Canuckles
Well-known member
Trying to figure out what my options are for a helmet was looking to get some recommendations preferably not super super expensive but I don’t mind dropping a couple hundred on something that might save my life.
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Moto helmets
- Thread starter Canuckles
- Start date
ifiddles
Well-known member
Depending on where you live:
Royal Distributing (Guelph, Whitby and Barrie)
GP Bikes (Whitby)
Two Wheel Motorsport (Guelph)
Most dealerships have a selection to try on...make sure you walk around in it for 20-30 minutes to make sure you don't have any pressure points...you can go online (FortNine for example) to see what peaks your interest and then try to find it in a bricks and mortar location...most places will price match if you show them a lower price online (or at least come down a bit)
Royal Distributing usually has a no HST tent sale in late April...sign up for GP Bikes' newsletter and you'll get emails about their sales
Good luck!
Royal Distributing (Guelph, Whitby and Barrie)
GP Bikes (Whitby)
Two Wheel Motorsport (Guelph)
Most dealerships have a selection to try on...make sure you walk around in it for 20-30 minutes to make sure you don't have any pressure points...you can go online (FortNine for example) to see what peaks your interest and then try to find it in a bricks and mortar location...most places will price match if you show them a lower price online (or at least come down a bit)
Royal Distributing usually has a no HST tent sale in late April...sign up for GP Bikes' newsletter and you'll get emails about their sales
Good luck!
Canuckles
Well-known member
Thanks for the tips I’ll probably swing by GP once I’m ready to purchase and try some on. Also wondering what people on here use for themselvesDepending on where you live:
Royal Distributing (Guelph, Whitby and Barrie)
GP Bikes (Whitby)
Two Wheel Motorsport (Guelph)
Most dealerships have a selection to try on...make sure you walk around in it for 20-30 minutes to make sure you don't have any pressure points...you can go online (FortNine for example) to see what peaks your interest and then try to find it in a bricks and mortar location...most places will price match if you show them a lower price online (or at least come down a bit)
Royal Distributing usually has a no HST tent sale in late April...sign up for GP Bikes' newsletter and you'll get emails about their sales
Good luck!
Canuckles
Well-known member
Well for starters congratulations on 12 years of having your M1 and I’ll definitely check those out on my search thanks for your helpI have a Bell RS1 and a Scorpion R410...both are older so I should probably get a new one...was looking last year, but didn't find anything that I really liked...I also have a small bean (XS) and I'm picky
On a side note, it was 12 years ago today that I passed my M1
Different models inside different brands are made for different head shapes. @ifiddles has given some solid advice, try a few on for at least 10 minutes each. Cheeks are supposed to be squeezed in..the foam will wear during use and loosen a bit. Not feeling pressure on forehead and neck is key. If you do, wrong size/head shape helmet. If you grab the front of the helmet while wearing it, your head should not be able to bobble around freely. GP is a good place to start, large variety to look at and try on.
Also, a couple hundred bucks is entry level helmets...which is fine. Just asking yourself what kinda investment you want to make on protecting your noggin.
Also, a couple hundred bucks is entry level helmets...which is fine. Just asking yourself what kinda investment you want to make on protecting your noggin.
Canuckles
Well-known member
Sounds like a plan Evo. Gonna make sure to take my time and try and find one that works for me. I definitely don’t plan on cheaping out on my safety just not sure I can spend upwards of $5-600 right now
Don't fall for the fallacy that an expensive helmet = better safety.
I've heard the "$200 helmet for a $200 head" argument and it's nonsense.
You just need to look at the race replica helmet market to realize it's not true. How does the same $200 AGV helmet suddenly become a $800 helmet when it has Valentino Rossi graphics on it?
Answer: It's not because it's $600 more safer...
All helmets have to pass a bare minimum standard for DOT compliance. Not certification... compliance. Which means often they don't even self-test, much less get an independent third-party to certify the safety standards. Unless it is explicitly stated otherwise, that minimum standard is what you are getting, REGARDLESS of how much it costs: $200, $500 or $1000...
The only thing you can trust is if a helmet manufacturer can prove that it is certified to a higher standard than DOT or outdated SNELL or ECE standards. *NOT* by how much it retails for.
Most times when you pay more for a helmet, it's because of the graphics, more comfortable materials, more ventilation, more sound-proofing, and marketing, etc. If they are truly safer than the rest of the helmets in the marketplace, then they will advertise, and quite prominently, what standards they've certified to.
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cvcb
Well-known member
I don't know if the SHARP programme was quoted here (SHARP - THE HELMET SAFETY SCHEME) or MOTOCAP (Homepage). Use as overall guide to streamline your choices.
Be honest with your head shape, measure and try on everything. I had terrible experiences until I admitted that I was a LONG oval (rather than Intermediate oval). It really reduced my selections but the fit is so much better.
Oh, and I know I don't need to preach hearing protection to a rampie, but wear earplugs, no matter what the marketing and reviews say about how quiet a helmet is.
Oh, and I know I don't need to preach hearing protection to a rampie, but wear earplugs, no matter what the marketing and reviews say about how quiet a helmet is.
Yup, finding a helmet that matches your head shape is the top priority.
I literally LoL'd when a guy posted a picture of the top his head on one of the reddit motorcycle channels a couple of weeks ago and asked "what shape is my head", but it was actually really useful. You could see at a glance that he was more of a narrow head than a round head.
I literally LoL'd when a guy posted a picture of the top his head on one of the reddit motorcycle channels a couple of weeks ago and asked "what shape is my head", but it was actually really useful. You could see at a glance that he was more of a narrow head than a round head.
cvcb
Well-known member
Forgot to mention the FIM homogated helmets (https://www.frhp.org/circuit-helmets/homologated-helmets-frhphe-0). Granted, some may argue that is a bit of stretch, a bit overkill, and a bit expensive. But the have Scorpion and HJC helmets there (the Scorpion Carbon EXO R1 Air is around 500 to 600). Regardless, a good parameter.
That's what I thought too, but a year later it's still hard to chew gum with it on and not be biting my cheeks.
Priller
Well-known member
The (relatively) new ECE 22.06 standard is the same or better than the pre-2022 FIM standard. The updated FIM standard has lowered some limits, but it's very track focused. For street riding, ECE 22.06 is probably the best standard available for now. Especially because FIM ratings are really hard to follow and often are limited to the small size of most models, as pro racers are usually little guys.
There's lots of reasonably priced ECE 22.06 helmets available, though fewer on the shelf at local shops. I got a Shark Spartan RS from FC-Moto for $320 CAD, IIRC, and it's good quality lid with all the important features.
cvcb
Well-known member
I agree with you. I would use the FIM list just as a guide. If anything, whatever helmet with ECE 22.06 is a good option.
If you don't mind asking , how was your dealing with FC MOTO?
Priller
Well-known member
I've ordered a bunch of stuff from FC-Moto over the years, and it's mostly been great. Only issue I had was a pair of Ixon dressy riding shoes I bought on a flyer as they were on massive discount ($35 CAD from ~$150) that turned out to be way too narrow for my wide feet. They weren't worth returning, so after some half-hearted attempts to stretch them, ended up in the closet.
Delivery is as fast as anywhere, usually arriving within a week, sometimes three days. Brokerage fees and taxes vary massively for no apparent reason, as they typically use DHL. Sometimes it's a lot, sometimes it's nothing. Even when it's a lot, though, it's waaaaay cheaper than anything ordered within Canada.
The key is to do a lot of research on sizing and triple check measurements. You can usually find how different brands are sized somewhere online in reviews, and purchase accordingly. As a general rule of thumb, northern European brands (UK, Germany, Sweden) tend to be wider, and southern European (France, Spain, Italy) and Japanese brands tend to be sized slimmer, so I order accordingly. I've had good luck with RST (amazing value, very well made), Held (top quality, especially gloves), and John Doe (nicer city riding gear), as well as my ongoing love affair with Shark helmets.
I spent a lot of years trying to support local, but at a certain point, paying 1/3 to 1/2 the price for identical (and often better) gear is hard to ignore. Supporting local is great unless you're just propping up a broken distribution system...
cvcb
Well-known member
Thank you very much. I appreciate it and agree with the point you did
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