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When you hit ur head with Airoh, it actually hurts! Aviator is a little better, cause it got more padding, but still.
Now I also got a Shoei which is more comfertable, doesnt hurt your head from not so big crashes and looks cool!
1) 6D
2) Bell moto-9 Flex
3) Leatt
Mips is a gimmick, Arai and Shoei are the best made, highest quality helmets you will find but they have 20 year old tech inside of them. And I say this as I guy who wore Shoei's for 10 years and swore I would never buy anything else because they fit so good. I now own a 6D.
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
Probably going to just bite the bullet and order one tonight, can always return it if needed.
I've used Arai, Shoei, Fox, 6D, Airoh helmets in my life.
I would never pay full retail for a Fox helmet.The quality isn't that good(for a high end helmet) and you can find last years fox helmets for 30-50% off pretty much everywhere(I have 2 Fox V4 helmets).
Arai and Shoei are the 2 helmets that carries by far the best build quality in my opinion. Although the tech is getting a bit old now when other brands have the concussion prevention technology.
My main helmet right now is the 6D. And i'm a bit torn when it comes to it. I paid about 640€ for it(15% discount) and it fits good(not perfect) and it's a bit heavy for my liking. The quality of the helmet isn't even near at the level that i would expect from the most expensive helmet you can buy for money in our industry, that is my main complaint. I rarely crash so i haven't experienced the concussion prevention system on it yet.
The Airoh(EU models) is freakishly light and very comfortable. The Aviator weighs about 950grams when the 6D weighs about 1550 grams. That is a massive difference while riding and also when you crash.
I have never owned the Bell Moto 9 but i tried one on my head once and the fitment was really good.
http://www.mipsprotection.com/
I had the same problems with Shoei except it was medium/large. Tried them all but both Airoh and Fox in Medium fits like a glove. And they damn should at the price you pay for a premium helmet. Bottom line is, don't by anything that doesn't fit you 100%.
I still think the Leatt, 6D and Bell Flex systems are one notch above the helmets with Mips.
You could pretty much get 2-3 Fox V3 or V4 helmets for the price of one TLD SE4.
I am going order one tonight...either 6D or Shoei. You guys have me leaning towards the 6D. Will measure according to the manufacturer site and return if it does not fit.
Revzilla has the Hornet model for $476 shipped, with $20 bonus cash. Thats the lowest I could find on a brand new 6D.
Pit Row
Well I made my decision this afternoon. Hopefully it lasts longer than my last high end bucket. Bought a carbon v4 a few years ago and I put 3 rides on it before i took a bit of a digger and cracked the chin bar.
Maybe "gimmick" is a little strong, I should've said "not on par" with the 6D, Bell Flex and Leatt.
Before I begin, I'll say I'm not an engineer, everything I write is my own opinion from reading and studying the different types of helmets and I will happily stand corrected if an actual expert in the field wants to chime in.
Standalone reasons why MIPS is not the same as the other three:
1) (the most important one). The Mips system only addresses rotational impacts, not low/mid speed impacts (typical for offroad) like the other three.
2) MIPS is a 'licenced' technology, which means it can be built into any helmet that buys the licence. Because there are 1000s of different liners, shell shapes and sizes in helmets, this makes it virtually impossible to know if this technology is doing it's job well or badly since it was not designed for the specific helmet you are buying.
3) The MIPS system was invented somwhere in the early 2000s (not sure when exactly). definitely not a 'bad' thing, but not cutting edge technology in 2016.
4) EddieC (from the Asterisk Medical Unit in supercross) has hinted that they were thinking about implementing a different classification for hemets with the latest low impact/rotational energy management tech, and that the MIPS helmets would not get that label...
The 6D's system is the only helmet that addresses both rotational impacts and low/mid speed impacts in one system (dampeners). The Flex uses 2 systems: Triple density foam (low/mid speed) and a slip zone (rotational energy, similar to the MIPS system). The Leatt also uses 2 systems: Dampeners (though much different than 6D's) and V-Foam (technology licenced from Kalli).
The biggest problem I have with the MIPS system is that it has become the go-to route for helmet brands that now want to put out a "safe" helmet. Instead of having to invest heavily into making the safest helmet for US, the consumer, they just licence the MIPS system and be done with it.
Before you think I work for 6D or Bell or Leatt (I don't), like with everything, there are downsides as well: Fit and finish (and possibly weight) will not be as high as with a Shoei or Arai, but for me, nothing trumps safety.
I started wearing it after Canard got landed on, and gave the F2 Carbon a bunch of credit for protecting him in that crash. Then this year Peick got landed on too, and again - no head injury. Through the 3 that I have wrecked, I always felt the F2 carbons did their job, and they are available cheap on BTO, and available with MIPS if it's something you want.
The TLD may be a good helmet, but the guy I would call our local "poster-child" for what happens when you have too many concussions has been a TLD rider for over 10 years... make of that what you want.
The Bell and 6D may have better protection than the Fly, or may not, but the price of them sometimes makes people a little to reluctant to throw them away after a crash. IMO you're better off buying something that you can afford to replace without hesitation after you hit your head, and then pick the best protection you can find in that price range.
A lot of people are bagging on things they don't really understand and are making decisions based on hear-say and media based opinion. That's a bummer in light of what is really going on and what's really being developed and improved.
The good news? From my quick review of all the helmets talked about, ALL the guys in here are taking about quality helmets that are waaaay better than the "cheapest alternative" that we too often see.
So, do your homework, evaluate the options and make an informed decision.
While we're here and everyone's talking about new tech and "who" created or developed these new solutions: Brad Waldron at Kali was and is at the forefront of this issue. People like a Brad at Kali and 6D's Bob Weber and Robert Reisinger have pursued this issue with a passion and with the sole intent of making us safer AND more "aware".
That makes me really stoked about all of this.
See you at the races.
@TeamGreen,
I see the TLD also has triple density foam, which I guess makes it similar to the Bell Flex
I agree about your point about "cheap" helmets, and there is nothing wrong with buying a Fly F2 if that's what your budget permits.
The only thing that I find difficult is that people will spend $600 on a 'limited edition' FOX V4 instead of spending $450 on a leftover 6D. To me that is bad judgement.
I'm also a firm believer in supporting companies that push to advance the sport, in whatever way. That's why I wear a Leatt neck brace and a 6D helmet.
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