Cheap Helmet: Is It OK?

[spray____]

I've been browsing around online looking for helmets, and on Kijiji I found a bunch that link to a dealer, but I'm a little unsure about them.
http://www.kapscomoto.com/Helmets_s/6125.htm


Basically, $40-60 seems suspiciously cheap for a brand new helmet. I've been looking in shops and most brand new helmets go for anywhere between $150 - $1000 bucks. How can these be so cheap? Is is really just because it's end of season and maybe they have a lot of overstock, or are they more than likely just garbage?


It's DOT approved, (although it doesn't say anything about SNELL). What else should I be looking for in a helmet, other than fit? How can I tell if it's any good?


If you recommend not buying this, could you please explain why, and how I would be able to tell in the future to avoid these products?

 

[jeffjones]

All i know is you can't get a snell approved Modular helmet due to the chin test or something along those lines.

In my opionin a helmet is the last thing I would cheap out on to due with a motorcycle.

 

[spray____]

I definitely agree with not wanting to cheap out on a helmet. I guess what I'm asking is, (ignoring the price tag) how do you tell the difference between a "cheap" helmet and a quality one?

 

[stormcat]

The most important thing about choosing a helmet it how it fits your head. Well, aside from whether or not it also meets or exceeds safety standards.

I'd never buy a helmet online unless it was a brand I trusted, it wasn't expired overstock they're trying to sell off cheap (hmmm... GP Bikes comes to mind here), and I already knew that particular brand and model fit my head properly.

 

[spray____]

Thanks for the info. I will definitely only be looking at items that I can try on before I buy.

What do you mean when you say "expired overstock"?

 

[eljay]

You get what you pay for (up to a point, but these are well below that point).
There's probably not too many helmets that inspire confidence that retail for less than $200.

 

[Mina]

I think these helmets are mainly aimed at new/potential riders that need a cheap lid for the training course.
It's not something I would wear or even recommend for every day use.

 

[LePhillou]

All i know is you can't get a snell approved Modular helmet due to the chin test or something along those lines.

In my opionin a helmet is the last thing I would cheap out on to due with a motorcycle.

False!

Bell Revolver is Snell approved hehe

But yeah kapscomoto has had them for cheap forever with all those bells and whistles but i dont know if id trust them.

I went with a Bell Vortez lid cause it fit well, reknown company and good pricepoint and good reviews in general.
Check out revzilla, they have, sportbiketrackgear, webbikeworld and check the reviews

You probably wont see the 'brand' that kapsco sells there though

 

[spray____]

I see. I was under the impression that anything DOT approved I wouldn't have to worry about, but it sounds like DOT is only the legal minimum.

 

[LePhillou]

I see. I was under the impression that anything DOT approved I wouldn't have to worry about, but it sounds like DOT is only the legal minimum.

Only the legal minimum and it can be counterfeit but manufacturers

Where as Snell or ECE means they have gone through actual Snell or ECE testing

 

[bunmanchi]

My opinion on helmets is very different than most ( it also depends on what you ride )

anything on your head, is better than nothing, and as far as safety goes, DOT is DOT.

i dont think a paramedic ever showed up at a motorcycle accident and said " too bad he was wearing a $80 helmet.. he wouldve lived if he went with the $800 one instead.

I would imagine that the difference between 80 and 800 is fit, nice artwork, fancy gizmo's and looking cool posing at timmies

for what its worth, I have a helmet i bought for 80 bucks, and I smashed my head against the road going about 60,

end result- well, im typing this. so its all good.lol

 

[vociferous]

I would imagine that the difference between 80 and 800 is fit, nice artwork, fancy gizmo's and looking cool posing at timmies

if thats the case, your imagination is dreamland.

there is a lot that goes into helmet design that noone sees.

shell shape, visor, foam materials, density, shell thickness, shell material, resins, and more are all factors that play into how well helmets respond to impact.

personally i would never wear a helmet that was plastic shelled. they bounce on impact. bouncing is bad.

 

[omnivore]

All helmets bearing a real (non-counterfeit) DOT label have been tested to the same standard as eacother, regardless of price.
All helmets bearing a Snell symbol have been tested tot he same standards as eachother.
All helmets bearing an ECE-2205 symbol have been tested to the same standards as eachother.
....same goes for Sharp symbols, etc.

My opinion on cheap helmets has evolved over the past few yrs.
As I got married, had kids, bought a home etc, my ability to drop a grand on each helmet has obviously gone away.
I now have different criteria when helmet shopping, and I do alot of research before committing to the purchase. Then I test fit a bunch to see which I feel the most comfortable in.


I no longer worry about wind noise. I always wear ear plugs so I don't care about that.
The best paint etc also doesn't make me swoon anymore.
Ventilation also lies pretty low on my list of criteria, as I can't remember ever suffering from a hot head in 29 yrs of riding.
I like soft, comfy, quality, removable and washable liners.
I like quick tool less visor changes.
I like light weight helmets, with shells and EPS that aren't too stiff, as all of my recent research shows that a helmet that is very stiff transfers the most energy from an impact into your squish (brain). I prefer a helmet that absorbs and distributes energy rather than sending a brain rattling around inside a skull.
I like value for my dollar.

I no longer have a $1000 helmet.
Instead I have a bunch of $200-$300 helmets that I use for different purposes (racing, touring, daytripping).
I used to fear plastic helmets, as they had tendency to crack or shatter after the first impact. That was a long time ago. Today, plastic shelled helmets often test much better at staying together, and trasfer less energy than a fiberglass/kevlar/carbon and resin shelled helmet. Plastic shelled helmets no longer shatter or crack, and are now designedto deform, even when shot with an 8 ounce slug (picture a giant bullet and you get the idea) at 200+ mph, even if the slug is repeatedly fired at the shells. The last 2 helmets I have bought have been plastic, after months of extensive research. I would choose my $200 plastic shelled helmet over the world's leading $900 fibre and resin helmet any day of the week, as the world's leading helmet has been tested as the stiffest shell available, and transmits more than double the energy into the headform upon impact, than the less costly alternative.
My choice has less to do with saving money on a helmet, than it does with what I have come to believe in helmet safety over the past few yrs. It just so happens that what I now feel is safer also saves money. It wasn't a purchase I approached lightly. And I am not alone in this. Many racers are now using plastic shelled helmets that have been tested first hand to hold up well, look and feel great, like the Bell Vortex etc.

 

[CanadianTundraGuy]

For me... 30 years of riding experience.. Arai or nothing...

Just my 2 cents...

 

[freedomfighter]

me to arai or nothing. i like the ability to control when a peee and crap myself..
if you want a review of the out come of a cheap helmet ask frank wilson...oh wait you cant

 

[spray____]

He died of an inferior helmet?

I'm not familiar, and Google isn't giving me anything. Do you have a link to an article?

 

[Sabex]

I put my Icon Alliance (retail 180ish, got it for 120ish) through a crash at 90km/hr (someone cliped my rear-end and I low sided) and it held out just fine. It's DOT and ECE certified though.

Someone mentioned the Bell Vortex. The Scorpion EXO-400 is also cheap and it's DOT+SNELL certified. Both helmets offer great protection for a relatively cheap (sub 200retail, possibly sub 150 at a store) price. Both have been tested by many and got good reviews. There are a few other good protection, relatively cheap priced helmets out there. It's just a matter of which one fits your head the best.

You won't, however, find a good helmet sub100 that still has SNELL or ECE certification, unless it's on clearance sale.

Where do you live btw?
Check out a local motorcycle shop and tell them you're looking for a relatively cheap, but still SNELL or ECE certified helmet. They should help you out... and most prices should match online prices, or even better!

 

[Noobierider]

As a hockey goalie and also a rider, your bucket is the last thing to cheap out on. At the end of the day, I know I'm confident in my Shoei for which I've dished out decent bucks for but ride comfortably knowing it will save my life and not falter. Buy a helmet that fits you well, that's the most important part, everything else is personal preference. I know guys that have spent 120$ on a helmet and during minor crashes were ok but you just never know

 

[stormcat]

me to arai or nothing.

This brings up another salient point.

I just want to mention that each brand will fit your head differently and don't buy based simply on name. Arai gives me migraines, while Shoei for me is the best fit. That said, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of proper fitment for YOUR head.

 

[spray____]

Where do you live btw?

I'm in the west end, around the Junction (Keele and Dundas). If anyone can recommend good places to look for helmets it would be greatly appreciated. I don't mind going for a bit of a drive (my girlfriend has a G1 and she could use the practice).