Helmet Snell Why is there such a huge price difference between motorcycle helmets?
I;m looking at a Snell approved motorcross helmet that is $80. It is also DOT approved, does this mean that I can use it for street riding too or not. Why are there some helmets that are $500 and more? I am mostly worried about safety but maybe spending more will get me.... ???? Thanks
There's not much safety difference between one dot & snell approved helmet and the next one. differences are more likelyto be cosmetic, visor quality & mechanism, removable washable lining etc.
BUT the most important safety aspect is FIT. A new helmet must be a bit tight - (the polystyrene compresses as it wears in). Otherwise your head can be damaged by impacting the helmet.
so i'm tryin to find some old new stock to gear up cause im gettin a motorcycle next year, so figure i can piece my gear together this year. i have a 2004 nolan roadrunner helmet new in box already, bought a couple years ago and its been in my closet still new in its box. tonight i learned about snell 2005. seein as i wont be gettin a bike till next year should i get a snell 2005? or should i wait until next year and get a snell 2010 approved helmet? is my nolan still a safe helmet to wear?
As far as I know (i.e. unless they have changed the way they rate them), the only difference is the year and they didn't change anything about the testing the last few times around. A 2004 is getting to be an older helmet. Is that a motorcycle helmet or a car racing helmet? A car helmet won't have as much visibility, noise control, ventilation usually.
Don't worry about getting a 2010 rating unless you are going to be doing some racing, which usually requires a helmet's rating to be the more recent one so they know you aren't using an aged helmet.
Helmet foam supposedly deteriorates with age.
DOT is the minimum legal requirement for places that require helmets. If it isn't DOT rated, your helmet is a worthless toy and there isn't much reason to have it. Some helmets, like flip-face helmets, aren't rated by Snell as a rule, but many people think they are safe (who knows!).
