| Author | Message | ||
     Petethekiller |
Hey guys.... on a budget of $150-200 bucks whats a good helmet? Not real concerned with any crazy graphics just a good quality helmet for the money at hand. Thanks | ||
| Wastegate |
One that fits right. Go to a store and try a ton on. Leave each one on for like 20 minutes if you can. Feel for pressure spots or numbness. | ||
| Daggar |
HJC makes good, inexpensive helmets. | ||
| Vicfirebolt |
I would try some on at a helmet shop and find a brand that fits you well. Then be sure they have the safety ratings from both DOT and Snell. In that price range HJC will probably be the best brand. There are a number of company's that do have nice helmets at a fair price. (Message edited by vicfirebolt on February 22, 2010) | ||
| Hogzilla |
I tried on the Joe Rocket RKT 101and liked it. It can be found for $120-150. The carbon fiber version is $200. The shell is made by HJC but the interior, in my opinion, is way more comfy. http://www.compacc.com/p.cfm/c/2002001/p/20002 The place linked above has the Shoei RF-1000 and TZ-R on clearance for less than $200. If you are willing to go to the top end of your price point the RF-1000 is the best of the bunch. The above advice is really the most important part. (Message edited by hogzilla on February 22, 2010) | ||
| Tbenson |
Made by AGV. You can find one discounted for $99-$150 if you search. http://www.buell.com/en_us/gear/apparel/Product.as p?Menu_ID=1&CategoryID=6&ProductID=4145 | ||
| Pwillikers |
Scorpion. Very good reviews and cheap. | ||
| Jdugger |
HJC and Scorpion are nice helmets in your price range. | ||
| Milleniumx1 |
Helmets fit differently by person, but I've become a big fan of HJC ones. It takes a pretty comfortable helmet to make me forget I'm wearing a full-face after all those years of half helmets on H-D big twins. Mike | ||
| Kirb |
Cheap ones are OK if you don't log many miles...try a higher end one if you plan to spend more than 2-3 hours in it. I prefer Arai Quantum series, but you do pay for them. Good luck. This tread will have more variations than 'what oil should I use?' threads. | ||
| D_adams |
The other question you should ask yourself is, "How much is my head really worth?" before you buy one. I went the cheaper route many years ago and got lucky. 5 crashes later, and 4 expensive helmets, I figure it was money well spent. I got extremely lucky the first 2 times with the cheapie helmet since I didn't actually hit my head on the ground. I've been through a couple of Shoei's and 2 Arai's. I still have 2 good Arai's that haven't been wrecked, but one is about 5 years old now, so I don't wear it anymore. The padding/foam inside gets compacted with age, so I bought a new one last year. I don't remember where I had heard or seen the info, but I think that the recommendation was to replace the helmet at least every 5-7 years unless you simply don't ride much. | ||
| Pwillikers |
If you have a weird sized head here's a screamin' deal on the Scorpion EXO-400. http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no =1971 | ||
| Jandj_davis |
I am a big fan of AFX helmets. I've crashed in one, and have owned 3 of them now. They are priced low, and fill all of my needs. They have some killer designs too. AFXHelmets.com | ||
| Zacks |
Like several posts have said - fit is most important for comfort so try a bunch on. I'm currently using Arai, Shoei and Bell. Can't find a Scorpion that fits me. Screaming deals go to www.motorcyclecloseouts.com Another OEM in your price range is SparX. Great warranty (replaced in full if damaged in a crash!), the special editions come with a 2nd visor ~$140. See them at www.helmetharbor.com In fact, Todd has a bunch of videos up that describe everything they sell. Don't know if either site is a sponsor, but have bought from both and was a pleasant experience. Note that 1) any helmet is better than none in a crash and 2) the better the ventilation, typically, the noisier that unit is. | ||
| Hogzilla |
I've heard the "How much is my head really worth?" before. Not sure how much I subscribe to that. In theory I can appreciate it, but there are plenty of helmets in his price range that will protect well. A high end HJC is a very good quality helmet. I just wouldn't go down to one of the $40 XPEED or Vega helmets. Those things are garbage cans. A properly fit HJC, Joe Rocket or AGV would work very well. If you have an extra $100-200, go for the Shoei or Arai. (Message edited by hogzilla on February 22, 2010) | ||
| Zacks |
Took another look at your price range - For $200, motorcycle closeouts has Bell Stars. It's the model I have, very unobtrusive on the road, extremely good airflow, but also very noisy as I mentioned above. Definitely earplugs required if traveling above 40mph. | ||
| Faseljd |
G-Max G-68 | ||
| Moosestang |
You can find a shark rsi for $140 on ebay. It's a 300-$400 helmet! It's lighter than anything you will find for $200. I would try some on first, you really can't just order one and get a good fit. My head measures 59cm and I wear a medium shark rsi. The large is supposed to be 59-60cm. In other words, don't buy online or buy from some place with an easy return policy. I recommend www.sportbiketrackgear.com, they are easy to deal with. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/New-Shark-RSI-Shuri ken-White-Red-Helmet-Medium_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhash Zitem2c53405583QQitemZ190375286147QQptZApparelQ5fM erchandise | ||
| Milleniumx1 |
I'm a marketing guy, so I always smile when I see people try to objectivity and definitively correlate price directly to quality, such as "How much is your head worth?". Sure there's a relationship in certain aspects, but exploiting that flawed notion is a great way to increase profit margin. Ask me how I know  My daughter's Kia was 1/6 the price of my Viper, but evidence shows her car is plenty capable of protecting her in a crash. Mike (Message edited by milleniumx1 on February 22, 2010) | ||
| Buellblastrider |
right now you can get a hjc carbon helmet for around $220. I juat got one and absolutely love it. shield changes are easy it has pins on the shields for tear offs as well as button to keep the shield closed at high speed for track use. the vents work very well. the best part is air noise is almost non existant. i've ridden with arai's shoeis kbc's all of which are great helmets but this hjc may just surpass them. its a real carbon helmet not a fiberglass covered in carbon. its offered in carbon, red carbon, copper carbon, blue carbon. the helmet is a fs-15 model if you dont want carbon. You can get them online for around 220 I got mine from a local shop as they are on closeout. | ||
| Petethekiller |
I think I'm gonna get the Scorpion EXO 700 For $108.99 cant go wrong Thanks for all the info | ||
| Hogzilla |
And 1/6th as likely to get her a ticket. | ||
| Cscutt |
GMax GM-68 Can pick one up for $100-$120 new, I have 2 of them (1 winter/night,rain 1 sunny)for my daily commute, and have been through one in 30MPH "cager hip check" where it absolutely saved my life. In urban traffic and bad weather the lights really slow people down behind you when they are flashing. | ||
| Westmoorenerd |
For around $200 you can get an RF-1000 or a carbon fiber HJC... I have both, so I'll just give a quick comparison. SHOEI:Great graphics. Great airflow. Liner is nice and plush. Comfy neck strap. Easy visor change. Non-removable liner. It's a SHOEI! HJC:It's CARBON FIBER! Light. Liner is slick, almost velvety. Foam has to break in. Noisier than SHOEI. Better airflow than SHOEI. Neck strap not as comfortable. Has pinlocks standard. Removable liner. Visors easier to change than RF-1000. Either helmet is a great deal, the RF-1000 would be my choice for longer distances due to less wind buffeting. I love the HJC for being so light weight and it's removable liner. Either helmet is a great deal, but I'd probably get the RF-1000 over the HJC. Unless your neck hurts after riding, then you should get the lighter HJC. Keep in mind both these helmets 6 months ago were $400+ helmets! The just don't conform to SNELL2010 standards. (Message edited by westmoorenerd on February 23, 2010) | ||
| Family_buells |
I found an Arai Signet GTR sitting on a dealer's shelf collecting dust. It fit so nice and the price was right: $225.00. I've had it for four years now and it still fits great. The vents work nice, and it's a bit noisy, but I always wear earplugs, so no big deal. Most likely I'll buy an Arai RX-7 for my next helmet to get a little more ventilation. I'll just wait for a closeout deal. I have had an HJC and several AGVs back in the day they all worked well, just not as nice fitting as my Arai. Oh yeah, the shield changing on the Arai is a PITA until you get used to it. | ||
| Jdugger |
If you fit the Arai Corsair, I have to recommend you go try a scorpion. They are remarkably comfortable and cheap. My *** MAJOR *** complaint of them is the tinted shield isn't dark like Arai, and it's not UV, either. For the street, I wear an HJC, and for the track, the scorpion. | ||
| Mountainstorm |
HJC is what I wear now but it's windy and noisy compared to my Arai. It will depend a large part on the shape of your noggin. If it's oval or rectangular or pointy on top or whatever  So I would not suggest buying one online unless you've already tried it on in person. | ||
| Tbenson |
Petethekiller, If you can swing the extra cash for the EXO-1000, it offers the retractable sun visor, this is a nice option, in my opinion. (Message edited by tbenson on February 23, 2010) | ||
| Hogzilla |
I have the retractable visor on my Scorpion half shell helmet. I never use it. First problem, its not optically neutral. It distorts everything you look at. Second, it doesn't drop down far enough so it covers about 2/3 of your view, the bottom 1/3 is open. Also, this sacrifices air flow. My half shell has no ventilation. In theory it's nice, but in practice it just doesn't work well. I haven't used the full face versions of this so I am basing this on my half helmet. | ||
| Blackflash |
I run the joe rocket helmet They make it without the red .Which is the one I have.But heres the link http://www.joerocket.com/catalog/index.cfm/250/234 /Helmets/RKT101_Rocket_Science_Helmet Its average in wieght.And it fits my head great.I wear a large in most but wear a medium in the rkt101.Hope this helps.I've had mine for years now.All the maintenance I've done is just take it apart and wash the padding. |
