The Truth About Motorcycle Helmets

Helmet Fit Is The Single Most Important Factor

If your Motorcycle Helmet does not fit correctly (many riders wear helmets 1-2 sizes too large) its ability to protect the rider and performance while riding are both negatively affected. The helmet has to fit properly for the rider to get the best possible protection and performance from it. The reality is you would be better in a $100 helmet that fits properly than a $1000 helmet that is too big. In this video we cover the fundamentals of helmet fit.

Evaluate the fit BEFORE you ride in your new helmet. When you receive your new helmet wear it in the house long enough to know if the fit is correct before you take it for a test ride. Make sure to keep the decal on the shield, keep all the tags and the box in case you need to send it back for an exchange. Once the helmet has been ridden in, it's yours! No retailer can accept a return on a helmet that has been ridden in. We recommend wearing the helmet in your house for at least 10 minutes to evaluate the fit before you pull the shield sticker and hit the road.

Reasons to consider replacement: 1) Your helmet is over five years old, 2) Your helmet suffered an impact during a crash, 3) Your helmet does not fit properly, 4) Your helmet is in poor condition showing heavy wear or 5) You need that new graphic that just dropped. In this video we dive a little deeper into this topic and show examples of when Van had to decide whether or not to replace a helmet. It is important to note this is a decision that could have very real consequences if you get it wrong.

We Recommend You Buy A Helmet That Fits BOTH Your Head And Your Budget! When you set a budget for your new lid, you need to consider the possibility of crashing in it on the very first ride and having to replace it immediately. Over the years we have seen many riders continue using expensive helmets long after they should have been replaced because of how much they spent, when it is likely a new helmet at half the value of the helmet is question would offer better protection.

The motorcycle helmet is the heart and soul of a riders safety gear kit. Abrasions and broken bones heal, closed head injuries are not always followed by a happy ending. We recommend opting to replace the helmet anytime you feel the safety of your helmet could be compromised on any level.

What's The REAL Difference Between Them?

We Recommend You Buy A Helmet That Fits BOTH Your Head And Your Budget! High end helmets provide a better overall experience as compared to more affordable helmets while riding, this is the real difference between the two. With high end lids you can expect increased comfort, more efficient ventilation and better aerodynamics with a more refined total package. Each of the premium brands make significant R&D investments when developing new high end models to meet the performance expectations of professional athletes and riders who see the value in stepping up to more expensive helmet.

The difference in safety between Cheap and High End Helmets is much closer than performance while riding. (Referring to established, reputable helmet brands) As long as they are both certified to the same Safety Standard, are from the same brand, and fit properly, while there may be a numerical difference during impact testing the level of safety provided is similar (much smaller gap than performance). As stated previously the single most important factor is proper fit.

Which Safety Standard Is The Best?

If you can tell us how you're going to crash we can tell you which helmet cert is the best one. Most helmets we offer will be DOT/Snell or DOT/ECE 22.05 certified, while some of the most affordable models will be DOT only. For this reason we will focus on the difference between Snell and ECE. Average crash speeds in Europe are significantly lower than data shows here in the US, and with that said the ECE standard is designed to protect using that data. The Snell standard is designed to protect riders using the average crash speed in the US. Sharp tests ECE helmets produced for the European market. If you are riding in the US in a DOT/ECE or DOT/Snell Helmet odds are it is not the same helmet used in Sharp testing. For this reason we do not feel the Sharp test results are relevant for US riders.

We feel comfortable riding or racing in helmets that are Snell or ECE certified from any of the brands featured on this page. While we may not be using the more affordable DOT only helmets we do believe DOT only helmets from the brands featured on this page have the ability to protect a rider in a street crash.