Leather Motorcycle Gear

To aid in your quest for the best helmet for you, we have compiled the following guide, organized into ten steps, starting with the most important steps first and moving on to lesser considerations.

1. DOT Certification

Helmets are tested in facilities such as the Head Protection Research Labratory. Drop tests with an instrumented head form measure a helmet’s ability to absorb energy in a crash. Photo by Art Friedman.

A helmet is of no use if it doesn’t provide protection, and that D.O.T. (U.S. Department of Transportation) sticker on the back is your assurance that when the day comes, the helmet will perform. The D.O.T. standard (officially designated Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 218) requires, among other things, that a helmet soak up a significant amount of impact energy, prevent most penetration, and have a fastening system that will withstand significant force.

The D.O.T. standard works like this. If the manufacturer certifies that its helmet passes the D.O.T standard, it can make and sell that helmet with a D.O.T. sticker. The division of the Department responsible for such things periodically buys helmets and send them to independent labs for testing to confirm that they actually do meet the standard. The D.O.T. posts the results on its website in a pass/fail form. A helmet that fails can fail for performance (it allowed too much energy through in the impact testing or the chin strap failed), which the buyer should be concerned with or for labeling (which isn’t likely to matter to the buyer). The results may be found at the NHTSA site.

You can make a case that it’s worth getting a helmet that meets some of the other standards, notably those of the Snell Foundation. For one thing, when a manufacturer has gone the distance to meet both D.O.T. and Snell, it has usually made the effort to provide other features and benefits. However, the difference between the protection offered by a “novelty” helmet that does not meet any standards and a basic D.O.T. helmet is huge–the difference between life and death or the difference between animal and vegetable–while the difference between a D.O.T. helmet and a Snell helmet (which also meets D.O.T. requirements) is comparativey minor.

However, an increasing number of helmet experts say that you are best off with a helmet that meets D.O.T. only, that is, a helmet that doesn’t meet any other standards.

The Snell Memorial Foundation has useful information for helmet buyers on its website.

There are many differences between phony helmets and real D.O.T.-blessed types, but one of the most important is the use of an expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam liner (which resembles Styrofoam) inside a real helmet. It is the EPS that actually absorbs the energy of an impact. In doing so, it gets crushed, and unlike the foam-rubber comfort liner, it is non-resilient. Once crushed, it has lost its energy-absorbing capability, which is why a helmet should be replaced once you taken a hit in it. Look for the EPS liner if you have any doubts about the helmet being a genuine D.O.T.-compliant model.

2. Retention

A helmet is also no good if it doesn’t stay on when you get off unexpectedly. You should check if the helmet you are trying on will stay on your head using a simple test. Fasten the strap snugly (you should feel some force on your chin). Then grab the rear of the helmet and try to lift it up and roll it forward off your head. Even when it hurts, you should not be able to get the helmet off. This is more likely to be an issue on half helmets or open-face helmets, but we have seen some full-coverage chinbar-style helmets that failed this roll-off test on some riders. On most helmets, the strap will fasten by passing through two D-rings. Though there have been a number of quick-fasten buckles and other ideas introduced over the years, we think this remains the most effective, convenient and comfortable fastening system.

The Feds are looking at revising the standards to include standards for roll-off prevention, but the only standard that matters will continue to be whether you can pull a fastened helmet off your own head.

3. Fit

Part of retention is fit. Most helmets come with advice for fit and sizing. Most dealer accessory-sales personnel also have some training in fitting a helmet. Basically, the helmet should fit snugly so that it is stable when you shake your head side-to-side, front-to-back or up and down. A full-face helmet should grip your cheeks and jaw as well as the top and sides of your head. A helmet that is too loose may come off in a crash, and one that is too tight will be uncomfortable (see the next section for more detail). If it only contacts the top of your head, that will soon become uncomfortable. Proper fit means that it is snug enough that your skin moves with it when you try to move the helmet on your head.

The fact that you wear a Medium in one brand and model does not mean that another model will fit you best in the same size. Though my preferred helmet is size L, I need an XL in another model from the same maker and occasionally find a Medium that fits comfortably too.

4. Comfort

A helmet ranks with a motorcycle’s saddle among the factors that can make a long ride enjoyable or turn it into agony. If you take the time and effort to find the most comfortable helmet for your hear, it will be paind back manifold by making long rides more enjoyable and comfortable (even more conmfortable than riding with no helmet at all). Comfort can be tricky to determine, but might make the difference between loving and hating your helmet, so we will spend some space to discuss it. The buyer should take time to assure that his new helmet is comfortable.

Some people claim that there is no such thing as a comfortable helmet. We once experimented with such a rider and were able to make a believer out of him by providing a large (40 models) selection of helmets that he could choose from and letting him try as many as he liked. Although the ones he was initially drawn to confirmed his belief, soon he found some that were comfortable. He begrudgingly admitted that a top-shelf chinbar-type helmet, which not surprisingly was an Arai, was quite comfortable. We sent him out to ride for a couple of weeks with it, and though he initially thought it felt claustrophobic, he soon became a believer. He purchased one (with a color scheme that suited his tastes) soon after and has ridden with the same brand and style since.

This rider’s experiences confirmed several things. First, it shows again that virtually anybody can find a truly comfortable helmet if he or she takes the time to try more than one or two on, but that it often won’t be a cheap one. It confirmed that full-face helmets are usually the most comfortable, although some riders may find better comfort in open-face helmets. (We don’t know of anybody who has approached the situation with a completely open mind and the opportunity to try a lot of helmets and then said that a shorty (or half helmet is more comfortable on a long ride.) It reinforced that many riders, even experienced ones, simply have never had a chance to try enough helmets to discover one that fits. It may take trips to several dealers to find the size, make and model that works for your head. It also confirmed that the well-known brands are ones most likely to be the most comfortable.

General factors that seem to make a comfortable helmet are plenty of comfort padding (the soft foam-rubber padding that touches your head), a good seal around the ear (but not on the ear itself), a neck roll that nestles against the back of your head and neck and an absence of protruding components (most often caused by shield mechanisms or strap attachments) inside.

A helmet that fits well might be tight as you pull it on because the foam components that seal out the wind noise should be smaller than the inside of the helmet. If a helmet pulls on too easily without resistance of such padding, it will probably be noisy and may not fit snugly enough to stay put. Slightly snug is better than too loose, since the interior will tend to settle and compress a bit, molding to your head. If it moves around when you nod your head vigorously, it’s probably too loose.

When trying on a helmet, don’t just pull it on and take it right back off. Pull it on and position it properly (which normally means so that you can use the top of the face or eye opening as a small sun visor). The helmet should stay in position even without the strap secured. Fasten the strap and leave the helmet on your head for a while. Fifteen or 20 minutes is a good test. Let it settle in. There should be no pressure points. These usually seem to occur around the crown or in the forehead. The helmet should provide even pressure all the way around with no hard points. Your ears shouldn’t be pressed, but if your ears are sealed in a bit and sounds around you diminish, that is fine. This will help block wind noise, which will protect your hearing and actually help you to pick out other more important noises.

One of the advantages of developing a relationship with a motorcycle dealer is that he may let you ride with a helmet that you are considering buying. If you have this opportunity, take it. Alternately ask if you can bring the helmet back, say within 30 minutes or an hour for a refund. (Better do it on a day when you skipped the cologne.) A test ride can reveal many things about wind noise, pressure at speeds, how engine noise comes into the helmet, etc. Some helmets may be noisier behind your windshield or have some other issue that only arises when they are on you while you are on your bike. The Arai Renegade, one of the most popular helmets among Motorcycle Cruiser staffers, fit me very well when I tried it on, and looked like it had a shot at becoming my favorite helmet. But when I rode with it, there was some air movement and wind noise that bothered me slightly. Other staffers don’t have this issue, so it is just my particular head, but the ride would have provided a critical bit of information if I’d been planning to buy.

Should weight be an issue? A heavy helmet does not seem to have any safety drawbacks (and it may have an advantage if the weight is in extra energy-absorbing EPS padding). Perhaps because I have been wearing helmets since they all were heavy, I have never noticed weight. Even the porky Simpson helmets we tried a few years ago didn’t seem weighty to me (but perhaps it was all the other distractions they created). I have noticed that heavy helmets tend to be steadier on bikes where the windshield causes buffeting. For those who want a light helmet, there are some surprisingly light helmets out there, even with full coverage, but I think weight is probably less important than other factors and can actually be an asset.

You may hear someone say that heavy helmets (or even all helmets) are likely to cause neck injuries. This is not true. In fact, just the opposite is true. Helmeted riders suffer fewer neck injuries.

Before settling on one helmet, try on a lot of different brands and models. If one brand seems to be comfortable, try other models from that range for similar shapes with slightly different interiors.

5. Coverage

This is definitely a case of more being better. A full-coverage open-face helmet offers better coverage than a shorty (or half helmet) and a full-face helmet (i.e., one with a chinbar) provides more protection than an open-face style.

A recent study (January 2003 issue of “Annals of Emergency Medicine”) found that motorcyclists with facial injuries are 3.5 times more likely to have a brain injury and those with facial fractures are 6.5 times more likely to have such injuries than those without facial damage. The study, conducted at the UCLA School of Public Health in Los Angeles, California with Dr. Jess Kraus as lead author looked at 5790 motorcyclists injured in crashes and reported that one in four had facial injuries with 411 sustaining facial fractures. It makes a strong case for getting the most possible coverage from your helmet.

Look for a helmet that provides not only more shell coverage but also more coverage from the EPS liner (the hard Styrofoam-type foam) inside, since it’s the EPS that actually absorbs the energy of an impact. Some helmets just cover the minimum mandated area with EPS. Others line the entire shell with it. The EPS should extend to the chinbar if the helmet has one.

Somewhere between the full-coverage helmets and the open-face helmets are those with flip-up facial sections, called “modular,” “system” and flip-face helmets, which offer advantages of both kinds. We tested seven modular helmets for the April 2003 issue of Motorcycle Cruiser.

Does facial coverage make any difference? Consider going jaw-first into the back of a car, and remember where your jawbone will end up if it gets pushed up into your head.

We’ll post the final 5 guiding steps when buying a motorcycle helmet next time.  Though not as important as the steps outlined today, none the less, they are important for you overall satisfaction, comfort, and safety.

This is an excerpt of and Article found at www.motorcyclecruiser.com author Art Friedman

Disclaimer:  www.motorcycle-leather-gear.com and www.openroadcyclegear.com are wholly owned by RobyCo, Inc. of Reading Pennsylvania.  Excerpt articles do not represent RobyCo, Inc or its holdings management opinions.  Selected information is provided for discussion purposes.