well i got knocked out for about 3 minutes yesterday while practicing at the mx park, so far i can't remember the crash or about 40 minutes after, question is what DOT rating on the helments should i be looking for to help with preventing another concussion.
A DOT rating means almost nothing. Even the turtle shell Harley helmets are DOT approved. Shoei and Arai are where I'd put my money. Don't be cheap either. There is a point where you are just paying for better graphics or better ventilation though and not really better safety wise. I like how Arai has a 5 year warranty. They are each shaped for a different shape head too so don't just pick a cool looking one. They will also fit you at a dealer that sells them so that you have the right pads in the right shape helmet. I have always chucked my helmets after a get off that had an impact on my helmet. It did its job but the integrity may be lost. It all depends on what your heads worth to you. Suomy and shark also made great street helmets and I'm sure that transferred to dirt. I don't really trust the companies that started with jerseys and then decided they could make money with helmets. I'm sure they put out great products but I just feel better about companies that have focused on one thing for as long as they've been around. Have fun finding one though! I hope you feel better soon.
Hi Rappster when I younger I was unlucky to have a buster witch I recived a brain injury from.Since then have always made a rule when buying a helmet that it must be Snell approved.In the 20 years since the helmets have raged in price from $1000 to as low as $350. But the best one is to prevent it keep your head cool don't ride beyond your ability. Enjoy keep ridding rappster.
I have always worn Bell Helmets from my first Bell Star in 73 (65.00 back then!) till my last Moto 6.(400.00) Been lucky as to never needed to try out how well they work but beleave it's money well spent.
so one should stay in the 400 and up range? as for the DOT i heard they have different ratings but i.m not sure what they mean
You don't have to spend $400 to get a good helmet just shop the web. Some good deals out there just have to find them. Prices on the last Bell I bought were $150 different for the same helmet. Good luck.
Lots of inexpensive helmets, some around 135 dollars (Bell makes model that goes for around 180 bucks) carry the Snell approval sticker, so it's not just about price that gets the approval. There was also some talk a while back in an article (not linked to 6D) about how the newer helmets that passed the Snell test were "too rigid". Unfortunately, I can't remember where I saw it, or else I would post the link. I feel that helmets have gotten more unforgiving in an impact lately. Back in the 70s and 80s, I had the misfortune to both test and destroy a couple of Snell approved helmets while out racing. I got up and walked away from those two crashes without so much as a headache, although the second one at Carlsbad raceway did manage to separate me from my logical thoughts for a moment. Both those helmet shells did not survive the impacts, but they did the job that they were supposed to do which was to spread out and absorb the force of impact throughout the shell and liner. In the past couple of years, I have taken a couple of low speed crashes, in which there wasn't even any the tiniest scratch to the outer shell, yet I nearly got knocked out and suffered a headache that lasted for a couple of days from both falls. These were the kind of falls that I would have not even thought twice about back in the old days. I would have barely even noticed that I had hit my head on the ground back then. I don't know....maybe it's just because I'm old now, and the old noggin won't take the same kind of bouncing around.
Even better, look for a helmet that meets the Snell 2010 standard which limits transmitted force to the head to a greater degree. http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/snell-2010-standard.htm
There is also some other European rating that was top notch for safety I think it stared with EC. Either way man, At some point you are paying for better ventilation and cool colors. I didn't mean to be so vocal, I've just seen to many buddies being down and I know what's saved me.
Say what you want but after a certain speed is reached, all bets on survival are over or at least odds are not in your favor ... Either don't crash or slow down is the only real answer ... Try this, take out that helmet with the new fancy sticker and go crash it as a test dummy, IF you really believe it is better .. If not, see my first statement and keep playing the odds on MX racing ....
Don't base your helmet-buying decision on price, or assume that more expensive means safer. More expensive helmets are often "nicer," but that doesn't mean they are safer in a crash. There is not more than on DOT rating. What you are probably thinking of is the different ratings a helmet can be certified to; these are DOT, SNELL, and ECE. SNELL and ECE both have a series of ratings, with SNELL being by "year", the newest SNELL rating being M2010. DOT is the "lowest" rating a helmet can have and still be legal for use on public roads. SNELL is a private foundation that has a more thorough rating system, which companies can choose whether or not to meet. ECE is the European rating system, similar to our DOT system, but I believe it is more thorough. What helmet were you wearing when you crashed? What condition was it in? If you were wearing a decent helmet in decent condition, spending more money isn't necessarily going to make you any safer. The most important thing, in my opinion, is having a SNELL/ECE certified helmet that hasn't been excessively dropped, crashed, etc. You can do that for $150. Additional money on top of that is just better fit and finish, lighter weight, better venting, etc.
There is another well known article on helmet testing that I can't find right now (but I will). It pretty much said to stay away from Snell helmets because a DOT approved helmet would be safer. The Snell foundation protested loudly, then changed their testing methods to more closely resemble the DOT's. Now I don't think it matters so much, as they've updated their testing, but I would not buy a Snell approved helmet thinking it's safer, nor would I think spending more money guarantees a safer helmet either.
