Info Helmet recommendations

Find one that fits and is carbon fibre. They're a bit pricier but my dad got a shark one (can't remember the model) recently from overseas (direct from Italy I think) for about $400 posted.

 

Had a lot of helmets and my hjc is super light also check out kabuto they have super light ones aswell

 

The information about each helmet on this site includes the weight.

http://www.crash.org.au/ratings.php

 

http://hjchelmets.com/hjca/fg17_force

i'm using this one and its a lot lighter than my old agv v force. its also come down in price from when i bought it.

if the budget allows, go with a full carbon.

 

My 2 cents on helmets.

I have been unfortunate enough to crash test a couple.

I generally focus on a bit of research up front to try and find a helmet that has a reasonable safety rating.
I can not afford the absolute best and do not get suckered it the premium price for the motogp livery ones.
I like a composite shell (fibre glass, kevlar or carbon fibre composite).
I also like something that is reasonably light.

There is some good Australian specific helmet rating info here. https://www.motocap.com.au/helmets

My older (NLA) helmet, KBC I have had for years and although relatively low cost (purchased in a hurry in Benala one day when I forgot mine at an event at Winton) has been a good helmet. Good fit, very quiet, GRP construction. Aust Stds compliant.

I purchased an Airoh a few years back (ST501) for about $500. It is carbon composite, has internal visor, pinlock anti fog lens, etc. Not super comfortable, noisy as heck, but worked well in protecting my head from a track impact. Helmet now unusable (after just 1 use).

Recently I purchased an AGV X3000. Primarily because wanted a classic rating period look helmet. This is not a race helmet though. It was on special for about $250. Composite (fibreglass) construction and reasonable lightweight. Vision is absolutely great (not as much head turning and good forward vision with your head tucked onto the tank). Noise level is considerably better than my Airoh but not as good as my old KBC. Comfort level is also good. This one has also picked up a scratch or 2 from the asphalt, but appears to still be usable. Biggest issue with this helmet is that it fogs up easily. But I believe you can get a pinlock visor assembly. My favourite helmet so far.

As for standards compliance. The old AS1698 was the defacto standard for all helmets for road use in Australia. I believe that the Australian Standards Assoc have fallen behind with helmet technology advances and newer road helmets are considered acceptable if the comply with the ECE 22.05. The approval mark is simply a circle containing the letter E. Most helmets these days have ECE compliance.

Snell compliance is identified by an appropriate certification label (details here: https://smf.org/cert) and covers helmets with a more track specific focus. A lot of manufacturers do not bother with the cost of Snell compliance. Some racing categories specifically look for Snell compliance. So if your purpose is primarily racing, then get a helmet with Snell compliance to avoid the embarrassment of being told to go home. Arguably, a helmet with Snell compliance should be safer for high speed applications, although the modern ECE testing regime is supposed to be pretty good.

Additionally, DOT and SNELL helmets are not currently legal for Road use in Australia.
(Side note - ECE helmets are not legal for road use in the USA, DOT helmets are not legal for road use in the UK.)

All helmets must be marked as to what standard they comply to.
For me I start with looking at the general safety features and make sure the helmet is a really good fit. They are not all the same. I also like good vision. Noise is a secondary factor for me as are extra features like drop down visors and pinlocks.
Since I am less concerned about racing, I just look for ECE compliance.


Peter.

 

Yes. My general understanding is that there are no age restrictions for road use, but DOT and Snell certification alone is not acceptable. Strange about Snell since it is supposed to be a higher level of compliance testing. However I have read that there is some debate on this issue. As for track use, general track days seem to accept ECE and AS compliance. Good to see Andra also look like they accept road compliant helmets. I believe at the higher levels of motorsport general road compliant helmets may be an issue.

 

In the past I've bought my gear from.....

https://www.fc-moto.de/epages/fcm.s...Nolan-N87-Classic-N-Com-Full-Face-Helmet-0022

That is still quite a heavy helmet judging from their specs but I guess aerodynamics play a bit part as does the type of bike you are riding (and how fast lol)