Sooooo....


The answer to the original question:  "Are expensive helmets worth it?"


No
Yes
Maybe
It depends

(choose the answer you like)

Cookie

Quote from: GatorTrae on December 19, 2014, 08:39:18 PM
There are plenty opinions out there. I want to hear yours.

1- What helmet do you wear - how much was it?  Do you like/hate it?
2- Have you tried the expensive brands: Shoei, AGV, Arai. Is it worth 3x or even 5x the price? 

The cop out answer of buy what fits best and what you like.. I get that.
I want to learn from your experience. That's what this community is about!

Thanks! 

Trae

I think my helmets are excellent examples. One is eBay >$50, the other is an Arai.

Which is safer?

To find an actual answer we'd have to look at statistically significant data from incidents involving each, account for differences in conditions, and figure out whether my skull would fair better in one helmet vs the other for each case. We've now gone beyond certification testing. Both the cheap and expensive helmet say they meet DOT standards. Let's assume for the sake of argument this is true for both (I have my doubts). Beyond that standard there are no data to compare, so even if all helmets that are stated as DOT approved do provide DOT protection, I wonder whether some exceed that in a meaningful way.

I'll leave it to others to speculate whether the eBay helmet or the Arai is more likely to exceed DOT specs and/or otherwise provide more meaningful protection. Previously I listed my shopping choices at all price points, so I'm not a helmet snob, but on the other hand it's probably not entirely fair to dismiss a Shoei or a Schuberth as simply having better paint than an eBay Special. I don't shop based only on finish or even on comfort.

The short answer is "maybe."

good comments...

Notice that the OP asked if they were "worth It"...not necessarily if they were safer...

Safety is only one aspect of a helmet...


We spend hours and hours riding with a helmet on...hopefully we never crash..

So things like comfort, durability, weight, visor operation, ventilation, noise, sound system, communications, and even graphics all matter to some degree...

So...the helmet you choose and the price you pay is pretty much subjective....this is why there are so many choices and so many price ranges...

Back to safety......

First of all....ANY helmet is way safer than no helmet in a crash...that being said...I would think that any reputable brand...even the cheapo models...would offer tremendous crash protection vs no helmet at all.........The increase in safety possible in a very expensive model, is going to be only marginally better.....

I think of it this way...if we could create a "protection scale" for 1 to 100.....1 being the least protection and 100 being theoretically impervious..

Riding without a helmet would rate a 1..

A cheepo but reputable brand would probably rate 60 to 75

The best ever helmet would rate maybe   85  (100 being impossible)



Also in a severe crash there is no helmet which is going to save you....just a fact of life of a motorcyclist..

The certification tests are just that...not necessarily what will happen to you in real life...(250 g's to the head passes Snell...but how's that gonna feel when it happens to you?)

So my final answer:  "It depends"

Cookie

Quote from: Rallyfan on December 21, 2014, 06:25:01 AM
I think my helmets are excellent examples. One is eBay >$50, the other is an Arai.

Which is safer?

To find an actual answer we'd have to look at statistically significant data from incidents involving each, account for differences in conditions, and figure out whether my skull would fair better in one helmet vs the other for each case. We've now gone beyond certification testing. Both the cheap and expensive helmet say they meet DOT standards. Let's assume for the sake of argument this is true for both (I have my doubts). Beyond that standard there are no data to compare, so even if all helmets that are stated as DOT approved do provide DOT protection, I wonder whether some exceed that in a meaningful way.

I'll leave it to others to speculate whether the eBay helmet or the Arai is more likely to exceed DOT specs and/or otherwise provide more meaningful protection. Previously I listed my shopping choices at all price points, so I'm not a helmet snob, but on the other hand it's probably not entirely fair to dismiss a Shoei or a Schuberth as simply having better paint than an eBay Special. I don't shop based only on finish or even on comfort.

The short answer is "maybe."

Aye as in patricks case .  Bout the only thing that might have worked would have been a HANS device. used in racing. part of the risk we assume with this mode of transportation

Worth it? ... aside from the safety (or lack thereof) certifications. ..

Worth is a individual/personal viewpoint! Based on what the individual gets for the money they were able to spend at the time ...

The worth of any helmet is in how comfortable you feel wearing that particular helmet and about what features you purchased it for, then how well those features perform or fail

I will always choose function/comfort over form/ looks if things are tight budget wise... if I can find a helmet that meets my comfort and gizmo expectation then 'chubby time'... if that helmet also happens to have a awesome graphics option or 'badass!  All my mates will be jelly!' Shape/style then 'double chubby time' lol

Example. .. a close friend has a awesome chain & skull & barbed wire graphic on his helmet... it does look fantastic when you see it... and it is a good helmet overall. .. but it squeezes his head wrong, doesn't ventilated too well a lot of the time,  he comes out of the helmet looking like an annoyed sweaty squirrel! ...

His plain white HJC helmet. .. well it's plain white! ... but it fits his head like a lover's massage and when he takes it off he is smiling about how good it is to wear... no sweat, no headache, no imprinted pattern on his cheeks....

But he wears the hot graphics one a whole lot more cos it gets comments



Which helmet is 'worth' it?

Whoops... my helmet. .. Nolan N102 flip face. .. comfort yes!, features not bad (though the built-in dock for the Ncom electronics is theoretically cool,  the electronic kits are $$$) , came With pinlock included yes!,........ Wind noise at speed-  CRAP! , weight- heavyish (1792g?)

Overall I like it a lot more than I loathe the wind noise!

Really want to try the new N104. .. but what if it's noisy also? .. I need also to find someone who has owned both before I lay down $400 Aussie!  ... the 104's do have basic graphics tho... the 102's only had a limited range of paint only!

Well, i dont know if its a safe helmet or not, but it is EU marked for motorcycles.

I use this one from LS2



What i can say about it is that its not that much of a windcatcher under 120 kph. i rarely go faster than 120 (dont ride highway too often) and i must say that i think for under that speed this semi cross helmet looks very nice, and isnt too uncomfy.

Ive used a moto helmet in times past testing out a gs. L ok ved the built in sunvisor 

I often wonder why off road helmets have sun visor and on road not....

I guess it is due to higher speeds on road and the air grabbing the visor?

My weekend commute is to the NE early in the morning and return to the SW late in the day...sun in the eyes both ways!  Visor would be nice!


Cookie

Quote from: Krav on December 23, 2014, 02:45:22 AM
Well, i dont know if its a safe helmet or not, but it is EU marked for motorcycles.

I use this one from LS2



What i can say about it is that its not that much of a windcatcher under 120 kph. i rarely go faster than 120 (dont ride highway too often) and i must say that i think for under that speed this semi cross helmet looks very nice, and isnt too uncomfy.

Not wanting to piss in anybody's Cheerios or anything, but seeing that most MC accidents are rider induced I would say don't crash, but to answer the question I buy the cheapies.

Quote from: GatorTrae on December 19, 2014, 08:39:18 PM

The cop out answer of buy what fits best . . .

Disagree that's a "cop out".  I doubt that the protective value varies all that much between helmet brands, so I don't see any criteria that's more important than fit.  By fit, I would include dimensions relative to one's head size/shape, weight, and noise level.  For me that happened to be a rather pricey Shoei the last go round.

Quote from: Janx101 on December 23, 2014, 02:32:34 AM
Whoops... my helmet. .. Nolan N102 flip face. .. comfort yes!, features not bad (though the built-in dock for the Ncom electronics is theoretically cool,  the electronic kits are $$$) , came With pinlock included yes!,........ Wind noise at speed-  CRAP! , weight- heavyish (1792g?)

SNIP.....

Janx, I have had an N103 for the past couple years. As far as the electronic kit goes(Ncom I believe?) : I found a Chinese clone on eBay for some ridiculously low price.....I think $25 shipped. I remember seeing the picture of it on eBay and thinking "That thing looks almost identical to the Nolan version.....". After it showed up from China I realized they even copied the helmet mount and everything. Don't know if that's any help to you, but just thought I'd get it out there.

Quote from: twocool on December 21, 2014, 06:00:46 AM
Sooooo....


The answer to the original question:  "Are expensive helmets worth it?"


No
Yes
Maybe
It depends

(choose the answer you like)

Cookie

Quote from: GatorTrae on December 19, 2014, 08:39:18 PM
There are plenty opinions out there. I want to hear yours.

1- What helmet do you wear - how much was it?  Do you like/hate it?
2- Have you tried the expensive brands: Shoei, AGV, Arai. Is it worth 3x or even 5x the price? 

The cop out answer of buy what fits best and what you like.. I get that.
I want to learn from your experience. That's what this community is about!

Thanks! 

Trae

Seeing that I'm a defensive rider, ride mostly alone, and at speed limits (occasionally faster, but most of the time I behave), and in fl it's too hot to wear a helmet outside of winter; adding to the fact that I can enjoy giving up minor quality (eg wind noise, seating comfort, fogging) for some $$$, I would say they (expensive helmets) are not worth it.

If you are living in colder regions, where screen fogging is an issue, or ride with 2 and need intercom; or you're the type of person who rides his bike once a year, and have one of those humongous bagger bikes, and want top quality, top dollar, you may want to go with the more expensive helmets.

I enjoy my ride, I use it as weekly/weekend commuter and on my days off.
My bike has no less than 1 month stand still, most of the time 3-4 rides per week.
I don't care about how it looks like, I care about the enjoyment of my ride.
Ironically, I use my helmet more than people keeping their bike in the stable all year, save for 2 weeks in the summer, and I don't even want a fancy helmet.
$100 helmets are super! $35 helmets are good enough (save for the tracks or the 70+mph highways).

When my fiancee and I were buying our first bikes some 5 years ago, we obviously had to get all the appropriate gear. We shelled out a total of $1,600 AUD for 2 helmets, one each. Two Shark helmets, mine a 4 star rated, hers a 5 star rated. It was piece of mind for me. I wanted to do everything I could to ensure both her and my safety should anything happen. Buying a helmet which met more regulations/tests seemed like the best way to do it. The only reason I got a 4 star instead of a 5 star is I couldn't find a 5 star helmet that fit my fat head with my glasses on.

I honestly don't think I'd be comfortable with a cheaper and "less safe" (read; AS1698 approved only, no further testing) helmet. I've used a friends HJC helmet to get his bike home after he lowsided and broke his collarbone. Nice snug fit, but it was damn noisy and I felt it was too light, almost like there was nothing in it. It's just styrofoam and a plastic shell. It might have met recommendations, but it didn't met my standards.

So to answer the original question, are expensive helmets worth it? In my mind, yes. I think two helmets I bought were worth every cent.

OP here.
Thanks for all the comments. I  currently have a Vega something helmet. It was about $100.  I've had it for two years and never 'tested' it. 
My buddy did go down this summer and wacked his Bilt helmet on the ground. he's fine but the helmet was not.   I think his was around a hundred also.
I am interested in a new helmet and found I wanted better ventilation and reduced wind noise than what I have now.  I found tons of options from $50-$750.  Some with better stated protection standards than others. I like an earlier post referencing the typical diminishing returns of protection as the cost increases.   While protection is expected, other factors are important.   So after searching I've decided on this one.

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/bell-rs-1-rsd-flash-bronze-helmet?gclid=Cj0KEQiAwuSkBRC7qKq8rr7796sBEiQA5VnSuEakA0hT89OVPfXPk5Yj9yTI5yuE_ubjpRr0SQ8oBbwaAoZ88P8HAQ

It's half off, has a great brand reputation and looks amazing.   The one catch was the sizing. I'm a Large size per them but that's out of stock. Measured head size at 79cm.  I went to Cycle Gear and expected to try on an RS1. Well they didn't have it. But the girl said that Seven0Seven was the same manufacturer and they had some of those. I tried a large and it was too big, the medium fit good. So I went home and clicked the order button. Also got a smokeshield with it. 
If I doesn't fit, I'll return it. No big deal.

Again thanks for the comments.

Another vote for HJC; I've had numerous HJC helmets over the years. Decent quality, not very expensive. Some are quite good looking too.

This thread is costing me money. I'm now shopping Arai Vector, Arai Defiant, Schuberth S2, Nolan N86.

I figure a new shield for my old Arai is $50, so why not use the money for a new helmet... Sigh...

Quote from: Rallyfan on December 24, 2014, 12:02:02 PM
This thread is costing me money. I'm now shopping Arai Vector, Arai Defiant, Schuberth S2, Nolan N86.

I figure a new shield for my old Arai is $50, so why not use the money for a new helmet... Sigh...

lmao. Aint that the truth

I just realized that I only buy helmets that have 3 letters of the alphabet in the name, THH, HJC and AFX 

Z1R

Two letters one numeral...

Cookie

Quote from: Suzuki Stevo on December 24, 2014, 12:36:42 PM
I just realized that I only buy helmets that have 3 letters of the alphabet in the name, THH, HJC and AFX