I am in the market for my first helmet now. I found a nice Icon helmet on clearence at motorsport.com and was wondering if I should just use their suggested measurements and buy the helmet. Or go into a local shop with little selection and buy from there?

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it depends on if you're happy with a helmet that is close to what you really wanted, or if you actually get the one you want from an online store..

every helmet manufacturers measurment is a lil different, so remember that when you're hopping from brand to brand..

gotta ask youself "how much is your head worth?" if you think that its worth a $900. carbon fiber masterpiece, then go for it! if you'd be happy with a off brand $80. bucket, then do it! i just hope it holds up if something bad ever happens...


Welcome to KF bro!!

 

if the internet has the better price, try it on at the local shop and find the right size, then buy it online.

 

my qualm with this is that ive never seen anything that says a 700 dollar DOT and SNELL suomy protects your head better than a 90 dollar DOT and SNELL HJC

 

when buying a helmet it's best to go try it on in person. wear it for 10 minutes, see if it starts to give you a head ache. it should be snug on your cheeks with the less amount of movement.

 

Which is precisely why most smaller dealerships are dead, and why larger dealerships must gouge us to remain afloat.
Personally, I'd skimp on condoms (or even my bike) before I'd skimp on gear. Get the best, most comfortable helmet you can afford.
I shattered a $650 Arai RX7RR that was only a month old back in Jan of '03. Smashed it into a boulder at 40-45mph (which was about 30-35 mph faster than Chris Reeves was traveling.)


IMO, a cheap helmet is penny-wise and pound-foolish.
-CCinC

 

Helmets are pretty tricky to buy, especially full face helmets.I recently bought an Icon Mainframe Skull in Large and I love it. However, I did try on several Arais, Shoeis and a bunch of other brands. Icon just felt the best for me. Remember to that with a full face helmet, the cheek pads are usually interchangable so if you try on a Large, dont like it, you can change to the XL cheek pieces, but at least wear the helmet for a month or two to let the cheek pieces break in because they defiantely will.

Also remember that lower end brands only have a life of two years before the concussion foam start to degrade where as the mid-level to higher end brands will usually last 5+ years.

 

My local Cycle Gear will let me take a helmet home and wear it around the house for a day to make sure it's comfortable.

Whatever you do, if you end up with something you don't like ON YOUR HEAD you will be kicking yourself.

 

recommend you look at the sparx helmets - high quality and affordable price - and they are certified to the same standard that basicly all of europe and motoGP races use.

as for the how muhc is you head worth statements. thats a crap statement unless you are talking about the bottom of the barrel offbrand that may or may not even be DOT approved. the independent test have actually shown that the cheaper polycarbonate shelled helmets held up better and were more effective at reducing G forces transmitted to the riders head than the hard composite shelled counterparts.

most of the cost difference is in fit and finish and paying for brand name, not the ability to protect the rider.

 

its a long read but its all worth reading -

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/ge...iew/index.html