None of my helmets are listed, all Arai's.
I'm in the market for a new one but find that correct fit is everything and many just don't. The Airohs don't fit me at all for some reason.
Good shout though Paul.

Some don't feel right I guess we have quite different shaped heads, what is comfy for some are horrible for others.. I hate too much cheek padding, find it uncomfortable and makes you look like a luv sick hamster if its system style.

One tip is a new helmet should be a very close tight fit but after wearing it a few times you may find some bits of your head have too much pressure in places which become painful after a while. You can usually depress those areas using finger and thumb pressures and doing so will actually enhance the performance in an accident as it fits better the shape of you head.

I crash tested an open faced on years ago after hitting a transit van side on. The helmet was still intact, as was my head, impact was to the top, the mark left was about  7" across. The helmet when I put it on afterwards sank so low I could not see properly as the top of the aperture was now in my eyeline area, thus proving how hard an impact can be taken and still survived.

Ideally there should be no spaces at all between the head and impact absorbing material only the padding which is thin. Helmets manufacturers have different shapes so some are quite oval and some round which is why it is best to go try them before you buy. However this tight fit can later feel quite painful as most people do not have a uniform head shape.

One common thing is losing the helmet and seen this happen on race tracks. First impact although mild compresses the helmet to head shape, a second sliding contact can see the helmet ripped off as the chin strap is now too slack. In the case of my Viper it pinched slightly either side of my forehead and after riding for a while was distracting as it gave me a headache, just compressing the material in those areas a few millimetres now means it fits snug and doesn't wobble around and the chin strap took up quite a bit more slack.

The perfect helmet would be made to fit your head shape exactly, merely compressing a small area a few millimetres will make it fit better and lets face it not going to make much difference to the overall impact zone as this is quite thick..The helmet should fit your head not the other way round.

The helmet that I had the accident with compressed the impact polystyrene to only a few millimetres thickness at the top.

I recon anything 3 stars and up is good enough, more the better . Some of the later flip fronts now have higher ratings although they are thinking of adding more tests for these as some have come unlatched when impacted. In that event the chin bar needs a test to make it detach so it doesn't break your neck which most are designed to do. A flip front is unlikely to be as good as a decent full face unless its really heavy, but the practical aspect makes them very popular. The increased popularity will now doubt expose any safety issues if they actually exist.

I will stick to my full face ones though.

Snaf wrote:

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Tim, Grouty's a mate he wont publish

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He can't publish as he's already got YBF to cough £250 for it.  Anyway, it was such an impressive dismount that even Simon didn't laugh.  In fact, it was a bit of a tumbleweed moment as the birds stopped singing and the exhausts fell silent as the universe tried to come to terms with what had just come to pass.  And then you were back on and ripping up the meadow.  Stuff of leg end.

super****le wrote:

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I'll be honest I was a little behind Grouty and by the time I rolled up behind him all I saw was Snaff's bike on the deck and a large black woodlice with a white noggin crawling out the undergrowth.

Grouty is currently in my basement hanging by his love spuds and I can promise you by the end of the week he'll be begging to publish.x

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 Grouty is made of sturner stuff, as an ex special forces para type he's used to hanging around, he's probably enjoying it and wondering when you'll crack.

What ever you do don't play him any of Petes huge Val Doonican collection, I won't be held responsible if you do.

Waiting

Nothing but the full dismount will do, I'm already assuming you've failed. 

Ok the Whitehouse world police have said a 24 hour reprieve on Como torture is allowable. Now given they police the world I think we need to look here again. Before a White Christmas be smilin.

good work .... I have returned Edith Piaf to the lead lined vault.  Pleased such extreme measures were not needed....

I can but pity your poor children who've had to re-compose your dilusional thoughts into some kind of real world sense. Mind you that's some good picture but at best it would only provide an insight into my tree surfing ability.

Get it signed, printed and delivered and I'll buy the pop corn at the opening night of "Snaf The Vampire Years"

A picture paints a thousand words (or whatever) and in his case is more informative than many a ride report posted on our esteemed forum.  Well done mate!

Nobody knock the piccie, alright   

It's funny how all the great masters of art paint pictures that convey different meanings to different people

 

I see Lord Snaffacus skateboarding down a tree and rejoicing that he's managed a double backflip with triple toe-loop and landed it bang-on, giving him a mighty 10 from all judges.

 

 

Sure beats a can of Campbells soup, any day

I ain't coming back to this thread till Grouty has spilled his footage.

You got that Grouty?

Water torture or Edith is back out of her box?