I REALLY like my bell star and the venting is AWESOME and with all the stuff you get with it they really are a good deal.

HJC fits me right, I started on the CL-15 and now I'm using the FS-10, you know the one with the retractable tinted visor. That thing is the shit, and I hope I never go down but that's really the only way to test that whole Snell/DOT thing.

And as of yet I haven't heard any klaxons blaring about a helmet manufacturer that has utterly failed to protect the its wearer; now don't go buy a $60 piece of crap but don't worry too much about getting that special sticker from that special manufacturer that allows them to charge $800 for a helmet. Unless of course you have that $800 to blow and you'll swear up and down the street that the feng shui of your Arai/Shoei/Suomy kicks the spiritual aura's ass of my HJC. This is America, if you'll spend it they'll sell it.

Oops. :roll:

Yeah, the liner is pretty much gone when I replace one.

And plastics and fiberglass were pretty hard to find back in the 19th Century.

That Bell looks awfully green to me for some reason. Doesn't seem very aerodynamic either with its box shape. J/K, for some reason I can't see the image so its a big green square. Good job Steve. Green would go perfect with your red bike, white jacket, and blue boots.

LAZN- If you want I'll ride over to Sedona and retrieve your visor. That's one place I didn't hear of til I got to the big ditch and neglected to check out while there last year. Must be nice to have so many beautiful places to ride.

Oh yeah, helmets....I still scream ARAI! Look at what the pros wear.

Changing Icon visors are a bitch. Has anyone tried the GMAX GM68?
http://www.kneedraggers.com/details/...d--633129.html

Scorpion EXO-400, Kick butt helmet and less than $200. I chose it after reading a independent helmet report in the fall.


Info from another forum i posted on in the fall. By the way, i bought the EXO-400 and an extra shield and Scorpion Helmet bag for less than $200

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rated fantastic on G-Force impact tests, far better than the big two Arai and Shoei, which are over priced.

I got to doing some digging and found a good article on helmet tests and g-force comparison.

Amazingly the cheaper helmets (DOT Only) actually faired way better than our high dollar (SNELL) helmets.

The SNELL approved helmets did the worst with the Aria Tracker GT and the Scorpion EX0-700 being some 0f the worst helmets tested for G-force impact. There is also some good discussion on why the non-fiberglass helmets absorb energy better even from an extreme test height over the fiderglass helmets. Some comments as well about the SNELL ratings and that a DOT only helmet has better tests. At or near the bottom of this lengthly and detailed report is a rebutle letter from SNELL as well as a rebutle from the test group back to SNELL.

By the way anything over 200G's is considered to be major head injury. I like others have always been led to beleive SNELL was better, but my eyes have been opened wide from this article and i may now look at a Polycarbinate helmet like the EXO 400

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/ge...iew/index.html

AVERAGE Gs
Fewer Gs = Less chance of brain injury

DOT-only helmets:

Z1R ZRP-1 (P)
Average: 152 Gs
LF: 148 gs
RF: 176 gs
LR: 153 gs
RR: 130 gs

Fulmer AFD4 (P)
Average: 157 Gs
LF: 152 gs
RF: 173 gs
LR: 175 gs
RR: 130 gs

Pep Boys Raider (P)
Average: 174 Gs
LF: 163 gs
RF: 199 gs
LR: 185 gs
RR: 152 gs

BSI/DOT Helmets

AGV Ti-Tech (F)
Average: 169 Gs
LF: 156 gs
RF: 199 gs
LR: 195 gs
RR: 129 gs

Suomy Spec 1R (BSI) (F)
Average: 182 Gs
LF: 192 gs
RF: 215 gs
LR: 197 gs
RR: 126 gs

ECE 22-05/DOT Helmets

Schuberth S-1 (F)
Average: 161 Gs
LF: 151 gs
RF: 180 gs
LR: 176 gs
RR: 137 gs

Suomy Spec 1R (ECE) (F)
Average: 171 Gs
LF: 156 gs
RF: 200 gs
LR: 190 gs
RR: 140 gs

Shark RSX (F)
Average: 173 Gs
LF: 166 gs
RF: 187 gs
LR: 201 gs
RR: 141 gs

Vemar VSR
Average: 174 Gs
LF: 171 gs
RF: 198 gs
LR: 166 gs
RR: 162 gs

Snell 2000/DOT Helmets

Icon Mainframe (P)
Average: 181 Gs
LF: 168 gs
RF: 217 gs
LR: 189 gs
RR: 152 gs

Icon Alliance (F)
Average: 183 Gs
LF: 179 gs
RF: 200 gs
LR: 179 gs
RR: 175 gs

Scorpion EXO-400 (P)
Average: 187 Gs
LF: 185 gs
RF: 212 gs
LR: 193 gs
RR: 158 gs

AGV X-R2 (F)
Average: 188 Gs
LF: 192 gs
RF: 226 gs
LR: 166 gs
RR: 167 gs

Arai Tracker GT (F)
Average: 201 Gs
LF: 193 gs
RF: 243 gs
LR: 203 gs
RR: 166 gs

HJC AC-11 (F)
Average: 204 Gs
LF: 195 gs
RF: 230 gs
LR: 231 gs
RR: 163 gs

Scorpion EXO-700 (F)
Average: 211 Gs
LF: 207 gs
RF: 236 gs
LR: 226 gs
RR: 176 gs

Impact Key: LF: Left Front, 7-foot drop, Flat Pavement. RF: Right Front, 10-foot drop, Flat Pavement. LR: Left Rear, 7-foot drop, Flat Pavement. RR: Right Rear, 7-foot drop, Edge Anvil. Shell Key: (P): Polycarbonate (F): Fiberglass

I drag raced in a Bell helmet when I was a teen and they owned the road. Their recent quality hasn't gotten that good of reviews. Maybe they got it worked out. They certainly have been in the business for a long time.

Have you seen any photos of the original Bell Star full face helmet from 40 years ago. It looks like a space ship helmet from a 1950's sci fi movie.:eek:

Yeah, that was weird. Not sure where that came from. Must be a St. Paddy's Day thing.

Click on the green square & you'll see the helmet.

Find a full face, DOT helmet in your price range. A good fit is more important than the brand. Being able to get replacement shields and parts easily is an asset. Check the Internet for owners' comments about durability. Some features, such as good venting, may justify additional cost.
I wore a number of Arai's over 15 years but got fed up with the hassle of reinstalling the visor. I got one of the new Bell Stars and I'm happy with it. There are lots of good choices out there.

My advice is to go try on a bunch of helmets (in your price range) . I would say get the best quality helmet you can afford THAT FITS PROPERLY ! That being said ...Scorpion makes a good quality helmet with some very impressive impact ratings . I have 2 Scorpion helmets (EXO-1000 & EXO-700) They fit my head correctly & you get a lot of helmet for the money ! But everyones head is different ! If its a $600 Shoei or a $200 Scorpion , proper fitment is A MUST !

yes, I have one and I like it, fit really good, not to hard to change the screen. And the LEDs on the back are also a plus.

Didn't scorpion get a bad rating on the G force?

I'm a fan of Scorpion. It's amazing that the shield doesn't fog. Great ventilation

I've had HJC, AGV, Beiffe but so far the Scorpion is the best.

The Exo-400 had a good rating , the more expensive Exo-700 didn't do as well ! Whats weird is that they are the same mold . The 400 is made of a cheaper plastic & the more expensive 700 is made of fiberglass composite of some sort . The cheaper plastic got a better rating :eek: Go figure ?? I have not seen ( haven't looked in a while ether) the testing specs on the EXO-1000 yet .

Graphic design wise, the Scorp 700 Burst Red-White just "grabs" me...wish they made it in a 400. Was thinking of getting some white vinyl and cutting and applying appliques to my solid Monza Red Shoei to mimic the Burst pattern!

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...st-Helmet.aspx

No kidding, my Icon's visor is always fogged, the Scorpion's almost never

Try here also ..http://sportbiketrackgear2.homestead.com/exo400.html at the first STT trackday I did , quite a few of the control riders were wearing Scorpion lids and raving about them . STT liked them so much they started selling them at some of the best pricing around .

I ran with a guy that wore one and he was the original Darth Vader. Besides he was 6'4" so he was a pretty awsome site on a bike.

What I don't get in the g-force testing is why the left and right sides, both front & rear spec out differently.

One helmet absorbed 54% more impact shock on one side than the other. At least 2 helmets had a 43% differential.

To my untrained eye helmets appear to be symmetrical side-to-side; so what gives?

RE: Has anyone tried the GMAX GM68?
I tried it but sent it back. The padding was a bit thin but as expected for the price. The visor was incredibly clear and w/o distortion.

I use a Scorpion EXO-400 now and its very comfortable. Shield is good and pretty easy to replace. Venting and chin strap were better than most of the others. Seem to remember paying about $150 last year.

i have always had arais. quantums. then rx7rr3. last summer i retired the rx7rr3 and tried a $130 gmax, model 68 i think. i like it better than the rx7rr3. crazy and the best helmet value i've ever seen.

check the reviews on
www.webbikeworld.com

Well after much searching online and checking out reviews and suggestions. Went to the local dealer and tried on a TON of helmets. This is gonna be my new lid..........Scorpion ExO-700
http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com...p_cham_red.jpg
Fit is Great!!!!! Feels soooooo light. Visor is so easy to change out. So in a couple of weeks it will be mine.

The GF also found a new helmet that she is going to get......
http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com...ITE_Dahlia.jpg
We also found a jacket that matches the helmet for her. So this is really getting her into motorcycles........FINALLY. LOL
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.c...3_2043_7358910

Nice, good choice IMHO, I love my scorpion, it is so comfortable and quiet. Of course head sizes and shapes vary, so it may not fit as well for you.

hahahaha my gf has always liked bikes but she's getting more into it thanks to getting a helmet and jacket! it makes them feel like they're more a part of it, they own a piece of the biking hobby. and she likes the pink too!

Good choice ! I have a EXO-700 and the 1000 . Guess which one I wear the most ?....(the 700), its just so damn comfortable & feels much lighter than the 1000 . You wont be disappointed with it :thumbsup:

When i was at the dealer, the salesperson had me try on the EXO 700 and the 1000. The first thing he said was notice the weight difference. The 700 is much lighter. The only difference between the 400 and 700 is the venting. The venting on the 700 is supposed to be really good. Thats why i choose the 700.

In the uk the most popular helmets tend to be Arai or Shoei,these seem to be very expensive approx £300.My last three Helmets have been 2 KBC Vr1x and a BMW sport integral.They all weight around 1.5kg and comfort and wind noise are good with the BMW being slightly quieter.
HJC in the Uk have a bit of a "Budget" Image but never had one so can't say if its a fair judgment.
TT

Yep , the 1000 is a little on the heavy side with all the gadgets . But it seals up nicely when pumped up . I use it as my winter helmet . The 700 is a better all around helmet in more areas .

What's the price on the 700?

The cheapest ive found them online is around $209 to $249. That depends on the graphics and finish. I can get it at the dealer for a little over $200 since i do alot of shopping there. Here is a link for STG and their prices on them. They have an nice little write up and video about them.http://sportbiketrackgear2.homestead...00helmets.html

Don't take this the wrong way and I' not trying to be a know it all but if that's what he told you he doesn't know much about what he's selling. The 400 is a polycarbonate shell (plastic alloy) and the 700 is a carbon fiber, kevlar and fiberglass weave not to mention it has a different shape but no matter still a good helmet. :thumbsup:

I've got a Scorpion EXO 400 size Large and love the way it fits my oval shaped head. It vents good for me and never fogs. It's a bit on the loud side for wind noise. But as stated earlier most new helmets with "wings" and things are LOUD.

Currently have a Reed Rep Arai......black/white...classic with a black bike. Got it on close out in 2002 for $250.

a 7 yr old helmet is technically "over the hill"

I have still enjoyed my Blutek helmet which has integrated bluetooth. Works like a champ!

Pics http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v1...utek%20helmet/

hey Twin Kat, looks like we're gonna have matching girlfriends! my lady saw what you posted and that's what she wants. lol.

I made my helmet choice based on a little different criteria - color. I didn't care what it cost or what the brand name was. I just wanted one to match my Italian Red Superhawk so I purchased a Shoei RF-1000, Monza Red with a dark smoked visor to match the dark smoked wind screen. Oh man, nearly a perfect match

I didn't plan it, but it worked out that way for me. Got a Nolan X-lite 901, list price $450, my closeout price $90, a perfect match for my bike's Tahitian "chick magnet" blue. Besides the color, it's a world class helmet.