Crash Helmet Shape

[DE15 CAT]

Can anyone advise are car & bike helmets shaped differently at the back (Sorry stupid question I think yes but others think no) Reason I have always bought bike helmets for karting as I dont race to msa standards that require this.(So bike lids cheaper) So when I removed my Caterham windscreen I drove with one of my lids but found head tilted forward because of seat headrest & was uncomfortable after a few miles. Amazing when asking so called expert Bike, Car, or Kart shops how many staff only 'think so but not sure' then give an answer.

[TheEnd]

Would it be bike stuff can put aerodynamics into the back half, but car stuff tends to be flat so it doesn't push your head forward?

Seems pretty obvious to me?

[CanAm]

Caterham sell a thinner headrest designed for crash helmet wearers.

[Classic Grad 98]

I always found it very annoying at a standstill but barely noticed it once actually driving.
As far as I know the shapes of the helmets should be no different.

[hman]

remove headrest and fit F1 style head/neck brace thing

[dreamer75]

Or tilt the front of the seat up a bit...

[DE15 CAT]

dreamer75 said:

Or tilt the front of the seat up a bit...

Thanks had sort of thought might be the answer,but as tight working around floor area did hope more expensive buy specific lid option might work. Also did did wonder on head support with no lid (would it be make much difference) as on the road mostly have windscreen fitted.

[DE15 CAT]

hman said:

remove headrest and fit F1 style head/neck brace thing

Thanks but forgot to mention seat & headrest one piece ie. Caterham Tillet.

[DE15 CAT]

Classic Grad 98 said:

I always found it very annoying at a standstill but barely noticed it once actually driving.
As far as I know the shapes of the helmets should be no different.

Thanks but As this is for road pose, spend a lot of time not moving. If I did a track day maybe excitement may distract me from my self imposed pain in the neck.

[Classic Grad 98]

hman said:

remove headrest and fit F1 style head/neck brace thing

The brace you refer to is called a HANS (head and neck restraint) device. It's designed to prevent hyperextension of the neck in a forward direction, not to prevent backwards movement like a head rest.
They aren't really suitable or practical for road use, restricting neck articulation and the extent to which you can turn your head.
My car uses a Tillet, I have about 25mm of spacers under the front and about 5mm under the back to improve this somewhat. May be time to ditch the adjustable runners (if fitted) and get the seat lower and more reclined?

[Classic Grad 98]

ALSO: Hi Jo!
ALSO: I used to use a 'Bell' motorcycle helmet for road use and it had a pointy venty thing at the back which was a pain in the arse. My race helmet is nice and smooth!

[5lab]

i think bike helmets are designed to decelerate a head, whereas a crash lid is purely to add a 'shell' to protect against objects. A bike style lid will help prevent whiplash injuries in a tumble, but a car is already designed (with headrests) to do this. Also fashion

[dreamer75]

DE15 CAT said:

Thanks had sort of thought might be the answer,but as tight working around floor area did hope more expensive buy specific lid option might work. Also did did wonder on head support with no lid (would it be make much difference) as on the road mostly have windscreen fitted.

I have a Tillet in the 7 so I know how frustrating it is. However putting some washers under the front of the seat is less expensive than some sort of new helmet. I also suspect a new helmet won't fix the problem. Washers worked for me until I got HANS, and then there just wasn't room for both comfortably. Managed for a year, then used some foam (the expanding stuff) to bolster the back of the seat to give me more room for the lid + HANS.

[DE15 CAT]

[quote=dreamer75]

I have a Tillet in the 7 so I know how frustrating it is. However putting some washers under the front of the seat is less expensive than some sort of new helmet. I also suspect a new helmet won't fix the problem. Washers worked for me until I got HANS, and then there just wasn't room for both comfortably. Managed for a year, then used some foam (the expanding stuff) to bolster the back of the seat to give me more room for the lid + HANS.

Thanks for further advice I might try foam seat bolster first. Also Classic 98 gave mm. measurement as a guide. great to have 2 actual racers advice.

[DE15 CAT]

Thanks everyone for all the advice, Dreamer75, & ClassicGrad98. 2 racers that have to find the best solution, thanks for your time.
Will also get my head properly measured (makes a change from requests from friends to get it tested) as I might of slipped into bad habit of trying on & buying too large a helmet for comfort & sticking to that size. Also just found demon tweeks do a track day lid for £73 so may ask them for shape info over their bike lids. Have previously used Arai few £100 each over the years & last bought a Dr. Bike on sale for £40 last year, no fittings on the back of any lids. No problem when I drive a Kart, but a surprise when I drive my Cat.

[dreamer75]

Buy a helmet that fits firstly, then look at things like aesthetics. I think my Arai GP5W is the same shape at the back as my Shoei bike lid (i.e. round). No extra bits, although whether it's the same sort of round I'm not sure (or more bulbous or something)!

The seat can always be made to fit your lid, but don't get a lid to fit the seat and then try to make it fit your head!

(Hello James too, sorry didn't see your hello earlier!)

[Panayiotis]

I was under the assumption that car helmets had a different construction to bike helmets given that they are designed to hit items such as roll cages etc and need to withstand potential puncturing of the shell.