Help Needed on New Helmet

[jay cohen]

I brought this up on Vinduro group, so I'm sorry to bother those that may have read it already before, but I just want to hear what you guys think. I need to buy another helmet or two, and don't know what to get. I want to do some m-x, cross country, and hopefully some isdt reunion rides. I hate the thought of buying a full coverage helmet, I never wore one when I raced years ago and then later on when I rode on the street I used an open face helmet. I rarely see guys using open face helmets in ahrma m-x. In photos of the reunion rides most guys are using full coverage helmets with a few using open face helmets. What do you think? thanks in advance, jay

[Larry Perkins]

Jay,

All new things take some getting used to but the full coverage is the safe way to go.  Safety has just come a long ways since "The Day".  The teeth and face protection offered by todays helmets is unequalled.  If you want some of the best hit protection go Arai or the new Shark helmets with crumple zones like a car.  No matter what spend enough to get at least Snell and DOT approval.  That is my vote.

Larry P

[chicagojerry]

jay, i really love the old moto 6 bell helmet if you can find any NOS ones. i have bought two in the last year on ebay. the reason that i like them so well versus some other full face helmets is because the nose piece is relatively close to my face which prevents branches from getting in between my face and the helmet. i have had many other helmets that have been farther away and it always seems like my face gets more tore up when i ride throught the gnarly stuff on the edge of the trail.  just my take on it.  chi jer

[tomale]

I'm with Larry, I would have worn a full face helmit back in the day if they would have been even close to what we have available now. Make sure you spend enough to get a really good helmit. I bought my first shoei helmit this last summer, boy what a difference, the last helmit I had was pretty good and it met all of the Schell and DOT reqirements, The new one is really comfortable and it vents so much better which means that my head stays cooler, which means.... at least to me means I will make better choices and that means I will ride safer. by the way helmits should be replaced every couple of years, helmits lose their ability to protect, the shell get brittle and the foam loses it shape. By the way, if you hit your head hard enough to do anything more than a scratch it should be replaced, you can replace a helmit but heads are harder to come by....

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)
75' GS400 (project bike)
72'sixday (project bike)

[behindbars]

Jay. Full face no question. I'd be toothless many times over without a full face helmet. I'm not very pretty to begin with, but teeth make a big difference. Whatever you end up buying make sure you try it on first. From brand to brand size fitment varies WILDLY! I sell a lot of helmets and a small in one brand can fit like a large in another brand....literally. There are some brands that will not fit my mellon no matter what size I try such as... Bell helmets. The human race has a lot of different head shapes and thank God all helmets don't fit the same. Trust me on this one, a European head is almost always shaped different than an Asian. A long skinny head like mine does not fit very well into a round shell. ;)Try on a bunch of them before you buy.

James Jorgensen
Red Bud, Michigan
74 1/2 Mint Enduro
74 1/2 Mint MX
74 Scrambler 250

[shpclay]

I'm with several of the others. I would wear a full face any day and would have worn one for sure back in the good old days. You need a snell approved for AHRMA I believe. I bought a new snell  approved full face from New Enough.com for 69.00 and It is really a nice helmet. I have a old Bell Magnum I would like to re-do. Know one will send you the insides anymore. Bell has a universal they will sell you for 10.00.

http://www.newenoughmx.com/bell5_sc_new_co_page.htm

Steve Clay
76 250 Penton/73 Harescrambler
76 husky 250 WR
2002 Aprilia Futura
71 Honda Trail 90

[Lew Mayer]

Steve, I think in AHRMA you only need SNELL for roadracing.

Lew Mayer

[bentrims]

Put on ALL the armor you can! Always go as fast as you can! Try to scare yourself or someone else every day you can! Who knows how many more rides we got left in us.

Thanks for that e-mail SuperLew.
TB

[DKWRACER]

Jay, I am now a convert to technology, I have made the plunge and have a new TLD helmet, have also upgraded my wardrobe to include a hockey upper protection garment, which is both lightweight and fully functional, it is a CCM Supertacks 862, as suggested, you should try on as many helmets as possible. I paid 300.00 plus for my helmet, and 65.00 for the CCM protection. I may look like a monkey, but I hope to be riding into my 70's......
Adios
Tom Brosius

[shpclay]

You are probably correct about the snell approved. My buddies told me I had to have one so I didn't check, but I guess it is ok. This bell I bought fits great.

Steve Clay
76 250 Penton/73 Harescrambler
76 husky 250 WR
2002 Aprilia Futura
71 Honda Trail 90

[thrownchain]

It comes down to, it's your head, what's it worth to you??

[OhioTed]

The advantages of a modern, full-coverage helmet are clearly evident.  However, does anyone know of a source for dirt bike-style visors for helmets, which still feature the traditional "snaps" for mounting the visor?  There are current helmets which still use the snaps, but they only come with short, rounded "street-type" visors.  Any of the old "duckbill" type visors out there anywhere?

[socalmx]

Watch on Ebay, they go for around 10 dollars. I purchased a yellow and white one for my two vintage helmets. Both are used for display because my new Kevlar-Carbon Fiber-Fiberglass helmet provides a bit more protection.

[sixdazed]

In my teens i had a midnite desert adventure go bad.I hit something very hard(i have it down to a cement pylon or a road end 2" by 10" fence i really don't remember for sure).I sustained broken ribs, punctured lung,enlarged heart,almost bit my tongue off,and had my chin split open.I woke up after being out for quite awhile and saw a faint red glow off in the distance(the taillite of the honda sl70 i was riding),found and started the bike and rode back holding my ribs with left arm the whole way.The stupid part was i was right next to a paved road but chose to ride back to my friends house thru the desert, every whoop very painful.From there they took me to my mom's house where i collapsed on my bed and wanted to go to sleep.Fortunately my Mom say fit to take me to the hospital where i was taken into surgery right away.Good thing since my lungs where full of blood.The doctors said if i'd laid there or at home another 20 minutes or so i would be around anymore.I spent a week or so in icu and recovered fine but my full coverage helmet was broken.I know that helmet saved me some teeth and scars at least.So i've been a full coverage guy since,though i do have a Bell super magnum with a Jofa to wear putting around to look the vintage part i doubt i'd ever race,or ride seriously without a full coverage helmet!Maybe trials or just putting around but that's it.My 12 cents,Ric

ric emmal

[jay cohen]

Thank you for all the feedback as always. I decided to go with an HJC XLC5, full coverage with Snell approved. The price was affordable too. When I raced back in the early 70's I always rode with Snell approved helmets.  I chose this one also because it was available in solid white, just can't get into the wild and crazy kiddy colors and styles most companies have today.