- Joined
- Oct 6, 2011
- Messages
- 5,622
- Reaction score
- 173
- Location
- North Yorkshire
- Bike
- KTM 990 Adventure
When I bought my first helmet I though more money equals better safety, so I bought the most expensive I could afford. Now I'm shopping for a replacement and I wondering if I should get a R3000 helmet or eat bead & water for a while and drop big cash on a premium brand.
You've got Shoei, Arai, Schuberth etc at R8000+
Then there's Shark and Nolan at the R5000~R7000 mark
Then there's half a dozen options at R2000~R4000
Below that the differences are obvious; you're getting stuff I wouldn't trust on a bicycle.
Don't say "I have a xyz helmet and it's the most comfortable..."; comfort of a helmet is purely down to the size and shape of your head. All helmets are a slightly different shape so some will fit certain people better than others. The Arai Tour X4 is the most uncomfortable thing I've ever tried on, whereas the Shoei Hornet X2 felt like resting my head in a pair of...let's just say it was bloody comfortable.
It's not much to do with safety level. There are a number of articles out there talking about helmet cost vs safety and the difference is tiny. One comprehensive article I read worked it out the average difference to be 0.0000001 (10e-7) safety points per £1 price difference...
It's not features either; stuff like detachable lining, adjustable peaks and internal sun visors can be found at R2000 no problem.
What am I missing?
You've got Shoei, Arai, Schuberth etc at R8000+
Then there's Shark and Nolan at the R5000~R7000 mark
Then there's half a dozen options at R2000~R4000
Below that the differences are obvious; you're getting stuff I wouldn't trust on a bicycle.
Don't say "I have a xyz helmet and it's the most comfortable..."; comfort of a helmet is purely down to the size and shape of your head. All helmets are a slightly different shape so some will fit certain people better than others. The Arai Tour X4 is the most uncomfortable thing I've ever tried on, whereas the Shoei Hornet X2 felt like resting my head in a pair of...let's just say it was bloody comfortable.
It's not much to do with safety level. There are a number of articles out there talking about helmet cost vs safety and the difference is tiny. One comprehensive article I read worked it out the average difference to be 0.0000001 (10e-7) safety points per £1 price difference...
It's not features either; stuff like detachable lining, adjustable peaks and internal sun visors can be found at R2000 no problem.
What am I missing?
