The Ultimate Guide to Motorcycle Helmets

 

The world of motorcycle helmets is vast. It’s easy to get lost among the numerous styles, materials, features and ratings etc etc.

 

Then, against all of this, you have to weigh up the pros and cons of a £50 helmet against those of a £500 helmet.

 

That’s no easy task, even for a seasoned rider.

 

In this article, we explain everything you need to know when considering which helmet is best for you.

 

The fit

 

Any biker worth their salt will tell you that a helmet can make or break your riding pleasure. The way your helmet fits should be one of the foremost concerns when you’re looking to buy a new lid. Admittedly, this means you could be the unlucky person who has the ‘£500 helmet head’ but, equally, you really can’t afford to put a price on your comfort. Afterall, 100% comfort allows you to focus wholeheartedly on the road and the developing hazards ahead. An uncomfortable helmet doesn’t just detract from your riding pleasure – it also detracts from your concentration, with potentially dangerous consequences. Get the fit right, even if it puts you out of pocket by an extra £50. You might not have to spend £100s on a helmet – just try plenty on before you buy, to ensure you’re buying the right one for you. Some helmets have the ability to switch the cheek pads for different thicknesses, so bear this in mind and ask your salesperson to show you this if you struggle for the right fit.

 

The brand

 

Don’t be misled – every helmet with an ACU gold label meets the required safety standards for use on UK roads. It’s just that some brands quite naturally put a lot more research and development into their lids, increasing the protection, descreasing the weight and developing a great fit (see above!). There are some really incredible brands out there (e.g. Shoei, Arai), but there’s no kidding you about the amount of cash that’s in your wallet (or rather the amount of cash that is not in your wallet) and some of those brands are serious cash. However, safety and a hefty price tag are not one and the same – you can get safety without spending incredible amounts, but you might want to consider the following factors.

 

What’s the helmet made from?

 

Polycarbonate and thermoplastics are commonly found in lower priced motorcycle helmets, and whilst they are quite strong, they can also be quite heavy. Then there’s fibreglass, which has a better strength to weight ratio. Beyond this, you’ll find tri-composite weaves, which are a combination of fibres such as kevlar, fibreglass, carbon fibre or Aramid, which work together in a matrix to offer incredible strength at minimum weight. In fact, some shells made of this composite are so strong that you can actually stand on them with no effect on the shell whatsoever (trust us, we’ve tried it with a Shoei shell, brought in by our Shoei representative! Incredible!).

 

The longevity of the helmet

 

Helmets can have a lifespan of up to five years (but you should always replace it if you drop it), so to get the most out of your lid you might want to consider the following issues. Are replacement visors readily available? What about replacement visor fitting pieces? Are the cheekpads and crown pad (around the top of your head) removable and washable, or available to purchase separately? Nobody wants a less-than-fragrant lid now, do we?

 

Inner sun visor, or tinted outer visor

 

Now, this is a bit of a minefield. Inner sun visors are legal in the UK so long as they’re retractable. Outer tinted visors are not road legal unless they are expressly stated as such, with a really low percentage of tint. For this reason, if you want to ride legally on the road and be able to block the glare of the road successfully, you really ought to consider a helmet with a built-in sun visor. Caberg Helmets pioneered this, but now other brands have also adopted it too, such as AGV.

 

SHARP rating

 

The SHARP rating is pretty handy for telling you how well a helmet performs in a standard series of safety tests. Four or five stars on a SHARP rating is pretty impressive. However, do be warned that the SHARP test is just an indicator – it shouldn’t necessarily be the decision maker (refer back to my first point – it should be the fit).

 

In conclusion…

 

Hopefully this has cleared a few things up for you, the inquisitive helmet-buyer. If you are still at all uncertain, post a question below or, even better, call us on 01623 627600 ext 1 or come and visit our store.

 

We have motorcycle helmets galore here, so you can be sure to get the right fit, the right style, the right features – the right helmet from start to finish.