Helmets - Talk some sense into my brother
Discussion
My brother tracks his M3 CSL and track prepped E36 328i pretty hard, at Spa last year we saw 155 on the main straight etc. however, he insists on wearing an ill fitting shoei motorbike helmet he got off eBay for a £10. His argument is that if he crashes he's toast anyway, I say he should be spending at least £300 on a decent lid. Who's right?
Neither I would say. An eBay helmet is false economy as you don't know the condition of the shock absorbing material, nor whether it's been used already in an impact.
However, £300 is a very arbitrary number, there are a lot of perfectly good helmets for a lot less than that. Most important is that it fits properly.
A £100 well fitting helmet, especially if it's got a good sharpe rating, will be more than adequate.
However, £300 is a very arbitrary number, there are a lot of perfectly good helmets for a lot less than that. Most important is that it fits properly.
A £100 well fitting helmet, especially if it's got a good sharpe rating, will be more than adequate.
Super Slo Mo said:
Neither I would say. An eBay helmet is false economy as you don't know the condition of the shock absorbing material, nor whether it's been used already in an impact.
However, £300 is a very arbitrary number, there are a lot of perfectly good helmets for a lot less than that. Most important is that it fits properly.
A £100 well fitting helmet, especially if it's got a good sharpe rating, will be more than adequate.
I agree 100% with you!! There are some good, inexpensive helmets around, even the Bell Mag-1 is only £189, slightly more with HANS posts! But Hedtec helmets are almost the same, and are cheaper! There are V2 helmets that are good, as are several others! They all pass the rigorous testing, and a motorcycle helmet has a different composition!! I definitely wouldn't buy something off ebay, that was used, it is anyone's guess what has happened to it!!However, £300 is a very arbitrary number, there are a lot of perfectly good helmets for a lot less than that. Most important is that it fits properly.
A £100 well fitting helmet, especially if it's got a good sharpe rating, will be more than adequate.
timbo999 said:
Really? I used to see an indicated 120 in my bog standard K series Elise on the Kemmel (just don't remind me about this year - sob!) so 155 in an M3 doesn't seem out of the question...
Indicated or GPS ? There is a difference...Knowing Shim and the pace he goes round there, if he says 155 is not realistic, I tend to believe him..;)
Wh00sher said:
ginettajoe said:
a motorcycle helmet has a different composition!!
Really ? I thought the external construction was the same, but car helmets had fireproof interiors ?I appreciate there are some design differences but I wasn`t sure they were a different composition. ?
Itsallicanafford said:
Well, you know what I mean, by the time you brake for Les Combes you're tanking-on abit! He's running full AP's and Cups so the whole experience was quite full on.
granted......speedo might be 155 tbh......just......amazing how steep it us up to there and how slow the car accelerates,timbo999 said:
Really? I used to see an indicated 120 in my bog standard K series Elise on the Kemmel (just don't remind me about this year - sob!) so 155 in an M3 doesn't seem out of the question...
its the steepness of the straight....I think from bottom of ER to top of Kemmel its around 50m vertical elevation and half is on the straight. Power helps but weight doesn't half hinder (my weight and the cars weight)shim said:
its the steepness of the straight....I think from bottom of ER to top of Kemmel its around 50m vertical elevation and half is on the straight. Power helps but weight doesn't half hinder (my weight and the cars weight)
My Elise was indicating 120 on the speedo, so probably 110 thinking about it...As you say lightness counts - when at Goodwood everyone assumes the Lavant straight is the fastest point (at the braking point for Woodcote) - not in my Elise it wasn't; fastest point was the braking point for No Name...
On the helmet front:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/Difference-Between-Auto-...
This seems to imply that the differences are fire retardant and size of aperture... not that I'm suggesting ebay is a good source of info!
I've used a 'bike helmet (not the same one...) for over 50 track days for the last 15 years and nobody has ever commented on it, inspected or even looked at it, other than to ensure I've got it on!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/Difference-Between-Auto-...
This seems to imply that the differences are fire retardant and size of aperture... not that I'm suggesting ebay is a good source of info!
I've used a 'bike helmet (not the same one...) for over 50 track days for the last 15 years and nobody has ever commented on it, inspected or even looked at it, other than to ensure I've got it on!
timbo999 said:
My Elise was indicating 120 on the speedo, so probably 110 thinking about it...
As you say lightness counts - when at Goodwood everyone assumes the Lavant straight is the fastest point (at the braking point for Woodcote) - not in my Elise it wasn't; fastest point was the braking point for No Name...
downhill with an easterly?As you say lightness counts - when at Goodwood everyone assumes the Lavant straight is the fastest point (at the braking point for Woodcote) - not in my Elise it wasn't; fastest point was the braking point for No Name...
He does indeed need his head examining. (Quite possible if he did crash in a MB helmet.) £100 on a snell approved from Racelidz.
Also elevation change out of raidillon to lescombes is 50m, but most of that is before the kink on kemmel. So 70% of kemmel is only 17m change.
shim said:
its the steepness of the straight....I think from bottom of ER to top of Kemmel its around 50m vertical elevation and half is on the straight. Power helps but weight doesn't half hinder (my weight and the cars weight)
Dont see him mentioning GPS?Also elevation change out of raidillon to lescombes is 50m, but most of that is before the kink on kemmel. So 70% of kemmel is only 17m change.
Edited by loggyboy on Sunday 10th January 22:09
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