Are the £500 helmets worth the extra?
Discussion
Mastodon2 said:
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 
What is the myth?
rat840771 said:
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 s
t, 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 soArai, 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 s
t, 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 f
king bargain at £85. I barely use my Arai now. My helmet is a Bell M6 and to be honest I have never had another helmet, but nice and quiet and comfortable.
It did cost me about £350 when I bought it but well worth the money, plus is only weighs just a smidge over 1kg too.
The old adage you get what you pay for comes to mind.
It did cost me about £350 when I bought it but well worth the money, plus is only weighs just a smidge over 1kg too.
The old adage you get what you pay for comes to mind.
Edited by OttoJ9221 on Monday 1st September 06:21
This topic always does my head in, and I can never resist throwing in my tuppence...
There is more to helmet than bloody safety so old sayings about paying more and being safer are largely bks nowadays. I've got the same £85 helmet as MTB and it's safer than any Arai I've seen the test ratings for.
You're paying for many other things like looks, quality, comfort, features, longevity, fitment, weight, and more. Different people want different things from a helmet, many are willing to sacrifice things like safety for prestige and reputation, or useability, or simply fashion.
So yes. They can be worth the extra, but they won't be safer, and if they are you have to wonder why they don't take the time to prove it.
There is more to helmet than bloody safety so old sayings about paying more and being safer are largely b
ks nowadays. I've got the same £85 helmet as MTB and it's safer than any Arai I've seen the test ratings for.You're paying for many other things like looks, quality, comfort, features, longevity, fitment, weight, and more. Different people want different things from a helmet, many are willing to sacrifice things like safety for prestige and reputation, or useability, or simply fashion.
So yes. They can be worth the extra, but they won't be safer, and if they are you have to wonder why they don't take the time to prove it.
As above there will always be For and Against votes on a topic like this. I'll just chuck in my 5p worth: through the summer I have mostly been riding around in either an open-face pot or my off road helmet. I put my Arai on the other day and it felt absolutely luxurious in comparison to the others! The fit, the feel, the padding, the comfort, was a world apart.
Maybe not direct comparisons, sure, but there it is.
Maybe not direct comparisons, sure, but there it is.
I always pay around £400 to £500 for my helmets, mainly plain colour Arais but I would pay a fortune for a helmet that doesn't mist up. Have not found one of those yet but I do wear glasses which doesn't help.
Typical scenario is rain, visor, with pinlock, starts to mist up so have to open it but then there are rain drops all over my specs. I would actually enjoy riding in the wet if I could see where I was going
Typical scenario is rain, visor, with pinlock, starts to mist up so have to open it but then there are rain drops all over my specs. I would actually enjoy riding in the wet if I could see where I was going
Prof Prolapse said:
This topic always does my head in, and I can never resist throwing in my tuppence...
So yes. They can be worth the extra, but they won't be safer, and if they are you have to wonder why they don't take the time to prove it.
As I always say, not much point in saving your head if the impact snaps your neck So yes. They can be worth the extra, but they won't be safer, and if they are you have to wonder why they don't take the time to prove it.
I pay a little more for my helmets in order to minimise injury and damage to me. Crash protection, as has been said, is not proportional to price with some very protective helmets available at some pretty cheap (relatively) prices, and some expensive helmets not doing so well. However, there are very few manufacturers that also specifically focus on noise levels and thus hearing protection.
The noise level from every helmet on the market is above the levels defined by H&S as safe for prolonged periods without hearing protection. Even with ear plugs fitted, the noise levels of many helmets are high enough to do damage to your hearing. Because of this I buy Schuberth helmets (and wear ear plugs) as they are designed to be as quiet as possible thus are less likely to inflict further damage on my already "less than perfect" hearing.
The noise level from every helmet on the market is above the levels defined by H&S as safe for prolonged periods without hearing protection. Even with ear plugs fitted, the noise levels of many helmets are high enough to do damage to your hearing. Because of this I buy Schuberth helmets (and wear ear plugs) as they are designed to be as quiet as possible thus are less likely to inflict further damage on my already "less than perfect" hearing.
croyde said:
I always pay around £400 to £500 for my helmets, mainly plain colour Arais but I would pay a fortune for a helmet that doesn't mist up. Have not found one of those yet but I do wear glasses which doesn't help.
Typical scenario is rain, visor, with pinlock, starts to mist up so have to open it but then there are rain drops all over my specs. I would actually enjoy riding in the wet if I could see where I was going
I must be lucky then, have a Shoei Neotec modular, in rain, with pin lock, clear, never mists up. I also wear glasses. Thought that was the whole idea of pin lock that they didn't mist up. Maybe the vents are better, so stops misting. Had a Shoei Multitec, with pin lock, that used to mist a little on the edges, but never so bad I couldn't seeTypical scenario is rain, visor, with pinlock, starts to mist up so have to open it but then there are rain drops all over my specs. I would actually enjoy riding in the wet if I could see where I was going
Wedg1e said:
As I always say, not much point in saving your head if the impact snaps your neck
You referring to to cervical spinal damage observed in helmet wearers? I don't think that's actually conclusive. Seems difficult to get a definitive answer e.g.;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15823877
At least we know it can't be that much of a disadvantage or it'd be easier to know for certain.
I work with a lady who previously worked for ARAI for 25yrs (She supplied the helmet to Richard Hammond when he was involved in that high speed crash)
She always tells me "never put your brain in anything other than a SHOEI or ARAI"
Even though they all pass the same test(s) for certification, the Shoei's & arai's actually act as a cushion for the brain on Impact. The Internal composite is apprently a lot softer than the cheaper helmets.
She also mentioned life expectancy...every 5yrs and they need to be replaced. Even if they sit on a shelf, the moisture in the air hardens the composite.
Oh If you can afford the carbon ARAI...you will have the best carbon on the planet. No other manufacture has the rights to that specific carbon.
Make of that what you will....But It'll be One ARAI Chaser for me
She always tells me "never put your brain in anything other than a SHOEI or ARAI"
Even though they all pass the same test(s) for certification, the Shoei's & arai's actually act as a cushion for the brain on Impact. The Internal composite is apprently a lot softer than the cheaper helmets.
She also mentioned life expectancy...every 5yrs and they need to be replaced. Even if they sit on a shelf, the moisture in the air hardens the composite.
Oh If you can afford the carbon ARAI...you will have the best carbon on the planet. No other manufacture has the rights to that specific carbon.
Make of that what you will....But It'll be One ARAI Chaser for me
jenkotvr said:
I work with a lady who previously worked for ARAI for 25yrs (She supplied the helmet to Richard Hammond when he was involved in that high speed crash)
She always tells me "never put your brain in anything other than a SHOEI or ARAI"
Even though they all pass the same test(s) for certification, the Shoei's & arai's actually act as a cushion for the brain on Impact. The Internal composite is apprently a lot softer than the cheaper helmets.
She also mentioned life expectancy...every 5yrs and they need to be replaced. Even if they sit on a shelf, the moisture in the air hardens the composite.
Oh If you can afford the carbon ARAI...you will have the best carbon on the planet. No other manufacture has the rights to that specific carbon.
Make of that what you will....But It'll be One ARAI Chaser for me
So she supplied the helmet that Richard Hammond successfully received brain damage in? Not being funny but that's really a great endorsement. She always tells me "never put your brain in anything other than a SHOEI or ARAI"
Even though they all pass the same test(s) for certification, the Shoei's & arai's actually act as a cushion for the brain on Impact. The Internal composite is apprently a lot softer than the cheaper helmets.
She also mentioned life expectancy...every 5yrs and they need to be replaced. Even if they sit on a shelf, the moisture in the air hardens the composite.
Oh If you can afford the carbon ARAI...you will have the best carbon on the planet. No other manufacture has the rights to that specific carbon.
Make of that what you will....But It'll be One ARAI Chaser for me
The "cushion for the brain" statement needs qualification. All helmets try and reduce to the energy transferred to your head, what remarkable technology do they use that big brands like HJC, Bell, and Schuberth don't?
They also don't all pass the same tests to the same standard in the UK, in addition to CE markings and ACU (for what it's actually worth) they are ranked based on energy transference as part the SHARP tests. Which is about the only test which attempts to quantify actual safety so is the most useful (although not perfect).
This keeps coming up but Arai score very low in side impacts, worse than many cheap brands. They certainly aren't the best carbon helmets in terms of safety credentials. They may last the longest, look the best or whatever though.
SHOEI however get high ratings everywhere. I'm not sure what she actually did for Arai but I hope she wasn't in their R&D department.
I'm sorry for going on like an old record but I think misconceptions about this sort of thing are actually quite important, Arai bang on about their love of safety but even their premium lids have yet to even pass the side impact tests that £100 lids can easily.
jenkotvr said:
I work with a lady who previously worked for ARAI for 25yrs (She supplied the helmet to Richard Hammond when he was involved in that high speed crash)
She always tells me "never put your brain in anything other than a SHOEI or ARAI"
Even though they all pass the same test(s) for certification, the Shoei's & arai's actually act as a cushion for the brain on Impact. The Internal composite is apprently a lot softer than the cheaper helmets.
She also mentioned life expectancy...every 5yrs and they need to be replaced. Even if they sit on a shelf, the moisture in the air hardens the composite.
Oh If you can afford the carbon ARAI...you will have the best carbon on the planet. No other manufacture has the rights to that specific carbon.
Make of that what you will....But It'll be One ARAI Chaser for me
Was her company pension tied to the share price? She always tells me "never put your brain in anything other than a SHOEI or ARAI"
Even though they all pass the same test(s) for certification, the Shoei's & arai's actually act as a cushion for the brain on Impact. The Internal composite is apprently a lot softer than the cheaper helmets.
She also mentioned life expectancy...every 5yrs and they need to be replaced. Even if they sit on a shelf, the moisture in the air hardens the composite.
Oh If you can afford the carbon ARAI...you will have the best carbon on the planet. No other manufacture has the rights to that specific carbon.
Make of that what you will....But It'll be One ARAI Chaser for me
I'm sorry but I don't believe that there are just two manufacturers that always produce the safest helmets. I'm sur Bell, Schuberth. AGV, Nolan etc. Would all disagree.
bogie said:
you have the law of diminishing returns like any consumer goods...
This.Buy the one that fits your head best. When I was selling lids the ones that fitted people best tended to be Arai's and Shoei's. I had Arai's for many years but currently use a Schuberth (mainly because it's quieter. Not quiet, just quieter!
Try lots on. Do not ever buy one that hurts your forehead. That won't bed in. Also hair effects the fit. If you usually have lots of hair then don't buy a helmet straight after a major hair cut it will massively effect the fit of the helmet.
You won't go far wrong with an Arai or Shoei though.
casbar said:
I must be lucky then, have a Shoei Neotec modular, in rain, with pin lock, clear, never mists up. I also wear glasses. Thought that was the whole idea of pin lock that they didn't mist up. Maybe the vents are better, so stops misting. Had a Shoei Multitec, with pin lock, that used to mist a little on the edges, but never so bad I couldn't see
I find my glasses mist up rather than the visor! Or are the vents pointed down to get air flow over your specs?I'm normally a strong advocate of buying Arai's. I have been wearing them 15+ years and swear by the quality the extra spondoolies bought me
Until recently that is
I bought a Chaser V about 6 months ago to sit alongside my Colin Legend, reduced from about £400ish down to £300. It is fking st. They are both supposed to be Chaser's, yet you wouldn't think the V was made by the same company. It feels ridiculously cheap, the lining doesn't fit comfortably, the noise level is terrible, the visor doesn't interchange with the Colin (and at £45 each that is crap)
I shall be checking other manufacturers out the next time I buy
Until recently that is
I bought a Chaser V about 6 months ago to sit alongside my Colin Legend, reduced from about £400ish down to £300. It is f
king st. They are both supposed to be Chaser's, yet you wouldn't think the V was made by the same company. It feels ridiculously cheap, the lining doesn't fit comfortably, the noise level is terrible, the visor doesn't interchange with the Colin (and at £45 each that is crap)I shall be checking other manufacturers out the next time I buy
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