High end helmets

Not sure what "High End" is, but I just used my new Fly Formula yesterday for the first time. Fist thing I noticed is how different the inside of the helmet looked compared to previous helmets I've had (Fox, Arai, Bell). Not sure if its good bad or indifferent, but there was some serious thought put into this helmet. Many different layers, not just a white Styrofoam liner with a shell. The helmet fits about what any helmet does. When putting it on, the first thing I noticed was how light the thing is. Its crazy what 1/2 pound difference is when its on your head. When riding, the helmet seemed to be vented fairly well, but for whatever reason, although it was vented well, it seemed noticeably more quiet than the Arai I just came off of. Not quiet like using ear plugs, but just more quiet than the other helmet. I was thinking with the venting, it would be louder, not the case. The fit and finish seem good, the paint lines all line up and the visor seems to be well made and attached decently. Yesterday was my first ride in it, so cant speak on any long term results and yesterday I didn't crash, so cant speak on how it works in that area. So far, I am extremely impressed with it. 

Yes it’s necessary. All depends on how much your brain is worth to you though. 

The older you get, the more likely you are to get a brain bleed. Ground level falls from standing do you geriatrics in sometimes!

It's worth buying a helmet with the best safety features, but many helmet manufacturers offer their premium safety technology in a plastic shell, which only increases the weight, for a fraction of the price of their carbon fibre or fibreglass helmets. Worth at least getting one of those if you don't want to pay the full premium price

The older you get the more worth it an expensive helmet becomes. While egos seem to get greater with age, durability doesn’t 

Been wearing Airohs for years and years. Would not wear anything else

I will preface this by saying I wear expensive helmets. I have a shoei.6d. And a moto 10 in my rotation. But all the evidence regarding protection is anecdotal.  

If you have a $10 dollar head wear a $10 dollar helmet 

myself I wear 6D and will continue too 

Try out a new lid that has current protection technology. You can get a Fly Formula CC for $200 at RMATV. 

I’m an Airoh guy as well but recently picked up a Fly Formula CC to test out.

I just make sure it has ECE rating. More expensive helmets are usually lighter and offer more features. If you have somewhere to try them on near you, spend a couple hours trying on different ones. 

Go throw a plastic helmet on the ground and then do a composite one.
Then tell me which one you’d wear. 

The best you can afford is the right answer IMO. A mouthguard can also help protect you from concussions. 

Please enlighten us on how throwing an empty helmet on the ground provides any sort of useful metric.

The difference between the poly and carbon shells don’t seem to make much of difference on the SHARP testing I’ve seen, which has actual test methods to produce repeatable results.

I randomly picked the HJC FS 10 (street bike helmet) as they tested both versions and HJC was the first brand I clicked:

https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/helmets/hjc-fs-10/

https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/helmets/hjc-fs-10-carbon/

Maybe there is useful data to extrapolate from the Virginia Tech helmet testing for bicycles as well, but I haven’t looked deeply.

True. Flipside many would argue my brain isnt as capable to warrant a $1000 helmet, probably even a $300 one. 

Both those helmets are “composites” (fibreglass) being a composite depending on which manufacturer it is. 
The agv k3sv and k5s are the same shell one plastic one a “composite” but their test result appear to be the same. 
Objectively I wouldn’t wear a plastic helmet just by the drop test of the 10 or so helmets I’ve done. 
A plastic helmet bounces back like a bouncy ball where as a fibreglass or carbon shell has minimal bounce in comparison and usually has little fractures all over it. 
This was on concrete though so it might not be as important on a dirt bike where the ground has some give. 

My bad, I should have checked materials on them before posting.
 

I personally run the carbon composite version on the Fly Formula but that’s mostly because it has different EPS than the cheaper poly version (I believe). From the what I’ve seen the reduction in mass is really the only safety benefit of picking carbon over poly. I certainly would advocate buying the best you can, even though  comparative data of most of the premier features actually working doesn’t really exist.

To OP: make sure whatever you get fits you well. I’ve ordered premium street bike helmets just to find out they’re the wrong head shape for me and basically useless, which sucks.

Yes they are worth it.  This Moto 10 had one ride and one crash on it.  I’m completely positive if I had something lesser on I’d be dead or a vegetable.  I was out cold for over 5 mins and after I woke up I didn’t even have a headache.  I don’t remember what happened or much of working the following week but I’m alive.  

Yeah, no unless a Fly is lighter. A 8 lb. mallet hits harder than a 4 lb. mallett, wear the lightest helmet with the most protection. Hold a two lb. bag of sand in your hand and punch a wall vs. a one lb. bag of sand, which hurts more. Less stress on your neck too. Airoh is the lightest with the most protection, maybe the Fly is lighter? But I don't think so. Airoh had protected me for a long time, it would take a lot to make me switch brands. The whole 6d rotational tech helmets in use now are applicable on consistent surfaces like pavement, but dirt - where the surface is inconsistent - it's not logical.

I'm a Astars fanboi. Have an SM-8 and SM-10. Protective, super light, detachable visor, super comfortable, and best looking (imo). Couldn't recommend them enough. 

Just don’t be like the guy I parked next to at the track a couple weeks ago with a sweet Pro Circuit edition Moto 10 with a huge crack in the shell and scrape marks all over it. When I told the guy that after a hit that substantial that helmet is no good he hit me with a “It was $1000 it better be good for more than one crash.” 

If you wanna save money, do it on your gear or boots but you can’t fix a broke head.

Absolutely worth it. I'm a 56 year-old vet rider and face planted a couple days before New Year's day in my Fox V3 RS, which is their top of the line helmet. I didn't get knocked out or have any kind of head injury. This was a 3rd gear crash straight onto my face. My wife immediately ordered the same helmet. Worth every penny, all 75,000 of them. 

I’ve been wearing the carbon-fiber SE5 since it came out. It’s very light.

Oh, and, I’ve learned the hard way that…it works. 

It’s the same as an Aviator 3, the carbon Formula might even be slightly lighter. The Aviator got a lot heavier with ECE 22.06.

You were out cold for over 5 minutes? You got a TBI. Hope you got checked out. 

Fly Formula Carbon S: 1290 grams +/-50g (size MD/LG)

Fly Formula CC: 1340 grams +/-50g (size MD/LG)

Airoh Aviator 3: 1330 g ±50 g

Airoh Aviator 3 top end carbon: From 1270 g ±50 g

So they are basically identical in the weight department.

I have a Fly dealer near me, maybe I will check them out.

Recently tried on a few different reasonably priced - last years graphics really drop the price -  high end helmets (6D, Fox, Fly) and fit, finish and feel the 6D was far ahead of the others  Highly recommend. 
 

I replaced a 4 year old but never crashed in TLD helmet to get the newer tech. Hopefully the trust is a worth it.
 

I wanted a Bell Moto 10 Tomac but $1300 AUD is wack.  

I’m a helmet snob. I always buy the best helmets money can buy. I’ve had a few SM-10’s but that stupid visor setup is annoying. It’s wrenched my neck more than it helped. I’ve also had a few good get offs in a SM-10 that always left me feeling a little foggy. Come to think of it, I’ve never really had a great experience with gear manufacturers helmets. Or maybe the fact that all I was feeling was foggy is a good thing. 
I’m a Bell guy now. I have a few Moto-10’s and a Moto 9. They’re awesome helmets. Sure the Moto-10 feels a little heavier than the competition but as soon as I put it on, I instantly feel like the helmet becomes a part of me. The older I get the more important it is to me to protect my dome.