Currently using Arai XD3, its my second Arai & i like it for its fit & comfort.

My first helmet was a Bell open face in the mid 70`s.

Try a cheapie on first, then try an expansive one, learn to feel the difference in build quality between cheap & pricey.

One you have narrowed down your choice Google that make & model & read the reviews on all the forums.

I paid more for my helmet than i did for my bike (1983 Tenere)

Mezo.

Good technique trying Cheapo vs. Expensive. One thing missed (I'm surprised) about fit: So many new riders buy a helmet that is TOO LOOSE.

Sure, feels GREAT in the showroom, comfy, goes on and off easy. But in a month or two after broken in and has compressed a bit ... it's now TOO LOOSE. This means noisy, wobbles around at speed, not good.

Also be aware certain helmets fit different head shapes best. So, as mentioned, try a few on. But DON'T get it too loose ... if it's SNUG ... that is good, it WILL loosen up in a month of use.

Reading reviews is OK for determining how the helmet holds up but NOT how it will fit you. Subjective sort of thing, as is noise. Hard to explain.

If you're buying a £14K BMW GS ... then why not go with the most expensive helmet? Shuberth! And it's German! The Shuberth is good (but early ones were crap) and for a flip up it's good too, but took years for them to get there and it's still fiddly. Shoei and Arai know lots more about helmets ... with Korean HJC right behind.

I prefer Shoei Neotec (flip up modular) I also own a lower cost (but very highly rated) HJC flip up SyMax ll. Here's the latest version, Symax lll:
HJC SyMax 3 Helmet - RevZilla

Hard to beat HJC helmets for value. Read reviews on their RHPA type helmets. Super light.

get one that fits!

Consider a helmet with a peak, brilliant for riding into sunlight and it keeps the sun off you face and the screen. The Arai XD-4 is the benchmark but there's plenty of others, I have a BiLT helmet with peak and it's great. I simply wouldn't go back!

Price is just what you pay. There is no proven difference in technology or production techniques between an £800 race replica and a £40 scooter lid, they all pass the same very basic testing to get the approval sticker. The price difference is just how much someone will pay to think they are getting the Moto GP lifestyle.

Buy what is comfortable and let's you see. Headaches, wind noise and misting up will be a prime factor in having to test the impact resistance.

Have to disagree with the helmet lock advice for Europe. The locks can be forced open with a table knife, so your lid goes with you unless the main bike security chain will go through the chin bar without getting it filthy.

I use an open face with goggles in summer (cheap scooter job, £70 five years , brand unknown ), a Frank Thomas jet style for winter and a peaked/visored MX style ( Australian made, forgot the name. ) for anywhere there might be dirt above walking pace.

Spend your cash on fitted earplugs not brands, logos and trying to look like Charlie or Rossi.

Andy

As long as the helmet has the safety ratings, I'm in the U.S. so we look for DOT and Snell, a less expensive helmet should perform the same in a crash as a more expensive helmet. After that, you're paying for creature comforts and graphics.

I wear a shoei rf1200. There are similar less expensive helmets, but the Shoei is easier for changing out cheek pads and such to customize the fit. It also has the system allowing an emergency responder to remove the padding so the helmet comes off easier. It came with a pin shield, has good ventilation and is relatively quiet and light. I'm not necessarily recommending that helmet, just an example.

If you're going to be doing a lot of riding, I would read reviews on different helmets. Lower priced will still keep your head safe, but on long rides it's nice to have some of the extras (except graphics, they cost waaaay too much, get a solid color)

I found a great article on fitting a helmet, I'll see if I can locate it again and post.

Fitting (or not fitting) a helmet. | Motorcyclist

This isn't the one I was looking for, but it's the same info.

Don't get hung up on head measurements, it's just a starting point to trying on helmets. Don't forget that many have different sized cheek pads so you can dial in the fit. Happy shopping!

It's a lot more than "basic testing" Andy. And standards DO matter. The British Standards, IMHO, are best standard in the world, far in advance of CE Euro standard (corrupt) or USA DOT standard. (lots of helmet industry experts agree Brit standards are overall best)

USA also have SNELL standard, which also involves comprehensive helmet testing, which I witnessed when I did an article on SNELL some years ago. Spent a day at their facility in Sacramento, CA documenting the testing they do and recording two hours of interviews.

The main thing I got out of the SNELL guys was that companies like Arai and Shoei are much more invested in helmet safety and technology than some fly by night, year old Chinese company. NOTE: big difference between Chinese helmets and Korean ... mainly HJC. Korean HJC are highly rated world wide in all testing.

Arai and Shoei have their own testing facilities, and according to
the SNELL guys (who've visited both companies at least a half dozen times)
the testing and results are proprietary ... and they (nor anyone else) is allowed access to their testing or data.

But it's true, even cheapo helmets will protect you fine ... most of the time.
And you're right, much of it is marketing driven, image and style up front. And Plush interiors and Hip graphics seem to sell helmets more than anything else.

I just know I'm glad I was wearing my very expensive Arai R-7 when I took a flying leap off a cliff .. and landed on my head!
Other than forgetting how to speak Spanish for a year ... I was "mostly" OK!

Good to hear that your found the advice given helpful and I realise this is a little late but here is a photo of a friend's Davida helmet after a 70 mph crash that left him with 25 broken bones, a ruptured spleen but no head injuries despite the damage to his helmet. This is a £260 helmet, I wear the same and was told rightly or wrongly by the manufacturer that the difference in price and performance between a cheap and expensive lid is in the quality of the lining. There is no way of knowing if he would have been any worse or better off with one of the helmets Lidl were offering for £25 a few weeks ago which also pass EU standards but I know which one I would sooner wear.

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Hi Andy:

I'm not certain I agree with that. While it is true that in most fully developed countries, all helmets offered for sale must pass whatever testing standard that country mandates, there can be some very significant differences between helmets that both pass the standards test. The differences don't always correlate with pricing, but generally speaking, I think "you get what you pay for".

Having said that, I do agree wholeheartedly with you that it is a complete waste of money to pay any premium for a helmet that has fancy graphics on it.

Better quality helmets will offer features such as more comfortable padding around the cheeks and strap, and often can be fitted with different sizes of cheekpads and/or helmet liners in order to optimize fit.

If a rider will spend a lot of time in environments where rain, fog, or cold weather is common, a Pinlock face shield (or similar: a double-element face shield that minimizes fogging) is worth the extra cost.

Full-face helmets with a flip-up front chin bar, such as the Schuberth that I have, can be of great value to riders who wear glasses (like me) or who find conventional full-face helmets to be a bit claustrophobic.

If you apply your argument (cited above) to cars, it would read "Both the cheapest Korean subcompact econobox and the most expensive Mercedes S class have to pass the same vehicle safety standards - so, there is no point in buying anything other than the cheapest Korean subcompact econobox when you next need to buy a car." I think you would agree with me that that statement is a bit over the top.

Respectfully, Michael

I would substitute "Chinese" for Korean above as both Hyundai and Kia both typically finish ahead of Mercedes in reliability ratings.
(Hyundai and Kia, all one company now)

But I get your point ... and it's a good one ... accurate, IMO.

Regards Visors or Peaks ...
I prefer putting a strip of Elec. Tape across the top of my visor. It's adjustable and easily removable. Blocks Sun perfectly, does not compromise quietness or air flow.

Peaks are OK at low speeds, like off road, but going fast they catch the wind and most are really noisy compared to
top of the line street helmets.

I did not know Bilt helmets (Cycle Gear in house brand) were sold in Oz? Bilt are now Very good value and have gotten so much better than the utter crap sold under the Bilt brand a few years back.

My Shoei is ridiculously expensive but is very quiet for a Flip up. Mine current one is wearing out, I'll buy another. The HJC is good but not nearly as quiet.

The Dual sport helmets with peaks ....? Too noisy for me when road riding at 70 or 90 mph ... which we tend to do in deserted areas.

Hi Dave:

I agree, a visor of some kind is a great feature on a helmet.

Many years ago, I bought a great helmet that did not come with a visor, and I went searching for solutions. I came across this company: SuperVisor, who make a little plastic visor that attaches to the front of the helmet with adhesive industrial Velcro. I bought one (back then, they were $10, 15 years later, they are $20) and have been very happy with it.

Michael

The SuperVisor