motorcycle helmets

A helmet is a vital piece of protective gear. Countless studies conclude that riders who wear helmets have tantamount higher survival and reduced injury rates than those riders who do not wear helmets.

Helmets offer two types of protection. The outer shell protects against puncture and abrasion - without it your skin and bone of your head would be scrapping across the road. The inner liner absorbs shock energy by slowly collapsing under impact - if not for this absorption all of the energy from a crash would be transferred to your head instead. The shell and liner sacrifice themselves by spreading the forces of impact throughout the helmet material opposed to the energy being directed to your head. That's why, in most cases, if a helmet has been dropped or damaged in an accident, it may be of little protective value after the fact.

A properly certified helmet is mandatory in most areas, but not all. Just remember, impacts to the head are not any softer in areas without helmet laws. To check your local state/province law click your area on the map below:

There are four main protective elements a helmet offers that you should check:

• the outer shell
• a shock-absorbing liner
• a comfort liner of soft foam and fabric
• a chin strap or other retention system

the outer shell

The outer shell is made up of either fiberglass or injection molded plastic.

Helmets made of injection molded plastic are generally light and cheap. It may also have a shorter life expectancy. It is susceptible to damage caused by painting or adding decals that are applied to its surface as it changes the chemical composition of the material. Damage can also occur if it is stored near gasoline, cleaning fluids, or exhaust fumes. The user should carefully read any and all information supplied by the manufacturer with these helmets.

Fiberglass helmets are typically more expensive than injected molded helmets,however they are much stronger and are able to be painted and have decals added to them without any detrimental effects. Fiberglass helmets delaminate on impact to absorb shock and as such they will break or become damaged if they withstand an accident or sustain a severe drop onto a hard surface.

shock-absorbing liner

The helmet liner is made of expanded polystyrene foam (or "Styrofoam"). It functions by spreading impact energy outward throughout the material. The more impact energy that the liner can absorb, the less impact energy is transferred to the head.

comfort liner

A comfort liner is material to make your helmet, well - more comfortable. It offers protection against your skin especially for the act of putting on / taking off your helmet.

chin strap

A properly fitting chin strap is essential in ensuring your helmet does what it is designed to do and stays on your head.

Fit and comfort is all too important. Too small and it can feel like torture. Too large and your head will bang around inside the helmet during a crash. Each model helmet within a given brand will best fit a particular head shape. The only way to get a correct fit is to try it on, do some basic checks, and even thought you might feel stupid at the moment, wear it around the store for a short while before buying it - once you have found the right helmet for you, that feeling of looking stupid in the shop will turn into a feeling of success in knowing that you made the right purchase.

When purchasing a helmet there a few general rules that always apply:

Only purchase a new helmet - never used

Used helmets are worthless because you can never know for sure if it had been damaged. Once a helmet has been dropped or damaged its ability to protect you is either partially or completely lost.

Only purchase a certified helmet if you choose to use it for riding

Certified helmets must pass certain testing standards to ensure they are able to protect you in the case of a crash. All of the reputable manufacturers certify their helmets. A helmet that is not certified (eg. novelty helmet) is most likely not able to offer any protection to you in the event of an accident. When choosing a motorcycle helmet take a look at the back bottom of the outside shell and see what safety standards it carries. (See photos in our certification overview section below). If it does not have a safety sticker there, then check into the helmet for a tag attached to the liner. Still no indication of any safety standards… put it back on the shelf.There are many types of certifications the main ones being:

• DOT
• Snell
• ECE
• JIS

An overview of each certification type can be found following the helmet type descriptions.

Color

Remember, as with all riding equipment, helmets bright color (all colored fluorescents, orange, red, gold, yellow, bright green, etc) are more visible to other drivers so that they can see you better. Fluorescent orange is the best, solid white is a good middle ground, and black is the worst in terms of visibility.

There are different types of helmets, each with their positives and negatives. As in life, you cannot have everything in a helmet. If you want increased safety, you will have to sacrifice convenience and price. Below is a listing of helmet types ordered from least to greatest protection level:

beanie:

Fits in with the bad boy, rebel, cruiser look. If style and convenience are more important to you than safety concerns, this helmet type is for you.

Cost (USD/CAD): $40-$100

Positives:

• Protects the top of the head.
• Easy to put on and take off and can leave the helmet on in many cases.
• Ears unobstructed for maximum hearing.
• Usually the cheapest helmet you can buy.

Negatives:

• Outside noise (e.g. wind) can be harmful to the ears since it does cover the ears.
• Does not offer adequate protection for any other area than the top of your head in case you need it there.
• Does nothing much in the way of keeping the rain, wind, bugs, rocks/dirt/dust and cold out from anywhere other than the top of your head.

half helmet:

Along with beanies, half helmets fit in with the 'bad boy' cruiser look. Some Half helmets have leather ear protectors that fit over your ears and thus offers more protection in that area.

Cost (USD/CAD): $40-$100

Positives:

• Half helmets protect the top and sides of the head, as well as the ears (plus possibly the eyes and neck).
• Easy to put on and take off and can leave the helmet on in many cases.
• Manufacturers design the half helmet to not obscure or block peripheral (side to side) vision, to balance protection and convenience and to not obstruct hearing.
• Usually cheaper to buy than either a ¾ helmet or a full face helmet.

Negatives:

• Outside noise (e.g. wind) can be harmful to the ears since it does cover the ears.
• Does not offer adequate protection for the face/chin/teeth/nose/ear/neck/eye area in case you need it there.
• Does not do much in the way of keeping the rain, wind, bugs, rocks/dirt/dust and cold out from anywhere other than the top of your head.

3/4 or open-face helmet:

3/4 helmets are popular amongst law enforcement officers as they allow full access to the face area without removal of the helmet. They are designed with a face shield for protection against the elements and debris that can flip up to provide greater access to the face area.

Cost (USD/CAD): $40-$100

Positives:

• 3/4 helmets protect the head, neck, ears, and eyes.
• They allow the rider full access to the face area (putting on/off glasses, eating, drinking, talking, etc) without having to take off your helmet.
• Most 3/4 helmets come with a face shield to protect the eyes that can easily flip up.
• Manufacturers design the 3/4 helmet to not obscure or block peripheral (side to side) vision and to balance protection and convenience.
• Partially aids in keeping the rain, wind, bugs, rocks/dirt/dust and cold out due to its wrap around design.

Negatives:

• Since they cover the riders ears full face helmets can dampen outside noises.
• Does not offer adequate protection for the face/chin/teeth/nose area in case you land there.
• Does not completely aid in keeping the rain, wind, bugs, rocks/dirt/dust and cold out due to its lack of chin protection.

Modular aka. "Flip-Up" Helmet:

Modular helmets are designed to offer the same, or nearly the same, protection as full face helmets (see below). It functions by allowing the helmet area that covers the chin and face to 'flip up' over the top of the helmet to allow the wearer access to the face area unobstructed. This is handy when making quick stops where you do not necessarily want to remove your helmet, such as filling up for gas. When the rider is ready to ride again the face and chin area is lowered and locks back into place to offer full face and chin protection. On average, it is the most expensive type of helmet to buy. It may not be as protective in a crash as a full face helmet because the chin can come open on impact. It should be considered that modular helmets are a relatively new design and there is simply not enough research conducted on them yet to fully determine their degree of safety over full face helmets.

Cost (USD/CAD): $400-$1000

Positives:

• Protects the head, neck, ears, eyes, face, and chin
• Allows the wearer freedom to the face area (putting on/off glasses, eating, drinking, talking, etc) without having to take off your helmet.

Negatives:

• As modular and full face helmets cover the ears they can dampen outside noises.

Full Face Helmet:

Full face helmets offer you the most protection over any other helmet type. As a result, nearly all types motorcycle racing riders wear full face helmets. Full face helmets protect the entire head, neck, ears, eyes, face and chin. Since the helmet protects the entire head, including the face, they also aid in keeping rain, wind, bugs, rocks/dirt/dust and cold out due to their wrap around design. Full face helmets are the least convenient regarding access to the face area (putting on/off glasses, eating, drinking, talking, etc) as the entire helmet usually needs to be taken off to do any of the listed tasks. Full face helmets are, on average, less costly than modular helmets, however, they are still expensive compared to the other types of helmets.

Cost (USD/CAD): $100-$600

Positives:

• Protects the head, neck, ears, eyes, face, and chin

Negatives:

• As modular and full face helmets cover the ears they can dampen outside noises.

What standards?

DOT

DOT certification is a set of safety standards that are set by the helmet manufacturer. It is considered an honor based system as the manufacturer decides whether or not their helmets meet the certification requirements.

DOT is the United States Department Of Transportation safety certification. It is the MINIMUM requirement for any approved motorcycle helmet and must be clearly displayed for yourself and for an officer of the law if he/she wants to inspect your helmet (it does happen in rare occasions). If the helmet does not have a DOT certification on it then it probably does not even met the minimum safety standard! Basically, DOT certification is placed on the helmet in an “honor” system where the government DOES NOT test the helmet but trusts that the manufacturer did test it or else would not be selling it with the DOT certification on it. To make matters worse, there are helmets that are sold with a fake DOT certification on it that do not offer adequate protection either. These helmets would more than likely would fail a DOT test and not meet the minimum requirements you are looking for, but they sell them in the name of good looks and to possibly fool an unwary police officer. A word of advice, usually these are the cheap, "puddin bowl" or beanie type helmets manufactured by an unknown manufacturer (or the manufacturer is not even listed). If the DOT certification suits you just fine then use it and put any bad thoughts of it out of your mind. Buying a DOT helmet for a well known manufacturer is as close to a guarantee that it has passed the DOT standard.

Snell

Snell is a certification standard used in North America and it stands for Snell Memorial Foundation. Snell is dedicated to the memory of William Snell who died in a crash because the helmet he was wearing failed to protect his head.

Snell is an independent testing laboratory which tests helmets further and under more demanding and stricter tests then the DOT standard, some say, are too strict (see 'DOT vs. Snell debate' below). The Snell standard requires that the manufacturer submit 'X' amount of the same helmet to Snell who then tests those helmets themselves. Snell tests are very expensive for manufacturers to do for every helmet they want to sell and the amount of helmets Snell receives from the manufacturers vary in quantity but are of course a lower amount then the manufacturer doing their own tests.

DOT vs. Snell debate

Some motorcycle enthusiasts state that Snell standards are too strict in that they try to protect against high speed crashes that although can happen to an ordinary rider, are rare. The argument is that because of the focus on higher speed crash protection, the helmets are too rigid and do not offer enough absorption of energy from a typical crash impact.

What Type of Helmet do Professional Racers Wear?

The Grand Prix Commission (Dorna, FIM, IRTA, MSMA) reaffirmed the rules for 2006 in the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Regulations (verbatim): Sporting Regulation 2.11.7 - "Helmets must be of the full face type and conform to one of the recognized international standards:

• Europe ECE 22-04 & ECE 22-05 "P"
• Japan JIS T 8133 : 2000
• USA Snell M 2005

ECE

ECE is the European certification standard. Standing for Economic Community of Europe ECE 22.05 is the most common motorcycle helmet certification used internationally - required by over 50 countries worldwide.

North Americans can take comfort in knowing that ECE 22.05 certified helmets meet the demands of FMVSS 218, the North American standard aka the DOT standard. However, the reverse is not always true as ECE 22.05 certification is stricter than DOT and not all DOT certified helmets will meet the ECE 22.05 standards.

If you are looking for a helmet that has passed a stricter certification than DOT and are also looking for an alternative to a Snell certified helmet - an ECE certified helmet may be for you.

JIS

The Japan Industrial Standards (JIS) is the Japanese motorcycle helmet certification standard. The standard is based on Industrial Standardization Law, which is a set of standards set by the Japanese government and regulates all areas of industrial standardization.

make the right choice

Whichever certification you choose make the right choice and feel good that you value your head and brain by protecting it with a helmet.