Are the £500 helmets worth the extra?

Are the £500 helmets worth the extra?

Author
Discussion

Dick Dastardly

Original Poster:

8,312 posts

262 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
quotequote all
I'm looking for a new lid but the choice is huge. In one bike shop they spent ages telling me why a Shoei is worth three times the cost of a similar looking HJC (something to do with a hard outside layer and a soft inside layer, and visa versa), whereas another shop said they are barely different.

Any of you lot know the reason? Did you decide to go for a really expensive one? Thinking about a Shoei for peace of mind (and the brilliant inbuilt sun visor) as a main helmet and wouldn't mind a cheaper spare as two of them would cost as grand.

tdm34

7,365 posts

209 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
quotequote all
Old saying from my younger days.....

"I you've got a £10 head, buy a £10 helmet".


Given that if you have a shunt do you really want to find out the hard way?

MC Bodge

21,551 posts

174 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
quotequote all
I have a HJC.

The main thing for me is how well the helmet fits my head and how comfortable it is.

The HJC was a bit noisy when I bought it, but more expensive helmets can also be noisy...

TheLordJohn

5,746 posts

145 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
quotequote all
Aren't the in-built visor helmets frowned upon for whatever reason?
I've got the top of the range Kevlar HJC. Bought it as I liked the colours, lol.
I've also got a cheaper, c£100, HJC as a spare/pillion helmet.

Rawwr

22,722 posts

233 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
quotequote all
tdm34 said:
"I you've got a £10 head, buy a £10 helmet".
My Arai RX7 GP was £700. Shoei XR1100 was £420. Shoei NXR was £480. Nolan N94 was £240. Icon Variant was £320.

I like to think my head is worth more than those combined, several thousand times over.

TheLordJohn

5,746 posts

145 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
quotequote all
Rawwr said:
My Arai RX7 GP was £700. Shoei XR1100 was £420. Shoei NXR was £480. Nolan N94 was £240. Icon Variant was £320.

I like to think my head is worth more than those combined, several thousand times over.
I think it's just a loosely used figure of speech. Rather than a mathematical equation to calculate your helmet expenditure...

bimsb6

8,034 posts

220 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
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TheLordJohn said:
Rawwr said:
My Arai RX7 GP was £700. Shoei XR1100 was £420. Shoei NXR was £480. Nolan N94 was £240. Icon Variant was £320.

I like to think my head is worth more than those combined, several thousand times over.
I think it's just a loosely used figure of speech. Rather than a mathematical equation to calculate your helmet expenditure...
I think actually it originates from a bell helmets advert .

Dr Jekyll

23,820 posts

260 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
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You're paying for comfort and relative quietness, all helmets have to meet the same safety standards. I'm sure some manufacturers claim to have sailed through the tests instead of scraped through, but the trouble is what makes you safer in one kind of accident can make you more vulnerable in another.

My view is find something that's a perfect fit. If you find you have a choice then whether it's worth the premium for the more expensive helmet really depends on how much you use it. 100 miles a day commute plus touring, who cares about an extra £200 every 5 years? 30 miles round the block on sunny Sundays, may as well go for the cheapest.

Mastodon2

13,818 posts

164 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
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I've got an AGV K-3, it they sell for £130-£180 quid depending on the graphics on them. It's comfortable, not particularly quiet, and didn't come with a pinlock visor as standard. However, I tried on a top of the range X-Lite that was £400 and it was just better in every way. The materials, the neck seal, lighter and feel a lot more plush, you cold tell it was a premium product, I'd guess that with the improved neck seal it would be a lot quieter than my AGV, which can be pretty noisy.

evil len

4,398 posts

268 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
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I've gone from a Scorpion 1000 to a Schuberth S2. The S2 is noticeably better quality, fits better, is significantly quieter. The old adage I guess ... you get what you pay for.

MC Bodge

21,551 posts

174 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
quotequote all
evil len said:
I've gone from a Scorpion 1000 to a Schuberth S2. The S2 is noticeably better quality, fits better, is significantly quieter. The old adage I guess ... you get what you pay for.
...and it depends upon the shape of your head?

moanthebairns

17,918 posts

197 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
quotequote all
After having a mid range AGV I wouldn't buy another one, horrendously loud but an ok helmet.

Arai, had two of these, don't think id buy an Arai again, felt so much better than the AGV when I bought them, lovely looking, and quiet. However the visor system is st, it fogs up too easy without a pinlock, and the middle range ones are a bit heavy.

Bell - top of the range m5 and its fantastic. Seriously best lid ive ever had, so light, well put together where it maters, there is aspects of it that look cheap but can fault its function. A fking bargain at £85. I barely use my Arai now.


DJP

1,198 posts

178 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
quotequote all
Since all helmets are tested to the same standard, there's no guarantee that a more expensive one is any safer than a bum basic one.

The biggest safety factor is the fit. A cheap lid that fits properly will always be better than an expensive one that doesn't.

I'm currently using an AGV. Tbh, it's a bit cheap and cheerful, but it fits me properly whereas the Shoeis/Arais etc for sale at the same time didn't.

bogie

16,342 posts

271 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
quotequote all
you have the law of diminishing returns like any consumer goods...and so long as a minority will pay £500-1000 for helmets, the manufacturers will make plenty of them

at the bottom end of the market you can notice the materials, liner, visor, features may not be as good/not present

in the mid range there are some excellent do everything well helmets, with all styles having their pros n cons

at the top end you have the very latest tech, most luxurious liners, best developed (vents, visors etc) helmets

the majority of people are more than happy in a £200-300 helmet ...if you can afford the most expensive, it fits well, you like the design...then get one....but its doubtful it will protect you anymore than a £150 helmet that passes all the same tests

oh, if I remember right its Arai who started the negative myths about helmets with built in sun visors ...strangely enough because they dont have one in their product range and say they have no intentions to....their patented shell shape is what they are known for so no point. Personally I prefer the convenience of a sun visor and the last Arai I bought was in 1991 so makes no odds to me wink

Rawwr

22,722 posts

233 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
quotequote all
I currently have 3 Shoeis, 1 Arai, 2 Nolans and an Icon. I tend to only use the Shoei ones because they have the most comfortable lining. The lining of Arais has never been quite as good and seems to go skanky quicker than the Shoei ones.

bogie

16,342 posts

271 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
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Ive crash tested the top of the range Arai, Shoei and Shark and all did their job just great when they had to smile




Osinjak

5,453 posts

120 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
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I've just bought a Schuberth C3 Pro and the difference between that and my stpiece Caberg is remarkable, particularly the fit, v comfortable but then I hope it would be given the price difference. Still noisier than I thought it would be though.

Mastodon2

13,818 posts

164 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
quotequote all
bogie said:
oh, if I remember right its Arai who started the negative myths about helmets with built in sun visors ...strangely enough because they dont have one in their product range and say they have no intentions to....their patented shell shape is what they are known for so no point. Personally I prefer the convenience of a sun visor and the last Arai I bought was in 1991 so makes no odds to me wink
What is the myth?

Rawwr

22,722 posts

233 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
quotequote all
bogie said:
Ive crash tested the top of the range Arai, Shoei and Shark and...
...Lotus?

Sorry smile

rat840771

2,023 posts

164 months

Sunday 31st August 2014
quotequote all
moanthebairns said:
After having a mid range AGV I wouldn't buy another one, horrendously loud but an ok helmet.

Arai, had two of these, don't think id buy an Arai again, felt so much better than the AGV when I bought them, lovely looking, and quiet. However the visor system is st, it fogs up too easy without a pinlock, and the middle range ones are a bit heavy.

Bell - top of the range m5 and its fantastic. Seriously best lid ive ever had, so light, well put together where it maters, there is aspects of it that look cheap but can fault its function. A fking bargain at £85. I barely use my Arai now.
I am also really impressed with my M5X, the visor system is so solid and no rattles or clicks, as MTB says for £100 a bargain - but for £500 as advertised - i don't think so