Cheap helmet recommendations?

[old kid]

Helmets have been a hot topic all across the motor sports world for a long time, there are hundreds of different styles and brands out there and everyone has an opinion on which one is better for one reason or another and are convinced that they are right,
it all comes down to whatever you are comfortable with. (my opinion)

I wear an AFX skid lid, skull cap or whatever you want to call it if the weather is nice when i'm out on my Harley or if on the rare occasion i have my Indian out, it may not provide the greatest protection but that's what i'm comfortable with,

I wear a modular HJC heated shield, bluetooth enabled in the winter on the sled ,its a bit awkward but it provides good protection from the cold and snow, plus it has tunes in it ""BONUS""
I have a FLY full face for the cooler or wet weather. I only have about 50 miles on my hawk but i wear the FLY with that bike because it fits the bike,
all these helmets fit me and i am comfortable wearing them,

find something that you are comfortable with and confident in and go with it.

[bogieboy]

I got a zoan synchrony off ebay last year, bit over $100, but you gdt an adv style helmet, and a tinted drop down sunshade, and a cold weather breath box...

[MDStroup]

Icon Alliance Dark helmet. It is normally priced around $100. Decent reviews.

[emptyschmitz]

Originally Posted by MDStroup

Icon Alliance Dark helmet. It is normally priced around $100. Decent reviews.

I agree, I really like Icon helmet's fit and ECE rating. I have an Alliance GT as my normal use with a sunshield. Icon makes great helmets for the price.

I have a Gmax helmet I bought on clearance for $20 that I use on the motorcycle range and while fartin around on dirt low speed with my Hawk. Good enough for a fall over and I don't damage my really nice helmet!

Good riding friends of mine swear by Bilt helmets, in-house brand of a motorcycle gear shop called Cycle Gear. Good fit and features for the dollar, worth a look.

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by pistolclass

I dont think Snell will certify the flip ups. I could be wrong. Helmets do expire, at least racing helmets. I think it is 10 years on my SA rated helmet.

Snell was one of my clients here in North Highlands. Interesting, yet small lab in a strip mall and still basically family run, at least last time I was there. They may have moved to somewhere bigger by now, I don't know. They have very stringent specifications, improve them constantly and have some pretty wacky testing procedures....such as, if you ever plan on ramming the top of your head into a long steel spike at extremely high speeds, you better have a Snell approved helmet.

My feeling has always been regarding time and thrashing, is that most helmet manufacturers say to replace them in a certain amount of time or if you drop it off your handlebars, is to save themselves from litigation and to sell more helmets, than anything else. Of course, with your head, what precautions you take are up to you.

I had the same MX open faced helmet for more than two decades that had been thrashed, dropped, crashed and generally abused. It never failed me and I just threw it away about three months ago.

Helmets are like oil, everyone has their own opinion because it's your dome your making decisions on. If I remember right, Snell himself was killed rolling an open top race car. I kind of doubt even an "his approved" helmet would have saved him.

[oldscooter]

I have 4 Scorpion Exo 100's. I have found that not sitting behind a windshield on the Hawk, I need to get out my Scorpion Exo 200 with the full flip up face shield. Didn't realize the big cruisers had made me such a sissy about bugs in the face. Exo's are the best fit for my Charlie Brown head.

[JerryHawk250]

I'm using my cheap bastards $39.99 Walmart helmet which is DOT approved. I recently painted it black to match the bike. Back in 1976 I crashed my 1st bike. A lady had pulled out in front of me and the only option I had was to lock up the brakes and laid the bike down. The bike went under the car and flew over the car about 30 feet and landed on my back. I did manage to split the helmet and not my head. No broke bones a little road rash. I was able to get up and walk away. The next day and for about a week and a half every part of my body hurt. I felt like I had a full body sprain. Personally I think any DOT approved helmet will do. If you in that bad of a wreck on a motorcycle you will have more damage to the rest of your body than your head.

[oldscooter]

I've got a motocross style helmet. Fits good. But... it won't go on while I have my glasses on. Getting the glasses on through the eye slot is a pain and they never settle on my head right. My modular helmet has the entire face portion lift up and goes on well over glasses. Put the face down and I feel like my head is in a can. Lots of things to consider for each person's likes and fit.

[RogerWFarrier]

I like HJC although I did just upgrade to a Bell Qualifier DLX since I mostly ride on the street. It was $250 at Cycle Gear has a transitions face shield and is ready to accept the Bell Sena SMH10 and Cardo Scala Rider Q1/Q3 Bluetooth stereo headset and intercom systems

[RogerWFarrier]

Originally Posted by emptyschmitz

I agree, I really like Icon helmet's fit and ECE rating. I have an Alliance GT as my normal use with a sunshield. Icon makes great helmets for the price.

I have a Gmax helmet I bought on clearance for $20 that I use on the motorcycle range and while fartin around on dirt low speed with my Hawk. Good enough for a fall over and I don't damage my really nice helmet!

Good riding friends of mine swear by Bilt helmets, in-house brand of a motorcycle gear shop called Cycle Gear. Good fit and features for the dollar, worth a look.

Cycle Gear also has their Sedici brand of helmets and gear which is their higher end house brand. I have a pair of their gloves and really like them. In fact I was going to get one of their Sedici helmets but the Transitions shield on the Bell won me over.

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by JerryHawk250

I'm using my cheap bastards $39.99 Walmart helmet which is DOT approved.

My brother has the identical helmet and it fits his massive melon very comfortably.

[Mudflap]

I hit a moose in Alaska on my touring bike a few years ago and went down hard. My $39 Walmart helmet wasn't even scratched. Mooses are soft!

[nattex]

Originally Posted by Mudflap

All helmets sold in the US have to meet DOT standards so they'll all be safe. In many cases the cheaper helmets test better than the $500+ helmets. I use a $39 open face from Walmart because skidding down the road on my face might improve my looks.

This is not true. There are plenty of helmets sold that are not DOT rated (ie the skull caps that you see Harley riders wearing all the time). It will have a DOT sticker on the back if it is DOT rated. HJC is a good medium priced helmet of reasonable quality and comfortable.

[timcosby]

Originally Posted by JerryHawk250

I'm using my cheap bastards $39.99 Walmart helmet which is DOT approved. I recently painted it black to match the bike. Back in 1976 I crashed my 1st bike. A lady had pulled out in front of me and the only option I had was to lock up the brakes and laid the bike down. The bike went under the car and flew over the car about 30 feet and landed on my back. I did manage to split the helmet and not my head. No broke bones a little road rash. I was able to get up and walk away. The next day and for about a week and a half every part of my body hurt. I felt like I had a full body sprain. Personally I think any DOT approved helmet will do. If you in that bad of a wreck on a motorcycle you will have more damage to the rest of your body than your head.

im after that trophy! i use a $10 non dot approved skull cap with 1/8 foam in it most of the time. to each his own! i see a lot of the dual sport bmw riders around here wearing the suits with all the pads and reflection tape all over it and happened to stop at breakfast where they were and they were all complaining how hot it was...no shit with all that crap on.

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by nattex

This is not true. There are plenty of helmets sold that are not DOT rated (ie the skull caps that you see Harley riders wearing all the time). It will have a DOT sticker on the back if it is DOT rated.

In my younger days, I wore a German helmet on my chopper. It had a DOT sticker on the back... that I got from when we all passed around a sheet of them at a "peel and stick" party.