HELMETS: What, where and how much?

[CT]

Stilo are some of the lightest helmets around. Stand 21 are the lightest full face helmets around. A decent HJC from a bike shop will cost you around $250. If you run open top leave the visor on, if you run closed top take the visor off. I run an Arai GP5K but will upgrade soon for a HANS post fitter helmet.

Open faced helmets do not protect your jawbone from contacting with the steering wheel - even in a harness (which can stretch 50cm in a hard impact!) If you have an open faced helmet, you must wear non glass goggles in an open car. Much easier to pull down the visor on your full face helmet.

You wimps with open faced helmets Try sitting in a balck car, with a black hard roof, in a 3 layer suit with balaclava and full dome. Personal sauna!

The stilo WRC is the closest I would ever go to an open faced helmet.

[veecee]

Thx for all the feedback. I'm leaning towards a full face as I can use it for the occasional kart outing. Who knows, might even start racing karts...

[fish]

Open faced helmets do not protect your jawbone from contacting with the steering wheel - even in a harness (which can stretch 50cm in a hard impact!) If you have an open faced helmet, you must wear non glass goggles in an open car. Much easier to pull down the visor on your full face helmet.

You wimps with open faced helmets Try sitting in a balck car, with a black hard roof, in a 3 layer suit with balaclava and full dome. Personal sauna!

.

finally someone else talking sense ...as well as this there may be other debris flying around the cockpit ...you are really not out to be "comfortable" in the end of the day ..i would choose safety over comfort ....

[timk]

I tried the Shoei TZR and it was an awesome fit. I'm still looking around to see what else is out there though.

[BiX]

Personally I only wear full face helmets (seen what can happen when the belts stretch, and nexk extends, it wasn't pretty!). I run a X-11 for my bike and used to use it for racing. Just bought a Stilo SR-3, as i need a intercom and that will be used for all motorsport.

Iam pretty sure most bike helmets will take you up to national level events. Go to a bike shop, try on all the different brands. You will also find that different brands are different shapes, you want one that fits your head shape. its better to have a $300 one that fits perfect, than a 1k one thats to big. Alot of ppl work on the helemt being slightly firm when new (but now pressure points!!!), as the helmet will settle in and foam compress slightly as you wear it in. More expensive helmets will have better features, and may offer protection above what a cheaper one may. Personally, motorbike store, get somebody who knows what they are doing, tell them what you want and what you budget is.

[bigdog]

I was racing at Eastern Creek several years back in my clubman, chasing two other clubbies when we were passed on the straight by big v8 powered CanAm style car that proceeded to blow his engine to pieces as he went past. My friend Rob in the car in front of me copped a piece of big end that went through his aero screen and took a 5cm chunk out of the chin of his full face helmet. I have never thought about my FF helmet being uncomfortable since....

Check out the ERG range of helmets at Race & Rally - they are really good value and have fire resistant lining (bike helmets have nylon lining - not nice in a car fire).

[Benny]

I was always led to believe that car helmets and bike helmets were different, in that bike helmets are designed for the one big hit, whereas car helmets are designed for a number of hits (such as when you're rolling over when the car turns turtle).

Is this true?

If so, shouldn't you be looking at CAR helmets and NOT bike helmets?

Is there any difference to the approval numbers between bike and car helmets, and if so, how do you tell if it is a car helmet and not a bike one?

[bigdog]

No difference structurally Benny, and the testing for standards approval is the same for all. The real differences are in the lining, and in the top of the line circuit helmets which are designed for HANS attachment etc. In the early days of FF helmets bike helmets had wider visor view than the Bell car helmets, which made them popular, but then things like nomex lining came into the equation. Personally I would prefer a good reasonably priced car race helmet to a bike one - price is around the same but you get the non-flamable lining. In terms of crash protection though there is no real difference.

[The Pupat]

I bought a 100 buck bike helmet from the local bike shop. Works good (Not that I've tested it) and has all the stickers, well at AS standard sticker you need. In my mind as long as it passes AS standard I reckon it would be alright. I wouldn't be too worried about SNELL certification etc.

[CT]

I was always led to believe that car helmets and bike helmets were different, in that bike helmets are designed for the one big hit, whereas car helmets are designed for a number of hits (such as when you're rolling over when the car turns turtle).

Is this true?

If so, shouldn't you be looking at CAR helmets and NOT bike helmets?

Is there any difference to the approval numbers between bike and car helmets, and if so, how do you tell if it is a car helmet and not a bike one?

YES YES YES THEY ARE!

Car helmets are tested to a different standard and are designed for impacts with hard, immovable surfaces such as roll cages and steering wheels. They are also nomex lined and the air vents must contain fire retardent mesh. Car helmet visors are also generally thicker than bike helmet visors - that's ones always got me but i think it's for flame retardation. Snell SA standard applies.

Bike helmets are designed for different impacts such as sliding on tarmac and are not nomex lined and do not have fire retardent mesh in the vents. Snell M standard applies.

http://www.smf.org/stds.html

[bigdog]

That's true for the Snell standards testing CT, but not true for helmets with AS 1698 compliance - the standards are detailed here:

Australian Standards
Snell Standards

Bottom line is still the same - if you are buying a new helmet buy a car helmet. Cost is similar and benefits are greater.

[veecee]

Received a Stand 21 catalogue from the Oz distributors today. They look very sweet indeed...

[tk421]

I got an RPM racegear, snell M2000 DOT approved & Australian standard approved helmet from Revolution race gear today for 200 bucks (normally 300). They had them in about 4 or 5 colours I think, though personally I got white (even has a little air vent thingo on the top of the chin section). It says \"vehicle helmet\" inside so presume that means intended for something with four wheels. Great value. I told the guy I was prepared to spend up to 400 or so and that was what he put in my hands so I guess they are half decent. Fine for a track day I would have thought, which is what I bought it for..

Steve

[JSE]

can you use any sort of helmet? I have a shoei that i used for my bike, can it be used for car/track days without a problem?

[Slugoid]

can you use any sort of helmet? I have a shoei that i used for my bike, can it be used for car/track days without a problem?

Should be able to, as long as the helmet meets the usual safety standards (SNELL, AS1698 etc). I'm running a KBC, which are pretty much just bike helmets.