Budget Helmets- and how to buy them.

Last evening and early this morning- I was chatting with a few youngsters on helmets/ and the topic was budget-but good. A tough topic till we did some reading, brain storming - and here is the essence of our discussion. In no means even the start of a topic this huge.

MT, SOL, Lazer, LS2 (originals now available again), are all very good helmets.
Being in that 4000-13000 range - they all have some niggling drawback or the other yet at the same time, all have one or two star performers that transcend these problems. Helmet noise, auto opening visors, poor quality lining, bad ventilation- being the major cribs.
Then come along-
MT- Revenge.
SOL- SF5.
For example are brilliant in the 4500-5500 range. With 'Carbon' models from mostly all touching 13000.

Another star mid-range performer is the AGV k3- starting at 9000- and going upwards.

Finally at the end of the day you need to get the fit figured out.
I found all of them reasonable in terms of fit and finish but my GT-Air has spoiled me so much that even the Arai Corsair V that I have at home feels either tight or just too wide an visor that causes sun burns after 2 Days of nonstop riding ...
Now I was told that Bell helmets- price $150-700, are better than Shoei for fit and a particular Bell Qualifier is a spectacular budget buy. I looked at them and find that they are really good for the money they charge.
Likewise.
Caberg, is an Italian brand not sold in the US but wildly popular in the EU and the UK and the Caberg Duke model- 10000 range, is supposed to be an awesome modular buy. I do not like these kinds- but it's well acclaimed/ and hence here. It/Caberg helmets meet EU rules (PSB) but no US DOT and due to two visors- no SNELL, either. But it's a beautifully made helmet- for example their Stunt, Ego or Drift models- all in the 13000 range. Having seen their fit and finish on XLs, quite possibly my next buy- if I can find one for sizing my own head. Till then it's academic.
Every once in a while I get asked about Schuberth- which to the best of my knowledge make top class modular helmets- given the propensity of chin injuries in bike crashes- I am just unable to make peace with that design. Besides the good Schu's are from 500-850USD and I leave them alone. But so many people talk about this - they must be good.

My final two bits on a helmet buy/ 

Keep going on rides with fellow riders, keep trying helmets- keep asking for reviews. Ventilation, air noise, lining ease of washability, visor/ too big or too narrow, but what finally matters is the fit. It's always the fit.

Do read this article as well-
http://beagoodrider.blogspot.in/2015/09/helmets-and-how-to-buy-them.html?m=1

Importance of safety gear while riding- Dress for the Crash.

"Dress for the crash" and "You skin looks better on you than on the road" are slogans you hear every day or on the signature of many riders across Forums from Canada to Australia. 

This Sunday, on the Seven Islands ride to Igatpuri, about 110Km on NH 3 towards Nasik, we had an incident inspite of following a brilliant leader to sweeper team of 9 riders. 

Light drizzle, and absolutely just 'a' shower described the beautiful ride. Average speeds of 100-110 and light traffic with the absence of the usual jokers wanting to chase you to take pictures. The ride was as good as it could get.

So what happened next- Sachin, who was riding on a sweeping left hander coming down the Kasara Ghats, doing about 100- had a dog come across and his bike t-boned the dog- and Sachins bike fell to the right, into his angle of lean. The road was clear- no traffic, the Dog came from nowhere.

Amidst 10 riders, clear roads, dry downhill- fast- no reason to worry about gear- and that changed in a fraction of a second- and everyone who hit the brakes to avoid Sachins falling bike must have had their ways in blessing that everyone, save one, was dressed in almost as good as gear-cover can get.

Sachins crashguard- worked as his talisman- and it was amazing to watch for the 6 bikers behind him - that the FatBoy went skidding for about 25 meters or maybe more, before responding to Sachins endeavours to control the bike and it righted itself- and after stabilizing, the bike stopped about >100meters ahead of the stunned riders who braked to avoid running over the spill.

The rider was lucky, but the rider was geared well enough and i would even hazard a small bit that the subconscious knowing he was dressed well, allowed him to concentrate on regaining control rather than wondering which palm to ground to brace for impact.

Being involved with the Seven Islands Harley Chapter here in Mumbai, I get to see riders who come in, barely dressed for the ride, let alone for the act. It feels so distressing and patronising when you tell them that these bikes weigh a good lot more than themselves- and that this one-degree of comfort that possibly allowed Sachin to look more for control than brace for the crash saved him from a nasty spill.

The Crash guard, which almost every rider tells a newcomer to the group did its job. The safety gear worked at a mental level- It is so important. So Important.

-KD

#BombayHarriers

HELMETS- and how to buy them

I was discussing a helmet buying issue on the net with @Augustus23- and here was my reply to him-

CHEERS TO CHOOSING HELMETS

LS2 is at one end of the spectrum while at the other end like SHOEI GT series, and the ARAI RX or the Corsair Series- which would set you back between 65000-71000 depending on model and replicas of particular riders. Having given you the spread financially- here is the user issues-

1. NO one can tell you which helmet fits you- you have to try ten helmets and see which one fits you firmest. The helmet should have no wobble, or ability to lift- which means that it should not lift off your face and make you peer down (imagine here by lifting your head backwards, nose to ceiling)- The cheek pads are a must and should not slide up and down your cheeks when you push up the chin with your fingers- it should want to raise your chins along with it- which means that the fit should be firm, almost a tad on the tight side.

2. Short comings of helmets are that
- if they are not well designed, they will lift upward- and you cannot test this on Bullet or a Pulsar, you have to ride it out in the open on your Harley or on your sports bike
- poor fittings, just like the Mahindra Scorpio doors, will allow air inside with an irritating whistling sound, which when you will do 8-10 hours on your Harley, will annoy the daylights out of you, and you will land up riding with ear plugs
- poorly made fittings will enable the visor not to sit firmly on the closed postion and causing a very dangerous phenomenon- at speeds between 120-145 the visor snaps open- and the open visor catches the rushing air and almost yanks the helmet backward causing a very very critical moment in your riding career.
- improper ventilation, besides the obvious discomfort also causes fatigue and the more dangerous thing- fogging due to breath in cold weather, and also during the rains which in India last for 3-4 months a year.

3. SNELL and DOT testing- there is just no end to which is good, bad, better, and on and on. Which brings me to a point, that it is rumoured - rather strongly- that HJC makes Harley helmets, of which there are half, modular and full face available. These are the same that H-D sells around th world, and am sure they pass atleast some mandatory testing and meet/exceed some minimum certification standards. So if anyone asks you not to buy the helmets- hmmmm- I would discount such advise.

4. Try the LS2, try Cross, Try the SHOEI RF1100 a hugely popular budget item, try the Arai Vector. Others like NOLAN, SHARK and SCORPION meet the various price points on the system.

5. What I wear- I started riding with a full face and I do not use nor subscribe to half-face or modular helmets.
I ride with the
NOLAN- N 63 in the city, and on extremely hot days- but only in the city
SHOEI GT-AIR which has saved me when I head-butted a wall in an off-road event at Kaas- replaced and remains my favourite highway runner in groups needing communications, as my Scala sits firmly screwed into the helmet, and finally-
ARAI Corsair V- Isle of Man TT Limited Edition- which I use for long rides alone when I dont need the Scala which stays embedded in my Shoei. This has a very big visor area that I find uncomfortable while riding into the sun. But that comparo- will do later.

Do feel free to try on a few helmets across the price ranges of 3000-45000 before finding the right fit. Helmets that ride up at speeds are just as bad as ones that will slide around when you fall and impact on the road. 

Choose wisely and choose tight.

-KD

#BombayHarriers

Do read my articles on 'Managing Diabetes' and 'AIDS' @ http://therealslimkd.blogspot.in/

Innocent helmet Query!

Innocent query on Motorcycle Safety

Everyday in the morning, I must admit that I admire Dr M Watsa- and the unique queries he gets- innocent, yet so hilarious- and then today a dear friend Tony reminded me that I had just such a query waiting for me on my favorite topic- safety on motorcycles.
Here is it copied off a forum-

From a gent named AG-

"Hi guys, i have an issue and i need help with it.. My dad does not believe i need a good helmet like a Harley or something else... I have a vega modular helmet.... I usually tape the openings, with electrical tape, of that helmet because it gives me too much wind noise.... For long runs... Also at higher speeds the helmet tends to pull upwards... The aerodynamics is horrible.... So i usually tighten the strap quite a bit.... He says that there is no such thing as a good helmet... And that i should ride slowly if that the wind is concerned. I said that city helmets are fine for vega n all... But the for 800km runs i require something robust. He is not a biker nor has he ever ridden one.. He requires proof with the difference between this helmet and the good ones out there.... Can anyone help me out? I also want proper riding gear for long runs..."

And my reply-

"AG- I assume that your post is taken in all its seriousness_
Here is a good riot act on safety wear and why.

1. Wear gloves so that when you fall in a parking lot due to gravel, or due to someone spilling diesel in a petrol pump, you don't skin your palms- and then your nurse does not have to feed you at home, nor your other male nurse have to give you a bath till your skin grows.
These events are a speed of '0 km/h'

2. Riding pants and jackets have armour in the form or padding or inserts which are meant to deform on impact or abrasion/heat, therefore protecting your joints from serious injury. This also means that when you get hit from behind by an errant rider, your fall and skin- are both protected by your gear, your elbows, your rear, your knees and spine are in better shape- enabling you to walk away-
again note that the accidents mentioned here happened at 5kmph

3. Helmets protect your brain- period. Without it, you are nothing.
Good quality helmets are usually functional in the sense that they have good ventilation built into them, better quality visors for your vision, good quality D-rings or snap-fits for latches, cheek pads for firmer fit, and a good fit around the head.
This prevents or reduces to a great extent the issues you mentioned- wind noise and helmet riding up_

4. As regards buying better helmets- please tell your father that a Maruti 800 (may it RIP) and a S class do the same job- getting you there- wherever. The S will give you better safety features and its the same for helmets as well.
Nothing about safety here is about speed- while riding on the Kaas Plateau I was caught in a gust of wind that took me on a meeting with a rock- my helmet saved my life as many here will attest... my speed was 35kmph. The wind that causes your helmet to 'rise' is due to a) poor aerodynamics and b) poor fit.

5. You need to please find and wear 5-7 kinds of helmets, that fit your forehead snug, and literally fit tight on your cheeks- so tight that you should not be able to chew gum while wearing it (thats a bad idea in any case)- so that at speeds upto 130-145- your helmet stays on, firm and not a hazard to your life, and to those riding with you.
Good Helmets like the Nola N63 start at about 15/16K and run all the way upto the SHOEI-GT Air at $700, or the ARAI-RX-V or Corsair-V Limited Editions for about $900…

6. There are a few articles on safety I have written here.

If you are really sincere about this, and wish that this be taken up on a personal note, feel free to let me know.

None of this is written with a pinch of humor.
None intended."

-KD

#BombayHarriers