What a great thread - wonderful read :-)

Okay, so here's my two pennies worth.

I wrote a story a few years ago, when this new government body was first being thought of.

The 'Big 2' were getting rather naffed at the fact that people had entered the market and were able to sell lids at £38 that hit the safety standards for Europe. They pointed out (and started Lobbying the EU and UK Governments) that the existing tests were too easy to 'engineer' - IE impact tests were always carried out in exactly the same place on every lid - enabling the manufacturer to make a lid that 'passed the test' rather than 'protected the rider'.

The Big 2 (and others) make a point of testing their lids far in excess of the EU standards, they trade on the very fact that their lids are the safest on the market, not that they are 'good enough'.

I was invited to take a look at how they tested their lids, what they tested, how they selected lids (at random) off the production line and then destroyed them in random impact tests (amongst others). It was a real eye opener. I approached other brands sold in the UK and was politely, but firmly told, they would not expose their testing methods, but that all their lids met European Safety standards.

So for me it boils down to this, do I want a lid that is 'good enough' or do I want a lid that 'protects the rider'?

Other considerations of course are design, long-term comfort (especially important for us types), and quality of the 'fittings'.

My own choice after seeing how the testing is done?

Shoei, Arai or Schuberth without a second thought. I wont pay extra for the flash designs, I always buy the plan simple models, and as my head has grown and settled into a shape I find 9 out of 10 Shoei's fit me well and I'm becoming less of an Arai man!

My other thought here, is that I'm happy to pay a premium knowing that I'm funding an after-care service which includes having my lid tested after a bump, includes getting it serviced for free, and most importantly funds further R&D into making lids as safe as possible.... ask your brand before you buy if they carry out any R&D into helmet safety beyond regulation testing.

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