What are important things to consider when looking for a helmet?
A bit long-winded! Others have prob said most, or you already know, if anything read paragraph 5, it might help. Firstly and never buy a helmet because it “looks cool” A lot of motorcycle gear is designed to attract buyers into a purchase because it just looks so damn good!! But doesn’t do much in the event of an accident.
Be prepared to spend some money, let’s be honest, do you want to end up brain damaged if not dead because you chose to save a few hundred dollars? So save your money until you have enough to buy the best you possibly can, I fully understand that we can’t all afford the best, I know I certainly can’t! My situation was that I needed my bike for transport quickly, I sacrificed a lot and spent $500.00 that I didn’t have to spend, on a mid-range helmet, and I intend to upgrade as soon as I can. (prices obviously will vary greatly depending on where you’re from, I’m in Australia, so very expensive!)
Perfect Helmet Fit
Buy a full-face helmet, if you keep your brain and your life you will be happy, but you won’t be happy if your teeth are smashed in, or your jaw is ripped apart. Now for the important thing to think about, and that is your helmet fit. Everyone’s head shape is different, and not all brands of helmet will fit you correctly, For example, my son went to purchase a very expensive helmet, he wanted the top of the range, we went to a large motorcycle dealership, and his choices were, Bell, Shoei, Arai, Nolan/x-Lite. Not one of the Bell helmets fit his head correctly, a little better, but neither did Nolan or X-Lite, Arai worked and was good, but Shoei came up trumps and was a perfect fit. The helmet you choose must fit your entire head snuggly, it must be nice and firm, so you can’t move the helmet around on your head, but you are already probably aware of this.
Optimal Helmet Fit
Now something you may not be aware of regarding helmet fit. Don’t make the mistake that I did when I purchased my first helmet! And that is, you find a helmet, it fits your head well, so you try the different sizes, the small one you can’t get over your head, won’t work, the medium one fits, but damn it uncomfortable and tight, the large one fits nicely and is comfortable, the extra large one is too big, and wobbles around on your head, so no good, which do you naturally choose? The large one because it fits well and is nice and comfortable right? WELL DONE! Because it’s not right! I can guarantee you that 6 months down the track that comfy helmet will be wobbling around on your head and be almost useless!! Choose the medium one.
Choosing the Right Helmet
A good experiment to do is, when you put a new helmet on, and open your mouth, does your cheeks pop through your teeth? Then good, because that’s what you want. Depending on how often you intend to ride, your first 15–20 rides will feel uncomfortable, but then the helmet padding will begin to mold to the shape of your face, when this happens you will have a helmet that is a perfect fit and super comfortable!!! This is another reason why we never allow someone else to wear our helmets, because our helmets are very personal everything about motorcycles is very personal. Always choose certified ratings, the code varies from country to country, so look into your country’s certified rating codes, and if possible choose racing certified.
