It can be difficult to choose the right motorcycle. There are so many options available that it is easy to buy the most attractive. How do you decide which product is right for you?
A crash helmet is the most important piece of equipment you will own. It is the only piece that is legally required in the UK. Many people will also wear it when riding their bikes. It’s the part that saves your mind, and it’s a good thing.
How do you know if the lid you see in the shop is the right one? The showroom may not be as bright or warm as your home, so it’s difficult to tell if the one you are looking at is the best. You won’t find out. You won’t know until you get on the road, and then it’s too late for you to realize you have the wrong kit.
You can take a few steps to increase your chances of finding the perfect product for you.
What should I spend for a crash helmet?
I have always purchased lids in the same way that I did before, but I do so by buying the best quality and most appropriate item I can afford.
It’s like this: Imagine you have spent months saving PS5000 for a car to transport your family around, but then went and spent half the money on a rusty wreck. The same goes for lilies. Your brain is a magical sack of synapses, voodoo and money. Don’t be dishonest and get the best for your family – but not without starving them!
How can I choose the right type of lid?
First, determine the type of riding that you do. This will help you decide the type of helmet you should use. These examples will give you an idea about the helmet that is best suited to your needs.
What is a full-face helmet for?
A full-face helmet is the best choice if you plan to spend a lot of time on motorways and dual-carriageways. A full-face helmet covers your entire head, including the sides and lower part of your face. A majority of full-face helmets will include a visor to protect your eyes from any dust, water, stones, or wildlife that might otherwise be harmful.
A full-face lid is essential for trackdays. Many companies will require this before allowing you to go on the track.
Pros:
- Provides the greatest protection
- Many are water-tight
- Keeps your face warm in winter
Cons:
- Visors can fog in cold/wet conditions
- In shops, garages, and petrol stations must be removed
What is a modular crash helmet?
A modular helmet, also known as a flip front, is a full-face lid with a hinge. This hinge is located near your ear and allows the chin bar to flip up above your head. It allows your face to be visible. These helmets are useful because most businesses permit flip-front lids when performing transactions, filling up at petrol stations, and so forth. You can also have conversations with others without shouting. This is useful if you ride in a group or stop at a junction to chat.
Some modular helmets have been homologated so that the chin bar can be used up or flipped over. You should not ride with a modular helmet that hasn’t been homologated according to this standard. The chin bar is a structural component of some modular helmets. If it’s not in its down position, the helmet will be severely reduced in its ability to protect you from a crash.
Pros:
- Provides good protection
- Keeps your face warm in winter
- Can be turned up to speak to people or to enter businesses
Cons:
- Due to the shell design, some flip-fronts can whistle at high speed.
- Visors can fog up even in wet or cold weather
- Sometimes, full-face lids can look more bulky and bulky than normal.
What’s an open-faced helmet?
Jet-style lids, also known as open-faced lids, are lids with no chin bar and a large opening at their front. This makes your entire face visible. Protection is lessened if you are involved in a fall or slide down the road. They do have their advantages, and some people continue to wear open-faced helmets throughout their lives.
These helmets are best suited for short rides at low speeds in good weather. The choice of whether or not you want an open-faced helmet depends on the bike you are riding. Retro scooters, customs, and classics all seem to be popular choices. It works. A full-face helmet looks awful on many of these bikes. It would be a bit odd to ride a superbike 1000cc through town with an open-faced helmet.
Pros:
- Ideal for warm and summer rides
- It looks great when you have the right bike to match it
- Excellent peripheral vision, no chin bar to obscure or obscure the dash
- Wearable in shops, etc.
Cons:
- A full-face product offers less protection than a lower-quality option
- Use of warm weather only
- Faces can be harmed by stones, flies and other gunk
- Above 40 mph, goggles are necessary as fog can form in adverse weather conditions.
What’s a Motocross Helmet?
The off-road or Motocross lids are usually angular with a prominent chinbar, pointed sides and a large peak. When riding off-road, the lid’s shape and peak are designed to reflect branches and foliage away.
You can catch the muddy roost from the bike ahead of you by dipping your head while riding through the brush with a peaked lid.
Goggles are required for dedicated off-road lids. Most don’t have any visors, which can add an additional layer of complexity and cost. They are lighter than road helmets, which is a plus.
Off-road riding can be hard work. Because of this, offroad lids are usually light and allow for lots of air movement around your head. This is great for building technical trails, but not so well on the M40.
Pros:
- Comfortable trail riding is possible thanks to the airy interior
- Specifically designed for this purpose
- It is easy to clean interiors
- Brightly coloured off-road lids help with visibility
- They are usually lighter than road helmets.
Cons:
- Not watertight
- Most require goggles
- Long distances at speed are impossible if you have a nice interior
- Winter riding with an off-road lid for winter is reserved for the tough.
What’s an ADV helmet?
A dual-sport helmet is also known by the ADV (adventure helmet). It’s a hybrid of a full-face helmet and a motocross lid. These lids are designed to offer the same comfort and weatherproofing as a road-biased one, but with some extra design touches that make offroad riding a little easier.
ADV lids come with a visor, and some can even be used with goggles if you remove the visor. Although they are still more spacious, most have close-able vents and skirts that can be pulled down to keep you warm in colder temperatures.
ADV helmets still have a peak, but they are designed to provide less discomfort while riding. Motorway cruising will not cause neckache like a motocross helmet.
Pros:
- Full-face comfort with off-road style
- Peak is a great way to block the glare from the motorway
- Poor weather can be prevented by a light design.
Cons:
- It can be uncomfortable to travel at high speeds.
- If not properly fitted, peak can rattle and whistle.
How can you tell if your helmet fits correctly?
It is important to make sure your lid fits correctly. A properly fitted lid will provide maximum protection against a crash. A properly fitting lid will provide maximum protection in a crash.
Try on a helmet in a shop or at a trade show to make sure it fits properly. This is the best way for you to make sure the helmet fits your head. You can also stick with what you know. If Shoei has been a success for you in the past then they are likely to be the best option for you.
You can also measure your bonce to get an idea about the fit. Wrap a piece of tape measuring for dressmakers around your head. The tape should be just above your ears. It should then loop down slightly around your back and continue to run up your forehead just above your eyebrows. You can also use string to measure the tape if you don’t own a soft tape. Many helmet manufacturers offer a sizing guide that you can use to determine your size. Although it isn’t perfect as it doesn’t take into account your head shape it can give you an idea of what size to choose.
Once your lid is in place, tighten the chin strap until your finger can slip between the straps and your chin. Give both your hands a test and push the chin bars (or sides of the lid, if it is open) upwards. If the helmet is not moving at all, or your face sticks out beyond the chin bar, it’s not right for you.
Grab the helmet’s back edge with your hands. Now, pull the helmet forwards. You should feel very little movement. If the lid falls off, it is not recommended.
With the helmet still on, you can place your hands on the helmet’s sides and attempt to turn it left or right. The helmet should allow for a little movement. If the sides of your visors are blocking your vision or the lid is unable to turn more than an inch, it may not be the right size or shape.
You can see the MotoGP and BSB riders to prove that a tight fitting lid is essential. The padding in the interior liner will push the cheeks upwards. This extreme example shows that protection is more important than fit.
