[Kawazaki]

Alright, this has probably been asked before, but I couldn't find anything by searching. May be because I'm a crappy searcher, but hope you can help me out anyway.

So I bought the '09 250R in BLACK, and I also need a new helmet. My gear is all black so I thought an all-black helmet should be appropriate (please tell me if you've got other ideas). The place where I bought the bike doesn't offer too many different helmets, and all in all the selection of helmets is quite bad here, I think. They are expensive too; a normal helmet would cost about U$D 500, while the most expensive ones cost just over U$D 2000. In addition to that, I couldn't quite find any helmets that esthetically matched my new bike. I don't think non-shiny (forgot the English word for it, eh-eh) helmets match the shiny color of the Ninja. Or what do you say, guys? I'm usually quite bad at these things, so please help me out ;D

And another thing: how much do you normally have to pay for a decent helmet on the internet? What kind of visor do you recommend? I've always had ordinary blank/transparent visors, but I think those dark or mirror visors look cool too.

So thank you for any helmet tips! Really appreciate it!

Ninja loves from Norway ;D

 

[BlackBoar]

Correct fit and comfort are so important for your helmet that you'd have to be really careful buying over the internet. Your prices do sound very high there. In Canada we can find a good quality helmet for about $225 and a top end off the shelf helmet for around $800. (about $180 - $650 USD)

As for colour and style to match the bike. I'm getting a black '09 and I have a black/grey jacket, so I bought a glossy black HJC IS-16 helmet. That was my personal preference, but a lot of people tried to steer me away from black for a few reasons: with all black gear and bike, a really bright/patterned/graphic helmet is the one thing that can jazz up how you look and put some punch in your appearance. And for that same reason, it can help you stand out and be more visible to the other moving hazards on the road. So there is some merit to going all black but then taking a bold step with the helmet.

When you do get a lid, post a picture.

 

[Felix]

<---- Avatar

I love my helmet, I like the matt finish since I wear all black, and bike is shiny, didnt want to go gloss helmet to. Plus the visor really sets it off I reckon.

Try lots on, it is more important to find a helmet that is perfect fit than one that looks great. Then shop online if you want a deal once you know the exact brand, model and size.

Felix

 

[bossman]

That sounds like a lot of $ for a helmet. All helmets need to meet a goverment safety standard so i dont think you need to spend to much to one in the right colour.

 

[Zero260]

Another vote for the HJC IS-16. I have the Scratch pattern in red. The integrated sunshield is awsome!

 

[NCSTEVE83]

ICON HELMETS ARE COMFORTABLE, AFFORDABLE, AND GREAT QUALITY. I HAVE THE ICON ALLIANCE SPEEDFREAK IN GREEN, JUST COST $170, AND IT IS SUPERIOR TO THE HJC HELMET I HAD PRIOR TO IT. SICK GRAPHICS ON IT TOO. CHECK IT OUT

 

[hi-tech]

I got lucky and got the icon helmet included with the bike.. just had to get another one for my gf.she got a shoe...

 

[t1gawa]

i got a great Scorpion helmet.. Tsunami themed.
i also got a black bike, but my helmet is gray/white - it works great.
as for the all black thing - personally, im not a big fan..
its bad enough that cars cant see us/ignore us, but by wearing all black on top of that -
it can be asking for trouble.

what im saying is; just be safe, ok.
its important to be seen/heard/(feared)/noticed..etc.
you get my point.

 

[weth56]

Ok I didnt know this till like a week ago but when I got my bike they were all on my nuts about my helmet bc it was DOT approved and not Snell. And they said DOT is only approved at like 5 mph and Snell is approved at something like 50mph. They were like you should get one with Snell approval and blah blah blah. I just sat back and was like WTF is the difference?!?! Any kinda shell on your head is gonna help soooooooo much. So I said F them and im gonna get a helmet I like and one that I can afford.

But which ever helmet you decide to get make sure you try it on because one kind of helmet I could get into a large and it would have room. And others I would have to squeze my head into a XL. And I wear a 7 1/2 hat so..... Just make sure the one you get fits properly so if anything does go wrong you will be covered.

 

[spooph]

Snell: http://www.smf.org/

I have as yet to find the DOT testing procedures...

There's been a lot of discussion out there about these two standards. One of the biggest arguments I've heard against SNELL helmets is that one of their tests is a double impact in the same spot on the helmet. Like being hit in the head with a hammer, twice, in exactly the same spot....

What that means, is the helmet has to be harder to withstand such forces, and because it's harder than say a DOT only helmet, it doesn't crush enough to fully absorb the shock, leaving greater risk of a concussion than say a DOT helmet which will completely be destroyed in an equivalent application of force - going head first through a car's windshield at 80mph... Hitting a telephone pole, the back of a semi, guard rail, or traffic lights, head on at 70mph... Something like that, something that is so unlikely to happen if you drive a normal, semi-responsible citizen.

SNELL will keep your head together when the rest of you is a quadraplegic...

I ride ONLY DOT for that very reason. If I go down THAT hard, I don't want to live through it...

For all the other stuff, DOT has never let me down, and I've crashed pretty darn hard at times.

But, don't let me make your decision for you. It's your head, and your safety. You need to make the decision.

Something else to consider while we're on this topic:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_Not_Resuscitate

and

http://www.fivewishes.org/5wishes.html

These are both things I have copies of on the bike, with explicit instructions in my wallet.

I ride because it's fun. If I'm quadraplyzed and have to spend the rest of my days watching other people riding, it will be much worse than death.

This is a good time to take some serious questions into account.

 

[zartan]

I have a black frost Arai vector. albeit I have never worn it yet got it this month.. I have been riding with Arai for 25 years. I don't want to debate if it is overpriced. Most things are. I ride Arai for the fit..
like a glove . Shoei and the others just don't fit well on me.


spooph - me and tr have a will with health care doc saying don't keep alive on support but we want all the drugs....

 

[spooph]

Drugs!!!

 

[zartan]

yes like the morphine they give you when you are dying..

 

[Jester]

haha i dunno if thats what spooph was talking about

 

[spooph]

OH YEA! Morphine drugs are good drugs! After a motorcycle wreck, just before death, oh baby, keep me on anything but sober...

 

[zartan]

yes spooph gets it !!!

 

[NCSTEVE83]

If you have a black bike, this helmet would be badass. Its the same helmet I have, ICON, $170, that I posted about earlier. Get this color scheme on it and tell me its not gonna look great with your bike.

 

[hellvetica]

ncsteve... how do you like your Icon helmet? I was planning on buying the same thing in the rubitone next week because I can't stand my HJC. How's the noise level with wind? The HJC is LOUD

 

[NCSTEVE83]

hellvetic....I LOVE THE HELMET. I too had the HJC, and the noise was much worse. The ICON feels more comfortable on my head, offers a breath gaurd to prevent fog which my HJC did not have, and it also has massive air vents that keep you cool and dry. I would reccomend ICON helmets to everyone.

 

[giusage80]

(reposted from a similar thread, I want to share the knowledge

You can't go wrong with HJC brand helmets. Very good value, solid build quality; overall nice helmets.

I have an HJC CL-SP with the yellow barb-wire/flame design with matte finish, and my gf has the same model, except with a glossy silver finish. Not too heavy, nice fit, comfortable, clear visor, good ventilation. They each cost under $150. Web Bike World has a good review of the helmet (http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/hjc/cl-sp/). And Google can help you find a site to order, though I would buy in person to get a good fit.

I highly recommend HJC.

--Eddie