fellow motorcycle riders, I'm about to close a deal- HELP

[EtUL]

You asking me on a date?

[Tsakali]

any tips on a helmet? I mean wtf is going on, out there,... just too many options.

All i have gathered from my brief research is that I should get the right size for my head, preferably removable padding inside, some form of ventilation and for it to be both DOT and snell approved. Am I just about right? SO wtf do I get?

I'm looking at the HJC CL-17 as of now.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss? ... JC%20CL-17

They have some other neat shit out there for double the price, like rear mounted led lights for visibility, and even one with an integrated rear view mirror, lol I gotta admit , I'm very curious as to how well that idea is executed.

I cant find any proper community threads that talk about helmets , wtf? this is just about the only thing I haven't found satisfying amounts of info on.

Also, the color white keeps calling me


does that mean I like penis?

[EtUL]

HJCs are good for a first helmet. Your best bet is to go to a place where you can try on helmets and try to get them to get close to an online price. If they can't, buy online. Manufacturers have different shell shapes and sizes and the best way to find a good helmet is to try them on. You'll want it to be quite tight on your face at first, the pads will break in.

http://www.motorcyclegear.com/street/closeouts/helmets

This site is my favorite for gear. In general I'd say buy cheaper gear (but still adequate) at first cause you're more likely to scuff it up. 100 dollar HJCs are just as safe as a more expensive lid but the difference will be in weight and comfort, venting, visor options, and stuff like that. After wearing 200-300 dollar helmets, 100 dollar helmets seem heavy and simple, but they're good enough. If you find a more expensive one that fits well tho it's not a bad idea to go for it. A lot of the silly crashes that new riders have don't end up with your head hitting the ground.

[EtUL]

Here's a c/p from another board:

Well it's time for a gear thread.

So, who do you buy your stuff from? Who do you trust? What do you actually wear? What do you want to know? Feel free to tell me what should be in this first post And correct me if I'm wrong.

I'll be adding to this post as people add good information. To start off, here's a short incomplete list. I'll be adding links to all the manufacturers as time allows.

Cheap Gear:
http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com (closeouts rock..)
http://www.newenough.com

Manufacturers:
Fieldsheer: Textile, Leather, Gloves
AGV: Helmets, Textile, Leahter
Arai: Helmets
Icon: Helmets, Textile, Leather, Boots, Gloves
Sidi: Boots, Leather
Shift: Boots, Leather, Textile, Gloves
Daniese: Leather, Gloves
Joe Rocket: Boots, Leather, Textile, Gloves
HJC: Helmets
KomodoGear: Leather, Textile KomodoGear
Firstgear: Textile, Leather http://www.firstgear-usa.com
Vanson: Duh.. Leather http://www.vansonleathers.com
Alpinstars: Boots, Gloves, Textile, Leather http://www.alpinestars.com
Tourmaster: Boots, Gloves, Textile, Leather http://www.tourmaster.com
Aerostitch: Textile Masters. http://www.aerostitch.com

FAQ:

Q: Is leather safer?
A: Yes. Textile however is not suicide. Leather is the best we've got, and if you want the best protection without considering any other factors, leather is what you wear.

Q: Why can't I wear my normal leather jacket?
A: Well you can wear it riding. Just don't pretend to think it will protect you. Riding leathers are made from 1-2mm leather. Some seriously thick stuff, that is also tanned for strength. Your average fashion leather jacket is half grain or less, some fraction of a mm thick, and contains no armor, no facilities for cooling, no design features to prevent it from riding up, no way to attach it to pants... And I could go on.

Q: What does Snell and DOT mean? What's it mean to me?
A: Snell and DOT stickers on a helmet mean they've gone through an approval process. DOT is mandatory for any street helmet. If your helmet doesn't have a DOT sticker on it, it's not a helmet. Snell is a voluntary testing standard for helmets. It's required by most racing bodies. It is a much more stringent test, and it costs the MFG a signifigant amount of money to retain the right to put that sticker on a helmet. The stickers can be taken away at any time.. so MFGs are apt to do everything they can to keep this approval.


How to fit a helmet:

This is not something you can do without going to a motorcycle shop. Please, please buy the helmet from the shop you try it on at. We need to keep the local buisnesses around.

Go find the display helmets, try one on. Don't strap it on yet. Shake your head violently. If the helmet moves in relation to your face, it's to lose. Go try the next size down. The helmet will feel quite snug, do yourself a favor, and wear the helmet for five or ten minutes if you can. If you don't feel any hot spots, or sore spots you probally have a good helmet on.

All helmets are NOT made alike. Each manufacturer has their own shaped head that they use. (or several heads) So if one MFG's helmet fits but leaves your forhead hurting, another may not. Try a few on, see what feels right.

Now you may not find a "perfect" helmet. Remember you can do a little sculpting of the inside of the helmet. If you have one particular spot that's giving you a problem, take a spoon and rub the spoon against the inside of the hemlet where you're having the sore spot. That will depress the foam a little and alievate the issue. (it's likely only to need 1/16" or less, so you're not exactly hurting the safety of your helmet, and if it's more comfortable, you're more likely to wear it!)

Fitting Leathers:

Leathers should be snug. If they can move around signifigantly their protection is reduced. When you chose leathers for street riding you should also consider a little extra room for a long sleeve shirt or long underwear. Nothing off the rack fits me, so I'll need to defer to others here who can for further advice.

[Tsakali]

woah bro

[Tsakali]

k I'll make the question. what could I get for $200? any clear winners at that range?

[EtUL]

I like Shoeis for a 200-300 dollar range. Light and good ventilation. I have a Scorpion that's alright but not as nice as my old Shoei. Try some on and go based on that, advice is worthless if you have a different head shape than the helmet I suggest.

[Tsakali]

fucking size based goods

Having to deal localy for atleast sizing, is gonna really mess up my options.

[LawL]

You asking me on a date?

Yes.

[Tsakali]

omg I love riding this thing...

I was a bit nervous at first, but honestly, as soon as I let go of that clutch and it started rolling I felt immediately connected to it... just like riding a bicycle and it has enough power to feel limitless at this point...
So , on to another subject...I found the helmet I want, but it'll have to be shipped from england...at this point, I won't settle for anything else...my eyes has seen it, I cannot un-see it.


http://www.ls2helmets.com/pe/helmets/155/339

it's ECE 22.05/DOT so I'll be legit on that front.

but there is also this beauty


http://www.ls2helmets.com/pe/helmets/149/380

and for some reason, anyone I show these two, they all pick this last one

on second look, the second one looks like it would give you a bit of a wider fov

[EtUL]

Don't worry about FOV with a full face, they're all fine, seriously. I get more annoyed in cars because the A pillar is always where I want to look in a turn. The only thing a full face stops you from seeing is planes and the gas tank.

[EtUL]

Also, yes, motorcycles are fucking awesome. hi 5.

Every step up in bike is a thrill too so savor it. From your bike to an I3 or I4 600, then some v twin 1000, then an I4 1000, then and then and.....

[LawL]

Both those helmets are gay.

[Κracus]

I like em, they give off a Commander Sheppard vibe.

[Tsakali]

Both those helmets are gay.

This is the point where u make other suggestions...

[EtUL]

Shoei X-12 is one of the coolest lookin helmets I think but they're pricey as fuck. I also want an AGV Simoncelli replica but I doubt I'll ever drop the dough on that.

[Tsakali]

i'm not willing to spend over 250 for my first helmet ever.. that's insane! having said that I'd still like to aim towards 150 only.... I'll reserve getting a pricey helmet for when I know a little more about what I want in a helmet.

Anyway, I kept looking for helmets last night, so now I am more confused than ever. lol who would've thought... having strong opinions about what helmet to wear....shit feels even more difficult to decide than the actual bike, lol. I mean, I have limitless options for one (well $250 being the limit )

[losCHUNK]

Those helmets are a bit Mass Effect tho bro

[Tsakali]

yeah, I noticed . I'm still looking, but I do like them...the first one for example is cheap enough to buy just as a second helmet option/ passenger.

[Tsakali]

What do you think about these?

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/shark-vision-r

I feel like they are made very well, have an awseome FOV (yeah I know you said it's no big deal) and some cool features, like build in sun visor,.. even expandable with their own proprietary BT getup... are there any obvious 3rd party popular BT helmet gear out there?.. just sayin..

[EtUL]

If the HJC fits your head a CL-16 or 17 is a fine first helmet. Just check with the return policy of wherever you buy. http://motorcyclegear.com is pretty good with returns and should have some cheap cl-16s cause their old.

[EtUL]

http://www.motorcyclegear.com/street/he ... types/hjc/

[Tsakali]

yeah I've browsed the shit out of that site last night, and it's bookmarked.

btw just as an all brands helmet reference, this list is fairly comprehensive ...lots of pictures
http://www.helmetcity.com/page/HC/CTGY/fullfacemc

[Tsakali]

well, after some serious soul searching (lol?) I came to the conclusion of getting a good quality helmet in its simplest of forms

a matte black SHOEI rf1100



payed $275 for it, but it is supposedly higher quality matterial/lining, better ventilation and better with reducing sound.

basically the cheapest of the top shelf stuff.

[LawL]

Much better.