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Only $10 for all 2026 SX, MX, and SMX series.
Yah I know that was their idea. But if You were to buy an SM8 and the extras that the SM10 comes with , they cost the same. It makes the SM10 an even better value since you get the better shell. I have sold a lot of SM8's though and many people do not care to have the nicer bag and visor or extension the SM10 comes with. So there is a place for it. And I myself have an SM8 instead of an SM10. Its nice that they both look the same, but thats why I thought it was odd. In a way it makes sense though since they save money having the shapes be the same, and being able to use the same liners. Just seems like the SM8 should have a bigger price gap and be more in the middle.
Helmet fit is more important than brand, yes high end brands tend to be made of better materials that provide better protection. However if the helmet fits like shit those materials are not properly doing their job. I personally wear shoei’s and have taken some hard hits and not even had a headache let alone concussion because they fit my head right.
The solid color SM8s are $515. Is that not mid-tier pricing? What do you think would be the sweet spot?
And if you add on the bag the SM10 comes with and an extra visor the price difference goes away . $65-$90 for a visor and $40 for the bag. Gets you right there in cost with the 2023 SM10. If they bring out a new SM8 and keep the pricing the same, that makes sense. But if it goes up a similar amount it just seems odd to me.
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On the flip side of that, ive knocked myself completely retarded in previous gen shoeis...
This is why I always tell people to try on a helmet before they buy one and I make sure that I read all the fitment info the manufacturer's provide or watch any of the videos.
If You have the choice between a high end helmet that is too big or too small, and a lower priced helmet that passes the newer tests , that also fits very well. Go for the lower cost unit. Also knowing what the correct fit feels like is important too! And something that a dealer can help with.
Its another reason I sell Alpinestars,6D,Leatt and Arai . Not every head will fit in every brand. 6d and Alpinestars have been the most popular .
Posted a thread a few weeks ago about cracking an SM10. It took a huge hit in a big crash and cracked the chin bar, right side. The rider suffered no head or facial injuries of any kind - not even a headache. His left arm didn't fare as well, but considering how bad the crash was he got off pretty lightly with just a broken arm (plated now). He had on an AStars A6 chest protector w/o the shoulder pads and that did its job too - no damage other than a sore back. We'll be heading to the shop for another SM10 and he'll be back on the bike in 7 more weeks.
Older helmets were designed to keep you alive and prevent major injury. It has only been recently that they have focused on lower energy stuff and preventing concussions as well as still handling the higher energy stuff.
MIPS might seem like a silly concept that is not going to help. Its basically a thin piece of plastic . But rotational energy is the most dangerous and Mips deals with it well and it is simple. On the Leatt website they say that it takes 50 G's of force to get a concussion and only 30 G's of rotational energy can be deadly. After reading that it made it clear why so many helmets were using the MIPS system or dealing with that type of energy in another way. .
That's why I'm an Astars fanboi from head-to-toe. Not only is it top-notch protection, it looks good too.
Even my everyday casual wear is Astars lol.
I have no doubt, every impact is different and some are just gonna ring your bell no matter what helmet you’re wearing. I had one hell of a crash road racing back in 2014, tucked the front around 100mph and flipped through the gravel trap and hit my head 4 times before stopping, I was wearing an arai and good to go. My buddy just this year crashed at around 100mph as well and hit the air fence and he got one hell of a concussion from it, also wearing an arai. Perhaps Ive just been fortunate.
It sounds like it should be ok for you. More people have been fine with the stock pads and only a handful have needed the thicker pads. If anything, the Alpinestars helmets tend to be on the smaller size compared to other brands. Sometimes fitting tighter than the same size from Bell or Fox. And sometimes they fit perfectly. It might come down to the shape of Your head. Just remember the cheek pads option ,if You get it and it feels a little big.
The SM5 never really fit me right and I think they changed the fit on those every year. They feel like they don't have any padding in them. The 2024 version doesn't fit me at all.
Never buy a used helmet.
Yeah just buy an SM8 lol.
I had a customer that normally wears a lower priced Fox helmet say something similar about the SM8/SM10. If You are coming from a lower end helmet that only has 1 or 2 shell sizes , those helmets will have thicker liners to change the sizes . The padding is not what protects you in a crash its for comfort and to get the helmet to fit well. The EPS and whatever other materials the company uses , is what is absorbing energy in a crash.
I would say try on am SM8 and see how it feels. No idea how it will compare to the SM5 as far as fit and pad thickness.
I already have an m10. The m5 fits nothing like it.
Thats good to know. I've been able to get customers to step up to an SM8 almost every time I've had one looking for an SM5. So I've sold a bunch of the SM8 and 10's. But not any of the 5's. Thank you for giving the feedback ,
What generation of SM10 do you have? the newest one or the previous generation? Do You feel like the SM10 has more padding than the SM5 ? You never rode in the SM5 right? just tried one on?
It might help some others if you could describe the major differences that You noticed when trying them both on. And what You were wearing before you got the Sm10. Hope you like Your SM10.
Just ordered a 6d atr-2 off the fxr website with the keefer discount and it was $506 shipped to my door. This is my 3rd atr-2 and I love them.
Pit Row
I only tried an sm5 on because I was curious. It felt like the eps was pointy and pushing into my head in a couple of spots. The 2nd year seemed to fit a little better and the latest doesn’t fit me at all.
I have the first version of the m10. Yes it feels like it has more padding than the m5. The newer version m10 fits a little tighter and better for me. I had the cheapest fly with mips before the m10. That fly had a small goggle port. The m10 felt a little lighter but vented a lot better than that fly helmet. I also have a fly formula carbon which is quieter and fits a little tighter than the m10. Ventilation is similar between the two. It also has a little more room for goggles than the m10.
There are many unbiased studies on how good a helmet protects your head, the majority suggest weight is the biggest factor. The lighter it is the better it is at protecting your head, providing it meets international standards, regardless of cost.
When I say high end I mean a quality helmet. Specs , ratings and materials used to build it. Price can be higher for many reasons other than it being a higher quality. Marketing, R&D, how it gets to the end user, how many are produced and where ,etc. all go into the costs. There area lot products that I would say are higher quality than ones that cost more money.
The thing is that most of the lighter helmets that also pass the testing are also higher priced. And helmets that have more shell sizes , sharing fewer shells across sizes also tend to be lighter and more expensive.
They tell me I took a helicopter ride the day of my automobile not riding TBI happened.
I have only used 6D helmets ever since.
I haven't read all the posts, but I bet there are plenty of riders out there who wished they would have opted for the best helmet on the market ... post brain injury.
That's how I try to look at things I consider essentials like helmets, neck and knee braces, boots, handlebars, etc.
Assess the cost of failure / less performance and then decide what it's worth to you.
I've literally thrown away helmets (Thor SVR - I believe it saved my life in conjunction with Leatt neck brace) after crashes where I felt the styrofoam liner compress during the crash. Helmet did its job and was compromised - be thankful, replace.
FWIW, I also wear a 6D helmet now, too, but all the brands have significantly upped their games.
The 2024 PU catalog comes out quite early (late 2023) and usually has stuff that is already on closeout inside it.
The 2024 catalog I am talking about is on Alpinestars actual website. If you check their full 2024 collection the SM8 is no longer included. Only the SM5 and SM10 are listed for 2024. I just ordered an all white SM10 (the new version) so I am waiting to check the fit. I wanted the SM8, but the all white large is no longer available (0110-5767) as it comes up as an inactive part number.
I was saying that I saw it in both the PU helmet and apparel, AND the Alpinestars off road catalog that PU just put on the website this month. Most of the SM8's PU has in stock still allow returns and are not showing as discontinued. Only a handful of colors. But like you said about the helmet and apparel catalog, the new SM10 was already out when that catalog came out, but it's not in it.
Since the current SM8 is not ECE22.06 rated, Alpinestars can not sell it in Europe so it makes sense to make a new helmet with new Part number. Or even make the same helmet if it is able to pass the ece 22.06 test and give it a new part number to identify the helmets marked with the new rating either way. If they are discontinuing the SM8, they must not be ready to let people know yet since most are still showing up as a regular part number to me and still allow returns. Other than the ones they are out of, those show as inactive. Than again, after the software update a lot of stuff got messed up for a while , so who knows. Its been fixed for a while now but I see stuff pop up and go away often.
Just got back into riding after a couple years off. Always used Bell’s in the past, but my Moto 9 was getting up there in age.
bought one of these: https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/riding-gear/fly-racing-formula-cc-dr…
seems like a hell of a helmet for the money
That's a hellava deal for a fantastic helmet. No excuses for people to not have a quality helmet with those on sale. The Fly Formula Carbon helmets were on sale over Christmas for $280 and I picked up one. Should have picked up 2 to be honest and I already had a Fly Formula CP prior to that.
Simply put, at that price point there are no excuses for not owning and using a top of the line helmet. I'm seriously considering buying one - even with my other two Fly Formula helmets.
Just picked one up. Thanks for the heads up.
Can you point us to some of these? These studies sound like very interesting reads.
Thanks!
As previously mentioned, go to your local shop and try on a few different models. When I was younger, I wanted a Shoei VFX-W super bad but it fit my head terribly. I ended up going with a Bell Moto-9 and it fit perfect.
Recently, I had a Fox V3 with Fluid Technology and the padding gave me a massive headache and was super uncomfortable. I ended up removing the Fluid Padding which was meant to be advanced technology and provide protection.
Today, I mostly wear Fox V3 RS helmets but haven’t tried the latest generation. If you’re in the market, Fox has huge discounts on the previous generation V3.
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