Helmet Testing in Magazine

[TZOLK]

Has anyone read the latest issue of Motorcyclist. The Article on helmet testing. It seemed a pretty in-depth comparo and it looks like the less expensive polycarb DOT helmets seem to transfer less g-string, er g-force to the head form inside. Their top performing helmet in the comparo costs around a C-note. Anyone want to weigh in?

[Cliffy777]

todd, a thread on this was started and died a quick death.
http://bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6121&highlight=helmet

i was surprised at how quickly the thread passed on considering how much attention we all pay to helmets and safety. could it be all the arai owners don't want to know how their high priced lids were beaten in a g-force showdown by helmets that cost under 100 u.s. smackers? we all like to think we get what we pay for, but this article sure makes one think twice. who knows, maybe all the "your head is worth a $300 helmet" advertising will really pay off....even in the face of some very interesting test results. i remember almost feeling guilty or something three years ago when i bought my "winter" helmet. it is an HJC and it was $175 or something and i looked at some shoei and arai models costing another $200 bucks or so and could not make the leap financially. the ad copy about the value of my head kept running through my mind. (advertising works) noteworthy also that shoei did not submit a helmet for the test.
my hat (har har) is off to the folks at motorcyclist. it provokes an ironic grin to see the arai ad on page 137 "yes, you can buy a cheaper helmet than an arai. and that's what you'll get." wonder if the same ad will be running in july and august issues? it took some guts for them (magazine people) to publish a test that smacks a big advertiser (full color, full page) right in the beezer.
so forum pals...anyone else going to weigh in on this issue that is supposed to be near and dear to our hearts????
the article really makes a shambles of the "snell" approval sticker. i bought a snell approved lid last summer (KBC wolf model) because the sport bike track time people said i could not take the track class wearing a lid that was "only DOT certified". what a bunch of hooey snell rating is....makes me wonder if the government is involved!
i feel the same way i felt when i read the test on the k&n filters which came to the conclusion that they are not a good investment (to put it mildly). i stuck a k&n in my last bike but will not make that mistake again.

[85138]

I bought an HJC AC-10 a couple seasons ago on account of the SNELL requirement from a local track day sponsorer. My ARAI's were scratched with a few years on them might not have passed tech. Still use the ARAI's for street riding. So much for you get what you pay for?

Would be interested in any rebuttals and the rationale from the high end manufacturers or other sources. Of course fit/comfort, quality of the optics, overall weight and noise/aerodynamics are also a consideration. If I recall the cheapo DOT was only ~ 1 ounce more than the ARAI. So outside of these factors (which the article didn't cover), I don't see why I need a more expensive helmet or SNELL. (will focus on DOT / CE for my next purchase)

Now would this play for poseur points? Some status conscious types might not want to mix a pedestrian brand with their expensive toys and gear.

[Cliffy777]

good points kevin. (especially the posseur points thought....how could we possibly ride our pricey beemers in less than $400 lids.....)
as far as comfort and quiet goes, they did address that somewhat. "The ZRP-1s are also well finished, quiet and very comfortable, though maybe a little short on venting. They are also light...." pg 143
am i going to rush out and buy a ZRP-1? nope. but will i do my future helmet shopping with this information stored in my noodle? you bet. i like my KBC because it is comfortable and quiet and lightweight, not because it sez snell and dot on the stickers. wish they (KBC) would have submitted one for the test.

[RT_guy]

Yep, I'll weigh in. That was probably the most in-depth article I've ever read in a motorcycle magazine. It was extremely powerful and is going to affect the economics of some high-end helmet makers and put the Snell testers in a defensive tizzy. All I could think of while reading it was, Dave Searle and MCN really missed out with this article!

I've been saving up for an Arai for awhile. Now I've decided to look at the polycarbonate ZR1s. If they're comfortable to me and seem to be well-made, I'll buy one and use the remaining 85% of the money to pick up some farkles for the RT.

Oh - I was going to let my Motorcyclist subscription lapse. I'll give them another year now!

[R75_7]

I've got an Arai now with both Snell and DOT. I thought the more safety stickers the better for my nugget. But the next one will be a DOT because of the G force issue. I damn sure want the helmet to squish than my grey matter. Awesome article. Glad someone read it.

[Braddog]

It's a good article, and it addresses the matter of what it would take to prevent a head injury, not how many blows a helmet could take.

While the <$100 helmet would protect your noggin from G forces, would it be comfortable? Would it have decent venting? Did anyone notice the issues with the chinbars on the less expensive helmets? It just seems that some of the big buck manufacturers are building to the Snell spec, and not to maximum protection for your brain. That is unfortunate.

It's a matter of how much risk you want to assume when you ride. No flipup helmets are even tested by Snell, yet how many of us (me included) wear one? I wear jeans as my riding pants, too. Good idea? No, it's not, but it's a risk I assume, at least until I pick up a decent pair of riding pants that suits my needs. I rode for 9 years before I quit, and 5 years since I re-entered.

If anything, maybe an article like this will make a good helmet manufacturer like Arai lower their prices a little, because they're not fooling anyone who may think that the most expensive helmet offers the greatest protection. Features? Yes. Durability? Yes. Maximum protection from "G" forces? No, not hardly.

The Schuberth S1 did quite well, but then for $700, I guess it should.

[RedBeemer]

I think Mr. Ford is letting the world know helmuts are in the same catagory as extended warranties. Also the profit on a $650 skid-lid has got to be better than that of a $200 helmut. Take the $450 savings and make a down payment on a tank of gas for the SUV :ha

[Hodag]

how did the nazi helmets do?

[RT_guy]

Here's Snell's response to the Motorcyclist's article.

Snell rebuttal (http://www.smf.org/pdf/btlo_response.pdf)

[flash412]

Yep, I'll weigh in. That was probably the most in-depth article I've ever read in a motorcycle magazine. It was extremely powerful and is going to affect the economics of some high-end helmet makers and put the Snell testers in a defensive tizzy. All I could think of while reading it was, Dave Searle and MCN really missed out with this article!... I was going to let my Motorcyclist subscription lapse. I'll give them another year now!
I realize that most BMW owners' eyes glaze over when it comes to chains. The article on chain lube in the same issue of Motorcyclist was nothing but a blow job for PJ-1 chain care products. I still can't believe that Boehm got his knees THAT dirty for an advertiser.

[dzimbric]

I went through a Shoei, an HJC and now use the Jarow, This in the course of two years. Cost aside, it has to be comfortable, dry and keep my head from whipping around. The shoei was given up because the damn hinge system started malfunctioning and replacing the hardware didn't help keep the visor from popping off, The HJC allowed rain to run in the top of shield and out my neck, then I started to lose my glasses a lot and went to a flip up. For my money you can't beat the Jarow. I have 20k on this one and am very happy with it. :dunno