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Helmets
I am looking for a good helmet,not sure which brand to buy. I am going with an open face helmet.Any help will be appreciated.
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What is it going to be used for? Autocross? Road courses? Serious discussions with wife?
If it's the later I'd definitely recommend full-face. |
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Many good brands, but fitment on your head/face is more important. Go to a place if you can and try them on to see what fits best. It's what I did and glad I did it. Different brands fit VERY differently. |
I'd recommend a full face since they're dual purpose. Polycarbonate helmets offer good protection and are lightweight. Good composites take it up another level. Composites transfer more shock than poly's so they depend more on the styrene inner shell to minimize concussion/brain trauma. Composites offer better penetration resistance. Composite full face helmets will probably offer better chin/face protection as they should be less prone to collapse on impact with the steering wheel.
Good ventilation is important with any helmet, especially in a car in hot weather with no AC. Generally there are two shapes of skulls, round and egg shaped. It's critical to try helmets on before purchasing. They should be relatively tight with no pressure points and left to right horizontal rotation (losness) on your head should be no more than 11 to 1 on a clock dial. Brand names typically draw premium but there are some equally protective "off-brands" on the market, sometimes the shells are made by the same company that supplies the brand name manufacturers.....at least that's the case with motorcycle helmets. Also consider face shield options available, tinted shield are better than sunglasses and offer good eye protection. You want a liner and cheek pieces that's easy to remove for washing and most manufacturers offer multiple sizes of cheek piece to tailor the fitment. The Bell Racing Sport helmet would be a good baseline to start from: http://bellracing.com/helmets/pavement/autocross The Simpson Bandit is another good helmet that's pretty light. http://simpsonraceproducts.com/produ...id=10399&sort= If you want to go big league Schuberth is a favorite in F1: http://www.schuberth.com/en/ |
Let me help put this in layman's terms.....
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A tip regarding some ratings.........
This carbon fiber half helmet is DOT approved http://www.hdforums.com/forum/attach...met-helmet.jpg This helmet isn't though it exceeds US standards in Europe http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...S/Crash011.jpg Which one would you rather wear? :D |
If you're going racing --- make sure it has a SA2010 rating (it will have a sticker on it somewhere) or the sanctioning body most likely won't let you wear it.
This is the SCCA 2013 seals of approval requirements.... http://scca.cdn.racersites.com/prod/...ert_decals.pdf Even at Optima Ultimate Street Car invitational -- and events run by American Street Car Series such as RTTC etc - Tech checks your helmet! |
Another factor I see discounted too frequently is helmet age. Over five years old is compromising safety IMO. If a helmet has experienced a decent impact the shell may appear fine but the critical issue is compression of the styrene inner liner which can be difficult to detect. :thumbsup:
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I would also recommend going to try them on before buying one out of a catalog. I just purchased an Impact 1320 helmet and love it. After trying on the Simpson Voyager and Bandit and a Bell, it was the clear winner in fit and finish for me. Also, the Impact 1320 has a wide visor opening. A lot of drag racing helmets have narrow openings to limit your peripheral vision which is bad for auto cross and road courses.
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Just call this place (link belpw) they will help you and yeah get a snell 2010 full face... (although the snell 2005 is good through 2017 in most racing bodies) the sticker is up inside the helmet under the lining
http://www.helmetcity.com/?utm_sourc...aign=Trademark |
Does anybody have any experience with G--Force helmets?
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I see on different helmets Snell SA ratings. Some are 2005 and some are 2010, is that the year or what?:drowninga:
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2005 is for MOTORCYCLING SA 2010 is for AUTOMOTIVE/GoKarting etc M 2010 is Motorcycling so watch out for the SA vs M |
Thanks for the help Sieg and Greg!!!:king:
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MY SA 2005 BANDIT IS GOOD UNTIL 2017 ..
SA=Special Application, fire retardant lining, racing applications M= Motorcycle nylon lining M and SA helmets are built differently, M are build for more abrasion resistance, IE road rash, where SA are build to protect from trauma IE hitting a bar different helmets for different uses, If you are riding a bike the M helmet is better than a SA if you are in car the SA is better choice Competition Helmets: Helmets meeting SFI Specifications 31.1 (Open Face) and SFI 31.2 (Closed Face) are tested to the highest levels for impact attenuation, penetration resistance, flame resistance and retention capabilites of any helmet in the world. These specifications are very similar to the standards of Snell, which is another helmet standard-setting organization, and are comparable to the Snell "SA" rating. Sportsman Helmets: Helmets meeting SFI Specifications 41.1 (Open Face) and SFI 41.2 (Closed Face) are tested to the same requirements as Competition Helmets, with the exception of flame testing. This allows for a more economical helmet, with no loss of performance in a non-fire situation. These helmets are comparable to the Snell "M" rating Also,,,,, http://www.ehow.com/info_7809247_dra...uirements.html |
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http://www.gforce.com/products/helmets.php Here's another good helmet Pyrotect is a Bell brand http://www.pyrotect.com/home.php?cat=4 |
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If any helmet is dropped or impacted it should never be used again!!!! NHRA will inspect your helmet right after a crash (as they do your car) and if they see any marks they think are unsafe, they pull the snell sticker out of your helmet and it will never pass tech ever again..it's only up to you how safe you want to be. :hello: |
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T.C. |
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I agree with another comment, that if a Helmet is ever dropped or in an Accident, it becomes a memento. Don't ever use it again. It may look OK, but it is Not. T.C. |
Did you guys know SCCA SOLO rules will accept an "M" rated helmet? It surprised me when I found that out. I have an M2000 helmet that is actually still legal in SCCA SOLO events until the 2015 standard comes out. "M" rated helmets are also DOT rated.
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M is for motorcycles.... That fact certainly doesn't make them a bad helmet for low speed autocross events. Just don't try to get one past an official at a road race track. |
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Don't go cheap on safety, even if you are in a closed cockpit car. Make sure you try them on first before buying. The last think you want is to be uncomfortable or distracted by safety equipment when you are trying to push your own skill limits.
My new Stilo I picked up two weeks ago: |
That pic is worth a million bucks right there!!
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Does anyone know why the competitors in WRC wear those open face helmets with integrated microphones instead of a true full face helmet?
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Does anybody know of any sources for SA rated helmets in the East Bay Area?
I definately want to try it on before i buy one....same thing with the gloves.... |
Take a little trip this weekend and go over to Sonoma Raceway -- WINE COUNTRY SPORTS has a store right there with a ton of helmets - all levels from $300 to 4000.... they have driver shoes -- gloves -- all of that stuff. It's a pretty well equipped store. I think they have one on the east side there IIRC.
Don't spend a huge amount of money on your first helmet. Just make sure it's COMFORTABLE. You don't need a carbon fiber version for 20 minute sessions. Although I bought one there last year because it was a close out and I got a smokin' price on it. Three things that I think are important -- decent helmet - DRIVING SHOES - gloves.... Driving on the track - you need sensory input... Driving shoes help with that. Some stores will make up a "package" for you or offer packages -- driver suit - shoes - gloves - helmet and some of them are real reasonable. |
Mike -- Never mind the "east side" store -- apparently my version of east side - is FLORIDA vs California. DOH!
So just head to Sonoma.... it's fun to go there anyway! https://winecountrymotorsports.com |
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But Wine Country takes it on the Road with a Couple of Trailers and go to most Major Races |
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Wine Country is a really great store. And knowledgeable guys in there. Lots of this safety stuff is really needed to be tried on first too. Heck, I even bought the display OMP racing office chair there. :smiley_smack:
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I called Susie -- she's going to make you take it back.... and you're probably not allowed to go anywhere alone again any time soon. |
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http://www.livermoreperformance.com
From one livermoron to another, I know I'm late to the party and you probably already have your helmet but this place is in our backyard. |
A friend of mine bought some stuff there and told me about them as well. i have yet to "check" them out but i will as i like to support the local "brick and mortar" stores....
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its a small store, like 20x20 show room, but they have different helmets on the wall, other safety equipment, various brands of brake fluid in stock, etc, etc, etc. it was perfect for a friday bleed the brakes before an autocross and find out your out of brake fluid kind of store.
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Does anyone know when SA2015 helmets will be available for sale?
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