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Jinder
Joined: 04 May 2011
Posts: 479
Location: Bridport, Dorset
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 Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 9:18 pm Post subject: opinions please-which budget SA2005/2010 approved helmet? |
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Hi all,
I'm running on a severe budget this year, and the only bit of kit I'm missing before I'm 100% MSA legal is a lid that's meets the current homologation regs.
I've been looking at a few of the cheaper helmets, namely V2 Pro (currently in pole because I can get hold of it in black to match my racesuit etc), the Hedtec range at the Duchinni lids that are everywhere.
Has anyone got any prior experience or opinion on which of these to buy?
Just to pre-empt what I know some will say, I am aware that the best option is to buy a Bell/Arai/Simpson etc but I'm nowhere near that league in terms of budget. I want something comfortable and as lightweight as possible that meets the safety regs and is going to be within homologation for racing for a few years, by which time I'll hopefully have been able to upgrade.
Any opinions and advice would be brilliant, thanks in advance!
Phil
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pk racing
Joined: 04 Mar 2011
Posts: 290
Location: sittingbourne
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| Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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I have a duchinni it is very comfterbale and very good value for money.
Tried my mates v2 on and it was very uncomfortable.
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kevinh24
Joined: 07 Apr 2011
Posts: 433
Location: east sussex, camber
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| Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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| pk racing wrote: | I have a duchinni it is very comfterbale and very good value for money.
Tried my mates v2 on and it was very uncomfortable.
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+1 found the same
i use the duchinninninninninini
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SRSmatt
Joined: 13 Jun 2008
Posts: 1118
Location: St Neots
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| Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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It's your head at the end of the day. If there was one part of the whole package I wouldn't try and save money on, it's the stuff that's protecting you!
The Ducchini, should be okay since it fits regs etc, yet if I was you, it'd be an Arai!
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wolemid
Joined: 06 Aug 2011
Posts: 97
Location: United Kingdom
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| Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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never understood, why people would buy the duchini and v2, its your head, its the most important part of your body, buy the best equipment for it. (and for you to mention, something about matching your suit as a reason why is stupid.
Dont race for a few months and save money and buy a better helmet is my comment,
BUT if you want buy cheap, buy twice its your head (cant write what i want to really say there)
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kevinh24
Joined: 07 Apr 2011
Posts: 433
Location: east sussex, camber
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| Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:04 pm Post subject: |
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if its approved then surly its been tested to the worst they belive can happen in a kart. so I cant see what differents a cheap or ecpensive helmet can make apart from look and comfort.
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ireman
Joined: 08 Jan 2008
Posts: 357
Location: east sussex
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| Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | never understood, why people would buy the duchini and v2, its your head, its the most important part of your body, buy the best equipment for it. (and for you to mention, something about matching your suit as a reason why is stupid. |
Well up to a point BUT if the cheaper helmets have been tested and approved then it is highly unlikely that they will not perform as well. Having personally tested to destruction one of those cheap motorcycle helmets - you know the ones that cannot possibly be better than a kart helmet - I can assure you that it did the job just as well as anything at four or five times the price.
Some years back when buying a helmet for bikes and occasional fun karting I went to an old friend's Kawasaki dealership and Paul recommended a FM model - I was surprised at the price and asked why he suggested that particular one and he replied that it had the lowest wind noise and was just as good as the more expensive brands.
I'm sure that Arai are a very good make but isn't it just possible that you are paying a significant premium for the name simply because 'like you just gotta have one'  |
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T.J. Koyen
Joined: 06 Sep 2007
Posts: 1504
Location: Wisconsin, USA
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| Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:29 pm Post subject: |
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Not that the safety isn't as good on the cheap helmets, but the craftsmanship and build quality is FAR superior in the likes of the Arais and similar helmets. As a painter, I've taken apart lots of makes of helmets and the Arai is the nicest build quality I've seen.
I'm sure the cheaper helmets will protect you about as good as an expensive one, but the care to the fit and finish of the more expensive helmets is nicer.
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Jinder
Joined: 04 May 2011
Posts: 479
Location: Bridport, Dorset
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| Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:57 pm Post subject: |
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| wolemid wrote: | | never understood, why people would buy the duchini and v2, its your head, its the most important part of your body, buy the best equipment for it. (and for you to mention, something about matching your suit as a reason why is stupid. |
I'm not trying to be contentious, and of course I respect the much-appreciated opinions of everyone who has contributed to this thread.
I think you misinterpreted (or I didn't state clearly) what I meant by my comments regarding the cheaper helmets. I obviously wouldn't buy a piece of safety equipment based on the fact that it was the same colour as my racesuit. My point (poorly made, perhaps) was that having read a great deal of online opinion about the helmets I mentioned, it seems they all have an equal amount of positive and negative comments, with no one helmet emerging the clear favourite from the three amongst those who have owned or tried them, and thus the one extra plus-point that the V2 has over the other two is that it's available in something other than stock white.
Can anyone shed any light on what kind of testing requirements a helmet has to meet to qualify for the Snell safety certification?
I'm in the dark over this. I would presume that any two helmets of any price point that shared a Snell safety rating would offer an equal level of impact protection, with concessions being made with regard to superficial fitments, finish, packaging etc to meet the lower price point. I would hope that a helmet that met MSA regs with regard to safety standards would be as safe for competition as another, regardless of price-isn't this the reason why safety standards within our sport exist?
BUT, I don't know this for a fact, hence me asking the question about the Snell testing/certification system.
Of course I don't want to chuck my head around a kart track at speed in a helmet which is going to engender more risk than I'm already at. Am I putting too much faith in the Snell certification and MSA safety provisions?
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Skithepowder
Joined: 24 Oct 2011
Posts: 82
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| Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:43 pm Post subject: |
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The most important thing when buying a helmet is get the helmet that fits you. Everyone says go buy an arai at £500, if an arai doesn't fit your head shape it's not going to do a better job than a £100 duchinni, v2 or Koden that fits you properly. You should get a Snell rated helmet, yes, but the most important thing is getting a helmet that suits your head shape. If an arai doesn't suit you don't waste your money buying one because someone on a forum said Arai are the best. Go somewhere where you can ty on Hedtecs, duchinnis, v2s and Kodens. See what fits you best, if none of them fit you well work your way up the price points till you find a helmet that suits your head shape.
They are all rated to the same standards. Out of interest go and look at The Sharp helmet rating website. It is set up by the government and tests motorcycle helmets and gives them a rating out of 5 stars, and details where they fall down in crash tests, obviously being motorcycle helmets this isn't much use to you, BUT you will be surprised by the results of some of the £500 arais and shoeis when compared to some (not all) of the budget brands. And it also gives you a good guide on how to test if a helmet fits you.
The more expensive helmets have better finishes, vents etc but at the end of the day, if it's snell rated to the same standard, fit is the most important consideration, you should never buy a helmet without trying it on first. |
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Rotaxnewb
Joined: 19 Mar 2012
Posts: 226
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| Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 7:31 am Post subject: |
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| Here's a question. You can buy a cmr rated helmet without vat but in adult sizes. I presume they are as safe if not safer and are also lighter, so can an adult race with one of these or does it specify somewhere that these are only for under 16's? |
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impactdriver
Joined: 19 Mar 2012
Posts: 1
Location: United Kingdom
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| Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 10:35 am Post subject: |
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hi we ve tried duchinni and v2 elite and found them both good, the v2 with thicker or thinner cheek pad options.
also with the easily affordable helmets they meet the same test criteria as the expensive ones and you can renew every season
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Steffan TKM
Joined: 21 Aug 2009
Posts: 157
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| Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Jinder wrote: | | Can anyone shed any light on what kind of testing requirements a helmet has to meet to qualify for the Snell safety certification? |
I believe that type A or A/FR helmets are dropped from a height of 5m, Snell from a height of 7.5m, and 8860 (f1 and WRC level) are dropped from a height of 10m. Stilo actually had to move out of their premises to find somewhere with a higher ceiling when they did their initial testing on their 8860  I think they all have to hit the ground within either 1 second or 1.5 seconds also. The damge/how the helmet coped is then assesed. This is only part of the process though.
Another thing to bare in mind is that all helmets are made in the same factory, bar 3- Arai (made in Japan), Bell (made in the US), and Stilo (made in Italy.) All other helmets are made in the same factory, with a different badge on them (build to manafactures' specification). You really should try as many helmets as possible though, everyone's head is different- personally I cannot stand a Bell helmet, as they are incredibly uncomfortable for me. But a mate of mine says that his Bell is the most comfortable lid he's ever had.
Steffan |
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Chris34
Joined: 11 Nov 2007
Posts: 63
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| Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2012 12:09 am Post subject: |
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For a true answer to how they test the helmets then look here
http://www.smf.org/testing
If you read through that you will note that the testing is purely done to see if the helmet will protect your brain, they do not do any testing to see the affects on your neck.
When I get my new helmet I will be looking for the lightest and most comfortable helmet. Price and manufacturer are irrelevant as long as the manufacturer is an established brand. I wouldn't want to be putting a lot of trust in a relatively unknown brand name.
Chris. |
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