits great. Our lass bought one of those new BMW opening lids off ebay for £190 & she loves it, but it's not as light as the shoei.

Some shops sell via ebay & you can often go direct.
Buena suerte

Scouse

__________________
when the road is straight & true, I romp ahead
when it twists & turns, I make the best I can - Lao Tsu

I'm going to jump in here and say that price should be a secondary consideration .
Fit and build quality should be the most important factors .
When I look at a helmet [ I'm searching for a flip front that fits me , haven't found a replacement for my old Nolan yet ] fit is the most important factor .If it doesn't fit ,then it goes back on the shelf .
Then I look at the way the thing is put together , quality of chinstrap ,lining , visor , visor replacement , ventilation , ease of cleaning etc etc .
I don't really care about the brand name ,but I will research the internet and see what other riders think of theirs and any problems they might have had .
All helmets sold in most developed countries will have to meet one standard or another , I don't have the info on hand to compare one standard to another so I tend not to worry too much about that , but if it's passed for racing then that's a good clue it' s a good helmet .
Most testing is done with new helmets and not sweat soaked helmets that have seen a lot of service and I think that this is where the build quality is very important , helmets made of better materials will last longer .
Given two helmets that meet all the criteria , I would choose the cheaper of the two .

I think that helmets like Shoei and Arai ,for instance ,are more expensive because they do more research but their baseline models are not all that expensive .
I haven't seen a Nitro helmet and therefore can't comment but I wouldn't dismiss it on price alone .

Some of the cheaper flip fronts are pretty awful with regard to build quality.

I'm always sceptical when governments get involved in testing safety gear ,because I believe independant testing agencies can do the work impartially and more efficiently . I don't think that the bigger companies will have much to fear and will soon adapt , if the need arises .
The more info that is available to the public - the better .

I have found that in the long run [ with many different types of gear ] ,quality counts - but not at any price .

__________________
Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."

I'm sorry but that theory doesn't hold true. MY head is worth a lot more to me than £300 . So, by your theory I should buy a more expensive helmet than you? Helmets don't cost as much as your head is worth. A helmet should be bought on the fact that it has the proper safety marks and that it fits you properly and is comfortable in use. If an expensive helmet isn't comfortable in use you will hate it after a while it will also distract you while riding. If it doesn't fit properly then no matter how expensive it is it won't be protecting you. Buy what is best for your use and not what is most expensive. Mind you, buy what you like it is after all our own choices in life.
Jim


[QUOTE=peter-denmark;168625]I advise that you try to do some 80mph crashes on the freeway with cheap helmets and see how it goes...

The thing is that as far as I know there is no central database with helmet safety statistis.

I have a 300 quid (600$) Shoei helmet cause I feel that my head is worth at least that amount.

If you dont feel the same way, I wish you luck...

I agree that fit is important, but I will still gladly pay some more for a "brand" helmet than a "non brand" one.

I hope that someone will make an independent testing group one day, then I wont mind buying cheaper.

Buying cheap because of a good fit seems wrong to me, unless the manufacturer has some quality history behind the product.

But it is damn difficult to determine. I am just of the opinion that if I buy a cheap helmet and it kills me beause it is too cheap I am an ass. I cant speak for anyone else, but I wont take that risk...

__________________
Peter Kongsbak
South East Asia, USA, Central and South America and Scandinavia.

That's the point of this thread, there is soon going to be a UK independent organisation which carries out these kinds of tests and the results data will be available for everyone to see. This new organisation will have the status of a quasi-government "quango" and will operate hand-in-hand with the existing British Standard Testing Authorities. It's damn good news for all of us because helmet manufacturers will no longer be able to keep us all in the dark the way they all do now. It will be most interesting to see how the smaller cheaper manufacturers fare... Will I be proven correct in my own assumptions? I wonder...

__________________
Triumph Bonneville 800 (2004), Yamaha XT600E (1999), Honda XBR500 (1986).

That testing body is the only was you can take the guess work out of things.

Coming from an outdoor retail background i can assure you lots of fudgy things go on in the background when it comes to branding and costs.

i can name several instances where "mid-range" products are re-labeled, re-styled or simply sold in another market/country under a different "top-end" brand. (now i didn't mention "low range"!) Often the styling, finish of the product that will make the difference between "mid-range" and "top-end". Also it comes down to "market value" -what you or I are "willing" to pay for things. Sometimes vanity will play apart - brand envy. "shiney kit syndrome". But also in the case of safety i.e. helmets "i want the best money can buy" sound idea. But there must be a point in that price range that the safety of the helmet doesn't really increase, and we are only paying for marketing.....
When i was a teenager i came off my mountain bike flying down a hill at 45 km/h, went over the handlebars and landed on my face full impact. ( mum always said "use your head for once!") 65 stitches and a grade 31/2 out of 5 head injury (as bad as it gets without perment brain damage).
Right in line with my temple is was a large chunk missing out of the helmet (Bell top $$$) For sure i'd be dead with "A" helmet but did the fact that it was top end helmet have anything to do with??? I don't have a crystal ball so I'll never know............

I saw a Airoh S4 in the shop the other day, Seems not a bad deal in the Arai tour-X type of helmet. I immediately tryed on the Shoei version and would be happy with ether fit for my dome. I saw a praising review of this helmet here; Airoh Helmets - webBikeWorld
Seamed to think it was very good, with very low noise, less than a tour-X. Also light weight. I saw this in NL for 190 euros. removable visor and peak washable liner etc.

Also Uvex Enduro. same design etc. and IMHO a nice looking helmet too! I've seen it advertised on the net for 169 - 199 euro range. And Uvex being a saftey equipment company!!!!??? how bad can it be? I noticed this helmet didn't show on the english uvex web site but it did on the german site.

To quote stuxtttr; "my current one cost me £37" That's being a bit keen for me!!! But maybe this new independent organisation may see us all buying this one if it gets good results! it could be the bargin of the century or a death trap.........

But it comes down to... it's your head going into that helmet......

__________________
'99 R1100GS - In a suitable shade of black

It's not that life is so short, It's just that we're dead for so long....
"The world is a book, those who do not travel read only one page." ~ Saint Augustin

This debate is one that comes up quite frequently on various forums - are the premium branded helmets from Arai, Shoei, etc really worth 3-4 times the asking price of other brands??
The problem with relying on the various helmet tests out there is that the people drawing up the test requirements all have different ideas about what makes a good helmet. The proposed UK star rating isn't really any different in this respect. The designers know exactly how to make a helmet pass a particular test and tailor their designs accordingly - we'll no doubt see local manufacturers tailoring their design so that they perform well to gain a higher star rating. Whether this will make a better helmet than one designed to meet another country's standard is debateable.
If you're buying from any known brand then you'll be getting a decent helmet that will do a good job of protecting your head.
What the tests won't tell you is how comfortable the helmet is, how noisy it is, will the visor seal properly, etc
What you pay for with the likes of Arai is the quality of finish and backup - different liners to tailor the fit, quality visors, readily available spares and so on.
I've got 4 helmets in my wardrobe - 3 Arais and a Bell MX lid. I've worn my Arai road helmets for 12 hours a day without discomfort, and the oldest one still fits like a new helmet after 10's of thousands of miles use. Expensive, but worth every penny if you're doing long days in the saddle.
As far as £37 helmets go - you've got to be kidding - how much do you think was spent on research and design if they're selling them at that sort of price. £80-100 is a more realistic startingprice if you want something you can trust.

I bought a ROOF Boxer.......Pile of ..... worst lid ever. period!

I have 2 lids now. an open face White Lid made By TONG HO HSING INDUSTRIAL CO. LTD ( Taiwan) bought in 2000, worn daily, dropped, thrown about, its my off road lid really, has twin 'D' ring fastening, have used it for probably over 50,000 miles...... cost 39 quid.

Lid 2 is an Italian JEBS, Black in Colour, Full face, 1350 grams, is very comfy, fairly quiet, has a proper seatbelt type buckle and fits properly.I wear it whenever I am going to be using main roads a lot... but I prefer an open face lid. Cost 75 Euros


Martyn

Come on you guys and girls working in the trade; you can spill the beans here and tell the truth!!
Let's have some more information about branding, following of fashion, tricks of the trade and the like.

__________________
Dave

IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT - ALL BIKERS NEED TO SEE THIS!

1. The UK Department of Transport will be responsible for these new IMPACT TESTS. The Organisation will be known as SHARP

2. Every helmet on the UK market will be tested for IMPACT.

3. Helmets will be rewarded up to 5 stars.

4. Helmets will display these stars to show the test result for that helmet.

5. All scores will be published on a website - SHARP - The Helmet Safety Scheme

GOOD NEWS FOR ALL OF US........ Including bikers outside UK who can check the website for their make of helmet. Heres what it will look like - Tests : Results : SHARP - The Helmet Safety Scheme

Pass on this website link.....

Why SHARP?

Motorcyclists are our most vulnerable groups of road users - making up just 1% of traffic in the UK but accounting for 18% of all deaths; the Government has already committed £1.5M in 2007 to educating motorcyclists and other road users about better behaviour that could reduce casualties.
There were 599 motorcyclist fatalities in 2006 and our research shows that approximately 80% of motorcyclists killed and 70% of those with serious injuries sustain head injuries. Scientific analysis has shown that we could save up to 50 motorcyclists' lives a year if all riders wore helmets scoring highly in our proposed rating.
Laboratory tests have shown that there are real differences in the safety performance of motorcycle helmets available in the market. While they all satisfy the minimum legal requirements, we believe that by providing objective advice concerning the level of protection a safety helmet provides will assist riders when making this very important purchase decision. We have seen that differences in safety performance do not necessarily follow price trends.
We'll test the most popular helmets first and aim to publish the first ratings as early as Spring 2008. It will take time to build a complete database, but in the future we hope that there would be a rating for every helmet available.
There is no comparative rating system available for motorcycle helmets anywhere in the world!


SHARP is the Safety Helmet and Assessment Rating Programme - it's the new helmet safety scheme for motorcyclists.
SHARP will enable riders to more easily select a helmet which matches their needs. It will provide consumers with an independent assessment of the safety performance of helmets sold in the UK. The SHARP RATING reflects the performance of each helmet model following a series of advanced tests in our lab and will rate helmets from 1-5 stars.
Laboratory tests show there are real differences in the safety performance of motorcycle helmets available in the market. While they all satisfy the minimum legal requirements, providing objective advice concerning the level of protection a safety helmet provides will assist riders when making this very important buying decision.
We have begun testing motorcycle helmets to our advanced assessments and from Spring 2008, SHARP will offer you a single, easy to understand rating for helmet models available within the UK.

We believe that a helmet that performs well when assessed against our new procedures will offer users a significantly increased level of protection. Our research has shown that up to 50 motorcyclists' lives could be saved every year if everyone wore a helmet that scores highly in the SHARP testing system.
Look for the SHARP logo and be sure to check out the SHARP rating when you think about getting your next helmet!

Our Tests - What's Different?

We have brought together some of the best aspects from the standards currently in use around the world and defined more rigorous tests and assessments than are currently in use for Regulation. We'll be testing protection across a much wider range of speeds.
We have not just looked at impact energy management, but also considered the areas of the helmet most likely to be struck and the risk of brain injury from that impact. In-depth real world accident studies have allowed us to link specific laboratory impacts with real world injury so that our tests address specific risk of head injury. We will impact helmets against anvils to represent both flat surfaces and kerbstones, testing protection over the whole helmet not just specific points.
We have developed a suite of enhanced test procedures and assessment criteria for helmets, so that a helmet performing well when assessed against it would offer real and significant increases in head protection. Our tests are:
Linear impact tests - Energy absorption tests
The helmet is placed onto a test head form and dropped from a certain height onto different types of anvils. Acceleration is measured at the centre of gravity of the head form. We measure the energy absorbed by the helmet at various locations and speeds.
Oblique impact tests - Rotational acceleration by friction
The helmet is placed onto a test head form and dropped from a certain height against an inclined anvil with a very rough surface. Rotational acceleration is measured in the test head form. Limit values allow us to assess the risk of brain and neck injury.
The results from 22 different impacts will be combined into a single easy to understand star rating and published to provide consumers with comparative information to assist them in making informed purchase decisions.

__________________
Triumph Bonneville 800 (2004), Yamaha XT600E (1999), Honda XBR500 (1986).