Spad
XS400 Addict
Sesty, great you got a helmet that fits and are a happy rider..Spad
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congrats on the helmet, and of course we want pics or you dont have one!
Drewcifer
1976 XS 360 Maniac
After all my research I've discovered the following.
much like engine parts, helmets are made out of common ingredients, there are no secrets in helmet design. Ingredients like Foam and resin and plastic.
The polystyrene absorbs the impact. The outer shell does little except protect the poly from damage all the time it lives up into it DOES hit the ground. Its a foam protector, essentially. The foam does it's life saving in the split second it impacts anything.
At that point your skull compresses the foam, and it's toast after that, the foam, because the cells in it have been compressed.
So unless the other brands are not using Polystyrene (impossible, because they are, and it's cheap to produce) then you are in fact paying incredibly high markup on a helmet with a brand name. Since it's the foam that saves your head, it can't cost more in one factory than another.
And the testing is a bunch of bosh. You either land on foam or you land on the street. Little else matters at 50 miles an hour.
anyway, my two cents.
much like engine parts, helmets are made out of common ingredients, there are no secrets in helmet design. Ingredients like Foam and resin and plastic.
The polystyrene absorbs the impact. The outer shell does little except protect the poly from damage all the time it lives up into it DOES hit the ground. Its a foam protector, essentially. The foam does it's life saving in the split second it impacts anything.
At that point your skull compresses the foam, and it's toast after that, the foam, because the cells in it have been compressed.
So unless the other brands are not using Polystyrene (impossible, because they are, and it's cheap to produce) then you are in fact paying incredibly high markup on a helmet with a brand name. Since it's the foam that saves your head, it can't cost more in one factory than another.
And the testing is a bunch of bosh. You either land on foam or you land on the street. Little else matters at 50 miles an hour.
anyway, my two cents.
N8Bishop
XS400 Addict
Ok, but..... this one is sooooo sweet! Plus it lloks like it'll cost less than i would expect.
http://silodrome.com/bell-bullitt-helmet/
Of course it's still almost twice what i paid for my bike.......
Posted via Mobile
http://silodrome.com/bell-bullitt-helmet/
Of course it's still almost twice what i paid for my bike.......
Posted via Mobile
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LuckyEight
Head-scratcher
Ok, but..... thus one is sooooo sweet! Plus it lloks like it'll cost less than i would expect.
http://silodrome.com/bell-bullitt-helmet/
Of course it's still almost twice what i paid for my bike.......
Posted via Mobile
and what about RUBY ? looks great, except the price!
Sesty
H.E. Pennypacker
Ok, but..... this one is sooooo sweet! Plus it lloks like it'll cost less than i would expect.
http://silodrome.com/bell-bullitt-helmet/
Of course it's still almost twice what i paid for my bike.......
Posted via Mobile
i saw this on IG the other day...
Recreateme
XS400 Addict
Drewcifer - you might be right about the 'common materials' part, but you could be wrong too. I don't have the money to buy and tear down a 500$ helmet but not all poly is the same, and out shells are certainly not all the same.
You can get the polystyrene in various densities, and I am sure you can splice it with other chemicals that make it more or less 'rubbery' so that it gives more rebound after the initial compaction.
Shells on the other hand can be anything from cheep plastic to, reinforced, ribbed, fiberglass, carbon fibre or whatever else the engineers dream up. To me that would matter because you aren't going to just hit your head once in a crash and its over, your gonna have a series of bumbs and scraps and hits from odd angles, and even if the poly compacts i would like that outer layer to stay together on my head.
After all of that, you pay for better venting design, how light it is, visor quality, and inner padding quality, plus durability to weathering.
My helmet was only 150$ but its an icon so the engineering ideas are passed down from their more costly helmets, but if i was to go with a no-name from amazon, i can only imagine how uncomfortable it would be to wear, and how foggy the visor would get or how hot without good airflow..
So many things can be messed up, and TBH i think thats where most of the money goes in helmets. I also think at some point you reach the point where the benefits outweigh the cost increase and you need to realize that a 750$ may not be worth the extra money over the 500$.. or the 400$ may not be worth it over the 250$ model.
You can get the polystyrene in various densities, and I am sure you can splice it with other chemicals that make it more or less 'rubbery' so that it gives more rebound after the initial compaction.
Shells on the other hand can be anything from cheep plastic to, reinforced, ribbed, fiberglass, carbon fibre or whatever else the engineers dream up. To me that would matter because you aren't going to just hit your head once in a crash and its over, your gonna have a series of bumbs and scraps and hits from odd angles, and even if the poly compacts i would like that outer layer to stay together on my head.
After all of that, you pay for better venting design, how light it is, visor quality, and inner padding quality, plus durability to weathering.
My helmet was only 150$ but its an icon so the engineering ideas are passed down from their more costly helmets, but if i was to go with a no-name from amazon, i can only imagine how uncomfortable it would be to wear, and how foggy the visor would get or how hot without good airflow..
So many things can be messed up, and TBH i think thats where most of the money goes in helmets. I also think at some point you reach the point where the benefits outweigh the cost increase and you need to realize that a 750$ may not be worth the extra money over the 500$.. or the 400$ may not be worth it over the 250$ model.
Sesty
H.E. Pennypacker
well after all this i might be returning the helmet since my head might be narrower than expected...
i have more space near my temples. There isn't a gap, but i cant fit a finger in at the front, but i can get a finger in on my temples. and there is more room if i turn the helmet.
sad cause its a pretty sweet helmet.
i have more space near my temples. There isn't a gap, but i cant fit a finger in at the front, but i can get a finger in on my temples. and there is more room if i turn the helmet.
sad cause its a pretty sweet helmet.
Attachments
Recreateme
XS400 Addict
So its tight around your crown, but only front and back, the sides are loose.. so if you push on your ear the helmet pushes over to the other side?
Maybe all you need is some foam padding in the sides, like youd get on a bike helmet...
But again, without going to the store and trying stuff on, this problem could just show up in every helmet you buy....... or the next one could be perfect lol
Maybe all you need is some foam padding in the sides, like youd get on a bike helmet...
But again, without going to the store and trying stuff on, this problem could just show up in every helmet you buy....... or the next one could be perfect lol
Sesty
H.E. Pennypacker
good fit front to back but just a bit loose in the temples. the fit was listed as Neutral
Nolan offers i slightly narrower more oval modular model the N104 its a little more costly, but decided to try that route. dont know how these companies make money with all this free shipping and return shipping they're doing.
Nolan offers i slightly narrower more oval modular model the N104 its a little more costly, but decided to try that route. dont know how these companies make money with all this free shipping and return shipping they're doing.
Recreateme
XS400 Addict
They make money by charging you 150-200% markup on that helmet lol
Sesty
H.E. Pennypacker
LOL yea i guess your right, retail is retail.
Drewcifer
1976 XS 360 Maniac
Shockingly cheap shitty foam, shells, construction, fabrics and glue.
the long and the short of it is, use your brain, not your helmet! Foam is foam.
Drewcifer, that video shows how a low to mid priced helmet is manufactured. Not all helmets are made this way, or of those materials. Only the cheapest DOT helmets. Once you start looking at higher end helmets, that are ECE or SNELL certified, there is a big difference. You will find materials like Carbon fibre, Kevlar, dual shells, multi density foam liners, etc. Your argument is based on ignorance.
I'm also going to point out that your argument is the same as the Timex vs. Rolex argument. Both tell time, but one is mass produced by robots from the lowest quality materials and is designed to last a year or 2 with some degree of accuracy. The other is is meticulously hand crafted by skilled craftsmen from the best materials and is designed to last a lifetime or 2 with certified accuracy. Some people will choose initial cost over anything else. Others will choose to make one purchase in a lifetime.
I may not be able to afford a Rolex, but I certainly can afford quality safety gear, and that includes a good quality helmet. My wife and child wouldn't have it any other way.
I'm also going to point out that your argument is the same as the Timex vs. Rolex argument. Both tell time, but one is mass produced by robots from the lowest quality materials and is designed to last a year or 2 with some degree of accuracy. The other is is meticulously hand crafted by skilled craftsmen from the best materials and is designed to last a lifetime or 2 with certified accuracy. Some people will choose initial cost over anything else. Others will choose to make one purchase in a lifetime.
I may not be able to afford a Rolex, but I certainly can afford quality safety gear, and that includes a good quality helmet. My wife and child wouldn't have it any other way.
Drewcifer
1976 XS 360 Maniac
Thank-you for your opinion Dave.
Recreateme
XS400 Addict
That's a neat video Drewcifer, but as Dave was saying it only represents some helmets, not all of them.
Foam is not foam, that's like saying steel is steel, so why build a bridge with the expensive stuff when you can save millions of they cheap stuff?
You would be surprised how the smallest change in chemicals or additives can yield a very different product.
Foam is not foam, that's like saying steel is steel, so why build a bridge with the expensive stuff when you can save millions of they cheap stuff?
You would be surprised how the smallest change in chemicals or additives can yield a very different product.
Sesty
H.E. Pennypacker
not sure how you could tell the foam was cheap by the video, im going to guess all helmet manufacturers even snell and ece rated ones mass produce helmets and their process of shaping foam is probably similar.
the difference would be the quality of the materials and the stringency of their QC and product testing.
the difference would be the quality of the materials and the stringency of their QC and product testing.
Drewcifer
1976 XS 360 Maniac
Opinions are opinions. Mine are mine. People on forums are responsible for their own research. Of you're angry at the price disparity in helmets the blame lies with the companies reselling them.
Making a custom helmet will teach you alot about them.
Making a custom helmet will teach you alot about them.
Sesty
H.E. Pennypacker
whos angry, just curious how you could tell the foam was shitty?
im not even pissed about how expensive helmets are... everything that's legal, fun, and dangerous is expensive if you want quality... snowboarding, surfing, skydiving etc
where did you make a custom helmet?? must have been costly
im not even pissed about how expensive helmets are... everything that's legal, fun, and dangerous is expensive if you want quality... snowboarding, surfing, skydiving etc
where did you make a custom helmet?? must have been costly
Spad
XS400 Addict
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't get it to drink
.... that said, Snell rated is always going to be OK
.....Spad
.... that said, Snell rated is always going to be OK.....Spad
