I've been trying to sort out a Helmet for Trackday use. A guy that works for me has today offered me a spare Helmet of his that he bought new when he lived in South Africa.

The only official looking marks on the helmet are the letters DOT printed on the back and he is of the opinion that this is equivalant to our TypeA approval.

What I need to know is, (a) is he right? and (b) what is the minimum requirement for track use?

What really pi55es me off, is that i used to ride bikes as a spotty teenager and of course sold 2 helmets with the bike!

Thanks
Chris.

 

Chris,

Cannot answer your question about the type approval, sorry.

But a little bit of advice, doesn't matter if he is your best mate etc. but consider buying a new one. This helmet on offer might appear to be brand new etc. but it may well have been dropped, exposed to chemicals etc. I.e. may not be structuraly sound.

Sorry, I don't mean to put a downer on this, but I would rather know where the helmet came from as I hit a barrier on a track day at 70 mph. Touch wood etc.

Cheers

Ian

 

I agree with Ian, a crash helmet could end up saving your life. You can buy a type A helmet for about 35 squids at your local bike shop.

I have an extremely expensive Arai (cos I I ride a bike). I look after it very carefully, you just don't know if you drop it that maybe that will damage it enough to make a difference if you have a prang. And you can't tell from the outside...

I would rather have a cheap new helmet that a used expensive one that I didn't know the history of.

Also, helmets must fit properly (which usually means they should feel very tight when you buy them cos they ease off over time). I have come across some helmets that seemed to fit ok, but if you pulled the back of the helmet over your head they would come off, even though the strap was done up properly.

Hope this helps

Simon

 

Chris

Theres a discount motorcycle clothing warehouse by me, you can get yourself a new lid very cheap from there, give us a ring.

Paul

 

Guys,

Cheers for the words of wisdom which I agree with 100%.

Perhaps I did'nt get across in my original posting that the Helmet i've been offered IS brand new. Size is Large and it fits my big head very snugly. Like you, I would never dream of wearing a potentially lethal helmet with an unknown history!

I'm gonna do some ringing round today today to see whether I can get a difinative answer. Failing that, I will certainly be purchasing my own. (Paul, thanx mate, will call ya if i've go to buy)

Cya at Donno. on the 12th

Cheers
Chris.

 

Akira

Even if the helmet you are thinking of is brand new - are you sure that it hasn't been dropped etc. somewhere between South Africa and here? Also I wouldn't take anyone's word for another country's standards on helmets. It may be South Africa's equivalent of the UK TypeA approval but that doesn't mean that their standards are the same as ours. Just because it is their top helmet classification doesn't mean that they are as stringent as we are in the UK.

You've only one head - safer to buy a decent lid in the UK.

Just my two pennies worth...

 

Akira, I have to agree with the posts above. Go get yourself a new lid and make sure it's got the right approval stickers. Buying old helmets is not a good plan. They could easily be damaged without visible evidence, and the approval marks (Snell, BSI, RAC MSA/ACU) might well be invalid, ie past their 'sell by' date. It'll still be one of your cheapest and best investments.

The advice about fitting is also important. The right size for you will probably feel like it's ripping your ears off when you put it on/remove. They always ease off a bit with wear, but even then if it doesn't feel tight, it's too big.

By the way, get a bike helmet, not a motorsport helmet. Not only are they better (bigger visor, better peripheral vison, adjustable vents, available in more sizes and always with pretty paint schemes) they are also much cheaper as a) they are made by the thousand and b) don't carry VAT .

Hoppy

 

Akira, I have to agree with the posts above. Go get yourself a new lid and make sure it's got the right approval stickers. Buying old helmets is not a good plan. They could easily be damaged without visible evidence, and the approval marks (Snell, BSI, RAC MSA/ACU) might well be invalid, ie past their 'sell by' date. It'll still be one of your cheapest and best investments.

The advice about fitting is also important. The right size for you will probably feel like it's ripping your ears off when you put it on/remove. They always ease off a bit with wear, but even then if it doesn't feel tight, it's too big.

By the way, get a bike helmet, not a motorsport helmet. Not only are they better (bigger visor, better peripheral vison, adjustable vents, available in more sizes and always with pretty paint schemes) they are also much cheaper as a) they are made by the thousand and b) don't carry VAT .

Hoppy

 

Never use a second hand lid!!!!!! It may look OK on the outside but you never know if anything serious has happened to it.

You need a Type A approved lid (it's got a blue kyte mark). You can get a Shoei XR800 for around £200 or something similar like an AGV X Vent for about the same money. Pick them up from any bike shop.

Mike