| Author | Message | ||
     Ericcogdell |
I'm looking at helmets to replace mine that was in an accident this past week. Which is better, Polycarbonate Composite or Fiberglass? I have looked on many sites and can't find a definite answer. I know what the two are, just want to know whats makes the better helmet and why. I know this topic will stir up many opinions, but oh well. | ||
| Badrap |
I just picked up a copy of June 2005 Motor Cyclist that I was going to throw out and they have a huge article about debunking the helmet myths. Some of the cheap Polycarb helmets actually are softer than glass and in turn, absorb more of the impact. Bottom line is, pick what fits you well and has the features you want. They key is that they pass DOT specs to make them legal. It's really up to you. I like my Shoei RF1100. It's made of glass and fits well, is high quality and quiet. | ||
| Rwcfrank |
Oh boy, this should stimulate some opinions. It depends upon how you want to crash. If your going to crash into a curb edge get a Snell helmet. If your going to ram your head into a wall get an ECE. If you want to get injured go with DOT and if you want to go with what works the choices are infinite. I have been doing some research and plan to buy a SHARK EVOLINE 2 http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/s hark-evoline/dot/ | ||
| Mtnrdr |
opinion: the DOT remarks are total BS...rtfb. I wish they'd make sales of anything else illegal in the US. There'd be fewer brain injuries....read the f...ing book http://www.hprl.org/whatsnew.htm (Message edited by mtnrdr on June 28, 2010) | ||
| Rwcfrank |
Well Mtnrdr I would read the book but since it's a couple years old I will stick with my opinion. You know what they say "opinions are like____, everyone has one." Seems to me the last 1/2 beanie helmet I saw was DOT approved. Is that what your talking about? | ||
| Oldwesterncowboy |
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/reevu/msx1/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYFla-d1lKA&feature=related http://www.reevu.com/ (Message edited by oldwesterncowboy on June 29, 2010) | ||
| Mtnrdr |
Seriously? You know where those stickers come from and how they get there, right? They're not approved helmets. The sicker is put on by a knucklehead. You could do it to a plastic bowl from the cupboard. The data for what I'm referring to goes back 50 years and covers several continents. It continues to this day. My last post on the subject but, please familiarize yourself with the truth when you make your choice. | ||
| Mnrider |
OK I'm lost. Does DOT mean they are OK or not. | ||
| Rwcfrank |
Your going to have to google dot vs snell and formulate your own opinion, DOT does not require testing but does have a standard it can be confusing. Go with a brand name and you should be fine. (Message edited by rwcfrank on June 29, 2010) | ||
| Badrap |
I believe that all street helmets have to meet DOT requirements. There are multiple different standards (SNELL, DOT, BSI, ECE, COST)out there. They each have different testing criteria. Flat anvil, hemi anvil, curb anvil, edge anvil. They each have to meet different allowable peak G's. The way I see it, if you could predict what your head will hit and how hard it will hit when you crash then you could buy a specific helmet for that occasion but we all know that’s not the case. I wish I could tell you that there was one helmet that stands out above all others but I’m not aware of one. I still say that a new full face helmet that fits right and is comfortable is your best bet. Don’t worry so much about who certifies it. Just wear it and treat it right. Avoid dropping it, avoid putting your helmet liner on sharp objects and don’t store it around gas or chemical vapor. | ||
| Rwcfrank |
thats what I was trying to say Badrap, just not as eloquently | ||
| Badrap |
Thank you Rwcfrank. | ||
| Mnrider |
Thanks guys! | ||
| Towpro |
The best kind of helmet to get is one you will wear. We all know (here at least) that they have to be on your head to work as designed. | ||
| Brucespoint |
Posted This Reply Last Night... Wrong Thread! MaCBook Been Twitchy Since a Few inStalls, Bout Ready To Start Fresh, But Here Goes, Sorry If SubJecting Twice, But... Thanks for the link to the Shark Helmet! iT Looks Like What I'm Looking For! PolyCarb Rings Like a Bell, Passes energy Through, FiberGlass/Kevlar absorbs Some of the energy in eXtremis, Nice HelMet, Nice Head, take Yer Pick YMMV = all- Ways! eSpeCially if Trusting GuVMnt aGenCy's, read the News? Had a Bro in-Law T-Bone the Wall few Years Back @ approx 75mph, saturday night raCin in YuMa. Did a DaLe Earhardt, but Did SurVive... nOt as He Was, Head inJury, (My Field), iS fOreVer! FaCtors Were, Too small a seat, lack of TraVel Limit, StuPid. He's a BiG BOY! And One Of thOse Shiny HelMets With a Seam, ApprOved, That Came Through Just Fine. I'll Leave it to Other to DeCide, But I'll ALWAYS Take a Weave & Laminate, Over a One PieCe/One MaTerial Shell. Still Here! Have Tested My "theories" Best "i" Can. b. P.S., ALCOHOL, BiGGeST "FaCTOR", in HeAd inJury, By My CounTing, Though War RaPidly Going To eClipse That, at This Rate. NoT, the Dreaded MotorCycle. LiVin a DuLL Life, More HaZardous to Health & Wellness! My "theOry" = YMMV *^) MaN PLAN'Z!....poof! (GOD*L*A*U*G*H*'Z!!!) | ||
| Ericcogdell |
Polycarbonate Composite or Fiberglass? Which is better? | ||
| Mtnrdr |
Wow, som sTrang& xtranslati0n error$... DOT does require testing. They're the folks who require the helmet to not transfer more than a certain g-force to your brain in their test. I think the penetration tests are where the problems start. To meet the SNELL requirements: the shell and lining have to be tougher and this can transfer more energy to your brain. Yes, it's been common for shops to provide a DOT sticker to be applied after the sale so, the "for show" helmet looks to be approved. This has mostly been the cheap beanie helmets you see the knuckleheads riding around with. Our market, in this country, allows the better helmets that aren't DOT approved to be sold as well. No one would look twice at a nice imported full face helmet but, it may not be legal. I tend to agree that a laminated shell would offer the best protection. The shell and all the lining has to absorb the force of impact and in doing so it is destroyed. I think alcohol is the cause of the accidents. I really think if you'll pick a known brand that fits, and you like, the rest will take care of itself. Yes governments, worldwide have been telling us for a thousand years they know best. I believe them don't you? We seem to have our own will though. | ||
| Choyashi |
If you have a really bad crash, it won't matter what kind of helmet your wearing.. cause you'll be dead anyway! But, if you just get messed up and your $600 dollar Arai is ruined, it will make you feel even worse! It is fun to throw that old helmet in the trash, and then get on line to find a new one....Helmets get all stinky inside in a short time anyway! Buy the cheapest, best fitting, best looking one you can find. | ||
| Buewulf |
Does DOT mean they are OK or not. Yes, if the helmet is from a reputable mfg. There has been extensive evaluation of the Snell and DOT methods. The country's (probably the world's) leading expert on this subject was critical of the Snell testing method, and in some (not all) conditions, helmets designed to pass Snell testing transmit dangerous levels of force through the helmet to the head when compared to DOT and ECE. Some of the snell testing methods required manufacturers to employ harder shells than what was ideal in order to pass the test. I don't recall for sure, but I think one of the primary variables overlooked by Snell also was the weight of different sized heads with respect to different helmet sizes (S, M, L, XL, etc.). I believe all of this can be found in that article. End result of the study was that DOT and the European system at the time provided for equal or better levels of trauma protection than the Snell 2005 ratings. Snell balked at the results of the study, but the fact that the latest Snell rating system (M2010) finally addresses these issues says a lot about the validity of the original study. One word of caution regarding the DOT rating. The fact is, any helmet mfg can put a DOT sticker on a helmet. In theory, the mfg is confirming that the helmet passes the DOT testing guidelines when it does so. (In the real world, samples of helmets are randomly selected and purchased by the government and sent to independent labs for testing. Many of them fail, and the feds takes action against the mfg at that point.) So DOT is a passive safety rating. Your brain might find out before the government that the manufacturer wasn't being honest with its affirmation of the safety value of a particular helmet, while Snell (and I believe ECE) are proactive. A mfg must voluntarily submit samples to Snell and ECE for testing to earn the certification. So mfgs are vetting themselves so to speak by going this route. My position is that you should buy the helmet (from a reputable manufacturer) that fits your head the best as that will no doubt play a more important role in protecting you than the small variances between Snell, ECE and DOT standards. If I had to pass judgment on just the rating systems given what I have read on the subject: the Snell M2010 and latest ECE are better than the DOT-only is better than the Snell M2005. If you are buying a helmet from ebay claiming the helmet will "ship directly from the Chinese plant producing ARAI/AGV/YOUR FAVORITE BRAND", it doesn't matter what sticker is on the back. All bets are off. Get the helmet from a local shop or a good online retailer. | ||
| Mnrider |
Great info guys! | ||
| Buewulf |
Here is a link that details some of the brands/models selected by the feds for testing since 2000. It gives you pass/fail info, and you can drill into (much) more detail about the actual failure on that item. http://204.68.195.151/cars/testing/comply/fmvss218 / | ||
| Skifastbadly |
If you can tell us what kind of crash you're going to have and where on you're head you're going to land, and at what speed, we can help you with helmet selection. |
