Looking for a helmet
 

First track day will be next month. They require a SA2000 or higher helmet. What is the best priced helmet that you would recommend?

No Snell M? Brutal.

My vote would be the Simpson Diamondback.

http://www.themotorreport.com.au/wp-...01/1024yd4.jpg

No. One group requires SA2000 and the other SA95.

At the risk of many "what is your life worth?" comments, I had no plans on spending $600 on a helmet. I was assuming $300-ish. Maybe that's not a realistic budget?

I was browsing here: http://www.soloracer.com/helmettech.html Lots of options for SA2005 helmets in the $200-300 range. Even the Impact Racing SS is $369. Anyone familiar with any of the items in that price range?

Pegasus has a variety of helmets in the <$300 range. Some in the open-face category are even <$200, and they're pretty much all SA2005.

Pegasus - Auto Racing Helmets & Helmet Accessories

I need a new helmet too. I'm thinking about getting one of these:
http://assets0.saferacer.com/images/P/5409_1_lg.jpg
I've never liked open faced helmets but this one is semi-closed, and when I'm in the car my visor's flipped up anyways.

I like open faced helmets and found Snell M2005 HJC brand twice for <100. The reason I bought two was because my big brain wouldn't fit in the first one. They are well built and comfortable. I always shop the clearance and discontinued sections. Good luck.

Edit: Here's a similar Snell rated HJC for $90
http://www.helmetcity.com/page/HC/PROD/cl31/cl31silver

EDIT AGAIN: No "M" ratings allowed? I missed that initially. Big money...

Six, I had a HJC CLS M2005, and man that thing made me look like Space Ball. Very comfortable though. I sold my near mint helmet for 65 bones.

OP, are you for sure positive that they won't allow M2005? Odd that they would allow an SA95, but no M2005. Sebring allows M2005, but not SA95. For them the helmets must be 2000 or newer.

Discovery Parts - Ultra Racing Gear Open Face SA2005 ULT-5403
SA2005 for $144

Dumb question that a good, long search would probably fix if I wasn't studying for my last final:

How do these ratings relate to motorcycle helmets?

I've seen some, like the Snell RZ-2 that are affordable, and rated.

I wonder how many of the other motorcycle helmets are rated, or would pass the rating if manufacturers cared to get them tested.

I have 3 helmets sitting in the garage, and assumed one of them was bound to work for track days.

As far as recommendations go, I've always had good luck with bang for the buck in MC helmets with the Icon Mainframes (thought they were squid gear but like) and the HJC CL-15 (less comfortable, but lots cheaper).

They are all only DOT and Snell certified, so I'm not sure if they can be cross certified. Any clarification on this would help. Does everyone buy car-specific helmets here?

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Yeah, that's why I asked. My AutoX lid is an M2005 open HJC that I bought from a motorcycle shop for about $100 (I think it was a CL-31).

Helmets are kinda funny in that every one fits differently. Two helmets of the same size rating, even from the same manufacturer, will feel different on your head, particularly around the temples and cheeks. If you can, going to a store to try them on is ideal. Second-best would be to order from a place with a liberal return policy. Note that on most higher-end helmets, there are several internal padding pieces which are interchangeable and come in different sizes to custom-tailor the fit.

I always opted for M's because they are cheaper. The SA adds fire proofing and roll bar impacts to the helmet's rating. The M2000+ helmets are usually accepted to most HPDE or track day events.

+1 Fit is KEY.


While it may be less of a factor in a car than a bike, I went through several helmets finding one that was comfortable for my 200mile daily commute on the bike.

I can only imagine a poor fitting helmet would take away from your concentration and enjoyment of a track day.

The more expensive ones are quieter, lighter and more comfortable, and you can find a sweet spot in the price range that gets you a much greater helmet for $50 more than the cheapies. In MC helmets this was in the $200-300 price point, with the really nice ones above $400.

-You will HATE a helmet that is too tight on your head, but can put up with smushed cheekedness.

-You will HATE one that has *just the wrong pitch of wind buffeting at 75mph, although this is probably less likely behind a windshield, and your speeds will be more transient on the track.

-You will HATE a helmet that is just a little to heavy, or has the bulk of the mass centered poorly and cants or rotates your head when you corner hard. Or worse (atleast on roads), will make it awkward to whip your head around checking blind spots.

Some of these things you can check in the store, some you won't know until you use it.

Although I never recommend buying a used helmet, you can sell one you don't like, and unless you find one with astounding reviews you might as well prepare too. The only helmet I every bought first time and never looked back was an Arai, and it wasn't cheap. Every other helmet change I went through involved at least two helmets, and I usually learned I should have spent just a little more. I'm not trying to pull the "what's your head worth arguement," just making sure you don't end up unhappy with a $200 helmet when you would have found bliss in a $300 one.

I took the info from the online tech sheet. This is for Fast Fridays at the track.

___Helmet – SA2000 or newer (M rated helmets are not allowed)

FindTheLine rents the track on available Saturdays which is nice as I don't have to take off work to do it.

Their Tech Sheet says

16. HELMET: SNELL SA95 or higher rating, original certification sticker attached.

I can see SA95 over M2000. The year of the SA95 is still good until 2010. The M2000, while newer, is still a less restrictive standard.
So, I just planned onbuying a SA2005 to get the extra five years.

bummer.

I absolutely agree.

Though sometimes a cheaper helmet may work better for your head. Best thing to do is go down to your local race shop and do some test fitting. You've got to have a shit tonne of circle track race supply shops in nebraska.

Yeah, Speedway Motors is huge and right here in town. I know fit is key. Prices were good, too. Impact Racing Super Sport is highly recommended. $369 elsewhere, $358 here and I can drive over and test fit.

I was more asking about which people preferred. After establishing a couple of favorites, fit would determine the winner.

yeah, sorry, was sure you had a good idea, just putting that out there for newbs that search.

I can't provide much input since I've only used MC helmets...but would like to know if anyone has been able to use a DOT/Snell rated helmet for events.

I'd hate to have to go back out and find another good helmet (even at $358).

Forgive me if you already know this, but from your posts it's not obvious. Snell only updates every 5 years, and every SA rated helmet sold new today will be SA2005 because that's the most current year. The SA2010 stickers will start next year. I don't think it would even be possible to find a brand new SA95 or SA2000 helmet, and in any case you'd be a fool to pay regular price for one because "many" track groups only accept helmets with <10 year old ratings. IOW, you're good to go with SA2005 or SA2000 but SA95 is no good with a lot of organizations.

Many track groups don't accept M helmets (although they are usually accepted at autocrosses) so if you want a helmet that's good everywhere get an SA. It's been a while since I read the testing requirements but I believe one of the main differences is that SA helmets are tested for flame resistance whereas M helmets are not. Given that there is a possibility (however remote) that you could get trapped in a burning vehicle at a track day, groups want you to wear SA helmets. Being trapped in a burning wreck is obviously less of a concern with motorcycles.

You are nuts if you want to run an open face helmet on track. More than one person has needed facial reconstruction surgery specifically because of an open face helmet. There are better ways to save $100.

I have a Bell M4 because it fit my head and my budget. It was about $350. The shop did have some less expensive SA helmets but unfortunately they just didn't fit me as well. And of course they had the $$$ carbon fiber ones that felt way better, but I don't have that kind of scratch.

i love my zamp helmets. my buddy has discounts on them so if you want one - i can get one cheaper then retail.

Yes, I was aware of the rating years. Believe it or not, there are SA2000 still available new. I wouldn't consider them unless discounted enough to offset the loss of years.

I only put up both to show what each group mandates at a minimum so I knew I had to be SA2000 (or later).

I won't even try on the carbon fiber. Don't want to be tempted. Sure, if I was dirt track racing every Friday and Saturday, maybe. Not for what I want to do.

If you shop the closeout sections of the race equipment sellers online you still find some SA2000 helmets. I'd buy SA2005 though as clubs will likely make that the minimum requirement in a few years.

Fit is it! You want to make sure you can return it if you buy online. I've got a Pyrotech helmet. It's OK. Fit's well but it's a little heavy. If you like the fit and weight and don't mind spending the scratch for that Lightning unit I say go for it.

The nice thing with helmets is the cheapest SA2005 helmet is still an SA2005 helmet! It's been tested and proven safe. The difference in costs have less to do with safety and more to do with looks, comfort, features and weight.

Yeah, for me (when I was DD'ing an SV650) the sweet spot was a Shoei RF-1000. I must have tried on every single helmet at Escondido Cycle Center, and that one just stood out above all the rest. It cost close to $500, but was well worth it as it fit perfectly, didn't move around without being too tight, was quiet, lightweight, and even with the visor up was ok on a bike with no windshield. During my most recent wreck about 3 years ago, it was destroyed. And based on how well it performed in the crash, I went right out and bought another one just like it.


ScottFW mentioned open face vs. closed face helmets. My AutoX helmet is an open-face, as I mentioned earlier, and for me this wasn't so much an issue of saving money as personal preference. When I first started out I used my motorcycle helmet, but after trying on an open model, I found that I much preferred it for in-car use. In a road race situation where use of the side-view mirrors is important, the difference would probably be even greater. (It's also much easier to get on and off if you have the top up or are running a hardtop.)

Obviously in an AutoX situation you're much less likely to actually need the helmet, so it's not a direct comparison. However in a Miata with the steering wheel in the stock location (and assuming a proper harness) I can't imagine a situation in which I'd be kissing the wheel without my neck having snapped first. Obviously there are situations where this would not be the case. Folks running in the Winston (I mean Nextel, or make that Sprint) Cup and similar stock-car series have the steering wheel pretty much right at their chest, so the risk here would be much greater.

+1 Shoei makes a good helmet and they fit me well. Unfortunately I had to 'retire' that Shoei (highside crash in an endurance race). Like Joe I would probably feel OK wearing an open face in a car (never on a bike). The extra airflow would be nice. Closed-face helmets can get hot, even on a bike.

If you have a Cycle Gear in your town they have a good selection and decent prices. That way you will know what fits you well. That is indeed important as mentioned above.

If you want to go with an internet store, helmetharbor.com is a good vendor.

Joe, I'm debating this as well.

I'm a huge proponent of closed face helmets...but that's influenced by time spent on (and going off of) motorcycles.

In a car -with harnesses- it seems to me you would want to have as little weight attached to your head as possible. Having chronic neck pain as it is this is a concern to me, and the likelihood of face meeting asphalt or other damaging parts seems slim compared to the likelihood of having your head jerked around a lot.

Visibility is always a bonus.

Soloracer has the most info I can find anywhere on helmets. They have an xls file with weights, construction, features, etc.

One helmet you might look at is the Bell M4. It's a mid $300 helmet and has a huge eyeport. It's about the same weight and price as the Impact SS. Both of those look to be very good mid priced helmets.

Here's a list of solo's top sellers.

Our Top Selling Helmets

All good points. An open helmet is not necessarily lighter than a closed helmet (owing to differences in materials and construction) for at any given price range, a given open helmet probably would be lighter than its closed counterpart.

Airflow is a huge part of it. On the bike, you've got a constant stream of air hitting you in the face at high-speed, so the relatively small vents on most helmets are entirely adequate. With a closed helmet in a car, even with the visor up, it gets stuffy. There's a reason that top-of-the-line models have a port on the side for forced-air cooling.

And yeah. In the car, assuming I'm wearing even my stock seatbelt and have the steering wheel within an inch or two of the stock position, I can't imagine any crash scenario in which I wouldn't already be dead long before my face hit the wheel. And yes, I understand that in a severe enough crash the wheel does tend to move towards the driver. But even without an airbag in between, I just can't imagine how my face would come within even 6" of the wheel without my brain stem having already come unattached from its mounting point.

Those support collars that you put around your neck do a good job of taking the helmet weight off of your neck muscles. I don't have any fatigue at all after a two day HPDE, and my Bell M4 is not exactly a lightweight helmet. Those collars don't do anything to prevent injury in an impact, but for $20 they can save you a little pain in the neck (yuk yuk yuk).

One of the main issues for open vs closed-face, at least around here, is the deer factor. Deer do get onto VIR and Summit Point, and at least at Summit Point more than one car has hit a deer. I would post the video of that Mustang on the straight at Summit Main but it looks like it's been pulled from youtube. Hoofs (hooves?) have gone through windshields and into unprotected faces at 100+ mph. There are plenty of reasons (besides wildlife) why you never see professional drivers wearing open face helmets, and their cars are generally safer than ours to begin with. I prefer to minimize the risks to my finely chiseled mug. :D

As if it matters, this is what I settled on for my brainbucket:

Bell Sport Helmet

- L

+1 The big eyeport is one of the reasons I have an M4.

"Zamp" sells open face SA2005 helmets for $150ish. A closed face Zamp should be $200-300.

This one Zamp FSA-1 Helmet is $199. SA2005 and is marked as a "best buy" on their survey.

Bell M4 http://www.soloracer.com/bellm4.html is $368, or essentially the same money as the Impact Racing SS. Benefit of the Impact is it is locally available at Speedway for trial fit. I would have loved to be able to try one on.

Today, I picked up a Bell K-1 in red. Fitment is excellent.

Just jumping in here. Scorpion Exo-700... i have 2. i was waring when i was hit on my bike, and 1 for the track. last i check they where the cheapest full face SA2000 helmet that was not crap.