Helmets and Visor suggestions please.

[C7Steve]

I am looking to buy a helmet and maybe a couple of visors and would appreciate any help and tips please.

What is the difference between motorcycle helmets and types used for cars?

Do I need the helmet to meet certain criteria for track use?

What brands are good and which ones to avoid?

Open or closed face?

Looking to maybe get a visor for sunshine (Frolic) and maybe a yellow for overcast days at KH or is this unnecessary and would you just wear sunglasses as well?

How much should I be looking to spend on a good helmet, about £500?


Thanks in advance for any info.

Cheers,

Steve.

[Fluoxetine]

I am looking to buy a helmet and maybe a couple of visors and would appreciate any help and tips please.

What is the difference between motorcycle helmets and types used for cars? Car helmets tend to have a flame proof liner

Do I need the helmet to meet certain criteria for track use? Not particularly, other than being in cosmetically good condition

What brands are good and which ones to avoid? Arai / Bell / Simpson / Stilo seem to be the main players for car helmets - Stand 21 very good too, but £££.

Open or closed face? Personal preference - But if you fancy a pax lap in a 2 Eleven, Atom or Radical, you'll need a closed face

Looking to maybe get a visor for sunshine (Frolic) and maybe a yellow for overcast days at KH or is this unnecessary and would you just wear sunglasses as well? Nothing stopping you wearing sunnies, but might not be all that comfortable - Depending on the helmet brand, tinted visors can be up to £120 each...

How much should I be looking to spend on a good helmet, about £500? Various arguments regarding spending as much as you can, but I'd think a decent trackday helmet could be had easily in the £2-300 range - The cheapest trackday lid on Demon Tweeks is £50 ish...

Stating the obvious, but the best thing to do is try a few on and find the one which fits best - The Autosport show in January is reckoned to be the best place to buy a lid, as all the main players are there and you can haggle The cheaper helmets tend to be heavier due to their construction, so bear that in mind...(It's also recommended that you replace your helmet every 5 years, but I doubt many of us who don't race do )

Thanks in advance for any info.

Cheers,

Steve.

[BigD]

I see demon thieves have a couple of arai open face helmets on special offer. For frolics I would probably go open face as its hot enough as it is. Also slightly easier to pack an open face helmet in the car too.

Think the main difference in car and bike helmets is that car helmets are designed for multiple impacts whereas bike ones are single impact. I could be wrong though.

Anyway car helmet would be best if you are buying one and don't intend motor biking.

[j2 lot]

What they said
A bike helmet might not structurally take the repeated small knocks it could get off a roll cage bar or similar so if you need it to take a biggie it might already be weakened from general use so a specific motorsport helmet is best.RAC blue book will tell you what spec is required for different levels of motorsport although most track days don't need SNELL rated ( or whatever the standard is).
It is recommended that helmets are changed regularly but if you store it properly out of direct sunlight /heat and in dry conditions It probably isn't strictly necessary, if it is dropped or takes a hard knock you should replace it though.
The bikers adage is ' if you've got a £50 head get a £50 helmet'

[pete]

Try them on. It's not for size but some people have a Shoei shaped head and others have an Arai shaped one...

[Dominic]

Some bike helmets come with a second built in tinted visor which can be deployed as required via a control on the side of the helmet. Ideal for changeable conditions.

[GregR]

If you can't try one on, measure your head for mail order. Some brand's mediums are another's large.

Karting helmets are also an option but they won't have a flame retardant liner. You'll learn more here:

http://www.smf.org/cert

As long as you get a Snell approved one you'll be fine. Like anything there are many ways to part with a significant wedge for something that is 'largely' the same as a cheaper version. Carbon fibre for example - looks lovely but for trackdays the weight saved is really not that big a deal (unless your neck is seriously weak!)

I went for an OMP grand prix 7S, cheap and has HANS posts for nothing other than the look.

As for visors, I couldn't be bothered wasting time changing them. I wear my sunnies underneath a clear one

[campbell]

I bought a really cool Vemar with carbon weave for maybe£200 back in 2000. Light and well made. Withstood plenty karting adventures too. Might have preferred an open face for track days but dual purpose was more important to me. Hein Gericke, Edinburgh.

[OlberJ]

Bought an HJC coupla weeks ago. It's a bike helmet, full face but I need it for the buggy. Comes with built in visor that you flip down. Super handy.

[Shug]

Worth pointing out that I think a lot of car TD organisers (not KH, but I think LoT do this) require the helmet to be Snell certified now - so no bike helmets. That's IIRC, but makes sense that if you're using it in a car, get the right one.

[David]

One thing to bear in mind it that motor bike crashes are very different from car crashes. In a car, you're restrained so the mass of the helmet adds to that of your head. The combined mass acts directly on your neck. So the [edit: car helmets] higher spec helmets are lighter - the lighter, the better. Of course a HANS device solves that one but that might be a step too far.

I was also told there are differences in the fire resistance properties too.

[gambler]

With any safety equipment I would always advise you to go for the best thing that you can afford. Hopefully, you may never need it but some day you may have a massive shunt and you would be glad that your melon is protected as much as possible.

When I started out in Time Attack, I ran with an open face but after the big shunt that I had in 2012, I moved to a closed face. I just felt that it gives a bit more protection.

[Mikie711]

One thing to bear in mind it that motor bike crashes are very different from car crashes. In a car, you're restrained so the mass of the helmet adds to that of your head. The combined mass acts directly on your neck. So the [edit: car helmets] higher spec helmets are lighter - the lighter, the better. Of course a HANS device solves that one but that might be a step too far.

I was also told there are differences in the fire resistance properties too.

That is the wrong way round, bike helmets are lighter than car helmets. A car helmet is likely to hit steel at a much higher G than the rider hitting the ground, the helmet wall is thicker in a car helmet and the visor slot in a car helmet is smaller than a bikes so there is more helmet. I have a GP5 full face and a RX7 both top range Arai and the GP is a couple of hundred grams heavier.
Also the GP5's visor is a lot thicker than the RX7's.

[graeme]

Try them on. It's not for size but some people have a Shoei shaped head and others have an Arai shaped one...

Useful info (mostly bike helmets though):

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/

Choose the fit first though... a 5* helmet that doesn't fit perfectly won't give you 5* protection. I thought they all fitted fine until I found the right one... then it was obvious the others weren't as good, so try as many as you can.

[Mikie711]

I found when I was looking for a new bike helmet that not even one make fits properly. Arai have differences between models, I fit a Astro and RX range but don't fit a quantum or chaser. Different shell shape I guess so you do really need to try them on which can be awkward when it comes to car helmets as not many stock them. Turner motorsport were doing the rounds at hillclimb events and had a few helmets on display might be worth giving them a shout.