I need a new helmet... Serious inquiry...

EastFlorida
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EastFlorida
Edited Date/Time 1/10/2013 9:27am
OK, I had a VERY bad crash this weekend at a Hare Scrambles race. Long story short, the DOT helmet I was wearing actually broke. I'm OK (I think) and am experiencing some milde vertigo.

I'll be taking some time off to properly heal and I know this topic has been raised before. I searched the threads and most discussions were back in 2010. I'm looking to see if opinions have changed on the safest helmets.

I looked into the 6D helmet but it won't be out until February for $735. Is this the way to go?

How would you rate (properly fitted) helmets for safety vs costs? What would be your top 3-5 you would consider and why?

I've been told:
1 Arai
2 Shoei
3 Bell
4 Suomy (A lot of these are being worn in FTR races)
5 ?

I'm not too concerned about weight...

Thanks for your feedback!
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mxmat813
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mxmat813 1/7/2013 8:42am
1/7/2013 8:42am
Arai or Shoei no doubt, but I wouldn't say one over the other. One fits more of a round head, the other more of an oblong shape. You need to pick the one that fits you best.
Kryan5
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Kryan5 1/7/2013 8:56am
1/7/2013 8:56am
Is there a reason that Aria and/or Shoei are better than Bell or is this just your opinion? Not saying your right or wrong, cause I have no idea, but lets not confuse facts with opinions. Just saying.
jasonv43
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jasonv43 1/7/2013 8:59am
1/7/2013 8:59am
mxmat813 wrote:
Arai or Shoei no doubt, but I wouldn't say one over the other. One fits more of a round head, the other more of an oblong...
Arai or Shoei no doubt, but I wouldn't say one over the other. One fits more of a round head, the other more of an oblong shape. You need to pick the one that fits you best.
What he said. But I'm cuirous. Why did you decide to go with a DOT / ECE helmet in the first place?

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Jt$
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Jt$ 1/7/2013 8:59am
1/7/2013 8:59am
Arai and Shoei are hard to argue with but the Fly F2 carbon is pretty damn good for 260$. I have worn it for years and Trey and Shorty wear it as well. I can promise you I wouldn't wear it unless I believed in it.
jasonv43
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jasonv43 1/7/2013 9:01am
1/7/2013 9:01am
Kryan5 wrote:
Is there a reason that Aria and/or Shoei are better than Bell or is this just your opinion? Not saying your right or wrong, cause I...
Is there a reason that Aria and/or Shoei are better than Bell or is this just your opinion? Not saying your right or wrong, cause I have no idea, but lets not confuse facts with opinions. Just saying.
Fact:

Two of these three helmets have higher manufacturing and testing standards then the other one.
jasonv43
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jasonv43 1/7/2013 9:03am
1/7/2013 9:03am
Jt$ wrote:
Arai and Shoei are hard to argue with but the Fly F2 carbon is pretty damn good for 260$. I have worn it for years and...
Arai and Shoei are hard to argue with but the Fly F2 carbon is pretty damn good for 260$. I have worn it for years and Trey and Shorty wear it as well. I can promise you I wouldn't wear it unless I believed in it.
Can you tell us if there were any modifications to your helmets vs. the helmet that was sold to the public? Just curious.
larryloopout
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larryloopout 1/7/2013 9:11am
1/7/2013 9:11am
Don't let a helmet only being DOT/ECE rated make you believe it's not as good as a Snell rated helmet. Snell is more of an automotive test and many are starting to second guess the tests. Snell standards keep getting higher and are making the helmets get harder in turn transferring more energy of a slow speed crash to the brain then a DOT/ECE Helmet may. Do the research and try on as many helmets as possible
EastFlorida
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EastFlorida 1/7/2013 9:16am
1/7/2013 9:16am Edited Date/Time 1/7/2013 9:17am
Jt$ wrote:
Arai and Shoei are hard to argue with but the Fly F2 carbon is pretty damn good for 260$. I have worn it for years and...
Arai and Shoei are hard to argue with but the Fly F2 carbon is pretty damn good for 260$. I have worn it for years and Trey and Shorty wear it as well. I can promise you I wouldn't wear it unless I believed in it.
jasonv43 wrote:
Can you tell us if there were any modifications to your helmets vs. the helmet that was sold to the public? Just curious.
Jason,

Stock helmet, sold at a major MC chain with no mods. It was a $200+ helmet...

I researched the DOT vs Snell and believe the argument has some merritt for DOT over Snell, but not sure how much.
mattmatt300
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mattmatt300 1/7/2013 9:16am
1/7/2013 9:16am
Bell Moto 8. Save the money and replace it when it hits the ground hard.
jasonv43
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jasonv43 1/7/2013 9:25am
1/7/2013 9:25am
Jt$ wrote:
Arai and Shoei are hard to argue with but the Fly F2 carbon is pretty damn good for 260$. I have worn it for years and...
Arai and Shoei are hard to argue with but the Fly F2 carbon is pretty damn good for 260$. I have worn it for years and Trey and Shorty wear it as well. I can promise you I wouldn't wear it unless I believed in it.
jasonv43 wrote:
Can you tell us if there were any modifications to your helmets vs. the helmet that was sold to the public? Just curious.
EastFlorida wrote:
Jason, Stock helmet, sold at a major MC chain with no mods. It was a $200+ helmet... I researched the DOT vs Snell and believe the...
Jason,

Stock helmet, sold at a major MC chain with no mods. It was a $200+ helmet...

I researched the DOT vs Snell and believe the argument has some merritt for DOT over Snell, but not sure how much.
Got it thanks. Not trying to turn this into a DOT / Snell / ECE thread either. Just curious is all.
MXEditor
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MXEditor 1/7/2013 9:32am
1/7/2013 9:32am
We are wearing the Bell Moto-9 and love it.

Also like the Fly Carbon F2 and the Scorpion VX-34 believe it or not!
Kryan5
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Kryan5 1/7/2013 9:42am
1/7/2013 9:42am
I just have a hard time believing that Bell is not up to par with shoei. Shocking if true.
FreshTopEnd
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FreshTopEnd 1/7/2013 9:52am
1/7/2013 9:52am
Keep in mind that testing standards are a different issue from manufacturing standards and quality control. And that current testing standards are pretty much irrelevant to anything we do on a dirt bike such that the helmets are designed to protect us from impacts we aren't exposed to, such that they don't do as well as they should at minimizing the forces we are exposed to.

Find what fits you best in a solid brand. I had Thor and Fox helmets, but it took an Arai to finally really find a good fit for my melon. I'm pretty sure other people find better fits in other brands.
Ryno23
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Ryno23 1/7/2013 10:18am
1/7/2013 10:18am
Fitting to your head is almost as important as the helmet itself. If the helmet doesn't fit right it can't do what it needs to do in a crash no matter HOW GOOD THE HELMET IS!!!! So stick to a helmet that has a higher safety rating like a shoei, arai, thor, bell, fly, ect. and try them on to make sure which one fits the best. If they aren't approved by the AMA or FIM for competition you probably don't want it but if they are it is more than likely a safe helmet not matter what the brand.
CamP
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CamP 1/7/2013 10:18am
1/7/2013 10:18am
Look inside the liner and find out where it's made. If it says "made in china" run and hide.
nytsmaC
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nytsmaC 1/7/2013 10:32am
1/7/2013 10:32am
Arai VX-Pro's are on sale at BTO. I haven't price shopped so I can't tell you if they are cheaper anywhere else currently. They're a great helmet, I chose a Shoei because they fit my melon better. Sometimes the VFX-W's are deeply discounted as well.

Definitely get the best helmet you can afford. Anyone who can afford a new $8000 bike can afford to buy the best helmet on the market to protect their brain and their future quality of life, that's for sure.

Try them on before you buy one, they do all fit differently and you will likely have strong feelings about which one is better for you!
BAMX
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BAMX 1/7/2013 10:40am
1/7/2013 10:40am
Try on all those that you mentioned and buy the one that fits best. I personally run a Shoei VFX-W own love it. You may even want to look into a helmet eject system if you are super safety conscious.

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Sheriff245 1/7/2013 11:49am
1/7/2013 11:49am
Get a helmet that is designed and made in Japan or Europe and that fits you well. Unfortunately fr my wallet, the best fitting helmet for me is the Arai. But my health is worth it. They are on sale on BTO at the moment, just ordered one as mine is due later this year.

Expect a good quality and properly fitted helmet to last 5 years if not crashed. Serious companies will also offer free inspections if you crash and are not sure it needs replaced (and they do tell when the helmet is safe).
level
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level 1/7/2013 12:06pm
1/7/2013 12:06pm
I have an arai and I really don't like the way it fits. It's heavy as shit also. I also have a Fox carbon and it's so light that I almost don't feel safe in it so I usually ride with the Arai even though I would prefer to ride with the Carbon Fiber. Was that confusing enough for you? ha
SunComfort
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SunComfort 1/7/2013 12:41pm
1/7/2013 12:41pm
I still do not know why people do not use the AGV's more?!
If its good enuff to keep TP199's head, safe, you would think people
would think more of them. I own one, and live it, SUPER light weight
fits better than my last shoei, is made is diif shell sizes just like shoei
and the venting is better than i experienced with my shoei.
the price is right, and they have some pretty cool designs.
MXEditor
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MXEditor 1/7/2013 12:45pm
1/7/2013 12:45pm
SunComfort wrote:
I still do not know why people do not use the AGV's more?! If its good enuff to keep TP199's head, safe, you would think people...
I still do not know why people do not use the AGV's more?!
If its good enuff to keep TP199's head, safe, you would think people
would think more of them. I own one, and live it, SUPER light weight
fits better than my last shoei, is made is diif shell sizes just like shoei
and the venting is better than i experienced with my shoei.
the price is right, and they have some pretty cool designs.
We have both the AGV MT-X and The AX-8 and they both are high quality helmets, light and they look good. But many here just aren't familiar with the AGV helmets and don't care to wear them.

My GF's 8 year old wont even put it on...the styling needs a refresh or maybe a youth oriented marketing campaign.
Lone Wolf
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Lone Wolf 1/7/2013 1:04pm
1/7/2013 1:04pm
I remember reading on here once that the Shoei VFX-W sold in the USA is built to the DOT standard, and the ones sold throughout the rest of the world are built to the ECE standard. Does anyone know if this is true?

I also heard once that the Shoei's sold in Asia are made to fit a "more round" Asian head. Does anyone know if this is true?

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I have been thinking about buying one and am confused by these things.
424
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424 1/7/2013 1:26pm
1/7/2013 1:26pm
I prefer one handmade in Japan over anything else.
larryloopout
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larryloopout 1/7/2013 1:32pm
1/7/2013 1:32pm
Lone Wolf wrote:
I remember reading on here once that the Shoei VFX-W sold in the USA is built to the DOT standard, and the ones sold throughout the...
I remember reading on here once that the Shoei VFX-W sold in the USA is built to the DOT standard, and the ones sold throughout the rest of the world are built to the ECE standard. Does anyone know if this is true?

I also heard once that the Shoei's sold in Asia are made to fit a "more round" Asian head. Does anyone know if this is true?

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I have been thinking about buying one and am confused by these things.
Americans typically have an oval head where European is more of a round shape.
ricko
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ricko 1/7/2013 1:34pm
1/7/2013 1:34pm
Arai, hands down lightest, most comfortable thing I've ever put on my head.
tb341
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tb341 1/7/2013 2:03pm
1/7/2013 2:03pm
tall oval heads use shoei and rounder shorter heads fox v4

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