Quick one, I need to buy a new helmet. Last one was damaged whilst working, so company are going to buy me a new one. Basically want to know what are the best (most comfy, lightest, quietest) lids available at the moment. Always been a bit of an Arai fan, though last lid was a Rossi Rep AGV, and that was quite nice too.

J

All down to the size of your head, what is comfy and nice for one man can be horrible for another..

I personally find that Shoei is the best fit for my head and that is the only helmet I will buy.

Best bet is to get down your local dealers and try a few on, Arai, Shoei, AGV, Suomy, FM to name but a few are all decent helmets, you just need to find the best one for your head ;)

Just wondering if there was a "money no object", dogs danglies, lid at the moment, like the RX7RR used to be. J

the simpson bandit lid its pretty mint

I love my RX7 but it messes up your hair far more than my Roof RO10.

Arai's for me cos they fit my head, Shoeis don't but not saying they are bad lids.

Phil

Here's mine. Bayliss replica. Very light and snug fit.

http://robinsimages.homestead.com/files/suomy_lid.jpg

if money no object, defo go for the arai RX7-XXXXXX !

So long as you find it comfy, Arai every time. I binned my bike in the Pyrenees in June and hit my head very hard, twice. Superb protection...eventhough i'm still off work.

Also an Arai fan... got a Simon Crafar rep Quantum F.. defo when I bought it the RX7 was THE helmet if money no object and I nearly bought a plain white one..(cheaper with no paint) but if money not object I'd go for one of them and get a custom paint job personally. :)

I have a Arai RXX7 Colin Edwards rep, top lid, tried others, the only one that fitted me properley,( "large head with nothing in it" )

I've got a Suomy Spec 1 r which I bought to replace a chipped Gunwind. Gunwind was brilliant, Spec 1 r OK...

The best thing to do is get down to a DECENT bike shop and have one fitted properly.

You will often find you have a particular "type" of head, usually either Arai or SHoei.

I have a Shoei, the Arai (that I wanted) just didn't fit as well as the Shoei, so fit before fashion I'm afraid.

Then check out the new product sections of some of the bike mags?


Mike.

Arai every time, fits my head like a glove and after a huge crash at Valencia and big hit on the track with my head I didn't even have concussion :thumb: :thumb:

Pesky V-twins ;), stick to 4 cyls now :D :D

Matt

This is part of a report I prepared about 2 years ago for a Government department I act as a consultant to, which you may find helpfull.

"Around 80% of motorcyclists killed on the road suffer major head injuries. Head and brain injuries can be caused in very low speed accidents and motorcycle helmets offer good protection against such injuries although there is and cannot be any guarantee against such injuries.

A crash helmet is the only item of protective clothing that must be worn at all times by law when riding a bike and until July 2000 they had to comply with BS6658 - 85. After that date a new standard of EC22/05 was introduced as an alternative, so any helmet carrying this mark together with a CE mark is perfectly legal to wear in the UK.

All helmets are constructed basically in the same way:

A shell is constructed from either Polycarbonate (plastic), Fibreglass, Kevlar, Carbon Fibre or a combination of these materials which are then refered to as a dual or trilaminate construction. The shell is then lined with a polystyrene liner for shock absorbancy which in turn is covered by a foam liner to aid wearer comfort. The securing strap is normally of a nylon construction attached to the shell by rivets and can be secured to the head by either a double D ring or safety belt type fastner.

The effectiveness of motorcycle helmets shows that helmets reduce the risk of fatal head injury by around 50%. It is sometimes suggested that the extra weight of a helmet actually increases the risk of neck injury, but research has found no evidence to support this. Full face helmets offer greater protection against facial and chin injuries than open faced helmets, but may slightly increase the risk of injury to other parts of the head.

With a hinged helmet (BMW style) there is evidence that the protection offered against chin impacts is inadequate and riders who suffer chin impacts frequently suffer fractures to the base of the skull - the most threatning head injury.

Whether a rider spends £500 on a crash helmet or £50 matters not as they all have to offer the same level of protection. What is important is how the helmet fits. A £500 helmet that fits badly will afford less protection than a £50 helmet that fits well and it is unfortunate that many riders are using their machines with very poorly fitting helmets and in many cases helmets that are in a very poor condition.

Every manufacturer has their own idea of a standard head shape, it is therefore important that a variety of crash helmets are tried before a purchase is made. If the helmet does not fit correctly it can:

Cause rotation upon impact, which may lead to a broken neck.

Come off in the event of an impact.

Cause excessive wind noise.

Lift at speed causing the rider to lose sight of the road as he attempts to look through the chin bar rather than the visor apperture.

A crash helmet when new should be a tight fit even to the point where with a full face style of helmet you are just about biting the inside of your cheek without any excessive pressure on the forehead. A helmet will mould to the contours of your head and will "Give" by about half a size over a few weeks. Therefore, what started off as a tightly fitting helmet will soon become a comfortable snug fit, whereas if it is a comfortable fit at the start it will soon become loose, noisy, increase the chance of it becoming detached from your head in a collision and therefore offer far less protection.

As a general rule riders should try and apply the following few basic rules when looking to purchase a new helmet:

1. Decide the maximum budget that you can afford.

2. Generally speaking, you get what you pay for, but the level of protection remains a constant regardless of price.

3. A dearer helmer however will afford better levels of comfort, afford less wind noise (providing it fits correctly), have better fittings, have an overall better build quality.

4. Try on a variety of sizes and makes until you find the helmet that best fits your size and shape of head.

5. If you have found a helmet off the shelf that fits, ask if you can try the same size that is still in its box. It is more than likely that the helmet on the shelf has been tried by many people and the interior shell may have become mishapen. A helmet in the box will give you a more accurate fitment guide.

6. When the helmet is on your head, and without securing the strap, try and lift the helmet of your head from the back and the front and also try and twist the helmet from side to side. If the helmet fits properly it should remain on your head and only be capable of being removed with a degree of force. If the helmet can be tilted forwards or backwards easilt, then it may be because the style or make of helmet you have chosen is either the wrong size or even the wrong shape for you. Try another make or size.

7. With the helmet on and securely fastened, ensure that you can easily turn your head from side to side. Many riders find that their head movements are restricted for many reasons, not least of which is because the style of helmet they are considering or have purchased is wrong for the type of machine they ride or for any one of the reasons mentioned above.

Having made your purchase, never lend your helmet to anyone and never leave it on the saddle or handlebars of your bike. If you drop it or are involved in an accident, change it regardless of whether any damage is apparent. Unknown to you the polystyrene liner may have been bruised or damaged and the impact resistance and the shock absorbancy of the liner may have been compromised.

It is worth checking to see whether your riding kit (particularly your helmet) can be covered under your house contents insurance. If it becomes damaged you can arrange a new helmet quickly without the financial outlay and thereby ensure your maximum protection. It costs me about £1 a year extra on my policy to cover all my kit.

A good well maintained helmet should dependent on use, last about 5 years. However, if you are a high mileage user or you perspire a lot, then you may need to consider changing it more regularly, say every 2 - 3 years as the degredation of the liner will be accelerated."

This is about one third of a report I wrote 2 years ago, but I have taken out most of the stats I included in the original but I think it covers all the major points. The bottom line is forget what everyone sats about bying a particular brand, what suits one won't fit another and the level of protection will be the same regardless of price providing it fits correctly.

I have simply tried to keep it informative and I hope that you find it usefull. Sorry it goes on a bit.

Well I just tried on an Arai Corsair, nice snug fit (ear ripping), so I'm now the proud owner of a Tady replica. Cheers for all the advice. J

Nice one John, they always say you either have an Arai head or a Shoei head (in terms of fit) so as you have Arai's in past I'm sure you have made the right decision :)

Well done T.C

Picture!! :D