Helmet Recommendation

[Torestu]

Hi,

I regularly go as a passenger on track days and would like get my own helmet rather than constantly hiring. I've been advised that I should go for a helmet which complies with the Snell 2010 standard as it will give decent protection and be accepted on all track days. I've narrowed my choice down to the following 2 helmets:

Race Safety Accessories Ace Helmet
http://www.jjcraceandrally.com/trackday/open-face-...

V2 Tour Helmet
http://www.v2sport.com/Tour/V2tour-white-SNELL-200...

Has anyone had experience of either of these helmets? Are they any good?

I noticed the Race Safety Accessories helmet is listed as SAH2010 approved whereas the V2 helmet is SA2010. Is this worth taking into account or will the differences be irrelevant to my usage?

Thanks!

[RobM77]

The best advice with helmets is to buy one that fits you, which is important not only for comfort but for safety. Helmets need to fit very snugly, so the best advice is to go to a motorsport supplier and try on a few, just as you would buying shoes for example. Most helmet manufacturers have their own shape, for example I have an 'Arai' shaped head and find that Bell, Simpson etc don't fit me as well.

[AlexDalton90]

This ^^^.

I've got a Sparco Club X-1. Fits great, it's comfprtable and was only around £80 from demon tweeks if I remember correctly

[Torestu]

Thanks for the comments and advice - I am planning to try on the Race Safety Accessories helmet this weekend. I think the V2 helmets are mail order only unfortunately.

I was hoping to get some feedback on these particular brands and whether they are any good? I appreciate they are towards the lower end price wise for Snell 2010 approved helmets and didn't want to find the manufacturers had skimped elsewhere (materials, fit, finish etc) to sell at this price.

Are there any other models or brands I should be considering for my usage?

Thanks!

[flyer0]

I've got a V2 Tour helmet and I'm very pleased with it. I was worried about the fit being mail order only but a few e-mails to them reassured me that they would let me swap it if it wasn't right but I took their advice on size and it fits very well. Personally I think it's good value for money, it ticks the boxes as far as the standards goes and it's ideal for my track day activities.

Edited by flyer0 on Tuesday 28th April 07:56

[hufggfg]

One thing to consider, you're clearly looking at open faced helmets. Depending on TDO this may limit the cars you can use. You generally can't use an open faced helmet in an open top car, for something with a lot of windscreen you may be fine, but certainly not with something like a Radical, or an aero-screened Caterham.

Personally, I would never go for an open face helmet, I see no advantage but I can see plenty of disadvantage.

As had been said before, fit is most important, and it's not JUST about what feels comfortable on your head. Something the wrong shape and too big might feel comfortable, but it won't protect you properly.

I'd personally have used www.msar.com (going down to their shop) and would recommend them. Malcolm really knows his stuff and is very helpful. I've heard not great things about even some other motorsport specialists, where the staff may be enthusiasts, but they're not experts in safety and helmet fitting, so do the same as all of us in terms of it "looking/feeling about right".

[hufggfg]

Oh, one further thing to mention. SA2010 is a very good standard (the required standard for circuit racing in the UK), though has the requirement that the liner is fireproof. While that's certainly a good thing, you could argue it's overkill for a trackday, and unless the rest of what you're wearing is fireproof.

Depending on what fits you best, you may be able to get something cheaper by going to the K2010 (karting version) which is effectively the same but without the fireproof liner. Of course this would be a false economy if you were ever going to race, so need the SA2010 reg helmet.

[Torestu]

flyer0 said:

I've got a V2 Tour helmet and I'm very pleased with it. I was worried about the fit being mail order only but a few e-mails to them reassured me that they would let me swap it if it wasn't right but I took their advice on size and it fits very well. Personally I think it's good value for money, it ticks the boxes as far as the standards goes and it's ideal for my track day activities.

Thanks for the feedback on the V2 Tour and reassuring to know they'll exchange the helmet if it doesn't fit. It does seem like great value for money especially considering the SA2010 approval.

hufggfg said:

One thing to consider, you're clearly looking at open faced helmets. Depending on TDO this may limit the cars you can use. You generally can't use an open faced helmet in an open top car, for something with a lot of windscreen you may be fine, but certainly not with something like a Radical, or an aero-screened Caterham.

Personally, I would never go for an open face helmet, I see no advantage but I can see plenty of disadvantage.

As had been said before, fit is most important, and it's not JUST about what feels comfortable on your head. Something the wrong shape and too big might feel comfortable, but it won't protect you properly.

I'd personally have used www.msar.com (going down to their shop) and would recommend them. Malcolm really knows his stuff and is very helpful. I've heard not great things about even some other motorsport specialists, where the staff may be enthusiasts, but they're not experts in safety and helmet fitting, so do the same as all of us in terms of it "looking/feeling about right".

hufggfg said:

Oh, one further thing to mention. SA2010 is a very good standard (the required standard for circuit racing in the UK), though has the requirement that the liner is fireproof. While that's certainly a good thing, you could argue it's overkill for a trackday, and unless the rest of what you're wearing is fireproof.

Depending on what fits you best, you may be able to get something cheaper by going to the K2010 (karting version) which is effectively the same but without the fireproof liner. Of course this would be a false economy if you were ever going to race, so need the SA2010 reg helmet.

Thanks for the advice regarding open vs full face helmets and that's definitely worth considering. So far I have only been in tin tops but it would be a shame to miss out if I was offered a passenger ride in a Caterham! I had also looked at the following full face helmet but decided against it because it lacks the SA2010 approval:

V2 Classic Helmet
http://www.v2sport.com/Classic/V2classic-SNELL-SA2...

However as you say, SA2010 is possibly overkill for my usage so it might still be an option. I wasn't aware of the K2010 standard and will have a look into what helmets meet this.

I am keen to try on the helmets before buying where possible and appreciate how important the fit is. Thanks also for the store recommendation (assume you meant www.msar.co.uk !) and will try and make it there before buying.

[ukkid35]

On track days you tend to spend a lot of time putting on and removing helmets, so having a catch is more convenient than a strap you have to thread through loops.

Also, while full face gives you access to open top cars (and karts), an open face means you can hear the driver and/or instructor much more easily.

[e21Mark]

Good fit is paramount. I have a large head and the only helmet that fitted me properly was a Simpson. The only drawback being the Stig association. I do find it a good and comfortable fit though.

[Roadru77er]

e21Mark I recently posted on this subject I can't find a helmet that fits my face (I find the chin bar touches my chin/nose) I tried on a mates "Bandit" while wearing a "STIG" T-shirt . Any advice?

[e21Mark]

Roadru77er said:

e21Mark I recently posted on this subject I can't find a helmet that fits my face (I find the chin bar touches my chin/nose) I tried on a mates "Bandit" while wearing a "STIG" T-shirt . Any advice?

Yes! don't sit next to Tiff Needell wearing it!



I actually find the Simpson really comfortable and can wear it for quite long periods without issue. I tried other brands but they seemed tight across my forehead and gave me headaches. In order to be sure, I tried as many different helmets as I could although there simply aren't that many larger sizes available. Good luck with your search.

[Jim1985]

Also get your head measured! Sounds daft but hats wise Ive always had a big head. Went for a helment, tried a Large Arai, then an Extra Large Arai, both felt like my head was in a vice. Tried a medium AGV, fits like a glove.

Also bear in mind that if buying from a bike place, they will be used to selling helmets to folk who wear them daily, and will wear them in quite quickly. When you think about length of time you'll be spending in it, its less than the relative time commuting to work on a bike etc.

[Torestu]

Thanks for all the advice and I made it to Grand Prix Racewear at Silverstone last weekend to try on a few helmets. They were very helpful and I settled on the Bell MAG-1 which fitted considerably better than the other helmets I tried.

I would like to have tried on the Race Safety Accessories and V2 helmets as well but this wasn't possible in the end and I really didn't want to buy one without trying it on first. The Bell MAG-1 is definitely more than I had intended to spend but I'm extremely pleased with the helmet and as everyone said, the fit is the most important thing!

[GC8]

e21Mark said:

Roadru77er said:

e21Mark I recently posted on this subject I can't find a helmet that fits my face (I find the chin bar touches my chin/nose) I tried on a mates "Bandit" while wearing a "STIG" T-shirt . Any advice?

Yes! don't sit next to Tiff Needell wearing it!



I actually find the Simpson really comfortable and can wear it for quite long periods without issue. I tried other brands but they seemed tight across my forehead and gave me headaches. In order to be sure, I tried as many different helmets as I could although there simply aren't that many larger sizes available. Good luck with your search.

You have to be careful with Simpson helmets. The helmet above's origins lay in the RX7 and this was the only lid in their range which fitted our European head shape.

Most Bandits fit their fat football (proper football!) heads and are too short and too wide for us.

I have an RX7 and its comfortable, but a Bandit distinctly uncomfortable.

OP: you've been given typically rubbish helmet advice. You don't need a Snell rated helmet and I don't see one offering any advantage unless you intend to compete in MSA governed motorsport.

By choice Id wear an BS6658-A Arai helmet, which I am confident will protect me far more than a Chinese Bell-copy Snell rated lid. Further to that, your helmet isn't going to be inspected and if it is, they aren't looking for current MSA or FIA approval. Their own helmets, beyond being dirty and knackered, will only be ECE22.05 approved!

[Torestu]

GC8 said:

OP: you've been given typically rubbish helmet advice. You don't need a Snell rated helmet and I don't see one offering any advantage unless you intend to compete in MSA governed motorsport.

By choice Id wear an BS6658-A Arai helmet, which I am confident will protect me far more than a Chinese Bell-copy Snell rated lid. Further to that, your helmet isn't going to be inspected and if it is, they aren't looking for current MSA or FIA approval. Their own helmets, beyond being dirty and knackered, will only be ECE22.05 approved!

Thanks you for your comments however I'm not sure what purpose they serve at this stage. Thanks to the previous replies, I know that Snell approved helmets are not essential for track days and helmets meeting the K2010 and ECE standards are good alternatives for this usage. The guys at Grand Prix Racewear also made it clear that Snell approved helmets aren't necessary for track days. However as many others have said, the fit is the most important thing. The Bell fitted me the best and this is the reason I went ahead with it. As I said, I am extremely pleased with the helmet and appreciate all the advice given.