Helmets Recomendation on a full face helmet

[Andrew Shadow]

My questions is..... When you get a new helmet, do you expect it to be a bit tight and will get better with a break in? And mbe in time... expected hours to a good break-in period?

Yes, I usually have found a helmet that I consider to fit well to feel tighter when it was new vs after having some time on it. How much of why it feels better after time is due to it breaking in and getting looser and how much is due to me getting used to the new feeling is another question. I don't wear loose fitting helmets. I size them so that my head fits tightly in them as it should, so maybe more of the latter.

 

[Daboo]

...... The pads are definately on the tight side, I wondering if this is gonna work?

My questions is..... When you get a new helmet, do you expect it to be a bit tight and will get better with a break in? And mbe in time... expected hours to a good break-in period?
-- I dont want to return the thing, but I will if needed..... --- I do like it...

I had a Scorpion helmet that was too tight at first. Painful across the forehead, but otherwise was what I wanted. I ended up spending a couple hours in the house wearing the helmet...with a thick stocking cap under it. That worked. And the couple hours of feeling absolutely dumb inside the house with a stocking cap on, was worth it on the next rides.

Chris

 

[Daboo]

What is really great is all the helmets meet the same standards so all you need to worry about is fit and preference.

Ummm...sort of.

You can find some inexpensive helmets that work...but generally, you'll notice the difference over time and miles. My preferences are in no particular order:

• Quietness. I put in a lot of miles and I wear earplugs all the time. But some helmets are inherently quieter than others.
• Ventilation. I've ridden in temps up to 116F for hours, and in the summer I spend a lot of time east of the Cascades and down south into Utah and Nevada. The ability to get some ventilation on the head...and turn it off if needed, is important.
• Fit is a given. Shoei makes a helmet that just coddles your head. Oh...it is soooo soft and comfortable...but it comes at a price...both in $$$ and weight.
• Weight. My Shoei, as much as I loved it, was causing me neck issues on long days. I bought a AGV SportModular that is a full pound lighter...and I love it.

FWIW, if you're looking for the best helmet reviews, check out Champion Helmets https://www.championhelmets.com/en/. They have objective reviews that include measuring noise levels and ventilation...something that no other review website does that I know of.

Chris

 

[motornut]

Definitely ...sort of, typically the more expensive helmets tend to be lighter, quieter, more comfortable and better ventilated with more options like cleanable pads or different pads for better fit. I also had a Shoei and the fit was not for my head, it felt good at the store but not to long after when it settled in it was not for me.
I went back to Arai which fits a elongated head and the ventilation is awesome.
But for the safety standards they all meet the same specs as long as the sizing is right and it is on your head instead of the sissy bar.
For me the Arai fit all of the above standards......But it is a guarantee and will not satisfy every rider. I will say again and again find a person who can fit your head right and if you can't do a lot of research.... and still find a good helmet fitter.

 

[catcher]

I bought a AGV SportModular that is a full pound lighter...and I love it.

I've had one of these for two seasons now, light is right. I did find the break in period was a couple of months, though. Went from "slight imperfection" to "just right". Getting a perfect fit ready for day one, isn't likely. Patience, grasshopper...

 

[Oldbikefixr]

Most helmets on the market seem capable of protecting you, it's just a matter of the features you are looking for and a proper fit. One exception to look for.
Back in the early '70's certifications were becoming a thing. Most hats were DOT stickered, and Snell certified helmets were coming on the market. My golf instructor was a retired doctor from the UK, England at the time, who had worked with the Snell Foundation during their early testing....dropping helmeted cadavers head first down their 'drop shaft'....by analyzing the injuries. He convinced me to buy a Snell certified unit.
I went shopping for a new helmet that afternoon at my local Honda dealership, and asked to see a Snell certified unit. 'Snell is unnecessary and they're more expensive, all you need is a DOT cert...watch this'. He picked up a Snell hat from the display, held it straight out and dropped it upside down onto the concrete floor....it bounced nicely. 'Now, watch this one, it will do the same'. He dropped a DOT unit on the floor in the same manner....the top of the helmet caved in and had some significant cracks.
He handed me the Bell/Snell certified hat I had asked about and said nothing else. No DOT only for me.
Long story short....just buy something that fits snugly and has meaningful certifications.

 

[MidLife]

My questions is..... When you get a new helmet, do you expect it to be a bit tight and will get better with a break in? And mbe in time... expected hours to a good break-in period?

Most of mines did, but some more than others. No fast rule on that.

Important is to check there are no area with higher pressure due to shape mismatch (ie the helmet is not a good fit for your head's shape). These pressure points will often not go away.

Also, sometimes one helmet shell covers several sizes, just same shell with different paddings. So if you are not already maxxed out in the shell you have, you may have the option to switch to a larger size padding later if need to.

Fit should be confirmed in hot weather as the head with swell a bit. Too tight could restrict some of the blood flow we need for cooling.

 

[Sadlsor]

He picked up a Snell hat from the display, held it straight out and dropped it upside down onto the concrete floor....it bounced nicely.

I think my first full-face Bell helmet cost about $100 in the 70s; I can't see anyone in sales doing that demonstration with today's lids.
In fact, I can't imagine anyone back then doing that, either.
Wonder what the sales manager and owner had to say to that dude...?

 

[motornut]

And after bouncing helmet off the floor. Who bought it

 

[Sadlsor]

And after bouncing helmet off the floor. Who bought it

It went to their ebay store.

 

[Oldbikefixr]

I think my first full-face Bell helmet cost about $100 in the 70s; I can't see anyone in sales doing that demonstration with today's lids.
In fact, I can't imagine anyone back then doing that, either.
Wonder what the sales manager and owner had to say to that dude...?

No issues, I suppose. He was the manager's son. Dad DID look a bit shocked at the damage the four foot drop did to the DOT lid.

 

[Sadlsor]

The old "it's who you know", then.

 

[Terminator2]

Ultimate recommendation. Decide now. Are you losing any significant weight soon?

I saved my Shoei GT Air (large size). After owning it for 2years, I lost 25lbs body weight. The helmet became a bobble head fit.

I now wear a Shoei GT Air II. So far, so good.

 

[Sadlsor]

I saved my Shoei GT Air (large size). After owning it for 2years, I lost 25lbs body weight. The helmet became a bobble head fit.

It's queued up for you, @Obo ...

 

[motornut]

When in an accident the helmet does similar things as the crush zones do. They deflect and delay the energy transferred to the intended object intended to be protected. The other similarity to the automotive crush zones is that the car and helmet gives up its life for you. The deflection of energy shows up as fracture cracks both visible and microscopic in the surface and subsurface.
That coupled with the padding is intended to get the levels of velocity change and impact down to livable levels. Which is why fitment is so important, it equalizes the spaces between the hard spots and the head to provide not only even protection but even deflection away from your noggin.
Which back to the dropping to see if it bounces, at that point somebody bought a brain bucket on the spot or poetically be made to wear it.
Hope I did not wax on to far, I don't feel good and tend to run on. Be glad you can skip my stuff rather than listen to it. My family frequently runs down the road with their hands over their ears shouting "LAAGALLAAGALAGGG"

 

[2turbos]

AGV K6 for me. it's light and simple, no internal sunshade.