Helmet Testing

[Guest Nogbad]

Did anyone see last weeks MCN? Article about how ECE 22-05 helmet tests are inadequate, and that some unscrupulous makers are reinforcing the tested areas locally.

 

This is scary. Euro spec Shoei lids apparently have weaker shells than US "Snell" standard equivalents. The old BS A and B standards were far more stringent and involved submitting a helmet from every batch for testing. The ECE 22-05 is a "type approval" test and provides no independent QA. In addition there is no hemi-anvil or penetration test, and the test points are pre-defined making it possible to locally reinforce for testing.

 

My BS "A" helmet will need replacing next year. Personally I don't want a European test helmet now. The fact that ALL the GP stars wear US spec Snell helmets says it all.

 

Can I buy a Snell standard helmet in the UK? Import one from our US friends? Maybe one of the US guys can procure one on a head measurement and ship it?

 

What do you think?

 

Hell the more I know about the EU the more I hate it.

[pasotibbs]

Daytime lights for cars and dodgy helmets...

Is it me or are they trying to kill us off?

[Guzzirider]

And don't forget the mental Senior Policeman who wants to ban all bikes from National Parks....

 

The only problem I could see with buying a lid from the US is that it won't have the ACU gold sticker which is necessary for track days.

 

If you visited the ACU in Rugby they would probably put a sticker on for you but best to check that out first.

 

Guy

[macguzzi]

Buy an Aria RX7 Corsair the best helmet on the market

[Orson]

There's been a bit of a controversy since the U.S. magazine Motorcyclist published a story saying that...essentially Snell helmets were too hard and jarred the brain inside its floating cavity inside the skull during an accident.

 

Whereas softer Euro-spec helmets provided more of a cushion for the brain by not jarring it as badly...

 

or something along those lines.

 

The controversy is still ongoing...even the magazine's staff is divided on the issue.

[Lex]

There's been a bit of a controversy since the U.S. magazine Motorcyclist published a story saying that...essentially Snell helmets were too hard and jarred the brain inside its floating cavity inside the skull during an accident.

 

Whereas softer Euro-spec helmets provided more of a cushion for the brain by not jarring it as badly...

 

or something along those lines.

 

The controversy is still ongoing...even the magazine's staff is divided on the issue.

 

Orson,

 

You wouldn't know it from the self-serving articles in Motorcyclist but this is nothing new. I read the same thing back in the late seventies or early eighties. About the same time I read what I thought were words of wisdom from (IIRC) Doug Thom, one of the people who worked on the hurt report and a person who has done a huge amount of research on the subject. He said something like if the best helmet is a 10 and no helmet is a 1 any helmet* is at least an 8. In other words, like so many things these days, this is a manufactured controversy. The old British standards had plenty of critics, Snell has critics, The ANSI standards have critics, etc. but any helmet, properly fitted and in good condition is so much better then no helmet the differences between them are minor.

 

Buy the most comfortable, best fitting helmet you can afford and spend you time worrying about more important things like will Nicky hold on to win the MotoGP championship or will Guzzi really come out with a new Sport/ Le Mans platform with a pumped-up version of the new 1200 motor.

 

Lex

 

*I think we can throw out the "starched beanies" the H-D crowd so often wears, they aren't really helmets.

[Guest Nogbad]

So, is this all basically journalists trying to create a scare story and any ACU Gold standard helmet should be fine?

 

I only buy high end helmets, currently I have a Shoei Z1, I have tried Arais on but can't seem to get a good fit whereas Shoei and AGV fit me well.

[Alex-Corsa]

 

What do you think?

 

Hell the more I know about the EU the more I hate it.

 

If you want to bu a US specs helmet , try this store

all the known good brands in best deals.

 

You know that every country that the helmet is destined for ,there is a number on it ,and perhaps differnt specs

 

Moto GP stars wear the known brands (AGV ,Arai ,Shoei, Shuomi...ect), what kind of specs they use I don't know.

I use the AGV GP pro and the Ti/Tech their fit is incredible and their specs are among the gtop ones AFAIK.

 

I would use the Arai's but the visibility of these AGV's are better than the equivelent quality Arai's.

 

Finnally that fanfare against EU is TOTAL BS ,I never believe all the BS that's on the press, serious helmet makers like the ones the Moto GP stars use , I believe they offer best quality in their TOP models.

[Guest Nogbad]

I tried to use your link but just got some geek memo!

[soloNH]

Here is the link to the Motorcyclist articles mentioned above.

 

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/searchre...amp;x=8&y=9

 

I actually agree with their findings especially in light of the factors concerning the medical evidence which shows a higher risk factor for older riders. Yah, I'm one of them.

 

Bottom line for me is if I go down and have mulptiple injuries I have a better chance of surviving if my brain has a less stressful impact inside my skull.

 

I don't think it was a self serving story as there were other follow up stories to support their claims. And as Orson states the staff is devided. To each his own, it's their decision.

 

I guess if each of us had the opportunity to have survived multiple head impacts and judge for ourselves as to how each helmet protected up each time things would be different so these testing procedures are all we have. Get the info and make a choice. Buy quality and fit and hopefully NEVER find out. I have been lucky as all three times I went down I never hit my head. (don't want to scratch it the paint)

[dlaing]

This is scary. Euro spec Shoei lids apparently have weaker shells than US "Snell" standard equivalents. The old BS A and B standards were far more stringent and involved submitting a helmet from every batch for testing. The ECE 22-05 is a "type approval" test and provides no independent QA. In addition there is no hemi-anvil or penetration test, and the test points are pre-defined making it possible to locally reinforce for testing.

 

type approval testing instead of batch approval testing, is laissez-faire and LOWER PRICES

But I don't like the pre defined test points if they are varying shell strength.

I have enough doubts about the effects of ventilation.

Hell, if there was no global warming we would not need vents!

We can blame the EU for that, too.

You cannot forsee how to engineer for every impact.

The most important factors are progressive energy absorbtion (for various momentums of impact), with little rebound (bouncy plastic snaps necks), light weight (heavy snaps necks) and comfortable (a comfortable rider is a safe rider)

I don't think Snell, DOT, or ECE test for those things.

I loved the article on open face helmets being safer. Totally made me rethink the rigid full face and almost made me want to drill holes to weaken the face guard.

[Alex-Corsa]

I tried to use your link but just got some geek memo!

 

 

Oooooops yes you are right. I have corrected it in the post as well and here it is again here.

try this store

After buying a total,over $1600 from him I can say he is reliabe seller, and highly recomended of the prices and service he does.

[Paul Minnaert]

I don't think the big helmet companies make diffent helmets for different markets, yes other test labels in them, but the helmet itself won't vary. Companies who have trouble getting close to the norm might do that, but I value my head enough to spend some more money on my helmet. So I have an Arai Quantum.

[zoltan c]

I bought a Shark helmet because it was a European standard helmet after I read the magazine article. The Shark has a crumple zone inside where the foam is, just like a car has a frontal crumple zone instead of a stiff bumper. This made sense to me so I bought the Shark helmet. I hope to have made the right choice.

[Steve G.]

In most cases, [excepting the beenie helmet or Davida/Cromwell pudding bowl] helmets are made to a minimum requirement according to government. After that, helmets are much like oil, tires, and spark plugs. In other words, one man's best helmet is another man's least best.

Remember, someones favourite is not nessesarily the best, only his favourite.

Ciao, Steve G.